Articles: pandemics.
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Protecting healthcare workers (HCWs) from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a priority to maintain a safe and functioning healthcare system. Our objective was to describe and compare the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and lethality of SARS-CoV-2 infections among HCWs compared to non-HCWs. ⋯ HCWs represent a disproportionate number of diagnosed SARS-CoV-2 infections in Ontario, however this discrepancy is at least partially explained by limitations in testing earlier in the pandemic for non-HCWs. We observed a low risk of death in HCWs which could not be completely explained by other factors.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has presented an unprecedented strain on healthcare supplies. Currently there is a global shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), especially N95 masks. In order to safeguard healthcare personnel in this critical time and to mitigate shortages of N95 respirators, reuse of N95 respirators has to be considered. ⋯ In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, reuse of N95 respirators, although suboptimal, can be considered. Evidence reveals that UVGI, MHI, and HPV are amongst the safest and efficacious methods for decontamination of N95 masks. More research is needed to establish the safety and effectiveness of MGS, MSB, dry heat, EtO, liquid hydrogen peroxide, and HPGP. Alcohol, microwave irradiation, and bleach are not recommended because they damage N95 respirators.
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Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig · Jan 2020
Covid-19: a survey on knowledge, awareness and hygiene practices among dental health professionals in an Indian scenario.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19) continues to spread globally. It has become a major cause of concern for health care professionals all over the world. ⋯ The findings of the present study showed that some notable deficiencies in knowledge existed among dental professionals regarding some vital aspects of COVID-19. Therefore, there is an urgent need for improving dentists’knowledge via health education and training programs. Further studies on the subject are also warranted once the situation normalizes.
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The COVID-19 pandemic that struck New York City in the spring of 2020 was a natural experiment for the clinical ethics services of NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP). Two distinct teams at NYP's flagship academic medical centers-at NYP/Columbia University Medical Center (Columbia) and NYP/Weill Cornell Medical Center (Weill Cornell)-were faced with the same pandemic and operated under the same institutional rules. Each campus used time as an heuristic to analyze our collective response. ⋯ While Weill Cornell and Columbia saw a surge in clinical ethics consultations, the two services assumed a more expansive role than one normally played in institutional life. Serving as intermediaries between frontline clinicians and senior hospital administrators, consultants provided critical intelligence to hospital leadership about the evolution of the pandemic, disseminated information to clinicians, and attended to the moral distress of colleagues who were asked to provide care under truly extraordinary circumstances. The COVID-19 surge in New York City revealed latent capabilities in ethics consultation that may prove useful to the broader clinical ethics community as it responds to the current pandemic and reconceptualizes its potential for future service.
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Report on the implementation of assistance protocols in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic developed in the surgical center of a large university hospital in Rio Grande do Sul. ⋯ With the established routines and a large number of trained professionals, it was possible to observe a better preparation of the multidisciplinary team in face of the needs imposed by the new coronavirus.