scholarly journals Rapid epidemic expansion of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in southern Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel Viana ◽  
Sikhulile Moyo ◽  
Daniel Gyamfi Amoako ◽  
Houriiyah Tegally ◽  
Cathrine Scheepers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Transmission Dynamics ◽  
World Health ◽  
Genomic Profile ◽  
Gauteng Province ◽  
Population Immunity ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic in southern Africa has been characterised by three distinct waves. The first was associated with a mix of SARS-CoV-2 lineages, whilst the second and third waves were driven by the Beta and Delta variants respectively. In November 2021, genomic surveillance teams in South Africa and Botswana detected a new SARS-CoV-2 variant associated with a rapid resurgence of infections in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Within three days of the first genome being uploaded, it was designated a variant of concern (Omicron) by the World Health Organization and, within three weeks, had been identified in 87 countries. The Omicron variant is exceptional for carrying over 30 mutations in the spike glycoprotein, predicted to influence antibody neutralization and spike function4. Here, we describe the genomic profile and early transmission dynamics of Omicron, highlighting the rapid spread in regions with high levels of population immunity.

scholarly journals Importance of immunoglobulin therapy for COVID-19 patients with lymphocytopenia

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heba K. Nabih
Keyword(s):  
Passive Immunization ◽  
Immunoglobulin Therapy ◽  
World Health ◽  
Clinical Feature ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Plasma Therapy ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Background The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was announced as pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). With the increased number of infected and dead victims daily all over the world, it becomes necessary to stop or overcome its rapid spread. Main body Although the production of vaccine or even specified effective anti-virus may take about six months to a year, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) may be clinically used as a safe treatment to save and improve the quality of life of patients with a variety of immunodeficiency diseases such as lymphocytopenia, which is a common clinical feature in COVID-19. Conclusion Through the current review, it was concluded that this passive immunization may promote the immunity to better fight against the virus, so the survival of the patients could be kept longer. The efficacy of immunotherapy with IVIg would be greater if the immune IgG antibodies were collected from convalescent plasma therapy.

scholarly journals Adolescent mothers’ utilisation of reproductive health services in the Gauteng province of the republic of South Africa

Curationis ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
VJ Ehlers ◽  
T Maja ◽  
E Sellers ◽  
M Gololo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Adolescent Mothers ◽  
Termination Of Pregnancy ◽  
World Health ◽  
Reproductive Health Services ◽  
Gauteng Province ◽  
Emergency Contraceptive ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Health Organization

A financial grant was received from the World Health Organization (WHO) during 1998 to establish whether adolescent mothers (aged 19 or younger at the birth of their babies) utilized contraceptive, emergency contraceptive and termination of pregnancy (TOP) services in the Republic of South Africa (RSA). This report refers to data obtained from 111 questionnaires completed by dolescent mothers between January 2000 and May 2000 in the Gauteng Province; 61 in the Pretoria and 50 in the Garankuwa areas, and excluding the 12 completed questionnaires used foi pretesting the research instrument. The biographic data of the 111 adolescent mothers indicated that the minority were married, employed or earned sufficient income to care for themselves and their babies. However, the minority used contraceptives prior to conception, none used emergency contraceptives or termination of pregnancy (TOP) services. The minority attended ante-natal clinics five or more times during their pregnancies, and a negligible number indicated that they had ever been treated for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). These findings indicate that the 111 adolescent mothers in Gauteng who participated in this survey did not make optimum use of the available reproductive health (RH) care services. Education about sex, pregnancy and contraceptives should commence at the age of 10, but no later than the age of 12 as the majority of respondents did not have the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions about their futures. The accessibility of contraceptive, emergency contraceptive and TOP services for adolescents should be investigated in specific areas and attempts made to enhance such accessi- bility. This might necessitate offering these services over weeker| ds or during evenings when school girls could attend without fear of meeting their mothers, aunts or teachers at these clinics.

scholarly journals Coronavirus Disease 2019 Occupational Considerations for Surgeons: A Review Article

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-41
Author(s):  
Seyed Hesamaddin Banihashemi ◽  
Ahmadreza Karimi ◽  
Hasti Nikourazm ◽  
Behnaz Bahmanyar ◽  
Dariush Hooshyar
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
Medical Staff ◽  
Review Article ◽  
World Health ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
And Control

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus and its associated disease, called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), first appeared in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and quickly spread around the world. Coronavirus was officially named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization and was recognized as a pandemic due to its rapid spread worldwide. Based on the published data, it is hoped to provide a source for later studies and to help prevent and control the contagious COVID-19 and its characteristics, and considerations that surgeons and medical staff must observe during the epidemic.

scholarly journals Wellness Constraints Among International University Students Transitioning Through Covid 19

2021 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 3444-3456
Author(s):  
Mr J Dorasamy, Et. al.
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
World Health ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
The World ◽  
International University ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization

The World Health Organization (Who) In March 2020 Declared Covid 19 A Pandemic, Due To The  Global And Rapid Spread Of A Novel Coronavirus (Who, 2020). The Covid 19 Pandemic Being Highly Infectious And Unpredictable, Has  Disrupted  Social, Economic, Environmental And Political Spheres Of Life. Globally, People Have Ventured Into A “Lockdown World”, Increasing Uncertainty About Their Future Amidst The Covid 19 Pandemic. As A Result Of The Pandemic, Social Alteration Has Taken The Form Of Social Distancing, Self-Isolation And Self-Quarantine.  Many Were Unprepared For The Shift From The “Normal”, Propelling  Undue  Stress Under The New Normal Way Of Doing Things During The Current Global Pandemic Crisis. This Has Been Accompanied By Social, Emotional And Mental Effects, As The Ongoing And Fluid Nature Of The Pandemic Has Created Uncertainty For Many People. The Covid 19 Pandemic, As A Multidimensional Stressor Affecting Wellbeing, Has Affected Individuals, Families, Educational, Occupational, And Broader Societal Systems.  

scholarly journals United Kingdom–East and Southern Africa Partnership at the Forefront of Developing the First Ever Test that Measures Patient Tuberculosis Burden in Hours

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-8
Author(s):  
Wilber Sabiiti
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Patient Management ◽  
Bacterial Load ◽  
World Health ◽  
Great Opportunity ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Uk

  Mycobacterium tuberculosis has caused tuberculosis (TB) in humans for at least 3 millennia, but the disease has evaded eradication efforts by all human civilisations despite promising technological advancements. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a target of ending the TB epidemic by 2035. Going by the current rate of progress, it is estimated that it will take another 160 years to realise the WHO End TB Strategy’s target. Accelerating the eradication of TB will require effective tools for diagnosis, vaccines and medicines to treat the disease, and efficient implementation thereof. This presents a great opportunity for innovators in East Africa and the world over to chip in and develop the best technologies to end TB. With funding from the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP), partnerships between the UK-based University of St Andrews and research institutions in East and Southern Africa have led to the development of the first ever test – the molecular bacterial load assay (MBLA) – that measures the number of TB bacteria in a patient and reveals if this number is declining as a patient progresses on treatment. Initial assay results are available within 4 hours. Real-time knowledge of patient mycobacterial burden and the effectiveness of prescribed medications are crucial for timely clinical decisions on patient management.

scholarly journals United Kingdom–East and Southern Africa Partnership at the Forefront of Developing the First Ever Test that Measures Patient Tuberculosis Burden in Hours

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-8
Author(s):  
Wilber Sabiiti
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Patient Management ◽  
Bacterial Load ◽  
World Health ◽  
Great Opportunity ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Uk

  Mycobacterium tuberculosis has caused tuberculosis (TB) in humans for at least 3 millennia, but the disease has evaded eradication efforts by all human civilisations despite promising technological advancements. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a target of ending the TB epidemic by 2035. Going by the current rate of progress, it is estimated that it will take another 160 years to realise the WHO End TB Strategy’s target. Accelerating the eradication of TB will require effective tools for diagnosis, vaccines and medicines to treat the disease, and efficient implementation thereof. This presents a great opportunity for innovators in East Africa and the world over to chip in and develop the best technologies to end TB. With funding from the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP), partnerships between the UK-based University of St Andrews and research institutions in East and Southern Africa have led to the development of the first ever test – the molecular bacterial load assay (MBLA) – that measures the number of TB bacteria in a patient and reveals if this number is declining as a patient progresses on treatment. Initial assay results are available within 4 hours. Real-time knowledge of patient mycobacterial burden and the effectiveness of prescribed medications are crucial for timely clinical decisions on patient management.

scholarly journals Homology Models of the Papain-Like Protease PLpro from Coronavirus 2019-nCoV

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Stoermer
Keyword(s):  
Viral Genome ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
World Health ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
The World ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
3Cl Protease ◽  
Bat Coronavirus ◽  
Homology Models

The December 2019 outbreak of pneumonia in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China was rapidly linked to a novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV. The rapid spread and severity of the virus has led the World Health Organization to declare it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. We recently described the first homology models of the main 3CL protease from 2019-nCoV, and now present models of the other viral protease, the papain-like protease or PLpro. Whilst the overall viral genome is most closely associated with bat coronaviruses, no bat PLpro crystal structures are known. Wuhan 2019-nCoV PLpro is most closely related to a bat coronavirus PLpro (97% identity), then SARS (80 %) and MERS (29%) and the most promising models presented here are prepared from SARS crystal structure templates.

scholarly journals Knowledge Hiding: One of the Primary Reasons behind the Rapid Spread of the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-177
Author(s):  
Abraham Cyril Issac
Keyword(s):  
World Health ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
The World ◽  
Human Tendency ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Cordon Sanitaire ◽  
Knowledge Hiding ◽  
Different Sources

Abstract The world is battling out the pandemic of Covid-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) is jointly acting upon the same daily, which is evident from the ‘situation reports.’ The pandemic, which saw its origin in Wuhan, has spread across the world within a short span of under two months. While the pandemic has effectively instilled a situation of cordon sanitaire across the globe, the virus seems to show no respite. This study collates different sources and establishes the human tendency of knowledge hiding as the prime reason for the spread of such colossal magnitudes. The study underlines the notion by examining some of the critical cases and situations that have unfolded in the very recent past.

scholarly journals Homology Models of the Papain-Like Protease PLpro from Coronavirus 2019-nCoV

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Stoermer
Keyword(s):  
Viral Genome ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
World Health ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
The World ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
3Cl Protease ◽  
Bat Coronavirus ◽  
Homology Models

The December 2019 outbreak of pneumonia in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China was rapidly linked to a novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV. The rapid spread and severity of the virus has led the World Health Organization to declare it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. We recently described the first homology models of the main 3CL protease from 2019-nCoV, and now present models of the other viral protease, the papain-like protease or PLpro. Whilst the overall viral genome is most closely associated with bat coronaviruses, no bat PLpro crystal structures are known. Wuhan 2019-nCoV PLpro is most closely related to a bat coronavirus PLpro (97% identity), then SARS (80 %) and MERS (29%) and the most promising models presented here are prepared from SARS crystal structure templates.

scholarly journals Semiotic Analysis of Video COVID-19 by World Health Organization

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (7) ◽  
pp. 145-151
Author(s):  
Vista Octarensa ◽  
Muhammad Aras
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
World Health ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Social Analysis ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Semiotic Analysis ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Purpose: This research discusses the semiotic social analysis in a video titled "COVID-19" released by the World Health Organization. COVID-19 is a virus that has become a global pandemic. Very rapid spread makes the WHO issued recommendations to minimize outside activities in the form of social campaigns against the community. World Health Organization released a video titled "COVID-19" on the official youtube channel. The research approach: using a semiotic analysis method with the constructivist paradigm. Semiotic is a sign of science that has consisted of two elements, Signifier and Signified. In a social campaign video, it has a distinct meaning of communication. In this study, semiotics will explain the meaning of visual communication in videos released by the World Health Organization. The results of the study: indicate that semiotic analysis can reveal the signification meaning of the sign in the video campaign. World Health Organization can emphasize the word StayIn and convince people to continue to do social distancing. The World Health Organization explains that by doing five acts, everyone can be heroic against the pandemic. The five acts can be done by hiding in-home, laying down, playing games, staring on anythings. Simple acts can bring a significant impact to all.

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