The Attack on Health and Science Institutions

2021 ◽  
pp. 303-332
Author(s):  
Sara E. Gorman ◽  
Jack M. Gorman
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
World Health ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Impossible Task ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
High Level ◽  
Federal Administration ◽  
Very High

One of our most trusted sources of accurate scientific information has always been the federal and international scientific regulatory agencies charged with protecting and improving our health and safety. These include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). After being chronically underfunded for many years, these agencies have been assaulted by anti-science forces within the previous United States federal administration. Today, many people have lost what was once a very high level of confidence in these agencies. It will be a difficult, but far from impossible, task for a new federal administration to restore them to the positions of trust they once held.

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.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Infection and Its Influence in Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (04) ◽  
pp. e527-e534
Author(s):  
Daniella Parilli-Troconis ◽  
Peter Baptista ◽  
Marcel Marcano-Lozada ◽  
Stefania Goncalves ◽  
David Shahal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Head And Neck ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Neck Surgery ◽  
Head And Neck Surgery ◽  
World Health ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Surgery Patient ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Introduction The novel coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has rapidly spread worldwide, challenging healthcare resources and communities to an unprecedent degree. Simultaneously, the amount of clinical and scientific information released has overwhelmed journal platforms. Objectives This review aims to summarize the available diagnostic tools and current guidelines to safely assist patients while limiting the exposure of otolaryngologists during this pandemic. Data Synthesis Key articles were retrieved from the following databases: PubMed, Lancet, Springer Nature, BioMed Central, JAMA network and MEDLINE, as well as updated documents from the Spanish Ministry of Health, World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Spanish Association of Surgeons, ENT-UK, American College of Surgeons, and American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. The terms used for the search were: COVID-19, Test COVID, Surgery in COVID, 2019-nCoV, ‘coronavirus’, and SARS-CoV-2. A total of 10,245 papers were retrieved. The inclusion criteria for the review included: COVID-19 testing (n = 531), society guidelines for otolaryngology-head and neck surgery patient care in the outpatient clinic (n = 10) and surgical (n = 18) settings. Studies not related to COVID-19 diagnosis were excluded. Conclusion Healthcare institutions around the world are outlining their own protocols regarding laboratory testing and personnel protective equipment usage based upon medical societies recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have summarized the available laboratory tests and their respective sensitivity and specificity. Moreover, clinical guidelines from different societies were reviewed and summarized to facilitate guidance for otolaryngologists in the operating room and in the clinical settings.

Preventing Premature Weaning: Management Options for Common Lactation Conditions, Including OMT

2020 ◽  
pp. 20-25
Author(s):  
Denise Sackett ◽  
Tala Dajani ◽  
David Shoup ◽  
Uzoma Ikonne
Keyword(s):  
Postpartum Depression ◽  
Family Physician ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
World Health ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Pharmacological Management ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Lactational Mastitis ◽  
One Year ◽  
Health Organization

The benefits of breastfeeding are well established. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that mothers breastfeed infants for at least one year, but most children are not breastfed that long because of many factors. Breastfeeding mothers face many challenges to continued breastfeeding, including medical conditions that arise during this period, such as postpartum depression and lactational mastitis. Because of a perceived lack of consistent guidance on medication safety, it can be difficult for the family physician to treat these conditions while encouraging mothers to continue breastfeeding. The purpose of the current review is to summarize and clarify treatment options for the osteopathic family physician treating lactating mothers. We specifically focus on the pharmacological management of contraception, postpartum depression, and lactational mastitis.

How India Fights with COVID-19 with Learning from Highly Affected Countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pooja Sharma ◽  
Karan Veer
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Gene Sequencing ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
World Health ◽  
Global Risk ◽  
The World ◽  
Global Risk Assessment ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Very High ◽  
Breathing Problem

: It was 11 March 2020 when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the name COVID-19 for coronavirus disease and also described it as a pandemic. Till that day 118,000 cases were confirmed of pneumonia with breathing problem throughout the world. At the start of New Year when COVID-19 came into knowledge a few days later, the gene sequencing of the virus was revealed. Today the number of confirmed cases is scary, i.e. 9,472,473 in the whole world and 484,236 deaths have been recorded by WHO till 26 June 2020. WHO's global risk assessment is very high [1]. The report is enlightening the lessons learned by India from the highly affected countries.

Non-Communicable Diseases and Global Health Politics

2019 ◽  
pp. 626-659
Author(s):  
Roger Magnusson
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Diseases ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
World Health ◽  
Global Response ◽  
Non Communicable Diseases ◽  
Health Politics ◽  
Chronic Respiratory Diseases ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
High Level ◽  
And Control

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes, are responsible for around 70 percent of global deaths each year. This chapter describes how NCDs have become prevalent and critically evaluates global efforts to address NCDs and their risk factors, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations (UN) system. It explores the factors that have prevented those addressing NCDs from achieving access to resources and a priority commensurate with their impact on people’s lives. The chapter evaluates the global response to NCDs both prior to and since the UN High-Level Meeting on Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases, held in 2011, and considers opportunities for strengthening that response in future.

scholarly journals Study of Well Waters from High-Level Natural Radiation Areas in Northern Vietnam

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 469
Author(s):  
Van-Hao Duong ◽  
Thanh-Duong Nguyen ◽  
Miklos Hegedus ◽  
Erika Kocsis ◽  
Tibor Kovacs
Keyword(s):  
Natural Radionuclide ◽  
World Health ◽  
Natural Radiation ◽  
Lifetime Cancer Risk ◽  
Northern Vietnam ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
High Level ◽  
Radiological Hazard Indices ◽  
Well Waters

The determination of natural radionuclide concentrations plays an important role for assuring public health and in the estimation of the radiological hazards. This is especially true for high level radiation areas. In this study, 226Ra, 228Ra and 238U concentrations were measured in well waters surrounding eight of the high-level natural radiation areas in northern Vietnam. The 226Ra, 228Ra and 238U activity concentrations vary from <1.2 × 10−3–2.7 (0.46), <2.6 × 10−3–0.43 (0.07) and <38 × 10−3–5.32 Bq/L (0.50 of median), respectively. 226Ra and 238U isotopes in most areas are in equilibrium, except for the DT-Thai Nguyen area. The calculated radiological hazard indices are generally higher than WHO (World Health Organization) recommendations. Average annual effective dose and excess lifetime cancer risk values due to drinking well water range from to 130 to 540 μSv/year and 7.4 × 10−6 to 3.1 × 10−5, respectively.

scholarly journals Can Communication Strategies Combat COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy with Trade-Off between Public Service Messages and Public Skepticism? Experimental Evidence from Pakistan

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 757
Author(s):  
Qiang Jin ◽  
Syed Hassan Raza ◽  
Muhammad Yousaf ◽  
Umer Zaman ◽  
Jenny Marisa Lim Dao Siang
Keyword(s):  
Public Service ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Media Type ◽  
Downward Spiral ◽  
Media Types ◽  
Health Organization

The COVID-19 pandemic may have reached a turning point as the World Health Organization and the global community of nations step up plans for mass vaccination campaigns. However, the COVID-19 vaccine-related conspiracy theories (e.g., falsehoods about birth control, women infertility, surveillance, and microchip humanity, etc.) have built new momentum for vaccine hesitancy. To this end, several nations worldwide, including Pakistan, are struggling to boost public trust and enthusiasm to get vaccinated, especially in an anxious and complicated atmosphere propelled by multiple, new and the deadliest variants of COVID-19. To address this critical research gap during these intensifying conditions of vaccine hesitancy, the present study makes the first attempt to explore the potential effects of various communication strategies, including public service message (safety benefits versus fear appraisals), media types (i.e., traditional versus digital), self-efficacy, perceived benefits and threats (susceptibility and severity), on the willingness to get vaccinated for COVID-19. Importantly, the underlying effects of public skepticism (in a moderating role) on these relationships were empirically examined. Using four fictitious COVID-19 immunization campaigns in a series of experiments with 2 (media type: traditional vs. digital) X 2 (service attribute: health and safety benefits vs. fear) message frames (represented as Group one to Group four), the findings identified fear appraisal as the most viable communication strategy in combating vaccine hesitancy. Moreover, public skepticism negatively moderated the effects of media types and public service message attributes on willingness to get vaccinated in relatively high (i.e., Group two), moderate (i.e., Group one and four), and low intensities (i.e., Group three). The pioneering findings of this research offer new strategic insights for the global health authorities and vaccine promoters to proactively address the downward spiral of people’s willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

scholarly journals Occupational health risk among healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic: actions to limit the risk

2021 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eman Casper
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
World Health ◽  
High Morbidity ◽  
Wuhan City ◽  
Coronavirus Infection ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Respiratory Droplets ◽  
Very High

AbstractThe World Health Organization declared coronavirus infection 2019 (COVID-19) as a pandemic in March 2020. The infection with coronavirus started in Wuhan city, China, in December 2019. As of October 2020, the disease was reported in 235 countries. The coronavirus infection 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease with high morbidity and mortality. As of February 2021, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally is 102,942,987 and 2,232,233 deaths according to WHO report. This infection is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is a ribonucleic acid (RNA) β-coronavirus. The infection is mainly transmitted through respiratory droplets.Healthcare workers (HCWs) play an essential role at the front lines, providing care for patients infected with this highly transmittable disease. They are exposed to very high occupational health risk as they frequently contact the infective persons. In order to limit the number of infected cases and deaths among healthcare workers, it is crucial to have better awareness, optimistic attitude, efficient PPE, and adequate health practices about COVID-19.

Fatmisia and Clinical Counseling Decision-Making in Master’s-Level Counselor Trainees

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 336-353
Author(s):  
Kaitlyn M. Forristal ◽  
John M. Laux ◽  
Madeline Clark ◽  
Jennifer L. Reynolds ◽  
Taylor M. Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Short Form ◽  
Counselor Trainees ◽  
World Health ◽  
Master's Level ◽  
Clinical Counseling ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Weight Bias Internalization ◽  
Fat Phobia ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Relationship

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have documented an increase in fat people in recent decades, which is being met with a backlash of anti-fat biases, or fatmisia. Fatmisia is prevalent in most aspects of society, especially among fat people who have internalized fatmisia. Utilizing a diagnostic questionnaire in combination with the Fat Phobia Scale–Short Form and the Weight Bias Internalization Scale, this study explored the relationship between client body size, the presence of a major depressive disorder (MDD) diagnosis, and if applicable, the severity of MDD symptoms assigned by counselor trainees (N = 113). Results were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and covariance. This sample (N = 113) significantly differed in diagnoses assigned to obese clients by assigning more severe MDD. Study limitations and implications are discussed.

scholarly journals Impact of External Quality Assurance on the Quality of Xpert MTB/RIF Testing in Viet Nam

2018 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vidyanidhi Gumma ◽  
Kyle DeGruy ◽  
Davara Bennett ◽  
Thanh Nguyen Thi Kim ◽  
Heidi Albert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Production Capacity ◽  
Control Program ◽  
External Quality Assurance ◽  
World Health ◽  
External Quality ◽  
National Tuberculosis ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Health Organization

ABSTRACT Following the endorsement of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2010, Viet Nam’s National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTP) began using GeneXpert instruments in NTP laboratories. In 2013, Viet Nam’s NTP implemented an Xpert MTB/RIF external quality assurance (EQA) program in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND). Proficiency-testing (PT) panels comprising five dried tube specimens (DTS) were sent to participating sites approximately twice a year from October 2013 to July 2016. The number of enrolled laboratories increased from 22 to 39 during the study period. Testing accuracy was assessed by comparing reported and expected results; percentage scores were assigned; and feedback reports were provided to sites. On-site evaluation (OSE) was conducted for underperforming laboratories. The results from the first five rounds demonstrate the positive impact of PT and targeted OSE visits on testing quality. On average, for every additional round of feedback, the odds of achieving PT scores of ≥80% increased 2.04-fold (95% confidence interval, 1.39- to 3.00-fold). Future work will include scaling up PT to all sites and maintaining the performance of participating laboratories while developing local panel production capacity.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document