Articles: coronavirus.
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J. Med. Internet Res. · May 2021
Bots and Misinformation Spread on Social Media: Implications for COVID-19.
As of March 2021, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been responsible for over 115 million cases of COVID-19 worldwide, resulting in over 2.5 million deaths. As the virus spread exponentially, so did its media coverage, resulting in a proliferation of conflicting information on social media platforms-a so-called "infodemic." In this viewpoint, we survey past literature investigating the role of automated accounts, or "bots," in spreading such misinformation, drawing connections to the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ We conclude by conducting and presenting a secondary analysis of data sets of known bots in which we find that up to 66% of bots are discussing COVID-19. The proliferation of COVID-19 (mis)information by bots, coupled with human susceptibility to believing and sharing misinformation, may well impact the course of the pandemic.
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Background and Objectives: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused significant disruption to established medical care systems globally. Thus, this study was aimed to compare the admission and outcome variables such as number of patient and its severity, acute recanalisation therapy given pre-post COVID-19 at a primary stroke centre located in Malaysia. Methods: This cross-sectional hospital-based study included adult ischaemic stroke patients. ⋯ However, we would like to highlight that the burden of COVID-19 cases in the study area was very low. Therefore, the study may not have captured the true burden (and relevant delays in stroke patient management) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The effect of the pandemic crisis is ongoing and both pre-hospital and in-hospital care systems must continue to provide optimal, highly time-dependent stroke care services.
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To describe and advise on management protocols and infection-protection experience of the radiology department in makeshift hospitals in Wuhan during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Based on the literature review and the experience in the frontline, we retrospectively reviewed the configuration of the radiology department, human resource, personal protection, examination procedures for patients confirmed with COVID-19 in Wuhan fangcang shelter hospital. ⋯ The CT scanned a patient approximately once every 13 mins. Fangcang shelter radiology department could be powerful components of both global and national responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Observational Study
Survey and enlightenment on the wearing of protective equipment of nurses working on the front line against COVID-19.
At present, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains a significant challenge for health workers around the world. This survey aims to highlight the status of the implementation of occupational protection measures for nurses working on the front line against COVID-19, and to analyze the problems in the process of wearing protective equipment. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 165 nurses who worked in COVID-19-stricken areas in China in March 2020. ⋯ More detailed personal protection standards should be developed, and the work load of nurses should be reduced. Actions should be taken to ensure the scientific implementation of personal protective measures. To solve practical clinical problems, future protective equipment may focus on the research and development of protective equipment applicable for different risk levels, as well as the research on integrated design, fabric innovation, and reusability.
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Observational Study
National early warning score on admission as risk factor for invasive mechanical ventilation in COVID-19 patients: A STROBE-compliant study.
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic. Invasive mechanical ventilation is recommended for the management of patients with COVID-19 who have severe respiratory symptoms. However, various complications can develop after its use. ⋯ The optimal cut-off values were: fever duration ≥1 day (sensitivity 100.0%, specificity 54.95%), NEWS ≥7 (sensitivity 72.73%, specificity 92.52%), and LDH >810 mg/dL (sensitivity 56.0%, specificity 90.29%). These findings can assist in the early identification of patients who will require invasive mechanical ventilation. Further studies in larger patient populations are recommended to validate our findings.