ABSTRACT
In December 2019, several cases of pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 were identified in the city of Wuhan (China), which was declared by the WHO as a pandemic in March 2020 because it caused enormous problems to public health due to its rapid transmission of contagion. Being an uncontrolled case, precautions were taken all over the world to moderate the coronavirus that undoubtedly was very deadly for any person, presenting several symptoms, among them we have fever as a common symptom. A biosecurity measure that is frequently used is the taking of temperature with an infrared thermometer, which is not well seen by some specialists due to the error they present, therefore, it would not represent a safe measurement. In view of this problem, in this article a thermal image processing system was made for the measurement of body temperature by means of a drone to obtain the value of body temperature accurately, being able to be implemented anywhere, where it is intended to make such measurement, helping to combat the spread of the virus that currently continues to affect many people. Through the development of the system, the tests were conducted with various people, obtaining a more accurate measurement of body temperature with an efficiency of 98.46% at 1.45 m between the drone and the person, in such a way that if it presents a body temperature higher than 38° C it could be infected with COVID-19. © 2023 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The recognition of the COVID-19 disease as a pandemic posed a challenge to the National Drug Regulatory Authorities (NRAs). They had to develop guidelines, procedures, create working groups and partnerships to maximize the efficiency of vaccine evaluation, review and licensure. The aim of this article is to present the procedures used in the United States, European Union and Latin America to license the use of vaccines against COVID-19;in order to determine whether the multiplicity of procedures has led to the registration of a large number of vaccines. Method: A review of the pharmaceutical legislation used for the issuance of COVID-19 vaccines licenses during the health emergency was carried out. The information was collected up to October 15, 2022. The sources consulted were government websites of the NRAs: United States, European Union, and Latin America. Results: The United States and the European Union used activities included in their standard flows, such as pre-Investigational New Drug, scientific advice and rolling review, respectively. Latin America, on the other hand, made extensive use of reliance and emergency use authorization in order to access as many vaccines as possible. Conclusions: The procedures used are diverse, but all of them are oriented to provide a rapid pandemic containment product. This diversity results in the presence of different vaccines in the United States, European Union and Latin America. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR]
ABSTRACT
In Fall 2020, all universities in Alberta went with remote delivery of classes due to COVID-19 restrictions. This provided not only teaching challenges, but also opportunities. Professors at three Canadian universities teaching similar undergraduate courses in international political economy decided to use the challenges/opportunities of COVID-19 restrictions to experiment with a World Trade Organization (WTO) simulation across three campuses through remote delivery. Simulations are frequently used for teaching in political science, but what was unusual was doing it through remote delivery. This paper assesses the effectiveness of the experiment. It traces the origins/evolution of the idea, learning objectives for the students, preparation by the professors to design the WTO simulation, and the experience of the actual simulation. It also addresses the challenges (technological, timing, assignments, grading, student anxiety, etc.). In addition, it identifies the steps that were taken to reduce and mitigate the challenges. It also acknowledges the mistakes that were made by the professors in designing and implementing the assignment. These observations and reflections are informed by the materials that the professors prepared, their thoughts on the experience, and the feedback from participating students (through official student evaluations as well as a special survey instrument). It provides lessons for future online simulations.
ABSTRACT
In the midst of the 21st century, the world is threatened by an emerging infection called Coronavirus, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has dubbed COVID-19. At the end of January 2021, the WHO Emergency Committee declared the COVID-19 outbreak a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern". This study analyzed environmental factors affecting respiratory diseases, especially the relationship with COVID-19, using geospatial information. The study area comprises the metropolitan region of Santiago. The geospatial data used as a cartographic base for the development of the maps are extracted from the Library of the National Congress of Chile/BCN. © 2021 by the Author(s).
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The global pandemic changed the world forever and altered our understanding of the current and future challenges that humanity faces. It influenced public sentiment, caused new trends, varied group aspirations and led to destructive processes. This article presents a cognitive model for analyzing the pandemic-related crisis in the Latin American region within the paradigm of neo-Marxism. For operational purposes, a decomposition of the conceptual “North-South” and “center-peripheral” divide was carried out, the features of modern international relations and the interpretation of global governance mechanisms were rethought. The article shows how the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the ruthless anti-humanism and selfishness of the “North” and the tendency to conserve extreme poverty of the “South”. It also revealed such deleterious effects of the pandemic as intensified trade wars and disrupted international logistics. The idea of globalization as the best model of interaction between “center” and “periphery” is in doubt. © 2022. All Rights Reserved.
ABSTRACT
Covid-19 infection is a potentially serious disease. Overweight, obesity, and diabetes are comorbidities frequently found in the severe form of the disease. Appropriate nutritional management of the patient is an integral part of care. We will discuss the renutrition of a 76-year-old, obese (BMI = 35kg/m2), malnourished patient, according to the 2021 Haute Autorité de santé criteria, with Covid-19 infection, admitted to the intensive care unit at the Bordeaux University Hospital for an acute respiratory distress syndrome. Adaptation of nutritional intakes was achieved by clinical and biological monitoring. A refeeding syndrome was treated on the first day of hospitalization in the intensive care unit. After thiamine supplementation and when kalemia and phosphatemia have been normalized, renutrition was started. Parenteral nutrition as a complement to oral nutrition was used. Parenteral nutrition was well tolerated; recommended caloric and protein intakes were achieved by the fourth day of hospitalization. The clinical evolution was favorable. In conclusion, patients with Covid-19 infection should be considered malnourished when admitted to the intensive care unit. Macro and micronutrient intakes adapted to metabolically stressed patients are essential. Biological monitoring including monitoring of ionogram, phosphate, uremia, creatinine, liver function tests and blood glucose is essential in the nutritional management of patients with serious Covid-19 infection.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Malnutrition , Aged , Biomarkers , COVID-19/complications , COVID-19/diagnosis , Humans , Malnutrition/diagnosis , Malnutrition/etiology , Malnutrition/therapy , Nutritional Status , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic altered all facets of society on a fundamental level, impacting work, mental health, and family life. Female surgeons experienced gender inequity and bias before COVID; therefore, women in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) were affected disproportionately by the repercussions of the pandemic. Well-established inequalities are intensified during times of crisis. This article enlightens readers regarding the preexisting inequalities in the OMS specialty, how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these ubiquitous issues, and how the specialty should accommodate these inequities moving forward.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Surgery, Oral , Female , Humans , Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2 , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
With the arrival of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the scientific academia, as well as policymakers, are striving to conceive solutions as an attempt to contain the spreading of contagion. Among the adopted measures, severe lockdown restrictions were issued to avoid the diffusion of the virus in an uncontrolled way through public spaces. It can be deduced from recent literature that the primary route of transmission is via aerosols, produced mainly in poorly ventilated interior areas where infected people spend a lot of time with other people. Concerning contagion rates, accumulated incidence or number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19, Spain, and Italy have reached very high levels. In this framework, a regression analysis to assess the feasibility of the indoor ventilation measures established in Spain and Italy, with respect to the European framework, is here presented. To this aim, ten cases of housing typology were and analyzed. The results show that the measures established in the applicable regulations to prevent and control the risk of contagion by aerosols are not adequate to guarantee a healthy environment indoors. The current Italian guidelines are more restrictive than in Spain, yet the ventilation levels are still insufficient in times of pandemic.
ABSTRACT
Soon after the pandemic, numerous publications described cases of neurological disorders associated with the SARS-CoV-2 infection. The range of neurological symptoms is becoming increasingly more extensive as the pandemic progresses. However, it is not yet well established whether the manifestations are due to direct viral damage to the nervous system or indirect consequences of the infection. This review presents an inventory of the biochemical markers studied in the context of neurological disorders related to SARS-CoV-2. By reflecting various physiopathological mechanisms, these biomarkers allow both a better understanding of the pathophysiology of Covid-19 and a contribution to the diagnosis of neurologic troubles; they could participate in the prognostic evaluation of patients.