scholarly journals A New Challenge for the Management and Disposal of Personal Protective Equipment Waste during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7034
Author(s):  
Zheng Wang ◽  
Christophe Guy ◽  
Kelvin Tsun Wai Ng ◽  
Chunjiang An
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Chemical Contaminants ◽  
The Public ◽  
Environment And Health ◽  
Secondary Pollution ◽  
Energy Environment ◽  
Collaborative Efforts

To prevent the transmission of the Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in the public, the demand and consumption of personal protective equipment (PPE) increased drastically. Such wide use of PPE has brough a new challenge to waste management and disposal. It is difficult to sort PPE waste before further treatment, and such waste will often end up being processed by some traditional disposal methods. During the pandemic, incineration and landfill facilities are currently under significant pressure. In addition, a certain amount of PPE waste is discarded into the environment rather than going to landfills and incinerators. It not only directly affects the ecosystem, but also indirectly threatens human health through various routes of exposure. PPE waste is also the source and carrier of pathogens and chemical contaminants, causing a secondary pollution. Therefore, it is necessary to establish appropriate strategies to deal with the PPE problems related to energy, environment and health, requiring the collaborative efforts of researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and governments.

scholarly journals Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physicians Working in the Head and Neck Field

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (01) ◽  
pp. e150-e159
Author(s):  
Rui Imamura ◽  
Ricardo F. Bento ◽  
Leandro L. Matos ◽  
William N. William ◽  
Gustavo N. Marta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Head And Neck ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Outpatient Care ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Psychological Burden ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Third

Abstract Background With the COVID-19 pandemic, the clinical practice of physicians who work in the head and neck field in Brazil dropped dramatically. The sustained impact of the pandemic is not known. Methods An anonymous online survey was distributed to Brazilian otolaryngologists, head and neck surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, asking about their clinical practice in the third to fourth months of the pandemic. Results The survey was completed by 446 specialists. About 40% reported reduction of more than 75% in outpatient care. A reduction of 90% to 100% in airway endoscopies was reported by 50% of the responders, and the same rate of reduction regarding surgeries (pediatric or nasosinusal) was reported by 80% of them. Family income decreased by 50%, and the psychological burden on physicians was considerable. The availability of personal protective equipment and safety precautions were limited, especially in the public sector. Conclusion COVID-19 is still impacting the head and neck field, and safety concerns may hinder the prompt resumption of elective care.

Emerging Medical Technologies for Fighting COVID-19: Prevention, Testing, and Treatment (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuo Zhao ◽  
Rui Li ◽  
Yangmyung Ma ◽  
Iman Islam ◽  
Abdul M. Azam Rajper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Rapid Rise ◽  
Testing Methods ◽  
Medical Treatments ◽  
The Public ◽  
Medical Technologies ◽  
Equipment Testing

UNSTRUCTURED During COVID-19, the clinical and healthcare demands have been on the rapid rise. Major challenges to addressing the pandemic include a lack of testing kits and shortages of ventilators to treat severe cases of COVID-19, insufficient accessibility to personal protective equipment for both hospitals and the public. New technologies have been developed by scientists, researchers, and companies in response to these demands. In this paper, 90 news articles and scientific reports on COVID-19-related innovations during 2020-2021 were screened and shortlisted to form a pool of candidates yielding a total of 20 publications for review which were then categorized into three sections: personal protective equipment, testing methods, and medical treatments. Each study was analyzed for its engineering characteristics and potential social impact on the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the guidelines for future disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment were summarized and discussed.

scholarly journals Nanoexposure, Unusual Diseases, and New Health and Safety Concerns

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 1821-1828 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuguo Song ◽  
Shichuan Tang
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Lung Injury ◽  
Silica Nanoparticles ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Nanoparticle Exposure ◽  
Safety Concerns ◽  
Collaborative Efforts

Accumulating studies in animals have shown that nanoparticles could cause unusual rapid lung injury and extrapulmonary toxicity. Whether exposure of workers to nanoparticles may result in some unexpected damage as seen in animals is still a big concern. We previously reported findings regarding a group of patients exposed to nanoparticles and presenting with an unusual disease. The reported disease was characterized by bilateral chest fluid, pulmonary fibrosis, pleural granuloma, and multiorgan damage and was highly associated with the nanoparticle exposure. To strengthen this association, further information on exposure and the disease was collected and discussed. Our studies show that some kinds of nanomaterials, such as silica nanoparticles and nanosilicates, may be very toxic and even fatal to occupational workers exposed to them without any effective personal protective equipment. More research and collaborative efforts on nanosafety are required in order to prevent and minimize the potential hazards of nanomaterials to humans and the environment.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Cloth Masks and Modified Procedure Masks as Personal Protective Equipment for the Public During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip W. Clapp ◽  
Emily E. Sickbert-Bennett ◽  
James M. Samet ◽  
Jon Berntsen ◽  
Kirby L. Zeman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
The Public

Comparative Study Illustrating Difficulties Educating the Public to Respond to Chemical Terrorism

2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Hildebrand ◽  
Anthony Bleetman
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Emergency Services ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Similar Response ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
The Public ◽  
Chemical Attack ◽  
Chemical Release ◽  
Chemical Terrorism ◽  
The Uk

AbstractBackground:In recent years, the perceived threat of chemical terrorism has increased. It is hoped that teaching civilians how to behave during a chemical incident will decrease the number of “worried well” patients at hospitals, reduce secondary contamination, and increase compliance with the instructions of emergency services. The governments of the United Kingdom and Israel sent booklets to every household in their respective countries. In Israel, the civilian population was issued chemical personal protective equipment (chemical personal protective equipment).Methods:The effectiveness of these public education programs was assessed using a scenario-based questionnaire that was distributed to 100 respondents in Birmingham, UK and Jerusalem, Israel. Respondents were asked how they would behave in three deliberate chemical release scenarios and how they would seek information and help.Results:Only 33% of the UK respondents and 22% of the Israeli respondents recalled reading the government booklets. When asked what they would do after being contaminated in a deliberate release, approximately half of the respondents ranked seeking medical care at a hospital as the most appropriate action.The preferred sources of information in the wake of a chemical strike were (in descending order): radio, television, and the Internet. Approximately half of the respondents would call emergency services for information. Forty-one percent of the UK respondents and 33% of Israeli respondents stated that they either would call or go to the nearest hospital to seek information.Conclusions:The public information campaigns in both countries have had a limited impact. Many citizens claimed they would self-present to the nearest hospital following a chemical attack rather than waiting for the emergency services. A similar response was witnessed in the Sarin attacks in Tokyo and the 1991 Scud missile attacks in Israel.Current UK doctrine mandates that specialist decontamination teams be deployed to the scene of a chemical release. However, this takes >1 hour, and it requires at least 30 minutes to don hospital chemical personal protective equipment. Therefore, it is imperative that hospitals are equipped to cope with unannounced self-presenters after a chemical attack. This requires chemical personal protective equipment and protocols that are easier to use.

scholarly journals Application of an Integrated Assessment Scheme for Sustainable Waste Management of Electrical and Electronic Equipment: The Case of Ghana

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 3191
Author(s):  
Mentore Vaccari ◽  
Fabiola Zambetti ◽  
Margaret Bates ◽  
Terry Tudor ◽  
Teklit Ambaye
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Integrated Assessment ◽  
Electronic Equipment ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Effective Management ◽  
Waste Streams ◽  
Development And Utilization

The effective management of solid waste, including waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) in developing countries poses significant challenges. This paper reports on the development and utilization of a multi-criteria tool to improve the management of WEEE in Agbogbloshie, in Ghana. The tool was able to successfully evaluate key economic, social and environmental factors faced by workers and to suggest areas for improvement. In particular, the evaluation and comparison of different scenarios suggested that the best solution is the evolution from informal to formal management of WEEE, with workers provided with personal protective equipment, and the introduction of refurbishment activities, with the sale of components in the second-hand market. While it would require further use in other contexts, the tool could be adapted and employed for a range of other waste streams and in other developing countries.

scholarly journals Invention, Innovation, and Imitation in India—Necessity Arising from the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (02) ◽  
pp. 077-086 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph L. Mathew ◽  
T. Lazar Mathew
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Innovation Ecosystem ◽  
The Public ◽  
Technology Platforms ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Frontline Healthcare Workers ◽  
Support Devices ◽  
Antibody Tests

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has stimulated tremendous innovation in India, driven by unprecedented novel needs, sense of urgency, availability of time during the lockdown, funding by Government agencies, and accelerated processing of projects. Therefore, the country has witnessed widespread innovation and imitation of existing technologies in recent weeks, but very few inventions. One novel invention, the Artificial Breathing Capability Device (ABCD) is being speeded up by the current necessity. Other innovations and imitations include (i) healthcare devices/products intended for diagnosis, management, or monitoring of suspected/confirmed COVID-19 patients (in healthcare institutions); (ii) improvisations in personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline healthcare workers and other personnel (including the public); (iii) adaptation of information technology platforms for telehealth, telemedicine, telemonitoring, and tele-education; and (iv) repurposing of existing resources/technologies for COVID-19. Some fruits of these efforts include (i) respiratory support devices (by mechanization of manual ventilation, ventilator splitters, etc.), (ii) personal protective equipment (PPE) (novel face masks, face shields/splash guards, intubation boxes, aerosol guards, etc.), (iii) novel sanitization products, processes or deployment methods, (iv) diagnostic tests (including rapid antibody tests, polymerase chain reaction [PCR] methods, and loop-mediated isothermal amplification [LAMP]), and (v) various adaptations such as repurposing and retrofitting of existing technologies aligned to the needs of COVID-19. These innovations and imitations have laudable features such as extremely rapid development of products (not merely concepts or prototypes); collaboration among individuals, institutions, and industry; willingness of players to work outside traditional comfort zones; and teamwork among stakeholders. Social media and lay press publicity create a sense of achievement and hope in a nation bogged down by the realities of COVID-19. However, these positive developments are associated with unique problems, especially duplication of effort, disregard of intellectual property (IP) issues, unhealthy competition amongst institutions, and failure to consider the needs for which solutions are proposed. The haste for developing products has bypassed the important steps of peer review, laboratory testing, and clinical validation to ensure the safety and efficacy of end users. These unintended side effects of the innovation race can be overcome by coordinated efforts through an innovation pathway proposed in this article under a broader innovation ecosystem.

scholarly journals Maintaining Healthy Skin During COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Venny Larasati ◽  
Soilia Fertilita
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Skin Pigmentation ◽  
Skin Care ◽  
Premature Aging ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Healthy Skin ◽  
The Public ◽  
Black Spots ◽  
Negative Effect

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought several changes to people's routine habits. Educating the public about the importance of washing and disinfecting hands as often as possible and the use of personal protective equipment such as masks, googles or face shields to avoid disease transmission and sunbathing habits to get the benefits of sunlight for health and the immune system has an impact on behavior changes on the community. These new habits can bring a negative effect to the skin. The use of disinfectants and personal protective equipment can cause allergic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, skin maceration, secondary fungal infection and acne. Sunbathing can cause changes in skin pigmentation, the appearance of black spots, the skin looks dull and rough and accelerates the appearance of premature wrinkles on the skin. Proper skin care routine during this pandemic situation is essential to maintain skin healthy and avoid skin problems due to the use of disinfectants or PPE. The use of emollients, moisturizers and barrier creams can prevent skin problems to happen. Skin moisturizers can be used regularly after hand washing and before using personal protective equipment. When it comes to maintaining healthy skin during pandemic, skin care routine consists of facial cleansers, toners, moisturizers, serums, morning creams and night creams are also recommended to keep the skin healthy and slow the appearance of premature aging signs on the skin. This activity aims to provide a better understanding to people especially worker how to prevent skin problems and how to maintain healthy skin during pandemic.

scholarly journals Biomedical Waste and Solid Waste Management in the Time of COVID-19: A Comprehensive Review of the National and International Scenario and Guidelines

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malini R. Capoor ◽  
Annapurna Parida
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Solid Waste Management ◽  
Household Waste ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Comprehensive Review ◽  
Biomedical Waste ◽  
The Public ◽  
Exponential Increase ◽  
Safe Work ◽  
Environmentally Sound

AbstractBiomedical waste generated during the diagnosis, isolation, and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients can also be the source of new infections; hence, it needs special consideration. Previous guidelines for the management of biomedical waste need to be revisited as the majority of COVID-19 patients remain asymptomatic and reside in community. Personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks, hazmat suits, gloves, and visors are now being used by the public also. Thus, the general household waste and disposables now make an exponential increase in the waste that can be considered an environmental hazard. In this article, the authors have tried to present the problems arising from COVID-19 waste and the recommendations put forth by competent authorities both nationally and internationally on COVID-19 waste management. Furthermore, in all the guidelines, it is crucial that the COVID-19 waste management follows environmentally sound principles and practices of biomedical waste management, with safe work and infection-control practices. Segregation of COVID-19 waste at source, awareness, and precautions at all steps of the waste-cycle are the only way ahead in this crisis.

scholarly journals The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Environment

WIMAYA ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (02) ◽  
pp. 19-30
Author(s):  
Benita Kristi Firmalasari ◽  
Resa Rasyidah
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
International Cooperation ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Protective Clothing ◽  
Medical Waste ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Environmental Diplomacy ◽  
Medical Waste Management ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Waste Accumulation

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the environment. The enormous need for personal protective equipment (PPE) masks (both medical and non-medical masks), protective clothing, face shields, gloves to hand sanitizers and disinfectants has resulted in the accumulation of medical waste in some regions in Indonesia. This paper aims to describe the environmental diplomacy and international cooperation efforts undertaken by the Indonesian government to address these problems. The author finds that Indonesia's environmental diplomacy was carried out before the pandemic occurred, but not much has focused on medical waste management. International cooperation to overcome the problem of medical waste accumulation has been carried out with some countries such as Japan, ASEAN and also WHO. Of course, considering that this pandemic is still ongoing, it is hoped that this paper can be the start of research and can be used as a stepping stone for further research.

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