Health care access of thyroid disease patients in Serbia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of repurposing health care facilities in response to COVID-19 on the access of patients with thyroid disease to health care. METHODS: This study consisted of a web-based survey. The survey was anonymous and consisted of forty questions. RESULTS: This survey included 206 respondents. 91.3% of the respondents had health insurance through the Republic Fund of Health Insurance, 9.7% had private or both health insurances, and 3.4% did not have any health insurance. A significant proportion of respondents (60.4%) had to switch from public to private health care to reach a physician and 73.8% had to switch from public to private laboratories. For the 91.9%, this was perceived as a financial burden. Before the pandemic, 83.1% of respondents reported regular follow-up by physicians, which decreased to 44.9% during the pandemic (p < 0.01). 76.3% of the respondents regarded that their thyroid disease was managed optimally before the pandemic, while this figure declined to only 48% during the pandemic (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the medical care of thyroid patients in Serbia. For the patients treated in the public health care system, access to general practice was hindered, while access to specialist care was disrupted. It led to a switch from public to private health care, which was perceived as a financial burden for almost all the respondents. However, private health care proved to be an important safety net when the public system was overwhelmed.

Protective effects of honeybee products against COVID-19: a review

According to the World Health Organization, coronavirus disease (COVID-19-global pandemic) is defined as highly contagious viral infection that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV2). This disease is very rapidly transmitted among humans. To date, 30 May 2021, at least 170,689,920 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported while global deaths reached 3,550,093 (https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/). In Serbia (to date 30 May 2021) at least 712,046 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported, while deaths reached 6,844 and recovered 694,492. Also, Serbia is at the top of the list of country vaccination rates against COVID-19. New concerns regarding vaccine safety and efficacy are coming with the mutated strains of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Natural products of known antiviral activity can be used for various therapeutic purposes. Honey, propolis, pollen, bee bread, bee venom and royal jelly might potentiate the immune system of patients and reduce their susceptibility to COVID-19 infection.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on food supply chain: An overview

Since 2020, the rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has caused the global pandemic COVID-19, generating health, economic and social impacts. The rapid spread of the infection in the human population required an accelerated adaptation to the new circumstances to protect human health and mitigate financial losses. As the ongoing pandemic has caused reported cases in the multi-millions, all stakeholders need to prevent further outbreaks and mitigate associated risks. Hence, besides government, health care systems, business stakeholders, public authorities, non-governmental organizations, and other socially responsible associations, the food sector has a crucial role in combating COVID-19. The food sector in this context is referred to as every actor in the food supply chain. This paper explores the difficulties in the entire food supply chain’s reactions to the pandemic crisis and underlines the meat sector’s response.

Developing and Implementing Low-Cost Remote Laboratories for Undergraduate Biology and Neuroscience Courses

The global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-COV-2) has forced many universities to abruptly change the delivery of courses from in-person to online. This change to remote learning requires creating new ways to deliver lectures, exams, and discussion groups through online meeting platforms. An often-overlooked challenge is performing lab courses that require access to specialized equipment and resources typically found in the undergraduate laboratory classrooms. Here we discuss some strategies for developing and implementing a full semester neuroscience laboratory course that allows students to fully participate in laboratory exercises at home or in their dorm rooms. Performing lab exercises remotely and independently was shown to significantly improve participant's self-efficacy and confidence that they can learn complex neuroscience material, when compared to participants who passively watch experiments online. We review best practices to ensure that lessons can be successfully demonstrated by the instructor and carried out by all students. Finally, we discuss the need to provide a level playing field such that all students may succeed, regardless of their current technology resources at home.