Search

Between 2014 and 2018, we evaluated the severity of 687 cases of bronchiolitis caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in Catalonia, Spain. Compared to RSV-B, RSV-A cases required intensive care (adjusted relative risk (aRR) = 1.44, p < 0.01) and respiratory support (aRR = 1.07, p < 0.01) more often; hospital stay was one day longer (p < 0.01). Subgroup identification may aid clinical evaluation and seasonal healthcare planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Viral lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) are the leading cause of hospitalization in children. In Catalonia (Spain), information is scarce about the burden of viral LRTIs in paediatric hospitalizations. The aim of this study is to describe epidemiological, clinical, virological and economic features of paediatric hospitalizations due to viral LRTI. Methods: From October 2012 to December 2020, children aged <16 years admitted to a tertiary paediatric hospital in Catalonia (Spain) with confirmed viral LRTI were included in the study. Virus seasonality, prevalence, age and sex distribution, clinical characteristics, hospital costs and bed occupancy rates were determined. Results: A total of 3,325 children were included (57.17% male, 9.44% with comorbidities) accounting for 4056 hospitalizations (32.47% ≤ 12 months): 53.87% with wheezing/asthma, 37.85% with bronchiolitis and 8.28% with pneumonia. The most common virus was respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (52.59%). Influenza A was associated with pneumonia (odds ratio [OR] 7.75) and caused longer hospitalizations (7 ± 31.58 days), while RSV was associated with bronchiolitis (OR 6.62) and was the most frequent reason for admission to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) (11.23%) and for respiratory support (78.76%). Male sex, age ≤12 months, chronic conditions and bronchiolitis significantly increased the odds of PICU admission. From October to May, viral LRTIs accounted for 12.36% of overall hospital bed days. The total hospitalization cost during the study period was €16,603,415. Conclusions: Viral LRTIs are an important cause of morbidity, hospitalization and PICU admission in children. The clinical burden is associated with significant bed occupancy and health‐care costs, especially during seasonal periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of social media as a potential sphere for public deliberation still remains unclear. For some analysts, social media can create a vibrant space for political discussion, whereas others believe they do not provide the right conditions for meaningful interaction and could even have negative effects on public opinion by, for instance, fostering communication within isolated enclaves. Focusing on the debate surrounding Catalonia's secession, this article analyses the interaction on Twitter between the opposite sides of this divisive political issue. Carefully based on a nonbiased random sampling procedure, we describe Twitter conversations through network and content analyses, using both indicators of the structure of conversations and opinion diversity. Remarkably, we find that Twitter users cross lines of difference and interact with people holding opposing views. Through a regression analysis, we show that the level of reciprocity, understood as repeated interaction and measured by the depth of the conversation, is explained by heterogeneity and associated with a higher involvement of the pro-independence side. However, if heterogeneity is combined with extremism, the development of longer conversations is severely cut. Overall, this article points toward the actual use of social media as a space for cross-cutting communication and debate despite strong disagreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A repeated argument to invalidate the legitimacy of a debate on Catalonia's independence is the existence of a spiral of silence affecting unionist supporters. However, we find inconclusive empirical evidence to sustain this claim. Although survey data show that willingness to talk about secession is higher among pro-independence supporters both in face-to-face and online environments, multivariate regression models – taking into account the perception of the opinion climate – reveal a different and more complex picture. Pro-independence supporters are highly mobilized particularly in like-minded and private environments, but this enthusiasm decreases when they perceive their ideas not to be shared by the majority, whereas unionist supporters show a more stable pattern irrespective of the opinion climate. In publicly exposed arenas like social media, where activists abound, willingness to talk is lower and differences between both sides are minimal. Overall, the results are hardly consistent with the patterns of behaviour that would be expected in a spiral of silence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]