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Despite ranking amongst the highest in medical systems in Africa and spending a substantial amount on health sector than other African nations, Algeria suffered a major blow in the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Vaccine hesitancy also affected the country adversely in subsequent waves of the disease. This study estimates the number of Covid-19 cases for Algeria in January 2022 using two numerical methods Multi-step Differential Transform Method (MsDTM) and Repeated MsDTM. Stability analysis of the pandemic for the country has also been discussed in the paper.
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AIM: The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. METHODS: It was a test-negative, case-control study conducted at Sharda Hospital, Greater Noida, India, between March 2021 and May 2021. An equal number of cases and controls were included in the study after taking proper informed consent. The individuals with positive reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction test reports were taken as cases, whereas those with negative reports were included as controls. Data were analyzed and the groups were compared using multivariable logistic regression to calculate the odds ratio (OR), with adjustment for gender and presence or absence of comorbidities. The effectiveness of vaccine was calculated by the formula (1-adjusted OR) x100%. RESULTS: On analyzing the data from 560 case-control pairs, the vaccine effectiveness was calculated as 57.46% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 53.85-61.02) and 60.09% (95% CI: 56.32-63.77) for single dose and two doses, respectively. The effectiveness of complete and single-dose vaccination against the moderate-to-severe disease was calculated as 63.79% (95% CI: 58.58-68.77) and 56.19% (95% CI: 51.30-61.0), respectively. CONCLUSION: The ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine was found to be effective against COVID-19, with protection after two doses being a little more than that after a single dose. It also proved effective in protecting against the severe form of the disease.
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In this paper, we have discussed the impact of Coronavirus variants in a phase of 2021-22 along with a previous phase of 2020-21 in Italy. We analyse and compare the Covid-19 scenario in Italy for the period from October 04, 2020 to January 16, 2021 with a period from October 04, 2021 to January 16, 2022. For this study, we have used repeated multi-step differential transform method (RMsDTM). Also, we have predicted the number of active cases for 10 days following the period of study.
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The increasing age of the population has become a significant concern internationally. During the COVID-19 pandemic situation, it has been seen that the most sensitive and affected class of the population is the class of Elder's. It is therefore necessary to track the movement and behavior of the old persons. This kind of monitoring could help them in providing assistance in their needy time. Our objective is to develop an approach to classify elderly people using skeleton data for their assistance. OpenPose algorithm is used here to detect human skeletons (joint positions) from the video sequences. OpenPose algorithm with a sliding window of size 'N' is used to achieve a real-time posture recognition framework. Posture features from each extracted skeleton are then used to build a classifier for recognizing elderly people. We also introduce here a new dataset that includes old person walk and young person walk video's. The experimental outcomes reveal that the proposed method has achieved up to 98.45% training accuracy and 96.16% testing accuracy for deep feed-forward neural network (FFNN) classifier. This asserts the effectiveness of the approach.
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Aim: The devastating consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak have forced security personnel to alter their methods and behaviors. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge, functioning and future implications of COVID-19 on the lives of security guards. Methodology: A cross sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among the 296 security guards of Bhubaneswar city. A 18-item, closed-ended, self-structured questionnaire was designed to gather data. The questionnaire was designed on a 2 point likert scale. Data were analysed using IBM's SPSS version 26.0 for the Social Sciences. The frequency and percentages were used to describe categorical values. Chi-Square test and ANOVA were employed. The level of significance was fixed at 0.05. Result(s): The majority of participants were between the ages of 31 and 40 (n=132, 44.6%) and that between 13,000 and 15,000 was the average monthly income for the security guards. All the participants were aware about the COVID-19 pandemic and its affect on human body. Sixty three personnel had been detected positive for COVID-19 and none of them used any preventive measures. About 97% of the guards agreed that the pandemic had an influence on their work. Only 3% of the guards had taken on other jobs as a secondary source of income. Conclusion(s): Security guards are an essential group of front-line healthcare providers offering additional services in the management of COVID-19.COVID-19 had a great impact on the economic lives of the security guards. Copyright © 2023 Ubiquity Press. All rights reserved.
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Aims & Objectives: COVID-19 clinical waste management has become a concern with increasing number of medical practitioners in India. Being health care professionals, one should be aware regarding safe disposal of biomedical waste and recycling of the materials to minimize biohazards to the environment. The aim of the present study was to assess awareness regarding biomedical waste management among medical practitioners. Material(s) and Method(s): This cross-sectional study was conducted among medial practitioners belonging from all medical colleges and private practitioners in Khorda district, Odisha (India) from February 2022 to April 2022. A total of 100 doctors (58 males and 42 females) participated in the study, which was conducted in two phases. A form was distributed to assess the attention of COVID-19 clinical waste management and information of effective utilisation of materials, and picked up knowledge was examined on a 5-point unipolar scale in percentages to assess the relative awareness relating to these 2 totally different categorizes. The applied math Package for Social Sciences was accustomed analyzed collected data. Result(s): Twenty-four percent of the medical practitioners were not at all aware about the management of COVID-19 clinical waste, 29% were moderately aware, 37% slightly aware, 7% very aware, and 3% fall in extremely aware category. A higher percentage of participants were completely unaware regarding recycling and reusing of COVID-19 clinical waste. Conclusion(s): There is a lack of sufficient knowledge among medical practitioners regarding management of COVID-19 clinical waste and recycling of materials. Considering its impact on the environment, COVID-19 clinical waste management requires immediate academic assessment to increase awareness during training courses. Copyright © 2022 Ubiquity Press. All rights reserved.
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Covid-19 is a highly infectious disease caused by novel Corona virus SARS-CoV-2, affecting the whole world. In this paper, we introduce and apply two iterative methods, RMsDTM and R2KM, to obtain approximate values of Covid-19 cases in Morocco. We also compare the approximations of both methods and see that the solution of RMsDTM is more accurate. © 2022, Erdal Karapinar. All rights reserved.
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Introduction: A new era started at the end of February 2020 with the novel coronavirus pandemic, which was found to be sufficiently divergent from the extreme acute respiratory syndromeand which has changed our lives entirely.COVID-19 patients are the topic of many epidemiological studies.However, the goal of this study is to evaluate the quality of life of individuals working for daily wages who are not affected by COVID-19 following the quarantine in Chennai, a city in Southern India. Materials and methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study involving 300 daily wage workers in Chennai was conductedfollowing the announcement of quarantine due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We did the Survey to determine the quality of life, which takes into account the mental health status, financial management and other health issues.The Institutional Review Board gave their approval to the study. All participants agreed to sign the written informed consent form. The data were gatheredby face to face interview with the help of apre-tested and pre-validated questionnaire where theparticipants indicated their socio-demographic details, Physical and mental health status andthe problems faced during lockdown. Data was entered in SPSS version 21 and the results were given in frequencies and percentages. Results: Over all, the quality of life among all the study participants was very poor. Male population had very poor score on physical, psychological and environmental health while comparing to female. Also 46-55 age groups were affected more than the other age groups. Illiterateswere affected more than the population who are having education upto higher secondary. Those who had hypertension and diabetes also had poor score on all three domains. Conclusion: The study findings showed that most of the daily wages population had poor mental health, physical health and environmental status. We must pay attention to the health of the individuals who are considered poor, since their quality of life is low.
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Background:Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is defined as an illness caused by a novel coronavirus, now called Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2. The present study was conducted to assess knowledge and attitude of interns in the prevention and control of COVID-19. Materials & Methods:50 interns of both genders were included. A questionnaire assessed knowledge comprising of each item contained 3 options, namely, “true”, “false” and “don’t know”;1 point was given for a correct answer, and 0 points were awarded for an incorrect answer or a “don’t know” response. The total score of this section ranged from 0 to 13, and higher scores were correlated with more knowledge. The attitude section included items, and a Likert scale was used to assess the level of agreement with the statements;response options ranged from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Results: Out of 50 subjects, males were 22 and females were 28. What causes COVID-19 replied correct by 94%, incubation period of COVID-19 by 95%, overall mortality of COVID-19 by 84%, what are laboratory test available by 98%, family gatherings may spread infection by 89%, washing hands frequently, wearing masks and other measures can effectively prevent infection by 99%, most have good prognosis by 82% and suspected and confirmed patients should be isolated and treated in designated hospitals by 94%. Attitude was strongly agree, agree, not sure, disagree and strongly disagree in response to I pay close attention to the development of the epidemic situation in 94%, 5%, 1% respectively, I think I am playing an important role in controlling the epidemic in 92%, 3%, 3%, 1% and 1% respectively. It is believed that the outbreak will soon be contained in 90%, 2%, 5%, 2% and 1% and I am willing to cooperate with the relevant departments to take prevention and control measures in 82%, 8%, 6%, 3% and 1% respectively. Conclusion: Interns had sufficient knowledge and attitude in the prevention and control of COVID-19.
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Recently, especially during Covid-19, there has been an increasing trend of Self-Medication (SM) in rural and semi urban areas of India. There are various contributing factors for these practices. It is defined as the use of medicine by patients on his own initiative or on the advice of pharmacists, previous prescription, and suggestion of family members of friends instead of consulting qualified doctors. The medicines which are available with pharmacists without prescription or over the counter (OTC) are known to be part of self-medication. A medicine that requires doctors’ recommendation is known as prescribed product (Rx products).The present work discusses the positive sides at individual level and community level and at the same time possible risks involved at community level and individual level. It was found that even though there were various risks involved due to self-medication, people in rural and semi-urban areas also find some positive side of the same. Most importantly they believe that it reduces the cost of travelling, and cost of consultation with doctor. Sometimes due to past experience of the same sort of diseases or symptoms, people opt for self-medication practices. The study concludes that Potential benefits at individual levels were self – reliance for preventing minor disease and saving of time & energy. Similarly the same for the community level were extending the health care services to the needy people in rural and remote areas and saving scare medical resources for minor treatments /diseases. Potential risk at individual levels Failure to report or recognize the adverse drug reactions. Failure to seek appropriate medical assistance immediately and from the community point of view wasteful public expenditure and will lead to family disturbance due to death of member of family. © 2022 by SPC (Sami Publishing Company)
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Background: People's adherence to control measures is imperative in the fight against COVID-19. The present study was done to evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19 among residents of Jharkhand and to assist the government in deciding further course of action during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: This study was an online cross-sectional survey. The link to the questionnaire was displayed on the official website of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi, National Health Mission, Jharkhand, official website of all districts under Jharkhand state administration, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme and Information & Public Relations department. Participation of residents in the survey was extensively propagated using mass media mainly local television networks, radio channels and newspapers. Results: A total of 4683 responses were received from all districts of Jharkhand. The majority of the participants were young adults (47.5%) and the number of male participants was more than the females (81.4%). The mean correct knowledge score for participants of this study was 10.73+2.2 (maximum attainable score was 14) while the mean practice score for the participants was 4.5+0.69 (maximum attainable score was 5). The knowledge score of the participants was significantly associated with their age, education status and economic class (p<0.0001). The participants largely held an optimistic attitude and healthy practices towards COVID-19. Conclusion: Participants had a positive attitude but were also logically worried and uncertain about the near future. Adequate knowledge of participants was visible in their practices. There was however a gap across age groups, gender, literacy and income levels which should be addressed in future campaigns.
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Background: Corona virus (SARS-Cov-2) belongs to coronaviridiae family, first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, thus named as corona virus disease-19 (COVID-19). Later on the World Health Organization declared the outbreak as Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020 and the pandemic on 11 March. Material and methods: A total of 332 patients, diagnosed with COVID-19 by Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), admitted in level iii, dedicated COVID hospital were evaluated for presenting symptoms and various comorbidities by detail history, body mass index, random blood sugar, x-ray chest, electrocardiography and kidney function test. Severity of disease was stratified as mild, severe, critical and mortality. Results: Of 332 patients, 205 (61%) were males and 127(38.3%) were females with average age 40.21 +/- 16.15.298 (89.8%) from urban area and 34 (10.2%) from rural area. Most common symptom was fever, in 192 (578%) patients, followed by cough, 136 (41.0%), sore throat, 95 (28.6%). The least common symptoms were rhinorrhoea (11%) and vomiting (11%). As per severity of disease, 251 (75.6%) were mild, 45 (13.6%) severe, 11 (3.3%) critical, and 12 (3.6%) expired. Conclusion: Older cases were at a risk of developing severe and critical illness. Males were found to have a more severe illness. Smokers have severe illness, compared to non-smokers, and the association between severity and smoking was significant. There was a fair and significant correlation between number of comorbidities and severity of illness. Among the comorbidities, chronic kidney disease has strongest association with mortality.
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There are many sensitive areas like country borders, banks, forests, army cantonments, jails which requires continuous monitoring and surveillance. Intruders and illegal elements try to break the security and enter into these areas. In the same way there is another sensitive zone called containment zone required protection to prevent spread of viruses like corona. Every country has established their own protocols to maintain containment zone. Security officials monitored the sensitive areas but still it was not safe enough. In this case there is need of an invisible security mechanism which can be applicable in maintaining movements in containment zones. It will be very important to detect any movement in the sensitive area. Therefore, this paper provides a solution to protect sensitive zones. The solution consists of optical fibre sensor along with reporting and alarming system. The design and implementation is explained in the paper along with results. The proposed solution can be implemented to secure zone for multiple applications. © 2021 Karadeniz Technical University. All rights reserved.