Water quality analysis in a municipal outdoor swimming pool complex before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Like all public utility, swimming pools had been treated with special procedures during the COVID19 pandemic. In addition to the basic rules (social distance + hand disinfection + masks), applicable to all citizens, the managers of swimming pools were obliged to reduce the number of swimmers and to increase the effects of water treatment. Monitoring, control and rapid response to unfavourable changes in the quality of swimming pool water are the basis for minimizing the risk of disease transmission or exposure of bathers to pathogens. The main purpose of this work is to analyse and compare the quality of swimming pool water in a municipal outdoor swimming pool complex, before (2018-2019) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021). Water samples taken from a paddling pool for children (CP), a recreational pool (RP), and a sports pool (SP) were analysed. The results of the research, based on real case studies, were compared with the documents on water quality in swimming pools in force at the time. An analysis was carried out to determine the relationships between swimming pool water quality before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The tested parameters determining the quality of water were physico-chemical parameters (temperature, pH, redox, and bacteriological parameters (colony forming units CFU of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Legionella sp.). Based on the results of the analysis of the parameters mentioned-above, the validation of the procedures applied during the COVID-19 hazard and their impact on the quality of swimming pool water were evaluated. The results of the pool water quality tests were discussed with particular emphasis on disinfection by-products (THM and combined chlorine). Detailed analysis showed better water quality in the first year of the pandemic (2020) compared to 2018-2019 (before COVID-19) and 2021 (the second year of COVID-19 pandemic). The following parameters were found to be significantly different: THM (before 0.069 mg/L and during 0.034 mg/L), free chlorine (before 0.86 mg/L and during 0.66 mg/L), and redox potential (before 667 and during 713 mV).

Impact of sars-COV-2 on the attitudes of patients with prosthodontic needs

Aim: SARS-CoV-2 has caused a global pandemic that has negative consequences for many parts of life. To our knowledge, no study has assessed the effect of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on a possible delay in prosthodontic treatments because of a potential concern of contamination in individuals. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess this potential impact of fear, as well as oral health-related quality of life, in partially edentulous patients using questionnaires during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): A total of 135 partially edentulous patients (74 females and 61 males aged 18-70 years) participated in this study. A complete questionnaire consisting of general knowledge questions on SARS-CoV-2 and the OIDP scale, which evaluates the effect of oral status on daily activities were used in participants. Result(s): Statistical analyzes showed that participants with a history of SARS-CoV-2 and/or who are aware of a member of their social circle with a history of the virus, and/or who is deceased, were unwilling to receive dental care during the pandemic. Most of the participants between the ages of 31 and 60 were more worried about the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during dental treatment. Discussion(s): Concerns about SARS-CoV-2 contamination of patients over 30 years of age may have a negative impact on oral health due to delayed prosthodontic treatments.Copyright © 2022, Derman Medical Publishing. All rights reserved.

Interior Design Aspects Affecting Infection Rate: A Systematic Review of Possible Interventions

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, getting infected through the built environment is being studied. The measures that should be taken to reduce infection through the built environment are essential;not only for COVID-19, but this idea is present at all times of widespread diseases.The purpose of this research is to systematically review the relationship between the built environment and the spread of infection to create a potential guideline to reduce the transmission rate. Articles and studies on the relationship between infectious disease and the built environment were reviewed.Articles matching the selection criteria were identified. Most articles described peer reviews, consensus statements, and reports. The articles have provided data that can be used as guidance for reducing the transmission of infection within the built environment. It was found that evidence has been created such as ventilation, buffer spaces, flooring, and surfaces that can reduce the infection of COVID-19.

Research progress on factors, risk assessment, and prevention strategies associated with SARS-CoV-2 survival in food and media.

This paper presented a brief introduction to the outbreak process and symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), elucidated the detection methods and transmission modes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that caused the disease, and summarized the survival time of SARS-COV-2 in different media and different physical and chemical conditions and factors that could affect the long-term survival of the virus. This paper also summed up current risk assessments of SARS-COV-2 in food safety conducted in various countries, and concluded that the risk of SARS-COV-2 to food safety is very low, but preventive measures are still in need after referring to latest research. Finally, some methods to prevent SARS-COV-2 contamination in food were introduced, aiming to provide a basis for the formulation of policy measures in the future.Copyright © 2021, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention. All rights reserved.

The reference and experience of food hygiene security in a major field activity

To summarize thepractice and experience of targeted food hygiene security measures in a major field activity of the army in order to provide references for diverse tasks. Considering the characteristics of heavy activity, field operations and the influence of COVID-19, a series of support measures related to food hygiene surveillance were strengthened. The first measure was review of recipes, health management and training of employees, procurement and storage of raw materials, warehouse management, processing and manufacturing management, disinfection of tableware, as well as food sample retention. Secondly, the control points that probably cause spread of COVID-19 in the phase of food service industry were analyzed, then relevant supervision and guidance were carried out from the aspects of employees and diners, foods of cold chain logistics, environment and emergency response plan. Finally, in order to assure the safety of food processing and crowd-gathered diet in the field, the following measures were guided to adopted including selecting the site of cooking and dining properly, cleaning the environment, making dishes using pure water and semi-manufactured foodstuff, keeping food sanitation in the course of transport and dinning, as well as supervising the robot machines for cooking automatically. The main experiences were listed as follows: promoting food safety awareness of the principal and the employees of the canteen, enhancing legal enforcement capacity and technical capacity of health supervisors, focusing on new risks related to food safety as well as reinforcing the management of health supervisors and employees in the field.

Areas within the United States at the Highest Risk for African Swine Fever, Classical Swine Fever, and Foot-and-Mouth Disease Introduction

Domestic livestock production is a major component of the agricultural sector, contributing to food security and human health and nutrition and serving as the economic livelihood for millions worldwide. The impact of disease on global systems and processes cannot be understated, as illustrated by the effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic through economic and social system shocks and food system disruptions. This study outlines a method to identify the most likely sites of introduction into the United States for three of the most concerning foreign animal diseases: African swine fever (ASF), classical swine fever (CSF), and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). We first created an index measuring the amount of potentially contaminated meat products entering the regions of interest using the most recently available Agricultural Quarantine Inspection Monitoring (AQIM) air passenger inspection dataset, the AQIM USPS/foreign mail, and the targeted USPS/foreign mail interception datasets. The risk of introduction of a given virus was then estimated using this index, as well as the density of operations of the livestock species and the likelihood of infected material contaminating the local herds. Using the most recently available version of the datasets, the most likely places of introduction for ASF and CSF were identified to be in central Florida, while FMD was estimated to have been most likely introduced to swine in western California and to cattle in northeastern Texas. The method illustrated in this study is important as it may provide insights on risk and can be used to guide surveillance activities and optimize the use of limited resources to combat the establishment of these diseases in the U.S.

The significance of educational level in acquiring good literacy of COVID-19: a case study in Indonesia

Background. Surveys on Public Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (PKAP) have been conducted in various countries with respondents from the public as well as health workers. Measuring the knowledge of the public about COVID-19 is very important to determine the knowledge gap among the public and also as an evaluation of the preventive efforts for COVID-19. Objective. The purpose of this research was to determine whether education level is a factor that affects one's literacy about COVID-19. Materials and Methods. This is cross-sectional research with online-based data collection using the Kobo toolbox application. The data collection was carried out from the 19th of April until the 2nd of May 2020. The number of people under study is 792. The level of knowledge was measured using 12 research questions with true or false question types. the multivariable logistic regression was carried out. Results. Most of the respondents (52.5%) were in the young age group (15-35 years old), were male (57.3%), and had a bache-lor or diploma education level (62.1%). Furthermore, most of the respondents had good knowledge (65.4%). The higher the respon-dents' educational level means, the better knowledge they had concerning COVID-19 (P=0.013). Conclusions. Public knowledge about COVID-19 is affected by their level of education. A good level of knowledge about COVID-19 was found among respondents with master's and doctoral degrees. This finding can contribute to the prevention of COVID-19, in which the priority of educating communities about COVID-19 should be given to those having an educational level below a master's degree.Copyright © the Author(s), 2023.

The effect of pandemic-related stress on the decision-making process for individual outdoor leisure activities

This study investigates the decision-making process for outdoor leisure activities of the Chinese people in the context of COVID-19. An online survey of residents of Heilongjiang Province was conducted in September and October 2020. In total, 441 questionnaires were returned for empirical analysis. The results reveal that fears of contamination and compulsory checking/reassurance-seeking have had a significant impact on the respondents' goal-directed behavior for nature-based outdoor leisure activities during the pandemic. The theoretical contribution is that extended goal-directed behavior expands with the inclusion of emotional variables and can be used to predict individual outdoor activity intention and decision-making process in the COVID-19 situation relating to leisure. This study provides useful insights for public health ministries and local governments in any country to encourage nature-based outdoor leisure activities as a public health policy for the mental health of the people.

Surfaces as a Source for SARS-CoV-2 Transmission

The role of contaminated surfaces as a potential source for SARS-CoV-2 transmission has not been clear at the beginning of the pandemic. Numerous laboratory studies show that SARS-CoV-2 can remain infectious at room temperature on different types of surfaces for a few days and substantially longer in the dark. A higher temperature such as 30 °C or 40 °C and a higher relative humidity result in a shorter persistence. On surfaces in the surrounding of confirmed COVID-19 patients the detection rates of SARS-CoV-2 RNA were mostly less than 30% with Ct-values mostly >30 suggesting a low viral load and the absence of infectious SARS-CoV-2. The RNA detection rates on public surfaces were low with 0-22.1%, the corresponding Ct values were mostly >30. Infectious SARS-CoV-2 was only detected in 2 of 11 studies in the immediate surrounding of COVID-19 patients with 0.7% or 10.5% of the samples being positive. A major limitation of the results, however, is that in one study 7 of 8 positive samples were obtained in the surrounding of only one patient with persistent cough and frequent sputum spitting during sampling. Overall, the probability of surfaces to be the source of SARS-CoV-2 transmission is low, especially for public surfaces. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Face masks as sources of cross-contamination during food preparation

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, mask-wearing has become a common practice in the foodservice industry to prevent the spread of respiratory diseases. Like kitchen utensils, a mask may serve as a vehicle for cross-contamination of pathogens during food handling. The objective of this study was to quantify cross-contamination between tasks of handling contaminated chicken and chopping lettuce. Chicken breasts were inoculated with a high or a low level of nonpathogenic Escherichia coli surrogates (ca. 6 or 4 log CFU/ml) and sliced for 1, 5, or 10 min. During slicing, duplicate, single-use medical masks were touched each minute. One mask was immediately sampled, but the second mask was used to contaminate lettuce by touching the mask each minute while chopping the lettuce for 5 min. E. coli were enumerated from the second mask and lettuce. Masks touched while slicing both high- and low-inoculated chicken showed significant contamination (0.8-4.9 log CFU/cm2) after each slicing scenario of 1, 5, or 10 min (P > 0.05). Lettuce was significantly contaminated regardless of inoculation level (1.0-3.2 log CFU/g). Slicing time was a significant factor in some cases (P < 0.05), whereas inoculation level was not (P > 0.05). Data indicate masks can be a source of cross-contamination if not replaced appropriately.

Evaluation of the bactericidal effect of UV-LED light on alginate impressions.

The oral cavity houses a large number of microorganisms that are potential pathogens, such as cytome-galovirus, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus, herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, human immuno-deficiency virus, mycobacterium tuberculosis and currently with the appearance of the SARS COV-2 that causes covid-19, the dental community must take stricter measures in its protection protocols against diseases. To evaluate its germicidal efficacy, ultraviolet light was applied with different exposure times on the alginate dental impressions, immediately after having taken the impression, which when it came into contact with the oral cavity of the patient is contaminated. As a result, a decrease in size and quantity of the bacterial colonies was observed in most of the samples in which the UV LED light was applied at 10 and 15 minutes of exposure. Some samples showed less bacterial growth even after 5 minutes of exposure. All this confirms its germicidal capacity thanks to its 245 nm ultraviolet spectrum that affects the DNA and RNA chain of microorganisms since it is the wavelength of maximum absorption of its molecule, eliminating its reproductive and survival capacity. The advantages it offers such as its small size, easy to handle and install, that it does not require constant maintenance, low acquisition cost;its constant high intensity light that does not generate any increase in temperature, makes it an excellent disinfectant auxiliary that can be incorporated into dental clinics.Copyright © 2023, Ediciones Avances S.L.. All rights reserved.

Coupling Machine Learning and Agent-Based Modeling to Characterize Contamination Sources in Water Distribution Systems for Changing Demand Regimes

Water distribution systems (WDSs) deliver clean, safe drinking water to consumers, providing an essential service to constituents. WDSs are increasingly at risk of contamination due to aging infrastructure and intentional acts that are possible through cyber-physical vulnerabilities. Identifying the source of a contamination event is challenging due to limited system-wide water quality monitoring and non-uniqueness present in solving inverse problems to identify source characteristics. In addition, changes in the expected demand patterns that are caused by, for example, social distancing during a pandemic, adoption of water conservation behaviors, or use of decentralized water sources can change the anticipated propagation of contaminant plumes in a network. This research develops a computational framework to characterize contamination sources using machine learning (ML) techniques and simulate water demands and human exposure to a contaminant using agent-based modeling (ABM). An ABM framework is developed to simulate demand changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ABM simulates population movement dynamics, transmission of COVID-19 within a community, decisions to social distance, and changes in demands that occur due to social distancing decisions. The ABM is coupled with a hydraulic simulation model, which calculates flows in the network to simulate the movement of a contaminant plume in the network for several contamination event scenarios. ML algorithms are applied to determine the location of source nodes. Research results demonstrate that ML using random forests can identify source nodes based on inline and mobile sensor data. Sensitivity analysis is conducted to explore the number of mobile sensors that are needed to accurately identify the source node. Rapidly identifying contamination source nodes can increase the speed of response to a contamination event, reducing the impact to the community and increasing the resiliency of WDSs during periods of changing demands. © World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2023.All rights reserved

Game meat procurement market in Poland in 2009-2021

Procurement of game animals is a major source of revenue for hunting clubs in Poland. For several years, the game meat buying market has been showing an upward trend, but this situation is also influenced by random factors that negatively affect the value of the game meat buying market. For several years in our country we have been struggling with the ASF virus, and since 2020, negative effects in the economy related to the occurrence of the SARS-CoV virus have been observed, also affecting the hunting sector with its activities. The aim of the study was to analyze the dynamics of game meat procurement in Poland in the years 2009-2021. The data concerned the three most important species, namely deer, roe deer and wild boar. The analysis covered the quantity of game meat, procurement value and the average price of game meat depending on animal species. The conducted research confirmed an upward trend in the volume and value of game meat procurement for all the analysed game species. Similarly, the average procurement prices of roe dee and wild boar meat with the exception of red deer, showed an upward trend. The study confirmed the negative impact of the ASF virus and the SARS-CoV-2 virus on the game meat buying market in Poland.

Environmental Surface Contamination with SARS-CoV-2: Toilets as the Most Contaminated Surfaces in COVID-19 Referral Hospital.

INTRODUCTION: The possibility of surface transmission in hospitals with high density of COVID- 19 patients is unneglectable. The aim of this study is to determine the extent of surface contamination in coronavirus central hospital of Ilam province in western Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental study, 205 samples were taken from environmental surfaces in hospital. SARS-CoV-2 RNA detected by Real-time RT-PCR. RESULTS: 121 out of 205 (50.02%) samples were positive. The most contaminated objects were toilet sites (5/5,100% ICU; 5/5, 100% isolation wards). CONCLUSION: High surface contamination with SARS-CoV-2 proposes the surface as a potential route of transmission.

Comparison between emerging adults and adults in terms of contamination fear, post-COVID-19 PTSD and psychiatric comorbidity.

The present study compared Chinese emerging adults and adults regarding the association between contamination fear, posttraumatic stress disorder post-COVID-19 and psychiatric comorbidity after controlling for demographic and trauma exposure variables. 1089 Chinese civilians (M = 382; F = 707) with a mean age of 26 years (M = 26.36, SD = 8.58) were recruited from different provinces in China via an online survey posted on mainstream Chinese social networking platforms. They completed a demographic page with questions on trauma exposure, the Vancouver Obsessional Compulsive Inventory, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 and the General Health Questionnaire-28. Results showed that 12.7%, 68.7% and 18.6% met criteria for full, partial and no PTSD, respectively. Emerging adults reported significantly lower levels of symptoms of re-experiencing, avoidance, somatic problems, anxiety and fear of contamination than adults. In both emerging adults and adults, contamination fear was correlated with PTSD and psychiatric comorbidity. High educational attainment was significantly correlated with psychiatric comorbidity in emerging adults, but with PTSD in adults. Length of quarantine was correlated with psychiatric comorbidity only in adults. In conclusion, both emerging adults and adults developed varying levels of contamination fear, posttraumatic stress and general psychological symptoms following the outbreak of COVID-19. Emerging adults were more resilient than adults in coping with distress.

Laser: A boon during the COVID pandemic in aerosol mitigation - A systematic review

The scientific community was always intrigued by the indoor air quality in dental offices. The unexpected emergence of the COVID pandemic has put greater challenges on dental professionals. Shortly after the declaration of coronavirus as a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020, the American Dental Association abstained the dental society from providing routine dental procedures. An evidence-based review of the literature was conducted electronically using three databases, PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar between January 2005 to December 2021. Three articles were selected for the qualitative analysis out of 41 screened articles from the databases. The evidence suggests that there is a significant reduction in aerosol generation with laser when compared to conventional treatment modalities. Laser-assisted treatment procedures bring the dentist and patients a step closer to providing safe dental treatments and reducing the risk of transmission of disease.

Association of income, education, employment and COVID-19 mortality in Brazil

The increased mortality rates from COVID-19 in Brazil have adversely affected vulnerable populations and placed a severe burden on its public health system as compared to other nations. Focusing on socioeconomic status as a risk factor in this retrospective cohort study, I investigated the association between Brazilian COVID-19mortality rate, income, school enrollment rate, and employment rate after controlling for the demographics and immunization rate. This is an important issue as an increase in incidence and mortality rates affects how governmental and public health leaders can effectively control and prevent disease spread. Using the fundamental causes of disease theory as the theoretical framework, I evaluated the underlying influence of socioeconomic factors on COVID-19 mortality at different geographic levels (region, state, and capital). Therefore, the foci of these three manuscripts is the need to assess this influence to encourage governmental response through better planning, strategies, and actions toward socioeconomic equality in Brazil, which could promote a reduction in the COVID-19 mortality rate. Most findings do not agree with the theory tested, which can be explained by a series of other factors, such as population density and heterogeneity.Thus, there are still inconsistencies regarding how minority groups are at greater risk of disease contamination and death. The social change implications of this study include a potential increase in opportunities for socioeconomic equality. A decrease in the COVID19 mortality rate could also allow Brazilians to improve individual lives with healthier families and communities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Pretreatments for Microbial Analysis and Evaluation of Hygiene of Wet Towels and Wet Wipes

The demand for hygiene products has increased worldwide since the outbreak of global COVID-19. As the hygiene products market is expanding, it is necessary to manage microbial contamination in wet towels and wet wipes. This study evaluated pretreatment methods for microbial recovery from wet towels and wipes and microbial contamination levels in wet towels and wipes with the pretreatment method. Escherichia coli (NCCP14038 and NCCP14039), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC25923 and ATCC29213), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (NCCP10250 and NCCP11229) were inoculated on five fabric materials of wet towels and wet wipes. The recovery rates of the bacteria from wet towels and wet wipes using three pretreatment methods (pummeling, hand shaking, and portion cutting method) were investigated. Using the selected pretreatment method, the contamination levels of E. coli, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa were evaluated for 238 wet towels and 244 wet wipes, which were collected in April to August, 2019. The presence of toxA and antibiotic resistance of P. aeruginosa isolated from wet towels were evaluated. The overall recovery rates of the pummeling method and hand shaking method were higher than the portion cutting method. Considering the convenience, the pummeling method was used to investigate the microbial contamination in the wet towels and wet wipes. P. aeruginosa was detected in two wet towels at an average of 9.9x102 CFU/towel. E. coli and S. aureus were not detected in both wet towels and wipes. P. aeruginosa isolates showed no resistances to piperacillin, piperacillin-tazobactam, aztreonam, and gentamicin, but had toxA. The results indicate that the pummeling method is the most appropriate pretreatment method for the recovery of microorganisms, and microbial analysis showed that this method could be useful in monitoring microbial contamination in wet towels and wet wipes.

Efficiency of UVC radiation as an air disinfectant in a real environment

Microbial contamination of indoor air in public spaces plays an important role in the SARSCoV-2 pandemic. So far, most studies on the reduction of airborne microbial load by UVC irradiation have been conducted as simulations or in laboratory environments. The aim of our study is to demonstrate the efficiency of Upper-Room Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) in a real environment like a supermarket. Restrictions on the use of harmful SARSCoV-2 particles for testing in public areas could be circumvented by using airborne germs as indicators. The results of this study show significant germ (bacterial and fungal) reductions by use of UVGI during business hours in a supermarket. Referring to known susceptibility values of airborne germs from previous work, we were able to estimate the effectiveness of the UVGI-system used against corona viruses. It met the requirements for complete disinfection. © 2022 17th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, INDOOR AIR 2022. All rights reserved.