Articles: coronavirus.
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Many studies have shown the crippling effects of sanctions on the healthcare sector of different countries, including Iran. Long-standing sanctions against Iran escalated recently and severely limited commercial activities with Iran. ⋯ The present novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has uncovered this long-standing crisis in the Iranian health care sector. In this communication, we briefly discuss selected aspects of these sanctions and their impact on the health care system and people of Iran during this critical time.
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Viral particles have been shown to aerosolize into insufflated gas during laparoscopic surgery. In the operating room, this potentially exposes personnel to aerosolized viruses as well as carcinogens. In light of circumstances surrounding COVID-19 and a concern for the safety of healthcare professionals, our study seeks to quantify the volumes of gas leaked from dynamic interactions between laparoscopic instruments and the trocar port to better understand potential exposure to surgically aerosolized particles. ⋯ Dynamic interactions and insertion/removal events between laparoscopic instruments and ports appear to contribute to consistent leakage of insufflated gas into the OR. Any measures possible taken to reduce OR gas leakage should be considered in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Minimizing laparoscope and instrument removal and replacement would be one strategy to mitigate gas leakage during laparoscopic surgery.
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Review
Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): Current Status and Prospects for Drug and Vaccine Development.
The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread to almost all nooks and corners of the world. There are numerous potential approaches to pharmacologically fight COVID-19: small-molecule drugs, interferon therapies, vaccines, oligonucleotides, peptides, and monoclonal antibodies. Medications are being developed to target the spike, membrane, nucleocapsid or envelope proteins. ⋯ Currently, there are many vaccines undergoing clinical trials. Even though mRNA and DNA vaccines are being designed and moved into clinical trials, these types of vaccines are yet to be approved by regulatory bodies for human use. This review focuses on the drugs and vaccines being developed against the COVID-19.
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Occupational burnout, which is more and more commonly encountered among medical professionals and investigated by researchers worldwide, may in particular affect health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ Occupational burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic is noticeable among physiotherapists working in clinical departments. The current findings show high burnout rates in all three domains: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP) and personal accomplishment (PA). A comparative analysis of these findings with reference to related studies published before the pandemic shows that the burnout rates among physiotherapists may have significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, given the scarcity of scientific evidence related to this specific problem in Poland and worldwide, it is necessary to continue research in occupational burnout affecting physiotherapists, particularly during the second wave of the pandemic, in order to gain a better understanding of the possible effects of social isolation and greater personal work-related health risks on the mental health of these medical professionals.
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The most critical intervention to control SARS-CoV-2 infection requires appropriate knowledge and attitude towards the virus. ⋯ Health services vocational school students have good knowledge and positive attitude towards COVID-19. The main sources of information were the TV and social media. For this reason, more attention should be given to these issues in the curriculum in order for science-based information sources to be used.