ABSTRACT
Chronic diseases, including non-communicable diseases (NCDs), have arisen as a severe threat to health and socio-economic growth. Telemedicine can provide both the highest level of patient satisfaction and the lowest risk of infection during a pandemic. The factors associated with its usage and patient adherence are not visible in Bangladesh's resource-constrained settings. Therefore, this study aimed to identify perceptions about telemedicine among populations with chronic diseases amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A closed-ended self-reported questionnaire was created, and the questionnaire was written, reviewed, and finalized by a public health investigator, a psychiatrist, and an epidemiologist. The data for this study were collected from individuals using simple random sampling and snowball sampling techniques. Ethics approval was granted, and written/verbal consent was taken before interviews. Most of the participants showed a positive attitude towards telemedicine. People aged 35-54 years old and a higher level of education were less frequently associated with willingness to receive telemedicine services for current chronic disease (WRTCCD) than their counterparts. People living in urban areas and lower-income participants were more strongly associated with WRTCCD. Additionally, people who did not lose their earnings due to the pandemic were less strongly associated with WRTCCD. However, the main strength of this research is that it is a broad exploration of patient interest in several general forms of telehealth. In Bangladesh, there are many opportunities for telemedicine to be integrated into the existing healthcare system, if appropriate training and education are provided for healthcare professionals.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Telemedicine , Adult , COVID-19/epidemiology , Chronic Disease , Cross-Sectional Studies , Humans , Middle Aged , Pandemics , Patient Satisfaction , SARS-CoV-2 , Telemedicine/methodsABSTRACT
There has been supporting evidence that older adults with underlying health conditions form the majority of the fatal cases in the current novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. While the impact of COVID-19 is affecting the general public, it is clear that these distressful experiences will be magnified in older adults, particularly people living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD), making them the most vulnerable group during this time. People with differing degrees of ADRD are especially susceptible to the virus, not only because of their difficulties in assessing the threat or remembering the safety measures, but also because of the likelihood to be subject to other risk factors, such as lack of proper care and psychological issues. Therefore, in this article, we will discuss the challenges related to home-based care for people with ADRD during a pandemic and propose a formulation of systematic solutions to address these challenges and to alleviate the social and economic impact resulting from the crisis.
Subject(s)
Alzheimer Disease/therapy , COVID-19 , Dementia/therapy , Home Care Services , Pandemics , Aged , HumansABSTRACT
The non-specific beneficial effects of Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination suggest that this vaccine might play a role in protecting individuals against severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Several studies propose that BCG vaccination may increase the body's immunity, thereby preventing respiratory infections caused by other respiratory pathogens. As the number of deaths due to COVID-19 is increasing rapidly and there is no specific treatment available to date, scientists are evaluating the effectiveness of already approved drugs as therapies against COVID-19, and the results were found to vary widely: from no significant effect being observed to a reduction in the time taken for clinical improvement. This study thus aims to evaluate whether it is worth performing clinical trials to examine the effects of the BCG vaccine on COVID-19. We herein emphasize the need to conduct phase III randomized controlled trials with adequate sample size and quality to investigate the effects of the BCG vaccine on COVID-19. In the event that BCG vaccination provides non-specific protection against COVID-19, administering it could be helpful in controlling the transmission of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases during future pandemics.
ABSTRACT
A 34-year-old man without any significant medical history or comorbidities, suddenly developed fever, and shortness of breath, thereby admitted to the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. He had neither a history of traveling to Coronavirus disease (COVID) prone areas nor a direct contact of COVID positive patients. His chest X-ray revealed ground-glass opacity in the right middle and lower zone of the lung. The first polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on throat and nasal swabs for the COVID upon admission was negative. Based on the chest X-ray result, RT-PCR was done again resulted positive. The patient was primarily treated with chloroquine and azithromycin. On full recovery, he was discharged from the hospital on day 12, after two subsequent throat swab samples tested negative by PCR (24 hours apart). He was encouraged to maintain home quarantine for at least the next 14 days. SARS-CoV-2 RNA by swab remained negative and the blood sample shows the presence of antibody (both IgM and IgG) in his follow-up visit (after 7 days of hospital discharge).