International journal of environmental research and public health
-
Int J Environ Res Public Health · Mar 2021
Impact of COVID-19 on Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Singapore.
This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in Singapore. We used data from the Singapore Civil Defence Force to compare the incidence, characteristics and outcomes of all Emergency Medical Services (EMS)-attended adult OHCA during the pandemic (January-May 2020) and pre-pandemic (January-May 2018 and 2019) periods. Pre-hospital return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was the primary outcome. ⋯ They received less bystander CPR (aOR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.61-0.81) despite 65% of witnessed arrests by a family member, and waited longer for EMS (OR ≥ 10 min: 1.71, 95% CI 1.46-2.00). Pre-hospital ROSC was less likely during the pandemic period (aOR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.53-0.84). The pandemic saw increased OHCA incidence and worse outcomes in Singapore, likely indirect effects of COVID-19.
-
Int J Environ Res Public Health · Mar 2021
COVID-19 and Heat Illness in Tokyo, Japan: Implications for the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2021.
The 2020 summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo were postponed to July-September 2021 due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. While COVID-19 has emerged as a monumental health threat for mass gathering events, heat illness must be acknowledged as a potentially large health threat for maintaining health services. ⋯ Respect for robust science is critical for the decision-making process of mass gathering events during the pandemic, and science-based countermeasures and implementations for COVID-19 will be warranted. Without urgent reconsiderations and sufficient countermeasures, the double burden of COVID-19 and heat-related illnesses in Tokyo will overwhelm the healthcare provision system, and maintaining essential health services will be challenging during the 2021 summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
-
Int J Environ Res Public Health · Mar 2021
Flexibility and Bed Margins of the Community of Madrid's Hospitals during the First Wave of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had global effects; cases have been counted in the tens of millions, and there have been over two million deaths throughout the world. Health systems have been stressed in trying to provide a response to the increasing demand for hospital beds during the different waves. This paper analyzes the dynamic response of the hospitals of the Community of Madrid (CoM) during the first wave of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic in the period between 18 March and 31 May 2020. ⋯ Conclusions: This research provides insights not only for academia, but also for hospital management and practitioners. The results show that not all of the hospitals dealt with the sudden increase in bed demand in the same way, nor did they provide the same flexibility in order to increase their bed capabilities. The bed margin and the proposed indicators of flexibility summarize the dynamic response and can be included as part of a hospital's management dashboard for monitoring its behavior during pandemic waves or other health crises as a complement to other, more steady-state indicators.
-
Int J Environ Res Public Health · Mar 2021
ReviewA Rapid Review of COVID-19 Vaccine Prioritization in the U.S.: Alignment between Federal Guidance and State Practice.
Population groups to be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccinations in the U.S. have been determined at the Federal level, but there is variation in how States have implemented guidance. This review examines how the position of population groups in vaccine priority lists varies between Federal guidance and State practice. ⋯ The prioritization of groups for COVID-19 vaccination has been highly variable despite clear Federal guidance. Future guidance must be relevant to local needs, values, and constraints, to minimize any unwarranted heterogeneity in vaccine access across populations.
-
Int J Environ Res Public Health · Mar 2021
Blood Donations and Transfusions during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain: Impact According to Autonomous Communities and Hospitals.
Worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a decline in blood donations, between 30% and 70% in some of the most affected countries. In Spain, during the initial eight weeks after the State of Emergency was decreed on 14 March 2020, in the weekly reports of the Health Ministry, an average decrease of 20% was observed between 11 and week 25 compared with the 2018 donation. We aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on blood donations and blood distribution in four autonomous communities, and to explore the evolution of the consumption of blood components (BCs) in ten hospitals of six autonomous communities. ⋯ Regarding consumption, there was a significant reduction in the consumption of packed red blood cells (RBCs) (24.5%), plasma (45.3%), and platelets (25.3%) in the central period (16 March-10 May). The reduction in the consumption of RBCs was significant in the period from 1-15 March. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the donation and consumption of BCs.