Original Article
COVID-19
Kuok Ho Daniel Tang
Abstract
Vaccination has offered the hope of restoring life to pre-COVID-19 normalcy. However, new COVID-19 cases have continued to emerge and have increased in certain regions even with increasing vaccination coverage. This study aims to explore the correlations between daily COVID-19 case fatality rates, vaccination ...
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Vaccination has offered the hope of restoring life to pre-COVID-19 normalcy. However, new COVID-19 cases have continued to emerge and have increased in certain regions even with increasing vaccination coverage. This study aims to explore the correlations between daily COVID-19 case fatality rates, vaccination coverage as well as daily new cases and deaths of COVID-19 in Malaysia. It aims to compare the pre- and post-vaccination COVID-19 case fatality rates and examine if any difference between the rates is statistically significant. It also aims to identify the main predictors of COVID-19 case fatality rates. This study obtained the data of daily new cases and deaths of COVID-19, as well as the daily vaccination coverage in Malaysia from official platforms and government offices for non-parametric statistical analysis. It explored the Spearman’s correlations between daily COVID-19 case fatality rates, daily new COVID-19 cases and deaths as well as the vaccination coverage in Malaysia. It examined the difference in the pre- and post-vaccination daily COVID-19 case fatality rates with Mann-Whitney U Test. It constructed a multiple regression model to identify the significant predictors of the daily case fatality rates. This study shows that daily COVID-19 case fatality rates are positively correlated with daily new COVID-19 cases and deaths, and vaccination coverage. It reveals that post-vaccination case fatality rates are lower than pre-vaccination and the difference is statistically significant. People fully vaccinated per 100 population is a significant predictor of the decline of daily case fatality rates.
Original Article
Cancer Screening
Fatih Kara; Bekir Keskinkilic; Murat Turkyilmaz; Fahriye Unlu; Selin Dundar; Erkin Aribal; Serap Gultekin; Aysenur Oktay
Abstract
Introduction: Population based breast cancer screening program was recently implemented in Turkey and is being performed for 40–69 years old women. The aim of this study was to document early results and evaluate the effectiveness of this program. Materials-Methods: 348,638 women who were screened ...
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Introduction: Population based breast cancer screening program was recently implemented in Turkey and is being performed for 40–69 years old women. The aim of this study was to document early results and evaluate the effectiveness of this program. Materials-Methods: 348,638 women who were screened in 2016 were included in this study. All data was obtained from National centralized reporting system and from Cancer Registry database for end results. BI-RADS 1-2 was used for benign findings, and BI-RADS 0, 4 or 5 for recalls according to level of suspicion. The age distribution, recall rate, cancer detection and interval cancer rates were reviewed. The stages of detected cancers were evaluated and compared with that of nonscreened group in the same time interval.Results: 43.2% of women were between 40-49 years old, and 56.8% were 50-69 in screening population. 70% of screen detected cancers were in age group of 50-69. Total recall rate was 5.6% (n=19,607). Malignancy rate was 70.2% for BI-RADS 5 recalls, 19.2% for BI-RADS 4, and 1.7% for BI-RADS 0 categories. The rate of screen-detected cancers was 3.2 per 1000 screening exams (n=1,120). The percentage of early stage disease was higher in screened group (54.3%) compared to nonscreened one (46.7%). In 231 women interval cancers were recorded (0.66 per 1000 screened women). Conclusion: According to initial results, Turkey's newly implemented population based breast cancer screening program seems to be feasible and effective. This analysis suggests that breast cancer screening program should be continued with increasing coverage of target population.
Original Article
COVID-19
Kyosuke Ono
Abstract
To avoid an epidemic of Covid-19, we mathematically clarified why the fifth wave in Tokyo spread rapidly and then shrank rapidly, based on the SIR theory of infectious disease epidemics. The main results obtained are as follows: (1) The rapid spread of infection from late July to mid-August was due to ...
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To avoid an epidemic of Covid-19, we mathematically clarified why the fifth wave in Tokyo spread rapidly and then shrank rapidly, based on the SIR theory of infectious disease epidemics. The main results obtained are as follows: (1) The rapid spread of infection from late July to mid-August was due to the decrease in the number of people tested to half that of weekdays during the four consecutive holidays and the three consecutive holidays established for the Olympic Games. If the number of weekday tests had been maintained during these holidays, the maximum number of daily positives would have been reduced to two fifth of actual positives on early August and would have decreased monotonically thereafter. (2) The mean value of infection rate decreased monotonically from 0.65 on late August to about 0.25 at the end of September. This decrease in infection rate is mainly caused by the subsequent rapid increase in vaccination rates. mRNA-based vaccine infection-prevention effects and the increase in vaccination rates in Tokyo could reduce β to 1/2 on September 10 and to 1/3 at the end of October. (3) From the analysis results, it is estimated that a new infection like delta a can be suppressed to less than the fifth wave by increasing the vaccination rate, eliminating three consecutive holidays, and adopting a precautionary testing system that maintains the same number of tests on weekends as on weekdays at an emergency situation of the rapid spread of infection.
Original Article
Health Sciences
Paulraj Manickavelu; Babu S; Anand Babu Kaliyaperumal
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Allied and Healthcare Education (AHE), which prepares students to work as physical therapists, occupational therapists, nutritionists, dietitians, medical laboratory technicians, and other health and allied professionals. AHE students' healthy lifestyles may aid in the formation of a healthy ...
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BACKGROUND: Allied and Healthcare Education (AHE), which prepares students to work as physical therapists, occupational therapists, nutritionists, dietitians, medical laboratory technicians, and other health and allied professionals. AHE students' healthy lifestyles may aid in the formation of a healthy community, which is more likely to provide effective patient care. Several studies have been carried out to investigate the global prevalence of physical activity (PA) and Sedentary Behaviour in the general population. The present study aims to assess the level of diurnal physical mobility and sedentary behavior among AHE students in Pondicherry. METHODS: The prevalence study included 158 AHE undergraduate students, with data collected using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and reported in metabolic equivalents (MET).RESULTS: Among 158 study populations, it was found that 86 (54.4%) university students practiced low level of physical mobility with a mean MET of 318.5, and 44 (27.8%) students practiced moderate physical mobility with a mean MET value of 1260.9, and only 28 (17.7%) students performed high levels of physical mobility with a mean MET value of 5250.5.CONCLUSION: The study concluded that the majority of AHE students have altered their physical mobility behavior. The study also found that a higher percentage of students were physically inactive and that this puts them at risk of developing early illness.
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