Air and surface samples were collected in the COVID-19 ward of an Italian hospital. • SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection was performed using RT-PCR. • Positive swab samples were found in the semi-contaminated and contaminated areas. • Viral RNA was found in the air of intensive care unit and corridor for patients. • No positive samples were found in the clean areas of the ward.

The COVID-19 outbreak has taken a heavy toll on the mental well-being of healthcare workers. This study aims to describe a psychological screening program developed at a large University Hospital in Milan, Italy, and assess the psychological outcomes of employees and associated factors. A survey was electronically conducted among hospital employees between July and October 2020. Sociodemographic data, information about COVID-19 experience and three scales assessing anxiety (STAI-Y1), depression (HAM-D) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PCL-5) were collected. A total of 308 employees (80% women; mean age 45.1 years) responded: 16% physicians, 68% other healthcare professionals, and 16% administrative staff. Employees reported moderate/severe symptoms of anxiety (23%), depression (53%), and post-traumatic stress disorder (40%). At multivariate logistic regression analysis, having suffered a loss for COVID-19 in the personal context was independently associated with higher risk of moderate/severe anxiety (OR = 2.40; 95% CI 1.16–4.98), being female was associated with higher risk of moderate/severe depression (OR = 2.82; 95% CI 1.43–5.59), and having had a family member affected by COVID-19 was associated with higher risk of moderate/severe post-traumatic stress disorder (OR = 2.75; 95% CI 1.01–7.48). COVID-19 personal experience may have a profound impact on hospital workers’ mental health and should be considered in supportive interventions.

Background Health care workers (HCWs) are at high risk of contracting an infection by SARS CoV-2 and thus they are a priority for vaccination. We hereby aim to investigate whether the risk of severe and moderate systemic symptoms (MSS) after vaccination is higher in HCWs with a history of previous COVID-19. Methods An online questionnaire was offered to the cohort all HCWs undergoing anti-SARS CoV-2 mRNA BNT162b2 vaccination between January 4th and February 9th 2021 in two large tertiary hospitals (ASST Santi Paolo and Carlo) in Milan, Italy. Previous SARS-CoV-2 infection/COVID-19 was recorded. Local and systemic symptoms after each of the two doses were reported. MSS were those either interfering with daily activities or resulting in time off-work. Factors associated to MSS were identified by logistic regression. Findings 3,078 HCW were included. Previous SARS-CoV-2 infection/COVID-19 occurred in 396 subjects (12·9%). 59·6% suffered from ≥ 1 local or systemic symptom after the first and 73·4% after the second dose. MSS occurred in 6·3% of cases (14·4% with previous vs 5·1% with no COVID-19 p <0·001) and in 28·3% (24·5% in COVID-19 vs 28·3% no COVID, p = 0·074) after the first and second dose, respectively. Subjects already experiencing COVID-19 had an independent 3-fold higher risk of MSS after the first and a 30% lower risk after the second dose. No severe adverse events were reported. Interpretation Our data confirm in a real-world setting, the lack of severe adverse events and the short duration of reactogenicity in already infected HCWs. Possible differences in immune reactivity are drivers of MSS among this group of HCWs, as well as among females and younger individuals. Funding None.

The regulatory framework of the official controls on food safety, the criteria and methods from the planning of interventions in the field of official control to the management of information flows, and the standards described in the operation manual of the local competent authorities drafted by the Lombardy Region (2011) were evaluated. A questionnaire consisting of n. 10 questions with multiple answers draft in partnership with EPAM (the Association of Provincial Public Retail and catering businesses in Milan) to n. 107 Food service establishments of Milan shows that 92% of managers approve the introduction of a grading system. The regulatory framework is planned to support the implementation of risk assignment, unfortunately the attribution of risk category of retail and catering businesses is still different among regions. IntroduzioneCon il Libro Bianco sulla sicurezza alimentare (Commissione Europea, 2000b) si evidenzia come nel caso di strutture e servizi di ristorazione, seppur indicato chiaramente, non sempre il flusso d'informazioni con il consumatore è sufficiente a soddisfare la necessità d'informazione e, non sempre il consumatore può conoscere il livello igienico sanitario del servizio offerto in modo trasparente e facilmente leggibile.Il concetto di ABC grading system concernente l'igiene pubblica nasce negli USA nel 1920 quando l'U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) creò il primo codice ad applicazione volontaria, denominato Model Milk Code. Il codice aveva lo scopo di fornire indicazioni sulla sicurezza dei processi di produzione e di vendita del latte, comunicandone il grado tramite una lettera da applicare direttamente sulle bottiglie (McDean, 1997). Il modello creato nel 1920 influenza positivamente la sicurezza alimentare americana e nel 1932, sulla base dei Milk Code, nasce il primo Model Food Code per poi prendere corpo così come lo conosciamo nei primi anni del 1960. La maggior parte delle norme che regolavano l'invio dei punteggi e dei voti furono lasciate ai singoli stati e alle loro amministrazioni locali. In particolare Tennessee e North Carolina furono i primi ad applicare una legislazione obbligatoria che prevedeva tale codice.Solo negli ultimi anni il Grade Card System ha preso dignità a livello internazionale, come evidenzia uno studio di fattibilità condotto nel luglio del 2000 dall'Ottawa-Carleton Health Department in Canada (Boehnke, 2000). Tale rapporto mostra come su settantanove giurisdizioni responsabili dell'ispezione di ristoranti, tra cui paesi appartenenti alla Comunità Europea, all'America meridionale e all'Australia, solamente gli Stati Uniti d'America e la Repubblica di Singapore adottavano un sistema di valutazione igienico-sanitaria a punti, e solo in seguito a tale studio lo stesso Canada decise di introdurre tale sistema di valutazione. A oggi numerosi paesi applicano, anche in maniera volontaria, sistemi di valutazione riconducibili a quello americano, in particolare la Nuova Zelanda, e, in Europa: Danimarca, Belgio, Regno unito e Scozia.La crescente richi...

The purpose of this study was to elaborate a checklist with an inspection scoring system at national level in order to assess compliance with sanitary hygiene requirements of food services. The inspection scoring system was elaborated taking into account the guidelines drawn up by NYC Department of Food Safety and Mental Hygiene. Moreover the checklist was used simultaneously with the standard inspection protocol adopted by Servizio Igiene Alimenti Nutrizione (Servizio Igiene Alimenti Nutrizione - Ss. I.A.N) and defined by D.G.R 6 March 2017 – n. X/6299 Lombardy Region. Ss. I.A.N protocol consists of a qualitative response according to which we have generated a new protocol with three different grading: A, B and C. The designed checklist was divided into 17 sections. Each section corresponds to prerequisites to be verified during the inspection. Every section includes the type of conformity to check and the type of violation: critical or general. Moreover, the failure to respect the expected compliance generates 4 severity levels that correspond to score classes. A total of 7 food services were checked with the two different inspection methods. The checklist results generated a food safety score for each food service that ranged from 0.0 (no flaws observed) to 187.2, and generates three grading class: A (0.0-28.0); B (29.0-70.0) and C (>71.00). The results from the Ss. I. A. N grading method and the checklist show positive correlation (r=0.94, P>0.01) suggesting that the methods are comparable. Moreover, our scoring checklist is an easy and unique method compared to standard and allows also managers to perform effective surveillance programs in food service.