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BACKGROUND: Schools in Ireland closed in March 2020 as part of a national strategy to contain the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2). The extent to which schools contribute to the overall propagation of SARS-CoV-2 was continuing to evolve internationally. AIMS: To examine regional data on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in primary, post-primary and special schools in Cork and Kerry, two counties in southwest Ireland, during the first 6 weeks of the 2020-2021 academic year and determine the rate of in-school transmission. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Computerised Infectious Disease Reporting (CIDR) system and supplemented with digital records from the regional Department of Public Health (Dept PH) and from the Health Service Executive (HSE) Covid Care Tracker application. The positivity rate among school close contacts was calculated to determine the rate of in-school SARS-CoV-2 transmission. RESULTS: The overall rate of in-school transmission of SARS-CoV-2 was low at 4.1%. Positivity rates among students and staff who were close contacts were similarly low (3.1% vs. 6.9%, p = 0.07). One secondary case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged, on average, for every 7.6 infectious days spent by an index case in school. Schools accounted for 2.2% of all notified cases of COVID-19 in the region during the observation period. CONCLUSIONS: During the first 6 weeks of the academic year, the rate of in-school SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the region was low, and schools did not contribute substantially to the overall burden of COVID-19.
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COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , COVID-19/epidemiología , Humanos , Irlanda/epidemiología , Instituciones Académicas , EstudiantesRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) are 28 times more likely to have eye problems than their typically developing peers. An ideal approach to the eye care for children attending special schools in England has been developed. Work in this area continues to evolve; therefore, an audit about existing services across the United Kingdom (UK) was undertaken. METHOD: A survey to ascertain key aspects of services for children with SEN that exist in the UK was developed and disseminated via Survey Monkey and at British and Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS) events to all leads of the orthoptic profession. RESULTS: Ninety-four service areas replied to the survey. Of these, 65 areas provide a special school service, 30 also provide a specialist service for SEN's in hospital/community clinics; five provide only a specialist service in hospital/community clinics, and 24 reported no specialist service provision, outside that provided to everyone. In the school environment, 29 (44%) areas include vision and orthoptic assessment, whereas 31 (48%) include vision, orthoptic, and refraction assessment. All but two services were reported as orthoptic-led, 26 (40%) special school services involved optometric input within school, and no services had optical dispensing within school. DISCUSSION: The results of this survey suggest that access to all aspects of eye care is not always available in school where a service exists. Families have to travel to the hospital or community optometrist for further assessment, which is not suitable in a number of cases, though it may be desirable, in some.
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OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to describe the scope of practice of Australian Sexual Health Nurses in order to inform development of nationally consistent role functions. METHOD: Descriptive cross sectional survey of 201 sexual health nurses utilising an anonymous self-administered questionnaire with reply paid envelope which was sent to members of the Australian Sexual Health Nurses Association along with a letter which encouraged them to ask non member sexual health nurses to also complete a questionnaire. MAJOR FINDINGS: Despite the fact that most Australian Sexual Health Nurses are employed in sexual health centres and family planning clinics, this study showed the scope of their practice to be extremely varied both in and between states/territories. CONCLUSION: The scope of practice of Australian sexual health nurses is varied. While questions remain as to the reasons for difference, the authors argue that the specialty needs to work toward a national model for basic sexual health nursing care. It is recommended that this model be based on knowledge of and rationales for variations in practice.
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Servicios de Planificación Familiar/organización & administración , Promoción de la Salud/organización & administración , Enfermeras Clínicas/organización & administración , Enfermeras Clínicas/psicología , Rol de la Enfermera , Conducta Sexual , Adulto , Actitud del Personal de Salud , Australia , Competencia Clínica , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Conocimientos, Actitudes y Práctica en Salud , Humanos , Satisfacción en el Trabajo , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Enfermeras Clínicas/educación , Investigación en Evaluación de Enfermería , Encuestas y CuestionariosRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: An optional (general) HCV testing program for blood and blood component recipients before the introduction of routine donor anti-HCV screening (October 1991) was launched in Ireland in 1995 to complement the targeted lookback program in progress at that time and to identify transfusion-transmitted hepatitis C. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The public were informed of the opportunity to avail of screening by widespread media coverage. Screening was by an initial ELISA (Abbott 3.0, Abbott Laboratories) at the transfusion center laboratories. Reactive samples were referred to a virus reference laboratory where two additional ELISAs (Ortho 3.0, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics; and Murex 3.0, Murex) were performed. Confirmation of ELISA-positive samples was by a RIBA (RIBA 3.0, Chiron Corp.). All patients found to be anti-HCV- seropositive were tested for HCV RNA by PCR and were referred to a hepatologist. RESULTS: A total of 14,917 persons have been tested for hepatitis C in this program to date (85% women). Sixty-one people were confirmed positive for HCV by RIBA 3.0 (0.4%). Excluding persons with other risk factors (n = 15), the HCV positivity rate for blood component transfusion recipients (n = 46) was 0.3 percent. Of the 46 confirmed hepatitis C-positive blood component transfusion recipients, 32 were women (70%), 24 of whom received transfusion for obstetric or gynecologic indications (75%). Thirty-eight of 46 (83%) anti-HCV seropositive transfusion recipients tested had detectable HCV RNA by PCR. CONCLUSION: This program identified 46 transfusion recipients and 10 coagulation factor concentrate recipients, all of whom were previously unaware of their infection. The majority of HCV-positive transfusion recipients identified were women. This may reflect that women are longer living survivors of transfusion therapy or alternatively, in our experience, that Irish women perceive themselves at greater risk of hepatitis C because of the well-publicized association of this virus with recipients (women) of Irish RhIG.
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Donantes de Sangre , Transmisión de Enfermedad Infecciosa , Hepacivirus/aislamiento & purificación , Hepatitis C/transmisión , Tamizaje Masivo , Reacción a la Transfusión , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Transfusión de Componentes Sanguíneos/efectos adversos , Niño , Preescolar , Ensayo de Inmunoadsorción Enzimática , Femenino , Hepacivirus/genética , Hepacivirus/inmunología , Hepatitis C/sangre , Hepatitis C/epidemiología , Hepatitis C/prevención & control , Anticuerpos contra la Hepatitis C/sangre , Humanos , Immunoblotting , Lactante , Irlanda/epidemiología , Masculino , Tamizaje Masivo/estadística & datos numéricos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Prevalencia , Evaluación de Programas y Proyectos de Salud , ARN Viral/sangre , Diálisis Renal/efectos adversos , Factores de Riesgo , Estudios Seroepidemiológicos , Abuso de Sustancias por Vía Intravenosa/complicaciones , Viremia/sangre , Viremia/diagnóstico , Viremia/epidemiología , Viremia/transmisiónRESUMEN
PURPOSE: To explore whether there is a difference in the perceived height and actual height in the perimenopausal or menopausal woman and discover the difference's effect on osteoporosis health-seeking preventive behaviors and risk factor awareness. DATA SOURCES: Sixty-three perimenopausal and menopausal women, aged 45-70 years, who presented at three Midwestern clinics for their annual physical exam. Data were collected with The Osteoporosis Questionnaire, which included the Osteoporosis Risk Questionnaire, Health-O-Meter height measuring stick, tape measure with inch-rule for arm span measurements, and balance scale for weight. CONCLUSIONS: There were a significant relationship between actual height loss and osteoporosis risk factors (r = 0.41595, p = 0.0007) and a trend for a relationship between adjusted height loss and osteoporosis risk factors (r = 0.2407, p = 0.0574). IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Due to the great expense of current testing for bone mass density loss, the results of this study may help clinicians more readily identify markers for increased risk of osteoporosis through simple height measurements and osteoporosis risk factor assessments during annual visits.