Social representations of mask wearing in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic

IntroductionAlthough one of the most prominent interventions against COVID-19, face masks seem poorly adopted by the general population. A growing body of literature has found that using face masks has social meaning. This qualitative study assessed the perceptions, representations and practices of mask wearing in the general population.MethodsA qualitative survey by short semi-structured walking interviews was carried out from April to December 2021 in 11 cities in France's Pays de la Loire region. Study locations were selected for their varied geographical, social, and economic characteristics, with urbanized and rural areas. Four domains linked to perceptions of masks and wearing them were explored: (i) evolution in mask wearing, (ii) decision-making methods for wearing and not wearing; (iii) incorporating the mask into way of life; (iv) projecting into the future.ResultsA total of 116 people were interviewed. Masks marked a shift from the ordinary world to the pandemic. Overall, interviewees considered masks an obstacle to breathing, communication, and social interactions, leading to establishing strategies circumventing the mask mandate. Poor attention was paid to their medical usefulness as an obligatory clothing accessory. Mask-wearing decisions were driven by social relations, common sense, and vulnerability. The greater the feeling of security (i.e., being with close relatives), the less it was worn or worn properly, with decreased attention to others and their health. Most participants did not remember learning to wear a mask. Some were convinced that mask-wearing could not be learned (experiential knowledge). Institutions (school and work) played a central role by facilitating incorporation of masks into daily life.ConclusionsThis study emphasizes the need to reinforce the individual medical values of face masks to prevent COVID-19. Ambitious education and training programmes should be planned to learn how and when to wear masks. Institutions (work and school) may be critical for this purpose

How do the general population behave with facemasks to prevent COVID-19 in the community? A multi-site observational study

OBJECTIVE: The appropriate use of facemasks, recommended or mandated by authorities, is critical to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the community. We aim to evaluate frequency and quality of facemask use in general populations. METHODS: A multi-site observational study was carried out from June to July 2020 in the west of France. An observer was positioned at a predetermined place, facing a landmark, and all individual passing between the observer and the landmark were included. The observer collected information on facemask use (type, quality of positioning), location and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 3354 observations were recorded. A facemask was worn by 56.4% (n=1892)of individuals, including surgical facemasks (56.8%, n=1075) and cloth masks (43.2%,n=817). The facemask was correctly positioned in 75.2% (n=1422) of cases. The factors independently associated with wearing a facemask were being indoors(adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.28-3.19), being in a mandatory area (aOR, 6.92; 95%CI, 5-9.7), female gender (aOR, 1.75; 95%CI, 1.54-2.04), age 41-65 years (aOR, 1.7; 95%CI, 1.43-2.02) and age >65 years (aOR, 2.28;95%CI, 1.83-2.85). The factors independently associated with correct mask position were rural location (aOR, 1.38; 95%CI, 1.07-1.79), being in an indoor area (aOR, 1.85;95%CI, 1.49-2.3), use of clothmask (aOR, 1.53; 95%CI, 1.23-1.91), and age >40 years (aOR, 1.75 95%CI 1.37-2.23).CONCLUSIONS: During the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, the frequency and quality of facemask wearing remained low in the community setting. Young people in general, and men in particular, represent the priority targets for information campaigns. Simplifying the rules to require universal mandatory facemasking seemed to be the best approach for health authorities

Population Pharmacokinetic Study of Cefazolin Dosage Adaptation in Bacteremia and Infective Endocarditis Based on a Nomogram

International audienceOptimal dosing of continuous-infusion cefazolin can be challenging in patients being treated for bacteremia or infective endocarditis. The aim of this work is to describe and analyze the pharmacokinetics of cefazolin in those patients using a population pharmacokinetics modeling approach and to establish a nomogram to determine the optimal daily dose. Population pharmacokinetics were modeled using the Pmetrics package for R. Plasma concentrations were collected retrospectively from patients treated with continuous-infusion cefazolin for bacteremia or infective endocarditis. The influence of multiple parameters, including renal function, total body weight, body mass index, body surface area (BSA), ideal weight, lean body weight, height, and age, was tested. The probabilities of target attainment for selected target concentrations (40, 60, and 80 mg/liter) were calculated. A dosing nomogram was then developed, using the absolute value of the glomerular filtration rate (aGFR), to determine the optimal daily dose required to achieve the target concentrations in at least 90% of patients. In total, 346 cefazolin plasma concentrations from 162 patients were collected. A one-compartment model best described the data set. The only covariate was aGFR, calculated according to the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) formula and the patient's body surface area, for the rate of elimination. Using the nomogram, achieving a cefazolin concentration target of 40 mg/liter with a success rate of at least 90% and with an aGFR of 30, 60, 90, and 120 ml/min requires a daily dose of 2.6, 4.3, 6.1, and 8.0 g/day, respectively. These results confirm the interest of posology adaptation of cefazolin according to aGFR

Non-immunization associated with increased risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy: A national case–control study

International audienceObjective: In the context of vaccine scepticism, our study aimed to analyse the association between immunization status and the occurrence of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI). Study design: A multi-centre case–control study was conducted between May 2015 and June 2017 with data from the French national SUDI registry (OMIN) for 35 French regional SUDI centres. Cases were infants under age 1 year who died from SUDI and who were registered in OMIN. Controls, matched to cases by age and sex at a 2:1 ratio, were infants admitted to Nantes University Hospital. All immunization data for diphtheria (D), tetanus (T), acellular pertussis (aP), inactivated poliovirus (IPV), Haemophilus influenzae b (Hib), hepatitis B (HB) and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) were collected by a physician. Cases and controls were considered immunized if at least one dose of vaccine was administered. Results: A total of 91 cases and 182 controls were included. The median age was 131 days (interquartile range 98–200.0) and the sex ratio (M/F) was about 1.1. For all vaccines combined (D-T-aP-IPV-Hib and PCV13), 22 % of SUDI cases versus 12 % of controls were non-immunized, which was significantly associated with SUDI after adjustment for potential adjustment factors (adjusted odds ratio 2.01 [95 % confidence interval 1.01–3.98, p = 0,047]). Conclusions: Non-immunization for D-T-aP-IPV-Hib-HB and PCV13 was associated with increased risk of SUDI. This result can be used to inform the general public and health professionals about this risk of SUDI in case of vaccine hesitancy

High-Dosage Cefazolin Achieves Sufficient Cerebrospinal Diffusion To Treat an External Ventricular Drainage-Related Staphylococcus aureus Ventriculitis

International audienceA patient received continuous infusion of cefazolin 10 g then 8 g daily for an external ventricular drainage-related methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) ventriculitis. Median free concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid were 11.9 and 6.1 mg/liter after 10- and 8-g doses, respectively

Emergence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis resistant to linezolid: activity of ceftaroline versus ceftobiprole in a French University French Hospital

International audienceNo abstract availabl

Br-doped Li4Ti5O12 and composite TiO2 anodes for Li-ion batteries: Synchrotron X-ray and in situ neutron diffraction studies

Synchrotron X-ray diffraction data were used to determine the phase purity and re-evaluate the crystal-structure of Li4Ti5O12-xBrx electrode materials (where the synthetic chemical inputs are x = 0.05, 0.10 0.20, 0.30). A maximum of x′ = 0.12 Br, where x′ is the Rietveld-refined value, can be substituted into the crystal structure with at least 2% rutile TiO2 forming as a second phase. Higher Br concentrations induced the formation of a third, presumably Br-rich, phase. These materials function as composite anodes that contain mixtures of TiO2, Li4Ti5O12-xBrx, and a Br-rich third, unknown, phase. The minor quantities of the secondary phases in combination with Li4Ti5O12-xBrx where x′ ∼ 0.1 were found to correspond to the optimum in electrochemical properties, while larger quantities of the secondary phases contributed to the degradation of the performance. In situ neutron diffraction of a composite anatase TiO2/Li4Ti5O12 anode within a custom-built battery was used to determine the electrochemical function of the TiO2 component. The Li4Ti5O12 component was found to be electrochemically active at lower voltages (1.5 V) relative to TiO2 (1.7 V). This enabled Li insertion/extraction to be tuned through the choice of voltage range in both components of this composite or in the anatase TiO2 phase only. The use of composite materials may facilitate the development of multi-component electrodes where different active materials can be cycled in order to tune power output