Italian Cultural Institutions Across and Beyond Covid-19: Designing Digital Cultural Experiences in Extra-Ordinary Times

Covid-19 has accelerated the digital transformation of cultural institutions. They have tackled the temporary shutdowns of their spaces shaping digital cultural experiences, to go beyond their ‘walls’ and enter their audiences’ homes with the aim of fostering existing relationships or creating new ones. Focusing on Italy, this research poses the question: how has the pandemic changed the design of cultural experiences? The five case studies track the evolution of cultural experiences during the health emergency. The assumption is that the pandemic has shaped the supply side as much as the demand, generating possibilities and scenarios for cultural experiences that could coexist with traditional modes. The cases are selected and interpreted based on a survey conducted from July 2020 to January 2021. The results suggest that online and onsite cultural experiences are converging, with important implications for accessibility and inclusion

Worldwide Effects of Coronavirus Disease Pandemic on Tuberculosis Services, January–April 2020

Coronavirus disease has disrupted tuberculosis services globally. Data from 33 centers in 16 countries on 5 continents showed that attendance at tuberculosis centers was lower during the first 4 months of the pandemic in 2020 than for the same period in 2019. Resources are needed to ensure tuberculosis care continuity during the pandemic

Museum, Human Archive, and Technologies: Digital Serving Oral Culture

In a museum, digital technology can strongly influence the perceived experience, the content creation and transmission, and the environment or visitor actions. However, we wonder whether it is always appropriate to introduce it and how, as well as wondering when technologies are actually able to contribute to the extraction of cultural value. This article, aware that the digital dimension should not compensate for the lack of content but rather help in conveying it, highlights the key role of technology in the staging, storage, and transmission of intangible heritage with a particular focus on the culture of orality. Far from the abstractionism of pure theoretical reflection, a concrete example is here examined, highlighting the backstories of the design. “Made with Care” is the multimedia exhibition organized in the new Kohelr museum in Reggio Emilia to keep the immense human heritage of the company alive, usable, and enduring. A direct experience in the design and production of this multimedia exhibit enables us to deal with the main topic in a systematic and concrete way, testing in the real dimension the sharp intuitions of theory

DI-DA. non solo una didascalia / not just a caption

Troppo lunghe, troppo brevi, enigmatiche,non esaustive o eccessive, poco visibili, non comprensibili... a tutti noi è capitato di lamentarci delle didascalie. Perché? Forse perché il museo non è riuscito a stare al passo? Conosce i bisogni del suo pubblico? In un mondo di didascalie, come può la didascalia museale lasciare il segno? Quando interviene e a chi parla? Come parla e in quale veste? E poi, esistono regole nel crearla? Un lungo susseguirsi di domande ci invita a indagare questo dispositivo comunicativo, solo apparentemente un dettaglio, tanto dibattuto quanto determinante, sia in fase di realizzazione sia durante l’esperienza di visita. A seguito di un’approfondita ricognizione dello stato dell’arte, grazie all’espediente dell’intervista si intende aprire l’argomentazione a visioni, approcci ed esperienze che offrano una pluralità di sguardi e voci

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of vaccinated patients hospitalised with SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection: Multi-IPV, a multicentre study in Northern Italy

Background: Despite the well-known efficacy of anti-COVID-19 vaccines in preventing morbidity and mortality, several vaccinated individuals are diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection, which might require hospitalisation. This multicentre, observational, and retrospective study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of vaccinated vs. non-vaccinated patients, both hospitalised with SARS-CoV-2 infection in 3 major hospitals in Northern Italy. Methods: Data collection was retrospective, and paper and electronic medical records of adult patients with a diagnosed SARS-CoV-2 infection were pseudo-anonymised and analysed. Vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals were manually paired, using a predetermined matching criterion (similar age, gender, and date of hospitalisation). Demographic, clinical, treatment, and outcome data were compared between groups differing by vaccination status using Pearson’s Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests. Moreover, multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the impact of vaccination status on ICU admission or intra-hospital mortality. Results: Data from 360 patients were collected. Vaccinated patients presented with a higher prevalence of relevant comorbidities, like kidney replacement therapy or haematological malignancy, despite a milder clinical presentation at the first evaluation. Non-vaccinated patients required intensive care more often than their vaccinated counterparts (8.8% vs. 1.7%, p = 0.002). Contrariwise, no difference in intra-hospital mortality was observed between the two groups (19% vs. 20%, p = 0.853). These results were confirmed by multivariable logistic regressions, which showed that vaccination was significantly associated with decreased risk of ICU admission (aOR=0.172, 95%CI: 0.039–0.542, p = 0.007), but not of intra-hospital mortality (aOR=0.996, 95%CI: 0.582–1.703, p = 0.987). Conclusions: This study provides real-world data on vaccinated patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in Northern Italy. Our results suggest that COVID-19 vaccination has a protective role in individuals with higher risk profiles, especially regarding the need for ICU admission. These findings contribute to our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes among vaccinated individuals and emphasise the importance of vaccination in preventing severe disease, particularly in those countries with lower first-booster uptake rates