It is believed that Shengyang Yiwei Decoction （升阳益胃汤， SYD） is effective in regulating the flow of Qi （气）， and can treat various diseases caused by the disorder of the spleen and stomach Qi. In clinical practice， based on the pathological characteristics of children often having insufficient spleen， and adhering to the principle of treating different diseases with the same method， the focus is placed on the core pathogenesis of spleen and stomach Qi disharmony. We use SYD in various pediatric conditions such as allergic rhinitis， post COVID-19 condition， urethral syndrome， and dysfunctional uterine bleeding in adolescence， and emphasize the treatment is flexibly tailored to the symptoms.

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of public health emergencies in Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province from 2014 to 2023, so as to provide the reference for prevention and control of public health emergencies. Methods: Data of public health emergencies and related information in Jinhua City from 2014 to 2023 were collected through Emergency Public Reporting System of Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System. Attack rates, and distribution of time, areas and places were descriptively analyzed. Results: A total of 276 public health emergencies were reported in Jinhua City from 2014 to 2023. There were 10 324 reported cases and 7 deaths, with an attack rate of 0.32%. There were 53 Ⅳ-level (19.20%) and 223 unclassified public health emergencies (80.80%). Infectious disease emergencies were predominant types, accounting for 97.83% (270 events). The three most common infectious disease emergencies were other infectious diarrhea (42.03%), influenza (21.01%) and COVID-19 (16.30%). The reported public health emergencies peaked in November and December, with 66 and 45 events reported, respectively. The three most counties (cities, districts) included Yiwu City, Wucheng District and Lanxi City, accounting for 24.28% (67 events), 18.48% (51 events) and 11.96% (33 events), respectively. School and preschool institutions were predominant places where public health emergencies occurred (198 events, 71.74%). Conclusions The public health emergencies in Jinhua City from 2014 to 2023 were Ⅳ-level and unclassified emergencies, and infectious disease emergencies were predominant. November and December were the peak reporting periods, and schools and preschool institutions were the main places where these events occurred.

With the development of science and technology, electronic devices have become an inevitable part of our daily life and work. There has been an increase of interest in the use of various video display terminals(VDT). The ocular surface is the first barrier of the visual system to resist the damage of the external environment. In recent years, the number of patients with dry eye has consistently increased with the excessive use of VDT. Blue light produced by VDT, with wavelengths ranging from 400 to 500 nm, has a high energy in visible light. Therefore, blue light may also be an important risk factor for dry eye. In particular, the outbreak of COVID-19 has left people worldwide suffering from increased blue light, which promotes further research into dry eye caused by blue light emitted from VDT. In this review, we summarize the recent studies on the role of blue light produced by VDT in dry eye to provide reference for future related research.

Lung transplantation (LT) has emerged as a crucial life-saving option for critically ill patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) or irreversible lung injury.[1] Intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) is a prevalent complication in critically ill patients.[2] The recovery of recipients undergoing LT for COVID-19-related respiratory failure may face impediments due to ICU-AW, which negatively affects early mobilization and functional improvement. This study describes two cases of successful bilateral LT for severe COVID-19-related ARDS with the occurrence of ICU-AW and subsequent successful discharge.

Since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic at the end of December 2019, more than 85% of the population in China has been infected. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mainly affects the respiratory system, especially the lungs. The mortality rate of patients with severe infection is high. A percentage of 6% to 10% of patients will eventually develop into COVID-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (CARDS), which requires mechanical ventilation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. Some patients who survive acute lung injury will subsequently develop post COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis (PCPF). Both fully treated CARDS and severe PCPF are suitable candidates for lung transplantation. Due to the special course, evaluation strategies are different from those used in patients with common end-stage lung disease. After lung transplantation in COVID-19 patients, special treatment is required, including standardized nucleic acid testing for the novel coronavirus, adjustment strategy of immunosuppressive drugs, and rational use of antiviral drugs, which is a big challenge for the postoperative management of lung transplantation. This consensus was evidence-based written and was reached by experts after multiple rounds of discussions, providing reference for assessment and postoperative management of patients with interstitial pneumonia after COVID-19 infection.

This report describes an approach to recover SARS-CoV-2 RNA from rapid antigen test kit (RTK-antigen) cassettes for whole-genome sequencing (WGS). RNA samples were recovered from 33 RTK-antigen cassettes for WGS, with 18 samples achieving more than 80% genome coverage. This work provides a proof-of-concept that positive RTK-antigen cassettes can be safely transported, stored and subjected to WGS, enabling swift identification of circulating variants.

Problem: Despite the widespread use of designated quarantine hotels to minimize the transmission of COVID-19 from imported cases, there is scant literature on the infrastructure and operational requirements of such facilities. Context: Travellers to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) (China) were required to undergo quarantine in designated hotels for up to 21 days. Prior to operation, all these hotels were modified and hotel staff received structured training in infection control practices. Action: We conducted retrospective reviews of the procedures and operational protocols that were followed to convert and manage commercial hotels as quarantine hotels during the early part of the pandemic. We also reviewed the training provided and compliance monitoring. Finally, we reviewed intra-hotel outbreak investigations that were conducted between April 2021 and June 2022. Outcome: Designated quarantine hotels received 842 510 quarantined travellers from December 2020 to October 2022. Ten outbreaks were reported, affecting 28 guests (0.003%) and two staff. Prompt epidemiological investigation and action stopped further transmission. Discussion: In Hong Kong SAR (China), designated quarantine hotels successfully minimized COVID-19 transmission from imported cases to the community and should be considered as part of integrated response plans for future pandemics. Based on our COVID-19 pandemic experience, we recommend specifying requirements for quarantine centres and hotels to ensure adequate ventilation inside guest rooms and corridors, functioning drainage systems and the adoption of stringent infection control practices. We also recommend the installation of closed-circuit television cameras in all common areas to support compliance monitoring and outbreak investigation.

Objective: Mortality surveillance was established in the state of Victoria just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we describe the establishment of this surveillance system, justify the modelling approach selected, and provide examples of how the interpretation of changes in mortality rates during the pandemic was influenced by the model chosen. Methods: Registered deaths occurring in Victoria from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2020 were sourced from the Victoria Death Index. Observed mortality rates were compared to a raw historical 5-year mean and to predicted means estimated from a seasonal robust regression. Differences between the observed mortality rate and the historical mean (delta-MR) and excess mortality rate from the observed and predicted rates were assessed. Results: There were 20 375 COVID-19 cases notified in Victoria as of 31 December 2020, of whom 748 (3.7%) died. Victorians aged >=85 years experienced the highest case fatality ratio (34%). Mean observed mortality rates in 2020 (MR: 11.6; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 11.4, 11.9) were slightly reduced when compared with the annual rate expected using the historical mean method (mean MR: 12.2; 95% CI: 12.1, 12.3; delta-MR: -0.57; 95% CI: -0.77, -0.38), but not from the rate expected using the robust regression (estimated MR: 11.7; 95% prediction interval [PI]: 11.5, 11.9; EMR: -0.05; 95% CI: -0.26, 0.16). The two methods yielded opposing interpretations for some causes, including cardiovascular and cancer mortality. Discussion: Interpretation of how pandemic restrictions impacted mortality in Victoria in 2020 is influenced by the method of estimation. Time-series approaches are preferential because they account for population trends in mortality over time.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted disease surveillance systems globally, leading to reduced notifications of other infectious diseases. This study aims to estimate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the infectious disease surveillance system in Klang district, Selangor state, Malaysia. Methods: Data on notifiable diseases from 2014 to 2022 were sourced from the Klang District Health Office. The 11 diseases with more than 100 notifications each were included in the study. For these 11 diseases, a negative binomial regression model was used to explore the effect of the pandemic on case notifications and registrations by year, and a quasi-Poisson regression model was used to explore the changes by week. Results: The results showed a reduction in the number of notifications and registrations for all 11 diseases combined during the pandemic compared with previous years. Changes between expected and observed notifications by week were heterogeneous across the diseases. Discussion: These findings suggest that restrictive public health and social measures in Klang district may have impacted the transmission of other infectious diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic. The differential impact of the pandemic on disease notifications and reporting highlights the large ancillary effects of restrictive public health and social measures and the importance of building resilience into infectious disease surveillance systems.

Objective: We examined sociobehavioural factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and estimated COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Philippines. Such studies are limited in low- and middle-income countries, especially in Asia and the Pacific. Methods: A case-control study was conducted in two hospitals in Manila, Philippines, from March 2022 to June 2023. Sociobehavioural factors and vaccination history were collected. PCR-positive individuals were cases, while PCR-negative individuals were controls. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were calculated to examine associations between sociobehavioural factors/vaccination and medically attended SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: The analysis included 2489 individuals (574 positive cases, 23.1%; 1915 controls, 76.9%; median age [interquartile range]: 35 [27–51] years). Although education and household income were not associated with infection, being a health-care worker was (aOR: 1.45; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03–2.06). The odds of infection were higher among individuals who attended gatherings of five or more people compared to those who attended smaller gatherings (aOR: 2.58; 95% CI: 1.14–5.83). Absolute vaccine effectiveness for vaccination status was not estimated due to a high risk of bias, for example, unascertained prior infection. Moderate relative vaccine effectiveness for the first booster (32%; 95% CI: -120–79) and the second booster (48%; 95% CI: -23–78) were observed (both with wide CI), albeit with a waning trend after half a year. Discussion: The higher odds of infection among health-care workers emphasize the importance of infection prevention and control measures. Moderate relative vaccine effectiveness with a waning trend reiterates the need for more efficacious vaccines against symptomatic infection caused by circulating variants and with longer duration of protection.