Hochschule für Technik und Umwelt FHNW

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Anfangsdatum: 2023Thema: search.filters.subject.610 - Medizin und Gesundheit

Bereich: Suchergebnisse

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    Publikation
    Air cleaners and respiratory infections in schools. A modeling study using epidemiological, environmental, and molecular data
    (Oxford University Press, 30.12.2023) Banholzer, Nicolas; Jent, Philipp; Bittel, Pascal; Zürcher, Kathrin; Furrer, Lavinia; Bertschinger, Simon; Weingartner, Ernest; Ramette, Alban; Egger, Matthias; Hascher, Tina; Fenner, Lukas
    AbstractBackgroundUsing a multiple-measurement approach, we examined the real-world effectiveness of portable HEPA-air filtration devices (air cleaners) in a school setting.MethodsWe collected environmental (CO2, particle concentrations), epidemiological (absences related to respiratory infections), audio (coughing), and molecular data (bioaerosol and saliva samples) over seven weeks during winter 2022/2023 in two Swiss secondary school classes. Using a cross-over study design, we compared particle concentrations, coughing, and the risk of infection with vs without air cleaners.ResultsAll 38 students (age 13−15 years) participated. With air cleaners, mean particle con-centration decreased by 77% (95% credible interval 63%−86%). There were no differences in CO2levels. Absences related to respiratory infections were 22 without vs 13 with air cleaners. Bayesian modeling suggested a reduced risk of infection, with a posterior probability of 91% and a relative risk of 0.73 (95% credible interval 0.44−1.18). Coughing also tended to be less frequent (posterior probability 93%). Molecular analysis detected mainly non-SARS-CoV-2 viruses in saliva (50/448 positive), but not in bioaerosols (2/105 positive) or HEPA-filters (4/160). The detection rate was similar with vs without air cleaners. Spatiotemporal analysis of positive saliva samples identified several likely transmissions.ConclusionsAir cleaners improved air quality, showed a potential benefit in reducing respiratory infections, and were associated with less coughing. Airborne detection of non-SARS-CoV-2 viruses was rare, suggesting that these viruses may be more difficult to detect in the air. Future studies should examine the importance of close contact and long-range transmission, and the cost-effectiveness of using air cleaners.
    01A - Beitrag in wissenschaftlicher Zeitschrift
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    Publikation
    Do MCH prisms change asthenopic complaints when reading?
    (DOZ-Verlag, 28.06.2024) Joss, Joëlle; Jainta, Stephanie
    Purpose. Asthenopic symptoms mostly occur during demanding near-sighted tasks and are related to binocular symptoms (e.g. heterophoria), among others. Correction of symptomatic heterophoria with prismatic glasses is one way to treat the symptoms. This study investigates the effect of wearing a horizontal prismatic correction for 6 months. Material and Methods. A total of 87 subjects were assigned to a heterophoric prism group (N=32), a heterophoric control group (N= 31) or an orthophoric control group (N= 24) according to their MCH heterophoria. In the heterophoric prism group, the subjects were prescribed glasses with a prismatic correction for 6 months according to their distance correction; in contrast, the subjects in the heterophoric control group had to wear glasses without prismatic correction for the same period. The effect of the prisms on complaints due to asthenopic symptoms was investigated by comparing the total sum obtained in the CISS questionnaire at the beginning of the study and after 6 months (before and after wearing glasses) for the 3 groups. Results. A (long-term) prism effect was not apparent in the CISS total score. In both the heterophoric prism group and in the heterophoric control group, the CISS total score increased slightly and non-significantly after 6 months. When considering the heterophoric subjects with an increased CISS score at baseline, a nevertheless slight but non-significant decrease of symptoms was observed. All changes were observed in both the heterophoric prism group and the heterophoric control group. An additional analysis using binocular profiles showed a reduction in symptoms by numbers and specifically for subjects with reduced vergence facility. Conclusion. Wearing an individual, horizontal prismatic correction had no effect on the overall CISS-score for our test subjects. Further methods that allow a systematic recording of symptoms and optometric parameters are probably necessary to observe an effect. These could be binocular profiles that classify individuals according to their binocular parameters.
    01A - Beitrag in wissenschaftlicher Zeitschrift