What is already known about this topic?: In December 2022, China revised its epidemic prevention and control strategy, leading to an increase in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and a peak in medical consultations. Government departments implemented relevant policies to coordinate and allocate medical resources throughout China. However, there is a scarcity of research on the status of medical consultations and the factors influencing them.
What is added by this report?: In the study population, over 80% of individuals with COVID-19 chose not to pursue medical care, while more than 70% of patients who sought treatment opted for primary healthcare facilities. The decision to consult medical professionals was influenced by various factors, such as age, education level, employment status, urban-rural distribution, and the presence of symptoms following COVID-19 infection.
What are the implications for public health practice?: The implementation of tiered diagnostic and treatment approaches, aligned with guidelines issued by governing bodies, is essential for mitigating the strain on medical resources. Primary healthcare institutions serve as "gatekeepers" for public health and should be further expanded in the future.
Introduction: Since 2019, numerous variants of concern for severe acute respiratory syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have emerged, leading to significant outbreaks. The development of novel, highly accurate, and rapid detection techniques for these new SARS-CoV-2 variants remains a primary focus in the ongoing efforts to control and prevent the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Methods: Reverse transcription-recombinase polymerase amplification combined with the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-associated protein 12a (CRISPR/Cas12a) system was used to validate the detection of the Omicron BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5 variants of SARS-CoV-2.
Results: Our results demonstrate that the CRISPR/Cas12a assay is capable of effectively detecting the SARS-CoV-2 BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5 variants with a limit of detection of 10, 1, and 10 copies/μL, respectively. Importantly, our assay successfully differentiated the three SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strains from one another. Additionally, we evaluated 46 SARS-CoV-2 positive clinical samples consisting of BA.2 (n=20), BA.4 (n=6), and BA.5 (n=20) variants, and the sensitivity of our assay ranged from 90% to 100%, while the specificity was 100%.
Discussion: This research presents a swift and reliable CRISPR-based method that may be employed to track the emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants.
What is already known about this topic?: The hospital-acquired infections caused by New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM)-producing strains are typically attributed to a single clonal lineage.
What is added by this report?: In this study, we encountered a unique case of community-acquired NDM-5 Escherichia coli urinary tract infection (UTI) following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The UTI persisted for a duration of at least 45 days. Genomic analyses revealed the presence of two NDM-5 strains, both sharing an identical chromosomal background but distinct, homologous, and recombined plasmids. This case suggests that a diverse range of resistance genes may be present within the human body, with drug-resistant strains undergoing continuous evolution during infection. The intestinal tract may have been its drug-resistant gene pool.
What are the implications for public health practice?: The observations presented in this case indicate that the endogenous acquisition of drug-resistant genes may also be an issue in managing multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO). It is possible for continuous recombination to occur within carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) during infection. In contrast to exogenously-acquired resistance, greater attention should be placed on the endogenous factors that contribute to the development of CRE within healthcare settings.
What is already known about this topic?: Serious mental disorders (SMD) are significant risk factors for suicide, and individuals with SMD are crucial target populations for suicide prevention efforts. While numerous studies have examined the prevalence of suicidal behaviors among psychiatric inpatients, fewer reports have addressed the occurrence of such behaviors in community-based patients.
What is added by this report?: The prevalence of suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts among community-dwelling individuals with SMD was found to be 36.8%, 17.9%, and 15.0%, respectively. A significant association was observed between the severity of psychiatric symptoms and the presence of suicidal behaviors. Notably, patients within the 55-59 age range demonstrated the highest rates of both suicidal planning and attempts.
What are the implications for public health practice?: Particular attention to the risk of suicide is crucial, especially for community-dwelling individuals with SMD of middle age, those with religious beliefs, living alone, and exhibiting more severe depressive and psychiatric symptoms.
What is already known about this topic?: The literature has consistently demonstrated that distress rumination following a traumatic event has significant implications for mental health. However, the potential association between distress rumination and suicidality, as well as the underlying mechanisms driving this relationship, remains to be elucidated.
What is added by this report?: The current study demonstrated a significant, positive correlation between distress rumination and suicidal ideation in college students who have encountered traumatic events. The findings indicate that somatic anxiety serves as a mediator between distress rumination and suicidal ideation.
What are the implications for public health practice?: Interventions aimed at reducing somatic anxiety may contribute to a decrease in suicidal ideation. Assessing and addressing somatic anxiety symptoms in college students experiencing distressful rumination following traumatic events could potentially lower the risk of suicide.