TY - JOUR A1 - Kheiroddin, Parastoo A1 - Schöberl, Patricia A1 - Althammer, Michael A1 - Cibali, Ezgi A1 - Würfel, Thea A1 - Wein, Hannah A1 - Kulawik, Birgit A1 - Buntrock-Döpke, Heike A1 - Weigl, Eva A1 - Gran, Silvia A1 - Gründl, Magdalena A1 - Langguth, Jana A1 - Lampl, Benedikt A1 - Judex, Guido A1 - Niggel, Jakob A1 - Pagel, Philipp A1 - Schratzenstaller, Thomas A1 - Schneider-Brachert, Wulf A1 - Gastiger, Susanne A1 - Bodenschatz, Mona A1 - Konrad, Maike A1 - Levchuk, Artem A1 - Roth, Cornelius A1 - Schöner, David A1 - Schneebauer, Florian A1 - Rohrmanstorfer, René A1 - Burkovski, Andreas A1 - Ambrosch, Andreas A1 - Wagner, Thomas A1 - Kabesch, Michael ED - Buonsenso, Danilo T1 - Results of WICOVIR Gargle Pool PCR Testing in German Schools Based on the First 100,000 Tests JF - Frontiers in Pediatrics N2 - Background: Opening schools and keeping children safe from SARS-CoV-2 infections at the same time is urgently needed to protect children from direct and indirect consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve this goal, a safe, efficient, and cost-effective SARS-CoV-2 testing system for schools in addition to standard hygiene measures is necessary. Methods: We implemented the screening WICOVIR concept for schools in the southeast of Germany, which is based on gargling at home, pooling of samples in schools, and assessment of SARS-CoV-2 by pool rRT-PCR, performed decentralized in numerous participating laboratories. Depooling was performed if pools were positive, and results were transmitted with software specifically developed for the project within a day. Here, we report the results after the first 13 weeks in the project. Findings: We developed and implemented the proof-of-concept test system within a pilot phase of 7 weeks based on almost 17,000 participants. After 6 weeks in the main phase of the project, we performed >100,000 tests in total, analyzed in 7,896 pools, identifying 19 cases in >100 participating schools. On average, positive children showed an individual CT value of 31 when identified in the pools. Up to 30 samples were pooled (mean 13) in general, based on school classes and attached school staff. All three participating laboratories detected positive samples reliably with their previously established rRT-PCR standard protocols. When self-administered antigen tests were performed concomitantly in positive cases, only one of these eight tests was positive, and when antigen tests performed after positive pool rRT-PCR results were already known were included, 3 out of 11 truly positive tests were also identified by antigen testing. After 3 weeks of repetitive WICOVIR testing twice weekly, the detection rate of positive children in that cohort decreased significantly from 0.042 to 0.012 (p = 0.008). Interpretation: Repeated gargle pool rRT-PCR testing can be implemented quickly in schools. It is an effective, valid, and well-received test system for schools, superior to antigen tests in sensitivity, acceptance, and costs. KW - children KW - COVID-19 KW - Germany KW - PCR KW - pooling KW - gargle KW - schools KW - pandemic KW - Covid-19 KW - Polymerase-Kettenreaktion KW - Nachweis KW - Schulkind KW - Deutschland Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2021.721518 SN - 2296-2360 VL - 9 PB - frontiers ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sommoggy, Julia A1 - Grepmeier, Eva-Maria A1 - Apfelbacher, Christian A1 - Brandstetter, Susanne A1 - Curbach, Janina T1 - Pediatricians’ experiences of managing outpatient care during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study in Germany JF - Frontiers in Pediatrics N2 - Background: Pediatricians are important sources of information for parents regarding their children's health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, pediatricians faced a variety of challenges regarding information uptake and transfer to patients, practice organization and consultations for families. This qualitative study aimed at shedding light on German pediatricians’ experiences of providing outpatient care during the first year of the pandemic. Methods: We conducted 19 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with pediatricians in Germany from July 2020 to February 2021. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, pseudonymized, coded, and subjected to content analysis. Results: Pediatricians felt able to keep up to date regarding COVID-19 regulations. However, staying informed was time consuming and onerous. Informing the patients was perceived as strenuous, especially when political decisions had not been officially communicated to pediatricians or if the recommendations were not supported by the professional judgment of the interviewees. Some felt that they were not taken seriously or adequately involved in political decisions. Parents were reported to consider pediatric practices as sources of information also for non-medical inquiries. Answering these questions was time consuming for the practice personnel and involved non-billable hours. Practices had to adapt their set-up and organization immediately to the new circumstances of the pandemic, which proved costly and laborious as well. Some changes in the organization of routine care, such as the separation of appointments for patients with acute infection from preventive appointments, were perceived as positive and effective by some study participants. Telephone and online consultations were established at the beginning of the pandemic and considered helpful for some situations, whereas for others these methods were deemed insufficient (e.g. for examinations of sick children). All pediatricians reported reduced utilization mainly due to a decline in acute infections. However, preventive medical check-ups and immunization appointments were reported to be mostly attended. Conclusion: Positive experiences of reorganizing pediatric practice should be disseminated as “best practices” in order to improve future pediatric health services. Further research could show how some of these positive experiences in reorganizing care during the pandemic are to be maintained by pediatricians in the future. KW - COVID-19 KW - pediatric care KW - outpatient care KW - content analysis KW - pandemic Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2023.1127238 VL - 11 PB - frontiers ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pit, Sabrina A1 - Fisk, Malcolm A1 - Freihaut, Winona A1 - Akintunde, Fashola A1 - Aloko, Bamidele A1 - Berge, Britta A1 - Burmeister, Anne A1 - Ciacâru, Adriana A1 - Deller, Jürgen A1 - Dulmage, Rae A1 - Han, Tae Hwa A1 - Hao, Qiang A1 - Honeyman, Peter A1 - Huber, Peter C. A1 - Linner, Thomas A1 - Lundberg, Stefan A1 - Nwamara, Mofoluwaso A1 - Punpuing, Kamolpun A1 - Schramm, Jennifer A1 - Yamada, Hajime A1 - Yap, Jason C. H. T1 - COVID-19 and the ageing workforce: global perspectives on needs and solutions across 15 countries JF - International Journal for Equity in Health volume N2 - BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has a direct impact on the employment of older people. This adds to the challenge of ageism. The World Health Organization has started a worldwide campaign to combat ageism and has called for more research and evidence-based strategies that have the potential to be scaled up. This study specifically aims to identify solutions to combat the adverse effects of COVID-19 on the global ageing workforce. METHODS: We present 15 case studies from different countries and report on what those countries are doing or not doing to address the impact of COVID-19 on ageing workers. RESULTS: We provide examples of how COVID-19 influences older people's ability to work and stay healthy, and offer case studies of what governments, organizations or individuals can do to help ensure older people can obtain, maintain and, potentially, expand their current work. Case studies come from Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Germany, Israel, Japan, Nigeria, Romania, Singapore, Sweden, South Korea, Thailand, United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US). Across the countries, the impact of COVID-19 on older workers is shown as widening inequalities. A particular challenge has arisen because of a large proportion of older people, often with limited education and working in the informal sector within rural areas, e.g. in Nigeria, Thailand and China. Remedies to the particular disadvantage experienced by older workers in the context of COVID are presented. These range from funding support to encouraging business continuity, innovative product and service developments, community action, new business models and localized, national and international actions. The case studies can be seen as frequently fitting within strategies that have been proven to work in reducing ageism within the workplace. They include policy and laws that have increased benefits to workers during lockdowns (most countries); educational activities such as coaching seniorpreneurship (e,g, Australia); intergenerational contact interventions such as younger Thai people who moved back to rural areas and sharing their digital knowledge with older people and where older people reciprocate by teaching the younger people farming knowledge. CONCLUSION: Global sharing of this knowledge among international, national and local governments and organizations, businesses, policy makers and health and human resources experts will further understanding of the issues that are faced by older workers. This will facilitate the replication or scalability of solutions as called for in the WHO call to combat ageism in 2021. We suggest that policy makers, business owners, researchers and international organisations build on the case studies by investing in evidence-based strategies to create inclusive workplaces. Such action will thus help to challenge ageism, reduce inequity, improve business continuity and add to the quality of life of older workers. KW - Aged KW - Aging KW - Communicable Disease Control KW - COVID-19 KW - Humans KW - Quality of Life KW - SARS-CoV-2 KW - United States KW - Workforce Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-021-01552-w VL - 20 SP - 1 EP - 22 PB - Springer Nature ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dotter, Caroline A1 - Haug, Sonja A1 - Weber, Karsten A1 - Schnell, Rainer A1 - Scharf, Anna A1 - Altenburcher, Amelie T1 - Analyzing factors determining vaccination willingness against COVID-19 in Germany 2020 JF - Vaccine: X N2 - The study is based on a German single-topic population survey on vaccination willingness against COVID-19 (VWC) by the authors (2020, n = 2014). The single-topic survey allowed us to test several competing explanations for VWC, as discussed in the literature. The VWC in the sample was 67.3%. Logistic regression was used to identify factors affecting VWC. Being at high risk from COVID-19 and having received flu vaccination have a positive impact on VWC. Perceived VWC of friends has a strong positive effect on respondents’ VWC. Bivariate relationships of gender, age, and level of education with VWC were no longer significant in a multivariate analysis. Trust in alternative medicine and belief in conspiracy theories have a negative effect on VWC. KW - COVID-19 KW - Willingness to be vaccinated KW - Predictors of vaccination KW - Complementary alternative medicine KW - Educational level Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-62900 VL - 14 PB - Elsevier ER -