Publications by authors named "Paula B Blomquist"
The Flexible Farrington Algorithm (FFA) is widely used to detect infectious disease outbreaks at national/regional levels on a weekly basis. The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 alongside the speed at which diagnostic and public health interventions were introduced made the FFA of limited use. We describe how the methodology was adapted to provide a daily alert system to support local health protection teams (HPTs) working in the 316 English lower-tier local authorities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) outbreaks in workplace settings have been investigated to understand how transmission occurred. However, there is limited data looking at COVID-19 transmission in conference settings in England, particularly where an outbreak did not occur. The aim of this work was to investigate COVID-19 infection risk factors and control measures at a large conference, with a known case but no reported onward transmission to inform prevention of future outbreaks of respiratory infections in conferences and similar settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Following low incidence of invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) infections during the COVID-19 pandemic, marked increases were noted in many countries during 2022, particularly in children. In November 2022, severe presentations of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs), including empyema, were notified by clinicians across the UK. UKHSA investigated this rise with the aim of informing clinical management and public health response.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComparison of the risk of hospitalisation among BA.1 and BA.2 COVID-19 cases treated with sotrovimab in the community in England.
Influenza Other Respir Viruses
May 2023
Article Synopsis
- Concerns have been raised about the effectiveness of sotrovimab in reducing hospitalisation risk for the BA.2 sub-lineage of the Omicron variant compared to BA.1.
- A study involving 8,850 individuals treated with sotrovimab was conducted to analyze the hospitalisation risks associated with both sub-lineages.
- The findings indicated that the risk of hospital admission for BA.2 was similar to that of BA.1, with a hazard ratio suggesting no significant difference in hospitalisation rates.
Article Synopsis
- A study in London found that 9.8% of men who have sex with men (MSM) tested positive for bacterial enteric pathogens (BEPs), with Enteroaggregative E. coli being the most common.
- Most MSM with BEPs had a history of bacterial STIs, more sexual partners, and some were on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, though gastrointestinal symptoms were rare.
- The presence of the mphA gene, linked to azithromycin resistance, was notably higher in those with BEPs, suggesting the need for improved antimicrobial stewardship in treating bacterial STIs.
Article Synopsis
- The emergence of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 in 2021 allowed for differentiation from the Delta variant through S gene target failure.
- In England, an established S gene target surveillance (SGTS) system enabled swift identification of potential Omicron cases, typically within three days of sample collection.
- SGTS played a crucial role in public health responses, including case tracking and management, highlighting its importance and providing insights for effective use.
Background: A rapid increase in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases due to the omicron (B.1.1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Long-term care facilities (LTCF) worldwide have suffered high rates of COVID-19, reflecting the vulnerability of the persons who live there and the institutional nature of care delivered. This study describes the impact of the pandemic on incidences and deaths in LTCF across England.
Methods: Laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases in England, notified to Public Health England from 01 Jan to 25 Dec 2020, were address-matched to an Ordnance Survey reference database to identify residential property classifications.
The spatio-temporal dynamics of an outbreak provide important insights to help direct public health resources intended to control transmission. They also provide a focus for detailed epidemiological studies and allow the timing and impact of interventions to be assessed.A common approach is to aggregate case data to administrative regions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Knowledge gaps remain regarding SARS-CoV-2 transmission on flights. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to estimate risk of acquiring symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 on aircraft, to inform contact tracing and infection control efforts.
Methods: We identified co-passengers of infectious passengers on 18 England-bound flights from European cities up to 12/03/2020, using manifests received for contact tracing.
Background: Chemsex, the use of select psychoactive drugs to enhance sexual experience, typically among men who have sex with men (MSM), is associated with sexual behaviours with higher STI risk. Understanding patterns of chemsex among MSM as well as the characteristics and sexual health service engagement of chemsex participants is important for developing interventions.
Methods: Between 5/2016 to 5/2017, 3933 MSM completed an online survey, recruited in sexual health clinics (SHCs) in England (n=421) and via four social networking/dating apps (n=3512).
Background: In England, people of Black Caribbean (BC) ethnicity are disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted infections (STI). We examined whether differences in sexual healthcare behaviours contribute to these inequalities.
Methods: We purposively selected 16 sexual health clinics across England with high proportions of attendees of BC ethnicity.
Background: Seroprevalence surveys of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) antibodies are promising for estimating age-specific CT cumulative incidence, however accurate estimates require improved understanding of antibody response to CT infection.
Methods: We used GUMCAD, England's national sexually transmitted infection (STI) surveillance system, to select sera taken from female STI clinic attendees on the day of or after a chlamydia diagnosis. Serum specimens were collected from laboratories and tested anonymously on an indirect and a double-antigen ELISA, both of which are based on the CT-specific Pgp3 antigen.
Background: In the UK, people of black Caribbean (BC) ethnicity continue to be disproportionately affected by bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV). We systematically reviewed evidence on the association between bacterial STIs/TV and ethnicity (BC compared to white/white British (WB)) accounting for other risk factors; and differences between these two ethnic groups in the prevalence of risk factors associated with these STIs, sexual healthcare seeking behaviours, and contextual factors influencing STI risk.
Methods: Studies presenting relevant evidence for participants aged ≥14 years and living in the UK were eligible for inclusion.
Background: Sexually transmitted infection (STI) surveillance is vital for tracking the scale and pattern of epidemics; however, it often lacks data on the underlying drivers of STIs.
Objective: This study aimed to assess the acceptability and feasibility of implementing a bio-behavioral enhanced surveillance tool, comprising a self-administered Web-based survey among sexual health clinic attendees, as well as linking this to their electronic health records (EHR) held in England's national STI surveillance system.
Methods: Staff from 19 purposively selected sexual health clinics across England and men who have sex with men and black Caribbeans, because of high STI burden among these groups, were interviewed to assess the acceptability of the proposed bio-behavioral enhanced surveillance tool.
An estimated 498 million new cases of curable sexually transmitted infections occur worldwide annually. Of these, 106 million are gonococcal infections, rendering gonorrhea the second most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infection after chlamydia. A decline in susceptibility to extended-spectrum cephalosporins, as well as treatment failures, have been identified worldwide.
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