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The corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased the interest in self-care strategies, including self-medication. Medical students, as future health practitioners, learn more about medications than other students. This study aimed to describe self-medication practices for preventing COVID-19 among medical students at Universitas Islam Indonesia. This observational study used a cross-sectional design and was undertaken in November- December 2020. The study sample included 336 undergraduate medical students determined using a consecutive sampling technique based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were collected using an online questionnaire about self-medication practices in the preceding 3 months. Among a total of 336 students, 137 (41%) reported using self-medication intending to prevent COVID-19, and 126 (92%) of these 137 took preventive supplements, mainly vitamins C, D, and E, and omega-3. Seven students reported the use of zinc, mainly in combination with other vitamins. Students who practiced self-medication lived closer to people confirmed with COVID-19, washed their hands more often, and desinfected their belongings more frequently than their counterparts (p<0.05). The mean duration for consuming vitamins was 11-16 days. Forty students (29%) used herbal medicine to prevent COVID-19;ginger, turmeric, honey, black seed, cutcherry, and Curcuma were the most often consumed herbal remedies. Fourteen students (10%) reported taking over-the-counter medications to relieve symptoms related to COVID-19, including antipyretic, analgesic, antiseptic, antihistamine, decongestant, antitussive, and expectorant medications. Most respondents (82%) purchased their medications at pharmacies, and 11 (9%) obtained them from online shops. These findings show the high rate of self-medication using vitamins and herbal remedies for COVID-19 prevention among university medical students. Further studies are needed to explore students' knowledge about the risks of self-medication including the use of herbal medicines.Copyright © 2022 Marmara University Press.
ABSTRACT
December 2019 has become one of the most surprising days in the whole world in light of the flare-up of a most infectious sickness brought about by novel Covid or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study is conducted to assess the benefits of the use of home remedies to prevent the cause of Covid-19 and evaluate the assessment of dietary changes and physical activity in the prevention of Covid-19. A questionnaire-based online survey is conducted using Google forms consisting of multiple-choice questions about home remedies, lifestyle and dietary changes made by the people during this pandemic. These home remedies included using different types of herbal preparations, steam inhalation, physical exercise and OTC medications for prophylaxis. Questions likewise included about being infected by Coronavirus-19(during first wave or second) and their recovery period, additionally collected their viewpoint for changes made, for example how much they are useful in the prevention of the attack and whenever encountered any undesirable impacts. Total responses were 210, among which 121(57.6%) responses were from females and 89(42.4%) from males. 65 people tested Covid positive (42 during the first wave and 23 during the second wave). 118(56.2%) of people think these changes are very beneficial. (Rated 4 and 5 out of 5 points). From our survey, we concluded that different herbal preparations of their composition, which they thought are helpful, and steam inhalations have been used. Rating regarding the use and effectiveness was also found to be average. Further studies are needed to prove and provide clear evidence about adverse and side effects associated with the use of herbal products.Copyright © 2022 Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research. All rights reserved.
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Purpose: The novel coronavirus disease namely COVID-19 is a viral disease induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). The cases were first reported in Wuhan, China, by the end of 2019 and subsequently spread worldwide. The virus can be transferred through direct or indirect contact and leads to several manifestations;the most common are fever, dry cough, pneumonia, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). COVID-19 has caused massive human and economic losses, posing an ongoing threat. Understanding the current situation and developing a treatment which can be both safe and effective has become essential. In this regard, natural products could be an important resource in the development of treatment for COVID-19, as they have contributed to the treatment of other viruses in the past. This review aims to understand the cellular machinery of SARS-CoV-2 and to identify its drug targets.
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Objective. To know the intrinsic and extrinsic factors associated with anemia in post-cesarean women treated in the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 obstetric area of the Alberto Sabogal Hospital. Methods. The study was observational, retrospective and cross-sectional, quantitative approach, explanatory level, casecontrol model, applied to 358 puerperal women;of which 179 were the cases, that is, those puerperal women with postpartum anemia and 179 were controls, taken from both areas. The data were processed with the SPSS 25 statistic. Results. The intrinsic factors: diet without variation, overweight or morbid obesity, parity of 4 or more, number of cesarean sections of 3 or more, and the intergenetic period of less than 2 years, were conditions that represented a double risk of producing anemia in the puerperium among women in the study, in relation to those who did not have these characteristics. Also, the intrinsic factor or condition of having had anemia during pregnancy, resulted in a 5 times greater probability of producing anemia in the puerperium among the women in the study (Odds Ratio 5.156), compared to the women who did not have anemia. Folic acid intake was 3.4 times less likely (Odds Ratio of 3.408) to develop anemia compared to those who did not, and complications in the immediate puerperium (Odds Ratio of 3.397) were associated with anemia in puerperal women. Conclusions. Intrinsic factors such as the diagnosis of anemia during pregnancy and extrinsic factors such as folic acid not ingest and complications in the immediate puerperium were associated with anemia in puerperal women in the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 obstetric area of Hospital Alberto Sabogal.
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This special issue contains 23 articles that discusses the topic of diseases, nutrition, and malnutrition, especially in Mexico. Topics include the nutritional status of iron, vitamin B12, vitamin A, and anaemia in Mexican children, vitamin D status in Mexican women at reproductive age, prevalence of iron deficiency and anaemia during 2006-2018 in Mexican women 20-49 years of age, the increasing incidence of SARS-CoV- 2 in older adolescents and younger adults during the epidemic in Mexico, stakeholder analysis of the deliberation of an increase to the excise tax on sweetened beverages in Mexico, among others.
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The relationship between meat consumption and health is complex and should be analyzed in detail, paying particular attention to the relevant differences that characterize the effects of different types of meat, and in several studies on poultry meat, including turkey, which is characterized by its highly digestible proteins (with low levels of collagen), and of good nutritional quality as well as unsaturated fats (found mainly in the skin and easily removed) and vitamins of group B (mainly thiamine, vitamin B6, and pantothenic acid), Minerals (such as iron, zinc, and copper) make its meat a valuable food. Through this study, it was found that there is a relationship between the consumption of turkey meat within a balanced diet and good health. Consuming it as part of a diet rich in vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of weight gain, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. White meat (and poultry in particular) is considered moderately protective or neutral against cancer risk. The importance of poultry meat to humans has also been recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), which considers this widely available and relatively inexpensive food to be particularly beneficial in developing countries, as it can help fill in the deficiency of essential nutrients. Consumption of Turkey also contributes to the overall quality of the diet at specific ages and conditions (before conception, during pregnancy until the end of breastfeeding, during growth, and into old age) and is suitable for those with an increased need for calories and protein compared to the general population. And it was found that turkey meat contains some vital amines, which are an indicator of quality, as well as having antioxidant and antibacterial activity, and it has been proven that eating this type of meat reduces the incidence of COVID-19 disease.
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According to preliminary research, recovery from coronavirus disease needs a strong immune response across multiple cell types (COVID-19). The latest coronavirus pandemic is affecting people all over the world. The virus is known to infect several tissues and, in extreme cases, can lead to respiratory failure. The immune system must be healthy to prevent the disease from progressing to this stage and to limit the damage caused by the Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Nutritional health is important for effective immunological defence and, as a result, a good response to SARS-CoV-2. Micronutrients help immune cells conduct functions that are critical for stopping SARS-CoV-2. Their regular intake is part of a non-pharmacological strategy to maintain the immune system in good shape. Various micronutrients play a critical role in the interactions between the host immune system and viruses, like COVID-19, according to a large number of studies. The relationship between micronutrient status, the host immune response, and pathogenic virus virulence is complex and multifaceted. Micronutrients are essential for the coordinated recruitment of innate and adaptive immune responses to viral infections, as well as the regulation of pro- and anti-inflammatory host responses. Furthermore, insufficient micronutrients not only impair the immune system's ability to fight viral infections, but also lead to the development of more virulent strains by altering the viral genome's genetic makeup. The aim of this study was to assess the evidence that indicates micronutrients play a role in COVID-19 transmission, morbidity, and mortality. When considering the use of micronutrients in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 infection, both the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies among infected individuals and the impact of micronutrient supplementation on immune responses and overall disease outcome may be of great interest. These studies may be extremely useful in dealing with potential viral outbreaks.
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MALAWI. What this article is about: This article outlines two programmes - weekly iron and folic acid supplementation for adolescent girls and a nutrition sensitive agriculture programme - which form part of the Malawian government's efforts to optimise adolescent nutrition behaviours. Key messages: * Weekly iron and folic acid supplementation achieved high coverage across many schools but was impacted by COVID-19-related restrictions. * The nutrition sensitive agriculture programme led to steady improvements in adolescent girls meeting minimum dietary diversity standards with the impact of COVID-19 being mitigated through creative learning solutions. * This integrated, multi-sector approach to adolescent nutrition has proven effective thus far and efforts to scale up are now warranted.
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ASIA & AFRICA. What this article is about: This article outlines the activities carried out by Nutrition International since 2015, providing weekly iron and folic acid (IFA) supplementation to adolescents residing in six separate high-risk countries. Key messages: * Despite regional supply chain challenges and the complications due to the COVID-19 pandemic, weekly programmes were successful in supporting governments to increase IFA supplementation coverage. * There remains a paucity of data on adolescent health outcomes which makes the design, implementation and monitoring of adolescent health projects particularly difficult. * Although school-based delivery models are effective at the population level, reaching adolescents who do not attend school - who are often at higher risk - remains a significant challenge. Governments should prioritise reaching these isolated groups in order to meet public health policy objectives.
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Historical reasons have led to knowledge that would not have been possible to obtain through research without gross violations of ethical norms. Quantification of macro- and micro-nutrient intake is hampered by a number of barriers. It has been observed that changes in fetal nutrition and its endocrine status can result in developmental adjustments that permanently alter the structure, physiology, and metabolism of children, thus exposing individuals to the risk of metabolic, endocrine, and cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. In research on the process better known as "fetal programming", the influence of the in utero environment on the epigenetic mechanisms of the fetus has been observed. Decreased or increased amounts of food intake may interfere with placental function and interfere with fetal growth. Altered placental function can lead to endothelial dysfunction, leading to changes in fetal growth and development. More recently, there has been increasing research on the impact of dietary supplementation on pregnant women and perinatal outcome. Among the more frequently examined variables are micronutrients such as folic acid, antioxidants, iron, magnesium and zinc, but also polyunsaturated fatty acids. The Covid-19 pandemic further highlighted the need to create disease registries and systematically monitor data, especially given the differences in health care availability on one hand and the incredible global differences in nutrient availability on the other.