scholarly journals Concerns around public health recommendations on face mask use among individuals who are not medically diagnosed with COVID-19 supported by a systematic review search for evidence.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keshini Madara Marasinghe
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Global Alignment ◽  
The World ◽  
Guidelines And Recommendations

Abstract BackgroundContradicting and inconsistent public health recommendations regarding face mask use have been provided to individuals who are not yet medically diagnosed with COVID-19, which is significantly a large population. Face masks are being used by individuals who are not medically diagnosed with COVID-19 as a means to limit the spread of COVID-19 in several countries around the world. While some countries recommend the use of face masks, other countries strictly do not recommend their use to limit the transmission of COVID-19 among individuals who are not medically diagnosed with COVID-19. This paper critically analyses public health recommendations provided to this population regarding face mask use by public health and health professionals of different countries supported by a systematic review that searched for evidence on face mask use among this specific population in limiting the spread of COVID-19.MethodsTo carry out the systematic review portion of this paper, databases Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus were searched for relevant studies. Two groups of keywords were combined: those relating to face masks and COVID-19.ResultsThe systematic review search did not find any studies that investigated the effectiveness of face mask use in limiting the spread of COVID-19 among those who are not medically diagnosed with COVID-19 to support current public health recommendations.ConclusionsThe finding of the systematic review search, which is a lack of scientific evidence, questions the basis of inconsistent public health recommendations that have been provided to the public at a very early yet a crucial stage of an outbreak. A closer attention need to be given to the procedures and practices behind providing public health guidelines and recommendations during an outbreak by public health and health professionals around the world. This paper calls for 1) evidence-based public health recommendations; 2) considerations when providing public health recommendations in the absence of evidence; 3) evidence and knowledge transparency on current public health recommendations; 4) global alignment on public health recommendations; and 5) further research to strengthen public health recommendations.

scholarly journals Face mask use among individuals who are not medically diagnosed with COVID-19: A lack of evidence for and against and implications around early public health

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keshini Madara Marasinghe
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Healthy Individuals ◽  
Infectious Disease Outbreak ◽  
Public Health Professionals ◽  
Benefit Risk Assessment ◽  
The World

Aim: Since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, public health professionals from around the world have been making decisions on face mask use among individuals who are not medically diagnosed with COVID- 19 or "healthy individuals" to limit the spread of COVID-19. While some countries have strongly recommended face masks for "healthy individuals", other countries have recommended against it. Public health recommendations that have been provided to this population since the beginning of the outbreak have been controversial, contradicting, and inconsistent around the world. The purpose of this paper is to understand available evidence around the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of face mask use in limiting the spread of COVID-19 among individuals who have not yet been diagnosed with COVID-19 and most importantly, to understand the state of knowledge early public health recommendations are based on. Materials and Methods: A systematic review was conducted to identify studies that investigated the use of face masks to limit the spread of COVID-19 among "healthy individuals" in order to understand available evidence using the databases Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus. Two groups of keywords were combined: Those relating to COVID-19 and face masks. Results: No studies were found, demonstrating a lack of evidence for and against face mask use suggesting implications around early public health recommendations provided to "healthy individuals". Conclusion: Three and a half months into the COVID-19 outbreak (December 2019-2nd week of April 2020), there are no peer-reviewed scientific studies that have investigated the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of face mask use among "healthy individuals" to limit the spread of COVID-19. Yet, very strong public health recommendations have been provided on whether "healthy individuals" should or should not wear face masks to limit the spread of COVID-19 since the beginning of the outbreak. A lack of scientific evidence for and against face mask use heavily questions the basis of public health recommendations provided at a very early, yet a crucial stage of an outbreak. This finding and a further look at early public health recommendations conclude that there is a clear need for more concentrated research around face mask use among healthy individuals and public health recommendations that are evidence-based; precautionary in the absence of evidence; based on benefit-risk assessment; transparent; and globally aligned to provide the most successful guidelines during an infectious disease outbreak.

scholarly journals A systematic review investigating the effectiveness of face mask use in limiting the spread of COVID-19 among medically not diagnosed individuals: shedding light on current recommendations provided to individuals not medically diagnosed with COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keshini Madara Marasinghe
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Global Alignment ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Specific Population ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Specific Virus

Abstract BackgroundFace masks are being used by individuals who are not medically diagnosed with COVID-19 as a means to limit the spread of COVID-19 in several countries around the world. While some countries recommend the use of face masks, other countries do not recommend their use to limit the transmission of COVID-19 among this specific population. Because of contradicting recommendations provided by health authorities of different countries, this paper aims to investigate the availability of scientific evidence on the effectiveness of face mask use in limiting the spread of COVID-19 among individuals who are not medically diagnosed with COVID-19 through a systematic review search. This paper will further discuss concerns around current recommendations provided to those who are not medically diagnosed with COVID-19 regarding face mask use in the context of available evidence.MethodsTo carry out the systematic review on the effectiveness of face mask use in limiting the spread of COVID-19 among individuals who are not medically diagnosed with COVID-19, databases Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus were searched for relevant studies. Two groups of keywords were combined: those relating to face masks and COVID-19.ResultsThe systematic review search did not find any studies that investigated the effectiveness of face mask use in limiting the spread of this specific virus, COVID-19 among this specific population, those who are not medically diagnosed with COVID-19.ConclusionsIn light of the finding of this systematic review search, which is a lack of scientific evidence on the effectiveness of face masks in limiting the spread of COVID-19 among those who are not medically diagnosed with COVID-19, the significance of this finding is highlighted and extensively discussed in this paper. This paper calls for, but does not limit to; 1) evidence-based recommendations; 2) considerations when providing recommendations in the absence of evidence; 3) evidence and knowledge transparency on current recommendations with the public; 4) global alignment on recommendations; and 5) further research.

scholarly journals A systematic review investigating the effectiveness of face mask use in limiting the spread of COVID-19 among medically not diagnosed individuals: shedding light on current recommendations provided to individuals not medically diagnosed with COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keshini Madara Marasinghe
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Global Alignment ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Specific Population ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Specific Virus

Abstract BackgroundFace masks are being used by individuals who are not medically diagnosed with COVID-19 as a means to limit the spread of COVID-19 in several countries around the world. While some countries recommend the use of face masks, other countries do not recommend their use to limit the transmission of COVID-19 among this specific population. Because of contradicting recommendations provided by health authorities of different countries, this paper aims to investigate the availability of scientific evidence on the effectiveness of face mask use in limiting the spread of COVID-19 among individuals who are not medically diagnosed with COVID-19 through a systematic review search. This paper will further discuss concerns around current recommendations provided to those who are not medically diagnosed with COVID-19 regarding face mask use in the context of available evidence.MethodsTo carry out the systematic review on the effectiveness of face mask use in limiting the spread of COVID-19 among individuals who are not medically diagnosed with COVID-19, databases Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus were searched for relevant studies. Two groups of keywords were combined: those relating to face masks and COVID-19.ResultsThe systematic review search did not find any studies that investigated the effectiveness of face mask use in limiting the spread of this specific virus, COVID-19 among this specific population, those who are not medically diagnosed with COVID-19.ConclusionsIn light of the finding of this systematic review search, which is a lack of scientific evidence on the effectiveness of face masks in limiting the spread of COVID-19 among those who are not medically diagnosed with COVID-19, the significance of this finding is highlighted and extensively discussed in this paper. This paper calls for, but does not limit to; 1) evidence-based recommendations; 2) considerations when providing recommendations in the absence of evidence; 3) evidence and knowledge transparency on current recommendations with the public; 4) global alignment on recommendations; and 5) further research.

scholarly journals Major changes and pedagogical challenges in the curriculum of physicians in the post-pandemic of COVID-19: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Toufic Anbar Neto ◽  
Idiberto José Zotarelli Filho ◽  
João Pedro Daher Anbar ◽  
Maria Luiza Raduan Meinberg ◽  
Tamara Veiga Faria ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Scientific Basis ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Educational Systems ◽  
Academic Education ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Respiratory Illnesses ◽  
The World ◽  
Review Model

Introduction: Respiratory disease (COVID-19) caused by the new coronavirus (SARSCoV-2) has spread around the world causing respiratory illnesses and deaths. The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented crisis in the field of education. It is essential to reflect on the role of educational systems in curricular training, especially for doctors. Objective: The present study prepared a systematic review to analyze the main curriculum changes in medical education institutions around the world. Methods: The present study followed a systematic review model (PRISMA). The search strategy was performed in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Scopus, and Google Scholar database, using scientific articles from 2009 to 2021. Results: As a corollary of the literary search system, 155 studies were analyzed and submitted to eligibility analysis, and then 55 high to moderate quality studies were selected. Biases did not compromise the scientific basis of the studies. It was analyzed that it is crucial that the academic education community learn from experience and prioritize a forward-thinking academic approach as practical solutions are implemented. The pandemic has brought about a lasting transformation in medicine with the advancement of telehealth, adaptive research protocols, and clinical trials with flexible approaches to achieving solutions. The studies analyzed in general did not address criticisms about the weaknesses of remote education, limiting themselves to defending it as the only viable strategy. There was no consensus on the inclusion of students in the practical activities of curricular internships and medical internships. A part of the studies defends the inclusion in hospital spaces as a way to contribute to overcoming the health crisis imposed by the pandemic. The studies evidenced the inclusion of pandemic management disciplines with a focus on public health in the medical curricula. Conclusion: The medical activity and curriculum underwent and are undergoing significant changes and adaptations. Thus, the doctor will need to develop other skills, without losing the traditional ones. The highlight is telehealth and soft skills, as they will allow students to connect to the best in world medicine, highlighting the importance of scientific knowledge when establishing treatments in cases of pandemics with a focus on public health.

scholarly journals Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Out-of-Hospital Health Professionals: A Living Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (23) ◽  
pp. 5578
Author(s):  
Raúl Soto-Cámara ◽  
Noemí García-Santa-Basilia ◽  
Henar Onrubia-Baticón ◽  
Rosa M. Cárdaba-García ◽  
José Julio Jiménez-Alegre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Clinical History ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Original Research ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact

Health professionals (HPs), especially those working in the front line, have been one of the groups most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study is to identify the best available scientific evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of out-of-hospital HPs in terms of stress, anxiety, depression, and self-efficacy. A living systematic review of the literature was designed, consulting the electronic online versions of the CINHAL, Cochrane Library, Cuiden, IBECS, JBI, LILACS, Medline PyscoDoc, PsycoINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science databases in November 2021. Original research was selected, published in either English, Spanish, French, Italian, or Portuguese. In total, 2082 publications were identified, of which 16 were included in this review. The mental health of out-of-hospital HPs was affected. Being a woman or having direct contact with patients showing suspicious signs of COVID-19 or confirmed cases were the factors related to a greater risk of developing high levels of stress and anxiety; in the case of depressive symptoms, it was having a clinical history of illnesses that could weaken their defenses against infection. Stopping unpleasant emotions and thoughts was the coping strategy most frequently used by these HPs.

scholarly journals 13.D. Workshop: SDGs in the focus of environmental and health issues

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
The World ◽  
Environmental And Health Issues ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This workshop is dedicated on SDGs in the focus of environmental and health issues, as very important and actual topic. One of the characteristics of today's societies is the significant availability of modern technologies. Over 5 billion (about 67%) people have a cellphone today. More than 4.5 billion people worldwide use the Internet, close to 60% of the total population. At the same time, one third of the people in the world does not have access to safe drinking water and half of the population does not have access to safe sanitation. The WHO at UN warns of severe inequalities in access to water and hygiene. Air, essential to life, is a leading risk due to ubiquitous pollution and contributes to the global disease burden (7 million deaths per year). Air pollution is a consequence of traffic and industry, but also of demographic trends and other human activities. Food availability reflects global inequality, famine eradication being one of the SDGs. The WHO warns of the urgency. As technology progresses, social inequality grows, the gap widens, and the environment continues to suffer. Furthermore, the social environment in societies is “ruffled” and does not appear to be beneficial toward well-being. New inequalities are emerging in the availability of technology, climate change, education. The achievement reports on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also point out to the need of reviewing individual indicators. According to the Sustainable Development Agenda, one of the goals is to reduce inequalities, and environmental health is faced by several specific goals. The Global Burden of Disease is the most comprehensive effort to date to measure epidemiological levels and trends worldwide. It is the product of a global research collaborative and quantifies the impact of hundreds of diseases, injuries, and risk factors in countries around the world. This workshop will also discuss Urban Health as a Complex System in the light of SDGs. Climate Change, Public Health impacts and the role of the new digital technologies is also important topic which is contributing to SDG3, improving health, to SDG4, allowing to provide distance health education at relatively low cost and to SDG 13, by reducing the CO2 footprint. Community Engagement can both empower vulnerable populations (so reducing inequalities) and identify the prior environmental issues to be addressed. The aim was to search for public health programs using Community Engagement tools in healthy environment building towards achievement of SDGs. Key messages Health professionals are involved in the overall process of transformation necessary to achieve the SDGs. Health professionals should be proactive and contribute to the transformation leading to better health for the environment, and thus for the human population.

scholarly journals An Uncertain Risk: The World Health Organization's Account of H1N1

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 511-529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudeepa Abeysinghe
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
H1n1 Influenza ◽  
World Health ◽  
Scientific Uncertainty ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
The World ◽  
Public Risk ◽  
Health Organization

ArgumentScientific uncertainty is fundamental to the management of contemporary global risks. In 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the start of the H1N1 Influenza Pandemic. This declaration signified the risk posed by the spread of the H1N1 virus, and in turn precipitated a range of actions by global public health actors. This article analyzes the WHO's public representation of risk and examines the centrality of scientific uncertainty in the case of H1N1. It argues that the WHO's risk narrative reflected the context of scientific uncertainty in which it was working. The WHO argued that it was attempting to remain faithful to the scientific evidence, and the uncertain nature of the threat. However, as a result, the WHO's public risk narrative was neither consistent nor socially robust, leading to the eventual contestation of the WHO's position by other global public health actors, most notably the Council of Europe. This illustrates both the significance of scientific uncertainty in the investigation of risk, and the difficulty for risk managing institutions in effectively acting in the face of this uncertainty.

Ethics and Epidemiology

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Moral Reflection ◽  
Advocacy Organizations ◽  
Master Of Public Health ◽  
Public Health Professionals ◽  
The World

This book will be of interest to public health professionals from various public health disciplines, bioethicists, legal scholars, and members of nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and health advocacy organizations. It will be an invaluable resource for the thousands of Master of Public Health students across the world. It also aims to make students, epidemiologists, and health professionals aware of situations that require moral reflection, judgment, or decision, while pointing to ways in which justified moral conclusions can be reached. The book will also be of use to persons interested more broadly in bioethics and health policy. It will include the foundations, key values and principles, methods, and issues related to ethics and epidemiology.

scholarly journals Face Mask Use in the Community for Reducing the Spread of COVID-19: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Coclite ◽  
Antonello Napoletano ◽  
Silvia Gianola ◽  
Andrea del Monaco ◽  
Daniela D'Angelo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Community Setting ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Case Scenario ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
The Cochrane Library ◽  
Grade Approach

Background: Evidence is needed on the effectiveness of wearing face masks in the community to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission.Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the efficacy and effectiveness of face mask use in a community setting and to predict the effectiveness of wearing a mask. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCISEARCH, The Cochrane Library, and pre-prints from inception to 22 April 2020 without restriction by language. We rated the certainty of evidence according to Cochrane and GRADE approach.Findings: Our search identified 35 studies, including three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (4,017 patients), 10 comparative studies (18,984 patients), 13 predictive models, nine laboratory experimental studies. For reducing infection rates, the estimates of cluster-RCTs were in favor of wearing face masks vs. no mask, but not at statistically significant levels (adjusted OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.78–1.05). Similar findings were reported in observational studies. Mathematical models indicated an important decrease in mortality when the population mask coverage is near-universal, regardless of mask efficacy. In the best-case scenario, when the mask efficacy is at 95%, the R0 can fall to 0.99 from an initial value of 16.90. Levels of mask filtration efficiency were heterogeneous, depending on the materials used (surgical mask: 45–97%). One laboratory study suggested a viral load reduction of 0.25 (95% CI 0.09–0.67) in favor of mask vs. no mask.Interpretation: The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis support the use of face masks in a community setting. Robust randomized trials on face mask effectiveness are needed to inform evidence-based policies.PROSPERO registration: CRD42020184963.

Effective Factors in Improving the Emergency Department Preparedness of Hospitals in Radiation and Nuclear Incidents and Nuclear Terrorism: A Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milad AHMADI MARZALEH ◽  
Rita REZAEE ◽  
Abbas REZAIANZADEH ◽  
Mahnaz RAKHSHAN ◽  
Gholamhassan HADDADI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Final Analysis ◽  
Systematic Search ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Effective Factors ◽  
Nuclear Terrorism ◽  
The World ◽  
Collection Form

Background: Due to existence of nuclear power plant sites in various parts of the world, as well as political threats in disaster-prone areas throughout the world, there is a probability of nuclear and radiation incidents. The present study aimed to extract effective criteria in emergency department preparedness of hospitals in radiation, nuclear incidents and nuclear terrorism in different countries around the world. Methods: A systematic search was carried out in Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, ProQuest and Embase databases between Jan 1970 and Jul 2018. The systematic search was carried out according to the PRISMA standard. The required information was extracted from the papers based on the abstract and collection form. Results: Overall, 1091 papers were finally extracted. The initial search included research papers. After reviewing the papers’ titles, abstracts and full texts, 15 papers were selected for final analysis. Next, 32 criteria were extracted. The criteria were divided into 3 categories. The categories included staff, stuff and systems (structure). The most frequent criteria included training criteria, personal protective equipment, decontamination and practice. Conclusion: The results of the systematic review provided an overview of the effective factors in improving the emergency department preparedness during radiation and nuclear incidents. In addition to the mentioned criteria in different studies, other hidden factors affect the emergency department preparedness in radiation and nuclear incidents. Thus, the highest level of preparedness should be considered.

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