COVID-19 has imposed a very substantial direct threat to the physical health of those infected, although the corollary impact on mental health may be even more burdensome. Here we focus on assessing the mental health impact of COVID-19 and of other epidemics in the community. We searched five electronic databases until December 9, 2020, for all peer-reviewed original studies reporting any prevalence or correlates of mental disorders in the general population following novel epidemics in English, Chinese or Portuguese. We synthesised prevalence estimates from probability samples during COVID-19 and past epidemics. The meta-analytical effect size was the prevalence of relevant outcomes, estimated via random-effects model. I2 statistics, Doi plots and the LFK index were used to examine heterogeneity and publication bias. This study is pre-registered with PROSPERO, CRD42020179105. We identified 255 eligible studies from 50 countries on: COVID-19 (n = 247 studies), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS; n = 5), Ebola virus disease (n = 2), and 1918 influenza (n = 1). During COVID-19, we estimated the point prevalence for probable anxiety (20.7%, 95% CI 12.9–29.7), probable depression (18.1%, 13.0–23.9), and psychological distress (13.0%, 0–34.1). Correlates for poorer mental health include female sex, lower income, pre-existing medical conditions, perceived risk of infection, exhibiting COVID-19-like symptoms, social media use, financial stress, and loneliness. Public trust in authorities, availability of accurate information, adoption of preventive measures and social support were associated with less morbidity. The mental health consequences of COVID-19 and other epidemics could be comparable to major disasters and armed conflicts. The considerable heterogeneity in our analysis indicates that more random samples are needed. Health-care professionals should be vigilant of the psychological toll of epidemics, including among those who have not been infected.

Background The rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HT) has placed a tremendous burden on healthcare systems around the world, resulting in a call for more effective service delivery models. Better continuity of care (CoC) has been associated with improved health outcomes. This review examines the association between CoC and health outcomes in patients with DM and/or HT. Methods This was a systematic review with searches carried out on 13 March 2021 through PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE and CINAHL plus, clinical trials registry and bibliography reviews. Eligibility criteria were: published in English; from 2000 onwards; included adult DM and/or HT patients; examined CoC as their main intervention/exposure; and utilised quantifiable outcome measures (categorised into health indicators and service utilisation). The study quality was evaluated with Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) appraisal checklists. Results Initial searching yielded 21,090 results with 42 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. High CoC was associated with reduced hospitalisation (16 out of 18 studies), emergency room attendances (eight out of eight), mortality rate (six out of seven), disease-related complications (seven out of seven), and healthcare expenses (four out of four) but not with blood pressure (two out of 13), lipid profile (one out of six), body mass index (zero out of three). Six out of 12 studies on diabetic outcomes reported significant improvement in haemoglobin A1c by higher CoC. Variations in the classification of continuity of care and outcome definition were identified, making meta-analyses inappropriate. CASP evaluation rated most studies fair in quality, but found insufficient adjustment on confounders, selection bias and short follow-up period were common limitations of current literatures. Conclusion There is evidence of a strong association between higher continuity of care and reduced mortality rate, complication risks and health service utilisation among DM and/or HT patients but little to no improvement in various health indicators. Significant methodological heterogeneity in how CoC and patient outcomes are assessed limits the ability for meta-analysis of findings. Further studies comprising sufficient confounding adjustment and standardised definitions are needed to provide stronger evidence of the benefits of CoC on patients with DM and/or HT.

Rubella virus (RV)-specific immunoglobulin G antibodies were studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques in sera from RV (RA 27/3)-vaccinated individuals, patients experiencing natural RV infection, congenital rubella syndrome patients, and individuals failing to respond to repeated RV immunization. Results obtained by using whole-RV ELISAs (detergent-solubilized M33 strain or intact Gilchrist strain) and hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) and neutralization (NT) assays were compared with results obtained with the same sera by using ELISAs employing a synthetic peptide, BCH-178, representing a putative neutralization domain on the RV El protein. Murine RV El-specific monoclonal antibodies with HAI and NT activities exhibited strong reactivity in ELISAs with BCH-178 peptide. In sera from RA 27/3-vaccinated individuals collected at 0 (prevaccine), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, and 24 to 52 weeks postvaccine, the development of El-peptide-reactive antibodies closely paralleled increases in RV-specific antibodies measured by whole-RV ELISAs and HAI and NT assays. Similarly, sequential serum samples obtained from patients during acute and convalescent phases of natural RV infection showed a coordinate increase in RV-specific antibodies as measured by whole-RV and peptide ELISAs. Conversely, congenital rubella syndrome patient sera, although exhibiting high levels of antibody in whole-RV ELISAs, had little or no antibody directed to the neutralization domain peptide. Sera from patients failing to respond to repeated RV immunization contained very low levels of RV-specific antibody in all ELISAs. Our results suggest that the sequence represented by BCH-178 peptide may be a previously unidentified neutralization epitope for human antibodies on the RV El protein and may prove useful in determining effective RV immunity.

A significant association between variants in CD247 and SLE was demonstrated in Asian populations. Understanding the involvement of CD247 in SLE may shed new light on disease mechanisms and development of new treatment paradigms.

Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant changes in pedagogy for undergraduate medical curriculum. Many physical clinical teachings have been replaced by online pedagogy. This study aims to evaluate the relation between medical students' stress during COVID-19 pandemic and their academic performance at the final examination. Methods: This is a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. Student's stress level were evaluated by the COVID-19 Student Stress Questionnaire (CSSQ). Correlation of stress level and students' performance at the final examination was performed. Results: 110 out of 221 (49.8%) final-year medical students responded to the questionnaire, 13 students failed in the final examination (case) while 97 students passed in the final MBBS examination (control). Baseline demographic data between case and control were comparable. The median age for both cases and controls were 24 years. Compared to controls, cases reported higher levels of stress in all domains, namely in relation to risk of contagion, social isolation, interpersonal relationships with relatives, university colleagues and professors, academic life, and sexual life. Notably, a significantly higher proportion of cases reported academic-related stress compared to controls (p < 0.01), with 100% of cases perceiving their academic studying experience during the COVID-19 pandemic to be "very" or "extremely" stressful, compared to 35.1% of controls. Conclusion: Increased stress to academic and study during COVID-19 was associated with worse examination outcome at the final examination. Extra academic support will be needed to cater students' need during the pandemic.

Study population was susceptible to ST11 complex meningococci bearing both C and W135 polysaccharide capsules; vaccine against serogroup C meningococci may not prevent ST11 disease.

To determine the prevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections in children in a large urban center, a point prevalence survey was conducted using a novel, ultrasensitive assay for HAV-specific IgG in saliva. A structured sample of 224 grade-six students (5.8% of grade registrants) was obtained from 23 schools throughout Vancouver. All students provided saliva samples adequate for testing. The anti-HAV prevalence rate was 7.1% (95% confidence interval, 4.1%-11.3%). Among 167 Canadian-born students, only 5 (3%) were positive, whereas among 57 students born elsewhere, 11 (19.3%) were positive (P < .001), with circumstances in the latter group supporting infection prior to emigration. No clustering of positive persons was evident. The cumulative risk of HAV infection in Canadian-born children was low through age 11-12 years even in less affluent parts of the city, speaking against a need for routine use of HAV vaccine in this setting.

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