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- Methi, Fredrik, et al.
(author)
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COVID-19 infection among bartenders and waiters before and after pub lockdown
- 2022
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In: Occupational and Environmental Medicine. - : BMJ. - 1470-7926 .- 1351-0711. ; 79:1, s. 46-48
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To assess how different bans on serving alcohol in Norwegian bars and restaurants were related to the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in bartenders and waiters and in persons in any occupation. METHODS: In 25 392 bartenders and waiters and 1 496 328 persons with other occupations (mean (SD) age 42.0 (12.9) years and 51.8% men), we examined the weekly rates of workers tested and detected with SARS-CoV-2, 1-10 weeks before and 1-5 weeks after implementation of different degrees of bans on serving alcohol in pubs and restaurants, across 102 Norwegian municipalities with: (1) full blanket ban, (2) partial ban with hourly restrictions (eg, from 22:00 hours) or (3) no ban, adjusted for age, sex, testing behaviour and population size. RESULTS: By 4 weeks after the implementation of ban, COVID-19 infection among bartenders and waiters had been reduced by 60% (from 2.8 (95% CI 2.0 to 3.6) to 1.1 (95% CI 0.5 to 1.6) per 1000) in municipalities introducing full ban, and by almost 50% (from 2.5 (95% CI 1.5 to 3.5) to 1.3 (95% CI 0.4 to 2.2) per 1000) in municipalities introducing partial ban. A similar reduction within 4 weeks was also observed for workers in all occupations, both in municipalities with full (from 1.3 (95% CI 1.3 to 1.4) to 0.9 (95% CI 0.9 to 1.0)) and partial bans (from 1.2 (95% CI 1.1 to 1.3) to 0.5 (95% CI 0.5 to 0.6)). CONCLUSION: Partial bans on serving alcohol in bars and restaurants may be similarly associated with declines in confirmed COVID-19 infection as full bans.
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- Methi, Fredrik, et al.
(author)
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Hospital Admissions for Respiratory Tract Infections in Children Aged 0–5 Years for 2017/2023
- 2022
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In: Frontiers in Pediatrics. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2296-2360. ; 9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aim: To compare hospital admissions across common respiratory tract infections (RTI) in 2017-21, and project possible hospital admissions for the RTIs among children aged 0–12 months and 1-5 years in 2022 and 2023. Methods: In 644 885 children aged 0–12 months and 1–5 years, we plotted the observed monthly number of RTI admissions [upper- and lower RTI, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and COVID-19] from January 1st, 2017 until October 31st, 2021. We also plotted the number of RTI admissions with a need for respiratory support. We used the observed data to project four different scenarios of RTI admissions for the rest of 2021 until 2023, with different impacts on hospital wards: (1) “Business as usual,” (2) “Continuous lockdown,” (3) “Children's immunity debt,” and (4) “Maternal and child immunity debt.” Results: By October 31st, 2021, the number of simultaneous RTI admissions had exceeded the numbers usually observed at the typical season peak in January, i.e., ~900. Based on our observed data and assuming that children and their mothers (who transfer antibodies to the very youngest) have not been exposed to RTI over the last one and a half years, our scenarios suggest that hospitals should be prepared to handle two to three times as many RTI admissions, and two to three times as many RTI admissions requiring respiratory support among 0–5-year-olds as normal, from November 2021 to April 2022. Conclusion: Scenarios with immunity debt suggest that pediatric hospital wards and policy makers should plan for extended capacity.
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3. |
- Methi, Fredrik, et al.
(author)
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Pandemic trends in health care use : From the hospital bed to self-care with COVID-19
- 2022
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In: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 17:3 March
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aim To explore whether the acute 30-day burden of COVID-19 on health care use has changed from February 2020 to February 2022. Methods In all Norwegians (N = 493 520) who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in four pandemic waves (February 26th, 2020 –February 16th, 2021 (1st wave dominated by the Wuhan strain), February 17th–July 10th, 2021 (2nd wave dominated by the Alpha variant), July 11th–December 27th, 2021 (3rd wave dominated by the Delta variant), and December 28th, 2021 – January 14th, 2022 (4th wave dominated by the Omicron variant)), we studied the age-@@@@@and sex-specific share of patients (by age groups 1–19, 20–67, and 68 or more) who had: 1) Relied on self-care, 2) used outpatient care (visiting general practitioners or emergency ward for COVID-19), and 3) used inpatient care (hospitalized ≥24 hours with COVID-19). Results We find a remarkable decline in the use of health care services among COVID-19 patients for all age/sex groups throughout the pandemic. From 83% [95%CI = 83%-84%] visiting outpatient care in the first wave, to 80% [81%-81%], 69% [69%-69%], and 59% [59%-59%] in the second, third, and fourth wave. Similarly, from 4.9% [95%CI = 4.7%-5.0%] visiting inpatient care in the first wave, to 3.6% [3.4%-3.7%], 1.4% [1.3%-1.4%], and 0.5% [0.4%-0.5%]. Of persons testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, 41% [41%-41%] relied on self-care in the 30 days after testing positive in the fourth wave, compared to 16% [15%-16%] in the first wave. Conclusion From 2020 to 2022, the use of COVID-19 related outpatient care services decreased with 29%, whereas the use of COVID-19 related inpatient care services decreased with 80%.
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