Respiratory Protection by Respirators: The Predictive Value of User Seal Check for the Fit Determination in Healthcare Settings

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 402-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Ching Lam ◽  
Joseph Kok Long Lee ◽  
Linda Yin King Lee ◽  
Ka Fai Wong ◽  
Cathy Nga Yan Lee
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Device ◽  
World Health ◽  
Respiratory Pathogens ◽  
Respiratory Protection ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
The World ◽  
Fit Testing ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
N95 Respirators

The N95 respirator is one type that is recommended by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prevent inhalation of droplets that may act to transmit respiratory pathogens. However, the reliability of this respirator to prevent transmission is dependent on how well it is fitted to the wearer. For ill-fitting respirators, the average penetration by ambient aerosol was found to be 33%, compared with 4% for well-fitting respirators. Such penetration or leakage may be caused by the gap between the respirator and the wearer's face. Therefore, formal fit testing should be carried out prior to the use of N95 respirators. Quantitative fit testing measures “the adequacy of respirator fit by numerically measuring the amount of leakage into the respirator” using an electronic device.

scholarly journals The Relationship Between the Global Burden of Influenza From 2017 to 2019 and COVID-19: Descriptive Epidemiological Assessment (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan David Baral ◽  
Katherine Blair Rucinski ◽  
Jean Olivier Twahirwa Rwema ◽  
Amrita Rao ◽  
Neia Prata Menezes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
World Health ◽  
Respiratory Pathogens ◽  
Modes Of Transmission ◽  
The World ◽  
Influenza Activity ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Health Organization

BACKGROUND SARS-CoV-2 and influenza are lipid-enveloped viruses with differential morbidity and mortality but shared modes of transmission. OBJECTIVE With a descriptive epidemiological framing, we assessed whether recent historical patterns of regional influenza burden are reflected in the observed heterogeneity in COVID-19 cases across regions of the world. METHODS Weekly surveillance data reported by the World Health Organization from January 2017 to December 2019 for influenza and from January 1, 2020 through October 31, 2020, for COVID-19 were used to assess seasonal and temporal trends for influenza and COVID-19 cases across the seven World Bank regions. RESULTS In regions with more pronounced influenza seasonality, COVID-19 epidemics have largely followed trends similar to those seen for influenza from 2017 to 2019. COVID-19 epidemics in countries across Europe, Central Asia, and North America have been marked by a first peak during the spring, followed by significant reductions in COVID-19 cases in the summer months and a second wave in the fall. In Latin America and the Caribbean, COVID-19 epidemics in several countries peaked in the summer, corresponding to months with the highest influenza activity in the region. Countries from regions with less pronounced influenza activity, including South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, showed more heterogeneity in COVID-19 epidemics seen to date. However, similarities in COVID-19 and influenza trends were evident within select countries irrespective of region. CONCLUSIONS Ecological consistency in COVID-19 trends seen to date with influenza trends suggests the potential for shared individual, structural, and environmental determinants of transmission. Using a descriptive epidemiological framework to assess shared regional trends for rapidly emerging respiratory pathogens with better studied respiratory infections may provide further insights into the differential impacts of nonpharmacologic interventions and intersections with environmental conditions. Ultimately, forecasting trends and informing interventions for novel respiratory pathogens like COVID-19 should leverage epidemiologic patterns in the relative burden of past respiratory pathogens as prior information.

School Nurses on the Front Lines of Healthcare: Infectious Diseases Popularized in the News

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 212-216
Author(s):  
Lauren McNickle ◽  
Robert P. Olympia
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
School Nurses ◽  
World Health ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Health Organizations ◽  
Public Health Organizations ◽  
The World ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Health Organization

School nurses may deal with students presenting with symptoms associated with infections popularized in the news. Although rare, the implications of missing or misdiagnosing these infections are potentially life-threatening and devastating. We present three students presenting with febrile illnesses associated with neurologic symptoms, a rash, and fatigue, focusing on the initial assessment and management of these students and their associated “hot topic” infection. The authors also discuss two public health organizations, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/) and the World Health Organization (https://www.who.int/), online references for the school nurse to research both emerging and common infectious diseases.

scholarly journals The effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the provision of urgent surgery: a perspective from the USA

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhiman Cheeyandira
Keyword(s):  
Disease Control ◽  
Surgical Care ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
World Health ◽  
Urgent Surgery ◽  
The World ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Made In

Abstract Corona virus pandemic has affected all the 50 states in the USA. States such as NY, CA and WA being the most affected. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, as of 28 March 2020, the total number of cases in the USA is over 103 300 and number of deaths to 1668. In the coming weeks, COVID-19 rates are expected to begin skyrocketing and hit a peak in late April/May/June given lessons learned from China, Italy and others. COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) as confirmed cases approach 575 444 patients with 26 654 deaths across over 160 countries, as of 28 March 2020. There is a lot of impact on management of the urgent and emergent cases. This article highlights the changes that are being made in delivering urgent and emergent surgical care during the pandemic.

scholarly journals Airborne or Droplet Precautions for Health Workers Treating Coronavirus Disease 2019?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prateek Bahl ◽  
Con Doolan ◽  
Charitha de Silva ◽  
Abrar Ahmad Chughtai ◽  
Lydia Bourouiba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Workers ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Spatial Separation ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
World Health ◽  
Horizontal Distance ◽  
Respiratory Protection ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been reported in more than 200 countries. Thousands of health workers have been infected, and outbreaks have occurred in hospitals, aged care facilities, and prisons. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidelines for contact and droplet precautions for healthcare workers caring for suspected COVID-19 patients, whereas the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has initially recommended airborne precautions. The 1- to 2-meter (≈3–6 feet) rule of spatial separation is central to droplet precautions and assumes that large droplets do not travel further than 2 meters (≈6 feet). We aimed to review the evidence for horizontal distance traveled by droplets and the guidelines issued by the WHO, CDC, and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on respiratory protection for COVID-19. We found that the evidence base for current guidelines is sparse, and the available data do not support the 1- to 2-meter (≈3–6 feet) rule of spatial separation. Of 10 studies on horizontal droplet distance, 8 showed droplets travel more than 2 meters (≈6 feet), in some cases up to 8 meters (≈26 feet). Several studies of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) support aerosol transmission, and 1 study documented virus at a distance of 4 meters (≈13 feet) from the patient. Moreover, evidence suggests that infections cannot neatly be separated into the dichotomy of droplet versus airborne transmission routes. Available studies also show that SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in the air, and remain viable 3 hours after aerosolization. The weight of combined evidence supports airborne precautions for the occupational health and safety of health workers treating patients with COVID-19.

Keeping the flu at bay: Methods for detecting and containing infectious disease

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
Atresha Karra, JD ◽  
Emily Cornette, JD
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
United States ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
The United States ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
World Health ◽  
Reporting Requirements ◽  
The World ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Health Organization

This article focuses on the existing methods for tracking and restricting the spread of communicable diseases, both within United States borders and across nations. It will first describe the roles played by the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization and will then explore how communicable diseases across the world are identified and monitored. This will be followed by a discussion of US and world reporting requirements and methods. Finally, the article will discuss the tactics used by the United States to control the spread of disease.

scholarly journals Outbreak column 21: Tuberculosis (TB): Still a nosocomial threat

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 144-150
Author(s):  
Evonne T Curran
Keyword(s):  
Disease Control ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
World Health ◽  
Nosocomial Transmission ◽  
National Guidance ◽  
The World ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Uk

This outbreak column explores the epidemiology and infection prevention guidance on tuberculosis (TB) in the UK. The column finds that, at present, national guidance leaves UK hospitals ill-prepared to prevent nosocomial TB transmission. Reasons for this conclusion are as follows: (1) while TB is predominantly a disease that affects people with ‘social ills’, it has the potential to infect anyone who is sufficiently exposed; (2) nosocomial transmission is documented throughout history; (3) future nosocomial exposures may involve less treatable disease; and (4) current UK guidance is insufficient to prevent nosocomial transmission and is less than that advocated by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

scholarly journals Early Outbreak Analysis of COVID-19 Epidemic: China and Global Health Perspectives

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samrat Kumar Dey ◽  
Md. Mahbubur Rahman ◽  
Umme Raihan Siddiqi ◽  
Arpita Howlader
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
Exploratory Data Analysis ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
World Health ◽  
Johns Hopkins University ◽  
The World ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Exploratory Data ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Purpose: Globally, there is an obvious concern about the fact that the evolving 2019-nCoV coronavirus is a worldwide public health threat. The appearance in China at the end of 2019 of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; previously provisionally labeled as 2019 novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV) disease (COVID-19) caused a major global outbreak and right now is a major community health issue. As of 8 March 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) data showed that more than 105 500 confirmed cases were reported in over 100 countries/regions, with > 75% of cases being detected in China and >24% of cases detected globally. COVID-19 outbreak is evolving so rapidly; therefore, the available epidemiological data are essential to direct strategies for situational awareness and intervention. Methods: This article will present a visual exploratory data analysis (V-EDA) approach to collect and analyze COVID-19 data on epidemiological outbreaks. Various open data sources on the outbreak of COVID-19 provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Health Commission (NHC), Johns Hopkins University Interactive Dashboard and DXY.cn have been used in this research.Results: Therefore, an Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) with visualizations has been designed and developed in order to understand the number of different cases reported (confirmed, death, and recovered) in different provinces of China and outside of China between 22 January 2020 to 4 March 2020. Various open data sources on the outbreak of COVID-19 provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Health Commission (NHC), Johns Hopkins University Interactive Dashboard and DXY.cn have been used in this research. Conclusion: In all, this is extremely important to promptly spread information to understand the risks of this pandemic and begin containment activities.

scholarly journals Ten commonly asked questions about Covid-19 and lessons learned from Thailand

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pramon Viwattanakulvanid
Keyword(s):  
Symptomatic Treatment ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Treatment And Prevention ◽  
The World ◽  
Village Health Volunteers ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Health Organization

PurposeAs the world faces a new health crisis threatening people with the spread of Covid-19, this study aims to summarize the key information of Covid-19 related to disease characteristics, diagnosis, treatment and prevention along with the lessons learned from Thailand.Design/methodology/approachThe narrative review was synthesized from various sources such as the World Health Organization; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Ministry of Public Health and other related news; articles in ScienceDirect, PubMed, Google Scholar; and the author's perspective regarding the lessons learned from Thailand with keywords of “Covid-19” and “Coronavirus” from January to August 2020. Google Trends was used to set common questions.FindingsCovid-19 is the seventh family of coronaviruses that cause various symptoms related to respiratory systems. The disease can be treated through general and symptomatic treatment, by using antiviral drugs. As of July 2020, there are four potential vaccine candidates ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, mRNA-1273, Ad5-nCOV and BNT162b1. The recommendations for Covid-19 prevention are physical distancing, face masks, eye protection and hand washing. Thailand is now considered as low-risk for Covid-19 possibly because of (1) soft policy by government actions, (2) village health volunteers, (3) integration of technology and (4) fact-based communications.Originality/valueThis study summarized the key points about Covid-19, clarified some misunderstandings and shared strategic actions from Thailand, which can be adapted according to the different capacities and situations in other countries.

COVID-19: Socio-Economic Consequences on the Hospitality Industry in Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-52
Author(s):  
Nur Hidayah Che Ahmat ◽  
Syafiqah Rahamat ◽  
Susan Wohlsdorf Arendt
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Hospitality Industry ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
World Health ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Virus Spread ◽  
The World ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization

The novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) first appeared in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province China before emerging in neighbouring countries in early 2020. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic when the spreading of the virus started accelerating in many parts of the world and killing thousands of people. As of 22nd May 2021, there were more than 166 million confirmed cases with more than 147 million recovered and nearly 3.5 million deaths (Worldometers, n.d.). According to the WHO (2020) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020), the virus easily spreads through coughing and sneezing. Therefore, many countries implemented social distancing between individuals and various other restriction orders or recommendations (e.g., stay-at-home policies, closure of non-essential businesses) to help curb virus spread. How governments in each country reacted to control the spread of the virus appeared crucial to mitigate public health and economic impacts. Keywords: Foodservice, Hospitality, Hotel, Malaysia, Pandemic

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