COVID-19 Research: Navigating the European General Data Protection Regulation
Researchers must collaborate globally to rapidly respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Europe, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regulates the processing of personal data, including health data of value to researchers. Even during a pandemic, research still requires a legal basis for the processing of sensitive data, additional justification for its processing, and a basis for any transfer of data outside Europe. The GDPR does provide legal grounds and derogations that can support research addressing a pandemic, if the data processing activities are proportionate to the aim pursued and accompanied by suitable safeguards. During a pandemic, a public interest basis may be more promising for research than a consent basis, given the high standards set out in the GDPR. However, the GDPR leaves many aspects of the public interest basis to be determined by individual Member States, which have not fully or uniformly made use of all options. The consequence is an inconsistent legal patchwork that displays insufficient clarity and impedes joint approaches. The COVID-19 experience provides lessons for national legislatures. Responsiveness to pandemics requires clear and harmonized laws that consider the related practical challenges and support collaborative global research in the public interest.
Becker, Regina, Thorogood, Adrian, Ordish, Johan, Beauvais, Michael J.S.
Public aspects of medicine, Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics
Digital Approaches to Music-Making for People With Dementia in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Current Practice and Recommendations
Internet, covid-19, dementia, Technology, Music, singing
Before COVID-19, dementia singing groups and choirs flourished, providing activity, cognitive stimulation, and social support for thousands of people with dementia in the UK. Interactive music provides one of the most effective psychosocial interventions for people with dementia; it can allay agitation and promote wellbeing. Since COVID-19 has halted the delivery of in-person musical activities, it is important for the welfare of people with dementia and their carers to investigate what alternatives to live music making exist, how these alternatives are delivered and how their accessibility can be expanded. This community case study examines recent practice in online music-making in response to COVID-19 restrictions for people with dementia and their supporters, focusing on a UK context. It documents current opportunities for digital music making, and assesses the barriers and facilitators to their delivery and accessibility. Online searches of video streaming sites and social media documented what music activities were available. Expert practitioners and providers collaborated on this study and supplied input about the sessions they had been delivering, the technological challenges and solutions they had found, and the responses of the participants. Recommendations for best practice were developed and refined in consultation with these collaborators. Over 50 examples of online music activities were identified. In addition to the challenges of digital inclusion and accessibility for some older people, delivering live music online has unique challenges due to audio latency and sound quality. It is necessary to adapt the session to the technology's limitations rather than expect to overcome these challenges. The recommendations highlight the importance of accessibility, digital safety and wellbeing of participants. They also suggest ways to optimize the quality of their musical experience. The pandemic has prompted innovative approaches to deliver activities and interventions in a digital format, and people with dementia and their carers have adapted rapidly. While online music is meeting a clear current need for social connection and cognitive stimulation, it also offers some advantages which remain relevant after COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed. The recommendations of this study are intended to be useful to musicians, dementia care practitioners, and researchers during the pandemic and beyond.
Becky Dowson, Becky Dowson, Rebecca Atkinson, Julie Barnes, Clare Barone, Nick Cutts, Eleanor Donnebaum, Ming Hung Hsu, Ming Hung Hsu, Irene Lo Coco, Gareth John, Grace Meadows, Angela O'Neill, Douglas Noble, Gabrielle Norman, Farai Pfende, Paul Quinn, Angela Warren, Catherine Watkins, Justine Schneider
Early Warning Signs of a Mental Health Tsunami: A Coordinated Response to Gather Initial Data Insights From Multiple Digital Services Providers
isolation, Anxiety, covid-19, financial stress, digital mental health, data insights
Introduction: The immediate impact of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) on morbidity and mortality has raised the need for accurate and real-time data monitoring and communication. The aim of this study is to document the initial observations from multiple digital services providers during the COVID-19 crisis, especially those related to mental health and well-being.Methods: We used email and social media to announce an urgent call for support. Digital mental health services providers (N = 46), financial services providers (N = 4), and other relevant digital data source providers (N = 3) responded with quantitative and/or qualitative data insights. People with lived experience of distress, as service users/consumers, and carers are included as co-authors.Results: This study provides proof-of-concept of the viability for researchers and private companies to work collaboratively toward a common good. Digital services providers reported a diverse range of mental health concerns. A recurring observation is that demand for digital mental health support has risen, and that the nature of this demand has also changed since COVID-19, with an apparent increased presentation of anxiety and loneliness.Conclusion: Following this study, we will continue to work with providers in more in-depth ways to capture follow-up insights at regular time points. We will also onboard new providers to address data representativeness. Looking ahead, we anticipate the need for a rigorous process to interpret insights from an even wider variety of sources in order to monitor and respond to mental health needs.
Becky Inkster, Digital Mental Health Data Insights Group (DMHDIG)
Medicine, Public aspects of medicine, Electronic computers. Computer science
BROTE EPIDÉMICO POR TRICHINELLA BRITOVI EN GRANADA DURANTE LA PRIMAVERA DEL 2000
Fundamento: La triquinelosis continúa presentándose ennuestro medio de forma epidémica. La magnitud de cada epidemiadepende del alcance del producto contaminado distribuido.En la primavera del año 2000 se investigó en la capital de Granadaun episodio ocasionado por la venta de embutidos sin controlsanitario. El objetivo de este trabajo es la descripción epidemiológicadel brote causado por Trichinella britovi.Métodos: Estudio descriptivo del brote así como de las medidasde control. El alimento vehículo del parásito se investigómediante encuesta epidemiológica.Resultados: Entre las semanas epidemiológicas 18-22 se declararon38 casos. Los síntomas identificados con más frecuenciafueron fiebre, mialgias y edemas palpebrales. El 87% de laspersonas afectadas presentó eosinofilia. El 40% requirieron ingresoshospitalarios. Se encontró T. britovi en la longaniza.Conclusiones: Las epidemias de triquinelosis pueden superarlos sistemas de inspección y control actuales, poniendo enriesgo la seguridad alimentaria. La difusión de la alerta sanitariadisminuye la demora diagnóstica. Proponemos la intensificaciónde la educación sanitaria y continuar con la implantaciónde programas de autocontrol en industrias y establecimientos,debidamente supervisados y evaluados. Se debemantener un sistema de vigilancia epidemiológica sensible y derápida actuación.
Begoña López Hernández, M. Teresa Gea Velázquez de Castro, M. Dolores Galicia García, Jose Carlos Sabonet
http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=17075507
Genetic diversity and race composition of sunflower broomrape populations from Tunisia
Gene flow, Parasitic Weed, SNP markers, Virulence
Sunflower broomrape (Orobanche cumana Wallr.) was detected in 2010 for the first time in sunflower fields of Tunisia, in the Béja region. No information is available on the race composition and genetic diversity of the broomrape populations parasitizing sunflower in that area. Plant tissue and seeds were collected from nine populations in Béja Sud (ORD, ORE), Amdoun (ORF, ORG), and Béja Nord (ORH to ORL) areas of the Béja region. Virulence studies on populations ORD, ORH and ORK revealed that the ORD population was essentially race E, whereas race G individuals were present in ORH and ORK poulations, with greater frequency in the ORK population. Cluster analysis of inter-population relatedness indicated that Tunisian populations were more related to Eastern European than to Spanish populations, with the Béja Nord populations clustering separately from the rest of Tunisian populations. Analysis at the intra-population level of the ORD, ORG, ORH and ORK populations revealed the existence of two gene pools (GP1 and GP2), that were present in all populations at different frequencies. GP2 was at a lower frequency (1/14) in ORD and ORG but at higher frequencies in ORH (5/15) and ORK (8/14). This indicates that GP1 was probably an initial introduction of a race E population, while GP2 is most likely a later introduction of a race G population, introduced initially in Béja Nord area but now spreading to other areas in the region. The risk of a generalized expansion of race G of broomrape in this sunflower cultivation area is discussed.
Begoña Pérez-Vich, Malek JEBRI, Mekki BEN KHALIFA, Hatem FAKHFAKH, Leonardo VELASCO
https://oajournals.fupress.net/index.php/pm/article/view/5735
Survey on the situation of telepharmacy as applied to the outpatient care in hospital pharmacy departments in Spain during the
coronavirus, Pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, telemedicine, Pharmaceutical care, Hospital Pharmacy Service, telepharmacy, Hospital Outpatient Clinic
Objective: To analyze the status of the implementation and development of telepharmacy as applied to the pharmaceutical care of outpatients treated at hospital pharmacy services in Spain during the COVID-19 pandemic.Method: Six weeks after the beginning of the confinement period, an online 10- question survey was sent to all members of the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacists. A single response per hospital was requested. The survey included questions on the provision of remote pharmaceutical care prior to the onset of the health crisis, patient selection criteria, procedures for home delivery of medications and the means used to deliver them, the number of patients who benefited from telepharmacy, and the number of referrals made. Finally, respondents were asked whether a teleconsultation was carried out before sending patients their medication and whether these deliveries were recorded. Results: A total of 39.3% (n = 185) of all the hospitals in the National Health System (covering all of Spain’s autonomous regions) responded to the survey. Before the beginning of the crisis, 83.2% (n = 154) of hospital pharmacy services did not carry out remote pharmaceutical care activities that included telepharmacy with remote delivery of medication. During the study period, 119,972 patients were treated, with 134,142 deliveries of medication being completed. Most hospitals did not use patient selection criteria. A total of 30.2% of hospitals selected patients based on their personal circumstances. Home delivery and informed delivery (87%; 116,129 deliveries) was the option used in most cases. The means used to deliver the medication mainly included the use of external courier services (47.0%; 87 hospitals) or the hospital’s own transport services (38.4%; 71 hospitals). As many as 87.6% of hospitals carried out teleconsultations prior to sending out medications and 59.6% recorded their telepharmacy activities in the hospital pharmacy appointments record.Conclusions: The rate of implementation of telepharmacy in outpatient care in Spain during the study period in the pandemic was high. This made it possible to guarantee the continuity of care for a large number of patients.
Begoña Tortajada-Goitia, Ramón Morillo-Verdugo, Luis Margusino-Framiñán, José Antonio Marcos, Cecilia M. Fernández-Llamazares
The Need to Pay Attention to the Circadian Rhythm of Sleep during the Pandemic of Covid-19
The circadian rhythm of sleep (CRS) in humans, as an automatic biological clock, regulates the stages of sleep and wakefulness during 24 hours. However, this is not the only function of this cycle. Research shows that the CRS can play an important role in the process of energy metabolism in the body. There are also hypotheses that it affects diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Disruption of this natural rhythm can lead to metabolic imbalances in the human body and increases the risk of disorders in blood glucose regulation,blood lipids, cardiovascular system, and immune system (1, 2).
Behnam Khaledi-Paveh, Leeba Rezaie, Soroush Maazinezhad
Anticoagulation in COVID-19: Randomized trials should set the balance between excitement and evidence.
The Expression and Polymorphism of Entry Machinery for COVID-19 in Human: Juxtaposing Population Groups, Gender, and Different Tissues
gender, Polymorphism, COVID-19, host entry machinery
(1) Background: Combating viral disease outbreaks has doubtlessly been one of the major public health challenges for the 21st century. (2) Methods: The host entry machinery required for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) infection was examined for the gene expression profiles and polymorphism. (3) Results: Lung, kidney, small intestine, and salivary glands were among the tissues which expressed the entry machinery coding genes Ace2, Tmprss2, CtsB, and CtsL. The genes had no significant expression changes between males and females. The four human population groups of Europeans, Africans, Asians, and Americans had specific and also a common pool of rare variants for the X-linked locus of ACE2 receptor. Several specific and common ACE2 variants including S19P, I21T/V, E23K, A25T, K26R, T27A, E35D/K, E37K, Y50F, N51D/S, M62V, N64K, K68E, F72V, E75G, M82I, T92I, Q102P, G220S, H239Q, G326E, E329G, G352V, D355N, H378R, Q388L, P389H, E467K, H505R, R514G/*, and Y515C were of the utmost importance to the viral entry and infection. The variants of S19P, I21T, K26R, T27A, E37K, N51D, N64K, K68E, F72V, M82I, G326E, H378R, Q388L, and P389H also had significant differences in frequencies among the population groups. Most interestingly, the analyses revealed that more than half of the variants can exist in males, i.e., as hemizygous. (4) Conclusions: The rare variants of human ACE2 seem to be one of the determinant factors associated with fitness in the battle against SARS viruses. The hemizygous viral-entry booster variants of ACE2 describe the higher SARS-CoV-2 mortality rate in males. This is also supported by the lack of gender bias for the gene expression profiles of entry machinery. A personalized medicine strategy is conceived for isolating high-risk individuals in epidemic circumstances.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Development of an Assessment Method for Investigating the Impact of Climate and Urban Parameters in Confirmed Cases of COVID-19: A New Challenge in Sustainable Development
sustainable development, climate and urban parameters, COVID-19, MLR
Sustainable development has been a controversial global topic, and as a complex concept in recent years, it plays a key role in creating a favorable future for societies. Meanwhile, there are several problems in the process of implementing this approach, like epidemic diseases. Hence, in this study, the impact of climate and urban factors on confirmed cases of COVID-19 (a new type of coronavirus) with the trend and multivariate linear regression (MLR) has been investigated to propose a more accurate prediction model. For this propose, some important climate parameters, including daily average temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed, in addition to urban parameters such as population density, were considered, and their impacts on confirmed cases of COVID-19 were analyzed. The analysis was performed for three case studies in Italy, and the application of the proposed method has been investigated. The impacts of parameters have been considered with a delay time from one to nine days to find out the most suitable combination. The result of the analysis demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed model and the impact of climate parameters on the trend of confirmed cases. The research hypothesis approved by the MLR model and the present assessment method could be applied by considering several variables that exhibit the exact delay of them to new confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Behrouz Pirouz, Sina Shaffiee Haghshenas, Behzad Pirouz, Sami Shaffiee Haghshenas, Patrizia Piro