Objectives Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel infectious disease, with significant morbidity and mortality. This meta-analysis is to evaluate the prevalence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in COVID-19 patients and to determine the association of DIC with the severity and prognosis of COVID-19. Methods We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database until August 12, 2020. The meta-analysis was performed using Stata 16.0 software. Results 14 studies were included in our meta-analysis. The pooled analysis revealed that the incidence of COVID-19 patients developing DIC was 3% (95%: 1%–5%, P < 0.001). In addition, deaths were more likely to be associated with DIC (Log OR = 2.46, 95% CI: 0.94–3.99, P < 0.001) with statistical significance. Conclusions DIC is associated with the severity and poor prognosis of COVID-19 patients. Therefore, attention should be paid to coagulation dysfunction in COVID-19 patients. Monitoring of coagulation indicators may improve the prognosis of COVID-19 inpatients.

Many communities provide older people with various opportunities to participate in the society. The 2010 Chinese census reveals that the majority of the older adults in China are still healthy, but research shows that older adults have relatively low levels of community participation. This study aims to determine the factors that affect the community participation of older adults in China using data collected from the 2011 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The CHARLS survey used a multistage sampling strategy to select respondents from 450 resident or village communities in China. A total of 17,000 persons from 10,000 families participated in the survey. The sample for this study includes 4283 individuals aged 60 years and above who have been invited to answer the survey based on their participation in entertainment and volunteer activities within the past month; 1009 were from urban areas and 3247 were from rural areas. Using logistic regression, this study identifies several variables that can predict the community participation of older adults. These variables included educational background, residence status, self-rated living standard and health status, number of available community facilities, expected social support, family care responsibility and involvement/non-involvement in old-age insurance schemes. In addition, an urban-rural difference was observed in the participation of these adults in entertainment activities, and the differences between older adults residing in urban and rural areas were insignificant in terms of their participation in volunteer work. These findings imply that the Chinese government should consider these predictors and the urban-rural differences when making policies regarding the community participation of older adults.

Background The substitute or complementary effect of formal care on informal care service used by the elderly has been tested in Western countries. However, this effect is excluded from the discussion in the Chinese context. The identification of the relationship between informal care and formal care may imply different directions in policy-making. Thus, this study contributes to understanding the relationship between informal care and formal care among Chinese older adults. Methods Using the dataset from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) in 2014, this study uses regression models and instrumental variable (IV) method to examine the impact of formal care on informal care. Results The results primarily show that formal care does not substitute informal care among Chinese older adults. In fact, formal care is a supplement to informal care in China. Conclusion It is expected that informal care will become less available in the future in China. Thus, policymakers should be concerned about the underdevelopment of formal care for the elderly in China.