Faith and COVID-19: Can Catholic Social Teaching Save the World? A Lebanese Case Study

From full lockdowns to school closures and essential workers out on the frontlines, COVID-19, the novel coronavirus disease, has turned people's lives upside down since December 2019. This pandemic continues to have a huge socio-economic impact on the world. However, each community has been hit differently-some more severely than others. Many articles have tackled the subject of the current global health crisis and its impact on the world, but the relationship between the application of the principles of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) and the potential halt of the spread of COVID-19 has not yet been explored. Therefore, this article seeks to discover whether or not the application of these principles can save the world during this global pandemic. More specifically, it aims to examine the relation between the CST's three main cornerstones: human dignity, solidarity, subsidiarity and helping the world reach the common good by surviving this crisis and creating a foundation for a better tomorrow.

National approaches to managing cancer care: Responses of countries in the MENA region to COVID-19 pandemic

Background: COVID-19 pandemic presented serious challenge to oncology care due to the associated risks form infection and from disruption of care delivery. Therefore, many professional societies published recommendations to help manage cancer care during the crisis. The objective of our study was to assess the national responses of MENA countries in terms of publishing relevant guidelines and analyse various components of these guidelines. Methods: A survey based on literature review regarding cancer care adaptation was developed then completed by senior oncologists representing the following countries: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, UAE and Yemen. The survey queried about instructions of the national recommendations regarding (1) general measures of COVID-19 prevention in oncology, (2) cancer care adaptations during the pandemic. Results: Analysis of the guidelines revealed 31 essential recommendations categorized into seven essential components with specific recommendations for each component. These components are patients’ management, health care workers (HCW) management, facility management, testing for COVID-19, measures to reduce hospital visits, measures to reduce complications, and site-specific recommendations. The table showed compliance of these guidelines with having the required components and relevant recommendations. [Formula presented] Conclusions: There is inconsistency in the components of the guidelines across the region, which may reflect the evolving nature of the pandemic and lack of clear evidence for many issues in question. There is a need from clear framework on essential components to be included in the guidelines to assure providing the best guidance to the oncology community. Editorial acknowledgement: On behalf of the International Research Network on COVID-19 Impact on Cancer Care (IRN-CICC). Legal entity responsible for the study: The authors. Funding: Has not received any funding. Disclosure: M.A.M.A. AlNassar: Research grant/Funding (institution): Roche. A. Jazieh: Research grant/Funding (institution): MSD. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.