Evaluation of virtual dermatology clinic experience during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, advantages, and disadvantages

Introduction During the current lockdown due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the healthcare system should be modified to reach out to a large number of patients with effective service. Virtual clinics are one possible solution to the challenges healthcare systems face worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aim To evaluate the experience of the virtual clinic in Dermatology Department at King Khaled University Hospital and to evaluate its advantages and disadvantages, and whether or not this service is practical to apply in the future. Patients and methods To assess the patients' attitude toward virtual clinics, 1220 patients were offered a phone consultation during May 2020. A questionnaire was drafted with 23 questions sent to all the patients via cellular text. Seven of these questions were related to patient demographics. The remaining questions assessed patient satisfaction, occupational efficiency, and quality of care. Statistical analysis was performed using R v 3.6.3. Sociodemographic characteristics were included as independent variables. Ordinal logistic regression was used to assess patient satisfaction. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with satisfaction. Results Only 115 patients responded to the survey. About 34.8% of them found virtual clinics more comfortable compared with face-to-face visits, and 65.2% were satisfied with the care received through these clinics. However, 34.8% of the patients could not know the appropriate treatment, and 37.4% thought they did not receive all the needed information about their health condition. Overall, 71.3% of the patients were satisfied with the provided diagnosis. The most common reason for nonsatisfaction with virtual clinics was the lack of clinical examination (62.39%) and difficulty communicating with the physician (42.94%). Conclusion Virtual dermatology clinics can provide satisfactory dermatology care services to the patients during COVID-19 and can reduce the risk of exposure and transmission of the virus. These services have optimal occupational efficiency, patient-satisfaction rate, and quality of care.

Performance Of Novel Draw Solutions In Brackish Water Desalination Using Forward Osmosis

The main goal of the present study is to examine the performance of novel draw solutions to extract high-quality water from simulated brackish water. Three different types of draw solutions namely L-ascorbic acid, L-aspartic acid, and thiourea. The current draw solutions’ performance was measured in terms of average water flux (LMH) and average reverse solute flux (g/m2h). The impact of several parameters on FO desalination performance, such as draw solution type, feed water concentration, draw solution concentration, and membrane orientation mode, was investigated. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) was shown to have better FO performance in terms of high water flow up to 7.5 LMH and negligible reverse solute flux among the various types of draw solutions studied. The suggested FO technique can extract clean water to dilute the vitamin C draw solution up to the daily vitamin C in drinking water dose limit. Immune system deficits, cardiovascular illness, maternal health difficulties, eye disease, and even skin wrinkling may be protected by the supplemented vitamin C drinking water created. Some specialists recently recommended taking 200 mg of vitamin C daily for COVID-19 prophylaxis or 1-2 grams for COVID-19 treatment, according to some experts. © The Author(’s).

Anxiety among otolaryngology residents during the coronavirus disease of 2019 pandemic in Saudi Arabia: A descriptive cross-sectional study

Background: Otolaryngologists are among the health professionals most commonly working on the front lines against coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). They are at high risk of exposure, as well as physical and psychological stress. Nevertheless, the psychological influence of working during the pandemic still needs to be explored. Objective: This study aims to assess the anxiety symptoms among otolaryngology residents in Saudi Arabia during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional qualitative study was carried out via a survey sent to otolaryngology residents in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire collected demographic data and included questions using the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale to evaluate the residents' anxiety toward working during the pandemic. Data analysis was conducted using R v 3.6.2. Results: Ninety-three otolaryngology residents completed the online questionnaire with a response rate of 42.5%. Of them, 30.1% had been in contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients. More than two-thirds of the respondents (68.8%) suffered from anxiety based on the GAD-7 scale;in the results, 45.2% had mild anxiety, 12.9% had moderate anxiety, and 10.8% had severe anxiety. Almost 24% of the respondents suffered from anxiety with a score of 10 or greater on the GAD-7 used as a cutoff point. Anxiety was more prevalent in married residents compared with single ones (18.9% vs. 5.45%, P = 0.002). In addition, it was prevalent in 40% of smokers compared with 5.13% of nonsmokers (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Anxiety levels among otolaryngology residents were high during the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2021 Journal of Nature and Science of Medicine.