Search Results (2)

Background: European countries have included healthcare workers (HCWs) among priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination. We established a multi-country hospital network to measure the SARS-CoV-2 incidence and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines among HCWs against laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: HCWs from 19 hospitals in 10 countries participated in a dynamic prospective cohort study, providing samples for SARS-CoV-2 testing at enrolment and during weekly/fortnightly follow-up. We measured the incidence during pre-Delta (2 May–6 September 2021), Delta (7 September–14 December 2021), and Omicron (15 December 2021–2 May 2023) waves. Using Cox regression, we measured the relative vaccine effectiveness (rVE) of the first COVID-19 booster dose versus primary course alone during Delta and Omicron waves. Results: We included a total of 3015 HCWs. Participants were mostly female (2306; 79%), with a clinical role (2047; 68%), and had a median age of 44 years. The overall incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 3.01/10,000 person-days during pre-Delta, 4.21/10,000 during Delta, and 23.20/10,000 during Omicron waves. rVE was 59% (95% CI: −25; 86) during Delta and 22% (1; 39) during Omicron waves. rVE was 51% (30; 65) 7–90 days after the first booster dose during the Omicron wave. Conclusions: The incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among HCWs was higher during the Omicron circulation period. The first COVID-19 vaccine booster provided additional protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to primary course vaccination when recently vaccinated <90 days. This multi-country HCW cohort study addressing infection as the main outcome is crucial for informing public health interventions for HCWs. Full article

With a reported prevalence between 20% and 30%, dry mouth is more common among older people than any other age group. The major risk factor for dry mouth is polypharmacy. Older people take more medications than any other age group, not only for symptomatic relief of various age-associated chronic diseases, but also to reduce the likelihood of the complications that may arise from those conditions. Most aged care residents take even more medications than older people who are living in their own homes. The greater the number of medications taken, the greater the associated anticholinergic burden, and the more likely it is that the individual will suffer from dry mouth. The condition not only affects the dentition and ability to wear dentures, but also the sufferers’ quality of life. Treating dry mouth is a considerable challenge for clinicians. As medication use is by far the most important risk factor, there is a need for pharmacists, doctors and dentists to work together to prevent this from occurring. Medication review and deprescribing is a key strategy, but there have not yet been any randomised control trials of its efficacy in reducing the occurrence of dry mouth. Full article