Background: In early 2020, over 80,000 cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were confirmed in China. Public prevention and control measures, along with efforts from all sectors of society, were undertaken to control and eliminate disease transmission.Objective: This paper describes Chinese citizens’ response to the epidemic, the preventive measures they implemented to avoid being infected, and the public strategies that were carried out by the government, health workers, etc. We also discuss the efficacy of these measures in controlling the epidemic in China.Methods: Information on the responses and behaviors of Chinese citizens were collected through a cross-sectional, internet-based survey using Dingxiang Doctor’s public account on WeChat. Information on public strategies implemented by all sectors of society to control the epidemic and data on new COVID-19 cases were collected from the internet, mainly from government websites. Standard descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to analyze the data.Results: A total of 10,304 participants responded to the survey, with 10,198 valid responses; 74.1% (n=7557) were female and 25.9% (n=2641) were male. Overall, 98.2% (n=10,013) of participants paid high or very high attention to the epidemic, with WeChat being their main information source (n=9400, 92.2%). Over half the participants (n=5878, 57.7%) were confident that the epidemic could be curbed in China; 92.4% (n=9427) opened windows for ventilation more frequently than usual; 97.9% (n=9986) used masks in public; 95.7% (n=9759) avoided large crowds and stayed at home as much as possible; and 97.9% (n=9988) washed their hands more often than usual. Women were more likely to practice these behaviors than men (P<.001). With a series of strict public control measures, like nationwide health education campaigns, holiday extensions, the Examine and Approve Policy on the resumption of work, close management of working and living quarters, a health QR (Quick Response) code system, community screening, and social distancing policies, the number of new cases have decreased dramatically since February 12, 2020.Conclusions: The methods employed by Chinese citizens and authorities have effectively curtailed the spread of COVID-19, demonstrating that this pandemic can be brought under control as long as the right measures are taken.

A multidisciplinary journal that focuses on public health and technology, public health informatics, mass media campaigns, surveillance, and innovation in public health practice and research. Also dedicated to rapid open data sharing during epidemics.

Background: Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the Chinese government and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention have released COVID-19–related information to the public through various channels to raise their concern level of the pandemic, increase their knowledge of disease prevention, and ensure the uptake of proper preventive practices. Objective: Our objectives were to determine Chinese netizens’ concerns related to COVID-19 and the relationship between their concerns and information on the internet. We also aimed to elucidate the association between individuals’ levels of concern, knowledge, and behaviors related to COVID-19. Methods: The questionnaire, which consisted of 15 closed-ended questions, was designed to investigate Chinese netizens’ knowledge about COVID-19. The self-selection online survey method of nonprobability sampling was used to recruit participants through Dingxiangyisheng WeChat (a public, medical, and health service platform in China) accounts. Standard descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to analyze the data. Results: In total, 10,304 respondents were surveyed on the internet (response rate=1.75%; 10,304/590,000). Nearly all (n=9803, 95.30%) participants were concerned about “confirmed cases” of COVID-19, and 87.70% (n=9036) received information about the outbreak through social media websites. There were significant differences in participants’ concerns by sex (P=.02), age (P<.001), educational attainment (P=.001), and occupation (P<.001). All knowledge questions and preventive practices were associated with concerns about COVID-19. The results of the multivariate logistic regression indicated that participants’ sex, educational attainment, occupation and employment status, knowledge acquisition, and concern level were significantly associated with the practice of proper preventive behaviors. Conclusions: This study elucidated Chinese netizens’ concerns, information sources, and preventive behaviors related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sex, educational attainment, occupation and employment status, knowledge acquisition, and level of concern were key factors associated with proper preventive behaviors. This offers a theoretical basis for the government to provide targeted disease prevention and control information to the public.

Osteoarthritis (OA), a leading cause of disability worldwide, is increasingly recognized for its systemic impact. Despite its prevalence, the age-dependent effects of OA remain underexplored, particularly regarding its association with comorbidities across the life course. Using the UK Biobank (78,825 incident OA cases; 301,071 age-/sex-matched controls; age range: 40–86 years) and the CHARLS cohort (China, 5,735 participants, age range: 45–92 years), we employed Cox models with age as the time scale to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for OA-associated comorbidities, including bone diseases, metabolic disorders, and mental health conditions, stratified by age at diagnosis. Analyses adjusted for sociodemographic factors and population-attributable fractions (PAFs) were calculated to quantify preventable burdens. OA was associated with significantly increased risks across multiple comorbidities. All comorbidities exhibited an age-dependent gradient: relative risks were highest in younger individuals and declined with age, while absolute risks increased due to OA’s higher prevalence in older populations. For example, HRs for metabolic disorders declined from 2.55 (95% CI: 2.36–2.76) in those aged 40–49 to 1.77 (95% CI: 1.74–1.81) in those aged ≥ 70. Validation in CHARLS confirmed these patterns. The systemic effects of OA vary substantially by age at onset. Younger individuals face elevated proportional risks likely shaped by behavioral, occupational, and structural factors, while older adults bear a larger absolute burden. These findings underscore the need for age-sensitive strategies to reduce long-term health consequences of OA and promote healthy aging.

Although the global burden of pertussis has declined steadily over recent decades, the COVID-19 pandemic coincided with a marked disruption of its established epidemic trajectory. We assessed pandemic-associated changes using spatiotemporal trend analysis, health inequality assessment, multivariable regression, and Mendelian randomization. Globally, the age-standardized disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rate decreased from 378.01 per 100,000 in 1990 to 70.92 in 2021, accelerating steeply after 2019. Despite reductions, burden remained concentrated in low-sociodemographic index (SDI) countries, with widening relative inequalities. Macro-scale multivariable regression stratified by SDI revealed no robust independent association between COVID-19 and pertussis incidence after adjusting for population density. Consistently, Mendelian randomization analyses found no evidence of a causal effect of genetic liability to COVID-19 on pertussis risk. These findings suggest the pandemic-era decline is driven by disruptions to transmission and health services rather than biological cross-protection. We interpret this transient suppression as contributing to an emerging immunity gap - an accumulation of susceptible individuals following reduced natural exposure and interruptions to routine immunization. As social contact patterns normalize, this immunity gap increases the risk of rebound transmission. Strengthening life-course vaccination, including catch-up programmes and prioritization of low-SDI settings, is essential to mitigate post-pandemic resurgence.

Background: Whooping cough caused by Bordetella pertussis is re-emerging despite high vaccination coverage, with rising incidence in adolescents and adults in the acellular vaccine (aP) era. This narrative review synthesizes evidence on the drivers of this paradox and their implications for pertussis control. Methods: We conducted a structured (but not fully systematic) literature search and narrative synthesis of PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase for publications from January 2000 to February 2025 using terms related to “Bordetella pertussis,” “pertussis resurgence,” “acellular vaccine,” “waning immunity,” “ptxP3,” “pertactin-deficient,” “macrolide resistance,” and “whole-genome sequencing.” English-language, peer-reviewed studies, surveillance reports, genomic analyses, and immunological investigations were included. About 1900 records met broad eligibility criteria and were screened, and key studies were selected for narrative synthesis. Results: The resurgence appears to result from three convergent factors: (1) waning and non-sterilizing aP-induced immunity, which allows bacterial colonization and transmission; (2) vaccine-driven genomic evolution of B. pertussis, marked by global dominance of the ptxP3 lineage and widespread pertactin-deficient (PRN−) strains; and (3) emergence of macrolide-resistant clones, exemplified by the MT28-Shanghai strain. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has been central for defining these processes and clonal sweeps under combined vaccine and antibiotic pressure, supporting a three-driver framework of waning aP immunity, vaccine-driven evolution, and macrolide resistance. Conclusions: Pertussis resurgence illustrates pathogen adaptation to human interventions. Effective mitigation requires WGS-integrated global surveillance, re-evaluation of vaccine formulations to keep pace with antigenic change, and strengthened antibiotic stewardship, alongside development of next-generation vaccines that induce durable mucosal immunity and block transmission.