ABSTRACT
Musculoskeletal disorders are common for people who work on strenuous and demanding tasks, such as nurses, construction workers, and soldiers. The injuries come from overexertion of the individuals related muscle groups that are required to be activated to complete a specific task in various environments. A current solution is the use of robotic-aid devices. These robotic devices are being investigated to treat musculoskeletal injuries and significantly increase a humans capacity in heavy working conditions. However, the design of the human-machine interaction force remains an obstacle to the implementation of effective assistance to people in practical working scenarios due to the environmental variety, task complexity, and human variation and uncertainty. Previous studies showed that the metabolic cost of exercise will be increased instead of reduced if improper forces are provided by the machine. Thus, accurate estimations of the required machine force application to the individual are critical to labor saving and muscle health.
ABSTRACT
Convalescent plasma is being considered as a potential therapy for COVID-19. We highlight and contextualise the findings of a recent Cochrane rapid review that evaluated the effectiveness and safety of convalescent plasma or hyperimmune immunoglobulin transfusion in the treatment of people with COVID-19. The review found low-certainty evidence of the therapeutic effectiveness and safety of convalescent plasma. As the novel coronavirus continues to spread in South Africa (SA), convalescent plasma may offer a therapeutic ray of hope for mitigating the morbidity and mortality burdens of the disease. Further investigation of the clinical benefits of the therapy in well-designed studies is needed to provide more evidence that will guide COVID-19 treatment decision-making in the SA context.