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At a Health and Social Care Select Committee evidence session on 14 May the King's Fund, the Nuffield Trust, and the Health Foundation warned that it would take many more months before core health and care services were able to fully restart. Limited capacity Jennifer Dixon, chief executive officer at the Health Foundation, told the committee that capacity within hospitals would be severely limited because of the need for social distancing, separating out covid and non-covid patients, and more time for deep cleaning of equipment and facilities. Chris Hopson, chief executive officer at NHS Providers, told the committee that NHS staff had worked incredibly hard in the past few months, with leave cancelled, and were very tired as a result.
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3 An important component for the provision of patient-centric healthcare is the ability to collect blood samples remotely in a manner that delivers samples of a quality comparable to that of current standard phlebotomy collection, enabling routine clinical testing, monitoring disease progression and testing drug concentrations.2-4-г, This blood sampling could be performed at the patient's home, at a nearby pharmacy, or at a local clinic, rather than a centralized facility. Examples of commercially available devices include the Neoteryx Mitra,13 Tasso-M20, SST and Tasso+,14 SeventhSense TAP and TAP II,15 Trajan hemaPEN,16 Labcorp Pixel,17 Capitainer qDBS,1" HemaXis DB10 and DX,19 and Drawbridge OneDraw.20 These devices are capable of collecting from as little as 20 microliters (approximately half a drop) to several hundred microliters of blood and have been widely used to determine clinical parameters,21 drug concentrations,5'22 therapeutic drug monitoring,23 and, more recently, COVID antibody levels.24,25 Some of these devices enable the collection of a fixed volume of blood, collected as dried blood, which can then be shipped and handled at room temperatures-avoiding the need for freezers and dry ice for storing and shipping samples-enabling its adoption even in remote areas with limited infrastructure. Patient-centric blood sampling techniques have been gaining popularity for use in pharmaceutical drug development;however, to date they have not been broadly accessible to the general public.26 This can be partially attributed to the "cliniccentric" healthcare model, where reimbursement is dependent on in-person visits and sample collection. [...]the status quo remains and anyone who needs a blood test is required to go to the doctor's office or clinic. [...]studies have demonstrated that the overall cost to society will be lower, by improving health outcomes and allowing broader access and patient convenience.27 The availability and adoption of patient-centric approaches can provide access and treatment options to clinical trial participants not geographically co-located with the investigative sites and improving access in rural or lesser developed communities, globally, potentially improving the health of the general population.
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At the agencies' request, the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine iNASEMi has formed a blue-ribbon committee of leading bioethicists, economists, geneticists, and public health authorities to quickly develop a framework for priority vaccine access to assist policymakers in the U.S. and other nations achieve equitable distribution of anticipated vaccines (see: https://bit.ly/33jTCds). Individuals at higher risk will include those in higher age groups, with underlying health conditions, engaged in high-risk occupations, affected by racial and ethnic disparities, and in hardhit geographic locations. State and public health officials are wary of federal pandemic planning efforts so fair given the lack of coordination and effectiveness in distributing COVID-19 test kits and personal protective equipment to healthcare providers and facilities.
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[...]CURES' BILL PROMOTES PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS Congressional leaders are developing the next version of the 21st Century Cures Act, including provisions to advance research related to the COVID-19 crisis as part of initiatives for bringing innovative therapies to market faster (see https://bit.ly/2SKfA4S). Cures 2.0 continues and updates some of the main themes of the first Cures Act: support development of treatments for rare diseases, patient-focused drug development, diversity in clinical trials, expanded use of digital health systems, increased health literacy, and utilization of real-world data. A public education campaign, moreover, would aim to counter concerns about the safety of vaccines to promote widespread vaccination. Because these treatments are costly and unprofitable for biopharma companies to test and market, the legislation proposes additional financial support for both pre-market studies and post-market production and subsidized higher reimbursement rates for antibiotics that address critical needs.
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[...]instrument-based sample preparation technologies are presented. [...]attention is turned to other sample preparation accessories and supporting technologies. First is the Swift HLB-DPX tips. First is the Thermo Scientific AccelerOme sample preparation platform automating sample preparation for liquid chroma-tography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) proteomics.
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The regulation also sets out obligations on marketing authorization holders (MAHs) and medical devices manufacturers, authorized representatives, importers, distributors, and notified bodies duties to: * Provide information that will assist with the monitoring by the MSSG/MDSSG of shortages of medicinal products and devices contained in the critical medicines list and updating this when necessary * Provide a justification for any failure to provide the requested information by the established deadlines * Immediately provide any evidence of an actual or potential shortage of medicinal products or devices * Provide information to EMA by 2 Sep. 2022 that will enable the establishment of a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) network, and the industry Single Point of Contact (iSPOC) network, with mandates to updating this when necessary (7). Enhanced advisory role In addition to the measures designed to address medicinal and medical device shortages, an Emergency Task Force (ETF) will also be established within EMA to provide scientific advice and review evidence on medicines that have the potential to address public health emergencies, offer scientific support to facilitate clinical trials, and support existing EMA committees with their authorization and safety monitoring of medicines (8). According to the document published by EMA on Crisis Preparedness and Management, the key benefits for EMA of having these responsibilities include: * Accelerated evaluation and access to safe and effective medicines which could treat or prevent a disease causing, or likely to cause, a public health emergency * Improved quality of data and the effective use of resources through increased support at EU level towards the conducting of clinical trials in preparation for, and during a public health emergency * Improved coordination and harmonization at EU level in preparation for and during a public health emergency (7).
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According to Jean-Christophe Tellier, EFPIA president and CEO of UCB Pharma, the industry is "continuing to donate money and in-kind support to health systems, governments, and organizations on the ground, pulling out every stop to ensure the safe supply of medicines to the patients that need them," and "working around the clock to find new vaccines, diagnostics and treatments." Industry is expanding its manufacturing capabilities and sharing available capacity to ramp up production "once a successful medicine or vaccine is developed," and in the meantime, it is directly linking with regulatory authorities to provide information about stock, manufacturing capacity, and market tensions so as to head off potential disruptions or shortages. [...]the industry commitment most likely to strike a chord with many of the industry's inveterate critics, who have not ceased to push for patent limitations and price controls in a post-COVID world, is "working with governments and health systems to ensure that when new treatments and vaccines are approved they are available and affordable."
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[...]to ensure a safe re-opening of the unit in alignment with rules set by the government, regulatory authorities, local hospitals, the local ethics committee and SGS's company policy, a COVID-19 risk implementation plan was created. Following evaluation, bed capacity was reduced by 20 beds, and plastic screens were put in place where applicable. [...]the number of monitors, visits, and the length of time in the monitoring room is limited to a minimum.
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Introduction/Objective The public health emergency of the COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the crucial role of medical laboratory professionals and scientists in molecular diagnostics laboratories to ensure success in infection control strategies. The demand for laboratory testing using nucleic acid amplification tests to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA imposed strains in laboratory supplies. Here, we explored an alternative cost-effective solution that will simplify the pre-PCR steps by using a simple heating method to release viral RNA. Methods/Case Report Samples tested using the reference automated extraction method were used:100 samples identified as positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA and 500 samples tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA were used for the study and sorted with equal distribution according to Ct values of (a) <20, (b) 20–30, and (c) >30.100 ul from swab preserved in Universal Transport Medium was treated with 30 μg of proteinase K, and another set was tested without proteinase K pre-treatment. All samples with or without proteinase K were diluted to minimize PCR inhibitors. The thermal shock protocol was set at (98°C, 5 minutes;4°C, 2 minutes) and screened for purity. Performance and method verification studies were performed. Internal extraction, positive template, and no template controls were markers used for testing quality. The experimental study was performed by qualified testing personnel and all under the same experimental conditions. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) The Ct values from the thermal shock RNA release were compared to the automated extraction method and statistically analyzed.The criteria for acceptability for validation of this new RNA extraction proceeding were set to 100% concordance compared to the commercial kit using an automated extraction. PCR efficiency was at 98% and a slope of -3.3. Within run precision of 2% and limits of detection from 200 to 20,000 copies/uL The method 100% (50/50) concordance on samples previously identified as negative by automated methods and identified 86% (86/100) with a mean difference of 3 Ct. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the thermal shock treatment of nasopharyngeal swabs in viral transport media can successfully extract viral nucleic acid for nucleic acid amplification and is a reasonable alternative for chemical extraction methods when molecular diagnostic laboratories persistently encounter supply chain issues.
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A brief look back On lanuary 31, 2020, US Secretary of Health & Human Services Alex Azar declared the COVID-19 virus a public health emergency and ordered all US citizens returning from the Wuhan, China, region to quarantine for 2 weeks. Rapid diagnostic tests were quickly distributed, personal protective equipment (PPE) was secured, and vaccines were developed in record time. A recent study suggests that young children mount a T-cell activation when exposed to non-COVID-19 seasonal coronavirus infections, which either prevents COVID-19 infections or provides enough protection to render most infections mild.2 In addition, despite the endorsement of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the CDC, not many young children were vaccinated against COVID-19 once the FDA approved it use, eventually allowing it to be administered to those as young as 6 months.
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In caring for our pediatric patients, we will continue to live with the fact that the disruptions have not been uniformly felt, with increased impact on Black and Brown children and those living in poverty;additionally, levels of access to routine pediatric health services have varied throughout the pandemic.1 For all children, though, we have to make up much lost time when it comes to physical, mental, and academic concerns, as well as socialization issues. Because schools provide another resource for identifying and addressing mental health concerns, the complete or partial shift to virtual learning likely compounded the mental health crisis. According to one study, "the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic has doubled, compared with prepan-demic estimates. Early childhood: A profound degree of development takes place from birth to 5 years of life. Because of the pandemic, children 5 years and younger have spent all or a significant portion of their lives in social isolation alongside parents or caregivers.
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Background Novel-coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is currently a pandemic and public health emergency of international concern, as avowed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Ethiopia has become one of the affected countries as of March 15, 2020. Objective This study aimed to assess the knowledge, perceptions, and practices among the Jimma University medical center (JUMC) visitors in Jimma town. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 247 sampled visitors, from 20–24 March 2020. Consecutive sampling was used to recruit the participants. The study tools were adapted from WHO resources. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the status of knowledge, perception, and practices. Logistic regression was executed to assess the predictors of dominant preventive practices. Results Of the 247 respondents, 205 (83.0%) knew the main clinical symptoms of COVID-19. 72.0% knew that older people who have chronic illnesses are at high risk of developing a severe form of COVID-19. About 95.1% knew that the COVID-19 virus spreads via respiratory droplets of infected people, while 77 (31.2%) of the respondents knew about the possibility of asymptomatic transmission. Only 15 (6.1%) knew that children and young adults had to involve preventive measures. Overall, 41.3% of the visitors had high knowledge. The majority, 170(68.8%), felt self-efficacious to controlling COVID-19. 207(83.3%) believed that COVID-19 is a stigmatized disease. Frequent hand washing (77.3%) and avoidance of shaking hands (53.8%) were the dominant practices. Knowledge status and self-efficacy (positively), older age, and unemployment (negatively) predicted hand washing and avoidance of handshaking. Conclusions The status of knowledge and desirable practices were not sufficient enough to combat this rapidly spreading virus. COVID-19 risk communication and public education efforts should focus on building an appropriate level of knowledge while enhancing the adoption of recommended self-care practices with special emphasis on high-risk audience segments.
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PurposeCoronavirus (COVID-19) brought massive economic damage throughout the globe. Economic as well as social set-ups have enormously collapsed. The present paper underlines some economic complications of China during COVID-19. The study also sheds light on initiatives taken by the government of China to fight against such a damaging pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed secondary research or desk research that involves existing data. The data were collected from reliable sources, described below. The data were summarized and organized to increase the overall efficacy and reliability of the research.FindingsThe study finds that China has confronted many downturns in export and import, GDP decline, blockage of markets and production evaluation. To recover from these unfavorable and adverse circumstances, China has recovered its economy by introducing digital transformation, effective legislations, A V-shaped recovery and A U-shaped recovery in manufacturing and services.Practical implicationsChina's steps and initiatives to invigorate economic developments during a pandemic would be beneficial for other economies facing the severe challenges of economic development, especially after COVID-19.Originality/valueThe present study is one of the rare studies of the domain that offers the guidelines to the policymakers and economists of developing countries to develop their policies regarding the digital economy to face the traditional market's challenges.
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BackgroundPurpose of this study was to deliver a report of chest CT findings of COVID-19-infected pediatric and adult patients and to make an age-based comparison. A systematic search was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines to identify relevant studies in the electronic databases of PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, and Web of Sciences from January 1, 2020 to March 27, 2020 using search terms in the titles and s. Based on our inclusion and exclusion criteria, 762 articles were screened. Finally, 15 eligible articles which had adequate data on chest CT findings of COVID-19-infected patients were enrolled in this systematic review.ResultsIn pediatric patients (15 years old or younger), peripheral distribution was found in 100% of cases, ground glass opacities (GGO) in 55.2%, bilateral involvement in 50%, halo sign in 50%, unilateral involvement in 30%, consolidation in 22.2%, crazy paving pattern in 20%, nodular opacities in 15%, pleural effusion in 4.2%, lymphadenopathy in none, and normal imaging in 20.8% of cases. On the other hand, in adult patients, bilateral involvement was reported in 76.8%, GGO in 68.4%, peripheral distribution in 62.2%, mixed GGO and consolidation in 48.7%, consolidation in 33.7%, crazy paving pattern in 27.7%, mixed central and peripheral distribution in 25.0%, unilateral involvement in 15.2%, nodular opacities in 9.2%, pleural effusion in 5.5%, central distribution of lesions in 5.4%, lymphadenopathy in 2.4%, and normal imaging in 9.8% of cases.ConclusionAccording to the findings of this systematic review, children infected with COVID-19 can present with normal or atypical findings (nodular opacities/unilateral involvement) in chest imaging more frequently than adult patients. Therefore, more caution should be taken to avoid misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis in infected children. Besides, clinical and laboratory findings need to be considered more decision-making for pediatric patients with normal or atypical chest CT scan but high suspicion of COVID-19.
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The recent COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a total lockdown of the major football leagues, aiming to prevent the threat of an uncontrolled spread of infections, and forcing the players and match officials to home-based physical training. Differently from players, no health and physical fitness maintenance guidelines were published for match officials. Before the return to structured conditioning and officiating, match officials must perform a medical assessment, as well as systematic COVID-19 testing and detailed pulmonary function evaluation. The hygienic-sanitary prevention strategies for virus transmission must be strictly followed. In the remaining part of the present season, alterations of the game rules, namely halves of 30-40 min and no allowance for lost time, aiming to reduce the match officials physiological load may result as a safer option. Nonetheless, match officials' cognitive and physical demands, will probably be exacerbated by the increased number of substitutions per game, proposed to reduce players' match load. The proposed match scenario further stresses the importance of well-developed aerobic and anaerobic fitness in elite level match officials. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to guide a safe and successful return to play for match officials.
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NEHA offers an exciting opportunity for environmental health professionals to join their private delegation to Havana, Cuba, on Nov 2-6, 2023. They will explore Cuba's rich and varied cultural heritage and go beyond tourist corridors by engaging with local environmental health professionals, officials, engineers, entrepreneurs, musicians, and artists who will offer indepth commentary on health policies, economics, environmental justice, art, history, architecture, and culture. The trip is being organized by CLE Abroad, a provider of customized educational travel programs around the world. The trip is open to all individuals over 18 years.
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During this process, type II transmembrane serine protease (TMPRSS2) expression seems to be important as a coadjuvant protein to assist SARS-CoV-2 in cell invasion.3,4 Patients who progress to the severe form of the disease have an inflammatory response that leads to a reduction of the expression of cytotoxic CD8+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes. (IFN-.), as well as others, increase.2,4,5 In this context, as with other viral infections, increased expression of regulatory molecules of inflammatory response, like PD-1 and PD-L1, occurs.2, 4-6 COVID19 and Cancer The morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 is higher in elderly and male patients, as well as in those with comorbidities. [...]only observational studies have raised the possibility of the protective effect of IMT, and further data are required to confirm this hypothesis and use it to guide the management of patients with cancer. In the case of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients receiving IMT, the risk of cytokine release syndrome is high. [...]the second quandary oncologists face is the challenge to correctly diagnosis SARS-CoV-2 infection or IMT-induced pneumonitis.4,6,11 Another important consideration is controlling immune-related AEs in patients who need long-term immunosuppression therapy.
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Unpredictability and fuzziness coexist in decision-making analysis due to the complexity of the decision-making environment. "Pythagorean fuzzy numbers” (PFNs) outperform "intuitionistic fuzzy numbers” (IFNs) when dealing with unclear data. The "Pythagorean fuzzy set” (PFS) is a useful tool because it removes the restriction that the sum of membership degrees be less than or equal to one by substituting the square sum for the sum of membership degrees. This study proposes two aggregating operators (AOs). The recommended operators outperform the already specified PFN operators. The proposed operator is utilised in the multicriteria decision-making process to identify the best candidate for instruction (MCDM).