scholarly journals A simplified SARS-CoV-2 detection protocol for research laboratories

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Paz ◽  
Anastasia Ritchie ◽  
Christopher Mauer ◽  
Janet D. Robishaw ◽  
massimo caputi
Keyword(s):  
Rna Extraction ◽  
Clinical Diagnostics ◽  
Laboratory Research ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
The Us ◽  
Human Labor ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
The Face ◽  
Food And Drugs Administration

Widespread testing is required to limit the current public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple tests protocols have been authorized by the food and drugs administration under an emergency use authorization (EUA). The majority of these protocols are based on the gold-standard RT-qPCR test pioneered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, there is still a widespread lack of testing in the US and many of the clinical diagnostics protocols require extensive human labor and materials, such as RNA extraction kits, that could face supply shortages and present biosafety concerns. Given the need to develop alternative reagents and approaches to allow nucleic-acid testing in the face of heightened demand and potential shortages, we have developed a simplified SARS-CoV-2 testing protocol adapted for its use in laboratory research with minimal molecular biology equipment and expertise. The protocol requires minimal BSL1 biosafety level precautions and facilities.

scholarly journals A simplified SARS-CoV-2 detection protocol for research laboratories

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0244271
Author(s):  
Sean Paz ◽  
Christopher Mauer ◽  
Anastasia Ritchie ◽  
Janet D. Robishaw ◽  
Massimo Caputi
Keyword(s):  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Clinical Diagnostics ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
The Us ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Human Labor ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
The Face ◽  
Food And Drugs Administration

Widespread testing is required to limit the current public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple tests protocols have been authorized by the food and drugs administration (FDA) under an emergency use authorization (EUA). The majority of these protocols are based on the gold-standard RT-qPCR test pioneered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, there is still a widespread lack of testing in the US and many of the clinical diagnostics protocols require extensive human labor and materials that could face supply shortages and present biosafety concerns. Given the need to develop alternative reagents and approaches to provide nucleic-acid testing in the face of heightened demand and potential shortages, we have developed a simplified SARS-CoV-2 testing protocol adapted for its use in research laboratories with minimal molecular biology equipment and expertise. The protocol utilizes TRIzol to purify the viral RNA from different types of clinical specimens, requires minimal BSL-1 precautions and, given its high sensitivity, can be easily adapted to pooling samples strategies.

Communications and Politics

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua M. Sharfstein
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Political Judgment ◽  
Political Leaders ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
Centers For Disease Control

An effective communications approach starts with a basic dictum set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Be first, be right, be credible.” Agencies must establish themselves as vital sources of accurate information to maintain the public’s trust. At the same time, public health officials must recognize that communications play out in the context of ideological debates, electoral rivalries, and other political considerations. During a public health crisis, this means that health officials often need to constructively engage political leaders in communications and management. Navigating these waters in the middle of a crisis can be treacherous. Figuring out the best way to engage elected leaders is a core aspect of political judgment.

Suga will hold Japan steady in short term only

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Presidential Election ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Policy Initiatives ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
The Us ◽  
Us Presidential Election

Significance He leaves office having failed to achieve his ambition to reform Japan’s constitution, and is widely seen as having mismanaged the most serious public health crisis in decades. Impacts New foreign policy initiatives are unlikely until after the US presidential election. Abe could make a decision before leaving office on whether Japan should acquire pre-emptive strike capabilities. No moves on constitution revision are likely for the next twelve months at least. Japan would be at a disadvantage if a foreign policy crisis were to occur in the next twelve months, and the next few weeks in particular. Whether the Olympics next summer go well will have some influence on whether Suga stays on as leader.

scholarly journals Infected surfaces as a source of transmissible material in healthcare settings dealing with COVID 19 patients

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gulab Dattarao Khedkar ◽  
Pramod Bajaj ◽  
Amol Kalyankar ◽  
Rajeshree Deolalikar ◽  
Vikram Khilare ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Active Surface ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Viral Shedding ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Route Of Transmission ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Infection Control And Prevention ◽  
Selection Of

The disease COVID-19 has turned out to be a tremendous slayer and has had some of the most devastating impacts on human beings ever seen in history. To overcome this major public health crisis, an understanding of the transmission of the virus underlying this disease is of paramount importance. Evidence suggests that the most common route of transmission for the SARS-CoV-2 virus is likely via direct contact in person-to-person encounter with aerosol droplets. However, the possibility of transmission via contact with fomites from surfaces is a possible route of infection as well. Environmental contamination in rooms with COVID-19 patient has been widely observed due to viral shedding from both asymptomatic and symptomatic patients. Also, in hospitals, SARS-CoV-2 is known to survive on various surfaces for extended periods of time. Because repetitive contact cycles can spread the virus from one surface to the other in healthcare settings, here we evaluated contamination on different types of surfaces commonly found in healthcare settings. Also, based on various datasets, we analyzed the importance of various surfaces in transmission modalities. Based on the findings of this study, decontamination of surfaces that frequently are in touch contact throughout all segments of the healthcare system should constitute an important part of the infection control and prevention of COVID-19. We also recommend the selection of a non-reactive disinfectant for hospital monitors, devices, ventilators and computers so that active surface disinfection can be effected without damage to the devices.

scholarly journals Bioethics and COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 29-35
Author(s):  
Arianna Omaña-Covarrubias ◽  
Michelle Acosta Meneses ◽  
Adrián Moya- Escalera ◽  
Lydia López -Pontigo
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health System ◽  
Life Sciences ◽  
Entire Population ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
Hygiene Measures ◽  
The Face

The term bioethics can be defined as a discipline that studies the dimensions of morals, decisions, behaviour and policies of the life sciences and health care. Its objective is auxiliary, guiding on the implications of phenome, where infinite dilemmatic situations arise. The crisis that is currently facing the current pandemic is a public health crisis. The priority in the face of this crisis should be the health system and its professionals. To overcome this crisis, it is not only a matter of public authorities and powers. It is essential that the entire population implements the bioethics exercise, complying with the isolation and hygiene measures, whatever has been determined where they have been adopted.

scholarly journals Alternatives to Arrest for Illicit Opioid Use: A Joint Criminal Justice and Healthcare Treatment Collaboration

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 117822182095339
Author(s):  
Andrea J Yatsco ◽  
Rachel D Garza ◽  
Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer ◽  
James R Langabeer
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Opioid Use Disorder ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
The Us ◽  
History Of ◽  
Illicit Opioid Use

Opioid overdoses continue to be a leading cause of death in the US. This public health crisis warrants innovative responses to help prevent fatal overdose. There is continued advocacy for collaborations between public health partners to create joint responses. The high correlation between persons with opioid use disorder who have a history of involvement in the criminal justice system is widely recognized, and allows for treatment intervention opportunities. Law enforcement-led treatment initiatives are still relatively new, with a few sparse early programs emerging almost a decade ago and only gaining popularity in the past few years. A lack of published methodologies creates a gap in the knowledge of applied programs that are effective and can be duplicated. This article seeks to outline an interagency relationship between police and healthcare that illustrates arrest is not the only option that law enforcement may utilize when encountering persons who use illicit substances. Program methods of a joint initiative between law enforcement and healthcare in a large, metropolitan area will be reviewed, supplemented with law enforcement overdose data and statistics on law enforcement treatment referrals.

scholarly journals Mask-wearing increased after a government recommendation: A natural experiment in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew H. Goldberg ◽  
Abel Gustafson ◽  
Edward Maibach ◽  
Matthew Thomas Ballew ◽  
Parrish Bergquist ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protective Behaviors ◽  
Buying Behavior ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
Percentage Points ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The U.S

On April 3 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that all Americans wear face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The announcement came during the fielding of a large, nationally-representative survey (N = 3,933) of Americans’ COVID-19-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, providing an opportunity to measure the impact of the CDC’s recommendation on public reported mask wearing and buying behavior. The study found significant increases in reported mask wearing (+12 percentage points) and mask buying (+7 points). These findings indicate the speed with which government recommendations can affect the adoption of protective behaviors by the public. The results demonstrate the importance of national leadership and communication during a public health crisis.

Debt and politics will foil Puerto Rico statehood bid

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Economic Stability ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Us Congress ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
The Us ◽  
Lift Off ◽  
Progressive Party ◽  
Spending Cuts

Significance Under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) passed by the US Congress earlier this year, the oversight board can set the island’s fiscal policy independent of the insular government should no agreement be reached. Garcia Padilla will depart office in January and a governor from the pro-statehood New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico (PNP), Ricardo Rossello, will inherit the management of complex federal-commonwealth arrangements and the island’s economic and social crisis, as Puerto Rico restructures over 70 billion dollars in debt. Impacts Republican plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act (‘Obamacare’) would worsen Puerto Rico’s public health crisis. The Federal Reserve’s interest rate lift-off will punish US sub-national borrowers that have thus far avoided difficult spending cuts. Across-the-board US tax cuts, absent special measures, would see potential investors look to the mainland, rather than Puerto Rico.

scholarly journals Sick and Shut In: Incarceration During a Public Health Crisis

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 647-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Apryl A. Alexander ◽  
Hailey Allo ◽  
Hannah Klukoff
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
The United States ◽  
World Health ◽  
Correctional Facilities ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
Federal Prisons ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Correctional Settings ◽  
Health Organization

COVID-19, the latest infectious coronavirus disease, was discovered in December of 2019 in Wuhan, China, and has rapidly reached pandemic levels. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have released recommendations to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, including hand washing, covering coughs, and social/physical distancing, but what happens to those who are incarcerated? Over 1.4 million adults in the United States are currently incarcerated in state and federal prisons and over 80,000 individuals are incarcerated in local jails. Correctional settings are often deprived, overcrowded, and unsanitary environments, which do not lend themselves to the prevention, treatment, or recovery from illness. Incarcerated individuals are at a much higher risk to become infected due to a variety of factors, such as generally higher rates of chronic conditions than the community and overall lack of screening for certain illnesses. The present article discusses how smart decarceration tactics, such as compassionate release, offer options to compensate for overcrowding in correctional facilities and reducing the spread of COVID-19.

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