Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 presence on environmental surfaces and waste in healthcare and non-healthcare facilities

Objective The objective of the paper is to investigate the presence of SARS-CoV-2 on inanimate surfaces in four healthcare facilities treating patients with COVID-19 and four quarantine regiments of provincial military commands. Methods From August to October 2020, a total of 468 one-off environmental samples consisting of inanimate surfaces, garbage, and wastewater were collected. The real-time RT-PCR assay targeting E and RdRp genes to detect SARS-CoV-2 and checklist and questionnaire of disinfection practices were employed. If detected by RT-PCR, then positive samples are subjected to cell culture to determine viability. Results The test results showed all samples (100%) to be negative with SARS-CoV-2 resulting in unperformed virus culture. As for recent disinfection practices, chlorine-based products dissolved at a concentration of 0.1% (1000 ppm) in the general context or 0.5% (5000 ppm) for blood and body fluid spills are routinely applied twice a day and at the discharge of patients or quarantined people. Conclusions The finding may illustrate the importance of disinfection practices in removing pathogens or significantly reducing SARS-CoV-2 contamination on environmental surfaces and waste.

The Determinants of the Usage of Accounting Information Systems toward Operational Efficiency in Industrial Revolution 4.0: Evidence from an Emerging Economy

The purpose of this study is to determine the factors affecting the application of accounting information systems (AIS) in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam. Drawing upon the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) theoretical framework, Diffusion of Innovations theory (DOI), and Resource-based theory (RBV), we proposed a research model to investigate the antecedents and influence of AIS usage in Vietnamese SMEs. This study used an online survey of individuals who work in Vietnamese SMEs for data collection. The result was assembled by applying the PLS-SEM model to test the proposed hypotheses based on 132 valid responses. First, the factors that have a significant impact on AIS usage are as follows: relative advantage;owner/manager commitment;and impact of COVID-19. Second, the research results also confirm that there is a positive relationship between AIS usage and AIS effectiveness;AIS performance has a positive impact on business performance. Research implications are to help business owners and leaders decide whether to use AIS to strengthen the company's position and reduce the burden on departments, particularly the accounting department.

The Application of Sample Pooling for Mass Screening of SARS-CoV-2 in an Outbreak of COVID-19 in Vietnam.

We sampled nasal-pharyngeal throat swabs from 96,123 asymptomatic individuals at risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and generated 22,290 pools at collection, each containing samples from two to seven individuals. We detected SARS-CoV-2 in 24 pools, and confirmed the infection in 32 individuals after resampling and testing of 104 samples from positive pools. We completed the testing within 14 days. We would have required 64 days to complete the screening for the same number of individuals if we had based our testing strategy on individual testing. There was no difference in cycle threshold (Ct) values of pooled and individual samples. Thus, compared with individual sample testing, our approach did not compromise PCR sensitivity, but saved 77% of the resources. The present strategy might be applicable in settings, where there are shortages of reagents and the disease prevalence is low, but the demand for testing is high.