The Yin and Yang of ACE/ACE2 Pathways: The Rationale for the Use of Renin-Angiotensin System Inhibitors in COVID-19 Patients
Asthma, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, IL-10, hypoxia, lung fibrosis, Eosinophil
The article describes the rationale for inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) pathways as specific targets in patients infected by SARS-CoV-2 in order to prevent positive feedback-loop mechanisms. Based purely on experimental studies in which RAS pathway inhibitors were administered in vivo to humans/rodents, a reasonable hypothesis of using inhibitors that block both ACE and ACE2 zinc metalloproteases and their downstream pathways in COVID-19 patients will be proposed. In particular, metal (zinc) chelators and renin inhibitors may work alone or in combination to inhibit the positive feedback loops (initially triggered by SARS-CoV-2 and subsequently sustained by hypoxia independently on viral trigger) as both arms of renin-angiotensin system are upregulated, leading to critical, advanced and untreatable stages of the disease.
Women Are More Vulnerable to Psychological Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic
covid-19, Labour Law, health and safety, homeworking, teleworking, state funded compensations, job-saving measures, income support measures
Slovenia declared Covid-19 an epidemic on 12 March 2020. Social distancing measures have been introduced, schools and kindergartens were closed, as well as most of the businesses. Tele/home-working has been widely promoted, distant schooling organised. The Government introduced different job-saving and income support measures, including partial reimbursement of wage compensations for temporarily laid-off workers due to the entreprise closures, deferral of tax and social contribution payments, temporary basic income for the self-employed etc.
Law in general. Comparative and uniform law. Jurisprudence, Labor. Work. Working class
COVID-19 lockdown-induced changes in NO2 levels across India observed by multi-satellite and surface observations
We have estimated the spatial changes in NO2 levels over different regions of India during the COVID-19 lockdown (25 March–3 May 2020) using the satellite-based tropospheric column NO2 observed by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI), as well as surface NO2 concentrations obtained from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) monitoring network. A substantial reduction in NO2 levels was observed across India during the lockdown compared to the same period during previous business-as-usual years, except for some regions that were influenced by anomalous fires in 2020. The reduction (negative change) over the urban agglomerations was substantial (∼ 20 %–40 %) and directly proportional to the urban size and population density. Rural regions across India also experienced lower NO2 values by ∼ 15 %–25 %. Localised enhancements in NO2 associated with isolated emission increase scattered across India were also detected. Observed percentage changes in satellite and surface observations were consistent across most regions and cities, but the surface observations were subject to larger variability depending on their proximity to the local emission sources. Observations also indicate NO2 enhancements of up to ∼ 25 % during the lockdown associated with fire emissions over the north-east of India and some parts of the central regions. In addition, the cities located near the large fire emission sources show much smaller NO2 reduction than other urban areas as the decrease at the surface was masked by enhancement in NO2 due to the transport of the fire emissions.
R. J. Pope, R. J. Pope, M. P. Chipperfield, M. P. Chipperfield, S. S. Dhomse, S. S. Dhomse, A. Biswal, A. Biswal, V. Singh, S. Singh, A. P. Kesarkar, K. Ravindra, R. S. Sokhi, T. Singh, S. Mor
covid-19, Labour Law, telework, informal sector
Panamanian authorities acted quickly to address expected public health and workplace effects of the pandemic before the country saw its first confirmed case of COVID-19. Panama’s National Assembly enacted legislation to allow telework and the labor ministry issued a Circular on February 27, 2020 to provide guidance to employers and workers on how to prevent infection from COVID-19 in the workplace, followed by several Decrees establishing guidelines to deal with the impact of the pandemic on workplaces. The government of Panama issued a national-level state of emergency declaration on March 13, 2020. In addition to public health and workplace measures adopted in short succession in March 2020, the Panamanian government adopted a financial aid package to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic.
Fate of COVID-19 Occurrences in Wastewater Systems: Emerging Detection and Treatment Technologies—A Review
Magnetic Nanoparticles, membrane bioreactor, biosensors, advanced oxidation process, Ribonucleic acid (RNA), wastewater–based epidemiology
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is currently posing a significant threat to the world’s public health and social-economic growth. Despite the rigorous international lockdown and quarantine efforts, the rate of COVID-19 infectious cases remains exceptionally high. Notwithstanding, the end route of COVID-19, together with emerging contaminants’ (antibiotics, pharmaceuticals, nanoplastics, pesticide, etc.) occurrence in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), poses a great challenge in wastewater settings. Therefore, this paper seeks to review an inter-disciplinary and technological approach as a roadmap for the water and wastewater settings to help fight COVID-19 and future waves of pandemics. This study explored wastewater–based epidemiology (WBE) potential for detecting SARS-CoV-2 and its metabolites in wastewater settings. Furthermore, the prospects of integrating innovative and robust technologies such as magnetic nanotechnology, advanced oxidation process, biosensors, and membrane bioreactors into the WWTPs to augment the risk of COVID-19’s environmental impacts and improve water quality are discussed. In terms of the diagnostics of COVID-19, potential biosensors such as sample–answer chip-, paper- and nanomaterials-based biosensors are highlighted. In conclusion, sewage treatment systems, together with magnetic biosensor diagnostics and WBE, could be a possible way to keep a surveillance on the outbreak of COVID-19 in communities around the globe, thereby identifying hotspots and curbing the diagnostic costs of testing. Photocatalysis prospects are high to inactivate coronavirus, and therefore a focus on safe nanotechnology and bioengineering should be encouraged.
Emmanuel Kweinor Tetteh, Mark Opoku Amankwa, Edward Kwaku Armah, Sudesh Rathilal
Hydraulic engineering, Water supply for domestic and industrial purposes
Venous Thrombo-Embolism in Hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 Patients Treated with Three Different Anticoagulation Protocols: Prospective Observational Study
covid-19, acute respiratory failure, coagulopathy, venous thromboembolism, thromboprophylaxis, deep vein thrombosis
The purpose of this study is to assess thrombotic risk in CoViD-19/pneumonia patients with acute respiratory failure and to compare populations treated with three different antithrombotic prophylaxis protocols. The primary outcome is to analyze the prevalence of thrombotic events in hospitalized patients, while the secondary outcome is to analyze the correlation between different anticoagulation targets with thrombotic events. All patients referred to our hospital for acute respiratory failure due to COVID-19 pneumonia between 18 and 31 May 2020 were included. Seventy-four patients were enrolled (44 men and 30 women, average age 68.6). Diagnosis of venous thromboembolism was made in 21 cases (28.4%) and thrombotic events were associated with positive pressure ventilation support (p = 0.024) and hospitalization in ICU (p < 0.0001). These patients presented higher levels of D-dimer (p < 0.0001) and their hospital length of stay was >16 days longer. Forty-seven out of 74 patients (63.5%) received intermediate or therapeutic dose of anticoagulation, while twenty-seven patients (34.5%) received standard antithrombotic prophylaxis. The analysis showed that an intermediate or therapeutic dose of anticoagulation did not decrease the prevalence of thrombotic events. On the other hand, six patients reported severe hemorrhagic complications. Despite intermediate or therapeutic-dose of anticoagulation, a high number of patients with acute respiratory failure secondary to COVID-19 developed thrombotic complications.
Yaroslava Longhitano, Fabrizio Racca, Christian Zanza, Marina Muncinelli, Alberto Guagliano, Elisa Peretti, Anna Chiara Minerba, Marta Mari, Riccardo Boverio, Mario Salio, Guido Chichino, Francesco Franceschi, Andrea Piccioni, Ludovico Abenavoli, Mauro Salvini, Marco Artico
Online Learning in Nursing Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Stress, Satisfaction, and Academic Performance
covid-19, Stress, online learning, satisfaction, Academic performance
Background: Traditional face-to-face instruction swiftly transitioned into online learning during the global COVID-19 outbreak. Students’ experiences and academic performance in this new learning platform need evaluation. Purpose: The purpose of this research was to determine the undergraduate nursing students’ stress, satisfaction, and academic performance during online learning. Methods: This research was considered a cross-sectional and descriptive-correlational study. The research participants were the second-year undergraduate nursing students from one nursing school in the Philippines. The data were collected using a web-based survey questionnaire and then analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rho correlation. Results: The results revealed that the undergraduate nursing students considered having online learning during the COVID-19 outbreak to be stressful (44.4%) and very stressful (47.2%). Moreover, the undergraduate nursing students had low satisfaction (37%) and moderate satisfaction (46.3%) having the online learning during the COVID-19 outbreak. The undergraduate nursing students’ academic performance were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulted in poor (37%) to fair (50%) academic performance and were considerably (43.6%) and greatly (30.6%) affected by the pandemic. Online learning stress had a significant and inverse correlation with online learning satisfaction (p=.000) and academic performance (p=.012). Conclusion: Stress negatively impacts the undergraduate nursing students’ satisfaction and academic performance. This research suggests that certain measures should be performed to reduce stress and improve the online teaching–learning processes during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Institut Ilmu Kesehatan STRADA Indonesia
EXPERIENCE OF SANITARY EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SERVICE WORK OF JEWISH AUTONOMOUS REGION IN PREVENTION OF SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME (SARS) IMPORTATION AND DISSEMINATION
severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), frontier, Sanitary control, Jewish Autonomous Region, anti-epidemic and preventing measures
Major activities of sanitary epidemiological service of Jewish Autonomous Region on organization and prevention of SARS importation and dissemination are described. Early measures include preparation of regional normativepractical documents based on analogous papers from Ministry of Public Health of Russian Federation and its introduction to the concerned services and departments. Subsequently, medical personnel training was performed to detection of SARS suspected patients and realization of primary anti-epidemic measures, informing inhabitants about preventive measures. Preparedness of hospital basis and frontier passing points was ensured.
Scientific Сentre for Family Health and Human Reproduction Problems
Sports Motivation Survey And Physical Activity Students Of Sport Education Teacher Training And Education Faculty FKIP Muhammadiyah University Surakarta
covid-19, physical activity, motivation to exercise
This study reveals the motivation to exercise and physical activity of UMS POR students in the COVID 19 new order. This study aims to explore the perceptions, strategies, and challenges of UMS POR students in the COVID 19 new order in having the motivation to exercise and perform physical activities during the Covid-19 pandemic. This case study uses quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data using questionnaires and qualitative data obtained through interactive interviews using google forms. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequencies through Excel Microsoft 2013 and qualitative data were analyzed through interactive thematic data analysis. The results showed that (i) the sports motivation of UMS POR students in the COVID 19 new order was in a good category or 61.21%, (ii) The physical activity of UMS POR students in the COVID 19 new order was in a good category or was 71.03%. This study recommends that the more frequent physical activity students maintain their physical quality, this must be balanced with sports motivation that is qualified in the COVID 19 new order.
Special aspects of education, Recreation. Leisure