SARS-CoV-2 rebound and post-acute mortality and hospitalization among patients admitted with COVID-19: cohort study.

Recent investigations have demonstrated a relationship between the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 and post-COVID-19 conditions. Building upon a potential connection between SARS-CoV-2 persistence and early virologic rebound, we examine the association of early virologic rebound with post-acute mortality and hospitalization due to post-acute sequelae among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Hong Kong. Our study includes 13,859, 3959, and 4502 patients in the all-patient, nirmatrelvir/ritonavir, and molnupiravir group, respectively.

Evaluation of dengue fever vulnerability in south and southeast asian countries: A multidimensional approach.

Background: Climate change is raising the risk of dengue fever outbreaks in South and Southeast Asia, where public health challenges persist. Warmer temperatures promote year-round mosquito breeding and pathogen transmission, particularly in crowded urban areas. This underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive assessment to develop effective prevention strategies and improve health outcomes.

Post-pandemic excess mortality of COVID-19 in Hong Kong: a retrospective study.

Background: As the COVID-19 pandemic shifted into the post-pandemic period in early 2023, following the COVID-19 normalization with relaxation of stringent control measures and high vaccination coverage in Hong Kong, its long-term impact on mortality remains challenging with necessary needs of data-driven insights. This study examined the pattern of post-pandemic excess mortality in Hong Kong.

Methods: We analyzed weekly inpatient death data from public hospitals from January 1, 2013, to June 1, 2024, using a mixed model with over-dispersed Poisson regression.

Association of cold weather and influenza infection with stroke: a 22-year time-series analysis.

Despite the significant adverse health effects and economic burden of stroke inpatients, there has been a paucity of research specifically analyzing and quantifying the association between meteorological factors, air pollutants, influenza infection, and stroke admissions. This study assessed the impact of environmental factors and influenza activity on stroke admissions in Hong Kong from 1998 to 2019, utilizing population-based records. We employed the number of weekly stroke admissions as the primary outcome measure and matched the number with meteorological factors and air pollutant concentrations.

Short- and long-term comparative effectiveness of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and molnupiravir in asthma patients: a cohort study.

Background: Few studies evaluated the effectiveness of COVID-19 antivirals specifically in the asthma population This study assessed short- and long-term effects of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir versus molnupiravir in asthma population.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study on adult asthma patients infected with COVID-19, using real-world data obtained from the health officials in Hong Kong. Key inclusion criteria were infection with COVID-19 between March 16, 2022, and Oct 30, 2023, age ≥ 18 years, previous asthma diagnosis, and prescription history of an asthma medication.

Effectiveness of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and molnupiravir on post-COVID-19 outcomes among outpatients: a target trial emulation investigation.

Limited studies compared the effectiveness of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and molnupiravir against a control group on post-COVID-19 conditions. Our study examined the association of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and molnupiravir with post-acute mortality and hospitalizations among outpatients using real-world outpatient records of COVID-19 designated clinics in Hong Kong. This is an observational study using a target trial emulation framework, involving nirmatrelvir-ritonavir versus no antiviral treatment (Trial 1) and molnupiravir versus no antiviral treatment (Trial 2).

Association of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir with post-acute sequelae and mortality among patients who are immunocompromised with COVID-19 in Hong Kong: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: The effect of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir on post-COVID-19 outcomes for individuals who are immunocompromised is understudied. We aimed to examine the association of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir with post-acute sequelae and mortality among patients who are immunocompromised and admitted to hospital with COVID-19.

Methods: We did a retrospective cohort study using territory-wide electronic health records from the Hong Kong Hospital Authority and Hong Kong Department of Health.

COVID-19 vaccination modified the effect of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir on post-acute mortality and rehospitalization: a retrospective cohort study.

While previous research examined coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) antiviral-vaccine interactions through exploratory subgroup analysis, none specifically designed for examining this interaction or its impact on post-acute outcomes. This study examined the interaction between nirmatrelvir-ritonavir and complete COVID-19 vaccination on reducing the risk of post-acute outcomes among COVID-19 patients. We followed COVID-19 patients hospitalized between 11 March 2022 and 10 October 2023, until 31 October 2023 in Hong Kong.

Relationship between parental acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine and attitudes towards measles vaccination for children: A cross-sectional study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to decreased measles vaccination rates globally, exacerbating vaccine hesitancy. This study examines the relationship between COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and childhood measles vaccination among parents in Hong Kong.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Hong Kong from March to September 2022.

Effect of environmental exposome and influenza infection on febrile seizure in children over 22 years: a time series analysis.

Febrile seizures are convulsions predominately occurring in young children. The effects of various exposomes, including influenza infection and external environmental factors, on febrile seizures have not been well-studied. In this study, we elucidated the relationships between ambient temperature, air pollutants, influenza infection, and febrile seizures using 22-year territory-wide hospitalization data in Hong Kong.

Association between meteorological variations and the superspreading potential of SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Background: While many investigations examined the association between environmental covariates and COVID-19 incidence, none have examined their relationship with superspreading, a characteristic describing very few individuals disproportionally infecting a large number of people.

Methods: Contact tracing data of all the laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong from February 16, 2020 to April 30, 2021 were used to form the infection clusters for estimating the time-varying dispersion parameter (k), a measure of superspreading potential. Generalized additive models with identity link function were used to examine the association between negative-log k (larger means higher superspreading potential) and the environmental covariates, adjusted with mobility metrics that account for the effect of social distancing measures.