scholarly journals Prevention of SARS-COV-2 coronavirus spread at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Poland. The most visited Memorial site in the world during the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
pp. 303-315
Author(s):  
Anna Wawrzyk ◽  
Dorota Rybitwa ◽  
Piotr Cywiński

INTRODUCTION. At the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum (A-BSM) actions have been undertaken to effectively protect employees and minimise risk of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus spreading from the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic. AIM OF THE ARTICLE. The aim was to present the actions, instructions and procedures introduced at the A-BSM to provide information how to deal with pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in institutions taking care of cultural heritage before and after closure of the Museum for visitors and after reopening. MATERIALS AND METHODS. The described activities were developed at the Museum by a specially established Expert Team. RESULTS. Groups of employees and places in which they were most exposed to contact with visitors and, as a consequence, at the highest risk of getting infected, were characterised. The employees were provided with personal protective equipment, and at the Museum site, devices essential for maintaining the microbiological cleanliness of the rooms, were placed. In the next stage, instructions and procedures for particular groups of employees were prepared. Visitors were educated about the need of taking precautions and were allowed to disinfect in several places at the Memorial Site. Steps to reduce attendance at this time has also been taken. Procedures for employees of the A-BSM were developed in such way that they can also be used after reopening of the Museum for visitors. CONCLUSIONS. The actions which ensured the microbiological safety of the A-BSM employees, brought satisfying results. In more than 21 days after closing of the Museum for visitors, no cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 were found among employees, despite a very high threat.

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (31) ◽  
pp. 87-95
Author(s):  
Nicole Maria Miyamoto Bettini ◽  
Fabiana Tomé Ramos ◽  
Priscila Masquetto Vieira de Almeida

A Organização Mundial da Saúde - OMS confirmou a circulação internacional do novo Coronavírus em janeiro de 2020, nomeando-o como COVID-19 e, declarando uma pandemia. É de extrema importância que durante a pandemia, os profissionais de saúde tenham acesso e conhecimento sobre o uso correto dos Equipamentos de Proteção Individual (EPIs) e suas indicações, tomando assim, as devidas precauções na prevenção de infecções. O presente estudo buscou identificar a padronização mundial quanto ao uso dos EPIs utilizados no atendimento a pacientes suspeitos e/ou confirmados de COVID-19 no Brasil, EUA, China, Espanha, Itália e demais países europeus. Os guidelines apresentam a padronização quanto ao uso dos EPIs utilizados no atendimento a suspeitos e/ou confirmados de COVID-19, indo ao encontro das recomendações fornecidas pela OMS. Até o momento, o uso de EPIs é sem dúvida a estratégia mais importante e eficaz para proteger os profissionais de saúde durante a assistência ao paciente com COVID-19.Descritores: Infecções por Coronavírus, Equipamento de Proteção Individual, Pessoal de Saúde, Enfermagem. Recommendations for personal protective equipment to combat COVID-19Abstract: The World Health Organization - WHO confirmed the international circulation of the new Coronavirus in January 2020, naming it as COVID-19 and declaring a pandemic. It is extremely important that during the pandemic, health professionals have access and knowledge about the correct use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and its indications, thus taking appropriate precautions to prevent infections. The present study sought to identify the worldwide standardization regarding the use of PPE utilized to take care of suspected and confirmed patients with COVID-19 in Brazil, USA, China, Spain, Italy and other European countries. The guidelines present a standardization regarding the use of PPE utilized to take care of suspected and confirmed with COVID-19, in line with the recommendations provided by WHO. To date, the use of PPE is undoubtedly the most important and effective strategy to protect healthcare professionals during care for patients with COVID-19.Descriptors: Coronavirus Infections, Personal Protective Equipment, Health Personnel, Nursing. Recomendaciones para el equipo de protección personal para combatir COVID-19Resumen: La Organización Mundial de la Salud - La OMS confirmó la circulación internacional del nuevo Coronavirus en enero de 2020, nombrándolo COVID-19 y declarando una pandemia. Es extremadamente importante que durante la pandemia, los profesionales de la salud tengan acceso y conocimiento sobre el uso correcto del Equipo de Protección Personal (EPP) y sus indicaciones, tomando así las precauciones adecuadas para prevenir infecciones. El presente estudio buscó identificar la estandarización mundial con respecto al uso de EPP utilizado para atender a pacientes sospechosos y/o confirmados con COVID-19 en Brasil, Estados Unidos, China, España, Italia y otros países europeos. Las pautas presentan la estandarización con respecto al uso de EPP utilizado para cuidar COVID-19 sospechoso y/o confirmado, de acuerdo con las recomendaciones proporcionadas por la OMS. Hasta la fecha, el uso de EPP es, sin duda, la estrategia más importante y efectiva para proteger a los profesionales de la salud durante la atención de pacientes con COVID-19.Descriptores: Infecciones por Coronavirus, Equipo de Protección Personal, Personal de Salud, Enfermería.


CONVERTER ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 211-219
Author(s):  
Yongli Zou Et al.

Objectives: To analyze the effect of personal protective equipment training on new hospital infection managers. Methods: Personnel are divided into two batches by region. Adopt a diversified training model to train all personnel, finally conduct practical assessments and issue certificates. Collect information through information technology, analyze questionnaires, and understand trainees’ circumstances before and after the training. Each training batch has uniform teachers and the same training methods. Results: After the training, the trainees' proficiency in putting on and taking off protective equipment increased by 22.85%, and ability to choose protective equipment according to different working environments increased by 22.04%; 78.23% trainees believed that practical exercises should be emphasized. Taking off protective clothing was considered as the most difficult link in practical training (91.13%), followed by putting on protective clothing (70.43%). 96.24% trainees believed that this training is helpful for future work. Conclusions: It is quite necessary to implement personal protective equipment training among new hospital infection managers; where, practical training, assessment, information-based questionnaire survey, expert theory teaching have achieved good results; the training helps reduce occupational exposure-induced hospital infection, and at the same time, avoids improper use of protective materials and waste.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 87-92
Author(s):  
Abdullelah Al Thobaity ◽  
Farhan Alshammari

COVID-19 has affected the life and health of more than 1 million people across the world. This overwhelms many countries’ healthcare systems, and, of course, affects healthcare providers such as nurses fighting on the frontlines to safeguard the lives of everyone affected. Exploring the issues that nurses face during their battle will help support them and develop protocols and plans to improve their preparedness. Thus, this integrative review will explore the issues facing nurses during their response to the COVID-19 crisis. The major issues facing nurses in this situation are the critical shortage of nurses, beds, and medical supplies, including personal protective equipment and, as reviews indicate, psychological changes and fears of infection among nursing staff. The implications of these findings might help to provide support and identify the needs of nurses in all affected countries to ensure that they can work and respond to this crisis with more confidence. Moreover, this will help enhance preparedness for pandemics and consider issues when drawing up crisis plans. The recommendation is to support the nurses, since they are a critical line of defense. Indeed, more research must be conducted in the field of pandemics regarding nursing.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s385-s386
Author(s):  
Jaqueline Pereira da Silva ◽  
Priyadarshini Pennathur ◽  
Hugh Salehi ◽  
Emily Chasco ◽  
Jure Baloh ◽  
...  

Background: Personal protective equipment (PPE) effectiveness can be undermined by inappropriate doffing methods. Objective: We used human factors engineering methods to evaluate self-contamination during PPE doffing. Methods: In this study, 30 participants at a Midwestern academic hospital (A) donned and doffed 3 mask styles (n = 10), 2 gown styles (n = 10), and 2 glove styles (n = 10; the Doffy glove has a tab to facilitate doffing). Also, 30 additional participants at hospital A (residents or fellows, nurses, special isolation trained staff [SITS]) and 10 SITS at academic hospital B doffed a surgical mask, a breakaway neck gown, and exam gloves (PPE ensemble) twice: once while distracted with conversation and once when not distracted. We randomized the order in which participants used different PPE styles or they did the doffing scenario. We collected demographic data. We applied Glo Germ Mist (1.5 dilution in water) with a mucosal atomizer to participants’ PPE before they doffed. We video-recorded participants as they doffed, and we photographed their scrubs and exposed skin before and after each donning and doffing episode. We reviewed videos for doffing errors and photographs for fluorescent spots. We counted fluorescent spots and noted their locations. Results: Overall, 45 (64.3%) participants were women, 31 (44.3%) were nurses, 24 (34.3%) were physicians. Among the participants, 25 (35.7%) had >15 years of experience and 61 (87.1%) had some training in doffing. Participants frequently contaminated their skin or clothing while doffing (Table 1). For all scenarios, hands followed by the torso were contaminated most frequently. Analysis of the videos found that touching the gown front with bare hands was the most common doffing error. Fewer participants self-contaminated when using the Doffy glove without training than when using the standard exam glove. Although most participants in the glove trial indicated that they did not need to watch the Doffy glove training video again, most had difficulty doffing the Doffy glove with the beak method. Many participants stopped doffing to answer questions when they doffed the PPE ensemble during the interruption scenario. Conclusions: Self-contamination was very common with all PPE styles and during all scenarios. Distraction did not increase the risk of contamination. However, participants often stopped doffing to answer questions, which they rarely do in practice. Watching a video was inadequate training for the beak glove-doffing method. The Doffy glove, which decreased contamination compared with the standard glove in the untrained scenario, may have advantages over standard exam gloves and should be evaluated further.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None


Recycling ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Fabiula Danielli Bastos de Sousa

Since the beginning of the first cases of the new coronavirus, opinions and laws on the use of plastic materials have been questioned around the world. Their importance in the manufacture of hospital devices and personal protective equipment (PPE) is unquestionable, as they contribute largely to the reduction of the virus spread, helping health systems from all edges of the world and, most importantly, saving lives. However, the same material that is a protector, becomes a polluter when inadequately disposed of in the environment, generating or worsening socio-environmental problems, such as pollution of water bodies by plastic. A critical overview of the role of plastic during the COVID-19 pandemic is provided in this paper. A future panorama is attempted to be outlined. The real possibility of the virus spread from the use of plastic is discussed, as well as the recycling of plastic during the pandemic, correlating its use with problems that it may cause.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (02) ◽  
pp. 49-56
Author(s):  
Krishna Prasad D ◽  
Anupama Prasad D ◽  
Mayank Kumar Parakh

AbstractThe coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic the world is currently facing head on. It is a viral infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). No current vaccine is available nor a curative treatment option is available at present, thus making it even more important to prevent the disease. Since dentists are in very close contact with their patients and there is aerosol production in various dental treatments, they are at a heightened risk of contracting the disease. To prevent the disease, strict hand and respiratory hygiene needs to be followed. Personal protective equipment should be used for any emergency procedures and thorough history must be taken of every patient. Digitalization of seminars and classes has been adopted by various dental institutions. With high infectivity of the virus, social distancing and stringent prevention protocols can help in controlling this severe global threat.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1375-1383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leandro Pecchia ◽  
Davide Piaggio ◽  
Alessia Maccaro ◽  
Claudio Formisano ◽  
Ernesto Iadanza

Abstract COVID-19 pandemic is plaguing the world and representing the most significant stress test for many national healthcare systems and services, since their foundation. The supply-chain disruption and the unprecedented request for intensive care unit (ICU) beds have created in Europe conditions typical of low-resources settings. This generated a remarkable race to find solutions for the prevention, treatment and management of this disease which is involving a large amount of people. Every day, new Do-It-Yourself (DIY) solutions regarding personal protective equipment and medical devices populate social media feeds. Many companies (e.g., automotive or textile) are converting their traditional production to manufacture the most needed equipment (e.g., respirators, face shields, ventilators etc.). In this chaotic scenario, policy makers, international and national standards bodies, along with the World Health Organization (WHO) and scientific societies are making a joint effort to increase global awareness and knowledge about the importance of respecting the relevant requirements to guarantee appropriate quality and safety for patients and healthcare workers. Nonetheless, ordinary procedures for testing and certification are currently questioned and empowered with fast-track pathways in order to speed-up the deployment of new solutions for COVID-19. This paper shares critical reflections on the current regulatory framework for the certification of personal protective equipment. We hope that these reflections may help readers in navigating the framework of regulations, norms and international standards relevant for key personal protective equipment, sharing a subset of tests that should be deemed essential even in a period of crisis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 402-410
Author(s):  
Ignacio CARREÑO ◽  
Tobias DOLLE ◽  
Lourdes MEDINA ◽  
Moritz BRANDENBURGER

On 17 March 2020, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission (hereinafter, Commission), Ursula von der Leyen, announced further European Union (EU) actions in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Since the pandemic reached Europe, the EU has adopted a number of trade-related measures, including the issuance of guidelines for national border management, as well as export authorisation requirements. On 14 March 2020, the Commission adopted “Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/402 of 14 March 2020 making the exportation of certain products subject to the production of an export authorisation”, temporarily restricting exports of “personal protective equipment” to destinations outside of the EU. On 14 April 2020, the Commission announced that it would narrow down export authorisation requirements to protective masks only and extend the geographical and humanitarian exemptions. Governments around the world have been implementing trade-related measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, some trade restrictive, but a number of countries have also called for the elimination of export controls and restrictions on essential goods. As the greater implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on trade are still difficult to assess, the emergency measures taken by affected countries already require legal scrutiny. At the same time, it must be noted that, as noted above for the EU measures, measures around the world are subject to change dynamically in view of the evolution of the pandemic.


2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-75
Author(s):  
Md Rezaul Karim ◽  
Sushil Kumar Sah ◽  
Afsarunnesa Syeda ◽  
Muhammad Tanvir Faysol ◽  
Aminur Rahman ◽  
...  

Objective: This study conducted to implement protective measures in healthcare settings during theCOVID-19 pandemic in the context of Bangladesh. Methods: It is an observational survey study. A pre-designed open questionnaire electronic linkusing google form was used to collect data from 500 healthcare workers within Bangladesh in whichparticipants were observed, and variables were measured. Results: The study findings revealed that among all participants, 70.9% were working in COVID-19dedicated hospitals, and 1.8% were diagnosed with COVID-19 while working. The study showed that69.1% of participants washed hands before and after consulting/handling each patient, 69.1% hadreadily available rubs/sanitizer in their healthcare facility, and 65.5% adhered principals ofhandwashing. The study also revealed that only 76.4% of participants maintained aseptic precautionsfor donning/doffing. Conclusion: The study findings recommend that mandatory training and maintaining asepticprecautions for PPE putting on (donning), and removal (doffing) is equally important. Bangladesh J Medicine July 2020; 31(2) :69-75


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 221
Author(s):  
Syahrisal Syahrisal ◽  
Paulus Pongkessu ◽  
Mahadir Sirman ◽  
Heny Pasandang Nari

Implementation according to the rules of occupational safety and health is needed in all jobs that are useful to avoid things that are not desirable, such as work accidents. The workforce consists of educated and trained people. One of the educated people referred to is the D-IV and DP-III graduates of the Makassar Shipping Polytechnic, because one of the fillers in the world of work is the Polytechnic graduate. The learning process while in the laboratory must be a serious concern in order to get qualified prospective workers, especially understanding about the application of occupational safety and health (K3) especially the use of personal protective equipment so that there are no direct or indirect obstacles in the work, such as work accidents occur, damage to machinery, cessation of production processes, environmental damage and expenses related to work accidents. The purpose of this research is to find out the availability and analyze the application of personal protective equipment to occupational safety and health in the workshop. This research includes the type of survey research with quantitative methods. This design seeks to determine the PPE facilities available at the Workshop, symbols / cues about occupational safety and health, the conditions of the practice room and what percentage of PPE use by cadets during practice. The data collection method is done by using a questionnaire and documentation used to determine PPE facilities available in the Workshop, symbols / cues about occupational safety and health, the conditions of the practice room and what percentage of the use of PPE cadets during practice. The conclusion is that the personal protective equipment (PPE) facilities in the workshop have been provided by the workshop and can be used by cadets or pasis and safely in accordance with government regulations, and the knowledge, understanding and application of cadets towards PPE have reached an average of 95%


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