COVID-19, uncertainty and acceleration of innovation

The aim of this Special Issue is to review and discuss, through practical examples from different countries, the rapid and effective responses of industries, societies and governments to the high level of uncertainty and risks created by the COVID-19 pandemic. This unprecedented health crisis has pushed managers, scientists, policy makers and many other social, economic and health actors to think ‘out of the box' and provide quick solutions by reducing the process of innovation, introducing new business models and new ways of ‘doing things' in many areas such as medicine, finance, retailing, communication, teaching, supply chains and sustainable development. This Special Issue also highlights the importance of holistic approach and collaboration between different disciplines and stakeholders.

Attachment Style, Affective Temperament, and Psychological Distress among Mental Health Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The nursing staff is more likely to experience drastic stress, which can compromise their physical and mental health and affect the quality of their work. This study aimed to assess the attachment type and affective temperament in connection to the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychiatric hospital nurses. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey utilizing a convenience sample population of 100 nurses who served on the front lines during the COVID-19 outbreak. The key findings showed that most nurses reported moderate attachment anxiety, moderate affective temperament, and mild psychological distress. It is crucial to offer nurses psychological support during COVID-19 through various channels.

Perspectives of clinical pharmacists on the provision of pharmaceutical care through telepharmacy services during COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar: A focus group.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic created unprecedented pressures on healthcare systems and led to the widespread adoption of telepharmacy services, a practice that was not previously established in the state of Qatar. OBJECTIVE: The -study aimed to explore clinical pharmacists' (CPs) perspectives and experiences in utilizing telepharmacy for the provision of pharmaceutical care during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A descriptive, qualitative approach using face-to-face focus group (FG) discussions was used. CPs across Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) were purposively invited to participate in the study. FG discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and validated. Transcripts were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Recruitment continued until a saturation point was achieved. RESULTS: We conducted five focus groups that included 23 CPs and led to seven themes. Overall, CPs reported inadequate preparedness for the practice of telepharmacy, which they perceived as challenging. The primary perceived benefits of telepharmacy were decreased infection exposure risk, improved quality of care, improved patients' satisfaction, and enhanced workplace efficiency and productivity. The main highlighted risks of telepharmacy were related to threatened patient confidentiality, missed pharmaceutical care opportunities, and negatively impacted professional rapport with other healthcare providers; and the major perceived challenges were low digital health literacy, complex illnesses and medication regimens, lack of standardized protocols, and inadequacy of resources and cultural resistance for virtual care. Participants recommended standardization and training, resource allocation, and proper service promotion as potential facilitators of telepharmacy practice. CONCLUSION: The current study revealed that despite perceived barriers, pharmacists identified several benefits of telepharmacy and recommended potential facilitators that should be used to integrate and sustain the practice of telepharmacy in the future. Future studies should investigate the impact of telepharmacy on clinical pharmacy interventions and patient outcomes.

The Effect of Short Treatment with Nigella Sativa on Symptoms, the Cluster of Differentiation (CD) Profile, and Inflammatory Markers in Mild COVID-19 Patients: A Randomized, Double-Blind Controlled Trial.

The current study investigated the impact of different doses of Nigella sativa seeds on the symptoms, the cluster of differentiation profile group, and inflammatory markers of mild COVID-19 cases. METHODS: The study was a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Patients with mild and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection patients were randomly subdivided into seven subgroups: Group (GP) 1: received charcoal capsules as a control group, and GP 2: received three capsules of whole Nigella sativa seeds daily, two capsules in the morning and one in the evening; GP 3: received three capsules of whole Nigella sativa seeds every 12 h, GP 4: received five capsules in the morning and four capsules of whole Nigella sativa seeds in the evening, GP 5: received one capsule of Nigella sativa powder every 12 h; GP 6: received two capsules of Nigella sativa powder every 12 h; GP 7: received three capsules of Nigella sativa powder every 12 h; all treatment course was for ten days. Inflammatory parameters were assessed before and after interventions. RESULTS: 262 subjects were included in the final analysis. No significant difference was detected regarding age, gender, and nationality. No significant differences were detected between the inflammatory marker in all groups. The WBCs showed a significant difference between before and after the intervention. While for procalcitonin, a significant difference was demonstrated in groups 1,4, and 6. CONCLUSIONS: The current randomized clinical trial did not reveal a significant effect of ten days of treatment with various doses of Nigella sativa on symptoms, differentiation profile, and inflammatory markers of patients with COVID-19. As a natural product, the effect of Nigella sativa on disease requires weeks to manifest itself.

Laminar flowmeter for mechanical ventilator: Manufacturing challenge of Covid-19 pandemic.

The rapid and sudden attack of the covid-19 pandemic has emerged the urgent need for pulmonary resuscitation devices (ventilators). The airflow sensor is a main element in the ventilator. Sensing very low airflow rates is an essential requirement to meet the least significant bit of the analogue to digital converter included in the ventilator. This short communication describes the fabrication and test of five flow sensors using basic and the 3D printing techniques to overcome the severe challenge arising from the pandemic under strict quarantine. The principle of these five flow sensors is based on Fleisch pneumotachograph technology, which creates a pseudo-laminar flow within a bundle of capillary tubes. Amongst the five tested sensors, those fabricated by 3D printing technique were the most accurate and reliable. Results show that the 3D printed sensor of 33 trapezoidal capillary tubes and displaced pressure taps meet the requirement of sensing flowrates with less resistance to patient at exhalation and more linearity figure. The experimental data were correlated using a sophisticated MMF correlation with an R-squared factor of 0.9999 and a percentage error of 1.68%.

The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on otolaryngologists: Should we be concerned?

OBJECTIVE: Physicians on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic are at increased risk of contracting the disease. Otolaryngologists are amongst the high-risk practitioners, as they are in close proximity to patient's upper airway, which may induce their psychological stress. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey study, conducted among otolaryngologists in Saudi Arabia from June 11 to June 22. Survey consisted of sociodemographic questionnaire, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), Obsession with COVID-19 Scale (OCS) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Available otolaryngologists with no history of mental health problems were included. A P-value lower than .05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The study included 129 participants; 63.6% men and 36.4% women. 81.4% of participants were living with family, 57.4% living with either a child or an elderly family member. Nearly 7.8% of participants had dysfunctional COVID-19 anxiety and 75.2% had COVID-19-related depression symptoms ranging from minimal to severe. Obsession and dysfunctional thinking regarding COVID-19 were found in 26.4% of participants. Single otolaryngologists had significantly higher CAS (P = .025), OCS (P = .048), and PHQ-9 (P < .001) scores. Participants who lived with children or elderly individuals had significantly higher OCS scores (P = .005). When comparing job ranks, residents had significantly higher scores for the CAS (P = .016) and PHQ-9 (P < .001). CONCLUSION: COVID-19 has a considerable psychological impact on otolaryngologists. Specifically, the young and single who have less social support. This indicates the importance of psychological support to this group. Additional thorough studies should explore the psychological impact of COVID-19 in this field as it may carry devastating long-term consequences if left unattended. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 4.