Articles: sars-cov-2.
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While some risk factors have been identified, the reasons for the disparities in disease progression with COVID-19 are unclear, with some patients developing progressive and severe disease while in others the course is benign. Given this sense of randomness, and in the absence of a definitive treatment, medical professionals can feel helpless. It is useful to remember how much can be done to affect the trajectory of illness, even without a 'magic bullet'. With evidence emerging that late presentation is directly associated with increased mortality, we make the case for increased vigilance in the community and earlier intervention.
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Globalization Health · May 2020
ReviewCOVID-19 in Africa: care and protection for frontline healthcare workers.
Medical staff caring for COVID-19 patients face mental stress, physical exhaustion, separation from families, stigma, and the pain of losing patients and colleagues. Many of them have acquired SARS-CoV-2 and some have died. In Africa, where the pandemic is escalating, there are major gaps in response capacity, especially in human resources and protective equipment. ⋯ Importantly, healthcare workers, using their authoritative voice, can promote effective COVID-19 policies and prioritization of their safety. Prioritizing healthcare workers for SARS-CoV-2 testing, hospital beds and targeted research, as well as ensuring that public figures and the population acknowledge the commitment of healthcare workers may help to maintain morale. Clearly there are multiple ways that international support and national commitment could help safeguard healthcare workers in Africa, essential for limiting the pandemic's potentially devastating heath, socio-economic and security impacts on the continent.
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Tragically, many of the infections and deaths recorded in the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have occurred in healthcare workers. Some have attributed this to inadequate provision of personal protective equipment (PPE). ⋯ Despite recent revisions to these guidelines, concerns remain that they offer insufficient protection to frontline NHS healthcare workers. In this report, we evaluate whether these concerns are merited, through critical appraisal of the available evidence, review of international PPE guidance, and consideration of the ethical implications.