Articles: pandemics.
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An overview of mobile applications (apps) to support the coronavirus disease-2019 response in India.
The potential benefits of mobile health (mHealth) initiatives to manage the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have been explored. The Government of India, State governments, and healthcare organizations have developed various mobile apps for the containment of COVID-19. This study was aimed to systematically review COVID-19 related mobile apps and highlight gaps to inform the development of future mHealth initiatives. ⋯ Our study highlights the current emphasis on the development of self-testing, quarantine monitoring, and contact tracing apps. India's response to COVID-19 can be strengthened by developing comprehensive mHealth solutions for frontline healthcare workers, rapid response teams and public health authorities. Among this unprecedented global health emergency, the Governments must ensure the necessary but least intrusive measures for disease surveillance.
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Due to the current pandemic of respiratory disease known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, many patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection will require elective surgery, surgery that cannot be postponed, or emergency surgical treatment. In these situations, special measures need to be adopted in order to minimize the possibility of transmission between patients, exposure of healthcare personnel and the development of postoperative complications. This document explains the main principles to consider when managing confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients during evaluation as well as when surgical treatment is required.
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The disability viewpoint is fundamental for understanding and advancing social justice for everyone in the population. Despite this fact, it is regularly dismissed by public health experts and policymakers. Understanding of disability rights is central in an all-inclusive COVID-19 preparedness. ⋯ Health professionals should avoid stereotypes about an individual's disability to ration care. Triage protocol committees and disaster risk reduction working groups should explicitly recruit people with disabilities and chronic illnesses in their response strategies. Disability ethics can reform medical rationing by removing prejudices and safeguarding fair protection of the interests of all patients, including those with a disability.
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Otolaryngologists around the world are amongst the front-line fighters against the pandemic coronavirus disease (COVID-19). As knowledge about the disease epidemiology and clinical profile is rapidly evolving, we are still not sure about many different aspects of the disease transmission and presentation. ⋯ There is a substantial risk of getting infected and transmitting the disease further. We discuss the various recommendations pertaining to the emergency and elective procedures in otolaryngology, and head and neck surgeries in these difficult times, so as to sensitise the clinicians while dealing with such cases, till the pandemic is under control and things get back to normal.