Articles: pandemics.
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On December 31, 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. As of February 29, 2020, the National Health Commission of China has reported 79,389 confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in 34 provinces. The masks can be used to block respiratory transmission from human to human, and are an effective way to control influenza. ⋯ Additionally, more measures should be taken to properly dispose of mask garbage. Although the outbreak originated in China, person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has been confirmed, which means that it can be spread to anywhere in the world if prevention measures fail. The issues regarding face mask shortages and garbage in China, therefore, deserve worldwide attention.
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The cumulative incidence of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases is showing similar trends in European Union/European Economic Area countries and the United Kingdom confirming that, while at a different stage depending on the country, the COVID-19 pandemic is progressing rapidly in all countries. Based on the experience from Italy, countries, hospitals and intensive care units should increase their preparedness for a surge of patients with COVID-19 who will require healthcare, and in particular intensive care.
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Igiene e sanità pubblica · Mar 2020
[Transmission of Sars-Cov-2 and ventilation of indoor environments. Technical notes and preventive measures].
Knowledge about the new infectious disease COVID-19, which first spread in the city of Wuhan in China, in December 2019, is based on the evidence retrieved from coronaviruses previously known to humans. The main transmission ways of the new SARS-CoV-2 virus are respiratory droplets and direct and close contact with infected individuals and contaminated surfaces. To date, some scientific publications provide initial evidence that SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in the air, thus assuming a further route of infection, that airborne, although these results are to be considered preliminary and they need careful interpretation. ⋯ Indeed, by generating jets of air at different speeds, they can interfere with the mission of respiratory particles and determine an environmental diffusion of the potentially contaminating droplet. Therefore, ventilation systems could provide a potential transmission channel for the viral load able to spread out in indoor air. Nonetheless, good management, technical and operational practices may lead to a low risk of contagion, both in community and health environments.