Tilly Fox | University of Liverpool (original) (raw)

Papers by Tilly Fox

Research paper thumbnail of Infection prevention and control measures to reduce the transmission of mpox: a systematic review

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of respiratory interventions and case isolation measures ... more Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of respiratory interventions and case isolation measures in reducing or preventing the transmission of mpox in humans and to inform future focused reviews on mpox transmission. Methods: The WHO Clinical Management and Infection Prevention and Control guideline 2022 development group developed three structured research questions concerning respiratory and isolation infection prevention control measures for mpox. We conducted a systematic review that included a broad search of five electronic databases. In a two-stage process, we initially sought only randomized controlled trials and observational comparative studies; when the search failed to yield eligible studies, the subsequent search included all study designs including clinical and environmental sampling studies. Results: To inform the questions the review team synthesized route of transmission data in mpox. There were 2420/3924 (61.7%) cases in which investigators identified transmission ...

Research paper thumbnail of Antibody tests for identification of current and past infection with SARS-CoV-2

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020

Where a licence is displayed above, please note the terms and conditions of the licence govern yo... more Where a licence is displayed above, please note the terms and conditions of the licence govern your use of this document. When citing, please reference the published version. Take down policy While the University of Birmingham exercises care and attention in making items available there are rare occasions when an item has been uploaded in error or has been deemed to be commercially or otherwise sensitive.

Research paper thumbnail of Is routine Vitamin A supplementation still justified for children in Nepal? Trial synthesis findings applied to Nepal national mortality estimates

PLOS ONE, May 18, 2022

Background The World Health Organization has recommended Vitamin A supplementation for children i... more Background The World Health Organization has recommended Vitamin A supplementation for children in low-and middle-income countries for many years to reduce child mortality. Nepal still practices routine Vitamin A supplementation. We examined the potential current impact of these programs using national data in Nepal combined with an update of the mortality effect estimate from a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Methods We used the 2017 Cochrane review as a template for an updated meta-analysis. We conducted fresh searches, reapplied the inclusion criteria, re-extracted the data for mortality and constructed a summary of findings table using GRADE. We applied the best estimate of the effect obtained from the trials to the national statistics of the country to estimate the impact of supplementation on under-five mortality in Nepal. Results The effect estimates from well-concealed trials gave a 9% reduction in mortality (Risk Ratio: 0.91, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.97, 6 trials; 1,046,829 participants; low certainty evidence). The funnel plot suggested publication bias, and a meta-analysis of trials published since 2000 gave a smaller effect estimate (Risk Ratio: 0.96, 95% CI 0.89 to 1.03, 2 trials, 1,007,587 participants), with the DEVTA trial contributing 55.1 per cent to this estimate. Applying the estimate from well-concealed trials to Nepal's under-five mortality rate, there may be a reduction in mortality, and this is small from 28 to 25 per 1000 live births; 3 fewer deaths (95% CI 1 to 4 fewer) for every 1000 children supplemented.

Research paper thumbnail of Molnupiravir for treating COVID-19

The Cochrane library, Aug 8, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of House modifications for preventing malaria

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2021

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews Main results Six cRCTs met our inclusion criteria, all co... more Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews Main results Six cRCTs met our inclusion criteria, all conducted in sub-Saharan Africa; three randomized by household, two by village, and one at the community level. All trials assessed screening of windows, doors, eaves, ceilings or any combination of these; this was either alone, or in combination with eave closure, roof modification or eave tube installation (a "lure and kill" device that reduces mosquito entry whilst maintaining some airflow). In two trials, the interventions were insecticide-based. In five trials, the researchers implemented the interventions. The community implemented the interventions in the sixth trial. At the time of writing the review, two of the six trials had published results, both of which compared screened houses (without insecticide) to unscreened houses. One trial in Ethiopia assessed screening of windows and doors. Another trial in the Gambia assessed full screening (screening of eaves, doors and windows), as well as screening of ceilings only. Screening may reduce clinical malaria incidence caused by Plasmodium falciparum (rate ratio 0.38, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.82; 1 trial, 184 participants, 219.3 person-years; low-certainty evidence; Ethiopian study). For malaria parasite prevalence, the point estimate, derived from The Gambia study, was smaller (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.60 to 1.17; 713 participants, 1 trial; moderate-certainty evidence), and showed an e ect on anaemia (RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.42, 0.89; 705 participants; 1 trial, moderate-certainty evidence). Screening may reduce the entomological inoculation rate (EIR): both trials showed lower estimates in the intervention arm. In the Gambian trial, there was a mean di erence in EIR between the control houses and treatment houses ranging from 0.45 to 1.50 (CIs ranged from-0.46 to 2.41; low-certainty evidence), depending on the study year and treatment arm. The Ethiopian trial reported a mean di erence in EIR of 4.57, favouring screening (95% CI 3.81 to 5.33; low-certainty evidence). Pooled analysis of the trials showed that individuals living in fully screened houses were slightly less likely to sleep under a bed net (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.65 to 1.09; 2 trials, 203 participants). In one trial, bed net usage was also lower in individuals living in houses with screened ceilings (RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.95; 1 trial, 135 participants). Authors' conclusions Based on the two trials published to date, there is some evidence that screening may reduce malaria transmission and malaria infection in people living in the house. The four trials awaiting publication are likely to enrich the current evidence base, and we will add these to this review when they become available.

Research paper thumbnail of Should all pregnant women take calcium supplements in Nepal? GRADE evidence to policy assessment

Research paper thumbnail of Pyronaridine-artesunate for treating uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2019

Pyronaridine-artesunate for treating uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

Research paper thumbnail of Infection prevention and control measures to reduce the transmission of mpox: a systematic review

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of respiratory interventions and case isolation measures ... more Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of respiratory interventions and case isolation measures in reducing or preventing the transmission of mpox in humans and to inform future focused reviews on mpox transmission. Methods: The WHO Clinical Management and Infection Prevention and Control guideline 2022 development group developed three structured research questions concerning respiratory and isolation infection prevention control measures for mpox. We conducted a systematic review that included a broad search of five electronic databases. In a two-stage process, we initially sought only randomized controlled trials and observational comparative studies; when the search failed to yield eligible studies, the subsequent search included all study designs including clinical and environmental sampling studies. Results: To inform the questions the review team synthesized route of transmission data in mpox. There were 2420/3924 (61.7%) cases in which investigators identified transmission ...

Research paper thumbnail of Antibody tests for identification of current and past infection with SARS-CoV-2

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020

Where a licence is displayed above, please note the terms and conditions of the licence govern yo... more Where a licence is displayed above, please note the terms and conditions of the licence govern your use of this document. When citing, please reference the published version. Take down policy While the University of Birmingham exercises care and attention in making items available there are rare occasions when an item has been uploaded in error or has been deemed to be commercially or otherwise sensitive.

Research paper thumbnail of Is routine Vitamin A supplementation still justified for children in Nepal? Trial synthesis findings applied to Nepal national mortality estimates

PLOS ONE, May 18, 2022

Background The World Health Organization has recommended Vitamin A supplementation for children i... more Background The World Health Organization has recommended Vitamin A supplementation for children in low-and middle-income countries for many years to reduce child mortality. Nepal still practices routine Vitamin A supplementation. We examined the potential current impact of these programs using national data in Nepal combined with an update of the mortality effect estimate from a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Methods We used the 2017 Cochrane review as a template for an updated meta-analysis. We conducted fresh searches, reapplied the inclusion criteria, re-extracted the data for mortality and constructed a summary of findings table using GRADE. We applied the best estimate of the effect obtained from the trials to the national statistics of the country to estimate the impact of supplementation on under-five mortality in Nepal. Results The effect estimates from well-concealed trials gave a 9% reduction in mortality (Risk Ratio: 0.91, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.97, 6 trials; 1,046,829 participants; low certainty evidence). The funnel plot suggested publication bias, and a meta-analysis of trials published since 2000 gave a smaller effect estimate (Risk Ratio: 0.96, 95% CI 0.89 to 1.03, 2 trials, 1,007,587 participants), with the DEVTA trial contributing 55.1 per cent to this estimate. Applying the estimate from well-concealed trials to Nepal's under-five mortality rate, there may be a reduction in mortality, and this is small from 28 to 25 per 1000 live births; 3 fewer deaths (95% CI 1 to 4 fewer) for every 1000 children supplemented.

Research paper thumbnail of Molnupiravir for treating COVID-19

The Cochrane library, Aug 8, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of House modifications for preventing malaria

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2021

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews Main results Six cRCTs met our inclusion criteria, all co... more Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews Main results Six cRCTs met our inclusion criteria, all conducted in sub-Saharan Africa; three randomized by household, two by village, and one at the community level. All trials assessed screening of windows, doors, eaves, ceilings or any combination of these; this was either alone, or in combination with eave closure, roof modification or eave tube installation (a "lure and kill" device that reduces mosquito entry whilst maintaining some airflow). In two trials, the interventions were insecticide-based. In five trials, the researchers implemented the interventions. The community implemented the interventions in the sixth trial. At the time of writing the review, two of the six trials had published results, both of which compared screened houses (without insecticide) to unscreened houses. One trial in Ethiopia assessed screening of windows and doors. Another trial in the Gambia assessed full screening (screening of eaves, doors and windows), as well as screening of ceilings only. Screening may reduce clinical malaria incidence caused by Plasmodium falciparum (rate ratio 0.38, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.82; 1 trial, 184 participants, 219.3 person-years; low-certainty evidence; Ethiopian study). For malaria parasite prevalence, the point estimate, derived from The Gambia study, was smaller (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.60 to 1.17; 713 participants, 1 trial; moderate-certainty evidence), and showed an e ect on anaemia (RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.42, 0.89; 705 participants; 1 trial, moderate-certainty evidence). Screening may reduce the entomological inoculation rate (EIR): both trials showed lower estimates in the intervention arm. In the Gambian trial, there was a mean di erence in EIR between the control houses and treatment houses ranging from 0.45 to 1.50 (CIs ranged from-0.46 to 2.41; low-certainty evidence), depending on the study year and treatment arm. The Ethiopian trial reported a mean di erence in EIR of 4.57, favouring screening (95% CI 3.81 to 5.33; low-certainty evidence). Pooled analysis of the trials showed that individuals living in fully screened houses were slightly less likely to sleep under a bed net (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.65 to 1.09; 2 trials, 203 participants). In one trial, bed net usage was also lower in individuals living in houses with screened ceilings (RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.95; 1 trial, 135 participants). Authors' conclusions Based on the two trials published to date, there is some evidence that screening may reduce malaria transmission and malaria infection in people living in the house. The four trials awaiting publication are likely to enrich the current evidence base, and we will add these to this review when they become available.

Research paper thumbnail of Should all pregnant women take calcium supplements in Nepal? GRADE evidence to policy assessment

Research paper thumbnail of Pyronaridine-artesunate for treating uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2019

Pyronaridine-artesunate for treating uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria.