The objective of the study was to describe and analyze the stigma, discrimination and the disclosure of the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in the workplace. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022320437). We systematically searched four scientific databases with key search terms. We included any original peer-reviewed articles reporting the stigma or discrimination experienced at work due to MS or the disclosure of the diagnosis of MS in the workplace. No time limits were set for the search. An appraisal of the individual study quality was performed with the JBI critical appraisal checklist. Overall, 26 studies were deemed to fulfil all the eligibility criteria. The total number of participants in this review was 9571. The prevalence of people with MS who experience some degree of stigma in the workplace can be as high as 79.2%. Those who report greater feelings of discrimination are more likely to be unemployed. The prevalence of employers’ and co-workers’ awareness of the diagnosis varies from 31.7 to 90.2%. The main reason for non-disclosure is the fear of being discriminated against. The psychosocial work environment needs to be taken into consideration as part of public and individual policies to promote the health of patients with MS.

Alcohol consumption is one of the main causes of productivity losses arising from absenteeism, presenteeism, and workplace injuries. Among occupational categories most affected by the use of this substance, truck drivers are subject to risk factors and risky behaviors that can have a serious impact on their health, their work, and the general road safety. The use of alcohol during truck-driving activities is, indeed, an important risk factor for traffic accidents. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aims at synthesizing the literature regarding harmful alcohol consumption patterns among truck drivers in a rigorous way. A ‘binge drinking’ prevalence of 19.0%, 95% confidence interval or CI (13.1, 26.9) was present. An ‘everyday drinking’ pattern rate of 9.4%, 95% CI (7.0, 12.4) was found, while the rate of alcohol misuse according to the “Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test” (AUDIT)—“Cut down-Annoyed-Guilty-Eye opener questionnaire” (CAGE) instruments was computed to be of 22.7%, 95% CI (14.8, 33.0). No evidence of publication bias could be found. However, there is the need to improve the quality of published research, utilizing standardized reliable instruments. The knowledge of these epidemiological data can be useful for decision makers in order to develop, design, and implement ad hoc adequate policies.

Background: We aimed to summarise the prevalence of unemployment and early retirement among people with MS and analyze data according to a spatio-temporal perspective. Methods: We undertook a systematic search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, SciVerse ScienceDirect, and Web of Science. We included any peer-reviewed original article reporting the prevalence of unemployment and early retirement in the working-age population with MS. We excluded articles off-topic, with other study designs, whose study sample were unlikely to be representative of the MS population and in case of unavailability of the full text or essential information. A random-effects meta-analysis was used to measure overall prevalence estimates of unemployment and early retirement. We used meta-regression and subgroup analysis to evaluate potential moderators of prevalence estimates and the leave-one-out method for sensitivity analyses. Results: Our research identified 153 studies across 29 countries encompassing 188436 subjects with MS. The pooled overall effect size for unemployment and early retirement was 35.6% (95% CI 32.8–38.4; I² = 99.31) and 17.2% (95% CI 14.6–20.2; I² = 99.13), respectively. The prevalence of unemployment varied according to the year of publication (p < 0.001) and there was a statistically significant decrease in the prevalence of unemployment over time (p = 0.042). Regarding early retirement, only seven (31.8%) estimates obtained from studies that were published before 2010 were below the overall effect size in comparison to 27 (60.0%) estimates extracted from data published between 2010 and 2021 (p = 0.039). There was a significant difference in prevalence according to countries (p < 0.001). Psychiatric illness was an important clinical feature responsible for patients leaving the workforce in regions with a high MS prevalence. Conclusions: Unemployment and early retirement due to MS remain highly prevalent, despite a slight decline in the last decade. The prevalence of unemployment and early retirement varies globally.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, working age individuals have been implicated in sustaining the resurgence of SARS-CoV-2 infections, and multiple outbreaks have been observed in several occupational settings. In this regard, Occupational Physicians play a crucial role in the management of infected workers, particularly in the safe return-to-work of subjects after clinical resolution. To this end, knowledge of the duration of the infective phase in the working age population is essential, taking into account previous evidence suggesting that PCR positivity does not coincide with virus viability. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis, searching major scientific databases, including PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science, were performed in order to synthesize the available evidence regarding the mean and maximal duration of infectivity compared to the mean and maximal duration of viral RNA shedding. A subgroup analysis of the studies was performed according to the immunocompetent or immunocompromised immune status of the majority of the enrolled individuals. Results: Twenty studies were included in the final qualitative and quantitative analysis (866 individuals). Overall, a mean duration of RT-PCR positivity after symptom onset was found equal to 27.9 days (95%CI 23.3-32.5), while the mean duration of replicant competent virus isolation was 7.3 days (95%CI 5.7-8.8). The mean duration of SARS-CoV-2 shedding resulted equal to 26.5 days (95%CI 21.4-31.6) and 36.3 days (95%CI 21.9-50.6), and the mean duration of SARS-CoV-2 infectivity was 6.3 days (95%CI 4.9-7.8) and 29.5 days (95%CI 12.5-46.5), respectively considering immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. The maximum duration of infectivity among immunocompetent subjects was reported after 18 days from symptom onset, while in immunocompromised individuals it lasted up to 112 days. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the test-based strategy before return-to-work might not be warranted after 21 days among immunocompetent working age individuals, and could keep many workers out of occupation, reducing their livelihood and productivity.

Hepatitis B virus represents an important global health problem. In highly developed countries, mass vaccination campaigns of newborns in recent decades have drastically reduced the proportion of carriers. However, workers exposed to blood and body fluids, including healthcare students, can be at risk of exposure. In order to assess the proportion of susceptible individuals in the specific population of healthcare students in highly developed countries, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to summarize the evidence on the persistence of humoral immune protection induced by the primary cycle of hepatitis B vaccination, as well as the proportion of true non-responders. Forty-six studies were included in the final analysis (52,749 participants). Overall, the seroprotection prevalence at the pre-exposure assessment was equal to 73.8% (95% CI 69.1–78.0); the prevalence of anamnestic response following the administration of a challenge dose was 90.9% (95% CI 87.7–93.3), demonstrating a high proportion of persistence of vaccination-induced immunity. Among those without evidence of anamnestic response, 5.0% (95% CI 2.1–11.5) were non-responders following the completion of a secondary immunization cycle. These findings demonstrate that the majority of healthcare students vaccinated with the complete HBV primary cycle maintain an effective humoral immunity against this pathogen for over two decades.

Vaccinations are a key prevention measure in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine (BioNTech/Pfizer), the first to receive authorization, was widely used in the mass vaccination campaign in Italy. Healthcare workers were identified as a priority group for vaccination, but few studies have assessed its reactogenicity among the young working age population. An online survey was conducted to investigate the adverse reactions occurring in the 7 days following the first and second vaccination doses amongst resident doctors of the University of Genoa, employed at the IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino of Genoa, between 11 January and 16 March 2021. A total of 512 resident physicians were invited to participate in the study (female = 53.2%; mean age = 28.9 years), of whom 296 (female = 53.4%, mean age = 28.9 years) and 275 (female = 55.3%, mean age = 29.1 years) completed the survey after their first and second vaccination doses, respectively. In the 7 days following the first dose, most common adverse reactions were local pain (96.3%), fatigue (42.6%), headache (33.8%), arthromyalgia (28.0%), and 5.1% reported fever, while following the second dose, participants reported local pain (93.5%), fatigue (74.9%), headache (57.5%), arthromyalgia (58.2%), and fever (30.9%), with a higher prevalence among females. Systemic (but not local) reactions increased following the second vaccination, reaching severe intensity in 9.8% of participants and causing three or more events of moderate intensity in 23.7% of participants. Adverse reactions preventing regular daily activities could cause absenteeism among workers. These results can be useful to inform populations of young individuals, set expectations, and improve adherence to vaccination campaigns.