ABSTRACT
The outbreak of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the late 2019 and its eventual transformation into a global pandemic has caused a shock wave across the countries. The renewable energy (RE) sector, which has always been one of the leading areas for promoting the environmental sustainability, has not been spared from the epidemic. The integration of the effects of the epidemic on the global economy and the fluctuation of oil prices due to the global quarantines around the world has increased the impact of this disease on the RE industry. Although the COVID-19 crisis has had a negative effect on the efforts to develop RE, the analysts believe that in the future, more of the world's energy requirements will come from the RE sources. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has claimed that the RE consumption is likely to increase since the people tend to have clean and sustainable energy sources such as wind, water, and solar energy more than before. In the present work, the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on the environmental changes, energy consumption, the need to use RE, the investments made in the field of RE, and the well-being of the people of the world are examined, and the details and the results obtained will be discussed. The main aim of the this work is to review the studies of the researchers on the impact of the COVID-19 disease on the environment and RE.
ABSTRACT
In order to provide the optimal respiratory protection for the users;particularly, the frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) while performing the aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs), it is required to conduct fit testing during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 90 HCWs (35 males and 55 females) of were participated in the study voluntarily. All participants were randomly allocated into six available filtering face-piece respirators (FFRs) with two kinds of styles (cup-shaped and flat-fold). Then, they underwent quantitative fit testing (QNFT) using the TSI PortaCount® respirator fit tester and qualitative fit testing (QLFT) procedures using the Moldex® Bitrex® fit test kit. The outcomes were the qualitative fit factors (QLFFs=100) and quantitative fit factors (QNFFs≥100). The overall passing rates of the QLFT and QNFT procedures were %35.17 and %29.33. One imported and domestic respirators had highest proportions of the QLFF (%48 and %45) and QNFF (%43 and 38%) and QNFF values of all. Furthermore, the mean FFs for the mentioned respirators were 120 and 103, respectively. Moreover, no significant difference was found between the whether females and males or between imported and domestic respirators by the passing rates (p>0.05). Overall, the passing rates obtained from both QNFT and QLFT procedures were low. One reason could be due to all studied respirators only came in one size or style. An optimal fit test panel should also be developed for the Iranian people to determine the appropriate face sizes and shapes in order to select the well-fitting respirator. Besides, the manufacturers are required make the respirators w
ABSTRACT
Background: Due to the pandemic, COVID-19 cases and deaths are increasing unexpectedly and precipitately. More importantly, asymptomatic carriers could infect healthy people through sneezing, coughing, and talking. Therefore, mask usage is required to prevent and control COVID-19. Objectives: This study was aimed at examining the knowledge, attitude, and performance levels (KAP) of the Iranian population regarding mask usage to prevent and control the COVID-19 outbreak during a one-month period from early April to early May 2020.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Nurses, as the largest group of health professionals, are at the frontline of the healthcare system in response to COVID-19 epidemic. This study aimed to evaluate the nurses' certainty and satisfaction with medical gloves when exposed to coronavirus in Fars province, south of Iran. METHODS: Using convenience sampling, 400 hospital nurses during the COVID-19 outbreak were selected from eight hospitals of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS). A questionnaire about glove reliability, including protection in tasks, durability, integrity and tear resistance, feeling fearful, and focusing on duties, and the nurses' anxiety regarding their infection with coronavirus was distributed to the selected nurses to complete. 375 questionnaires were completed (response rate of 93.75%). Among the participants, 180 (48%) were in the corona section and 195 (52%) were hardly possible to have contact with coronavirus pneumonia patients. RESULTS: The mean score (SD) of anxiety about infection with COVID-19 for nurses in the COVID-19 section and those in the non-COVID-19 section were 6.08 (2.8) and 4.56 (2.58), respectively (p<0.05). The mean duration of gloves usage in a day was almost similar in the two groups (about 5h), but the number of glove replacements was significantly higher among the nurses in the corona section (6 times) compared to those in the non-corona section (3 times). The two groups were also significantly different regarding glove protection in daily tasks and glove durability. CONCLUSION: The nurses in the corona section had more concerns about medical gloves as a type of personal protective equipment. In addition to health education on controlling and preventing the spread of diseases, raising awareness about the reliability of personal protective equipment can improve nurses' performance.