Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 epidemics in pediatric population in Liguria (North-west Italy) from March 2020 to December 2022: what could we have learned?

Introduction: This retrospective analysis aims to follow the course of SARS-CoV-2 infections in pediatric population residing in Liguria, North-west Italy, from March 2020 to December 2022 and to relate it to the regional and national containment measures adopted, to assess the representativeness of the infection rate observed at the national level and to analyze the vaccination rates in different pediatric groups.

Methods: First episodes of SARS-CoV-2 infections registered in the national surveillance system were extracted and further anonymously analyzed for subjects aging ≤ 19 years. The absolute number of cases diagnosed daily during each year was compared to the number of residents in the region and graphical representations were used to visualize the trends in infection rates both annually and weekly in each year.

Co-detection of respiratory pathogens among ILI patients: characterization of samples collected during the 2018/19 and 2019/20 pre-pandemic seasons.

Influenza-like illness (ILI) patients co-detected with respiratory pathogens exhibit poorer health outcomes than those with single infections. To address the paucity of knowledge concerning the incidence of concurrent respiratory pathogens, their relationships, and the clinical differences between patients detected with single and multiple pathogens, we performed an in-depth characterization of the oropharyngeal samples of primary care patients collected in Genoa (Northwest Italy), during winter seasons 2018/19-2019/20.The apriori algorithm was employed to evaluate the incidence of viral, bacterial, and viral-bacterial pairs during the study period.

Long follow-up of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in healthcare workers (2020-2022): A retrospective longitudinal SARS-CoV-2 serological surveillance.

SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike IgG production and protection from severe respiratory illness should be explored in greater depth after COVID-19 booster vaccination. This longitudinal observational retrospective study investigated the anti-spike IgG response elicited by the first, second and booster doses of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in healthcare workers (HCW) at San Martino IRCCS Policlinico Hospital (Genoa) up to the 12 month. Sequential blood sampling was performed at T0 (prior to vaccination), T1 (21 days after the 1 dose of vaccine), T2, T3, T4, T5, T6 (7 days and 1, 3, 6 and 9 months after the 2 dose, respectively), T7 and T8 (1 and 3 months after a booster dose).

A compilation answering 50 questions on monkeypox virus and the current monkeypox outbreak.

The current monkeypox disease (MPX) outbreak constitutes a new threat and challenge for our society. With more than 55,000 confirmed cases in 103 countries, World Health Organization declared the ongoing MPX outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on July 23, 2022. The current MPX outbreak is the largest, most widespread, and most serious since the diagnosis of the first case of MPX in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a country where MPX is an endemic disease.

High Diagnostic Accuracy of a Novel Lateral Flow Assay for the Point-of-Care Detection of SARS-CoV-2.

Highly accurate lateral flow immunochromatographic tests (LFTs) are an important public health tool to tackle the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to assess the comparative diagnostic performance of the novel ND COVID-19 LFT under real-world conditions. A total of 400 nasopharyngeal swab specimens with a wide range of viral loads were tested in both reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and ND LFT.

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in a Large Cohort of Italian Police Officers.

Certain professional categories are at a high occupational exposure to COVID-19. The aim of this survey was to quantify the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among police officers in Italy and identify its correlates. In this cross-sectional study, a nationally representative sample of State police employees was tested for IgG and IgM before the start of the National vaccination campaign.

Healthy Hands: a pilot study for the prevention of chronic hand eczema in healthcare workers of an Italian University Hospital.

Background: Healthcare workers are at risk for occupational chronic hand eczema (CHE) because of frequent handwashing and prolonged use of occlusive gloves. Prevention programs based on skin care education have been shown to be beneficial. We developed and assessed the efficacy of a skin care educational intervention for healthcare workers of our hospital.