COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE FEATURES OF ORGANIZING MEASURES TO COMBAT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN THE HEALTH SYSTEMS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES

The study analyzed available literatures covering the organization of measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in the healthcare systems of the Russian Federation and several foreign countries. For the comprehensive assessment of the specifics of organizing measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, countries were chosen based on geographical distances from China (the closest is Korea, and the most remote are the Great Britain and Haiti), maximum population on their continent (the United States is in North America, and Brazil in South America), and significant differences in the functioning of the healthcare systems. The peculiarities of organizing measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in the considered countries were associated with a complex of political, financial, economic, demographic, and organizational factors, the individual combination of which determined the peculiarities of the development of the epidemic process in each specific case. Moreover, as a priority manifestation of the severity of these factors, the capabilities of the healthcare system, including the availability of services of medical workers, sufficient number of testing equipment, medical protection equipment, hospital beds, and other parameters, should be considered. The main role was played by global state strategies implemented in the healthcare systems of the analyzed countries at the pre-epidemic stage and, in most cases, aimed at optimizing the financial and economic provisions of state guarantees of medical care. The general criteria for the differential diagnosis of COVID-19 in the national recommendations of all the states considered were respiratory symptoms and general infectious intoxication. In addition, fever and respiratory symptoms were accepted as priority criteria for COVID-19 screening. © 2023 Vestnik Rossijskoj Voenno-Medicinskoj Akademii. All rights reserved.

The danger of inappropriate use of personal protective equipment

The coronavirus pandemic is a global health emergency which has had widespread unforeseen mental health consequences. Those with borderline personality disorder are predisposed to poor coping strategies to manage such stress and require intense psychological input which was not widely available during the peak of the pandemic. It is likely that the coronavirus outbreak has had a significant impact on the mental stability of such patients aggravating deliberate self-harm behaviours. A 20-year old psychiatric in-patient with borderline personality disorder, held under Section III of the mental health act, presented to the adult plastic surgery team in Bristol with localised infection of her right forearm. Foreign bodies were easily palpable and imaging revealed linear metal objects. The patient reported that she had removed metal strips from her collection of face masks and inserted them into her forearm as an act of deliberate self-harm. The patient was taken to operating theatre for removal of these foreign bodies under general anaesthetic. After twenty-four hours of antibiotics she was discharged safely back to the psychiatric ward. Despite the epilogue of the COVID-19 pandemic facemasks are still mandatory within the hospital setting. Clinicians need to be aware of these unusual circumstances where a form of protective equipment was deconstructed to cause actual bodily harm. The purpose of this report is to promote awareness of this type of injury especially in those suffering from mental illness. The authors would suggest an alternative mask without any form of metal.

The paradox of freedom in lockdown

Before the arrival of Covid-19 the way of being in life was mainly in the present and future while it carried the past less consciously;during lockdown the focus seemed to be in the present and past, while the future also remained just out of sight. Lockdown had become a giant guilt-free procrastination chamber. The first lockdown took place in Britain on 16 March 2020. Emerging from that first lockdown was like slowly coming out of hibernation. This chapter touches on some of experiences at the beginning of the first lockdown: 'Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is the power to choose the response. In the response lies the growth and the freedom'. Freedom is never total and there are always limits and boundaries, some come with a particular situation and others are self-made, others are within relationships and so on. Freedom can also be experienced when accepting 'a new reality' with new boundaries. The term 'thinking outside the box' is a good example of creative psychological freedom in action. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

BTX production by breaking down lignin: Current status and future prospects

Nowadays, lignin is a byproduct of the agricultural and cellulose pulp mill. Lignin is a sustainable, renewable raw material alternative to petroleum‐based chemicals, mainly for the benzene–toluene–xylene (BTX) production of commodities and the sequential secondary, tertiary and manufactured products in the petrochemical industry. It can be mass produced and is used for renewable energy biorefinery or high‐value‐added products. This review aims to outline the important lignin depolymerization technologies and the feasibility of imposing these transforming technologies on a large scale. Finally, this review examines the market prospects for BTX, revealing its R&D progress. However, the harmful effects of BTX and unfavorable conditions resulting from the COVID‐19 pandemic comprise roadblocks to its growth. However, the increasing use of biobased BTX is expected to open new market opportunities. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Differences in COVID-19 vaccination coverage by occupation in England: a national linked data study

Background: Monitoring differences in COVID-19 vaccination uptake in different groups is crucial to help inform the policy response to the pandemic. A key data gap is the absence of data on uptake by occupation. This study investigates differences in vaccination rates by occupation in England, using nationwide population-level data. Methods: We calculated the proportion of people who had received three COVID-19 vaccinations (assessed on 28 February 2022) by detailed occupational categories in adults aged 18-64 and estimated adjusted ORs to examine whether these differences were driven by occupation or other factors, such as education. We also examined whether vaccination rates differed by ability to work from home. Results: Our study population included 15 456 651 adults aged 18-64 years. Vaccination rates differed markedly by occupation, being higher in health professionals (84.7%) and teaching and other educational professionals (83.6%) and lowest in people working in elementary trades and related occupations (57.6%). We found substantial differences in vaccination rates looking at finer occupational groups. Adjusting for other factors likely to be linked to occupation and vaccination, such as education, did not substantially alter the results. Vaccination rates were associated with ability to work from home, the rate being higher in occupations which can be done from home. Many occupations with low vaccination rates also involved contact with the public or with vulnerable people Conclusions: Increasing vaccination coverage in occupations with low vaccination rates is crucial to help protecting the public and control infection. Efforts should be made to increase vaccination rates in occupations that cannot be done from home and involve contact with the public.

Teaching student nurses interprofessional communication using role-play: An exploratory study: Presenter(s): Carmel Quigley, Ulster University, United Kingdom

Communication is at the heart of good nursing care (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2018), yet it is at the forefront of many complaints to the National Health Service (Tingle 2018). Effective communication skills are essential in nursing practice to improve person-centred outcomes (McCance & McCormack 2018). Within a newly developed communication module on a BSc (Hons) Nursing programme, creative arts informed stimulation within the development of role plays. However, the impact of these role plays is not known within nursing training. The aim of the study was to ascertain the impact of role-plays (both remotely and in-person) of problem-based scenarios during the COVID-19 pandemic on first year BSc student nurses' learning communication skills for person-centred-care. This was a descriptive exploratory study conducted within a communication module for undergraduate year 1 student nurses. As part of this module, problem-based scenarios on real life events were developed adopting ideas from the creative arts through role play to enhance communication for person centred nursing. Students worked in teams to perform a phased simulation. Data were collected using a questionnaire at the beginning and end of the module, from all students who met the inclusion criteria (N=331), with a pre response rate of (n=286) and post (n=208). Data were analysed using SPSS version 27. The study found that 98% of undergraduate Nursing students developed confidence in interprofessional communication through roleplays. It was found that there was 44% increase in student nurses developing awareness of the importance of listening and 99% learned how to communicate with family. The vast majority (99%) of the student nurses reported that role plays have prepared them for clinical practice. Recommendations include incorporating problem-based learning into future communication modules using role play to prepare student nurses for the realities of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Patient Education & Counseling is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The use of AccuRx in collection of Friends and Family Test data in a primary care network: Presenter(s): Gordon Weight, STH, United Kingdom

The NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT) is the largest single source of patient feedback in the world, having collected over 75 million pieces of feedback since its introduction in 2013. It is traditionally collected using paper forms after a service encounter. COVID-19 caused enormous disruption and change to primary care services across the world, and also reduced the ability of patients to give feedback about their significantly altered services. This project looked at the introduction of virtual delivery of the FFT to patients in a primary care network. Feedback received by a primary care network from December 2019 to August 2020 was audited and compared to feedback received after the introduction of virtual FFT delivery via AccuRx software. Qualitative feedback from practice staff was collected regarding the implementation of the FFT. 61 pieces of feedback were collected per month on average prior to the introduction of virtual FFT collection across the network. Trial introduction of virtual FFT introduction in 3 practices which serve 54% of the network's patients also returned 61 pieces per month. Issues identified included patient accessibility, potential introduction of bias in feedback collection and unequal provision of FFT between centres within the network. Virtual FFT collection offers an effective and COVID-secure way for practices to improve their collection of FFT data, of particular relevance when performing distanced consultations. Virtual FFT collection will now be introduced across this network. Further development areas include improving language accessibility, and automation to reduce administrative burden of data collection and reduce bias. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Patient Education & Counseling is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Are mRNA COVID 19 vaccines safe in long COVID patients? A health care workers perspective

Introduction: Long Covid patients may have concerns about the impact of mRNA vaccines on their symptoms. Method: A short questionnaire was sent to users of a long covid service supporting an NHS Trust staff in Wigan 2 weeks following the conclusion of a mRNA vaccine first dose roll out. The questionnaire explored acceptance and compliance with the vaccine and any change in the symptoms at least 2 weeks following the vaccination. Results: 77 HCW were offered the vaccine. 10 respondents declined mainly because of concerns regarding worsening long covid symptoms. 67% of respondents did not experience any change in symptoms whilst 21% experienced improvement of symptoms. 12% experienced worsening of symptoms. Conclusion: mRNA vaccines can influence long covid symptoms. However, patients seemed to be twice more likely to experience improvement than worsening of symptoms.

Upgrading of hospital discharge summary software to optimise COVID-19 documentation and safeguard infection prevention in the community

Aims: Early review of 50 discharge summaries at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (SATH) in April 2020 revealed only 27% documented the patient's in-hospital COVID-19 test result and 2% outlined any recommended self-isolation advice following hospital discharge. This had potential adverse implications for community infection control as well as medico-legal sequalae for the Trust were the discharged patient to spread COVID-19 to other cohabitants. The urology team worked with SATH IT to amend the existing discharge summary software, to add two tabs to make COVID-19 test result and self-isolation documentation mandatory for successful sign-off. The aim of this quality improvement project was to evaluate the impact of updating the discharge summary software on documentation accuracy related to COVID-19 on discharge paperwork. Method: Following the implementation of the modified software, 50 consecutive discharge summaries for patients admitted under the urology team starting 1st October 2020 were retrospectively reviewed for documentation of COVID-19 result and self-isolation advice. Results: 90% of discharge summaries included COVID-19 test result and 100% included self-isolation advice for the patient, or alternatively confirmed that no self-isolation was required. Conclusions: This simple modification of an existing IT system greatly improved compliance with COVID-19 discharge summary documentation. We propose all hospitals consider adopting similar measures in the interest of infection prevention, public safety and potential medicolegal sequalae.

Health communication and self-care: the Wellbeing And Lifestyle in Transplantation study (WALT).: Presenter(s): Lina Johansson, Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust, United Kingdom

Health communication between practitioners and patients is integral to supporting self-care, which is a top NHS priority. Renal transplantation is a life changing event where responsibility to self-care takes centre-stage overnight. There is a high risk of rejection if complex medication regimens are not adhered to, and the possibility of weight gain, new onset Diabetes and dyslipidaemia, if lifestyle is not adequately modified. Health communication is therefore vital in developing self-care capacity. This study aims to explore the lived experience of people with a transplant, from multiple view-points, focusing on wellbeing and lifestyle, with the aim to develop practical interventions that promote self-care. This qualitative study employs focus group and semi-structured interview methods, conducted online due to Covid-19. Several interviews were run via telephone for greater participant accessibility. Participants included kidney transplant recipients, healthcare professionals and significant others. Purposeful sampling increased participation from diverse backgrounds and age ranges. The data analysis utilises framework methodology to identify key themes on the barriers and facilitators recipients and practitioners face in developing self-care. Health communication between practitioners and patients was a key theme identified that served as both a barrier and facilitator to self-care in kidney transplantation. Nursing staff reported examples illustrating a multimodal approach when communicating complex health concepts e.g. using 3D models and diagrams that extended beyond traditional verbal communication and printed literature. Others reported allowing patients to make (safe) treatment errors which embedded learning and understanding of their health condition. However, an overburdened and time-constrained service disrupted effective health communication. Reported examples highlight a practitioner need to develop health literacy in others through personalised health communications that fosters self-care. The Findings: inform future work that aims to design, test and evaluate multimodal interventions in building self-care capacity and promoting lifestyle and wellbeing throughout the transplant journey. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Patient Education & Counseling is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic: insights into effective training strategies for physical development in football

Professional soccer players typically perform regular training sessions and match play for most of the yearly macrocycle with limited time focused on solely developing physical development. The COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 caused mass disruption to professional soccer but provided an opportunity for an alternative approach to training in attempt to develop professional soccer players physical fitness levels. In a non-randomised and non-controlled study, we aimed to assess the effectiveness of a 13-week remote based physical training programme on physical fitness levels in elite professional soccer players from Scottish Premier League club. Twenty professional soccer players undertook body composition assessments, a countermovement jump (CMJ) test, eccentric hamstring strength test and a submaximal 30-15 intermittent fitness test (IFT) pre- and post-remote based training programme. Body mass (79.3 +or- 6.7 vs. 80.0 +or- 7.3 kg), skinfold thickness (54.1 +or- 14.8 vs. 56.7 +or- 15.2 mm), maximum CMJ height (38.4 +or- 3.4 vs. 40.9 +or- 4.1 cm), eccentric hamstring strength (1035 +or- 158 vs. 1009 +or- 140 n) and percentage max heart rate reached in submaximal 30-15 IFT (81.3 +or- 5.2 vs. 82.3 +or- 7.3%) were maintained (all P > 0.05) from pre- to post training programme, respectively. Although team-based soccer specific training load was removed, and the training programmes prescribed had an increased physical focus, fitness levels were maintained. This suggests that alternative modes of training can potentially be used in instances where team-based soccer specific training load isn't required or is unavailable, without negatively impacting physical development.

Study omicronf Commodity Aspects omicronf Compressor Nebulizers in Ukraine

Nebulizer therapy is an effective and safe treatment for respiratory diseases. Since the delivery of the pharmacologic agents to the lungs depends on the correct use of the inhalation device, the pharmacist, like the doctor must have all the skills in choosing a nebulizer, namely to be informed about the modern range of nebulizers, know the basic technical characteristics of these devices, their configuration, features of use, caveats for their use, as well as labeling and storage. Materials and methods. The following compressor devices were used as materials: nebulizer "Turbo Flow", trademark "Dr. Frei" (Great Britain), nebulizer "C102 TOTAL (NE-C102-E)" and "A3 Complete" of the trademark "OMRON" (Japan), nebulizer "LD-221 C" of the trademark "Little Doctor" (Singapore). Results and discussion. The article presents studies devoted to the research and analysis of the main technical parameters of modern compression nebulizers (nebulizer volume, speed spraying, the ability to adjust the size of particles in the aerosol cloud). The resulting knowledge will help working in tandem doctors and pharmacists to choose the right device for the effective delivery of the drug in the human the respiratory tract to achieve maximum therapeutic effect. Conclusions. Commodity analysis of compressor nebulizers available in Ukrainian pharmacies has been conducted. Analysis concern the range of nebulizers, the basic technical characteristics of these devices, their configuration, features of use, caveats for their use and conditions of storage. A comparative analysis of nebulizer chambers from different manufacturers was carried out and their main parameters were established. Labeling was studied and drew attention was drawn to the special information symbols that relate exclusively to nebulizers. Copyright © 2022, Zita Medical Managent. All rights reserved.

Six Feet Apart: Online Payments during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses have faced unprecedented challenges when trying to remain open. Because COVID-19 spreads through aerosolized droplets, businesses were forced to distance their services;in some cases, distancing may have involved moving business services online. In this work, we explore digitization strategies used by small businesses that remained open during the pandemic, and survey/interview small businesses owners to understand preliminary challenges associated with moving online. Furthermore, we analyze payments from 400K businesses across Japan, Australia, United States, Great Britain, and Canada. Following initial government interventions, we observe (at minimum for each country) a 47% increase in digitizing businesses compared to pre-pandemic levels, with about 80% of surveyed businesses digitizing in under a week. From both our quantitative models and our surveys/interviews, we find that businesses rapidly digitized at the start of the pandemic in preparation of future uncertainty. We also conduct a case-study of initial digitization in the United States, examining finer relationships between specific government interventions, business sectors, political orientation, and resulting digitization shifts. Finally, we discuss the implications of rapid & widespread digitization for small businesses in the context of usability challenges and interpersonal interactions, while highlighting potential shifts in pre-existing social norms. © 2022 Owner/Author.

Comparison of health care systems in Poland and Great Britain by Poles staying temporarily in Great Britain prior to the COVID pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: Poland's accession to the European Union intensified migration for work purposes. One of the most popular destinations for emigration was Great Britain, which allocates more money to health protection than Poland, where there is a widespread belief that the quality of public health care is poor. However, more negative opinions were expressed by migrants about health care in Great Britain. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to compare and assess the quality of health services in Poland and Great Britain prior to the SARS COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted in the form of a questionnaire addressed to Poles who stay or stayed in the territory of Great Britain and used services provided by both Polish and British medical entities. 1,625 people took part in the study: 1,402 women (86.28%) and 223 men (13.72%). The survey contained 30 questions, of which statistically significant results were obtained in 5 of them. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in the average assessments of health services in Poland and Great Britain. The availability of primary health care services and specialist services, other than gynaecology, in Poland was rated higher. In addition, the quality and costs of treatment received a much higher average score in the evaluation of Polish health care compared to the British system. CONCLUSIONS: Although the amount of financial outlays and statistical data should suggest the advantage of the British health care system, the respondents assessed the services provided in Poland being better.

Urban exodus? Understanding human mobility in Britain during the COVID-19 pandemic using Meta-Facebook data.

Existing empirical work has focused on assessing the effectiveness of nonpharmaceutical interventions on human mobility to contain the spread of COVID-19. Less is known about the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the spatial patterns of population movement within countries. Anecdotal evidence of an urban exodus from large cities to rural areas emerged during early phases of the pandemic across western societies. Yet, these claims have not been empirically assessed. Traditional data sources, such as censuses offer coarse temporal frequency to analyse population movement over infrequent time intervals. Drawing on a data set of 21 million observations from Meta-Facebook users, we aim to analyse the extent and evolution of changes in the spatial patterns of population movement across the rural-urban continuum in Britain over an 18-month period from March 2020 to August 2021. Our findings show an overall and sustained decline in population movement during periods of high stringency measures, with the most densely populated areas reporting the largest reductions. During these periods, we also find evidence of higher-than-average mobility from high-density population areas to low-density areas, lending some support to claims of large-scale population movements from large cities. Yet, we show that these trends were temporary. Overall mobility levels trended back to precoronavirus levels after the easing of nonpharmaceutical interventions. Following these interventions, we found a reduction in movement to low-density areas and a rise in mobility to high-density agglomerations. Overall, these findings reveal that while COVID-19 generated shock waves leading to temporary changes in the patterns of population movement in Britain, the resulting vibrations have not significantly reshaped the prevalent structures in the national pattern of population movement. As of 2021, internal population movements sit at an intermediate level between those observed pre- and early phases of the pandemic.

Quarterly epidemiological data on Clostridioides difficile infection, Escherichia coli bacteraemia, Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia and Surgical Site Infection in Scotland April to June 2021 (Q2) 2021

Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland provided a commentary on quarterly epidemiological data in Scotland for April to June (Q2) 2021 on the following: Clostridioides difficile infection, Escherichia coli bacteraemia, Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia and surgical site Infection. Data are provided for the 14 NHS boards and one NHS Special Health board. Results showed that there were 277 CDI cases, of which 73.3% (203) were healthcare infections. In theprevious quarter there were 262 cases. There were 1103 ECB cases, of which 48.2% (532) were healthcare infections. In the previous quarter there were 961 cases. There were 408 SAB cases, of which 63.7% (260) were healthcare infections. In the previous quarter there were 388 SAB cases. Epidemiological data for SSI were not included for this quarter due to the pausing of surveillance to support the COVID-19 response. The data used for this report is part of the mandatory surveillance in Scotland. ARHAI Scotland supports NHS boards to analyse their data. Local monitoring in hospital and community settings isrequired to reduce these infections.

HAI in Scotland annual report for 2020

On 21 September 2021, the Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) annual report 2020 was published by Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland. The report reflects the work undertaken on healthcare associated infection (HCAI) prevention and reducing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) during 2020. Data are provided for common HCAIs, which are an important cause of severe illness, death, and higher treatment costs. This year the report also includes analysis of hospital onset COVID-19 and its impact on other Scottish national surveillance systems. In 2020, the global pandemic brought new problems, and NHS National Services Scotland's ARHAI Scotland was a key part of the national COVID-19 response to the pandemic. This report shows how far ARHAI Scotland has come in helping to reduce HCAIs in NHS Scotland. It also gives data to help local and national efforts to prevent HCAIs.