Drugs for the treatment of COVID-19

Currently, there are no drugs or other therapeutic agents approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prevent or treat COVID-19. Current standard of care includes prevention of infection and control measures and supportive care, including supplemental oxygen and, when required, mechanical ventilatory support. This chapter outlines important drugs that have the potential to be used as Covid-19 remedies. Several landmark clinical trials are discussed, and clinical evidence is sought for the claims made for the efficacy of these drugs in treating Covid-19. Literature searches suggest that dexamethasone reduces mortality in severely ill patients and may also reduce the need of mechanical ventilation in such patients compared to the standard care. However, no irrefutable evidence was found for the efficacy claims of hydroxychloroquine. The role of many other drugs is still uncertain as there are very few large-scale randomized clinical trials to show their effectiveness in Covid-19. However, many new and exciting molecules are being tested in the laboratories. Large, randomized, controlled, double-blind trials are underway to investigate the safety and efficacy of several new and old drugs. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021.

Portable IoT Body Temperature Screening System to Combat the Adverse Effects of COVID-19

In managing the COVID-19 pandemic, the Malaysian government enforced mandatory body temperature screening as a rudimentary form of infection detection at the entry points of establishments and public transportation. However, previous iterations of IoT body temperature screening systems were bulky, fragile, expensive, and designed for personal use instead of the screening of many people. Therefore, a standalone, portable, and rugged IoT-enabled body temperature screening system for detecting elevated temperatures was developed in this research work. This system uses a proximity sensor to detect subjects and determine their body temperature using a non-contact temperature sensor. Body temperature data is displayed on the device and uploaded over a Wi-Fi network to a cloud server for data storage and analysis. From the cloud server, body temperature information is retrieved and displayed on the Blynk IoT client dashboard for remote monitoring. The device also provides alerts for body temperatures above 37.5◦C. The prototype system performed impressively during the assessment. Body temperature readings were impressively accurate compared to a medical-grade non-contact thermometer, with an average variance of less than 1%. Additionally, the system was highly reliable, with a 100% IoT data broadcast success rate. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

COVID-19 Effects on Students' Teaching and Learning Perspectives in Malaysian Varsities

The COVID-19 pandemic has had dramatic effects on the socio-economic and well beings of Malaysians. The objective of the study is to find the effects of the pandemic on university students both on the technical side, such as the sufficiency of infrastructure and the internet to support online teaching and learning (T&L), as well as on the social side, such as stress level and focus on the study. The nationwide study on the effect of the pandemic on Malaysian varsities students was conducted at the end of 2020. There are many important issues uncovered in this study ranging from the technical side, such as internet-ready programs, socio-economic side, to the psychological perspectives. It shall provide invaluable insights to the related ministries while preparing appropriate reactions during the recovery period. The survey revealed that almost 74% of students highlighted that internet coverage and connectivity was the main issue in online T&L. Although statistics show that 90% of Malaysian households have access to the internet, 49% of students reported that their internet connections were poor. The effects of the pandemic are far-reaching, students belonging to the most vulnerable category find themselves in the most non-conducive place to learn, and they are disturbed by siblings. The socio-economics impacts brought about by the pandemic cause ripple effects onto their families. The government distribution of relief aids has lessened the burden of many people, including students;nevertheless, much improvement could be made, especially in the internet facility and coverage. © Universiti Putra Malaysia Press