Egyptian dentistry students' perspectives on COVID-19 safety measures: Cross-sectional observational research

Objective: It is important to evaluate dental students' knowledge, attitudes, perception toward COVID-19 infection control guidelines and its impact on their work.Methods: A cross-sectional study using an online-questionnaire included fifteen statements to assess awareness and knowledge about COVID-19 clinical manifestations and infection control practice protocols among dental students at Sinai University, Egypt. The response of participants to each statement was collected using Likert scale.Results: 486 participants completed the questionnaire-based survey. 75.72% of them had knowledge about the disease contagiousness, 85.98% knew about the symptoms of COVID-19, 91.77% recognized the actual incubation period of the disease, and 47.41% could identify those wild mammals like bats are the possible source of COVID-19, while 68.67% were aware of the spread of virus transmission through interpersonal contacts. 432(88.9%) responders were aware of the infection control guidelines, moreover, they know the ways to prevent the spreading of the virus. 423(87%) responders perceived that dentists are at higher risk than other healthcare professionals. 79.38% of participants gained their information about COVID-19 through social media.Conclusion: North Sinai dental students had a correctitude amount of knowledge, with positive awareness about COVID-19. Government must emphasize the role of social media to spread accurate COVID-19 awareness campaigns.

Immunomodulatory Efficacy-Mediated Anti-HCV and Anti-HBV Potential of Kefir Grains; Unveiling the In Vitro Antibacterial, Antifungal, and Wound Healing Activities.

The utilization of fermented foods with health-promoting properties is becoming more popular around the world. Consequently, kefir, a fermented milk beverage made from kefir grains, was shown in numerous studies to be a probiotic product providing significant health benefits. Herein, we assessed the antibacterial and antifungal potential of kefir against a variety of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. This study also showed the effectiveness of kefir in healing wounds in human gastric epithelial cells (GES-1) by (80.78%) compared with control (55.75%) within 48 h. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) results of kefir-treated HCV- or HBV- infected cells found that 200 µg/mL of kefir can eliminate 92.36% of HCV and 75.71% of HBV relative to the untreated infected cells, whereas 800 µg/mL (the highest concentration) completely eradicated HCV and HBV. Moreover, the estimated IC50 values of kefir, at which HCV and HBV were eradicated by 50%, were 63.84 ± 5.81 µg/mL and 224.02 ± 14.36 µg/mL, correspondingly. Kefir can significantly suppress the elevation of TNF-α and upregulate IL-10 and INF-γ in both treated HCV- and HBV-infected cells. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of kefir revealed the presence of numerous active metabolites which mainly contribute to the antimicrobial, antiviral, and immunomodulatory activities. This study demonstrated, for the first time, the anti-HBV efficacy of kefir while also illustrating the immunomodulatory impact in the treated HBV-infected cells. Accordingly, kefir represents a potent antiviral agent against both viral hepatitis C and B, as well as having antimicrobial and wound healing potential.

Role of Artificial Intelligence in Diagnosis of Covid-19 Using CT-Scan

Machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) have been broadly used in our daily lives in different ways. Early detection of COVID-19 built on chest Computerized tomography CT empowers suitable management of patients and helps control the spread of the disease. We projected an artificial intelligence (AI) system for rapid COVID-19 detection using analysis of CTs of COVID-19 depending on the AI system. We developed and evaluated our system on a large dataset with more than 3000 CT volumes from COVID-19, viral community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and non-pneumonia subjects—1601 positive cases, 1626 negative cases. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

E-Learning Success Model in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic in Higher Educational Institutions.

Nowadays, the extensive use of e-learning in higher educational institutions in many countries leads us to apprehend the reality, precisely the key success/failure factors of the implementation, of e-learning systems in these institutions. This motivation becomes more and more important, inevitable, and urgent, especially for institutions that have heavily adopted e-learning systems under exceptional conditions without any prior planning, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. From this perspective, this research aimed to provide an e-learning success model in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic by assessing e-learning effectiveness and by investigating the key antecedents of e-learning effectiveness. The literature review led to the identification of four main factors influencing e-learning effectiveness: The e-learning system, e-learning readiness, interactivity, and resistance to change. These four variables constituted the antecedents of an effective e-learning system, which was tested in a KSA context. A structured survey, including a sample of 1202 students from Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University was used to examine the linkages among our proposed model. The model, with a total of ten direct and six indirect relationships, was tested by using structural equation modeling. The research findings indicate that effective e-learning is supported by the interactions between four factors: the e-learning system, e-learning readiness, interactivity, and resistance to change.

Sleep quality among nurses during the first year of coronavirus disease 2019

BACKGROUND: Nurses represent the largest section of the health-care workforce, and lack of sleep has an adverse influence on them, particularly during pandemics such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It causes not only health problem but also poor work results and an increased risk of medical errors. AIM: The goal of the study was to determine the prevalence of poor sleep quality among nurses during COVID-19 outbreaks. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted among a group of nurses in the Al-Madinah region of Saudi Arabia at the National Guard Health Affairs in 2020 (1st year of the COVID-19 crisis). Data were collected using a validated questionnaire with two sections: Sociodemographic data such as age, nationality, family status, gender, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. RESULTS: There were 238 nurses in the report. 37.8% of them were found to be between the ages of 31 and 35, while 24.4% were under the age of 30. The nurses were mostly female (84%). Sleep latency, sleep disruption, overall subjective sleep quality, and sleep length were the most widely identified sleep problems. Sixty-six percent of the nurses said they had a poor night’s sleep. None of the demographic variables analyzed had a significant relationship with overall sleep quality. CONCLUSION: Majority of nurses working at the National Guard Health Affairs and primary health-care centers in Al-Medina, Saudi Arabia, experience poor sleep quality, during the 1st year of COVID-19 crisis regardless of their demographic characteristics.

Non-consultant hospital doctors views’ of covid-19 measures in Irish maternity units

Aims To access the views of non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) on measures taken in Irish maternity units in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The survey, conducted between 1/4/2020 and 15/5/2020, was designed using Survey Monkey™ and distributed via mailing lists and social media to Obstetric and Gynaecology NCHDs in 19 Irish maternity units. Results Eighty NCHDs accessed the survey. Forty respondents participate in a training scheme, comprising 26% of the total. Most doctors reported major changes to work rostering (92%, 68/74);gynaecological services (76%, 56/74) and antenatal care (68%, 50/74). Up to April 22nd, 32% (11/34) reported PPE/masks use was recommended in antenatal clinics compared to 33% (11/33) throughout labour or in the second stage. From April 23rd, when HSE guidance on PPE changed, these figures increased to 74% (28/38, p<0.001) and 46% (17/37) respectively. Nearly all (96%, 68/71) felt their personal and family life was affected. The majority (89%, 63/71) felt their anxiety level was somewhat (44/71) or much higher (19/71) than that before the pandemic. Conclusion Many NCHDs felt their units were slow to implement protective measures including PPE use, and they had high levels of anxiety. These findings should inform decision-makers to mitigate the impact of psychological distress on healthcare workers in further crises.

Newly Diagnosed Diabetes in Patients with COVID-19: Different Types and Short-Term Outcomes.

A great global concern is currently focused on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its associated morbidities. The goal of this study was to determine the frequency of newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus (DM) and its different types among COVID-19 patients, and to check the glycemic control in diabetic cases for three months. After excluding known cases of DM, 570 patients with confirmed COVID-19 were studied. All participants were classified as non-diabetic or newly discovered diabetic. According to hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and fasting insulin, newly discovered diabetic patients were further classified into pre-existing DM, new-onset type 1 DM, and new-onset type 2 DM. Glycemic control was monitored for three months in newly diagnosed diabetic patients. DM was diagnosed in 77 patients (13.5%); 12 (2.1%) with pre-existing DM, 7 (1.2%) with new-onset type 1 DM, and 58 (10.2%) with new-onset type 2 DM. Significantly higher rates of severe infection and mortality (p < 0.001 and p = 0.046) were evident among diabetic patients. Among survived diabetic patients (n = 63), hyperglycemia and the need for anti-diabetic treatment persisted in 73% of them for three months. COVID-19 was associated with a new-onset of DM in 11.4% of all participants and expression of pre-existing DM in 2.1% of all participants, both being associated with severe infection. COVID-19 patients with newly diagnosed diabetes had high risk of mortality. New-onset DM persisted for at least three months in more than two-thirds of cases.

Perspectives of physiotherapists and rehabilitation providers on the outbreak of covid-19 pandemic and potentially therapeutic roles

By the end of 2019 and the initial of 2020, similar symptoms of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) pandemic are presented in China. Extraordinarily, COVID-19 has extensively spread worldwide within the last three months affecting humans' life and causing permanently a fearing sensation among all populations. All agencies worldwide recommended their populations to stay home to prevent and terminate this fatal infectious disease. During exposure to any pandemic infectious disease over history, many modalities of the treatment were reported to control and prevent its prevalence such as improving the public health, rehydration, and vaccinations that became the ideal strategies to exterminate these infectious diseases. No treatment modalities were reported to prevent or control the COVID-19 infection. Therefore, we have to highlight the role of physical therapy and rehabilitation against the outbreak of viral infection. This manuscript suggests that physical therapy and rehabilitation may eliminate the common harmful respiratory, circulatory, and physical complications that follow the exposure to viral infections. Also, it explains that the rehabilitation program may present an effective approach to retrieve physical and psychological functions besides medical treatment. In conclusion, serious recommendations have to be considered for conducting exercise training and telerehabilitation to prevent and control the outbreak of COVID-19.

Getting to know sars-cov-2: Towards a better understanding of the factors influencing transmission

In November 2002, a virus known as SARS-CoV was identified in Guangdong, China, and it was implicated as the etiology of severe acute respiratory syndrome. Seventeen years later, in the same month of November, a similar disease with more dramatic outcomes was identified in neighboring Wuhan. It has been six months since the identification of first cases of COVID-19 pandemic;however, unveiling clinical characteristics and modes of transmission of the disease are taking longer than expected. This overview aims to highlight some important points regarding the mode of transmission for which continuously surprising facts are being revealed every day. We also raise some vital questions to alert the scientific community to find the right answers and minimize the drastic fatal outcomes of this disease. It can be stated that SARS-CoV-2 could be transmitted as aerosol infection as well as through contacting infected surfaces. The possible role of abdominal gases as a route of spread of the virus should be considered and a fecal sample might be a useful diagnostic tool. Moreover, medical face masks are not protective from virus transmission during treating COVID-19 patients in settings where aerosol-generating procedures are performed. Doffing of PPE for healthcare workers needs more attention as this might be a source of infection unless additional measures of PPE disinfection are employed before doffing.