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Novel SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) Delta and Omicron are able to escape some monoclonal antibody therapies, making again COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) a potential frontline treatment.In this study, we investigated the kinetics of anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) against VOCs Delta and Omicron in vaccine breakthrough infected plasma donors. Serum samples from 19 donors were collected at the time of plasma donation and tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 nAbs (using live authentic VOC viral neutralization test) and IgG (Liaison® SARS-CoV-2 S1/S2 and Liaison® SARS-CoV-2 TrimericS IgG assays, DiaSorin). Measures were correlated with different variables, including the time between last vaccine dose and CCP donation, and time between SARS-COV-2 infection and CCP donation.nAb titers against VOC Delta and Omicron were directly related to the time interval since last vaccine dose to CCP donation, but inversely related to time since COVID19 breakthrough infection.SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection in vaccinated in donors boosts nAb titers against VOCs Delta and Omicron, but such titers decay shortly after infection. Therefore, CCP must be collected early after vaccine breakthrough infection.

Objective To determine the re‐test reliability of the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) with carers of older adults discharged from hospital or attending the outpatient clinic. Methods Carers completed the HLQ twice by telephone and rated the acceptability of completing the tool. Tool completion time was recorded. Correlations were calculated between the test occasions using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and 95% confidence intervals. Results Fifty‐one carers of older patients participated. The HLQ showed good reliability (ICC = 0.75‐0.90) for seven of the nine scales and moderate reliability (0.50‐0.74) for the other two scales. Median completion time was 16.5 minutes (range 9‐50), and acceptability was rated as 9.5/10. Conclusion The HLQ is a reliable tool for use with carers of older adults attending hospital. However, the length of time for completion of the HLQ may limit its feasibility for use by hospital staff and carers, given the high stress and time pressures of acute care.

Many thousand people commute daily into Lugano in the south of Switzerland and the city has been suffering under this heavy traffic for decades. Therefore the Canton of Tessin and the local councils in the Lugano local transport area agreed twenty years ago a mobility plan including numerous construction measures. On of the most impressive structures is the Vedeggio-Cassarate Tunnel on the approach route to Lugano from the north. This has a length of 2,630 m and links the Vedeggio Valley to the west with the Cassarate Valley to the east. The three main sections of the tunnel are described as the rock section, the loose ground section and the cut-and-cover section. The tunnel was driven under a built-up area, with one school and several blocks of flats inside the area affected by the works. The essential construction challenges were tunnelling under the most important Swiss railway line under continued operation, the protection of listed historic buildings and tunnelling through loose ground below the groundwater table. Nach Lugano in der Sudschweiz pendeln taglich mehrere zehntausend Menschen. Unter diesem hohen Verkehrsaufkommen leidet die Stadt seit Jahrzehnten. Deshalb beschlossen der Kanton Tessin und die Gemeinden des Nahverkehrsbereichs von Lugano bereits vor uber zwanzig Jahren einen Mobilitatsplan, der auch zahlreiche Baumasnahmen umfasst. Eines der herausragenden Bauwerke ist der Tunnel Vedeggio-Cassarate, der die nordliche Einfallachse nach Lugano darstellt. Mit einer Lange von 2.630 m verbindet er das Vedeggio-Tal im Westen mit dem Cassarate-Tal im Osten. Drei Hauptstrecken des Bauwerks sind als Felsstrecke, Lockergesteins- und Tagebaustrecke gekennzeichnet. Der Tunnelvortrieb erfolgte unter bebautem Stadtgebiet; eine Schule und einige Mehrfamilienhauser befanden sich im direkten Einflussbereich der Arbeiten. Die wesentlichen bautechnischen Herausforderungen waren die Unterquerung der wichtigsten Schweizer Bahnlinie unter Verkehr, der Schutz der geschutzten historischen Bauten und die Durchquerung der Lockergesteinsstrecke im Grundwasser.