COVID-19 pandemic, substance use disorders and body image issues, a worrisome correlation.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has profoundly affected the social fabric and the economic and health care viability and functioning of most countries. Aside from its deeply destructive impact on health care systems and national economies, the pandemic has jeopardized people's emotional and psychological well-being as well. The authors aimed to shed a light on how the pandemic has been affecting patients with addiction issues and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), which is characterized by negative thoughts about appearance and body misperceptions. People with body dysmorphic disorder are in fact at increased risk of developing substance use disorders, and such a destructive association has only been made more severe by pandemic-related restrictions, emotional distress and anxiety, as well as longer exposure to social media and online interactions. This is a major cause for concern, because substance use worsens symptoms of BDD and contributes to unfavorable treatment outcomes.

The COVID-19 pandemic and contact tracing technologies, between upholding the right to health and personal data protection.

Countries responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with various levels of restrictions and lockdown in an effort to save lives and prevent the saturation and collapse of national health systems. Unfortunately, the blockades have entailed hefty socioeconomic costs. In order to contrast the spread of the virus, states have used contact tracing technology, in the form of mobile phone applications designed to track close contacts of those infected with COVID-19. Recent research has shown the effectiveness of this solution, particularly when used in conjunction with manual tracking. Nonetheless, the contact tracing app raises concerns due to the potential privacy implications. The authors have delved into the European legislation that protects privacy through the principles of proportionality and minimization, arguing that in order to quickly resolve the pandemic caused by COVID-19, one cannot blindly trust the exclusive help of technology. Instead, we need the involvement of health personnel, scientists, and no less importantly, the citizenry's sense of solidarity and the duty to abide by the rules of social distancing, the use of protective devices and hygiene rules to protect public health.

Commentary - CRISPR-based techniques: Cas9, Cas13 and their applications in the era of COVID-19.

The CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)/Cas9 (CRISPR-associated protein 9) system enables scientists to edit diverse genome types with relative ease, with the aim - in the near future - to prevent future human beings from developing genetic diseases. The new opportunities arising from the system are broad-ranging and revolutionary, but such prospects have also been the cause for alarm throughout the international scientific community. The authors have laid out a review of the trials carried out so far in terms of genome editing, for the ultimate purpose of weighing implications and criticisms. We feel that possible valuable alternatives, such as induced pluripotent stem cells should not be overlooked.

Perinatal and post-partum infections in times of Coronavirus: Are compliance with cautionary measures and safety protocols key factors in staving off litigation?

Several factors have been associated with increased risk of maternal and fetal peripartum and postpartum infections, including pre-existing maternal conditions (e.g. malnutrition, diabetes, obesity, severe anaemia, bacterial vaginosis, and group B streptococcus infections) and unexpected or iatrogenic conditions during labour and childbirth, such as prolonged rupture of membranes (PROM) multiple vaginal examinations, manual removal of the placenta, and cesarean section. As such, the strategies to reduce maternal and fetal infections and their short- and long-term complications have been largely directed at preventive measures where such risk factors exist. In many cases of maternal and fetal infections, medical negligence may have played a role. In fact, a given infection may not have been detected during examinations, or proper treatment may not have been implemented in a timely fashion. In fact, some infections may become more severe if they are not properly treated as quickly as possible. The Authors have aimed to shed a light on the most common, and feared, childbirth-related infections, by means of a wide-ranging analysis of medical databases (Scopus, Pubmed, Embase, Research Gate, Web of Science), legal archives (Justia, Leagle, Lexis, Casetext) and recommendations issued by medical and scientific institutions (United Nations, World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Health Service, etc…), spanning the 2004-2020 period. The inability on the part of physicians to thoroughly document the appropriateness of their interventions and the compliance with guidelines and best practices often results in claims being filed by damaged patients and/or their legal heirs. Litigation is typically complex in such cases, and likely to result in substantial compensatory damages being awarded to damaged patients. Currently, a higher standard for cautionary rules should be applied by practitioners and medical facilities to minimize the risk of claims being filed, particularly in tort courts. As a matter of fact, the current global setting of Covid-19 pandemic crisis has engendered unique conditions. Hence, specifically targeted measures are needed in maternity centers in order to stave off the contagion of healthy patients, while at the same time providing the best possible care for Covid-19 positive parturients and their newborns. Compliance with directives and regulations issued by health care authorities, aimed at the implementation of adequate diagnostic pathways, isolation protocols and protection requirements, is undoubtedly crucial for preventing malpractice allegations and liability.