scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 Therapeutic Landscape, Opportunity and Future Threats

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 205-215
Author(s):  
Om P. Sharma ◽  
Werner Seiz ◽  
Juergen Scheele

During the past two decades, the world has seen several known and novel zoonotic viruses and deadly bacterial diseases, such as West Nile Virus (1999 to 2002), Anthrax (2001), H1N1(2009), Ebola (2014), Zika Virus (2016), SARS-CoV (2002), MERS-CoV (2012) and SARS-CoV-2 in 2019. The current ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is completely unpredicted and it has hugely changed our health care systems, global economy and social lifestyles. SARS-CoV-2 is still under genetic evolution and getting mutated to escape our immune system and showing resistance against available therapies. In this current research work, we have examined all publicly available scientific literature to date to understand the genetic evaluation of coronavirus species and their transmission possibilities to humans. We have also explored recently reported mutations of concerns in viral spike glycoprotein. We then discussed various SARS-CoV-2 preclinical and clinical research breakthroughs and highlighted our limitations and readiness to combat this deadly disease. Based on our recent study, we have emphasized developing a global viral, fungi and microbes platform. It can help us to predict mutations on their genomic, structural and pathophysiological profile to better address early on future threats by such infectious agents.

1975 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 398-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia Olesen

A somewhat neglected though thoroughly promising area for the analysis of changing women's roles lies in the matter of health and health care systems within any society. This is nowhere more the case than in the instance of contemporary Cuban health care and the part that women in that society play in the health care systems as deflners of health care problems, recipients of care, and as those who deliver care to others. Both women's roles and health care in contemporary Cuba have dramatically altered over the past decade, thus yielding doubly rich insights, which reciprocally illuminate both issues.


Author(s):  
Jasper Littmann ◽  
A. M. Viens ◽  
Diego S. Silva

Abstract Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – the progressive process by which microbes, such as bacteria, through evolutionary, environmental and social factors develop the ability to become resistant to drugs that were once effective at treating them – is a threat from which no one can escape. It is one of the largest threats to clinical and global health in the twenty-first century – inflicting monumental health, economic and social consequences. All persons locally and globally, and even all future persons yet to come into existence, all suffer the shared, interdependent vulnerability to this threat that will have a substantial impact on all aspects of our lives. For example, while reliable data are hard to find, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has conservatively estimated that, in Europe alone, AMR causes additional annual cost to health care systems of at least €1.5 billion, and is responsible for around 25,000 deaths per year. Furthermore, AMR significantly increases the cost of treating bacterial infections with an increase in length of hospital stays and average number of re-consultations, as well as the resultant lost productivity from increased morbidity. With a combined cost of up to $100 trillion to the global economy – pushing a further 28 million people into extreme poverty – this is one of the most pressing challenges facing the world. Most troublingly, if we do not succeed in diminishing the progression of AMR, there is the very real potential for it to threaten common procedures and treatments of modern medicine, including the safety and efficacy of surgical procedures and immunosuppressing chemotherapy. Some experts are warning that we may soon be ushering in a post-antibiotic area.


2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 60-73
Author(s):  
Vahé A. Kazandjian

The past three decades have primarily focused on improving performance across health care providing organizations and even individual professionals. While their interest in performance improvement is global, the strategies across health care systems remain variable and the resulting methods of accountability to select audiences continue to be influenced by tradition and expectation. The purpose of this article is to review the key dimensions of the operationalization of performance measurement and the translation of its findings to statements about quality of care. While significant literature exists on the conceptual debates about the nature of quality, the deciding factor in demonstrating that better quality may have been achieved resides in the acceptability of the measurement tools to translate performance measures into profiles of quality. Fundamentally, the use of the tools is seen as only one component of a successful strategy – the education of various audiences as to what the measures mean not only is a necessary requisite for sound project design but also will determine how the accountability model is shaped in each environment based on the generic measurement tools results, local traditions of care and caring, and expectations about outcomes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 682-689 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison E. White

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2), has claimed thousands of lives within the past few months; disrupted people’s participation in work, family, and school settings; and challenged economic and health care systems across the globe. In light of the countless challenges posed by COVID-19, a sense of purpose (i.e., a long-term life aim that guides behavior and contributes to the world beyond oneself) may be one important psychological resource for people of all ages to develop and/or recruit during this crisis. This article provides a brief overview of the purpose development literature, the argument that a growing or solidified sense of purpose can serve as an important internal resource during periods of adversity, and recommendations for practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Hensher ◽  
John Tisdell ◽  
Ben Canny ◽  
Craig Zimitat

AbstractThe strong and positive relationship between gross domestic product (GDP) and health expenditure is one of the most extensively explored topics in health economics. Since the global financial crisis, a variety of theories attempting to explain the slow recovery of the global economy have predicted that future economic growth will be slower than in the past. Others have increasingly questioned whether GDP growth is desirable or sustainable in the long term as evidence grows of humanity's impact on the natural environment. This paper reviews recent data on trends in global GDP growth and health expenditure. It examines a range of theories and scenarios concerning future global GDP growth prospects. It then considers the potential implications for health care systems and health financing policy of these different scenarios. In all cases, a core question concerns whether growth in GDP and/or growth in health expenditure in fact increases human health and well-being. Health care systems in low growth or ‘post-growth’ futures will need to be much more tightly focused on reducing overtreatment and low value care, reducing environmental impact, and on improving technical and allocative efficiency. This will require much more concerted policy and regulatory action to reduce industry rent-seeking behaviours.


2011 ◽  
Vol 135 (11) ◽  
pp. 1415-1424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert C. Blaylock ◽  
Christopher M. Lehman

Context.—Providing blood products for transfusions is a complex process subject to errors both within and outside the transfusion service. Transfusion-related errors can have grave consequences for the patient undergoing transfusion. As with many processes performed within health care systems, there is an expectation of error-free practice. Although this is an unobtainable goal, a focused quality-management plan, employing a medical event reporting system in a just working environment, can effect measurable system-quality improvement. Objective.—To illustrate the intrinsic value of quality-improvement activities through discussion of examples of quality misadventures from our transfusion service during the past 20 years. Data Sources.—Examples of quality-improvement activities were extracted from our quality-system archives. The published literature on transfusion quality was reviewed. Conclusions.—Active reporting, structured investigation, and systematic resolution of transfusion-related errors are effective methods for improving and maintaining transfusion quality.


10.2196/10477 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. e10477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alireza Ahmadvand ◽  
David Kavanagh ◽  
Michele Clark ◽  
Judy Drennan ◽  
Lisa Nissen

Background Digital health has become an advancing phenomenon in the health care systems of modern societies. Over the past two decades, various digital health options, technologies, and innovations have been introduced; many of them are still being investigated and evaluated by researchers all around the globe. However, the actual trends and visibility of peer-reviewed publications using “digital health” as a keyword to reflect the topic, published by major relevant journals, still remain to be quantified. Objective This study aimed to conduct a bibliographic-bibliometric analysis on articles published in JMIR Publications journals that used “digital health” as a keyword. We evaluated the trends, topics, and citations of these research publications to identify the important share and contribution of JMIR Publications journals in publishing articles on digital health. Methods All JMIR Publications journals were searched to find articles in English, published between January 2000 and August 2019, in which the authors focused on, utilized, or discussed digital health in their study and used “digital health” as a keyword. In addition, a bibliographic-bibliometric analysis was conducted using the freely available Profiles Research Networking Software by the Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center. Results Out of 1797 articles having “digital health” as a keyword, published mostly between 2016 and 2019, 277 articles (32.3%) were published by JMIR Publications journals, mainly in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. The most frequently used keyword for the topic was “mHealth.” The average number of times an article had been cited, including self-citations, was above 2.8. Conclusions The reflection of “digital health” as a keyword in JMIR Publications journals has increased noticeably over the past few years. To maintain this momentum, more regular bibliographic and bibliometric analyses will be needed. This would encourage authors to consider publishing their articles in relevant, high-visibility journals and help these journals expand their supportive publication policies and become more inclusive of digital health.


1997 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-43
Author(s):  
Pat Farrell, ◽  
Gary Nuttall,

Over the past five years, we have been privileged to work with 130 leaders, as co-research participants, in discovering new approaches to leadership that will strengthen organizations in this time of shifting world values. For 28 of these leaders, we also have been privileged to study the organizations in which they work, and further, to observe the corporate culture with regard to connections between various employee groups and 1eaders. This paper is about our leadership enhancement process that we have developed for leader (board chairs, presidents, vice-presidents, and executive directors) in all sectors, including health care systems. Our process assists leaders to connect their intrapersonal behaviors to their interpersonal decision making behaviois - a process that influences their caring capacity. We also outline the framework that we have developed inductively, for the assessment of leaders’ intrapersonal and interper sonal decision making.We conclude with some of the outcomes of our process.


2011 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria I. Rudis ◽  
Ryan J. Attwood

Emergency medicine (EM) pharmacy practice has existed for over 30 years. In recent years, however, the specialty has grown significantly. A large number of health care systems have either a dedicated EM pharmacist or other clinical pharmacist presence in the Emergency department (ED). Over the past decade, the role of the EM pharmacist as a critical member of the health care team has expanded significantly and many innovative practices have evolved throughout the country. There is also some heterogeneity between different EM pharmacy practice sites. This article reviews the history and general concepts of EM pharmacy practice as well as illustrate some of the established benefits of an EM pharmacist.


Author(s):  
Mickey Keenan ◽  
Karola Dillenburger

Since autism was first recognised, prevalence has increased rapidly. The growing economic as well as social cost to society can only be mitigated by effective interventions and supports. It is therefore not surprising that most governments have developed public policy documents to address the management of autism. Over the past 40-50 years, meaningful evidence has accrued showing that interventions based on the scientific discipline of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) can help people with autism reach their potential. In view of this, nearly all of North America has laws to mandate that ABA-based interventions are available through the health care systems. In contrast, across Europe there are no such laws. In fact, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body guiding health and social policy in the UK, concluded that it could not find any evidence to support ABA, and therefore could not recommend it. This paper addresses the reasons for these diametrically opposed perspectives. In particular, it examines what happens when health and social care policy is misinformed about effective autism intervention.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document