A Systematic Review of Whether the Use of N95 Respirator Masks Decreases the Incidence of Cardiovascular Disease in the General Population.

The usage of masks such as the N95 has increased exponentially worldwide. With the ever-increasing global rates of cardiovascular disease, it is vital that preventative measures are adopted to help tackle this crisis. N95 masks have been promoted as health prevention odysseys in the battle against viruses such as COVID-19. A systematic review was conducted on whether the N95 masks could help improve our cardiovascular health. Our data sources included PubMed, Medline and Scopus. Eleven studies met the eligibility criteria to be included in the review. N95 mask usage led to increased reports of dyspnoea, however, no significant effect was seen on blood pressure. N95 masks also showed improvement in aortic parameters. While encouraging results were yielded, further focussed studies on the use of N95 masks and the effect on various cardiovascular parameters would help strengthen the association.

A Systematic Review of Whether the Use of N95 Respirator Masks Decreases the Incidence of Cardiovascular Disease in the General Population

The usage of masks such as the N95 has increased exponentially worldwide. With the ever-increasing global rates of cardiovascular disease, it is vital that preventative measures are adopted to help tackle this crisis. N95 masks have been promoted as health prevention odysseys in the battle against viruses such as COVID-19. A systematic review was conducted on whether the N95 masks could help improve our cardiovascular health. Our data sources included PubMed, Medline and Scopus. Eleven studies met the eligibility criteria to be included in the review. N95 mask usage led to increased reports of dyspnoea, however, no significant effect was seen on blood pressure. N95 masks also showed improvement in aortic parameters. While encouraging results were yielded, further focussed studies on the use of N95 masks and the effect on various cardiovascular parameters would help strengthen the association.

The care home pandemic-What lessons can we learn for the future? [References]

This reprinted chapter originally appeared in Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 2020, 63[6-7], 644-645. (The following of the original article appeared in record 2021-00510-018.) Even in times of crisis, social workers and other staff members continue to serve on the frontline and provide services to vulnerable older adults. Effective measures need to be implemented in a uniform manner to help better protect care home residents and their staff. The sparsity of resources available for staff needs to be addressed with the provision and access to adequate personal protective equipment being made early. Following WHO hand hygiene models along with sanitizer provision can help reduce the spread of the infection. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

COVID-19 Pandemic: A Lost Opportunity for International Cooperation?

The unsolved riddle of interstate cooperation lies at the core of subject matter of international relations theory. Many believe that shocks e.g. wars, natural disasters and pandemics serve as the triggers of international cooperation. Basing on these assumptions, after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, many advocates of liberal internationalism were optimistic about seeing enhanced cooperation among states in order to respond to this unique threat. This paper, however, argues that contrary to such assumptions, COVID-19 failed to serve as a catalyst for international cooperation. Despite being hit by a common enemy, states not only failed to mute their conflicts rather in many regions conflicts were intensified and faults lines became more visible than before. The paper digs into the questions that why the neoliberalism fails to seize the opportunity and what factors led to the dominance of state behaviour dictated by neoclassical realist assumptions. It also investigates that how the future can be foreseen in the context of this scenario. The paper justifies the central preposition using the framework of neoclassical realist theory of international relations.

The Challenges of Virtual Consultations in Diagnosing Acute Medical Conditions in Primary Care

Since the start of the global Covid-19 Pandemic many health providers have resorted to virtual telephone consultations replacing the traditional face-to-face encounters [1]. The aim of virtual consultations is to protect both the patient and the clinician from the potential spread of the coronavirus. It also became mandatory in many areas where there are strict lockdowns in place, preventing people from leaving their homes, unless they have a pressing reason to do so [2]. It seemed reasonable that a lot of the routine health needs of patients such as medication refills, referrals and ordering blood tests could be conducted over the phone without the need to see the patient in person. There are still instances though when a patient needs to be seen in person depending on the severity or type of their complaint. This case study looks at a specific case where the telephone consultation model had limitations in reaching a diagnosis and commencing appropriate timely treatment. It also highlights the pitfalls we as clinicians can face when solely relying on virtual consults to manage some of our high-risk patients [3]. It looks at how important it is to take a detailed history over the phone and what safety net measures need to be put in place to prevent missing a life-threatening medical emergency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Middle East Journal of Family Medicine is the property of Medi+WORLD International Pty. Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection: What a doctor on the frontline needs to know.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a zoonotic respiratory infection originating from Wuhan, China. Rapidly spreading from Wuhan to all inhabited continents of the world, the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2019. Infected patients present with fever and cough; radiological features include bilateral infiltrates on chest x-ray and computed tomography scanning. Management is supportive with oxygen supplementation, broad-spectrum antibiotics as well as careful fluid balancing. A number of drugs, both new and old, are currently in clinical trials and being used on an experimental basis in clinical practice. The COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest worldwide public health crisis of a generation, and has led to seismic political, economic and social changes. This review provides an overview of COVID-19 for junior doctors who find themselves on a new frontline of healthcare.