Mini Review on Laboratory Practices During Covid-19 Pandemic: From Microbiologists Perspective

@#Laboratory practices in a laboratory have changed worldwide due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes occur concerning specimen collection, handling, transportation, processing, and disposal. Infection control practices are applied in all aspects, starting from specimen collection until the clinician gets the results. A retrospective review of laboratory practices used in a tertiary teaching hospital laboratory from microbiologists’ perspectives was performed, and the practices were compared with previously published articles.

Public health concern on occupational hazards among pathologists and microbiologists in Mysuru district, India

Background: Highly qualified and trained medical specialists such as Pathologists and Microbiologists who need to work at the microscope for long hours are at a high risk of musculoskeletal and ophthalmic disorders. This study is an attempt to identify such potential occupational hazards with the objectives to estimate the magnitude of occupational hazards among Pathologists and Microbiologists in Mysuru, and to assess the factors influencing these hazards among the study participants.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among the Pathologists and Microbiologists of Mysuru district over a period of six months, a total of 45 study participants were included. An online self-administered questionnaire was sent to the study participants through e-mail and asked to fill and submit online, keeping complete confidentiality, and with informed consent. The results were analysed using appropriate statistical methods.Results: Pathologists and Microbiologists in almost equal proportions consented and took part in the study. 67% of them reported work related musculoskeletal problems, and 42% had visual refractive errors, mostly myopia. 9% of them reported to have experienced occupational injuries, mostly needle-stick injuries. None of them reported to smoke. Majority were happy with the work atmosphere and environmental conditions. Most of them were positive about the work-related situation in the coming years.Conclusions: This study found that more than half of the pathologists and microbiologists are exposed to occupational hazards and have suffered musculoskeletal, ophthalmic morbidities and had injuries, but none of which were life-threatening. Most of the risk factors are avoidable through ergonomic equipment and training.

University education and training of microbiologists in Brazil: 1990-2000

This paper aims to contribute to the discussion and concern on the future of microbiology in Brazil. This work presents a survey carried out in 2001 that shows a picture of Microbiology status in Brazil. Most of the conclusions are based on the data collected from the university courses and from the data supplied by the Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq) and the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Level Personnel (CAPES). However, some of the affirmatives are more based on the experiences with postgraduate teaching in microbiology than on the data provided by official institutions. Such affirmatives were made in order to improve the development of the microbiology in Brazil. Also, a plan that proposes higher number of scholarships awarded to microbiology, to increase the possibility to form a critical mass necessary for further development of the Brazilian microbiology, is presented in order to produce discussion and more debate on the future of the Microbiology in Brazil.

Este artigo visa contribuir para a discussão relacionada ao futuro da microbiologia no Brasil. Este trabalho apresenta um levantamento, realizado em 2001, que mostra um quadro da situação atual da microbiologia no Brasil. A maioria das conclusões são fundamentadas nos dados coletados dos cursos universitários e dos dados fornecidos pelo Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa (CNPq) brasileiro e pela Coordenação para o Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES). No entanto, algumas das afirmativas são baseadas mais nas experiências de ensino de pós-graduação em microbiologia do que nos dados fornecidos pelas instituições oficiais. Tais afirmativas foram feitas no sentidos de incrementar o desenvolvimento da microbiologia no Brasil. Além disso, é apresentado um plano que propõe maior número de bolsas concedidas para a área de microbiologia, para aumentar a possibilidade de formar uma massa crítica necessária para maior desenvolvimento da microbiologia brasileira, visando produzir discussão e mais debate sobre o futuro da microbiologia no Brasil.