Cross Infection Control Awareness During 5th Wave of Covid 19 Pandemic, Omicron Variant Amongst the Dental Health Care Professionals of Government Sector University in Karachi, Pakistan

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the awareness of cross-infection control measures followed by DHCPs during the 5th wave of Covid-19 pandemic, Omicron variant in a government sector university of Karachi, Pakistan. Method(s): A Cross-sectional study was conducted from June till September 2022 at Sindh Institute of Oral Health Science during the 5th wave of Covid 19 pandemic, Omicron variant. Data was collected from 153 DHCPs from government sector university using a self-administered questionnaire, comprising of 20 closed ended question to assess the awareness and practice of cross infection protocols by DHCPs. Result(s): 98.7% of the participants were vaccinated against Covid 19. 96% of the participants used surgical gowns, face shields, and face masks as part of PPE during examining patients and while performing procedure. After treatment 99.3% of participants washed hands with hand wash, soap or used antiseptic solution. 77.1% of participants asked for Covid 19 test report and 68.6% of participants asked for proof of vaccination against covid 19 before treating patients. 96.1% of participants recommended disinfection of dental unit after every patient. 98% of participants changed glove after every patient. 88.2% of the participants said they would carry all elective and emergency procedures. Conclusion(s): The results of this study show that DHCPs practicing at government sector university have adequate knowledge regarding prevention of cross infection protocols and their importance to limit spread of infections. But their practice of prevention of cross infection during Covid 19 pandemic is not ideal as percentage of DHCPs requiring proof of vaccination or negative reports for Covid 19 were rather low and the percentage of DHCPs willing to carry elective procedures along with emergency ones was rather high.Copyright © 2023 Lahore Medical And Dental College. All rights reserved.

Rural and peri-urban households' handwashing behaviour before the COVID-19 pandemic: Implications for managing it in North-western Ghana

Good hygiene and handwashing remain important in public health, particularly in localities with low or no basic water and sanitation facilities. Using the Integrated Behavioural Model for water and hygiene, this study analysed key factors that shape handwashing behaviour and practices and the implications for managing the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was conducted using 20 rural and peri-urban communities in Ghana. Data gathered from 332 households and 20 focus group discussions indicated respondents have considerable knowledge of the significance of effective handwashing with soap, especially at critical moments. Although the practice of handwashing has been promoted in all the study communities, none of the households had a handwashing station. The respondents however argued that the absence of a handwashing station does not imply they do not wash their hands, especially at critical moments. Access to water, ability to buy soap, gender, and long hours of staying on distant farms shaped handwashing behaviour and practices. Although the study was conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings have substantial implications for the fight against the pandemic. Given that households are knowledgeable of the importance of handwashing, re-iterating the practice and intensifying advocacy on behavioural change, especially in the COVID-19 pandemic will reinvigorate handwashing.Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

The 2022 and 2023 Emergency Medicine Residency Match: A Cautionary Tale.

Introduction The emergency medicine (EM) match has undergone significant shifts in 2022 and 2023. While variation in specialty fill rates is expected over time, EM programs noted a significant increase in open positions starting in 2022. Utilizing National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) data over a 10-year period, we identified significant deviations in the emergency medicine match. Methods Shewhart control charts were used to plot the match results over time. A 10-year sample was used to establish the baseline value. From this value, the upper and lower control limits were established. Residency program expansion, decreasing applicant numbers, and changing applicant types were evaluated to detect any non-random changes to the process. Results While the number of EM PGY-1 positions added over time was within the expected range, both the number of unmatched positions and the change in the number of total US MD applicants were outside of this range and are considered to be "out of control." Conclusion It is not yet clear which contributing causes may underlie this sudden change. Several potential etiologies exist, including mismatches in supply and demand for positions, changes in perceptions of the specialty, the effects of COVID-19, and changing workforce needs. Historically similar experiences affecting other specialties, including anesthesia and radiation oncology, are analyzed. Potential solutions for returning to the necessary and usual success of the emergency medicine specialty match are explored.

Stability of SARS-CoV-2 on the Army Combat Uniform and Recommendations for Cleaning.

SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for the disease that is known as COVID-19. While there have been numerous studies detailing the survival rates of SARS-CoV-2 on various materials, there are currently no published data regarding whether this virus is stable on standard military uniforms. Consequently, there are no standard operating procedures for washing uniforms once exposed to the virus. This study aimed to determine whether SARS-CoV-2 could be removed from Army combat uniform material by washing with a commercially available detergent and tap water. Washing the fabric with detergent followed by a rinse step with tap water effectively removes detectable viral particles. Importantly, it was found that washing with hot water alone was not effective. Therefore, it is recommended that military personnel wash their uniforms with detergent and water as soon as possible after exposure to SARS-CoV-2; hot water should not be used as a substitute for detergent.

IoT based sensor operated automatic potion (SOAP) dispenser

Previously, there were physically operated hand dispensers that needed to be contacted every time we needed to apply the sanitizer. Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19, the importance of alcohol-based sanitizers has come up. As there are chances of spreading the viruses through contact surfaces, foot-operated dispensers have been developed to avoid contact between hands and hand dispensers. For the virus-infected people, their body temperatures may be high. Therefore, many organizations have been using infrared guns to record their body temperatures before they start working. To record their temperature, a manual presence is required. To replace these manual operations, an automated hand dispenser can be used. An IoT-based automated machine is designed to sanitize the hands with alcohol-based liquid without any contact with the prefilled sanitizer bottle. In connection to that, a temperature sensor is also employed within the dispenser machine to indicate the temperature of the person before they want to sanitize their hands. During the COVID-19 pandemic, most organizations were allowing their clients to work only after checking their body temperature and sanitizing themselves physically. Therefore, to avoid physical contact between the dispenser and people, a device that provides contactless operation has been developed, and further, it does not require any manual presence. While this device uses an ultrasonic sensor along with a temperature sensor to identify the existence of a hand and note the temperature of that hand, a microcontroller is also employed to control the operations. Subsequently, an LCD display is used to indicate the recorded temperature and to pump the alcohol-based sanitizer. A submersible DC motor pump is used, which is operated using a relay from the microcontroller (Granted Patent Ref.: AU 2020102940). © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Covid-19 Booster Vaccine Related Dermatitis: A Case Study

Case Report: A 28 year old male with a past medical history of hypothyroidism and positive ANA presented to an outpatient dermatology clinic with a diffuse pruritic rash two weeks after the administration of his first Moderna COVID booster vaccine. He denied any other accompanying symptoms such as fever or chills as well as any similar rashes to prior doses of the Moderna COVID vaccine. The rash consisted of pink erythematous minimally scaly papules, thin plaques and patches involving the left and right dorsal hands, forearms, wrists, face, neck and left shoulder. The remainder of the patient's skin including the bilateral lower extremities, the eyelids, conjunctiva and oral mucosa was clear. The patient denied any similar rashes in the past. The patient denied any allergies to medications, or food or environmental allergies. He denied any notable contact allergen exposures, including to soaps, lotions, and cosmetic products. The patient also denied any significant family history or past surgical history. The patient was on Armour Thyroid for hypothyroidism and testosterone for low levels since age eighteen. The patient was started on cetirizine 10 mg once daily for the rash with minimal improvement. Autoimmune workup for the rash was notable for an elevated anti-RNP and as the patient's past medical history included Raynaud's phenomenon and ANA positivity for ten years, the patient was diagnosed with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). Autoimmune conditions can often have an indolent course, where symptoms progressively develop and worsen. MCTD is an autoimmune overlap syndrome that can consist of the following three connective tissue diseases: systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, and polymyositis. Millions of individuals across the world are receiving COVID vaccines to protect themselves and members of their community, and it is of utmost importance that we continue to investigate adverse events. Although of low incidence, these rare effects have the ability to impact large numbers of people within both healthy and immunocompromised populations. It is critical that we examine and document them in a rigorous manner, to ensure safe vaccine delivery and reassure the public about vaccine safety overall.

Evaluation of Knowledge, Attitude, Practice and Hospital Experience Regarding COVID-19 among Pregnant and Postpartum Mothers at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Kashmir: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The virus can spread from an infected person when they cough, sneeze, speak, or breathe through mouth or nose. Majority of the people who get infected with the virus will experience mild to moderate illness. However, some will become severely ill and require medical attention. Pregnancy is associated with increased risk for severe COVID-19. Few studies have examined knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) during the pandemic especially the high-risk groups like pregnancy and post-partum period. Aim(s): To analyze the knowledge, attitude, practice and hospital experience regarding COVID-19 among pregnant and post-partum mothers at a tertiary care hospital in Kashmir. Method(s): A cross-sectional study was conducted among 403 research participants from a tertiary care hospital of Kashmir in year 2020-2021 using a semi-structured questionnaire. The confidentiality and anonymity of respondents was maintained. The data was entered in Microsoft Excel and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25. The findings were presented as percentages (95% confidence intervals;CI), median, means and Standard deviation. Result(s): A total of 403 post-partum women participated in the study. Almost all the participants had heard about COVID-19 (96.6%). A majority of them were aware about how COVID-19 gets transmitted and its preventive measures. Most of the participants (62%) knew that COVID-19 has effects on pregnancy. Almost all of participants (97%) wore mask during hospital stay. All of the women washed their hands with soap water or alcohol based sanitizer. A fewer of the mothers (20%) wore mask while breastfeeding their baby. The results of binary logistic regression analysis found associations between knowledge and marital status (OR = 4.983, 95% CI 1.894-13.107). Correlation analysis found a weak positive correlation between knowledge and practice scores (r = 0.210, p-value = 0.01). Conclusion(s): As the COVID-19 cases are still increasing globally, participants overall had high KAP scores. This study can guide public health strategies regarding pregnant women and COVID-19. We recommend that interventions to improve and attitude and practice scores.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Related to COVID 19 Pandemic among Social Media Users in J&K, India

Background: A series of measures have been suggested to reduce Covid-19 infection, including knowledge training for prevention and control, isolation, disinfection, classified protections at different degrees in infection areas, and protection of confirmed cases. Objective(s): We conducted this study with an aim to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice among the general population regarding COVID-19. Method(s): This was a cross-sectional study carried out by the Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Srinagar in the month of April 2020. The questionnaire had four segments to collect data regarding social-demographic details, knowledge regarding Covid-19, attitude and practice based questions. The questionnaire was shared via social media applications like face book and Whatsapp to reach the target population. Continuous variables were summarized as frequency and percentage. All the analysis was done using Microsoft Excel 2016. Result(s): Among participants who responded, 1252 (82%) were in the age group of 18-40 years and 912 (60%) from urban areas. A total of 934 (61%) respondents had heard details on COVID 19 from the social media, 1358 (89%) knew all ways of coronavirus transmission, 602 (40%) felt that COVID 19 is a serious disease, 1184 (78%) responded that they totally agree with the lockdown decision, and 1296 (85%) responded that lockdown is helping in reducing the number of cases. The majority, i.e. 1318 (87%), followed advisories and reported washing hands with soap and water regularly, 1108 (73%) reported regularly wearing masks, 1344 (89%) reported following lockdown guidelines, and 1306 (87%) reported maintaining social distancing. The respondents exhibited good knowledge, positive attitude, and sensible practices regarding COVID 19. Conclusion(s): Our study showed that the respondents have exhibited good knowledge, positive attitude and sensible practices regarding covid-19 during the pandemic.

Dirty politics: The stories of soap in South Africa

During the global Covid-19 pandemic, the practice of extensively washing one's hands with soap and water became ubiquitous worldwide. In this contribution, I look at how cultural references to soap have been productive in producing social identities in South Africa. By utilizing Nira Yuval-Davis's (2006) distinction between belonging and the politics of belonging, I trace how stories and narratives featuring soap that circulate in the South African cultural archive refer to specific cultural templates or social imaginaries. These stories and narratives perform different functions: they signify categories of social belonging, enable social subjects to identify with specific subject locations, and are utilized to both confirm and patrol the borders of these categories of belonging in acts that may be described as the "politics of belonging. "

Knowledge and Practices of Disinfectants and Sanitizers Use during COVID-19 Pandemic in Jordan

Background: The use of antimicrobials has been expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to assess the knowledge and practices of disinfectants and sanitizers use among Jordanian people during the (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: A web-based cross-sectional descriptive questionnaire was distributed across Jordan between August and September 2020. The questionnaire consisted of three sections inquiring about demographics and general characteristics of the surveyed sample, evaluating the respondents' knowledge about disinfectants, as well as respondents' practices. The questionnaire was completed by 403 literate adult respondents. Results: Our results indicate that Jordanian adults have used disinfectants increasingly during the COVID-19 outbreak. Knowledge of our study sample was considerably affected by gender (p=0.044), income (p=0.001), and profession (p<0.001). 80.8% of those participants reported skin-related side effects due to disinfectant use during the pandemic. The most used disinfectants were ethanol, followed by soap and water. Generally, study respondents showed positive practices toward the use of disinfectants during the time of the pandemic with few high-risk practices reported. Interestingly, the positive practices applied by Jordanian adults were minimally and not significantly affected by the knowledge about antimicrobials' safe and effective use. Conclusions: There is an urgent need for a structured effort to increase public awareness regarding the safe and effective use of disinfectants against SARS-CoV-2 transmission. © 2023 DSR Publishers/The University of Jordan.

Washing the great unwashed: a history of British public hand hygiene

British and European public attitudes towards hand hygiene have evolved over time. Early examples of soap-like products date from Babylon around 5000 years ago, later probably passing along the silk route to Europe. A mixture of fats boiled with ashes were found in clay cylinders. In the fourth century BC, Hippocrates propagated ancient Chinese and Greek theories that epidemics spread via noxious 'miasma' particles. In the Roman Empire, Galen advocated health by balancing four humours (blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm). The Romans brought public bathhouses to Britain after invading in 55BC adding a social aspect to cleanliness, also bringing fresh water in aqueducts. Emily Cockayne's book Hubbub: Filth, Noise & Stench in England documents daily life in England from 1600 to 1770. Diarist Samuel Pepys reportedly rubbed himself 'clean' using a cloth. King Louis XIV of France reportedly took two baths during his reign, the first during his recovery from a convulsive episode. In the Middle Ages, 'cleanliness' focused on keeping up appearances. It was believed that white linen garments absorbed the body's impurities and cleaned the skin. People wore visible starched white collars and cuffs, to signal cleanliness and social superiority. British public attitudes changed during the nineteenth century, driven by discoveries showing a relationship between hygiene and health. Bulwer- Lytton disparagingly referred to the 'great unwashed' lower classes in his 1830 novel Paul Clifford. However, in 1837, Buckingham Palace did not have a bathroom. Bathing was mostly inaccessible, labourers would usually bath in sweat and were cleaned only on admission to hospitals or poor houses. In 1845, English dermatologist Sir Erasmus Wilson published a lay handbook called Healthy Skin. This was wildly popular and disseminated the health benefits of sanitation and clean skin. Public washhouses proliferated. By the 1920s handwashing was common practice in Western countries. Soap manufactures Lever Brothers launched a 'clean hands' campaign advising children to wash their hands 'before breakfast, before dinner and after school'. After the Second World War, bathrooms became widespread and home plumbing made village washhouses redundant and unappealing. Handwashing practices among healthcare workers have remained low, averaging 39%. Hand hygiene was at the forefront in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. The public were advised to wash their hands frequently, for at least 20 s each time. Will this be a landmark in handwashing history.

Hand care: it's time to take the gloves off

The increased incidence of hand dermatitis (HD) is well documented in healthcare professionals (HCPs) (Flyvholm MA, Bach B, Rose M, Jepsen KF. Self-reported hand eczema in a hospital population. Contact Dermatitis 2007;57: 110-15). It is reported that HD accounts for 95% of all occupational dermatitis (Bains SN, Nash P, Fonacier L. Irritant contact dermatitis. Clinic Rev Allergy Immunol 2019;56: 99-109). We sought to better understand the prevalence of HD in HCPs in a large teaching hospital, identify any associated risk factors and assess their knowledge of hand care. Additionally, we aimed to assess the availability of ward facilities and posters for hand hygiene and hand care. The survey was conducted between November 2015 and January 2016. A review of ward facilities and posters for hand care and hand hygiene was conducted in October 2020. A total of 820 HCPs responded to the survey. Altogether, 444 respondents (54 1%) reported a previous history of HD and 226 (27 6%) reported active dermatitis. These included 153 (18 6%) doctors/ dentists, 76 (9 3%) allied health professionals (AHPs), 46 (5 6%) nurses/midwives, 27 (3 3%) administrative staff, 16 (1 9%) other, five (0 6%) technicians and 108 (13 2%) medical/ dental/nursing/midwifery/AHP students. Only 10 (1 2%) took time off work owing to their HD, with five (0 6%) requiring > 5 days off work, but 67 (8 2%) wished they had taken time off work. In total, 416 (50 7%) respondents washed their hands > 20 times daily and 229 (27 9%) used disinfectants > 20 times per day. Those with a prior history of atopic dermatitis (AD) were at higher risk of developing HD [relative risk (RR) 1 69, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1 52-1 89;P < 0 001], and within 6 months of starting their job/placement (RR 1 82, 95% CI 1 3-2 5;P < 0 002). Only 107 (13 0%) respondents were able to identify all 11 correct statements regarding hand care. Two hundred and twenty (49 5%) of the 444 HCPs with a history of HD never received hand care advice when they started their current role. The 24 adult wards surveyed had a total of 162 general-use sinks, all with hand soap and disinfectant, and 154 hand hygiene posters. In contrast, only 22 sinks had emollients available. No posters were seen regarding hand care and skin health. This survey highlights the high prevalence of HD among HCPs, especially those with AD, but many are still not aware of good hand care measures. Additionally, our survey reflects the need for early education and equal facilities for hand care and hand hygiene, as both are important when delivering good clinical care, to protect patients and staff, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 Pandemic: Current Scenario, Challenges and Future Perspectives

Background: The new public health emergency of COVID-19 caused by a novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which originated in Wuhan, Hubei province, China in December 2019, evolved into a pandemic in no time and is still in progression. The novel virus mainly targets the lower respiratory system, leading to viral pneumonia, with other associated complications of multi organ failure. Discussion(s): The bats, in particular Rhinolophus affinis, is a natural host of SARS-CoV-2 and the virus is considered to have spread to humans through yet controversial intermediate host pangolins. The incubation period ranges from 2-14 days and mode of person-to-person transmission is primari-ly via the direct contact with the infected person or through the droplets generated by the infected person during coughing or sneezing. The initiation of the infection process by SARS-CoV-2 virus is the invasion of lung type II alveolar cells via a receptor protein called angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) present on the cell membrane with glycosylated spike (S) viral protein that medi-ates host cell invasion. The main diagnostic tools employed are molecular methods based on nucleic acid detection engaging real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and a new immunoassays based on antibodies IgM/IgG. Conclusion(s): Due to the lack of specific clinically approved anticovid-19 drugs or vaccines that could be used for its prevention or treatment, the current management approach is essentially sup-portive and symptomatic. The precautionary measures like, social distancing, cleaning hands with soap or sanitizers, using disinfectant solutions to decontaminate the surfaces of things and proper ventilation, wearing masks and other protective gears to curb transmission. The knowledge regard-ing COVID-19 therapies is still evolving and collaborative efforts are being put in to discover definitive therapies on different themes in the form of vaccines, repurposing drugs, RNA interfer-ence, docking studies, etc.Copyright © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.

Post Vaccination Adherence to Covid Appropriate Behavior: A Cross Sectional Study

Introduction: COVID-appropriate behavior refers to the development of those habits that may serve to limit the disease's spread and, thus, reduce the number of individuals affected. Vaccinated individuals may be less willing to comply with COVID-appropriate conduct due to their perception of a diminished health risk. Consequently, the present study was conducted to assess public's attitude regarding COVID preventive measures following vaccination.. Methodology: This cross sectional study was conducted among adults aged 18 and above. 200 individuals who had received either both doses of COVID-19 or at least one dosage of either COVID-19 participated in this survey, which was performed online and involved the distribution of a self-administered questionnaire via social media. Result(s): Covishield was the most commonly administered vaccination (70%), followed by Covaxin (23%). The majority of respondents adhered to mask use after vaccination (82,5%), but 15% of respondents adhered to mask use less after vaccination than before. 2.5% of respondents reported an increase in mask use. Physical distancing was shown to be less after vaccination among (65.5%) than before vaccination. 19% of study participants reported that their frequency of hand washing with soap and water decreased following vaccination. 31% of respondents said that their usage of hand sanitizer dropped following vaccination. Conclusion(s): It should be stressed to the public that getting vaccination does not make them invincible foe the various new strains in circulation of the virus. Strict policy making should be emphasized to make people follow COVID appropriate behavior at all times.Copyright © 2023, Institute of Medico-legal Publication. All rights reserved.

The risk of occupational contact dermatitis in COVID-19 isolation ward setting

Background The preventive measures of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) transmissions require the healthcare workers (HCWs) to be more cautious. Irritants or allergens exposure from these measures might induce adverse skin reactions and lead to the development of occupational contact dermatitis (OCD). Methods Questionnaires were distributed to HCWs in COVID-19 isolation ward of Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia. The questionnaire consisted of personal and work characteristics, clinical history, skin complaints, and occupational exposures. Results Fifty-three completed questionnaires were gathered from eligible subjects. History of atopic dermatitis (AD) was found on 8 subject (15.09%). Many of the subjects had complained of dry skin (28.30%), itchy skin (26.41%), and redness of skin (20.75%) on the hands in the last 12 months. As many as 50.94% of the subjects washed their hands with water and soap at least 6-10 times a day and 49.06% used hand sanitizers 6-10 times a day. The use of PPE were mostly 4 hours a day or less. There were associations between history of AD with complaints related to hand dermatitis (p=0.004) and history of AD with incidence of OCD assessed with Mathias criteria (p=0.016). It was also found that the use of gloves for 2 or more hours a day was associated with skin complaints after gloves use (p=0.021) and the use of hand sanitizer for more than 10 times a day was associated with complaints related to hand dermatitis (p=0.041). Conclusion The repeated and prolonged exposure to irritative or allergenic substances contained in PPE and hand hygiene products is related to OCD, particularly hand dermatitis, among HCWs in COVID-19 isolation ward. Copyright © 2023 Pakistan Association of Dermatologists. All rights reserved.

Galenic preparations for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19

Background: A.P.P.A. Project is the main activity of the nonprofit organisation Aid Progress Pharmacist Agreement (A.P.P.A.) which is the result of the cooperation between the University of Turin and Italian Pharmacists and it operates in the field of International Health Cooperation. The objective of the Project is the realisation of Galenic laboratories within healthcare facilities located in Developing Countries. Seven Projects are currently on-going in Madagascar, Angola, Chad and Haiti. Purpose(s): In view of the pandemic caused by COVID19, and to reduce its spread as much as possible in the hospitals where the Project is active, the goal was to implement specific procedures on site for the production of alcoholic solutions, liquid soaps and disinfectant gels in accordance with WHO guidelines. Method(s): The A.P.P.A. labs have been promptly equipped with standard procedures for the preparation of disinfectant formulations. The procedures have been developed in a very simple way to allow their introduction on site even remotely and without a specific training path that requires to be carried out in person. Result(s): Since the manual skills have been acquired during the preparation of Galenic formulations over time, local operators had no difficulty with the new formulations;if necessary specific indications are given by email or by phone calls. In the labs where these formulations had already been introduced in the past for the prevention of nosocomial infections, the setting up has been enhanced by the reorganisation of the production activities. Conclusion(s): The Galenic preparation, also in these contexts, resulted a good strategy for healthcare personnel and for hospitalised patients.

Covid-19: All facts, no myth

On December 31, 2019, the China Health Authority alerted WHO about 27 cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology in Wuhan City. It was subsequently named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the disease as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The disease has now become pandemic. Current review was done to summarize information on COVID-19 published in various scientific works. Electronic databases containing medical articles viz., MEDLINE/PubMed, Google Scholar etc were searched using the Medical Subject Headings 'COVID-19', '2019-nCoV', 'coronavirus' and 'SARS-CoV-2' during antecedent one year. All study designs were incorporated to harvest clinical, laboratory, imaging, and hospital course data. The intermediate host of the virus is still unknown. Respiratory droplets produced by the patient is main source of transmission. SARS-CoV-2 invades the airway epithelium by binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor with Coronavirus spike (S) protein. Most common symptoms are fever (98%), dry cough (77%), and dyspnea (63.5%). Later, complications like acute respiratory distress syndrome, septic shock etc may occur. Advanced age and co-morbidities like Diabetes have higher mortality otherwise Case Fatality Rate is 2-3%. RT-PCR is the diagnosis of choice. Since no universally accepted registered drug or FDA approved vaccine has come by now, prevention is the key. Hands should be regularly cleaned with soap or alcohol based sanitizer and in public, Nose and Mouth should be covered with face-mask and social distance of one meter should be maintained. While Vaccines are expected by early 2021, we should not forget to take comprehensive measures to prevent future outbreaks of zoonotic origin. Copyright © 2020, Kathmandu University. All rights reserved.

Applying STEM and the 5E Model to Teaching: "Making Soap from Coconut Oil in Vietnam”

Soap is an indispensable product in households, schools, offices, and hospitals in the prevention of diseases such as Covid-19 and respiratory diseases. Vietnam is a country with plentiful coconuts, and the mass production of soap products from coconut oil is feasible and highly competitive. Therefore, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teaching on the topic of making soap from coconut oil is practically meaningful. As a result, not only are students educated on the importance of soap but also develop their STEM knowledge. They also become engaged in their learning and try hard to perfect their products in the fastest and best way possible. Among the teaching methods of making soap from coconut oil, the 5E (engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and evaluation) cycle model is the most appropriate. This teaching model helps students thoroughly explore the knowledge and to work harmoniously in groups. The study aimed to investigate how 9th Grade students at Vo Van Tan Secondary School, Ho Chi Minh City made soap from coconut oil. These students were members of 9A2 and 9A7. After learning how to make soap from coconut oil, students can make similar products, such as dishwashing detergent, from fruit or vegetable peels. This model thus helps students to be creative in STEM disciplines through problem analysis and exploration. We found that the students were very interested in making natural products such as soap and, in addition to STEM and 5E learning, they addressed an important real-world challenge with their own safe and simple handmade soap for hand-washing, disinfecting, and pandemic prevention. © 2023 International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research. All rights reserved.

Fogging of Protective Eyewear in Intensive Care Unit and a Comparative Study of Techniques to Reduce It.

Background: Fogging of protective eyewear (PEW) can hinder routine work in the intensive care unit (ICU). The prevalence of fogging impairing vision (FIV) and the technique that reduces fogging have not been evaluated previously. Methods: After donning personal protective equipment (PPE) with an N95 mask, the healthcare workers (HCWs) sequentially tried plain PEW, soap-coated PEW, PEW worn at a distance over the PPE hood, and the use of tape over a mask. The vision (distant and near) was checked before wearing PEW and with each technique. The prevalence of fogging and FIV, that is, change in vision in either eye was estimated and compared among various techniques. Mixed-effects logistic regression was used to analyze factors affecting fogging and to compare techniques. Room temperature, room humidity, and lens temperature were measured during the study. Results: A total of 125 HCWs participated (151 observations) and the prevalence of FIV was 66.7%. The fogging of PEW, as well as the extent of PEW fogging, was least with soap coating followed by a mask with tape and goggles worn at a distance. The FIV was significantly lesser only with the mask with tape with an odds ratio (OR) [confidence interval CI)] of 0.45 (0.25-0.82). The prevalence of fogging while at work in the COVID ICU was 38%. Conclusion: The prevalence of FIV is 66%. Application of tape over the mask can avoid disturbances in vision best. Soap coating of the PEW and PEW worn at distance from the eyes are potential alternatives. How to cite this article: Ravisankar NP, D'Silva CS, Varma MMKG, Sudarsan TI, Sampath S, Thomas T, et al. Fogging of Protective Eyewear in Intensive Care Unit and a Comparative Study of Techniques to Reduce It. Indian J Crit Care Med 2023;27(1):32-37.