Control Of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Research Articles

Gene Expression of TNF-α among Iraqi COVID-19 Patients with a Different Severity Status

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) individuals with varied severity group are affected by the cytokine storm brought on by SARS-CoV2 infection, which is a significant cause of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Objective: The goal of the current study was to examine tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) gene expression in COVID-19 at various severity levels. Materials and Methods: The study includes 140 divided into 105 COVID-19-positive patients (35 for each mild, moderate, and severe group) and 35 COVID-19-negative healthy people as control. COVID-19 positive patients had 46 males and 59 females, while COVID-19-negative healthy people included 16 males and 19 females. The separation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was achieved using Ficoll, and then Ribonucleic acid was extracted and converted to cDNA and the gene expression using glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase as the housekeeping gene. Results: The results revealed non-significant differences at P < 0.05 in age among different COVID-19 groups and control (F-ratio value is 0.54257 and P-value is 0.65397). The results revealed over-expression of TNF-α gene among COVID-19 patients and the relative quantification (fold change) (mean ± standard deviation) values were 6.542 ± 7.29, 5.740 ± 6.41, 7.306 ± 8.85, and 6.580 ± 6.47 for all, mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19 patients, respectively. One-way analysis of variance test relative quantification (fold change) TNF-α (mean ± standard deviation) for mild, moderate, and severe groups revealed non-significant at P < 0.05, the F-ratio value is 0.39889 and the P-value is 0.672109. Conclusion: The present study concludes upregulation of TNF-α gene in PBMC of COVID-19-positive patients without significant differences among different severity groups.

Confronting COVID-19 and Prioritizing Aging Population.

Over the past three years, China has implemented rapid, vigorous, and coordinated control measures to limit the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) effectively. These measures include active containment, graded management, rational resource allocation, rapid contact tracing and disposal, and targeted vaccination of key populations. These efforts have contributed to the prompt and effective control of outbreaks, protecting the health and well-being of older adults. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the changes in China's COVID-19 prevention and control experiences and other public health measures since the outbreak of the pandemic, and assesses their impact on older adults. It may serve as a valuable reference for future epidemic prevention and control efforts.

Genomic Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 - China, September 26, 2022 to January 29, 2023.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has generated 2,431 variants over the course of its global transmission over the past 3 years. To better evaluate the genomic variation of SARS-CoV-2 before and after the optimization of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention and control strategies, we analyzed the genetic evolution branch composition and genomic variation of SARS-CoV-2 in both domestic and imported cases in China (the data from Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan, China were not included) from September 26, 2022 to January 29, 2023. Analysis of the number of genome sequences, sampling time, dynamic changes of evolutionary branches, origin, and clinical typing of SARS-CoV-2 variants submitted by 31 provincial-level administrative divisions (PLADs) and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) was conducted to assess the accuracy and timeliness of SARS-CoV-2 variant surveillance. From September 26, 2022 to January 29, 2023, 20,013 valid genome sequences of domestic cases were reported in China, with 72 evolutionary branches. Additionally, 1,978 valid genome sequences of imported cases were reported, with 169 evolutionary branches. The prevalence of the Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 in both domestic and imported cases was consistent with that of international epidemic variants. This study provides an overview of the prevalence of Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 in China. After optimizing COVID-19 prevention and control strategies, no novel Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 with altered biological characteristics or public health significance have been identified since December 1, 2022.

A Model-Based Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Long-Acting Monoclonal Antibody (Tixagevimab and Cilgavimab: Evusheld) Preventive Treatment for High-Risk Populations Against SARS-CoV-2 in Korea.

Tixagevimab and cilgavimab (Evusheld) administration is a recommended strategy for unvaccinated patients with immunocompromised conditions and severe allergic reaction conditions to protect high-risk individuals and control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic. We estimated the cost-effectiveness of Evusheld in key risk populations: 1) immunocompromised (vaccinated/unvaccinated), 2) severe allergic reaction, and 3) unvaccinated elderly high-risk groups. Based on the estimated target risk group population, we used a model of COVID-19 transmission to estimate the size of the risk group population for whom Evusheld treatment may help prevent symptomatic COVID-19 (and deaths) in 2022. We projected Evusheld intervention costs, quality-adjusted life year (QALY) lost, cost averted and QALY gained by reduced COVID-19 incidence, and incremental cost-effectiveness (cost per QALY gained) in each modeled population from the healthcare system perspective. Our study demonstrated that Evusheld treatment for COVID-19 infection in South Korea is highly cost-effective for unvaccinated risk groups ($18,959 per QALY gained for immunocompromised and $23,978 per QALY gained for high-risk elderly groups) and moderately cost-effective among individuals who are vaccinated immunocompromised ($46,494 per QALY gained), or have severe allergic reactions ($45,996 per QALY gained). Evusheld's cost-effectiveness may be subject to risk-group-specific COVID-19 disease progression and Evusheld efficacy and cost, which may change in future epidemic scenarios. As the COVID-19 variants and risk group-specific durable efficacy, toxicity (and/or resistance) and optimal dosing of Evusheld remain uncertain, better empirical estimates to inform these values in different epidemiological contexts are needed. These results may help decision-makers prioritize resources toward more equitable and effective COVID-19 control efforts.

ANALISIS PERILAKU PETUGAS KEBERSIHAN DALAM PENGELOLAAN LIMBAH MEDIS PADAT COVID-19 DI RSUD DEPATI HAMZAH KOTA PANGKALPINANG

Hospital is a health service institution that carries out service activities to the community. Depati Hamzah Hospital Pangkalpinang City in its daily activities generates Covid-19 solid medical waste from handling Covid-19 so that there is a need for good and correct Covid-19 solid medical waste management behavior in hospitals in accordance with the provisions of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia Number HK.01.07 Year 2020 concerning Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the Management of Covid-19 Solid Medical Waste in Hospitals. The purpose of this study was to anayzing the behaviour of janitors in the management of solid medical waste Covid-19 at Depati Hamzah Hospital Pangkalpinang city 2022.This research was conducted using a qualitative approach which was presented in an exploratory descriptive manner by means of in-depth interviews with 6 informants at the Depati Hamzah Hospital, Pangkalpinang City, consisting of 4 main informants and 2 supporting informants (triangulation).The result of this study indicates that the behavior of the cleaning staff in the management of Covid-19 solid medical waste at the Depati Hamzah Hospital, Pangkalpinang City is good because the management has been supported by facilities and infrastructure for managing Covid-19 solid medical waste, and already has a policy set out in the Operational Standards. Procedures (SOPs) that have been socialized as well as supervision activities carried out by related units. While the behaviour is not good because personal protective equipment is not available, lack of awareness of the importance of using personal protective equipment and occupational health and safety in janitors in the management of solid medical waste Covid-19.From the results of this study, it is suggested to the Depati Hamzah Hospital Pangkalpinang City to further improve the behavior of janitors in managing Covid-19 solid medical waste to be more optimal by increasing training and socialization as well as monitoring activities.
 

An inactivated recombinant rabies virus chimerically expressed RBD induces humoral and cellular immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and RABV

Many studies suggest that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can infect various animals and transmit among animals, and even to humans, posing a threat to humans and animals. There is an urgent need to develop inexpensive and efficient animal vaccines to prevent and control coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in animals. Rabies virus (RABV) is another important zoonotic pathogen that infects almost all warm-blooded animals and poses a great public health threat. The present study constructed two recombinant chimeric viruses expressing the S1 and RBD proteins of the SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan01 strain based on a reverse genetic system of the RABV SRV9 strain and evaluated their immunogenicity in mice, cats and dogs. The results showed that both inactivated recombinant viruses induced durable neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and RABV and a strong cellular immune response in mice. Notably, inactivated SRV-nCoV-RBD induced earlier antibody production than SRV-nCoV-S1, which was maintained at high levels for longer periods. Inactivated SRV-nCoV-RBD induced neutralizing antibodies against both SARS-CoV-2 and RABV in cats and dogs, with a relatively broad-spectrum cross-neutralization capability against the SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses including Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron, showing potential to be used as a safe bivalent vaccine candidate against COVID-19 and rabies in animals.

The experiences of district public health officers during the COVID-19 crisis and its management in the upper southern region of Thailand: A mixed methods approach

District public health officers (DPHO) are the major health care providers and vital resources for tackling the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Thailand. No studies have been published on their experiences of combating COVID-19 in Thailand. To guide and improve COVID-19 control efforts, we aimed to describe their experiences and analyze associated factors for tackling the outbreak. This mixed-methods design involved providing structured questionnaires to selected DPHOs across 52 districts of seven provinces in the upper southern region Thailand. We performed data analysis using descriptive and multivariate statistics. The quantitative approach used questionnaires that demonstrated the content validity and reliability. Data collection involved Google forms, analyzed by multivariate statistics. The qualitative approach comprised an online in-depth interview of 11 DPHOs and a thematic analysis. Results found of the 52 DPHOs, 41 were men (78.8%), and the mean age was 50.02 years (SD = 8.52 years). Their proactive experiences were significantly associated with sex (ORadj = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.11–3.30), age (ORadj = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.09–2.76), the length of experience in the current position (ORadj = 2.27, 95% CI = 1.43–3.63), and working time in the current position (ORadj = 2.27, 95% CI = 1.43–3.63). There was no significant association between marital status, knowledge, understanding, opinion, proactive practice, and participation experiences. These results were related to six themes of the qualitative approach as follows: High morbidity and mortality of COVID-19, COVID-19 concomitant with several problems, Reaching out to the community for better COVID-19 solutions, The importance of regular reports and feedback, Solution planning based on the situation, and Providing relief to all stakeholders from COVID-19 issue. Proactive experiences of district public health officers are important for sustainable COVID-19 solutions. Disseminating relevant equipment, guidelines, policy, and government regulations is necessary to promote preparedness and efficacy in the crisis management of COVID-19.

Changes in endemic patterns of respiratory syncytial virus infection in pediatric patients under the pressure of nonpharmaceutical interventions for COVID-19 in Beijing, China.

A series of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) was launched in Beijing, China, on January 24, 2020, to control coronavirus disease 2019. To reveal the roles of NPIs on the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), respiratory specimens collected from children with acute respiratory tract infection between July 2017 and Dec 2021 in Beijing were screened by capillary electrophoresis-based multiplex PCR(CEMP) assay. Specimens positive for RSV were subjected to a polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and genotyped by G gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis using iqtree v1.6.12. The parallel and fixed (paraFix) mutations were analyzed with the R package sitePath. Clinical data were compared using SPSS 22.0 software. Before NPIs launched, each RSV endemic season started from October/November to February/March of the next year in Beijing. After that, the RSV positive rate abruptly dropped from 31.93% in January to 4.39% in February 2020; then, a dormant state with RSV positive rates ≤1% from March to September, a nearly dormant state in October (2.85%) and November (2.98%) and a delayed endemic season in 2020, and abnormal RSV positive rates remaining at approximately 10% in summer until September 2021 were detected. Finally, an endemic RSV season returned in October 2021. There was a game between Subtypes A and B, and RSV-A replaced RSV-B in July 2021 to become the dominant subtype. Six RSV-A and eightRSV-B paraFix mutations were identified on G. The percentage of severe pneumonia patients decreased to 40.51% after NPIs launched.NPIs launched in Beijing seriously interfered with the endemic season of RSV.

Impact of social and cultural factors on incidence, transmission and control of Coronavirus disease in Iran: a qualitative study

IntroductionCOVID-19 pandemic has had mixed reactions from nations, people and governments about ways to cope with, prevent and control the disease. The current study identifies social, cultural and policy factors affecting the incidence and control of Coronavirus disease in Iran.MethodsA qualitative study consists of content analysis as well as the views of 20 experienced and knowledgeable subjects specialized in social and cultural health management. The data were gathered using three semi-structured interviews and then continued by 17 semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was done using Graneheim approach. After each interview, the recorded audio files transcript and reviewed. Then codes extracted and divided to categories and sub-categories.ResultsThere are distinct social and cultural factors in coping with Coronavirus disease. These consisted of three categories of governance, individual and community related factors. A total of 17 subcategories and 215 primary codes that were extracted from the text of interviews as variables of the study and in relation to the research question. Ten subdomains of governance including vaccination, political issues, knowledge, support services, administrative services, transportation, health and treatment, culturalization, legislation and, managerial and financial policies impacted the spread and mitigation of the pandemic at various levels.ConclusionThe management of pandemics requires a comprehensive capacity for identifying and determining social and cultural criteria. A healthy partnership between governments and the community may be required to remove unnecessary obstacles that hinder public health attempt to alleviate the risk. The obtained criteria and indicators from this study may be utilized by policy makers in an attempt to strengthen protocols for mitigating pandemics. Further studies may be warranted to confirm these findings.

1922. Outbreak and Management of COVID-19 and Infection Prevention Control Practices at a Community Living Center in Veterans Administration Hospital, North Texas

Abstract Background The increase in SARS-CoV-2 cases due to the omicron wave led to significant utilization of healthcare resources and reduced acute care hospital beds at the Veterans Administration Hospital, North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS). As a result, veterans with non-severe disease were managed at a VANTHCS community living center (CLC) during a COVID-19 outbreak. Methods Veterans residing at the CLC with laboratory-confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) by polymerase chain reaction diagnosed from January 1 to February 15, 2022, were included in the descriptive analysis. We described resident characteristics and outcomes and infection control practices (IPC) implemented to control the outbreak. Resident data was ascertained from the COVID-19 facility dashboard and medical record system. Results From January 1–February 15, 2022, 33 adults residing at the CLC were diagnosed COVID-19. Most infections (93.9%) occurred between January 12–24 (figure 1). The median age was 76 years [interquartile range, 71–80 years] and 30 (90.9%) were men and 25 (75.8%) were white and 5 (15.2%) African American (table 1). Among the total cases, 9 (27.3%) resided in the dementia unit. Nineteen of 33 (57.6%) were asymptomatic. Overall, 28 (84.8%) were documented to be fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 and 24 (72.7%) were boosted. Obesity, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and stroke were the most common comorbidities. Residents were cohorted based on COVID-19 results. A multidisciplinary team was convened, and staff were fit tested for appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and received refresher training on hand hygiene, donning and doffing of PPE. Most residents were determined to have mild or moderate COVID-19 and managed at the CLC while 7 (21.2%) were hospitalized in the acute care hospital. For management of COVID-19, 11 (33.3%) received dexamethasone and 25 (75.8%) received remdesivir. Overall, 32 (97%) residents survived while one hospice resident was transferred to acute care and died; only 1 resident required ICU admission. Epidemic curve of laboratory-confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease at a Community Living Center, Veterans Administration Hospital, North Texas Health Care System, January–February 2022. Table 1Epidemiological Characteristics, and Outcomes of Laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases (N=33)Abbreviation: BMI, body mass index; COPD, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; ESRD, end stage renal disease1Other comorbidity (asthma n=1 and chronic liver disease n=2) Conclusion It is feasible to administer COVID-19 therapies to high-risk residents with mild-moderate disease in a CLC with a multidisciplinary team and IPC strategies. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures.

Implementation of Policies to Improve Discipline and Law Enforcement of Health Protocols in the Prevention and Control of Corona Virus Disease 2019

To anticipate the spread of the Covid-19 virus in Indonesia, various efforts have been made by the central and regional governments. Tomohon City is the first area in North Sulawesi to have a regional regulation to enforce compliance with the Covid-19 prevention health protocol. This study aims to determine and analyze how the implementation of the Tomohon City Regional Regulation No. 1 of 2021 concerning Improvement of Discipline and Law Enforcement of Health Protocols in the Prevention and Control of Corona Virus Disease 2019 in terms of 3 indicators, namely Health Protocols, Supervision, and Imposition of Sanctions. The research method used is a qualitative method with data collection techniques in the form of observation, interviews, documentation and literature studies. The research location is Tomohon City, North Sulawesi with a total sample of 8 people consisting of the government and the community. The results of the study show that 1) The application of the health protocol as stipulated in Article 8 has not run optimally due to the lack of public awareness and discipline; 2) Supervision as stipulated in article 13, namely regarding the monitoring, prevention and clarification of fake news, periodic evaluation and acceptance of public complaints has been running effectively; and, 3) The imposition of sanctions as stipulated in Article 23 has not been implemented effectively. This is due to the lack of firmness of the officers in the field.

Implementasi Kebijakan Peraturan Walikota Batu Nomor 56 Tahun 2020 Berbasis Collaborative Pentha Helix (Studi pada Sektor Pariwisata Kota Batu)

Almost all parts of the world, in the last 2 years, have been faced with the spread of COVID-19 originating from Wuhan, China, which then developed rapidly to various countries, including Indonesia. COVID-19 has an impact on all sectors, especially the tourism sector in Batu City. As an effort to protect its citizens, the Batu City Government issued a policy in the form of Mayor Regulation Number 56 of 2020 concerning Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Corona Virus Disease 2019 in the Transitional Status of Emergency to Recovery. The results of the study show that the implementation of the Mayor's Regulation Number 56 of 2020 concerning Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Corona Virus Disease 19 (COVID-19) in the Transitional Status of Emergency to Recovery, especially for the tourism sector in Batu City, has been carried out well from the policy implementation model. Van Matter and Van Horn. The collaboration process of Penthahelix stakeholders in the implementation of Perwali 56/2020 takes place in synergy and mutually reinforcing which involves government actors up to the village level, RW and RT, entrepreneurs, communities, academics and the media.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of Nepalese residents in the prevention and control of COVID-19: A cross-sectional web-based survey.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a global public health crisis. Preventive measures to tackle the deadly virus are influenced by people's knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) toward COVID-19. This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice toward COVID-19 among Nepalese residents in Nepal. A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 755 Nepalese residents across all seven provinces of Nepal. The questionnaire used to determine the KAP of the participants was derived from a previous study conducted in Nepal. Descriptive analysis was done to identify the distribution of socio-economic and demographic characteristics of participants. Factors associated with residents' KAP regarding COVID-19 were examined using Chi-square tests at the significance level of 0.05. The mean age of the participants was 24.6 years. At the time of data collection, 8.2% of the participants had their families in isolation or quarantine center. In this study, 76.4%, 58.0%, and 63.6% of the participants had a good knowledge level, attitude level, and practice level respectively regarding COVID-19. Occupation and marital status were significantly associated with knowledge, attitude, and practice level. Age was significantly associated with knowledge and attitude level. Those participants who had their family members in quarantine were found to have a good level of preventive practice. The knowledge-attitude (rka= 0.184, p<0.001), attitude-practice (rap=0.125, p<0.001) and knowledge-practice (rkp= 0.07, p<0.05) were positively correlated in this study. This study showed satisfactory awareness regarding COVID-19 among Nepalese residents. Community-based health education programs should be promoted to develop a positive attitude toward healthy practices to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic or any future health crisis.

Clinical and epidemiological characteristics and individual experiences of illness in men with COVID-19: mixed method study.

Since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, studies have shown that this disease has affected the male population on a significant scale in various parts of the world, making men one of the main risk groups. To analyze the clinical and epidemiological characteristics and experiences of illness in men with COVID-19. A mixed sequential-explanatory study with cross-sectional and exploratory-descriptive approaches. Data was collected from a small municipality located in the central-north region of the state of Bahia, Brazil. Primary quantitative data was extracted from compulsory notification forms from 598 men. Qualitative data from individual interviews of 30 men was analyzed by the Discourse of the Collective Subject method. The findings identified the characterization of reports of suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19 in men, the organization of the healthcare system, and strategies for the control and combat of COVID-19 directed towards the men of the investigated municipality. They revealed the clinical characteristics based on the collective discourse of men with COVID-19. In men, the individual experience of disease explicitly explains the clinical markers of COVID-19 expressed by the self-reported syndromic approach. Additionally, this understanding also explains the behaviors observed in their search for health care, as well as the adoption of prevention and control measures and therapies recommended by health professionals.

Interpretation of the Expert Consensus on the Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Omicron Variant Infections

Abstract The Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 remains a global problem. Current data indicate that the Omicron variant causes mild clinical symptoms and few severe cases and deaths. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has demonstrated definite efficacy and distinct advantages in the prevention and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Thus, by focusing on the pathogenic characteristics of the Omicron variant, the Emergency Professional Committee of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, Emergency and Critical Care Institute of the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and American Traditional Chinese Medicine Society have brought together clinical experts on the TCM prevention and control of COVID-19 to formulate an expert consensus on the prevention and treatment of Omicron variant infections based on the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for COVID-19 (Trial Version 9). This review provides a comprehensive Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The main symptoms of interpretation of this expert consensus, covering topics such as discussing the pathogenic characteristics of the Omicron variant from the TCM perspective of “epidemic disease of pathogenic wind,” prevention plans for vulnerable populations, and stratified treatment plans for infected populations. We hope that this review can serve as a reference for the clinical prevention and treatment of the Omicron variant.

ME-YOLO: Improved YOLOv5 for Detecting Medical Personal Protective Equipment

Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses a significant threat to human health and safety. As the core of the prevention and control of COVID-19, the health and safety of medical and nursing personnel are extremely important, and the standardized use of medical personal protective equipment can effectively prevent cross-infection. Due to the existence of severe occlusion and overlap, traditional image processing methods struggle to meet the demand for real-time detection. To address these problems, we propose the ME-YOLO model, which is an improved model based on the one-stage detector. To improve the feature extraction ability of the backbone network, we propose a feature fusion module (FFM) merged with the C3 module, named C3_FFM. To fully retain the semantic information and global features of the up-sampled feature map, we propose an up-sampling enhancement module (USEM). Furthermore, to achieve high-accuracy localization, we use EIoU as the loss function of the border regression. The experimental results demonstrate that ME-YOLO can better balance performance (97.2% mAP) and efficiency (53 FPS), meeting the requirements of real-time detection.

Assessment of knowledge, perception, and practice patterns of Jordanian optometrists during COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional online survey

To investigate knowledge, risk perception, and attitude towards corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and infection control measures among optometrists in Jordan. A cross-sectional survey was distributed through social media platforms to optometrists registered with the Jordanian syndicate and Jordanian association of optics. Information on participants' socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of clinical features of COVID-19, risk assessment and infection control measures for preventing disease transmission were collected. A total of 135 optometrists (80 females and 55 males) with a mean age of 32±10y responded to the survey. Most optometrists were aware of COVID-19 symptoms, modes of transmission and measures for preventing COVID-19 and transmission in the ophthalmic setup. However, more than half of the optometrists did not receive any training about protection or infection control by their employers at their work place. Social media was the most common source of information on COVID-19 (76%). Most optometrists (85.2%) thought that the virus could be detected in tears, and 45.9% thought that red eye is a symptom of COVID-19. Optometrists in Jordan are aware of the clinical features and preventive measures related to COVID-19 infection. However, training on infection control is lacking and needs to be improved. Guidelines by international professional optometric associations should be promoted through regional and national associations to all registered optometrists and access to peer review. Journals should be encouraged to ensure that the knowledge about the pandemic is up to date and accurate.

Assessment of air quality before and during the COVID-19 and its potential health impacts in an arid oasis city: Urumqi, China.

As a key node city of the "Silk Road Economic Belt" Urumqi has been listed as one of the ten most polluted cities in the world, posing a serious threat to the urban environment and residents' health. This study analyzed the air quality before and during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic and its potential health effects based on the data of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, CO, and O3_8h levels from 10 air quality monitoring stations in Urumqi from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2021. As per the results, the concentrations of the air pollutants PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, CO, and O3_8h in Urumqi from 2017 to 2021 showed a cyclical trend, and the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures could effectively reduce the concentration(ρ) of air pollutants. The mean value of ρ(PM2.5) decreased from 2017 to 2021, whereas ρ(O3_8h) showed a waveform change trend (increased in 2017-2018, decreased in 2018-2020, and increased after 2020). Meanwhile, the maximum annual average values of ρ(PM2.5) and ρ(O3_8h) for the six monitoring stations during 2017-2021 occurred at sites S2 (74.37µgm-3) and S6 (91.80µgm-3), respectively; rapid industrialization had a greater impact on PM2.5 and O3_8h concentrations compared to commercial and residential areas. In addition, the air quality index data series can characterize the fluctuation trend of PM2.5. The high pollution levels (Class IV and V) of the air pollutants PM2.5 and O3_8h in Urumqi have been decreasing annually, and good days can account for 80-95% of the total number of days in the year, indicating that the number of days with a potential threat to residents' health is gradually decreasing. Therefore, more attention should be paid in controlling and managing air pollution in Urumqi.

A four-generation family transmission chain of COVID-19 along the China-Myanmar border in October to November 2021.

Foreign imported patients and within-household transmission have been the focus and difficulty of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention and control, which has also posed challenges to border areas' management. However, household transmission caused by foreign imported cases has not been reported in China's border areas. This study aimed to reveal a clear family clustering transmission chain of COVID-19 caused by contact with Myanmar refugees along the China-Myanmar border during an outbreak in October to November 2021. During the outbreak, detailed epidemiological investigations were conducted on confirmed patients with COVID-19 and their close contacts in daily activities. Patients were immediately transported to a designated hospital for treatment and quarantine, and their close contacts were quarantined at designated sites. Regular nucleic acid testing and SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing were provided to them. A clear four-generation family clustering transmission involving five patients with COVID-19 was found along the China-Myanmar border. The index case (Patient A) was infected by brief conversations with Myanmar refugees across border fences during work. His wife (Patient B) and 9-month-old daughter (Patient C) were second-generation cases infected by daily contact with him. His 2-year-old daughter (Patient D) was the third-generation case infected by her mother and sister during quarantine in the same room and then transmitted the virus to her grandmother (Patient E, the fourth-generation case) who looked after her after Patients B and C were diagnosed and transported to the hospital. The household secondary attack rate was 80.0%, the average latent period was 4 days, and the generation time was 3 days. Ten of 942 close contacts (1.1%) of this family had positive IgM antibody during the medical observation period. In total 73.9% (696/942) of them were positive for IgG antibody and 8.3% (58/696) had IgG levels over 20 S/CO (optical density of the sample/cut-off value of the reagent). This typical transmission chain indicated that it is essential to strengthen COVID-19 prevention and control in border areas, and explore more effective children care approaches in quarantine sites.

Infection control management strategy for operating room during COVID-19 pandemic

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks have occurred in many countries around the world. The numbers of confirmed cases and deaths continue to increase. It is increasingly likely that COVID-19 patients will require emergency surgeries in the operating room (OR). As COVID-19 can easily be transmitted to healthcare workers and other patients during surgery, it is important to establish a set of infection prevent and control management strategy to prevent COVID-19 from spreading in the OR. Based on our experience in COVID-19 prevention and control in the OR, we introduce this COVID-19 prevention and control management strategy for preventing COVID-19 from spreading in the OR. This management strategy includes a number of COVID-19 prevention and control procedures including (I) conduct COVID-19 knowledge training at the early stage of outbreak, (II) formulate the surgery arrangement procedures and suspend the elective surgery if the patient confirmed to COVID-19, (III) divide an isolated OR area for COVID-19 surgery, (IV) preoperative preparation procedures, (V) procedures for wearing and removing personal protective equipment, (VI) anesthesia management, intraoperative management, (VII) post-operative disposable waste management and disinfection. This management strategy has worked very effectively since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan at the end of 2019. We have performed emergency surgeries on several COVID-19 confirmed patient and dozens of COVID-19 suspected patients under this COVID-19 prevention and control management strategy, and have achieved an excellent result of zero COVID-19 infection in the OR.