The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene
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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. · Sep 2020
Improving Appropriate Use of Medical Masks for COVID-19 Prevention: The Role of Face Mask Containers.
Use of medical masks is a key strategy for COVID-19 prevention among healthcare workers. Unfortunately, there are global shortages of this essential commodity, and many have resulted in inappropriate usage to conserve supply. This article highlights the likely benefits of face mask containers in promoting safe, appropriate, and extended use of medical masks by healthcare workers in settings where a sustainable supply of medical masks may be limited.
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On October 6, 2017, the Zambia Ministry of Health declared a cholera outbreak in Lusaka. By December, 1,462 cases and 38 deaths had occurred (case fatality rate, 2.6%). We conducted a case-control study to identify risk factors and inform interventions. ⋯ In multivariable analyses, those who drank borehole water (mOR = 2.4, CI: 1.1-5.6), had close contact with a cholera case (mOR = 6.2, CI: 2.5-15), and were male (mOR = 2.5, CI: 1.4-5.0) had higher odds of being a cholera case than their matched controls. Based on these findings, we recommended health education about household water chlorination and hygiene in the home. Emergency responses included providing chlorinated water through emergency tanks and maintaining adequate FCR levels through close monitoring of water sources.
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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. · Aug 2020
Assessment of Healthcare Workers' Levels of Preparedness and Awareness Regarding COVID-19 Infection in Low-Resource Settings.
COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is spreading rapidly worldwide, with devastating consequences for patients, healthcare workers, health systems, and economies. As it reaches low- and middle-income countries, the pandemic puts healthcare workers at high risk and challenges the abilities of healthcare systems to respond to the crisis. This study measured levels of knowledge and preparedness regarding COVID-19 among physicians and nurses. ⋯ Less than 7% of participants received training on how to manage COVID-19 cases, whereas 20.6% of doctors and 26.3% of nurses felt that they were personally prepared for the outbreak. Awareness and preparedness for the pandemic were low among frontline workers during the study. Therefore, an effective educational training program should be implemented to ensure maintenance of appropriate practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The newly discovered SARS-CoV-2 is the cause of COVID-19, including severe respiratory symptoms with an important lethality rate and high dissemination capacity. Considering the indigenous people of Brazil, it is feared that COVID-19 will spread to these communities, causing another stage of decimation. Despite advances in indigenous health care in the country, there are still many challenges due to the social vulnerability of this population, whose lands continue to be illegally exploited. Based on these considerations, this article discusses challenges in caring for the indigenous population in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil.