ABSTRACT
Background: The pandemic condition felt by all parts of the world due to the very fast spread of COVID-19 threatens the safety of various health care sectors. Until now, the pandemic has been going on and has given rise to various new variants of COVID-19. Dental and oral health services are not spared from this, this condition is exacerbated by the fact that the virus spreads more easily through aerosols produced during treatment, especially by endodontists. Therefore, the researcher wanted to know the effect of knowledge and perception of endodontic risk on the control of COVID-19. Metods: This study uses an analytical descriptive research design with a cross-sectional study approach. Samples were obtained from all endodontists registered with IKORGI and completed filling out the questionnaire to completion. Questionnaires were distributed online via google forms. The research was carried out in November 2021. Result: Based on the results of research conducted on endodontists throughout Indonesia, it was found that the difference in perception on criterion control was sufficient with a mean value of 9.84 and a median value of 10.0, the difference in knowledge on criterion control was sufficient with a mean value of 6.99 and a median value of 7.0. The results of the statistical test show a value of p = 0.000 for the knowledge variable and risk perception of COVID-19 control. Conclusions: Based on the results of research on the influence of knowledge and perception on the control of covid-19 in endodontists throughout Indonesia. © 2022 Eurosurveillance. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Globally, COVID-19 has infected over millions of people worldwide. The first COVID-19 case in Malaysia was imported from Singapore on 24th January 2020. Since then, many more local cases had been reported with the basic reproduction value reaching 3.5. The government has thus implemented the Movement Control Order (MCO) from 18th March to 12th May, and Conditional MCO from 13th May to 9th June, as preventive measures to lower the R-nought (Ro) value to about 1. In hindsight, this pandemic has exposed our limitations, unpreparedness and imprudent resource allocations in coping with the consequences, besides posing a monumental challenge to recovery. This article describes the COVID-19 scenario in Malaysia and explores its preemptive framework for socio-economic mitigation measures to maintain economic health and recovery, as well as strengthening the nation’s healthcare system. Several opportunities (research grants for COVID-19 and the Internet of Things) and issues (prediction of COVID-19 cases without MCO and global superpower shifts) that emerged due to the crisis that may directly or indirectly affect the country are also highlighted. © 2022
ABSTRACT
Campaigns for global ban of wildlife trade and consumption have been carried out extensively since the emergence the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) at the end of 2019. However, there was reportedly an initiative to use sun bear bile to treat this zoonotic disease in China. This new development may endanger sun bears (Helarctos malayanus) in Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia, because around 60% of the traditional Chinese medicine shops offer the bear’s parts for treating various ailments. In our opinion, wildlife bans and conservative efforts need to be addressed systematically by strengthening law enforcement and banning wildlife product consumption and trade on various platforms, regardless of cultural belief. A movement control order is also proposed at forest reserve areas and national parks during the night or at certain periods. Collaborations are needed between enforcement agencies (e.g. Department of Wildlife and National Parks, police, the armed forces and Customs Department) to patrol protected forests and border smuggling points, besides adoption of the latest surveillance technology to keep the trade in check (e.g. long range drones with infrared thermal imaging system and geographic information system for crime mapping). Citizens can also play their role in aiding the effort through various awareness programmes and helping enforcement agencies by joining the People’s Volunteer Corps. Banning of wildlife trade and consumption, if globally monitored and enforced, may bring benefits to the world like preventing the spread of zoonotic diseases and wildlife sustainability. © 2022
ABSTRACT
The global COVID-19 outbreak started in Wuhan, China (Lu et al., 2020;WHO, 2020) and the movement control order (MCO) (PMO, 2020a) is showing certain impacts on wildlife conservation (Abdullah et al., 2020;Amat et al., 2020;Goldman, 2020;Ten et al., 2021). In thisletter to the editor, we highlight our concerns on selected species conservation issues and suggest ways for the readiness and preparedness of future disasters that are potentially impacting endangered wildlife species. The wildlife authorities in Sabah had approved the use of surveillance cameras since 2017. These surveillance cameras are deployed at several hotspots in DaMaI Rainforest Complex (c. 1.0 million hectares) in Sabah, primarily to monitorencroachment or other illegal activities, and to complement the efforts to monitor wildlifemovements and distributions in the forest reserves. The cameras utilised cellular networks and are able to transmit triggered images within 30 seconds to dedicated contacts (either email or SMS to handphones). The exact locations are notrevealed to protect the habitats and endangered species. Based on images from selected remote surveillance cameras during MCO, some endangered species were easily recordedutilising the forest edges for foraging or moving between forests (Figure 1). Consequently, this situation exposed selected endangered species of wildlife to be exploited by poachers for the lucrative bush-meat trade. During the MCO period, while it was observed that illegal activities were significantly reduced, there were incidents of poaching. Images from surveillance cameras provided crucial information on movements of poachers that eventually led to several arrests by the authorities in DaMaI Rainforest Complex (Astroawani1, Astroawani2 & Star) © Penerbit UMT
ABSTRACT
New data on several COVID-19 infection parameters are slowly beginning to emerge which include the relative frequencies of symptomatic versus asymptomatic individuals positive for COVID-19, individual variation in response to re-purposed drug treatments, prognostic factors for developing severe COVID-19 and genetic risk factors for COVID-19 susceptibility and severity. From a larger perspective, it is our view that these parameters endorse the call for greater efforts in personalised medicine, especially when specific pharmacological interventions (i.e. vaccines or drugs to COVID-19 and other zoonotic diseases) are yet to be developed. Here, the aim of personalised medicine would be to rapidly identify vulnerable individuals and subsequently to design better treatment regimens for them, should COVID-19 or other pandemics appear in future. Application of genomic technology also will continue to be of importance to gain knowledge about the biology of the virus and will facilitate vaccine development and predict markers of resistance and/or susceptibility. © 2021. Penerbit UMT
ABSTRACT
The critically endangered Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni), with an estimated population of less than 200 individuals left in isolated rainforest habitats in Malaysia, is in an intermediate population crash leading to extinction in the next decade. The population has decreased significantly by illegal poaching, environmental perturbation, roadkill, and being captured during human-wildlife conflicts. Forty-five or more individuals were extracted from the wild (four animals captured due to conflict, one death due to canine distemper, one roadkilled, and 39 poached) in the 12 years between 2008-2019. The Malayan tigers are the first wildlife species to test positive for COVID-19 and are subject to the Canine Distemper Virus. These anthropogenic disturbances (poaching and human-tiger conflict) and environmental perturbation (decreasing habitat coverage and quality) have long been identified as impending extinction factors. Roadkill and infectious diseases have emerged recently as new confounding factors threatening Malayan tiger extinction in the near future. Peninsular Malaysia has an existing Malayan tiger conservation management plan;however, to enhance the protection and conservation of Malayan tigers from potential extinction, the authority should reassess the existing legislation, regulation, and management plan and realign them to prevent further population decline, and to better enable preparedness and readiness for the ongoing pandemic and future threats.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic is due to SARS-CoV-2 and is spreading into 215 countries in the world. The COVID-19 is a zoonotic disease, and human to human transmission is possible via direct and indirect contact with infected individuals and contaminated surfaces. Recently, captive species of wild cats were tested positive for the COVID-19, and this is evidence of possible transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from human to animal, i.e., zooanthroponosis. In particular, the zoos should reduce the risk of introducing SARS-CoV-2 to the captive animals from the tourists or their workers. The risks can be reduced by implementing the preventive measure responses following the emergence of zoonotic disease. In this commentary article, we provide the existing disease control measures and have proposed several other preventive measures for the management of zooanthroponosis in various zoos located in Peninsular Malaysia. © 2021, Penerbit UMT. All Rights Reserved