Articles: pandemics.
-
JMIR Public Health Surveill · May 2020
Collateral Crises of Gun Preparation and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Infodemiology Study.
In the past, national emergencies in the United States have resulted in increased gun preparation (ie, purchasing new guns or removing guns from storage); in turn, these gun actions have effected increases in firearm injuries and deaths. ⋯ Our results corroborate media reports that gun purchases are increasing amid the COVID-19 pandemic and provide more precise geographic and temporal trends. Policy makers should invest in disseminating evidence-based educational tools about gun risks and safety procedures to avert a collateral public health crisis.
-
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, important elective procedures, such as screening colonoscopy, have been delayed or cancelled, and there may be a very long waitlist for rescheduling once the moratorium is lifted. However, DNA-based stool sample tests may be useful for colorectal cancer screening when colonoscopy is not available. The aim of this review is to demonstrate the potential utility of enhanced DNA-based stool testing for colorectal cancer screening and diagnosis during crises that strain available healthcare resources, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic. This review shows that DNA-based stool sample tests have the potential to enable colorectal cancer screening to prioritize patients to elective colonoscopy procedures, the continued delay of which during the COVID-19 pandemic has already placed a burden on future elective procedures.
-
JMIR Public Health Surveill · May 2020
No Place Like Home: Cross-National Data Analysis of the Efficacy of Social Distancing During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
In the absence of a cure in the time of a pandemic, social distancing measures seem to be the most effective intervention to slow the spread of disease. Various simulation-based studies have been conducted to investigate the effectiveness of these measures. While those studies unanimously confirm the mitigating effect of social distancing on disease spread, the reported effectiveness varies from 10% to more than 90% reduction in the number of infections. This level of uncertainty is mostly due to the complex dynamics of epidemics and their time-variant parameters. However, real transactional data can reduce uncertainty and provide a less noisy picture of the effectiveness of social distancing. ⋯ Consistent with simulation-based studies, real cross-national transactional data confirms the effectiveness of social distancing interventions in slowing the spread of COVID-19. In addition to providing less noisy and more generalizable support for the idea of social distancing, we provide specific insights for public health policy makers regarding locations that should be given higher priority for enforcing social distancing measures.
-
Zhong Nan Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban · May 2020
ReviewPotential pathogenesis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.
The emergence of novel coronavirus pneumonia which was named as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by the World Health Organization, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has posed a serious threat to public health. Notably, COVID-19 has rapidly spread around the world and large amount of people have been infected. ⋯ Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), previously known as a cell receptor of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), is putatively responsible for mediating COVID-19. In this review, we detail our current understanding of the interaction between S protein and ACE2 in the process of virus infection and the potential pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2, which has critical implications for exploring the potential therapeutic strategies for COVID-19.
-
John Tingle, Lecturer in Law, Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham, discusses some recent patient safety reports, revealing that patient safety concerns continue during the current pandemic.