DSIRF – Spionagesoftware aus Österreich

Spionagesoftware und staatliches Hacken richten weltweit großen Schaden an. Trotzdem ist es um den Fall des Wiener Unternehmens DSIRF still geworden. Wir geben einen Überblick.

Healthcare utilisation in people with long COVID: an OpenSAFELY cohort study

Background: Long COVID, characterised by various symptoms and complications, potentially increases healthcare utilisation and costs. However, its impact on the NHS remains to be determined. Objective: This study aims to assess the healthcare utilisation of individuals with long COVID. Methods: With the approval of NHS England, we conducted a matched cohort study using primary and secondary care data via OpenSAFELY, a platform for analysing anonymous electronic health records. The long COVID exposure group, defined by diagnostic codes, was matched with five comparators without long COVID between Nov 2020 and Jan 2023. We compared their total healthcare utilisation from GP consultations, prescriptions, hospital admissions, A&E visits, and outpatient appointments. Healthcare utilisation and costs were evaluated using a two-part model adjusting for covariates. Using a difference-in-difference model, we also compared healthcare utilisation after long COVID with pre-pandemic records. Results: We identified 52,988 individuals with a long COVID diagnosis, matched to 264,867 comparators without a diagnosis. In the 12 months post-diagnosis, there was strong evidence that those with long COVID were more likely to use healthcare resources (OR: 8.07, 95% CI: 7.54 - 8.64), and have 49% more healthcare utilisation (RR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.47 - 1.50). Our model estimated that the long COVID group had 30 healthcare visits per year (predicted mean: 29.23, 95% CI: 28.58 - 29.92), compared to 16 in the comparator group (predicted mean visits: 16.04, 95% CI: 15.73 - 16.36). Individuals with long COVID were more likely to have non-zero healthcare expenditures (OR = 7.47, 95% CI = 7.02 - 7.95), with costs being 43% higher than the comparator group (cost ratio = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.38 - 1.49). The long COVID group costs approximately 2,500 pounds per person per year (predicted mean cost: 2,562.50, 95% CI: 2,335.60- 2,819.22 pounds), and the comparator group costs 1,500 pounds (predicted mean cost: 1,527.43, 95% CI: 1,404.33 - 1,664.45 pounds.) Historically, individuals with long COVID utilised healthcare resources more frequently, but their average healthcare utilisation increased more after being diagnosed with long COVID, compared to the comparator group. Conclusion: Long COVID increases healthcare utilisation and costs. Public health policies should allocate more resources towards preventing, treating, and supporting individuals with long COVID. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Clinical Protocols [https://github.com/opensafely/openprompt\_health\_utilisation/blob/cd8ecce1e12018756375013cd3b27a25880d85a4/OpenPROMPT\_longCOVID\_healthcare\_utilisation\_protocol.pdf][1] ### Funding Statement This research was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) (OpenPROMPT: COV-LT2-0073)). In addition, this research used data assets made available as part of the Data and Connectivity National Core Study, led by Health Data Research UK in partnership with the Office for National Statistics and funded by UK Research and Innovation (grant ref MC\_PC\_20058). In addition, the OpenSAFELY Platform is supported by grants from the Wellcome Trust (222097/Z/20/Z); MRC (MR/V015737/1, MC_PC-20059, MR/W016729/1); NIHR (NIHR135559, COV-LT2-0073), and Health Data Research UK (HDRUK2021.000, 2021.0157). ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Research Ethics Committee gave ethical approval for this work(ref 28030) I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes All analytic codes are available online at GitHub [https://github.com/opensafely/openprompt\_health\_utilisation][2] [1]: https://github.com/opensafely/openprompt_health_utilisation/blob/cd8ecce1e12018756375013cd3b27a25880d85a4/OpenPROMPT_longCOVID_healthcare_utilisation_protocol.pdf [2]: https://github.com/opensafely/openprompt_health_utilisation

Long COVID will take your health, your wealth — then it will come for your marriage

Long COVID is not just destroying people's health. Behind closed doors, in homes across Australia and abroad, it is irreversibly changing relationships — sometimes for the better, too often for worse.

Fachleute warnen vor schlechter Raumluft: Mehr Infektionen

Schlechte Luftqualität in Schulen, Kindergärten und Arbeitsstätten senkt die Leistungsfähigkeit und hebt das Covid-19-Infektionsrisiko, erklärten Experten Freitag bei einer Pressekonferenz in Wien. Sie nannten es unverständlich und unverantwortlich, dass man in Österreich Lufthygienemaßnahmen wie Filter- und Lüftungsanlagen vernachlässige und bei der aktuellen, seit Pandemiebeginn höchsten Covid-19-Welle in Krankenhäusern und Arztpraxen nicht verpflichtend Masken trägt.

Update: Die derzeitige Infektionslage, eine Pressekonferenz zur Lufthygiene und der Schwedische Weg in einer Podiumsdiskussion

Betrachtung der aktuelle Infektionslage, Bericht über eine Pressekonferenz, bei der ich nicht war, und das Unvermögen auf Kurt Langbeins nicht zu reagieren.

How will history books recount COVID?

Exploring familiar topics in an unfamiliar future

SPENDEN

Flashback: Das Trauma der ersten beiden COVID-Wellen

:: Ein britischer Untersuchungsausschuss deckt das menschliche Versagen der Regierung Johnson auf :: Das anhaltende Trauma des Gesundheitspersonals :: Persönliche Betrachtungen zu Wien 2020 ::