COVID-19 Gender Disparities and Mitigation Recommendations: A Narrative Review

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has rapidly created widespread impacts on global health and the economy. Data suggest that women are less susceptible to severe illness. However, sex-disaggregated data are incomplete, leaving room for misinterpretation, and focusing only on biologic sex underestimates the gendered impact of the pandemic on women. This narrative review summarizes what is known about gender disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic, domestic, and health burdens along with overlapping vulnerabilities related to the pandemic. In addition, this review outlines recommended strategies that advocacy groups, community leaders, and policymakers should implement to mitigate the widening gender disparities related to COVID-19.     

Development of an IgG-Fc fusion COVID-19 subunit vaccine,AKS-452

AKS-452 is a biologically-engineered vaccine comprising an Fc fusion protein of the SARS-CoV-2 viral spike protein receptor binding domain antigen (Ag) and human IgG1 Fc (SP/RBD-Fc) in clinical development for the induction and augmentation of neutralizing IgG titers against SARS-CoV-2 viral infection to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The Fc moiety is designed to enhance immunogenicity by increasing uptake via Fc-receptors (FcγR) on Ag-presenting cells (APCs) and prolonging exposure due to neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) recycling. AKS-452 induced approximately 20-fold greater neutralizing IgG titers in mice relative to those induced by SP/RBD without the Fc moiety and induced comparable long-term neutralizing titers with a single dose vs. two doses. To further enhance immunogenicity, AKS-452 was evaluated in formulations containing a panel of adjuvants in which the water-in-oil adjuvant, Montanide™ ISA 720, enhanced neutralizing IgG titers by approximately 7-fold after one and two doses in mice, including the neutralization of live SARS-CoV-2 virus infection of VERO-E6 cells. Furthermore, ISA 720-adjuvanted AKS-452 was immunogenic in rabbits and non-human primates (NHPs) and protected from infection and clinical symptoms with live SARS-CoV-2 virus in NHPs (USA-WA1/2020 viral strain) and the K18 human ACE2-trangenic (K18-huACE2-Tg) mouse (South African B.1.351 viral variant). These preclinical studies support the initiation of Phase I clinical studies with adjuvanted AKS-452 with the expectation that this room-temperature stable, Fc-fusion subunit vaccine can be rapidly and inexpensively manufactured to provide billions of doses per year especially in regions where the cold-chain is difficult to maintain.     

Late-onset stress symptomatology (LOSS) scale – short form: development and validation

Objectives: Late-onset stress symptomatology (LOSS) is a phenomenon observed in older combat veterans who experience increased combat-related thoughts, feelings, and reminiscences corresponding with the changes and challenges of aging. Previously, we developed the LOSS Scale to assess LOSS. This paper describes the development and validation of a LOSS Scale short form (LOSS-SF) to screen veterans in various settings who may be actively re-examining their past wartime experiences.

Method: Three studies examined the reliability and validity of the LOSS-SF in separate samples of male combat veterans age 55 and older (total N = 346). Veterans were administered measures via telephone and mail survey. Correlation and regression analyses examined the reliability and validity of the LOSS-SF.

Results: The LOSS-SF exhibited strong internal consistency (alpha = .93), test-retest reliability (2 week interval on average; r = .88), and good concurrent validity with the LOSS Scale (r = .81). Convergent and divergent validity were supported by the pattern of correlations between the LOSS-SF and other construct measures.

Conclusion: The LOSS-SF is a reliable and valid measure to quickly assess thoughts, feelings, and reminiscences about past combat experiences in older veterans and identify those veterans in distress who may benefit from psychological interventions..     

Challenges for Research into Military Investigations

In cases of suspected violations of rules, regulations or the law by armed forces personnel, investigations are invariably mandatory. Military investigations differ from well-researched civilian criminal investigations. Differing from civilian police detectives, most military investigators – as disciplinary supervisors and military police personnel – have a number of tasks to accomplish, which include leading in combat and ensuring military readiness. Military investigations can lead to substantive negative or positive consequences for military readiness, including mental health, unit cohesion and subjective legal certainty. This impact on unit cohesion and mental health is influenced by any prior history of distress or trauma; military investigations are often preceded by contravention of internal disciplinary acts, complaints and traumatic events. This study explores factors in the differing military and legal systems of Germany and the United Kingdom (UK) that might help military personnel to successfully conduct investigations while ensuring deployment readiness and maintaining human rights.     

Training for a new environment: Using military operational concepts in counseling veterans

Since September 11, 2001, the United States has engaged in an extended period of military conflict, resulting in 4.1 million men and women serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn. Whereas not all servicemembers experience mental health issues, many have experienced difficulties with readjusting to the civilian world, often requiring mental health services both inside and outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Issues related to stigma and military culture contribute to barriers not only for veterans seeking treatment but for clinicians providing services who may lack experience with military culture. This article provides a framework to use military concepts in clinical sessions to further therapeutic engagement with the military/veteran client.     

两栖步兵军事训练伤发生机制及防治

目的 调查两栖步兵部队军事训练伤情况,并提出防治措施.方法 利用问卷与面谈调查某两栖部队385名官兵,分析训练伤发病情况及其影响因素.结果 约有47.5％的官兵发生训练伤.其中,五千米武装越野(36％)、400米障碍跑(30％)、战术训练(24％)等项目受伤比例高;山地(42.6％)、平地(41.5％)等环境容易受伤;训练强度过大、疲劳、自身技术动作错误等为主要诱因;20～25岁年龄段发生伤病的居多(48.4％);3年以下军龄的多发(50.2％);腰(42.6％)、膝(42.1％)、踝(36.1％)等部位好发;冬春季及夏季早期为训练伤高发期;运动系统损伤和环境损伤共同存在.结论 两栖步兵兼有陆地及濒海训练的要求,需要加强对基层官兵训练伤的重视,完善基础研究,探索防治措施.     

8周基础军训对入伍新兵红细胞及其相关指标的影响

目的探讨8周基础军训(basic military training,BMT)对入伍新兵血像中红细胞及其相关指标的影响,为指导科学的军事训练提供参考。方法数据来自新疆边防部队2015年度入伍的50名男性新兵,分别在BMT前后测定并记录受试新兵的红细胞计数、血红蛋白浓度及血清铁蛋白等。结果经过8周的BMT,新兵血液中血红蛋白浓度、红细胞计数及血清铁蛋白均显著下降(P0.05,P0.01)。结论 8周BMT可能导致入伍新兵发生运动性贫血,铁缺乏可能是其主要原因。