Prevention Of Epidemic Diseases Research Articles

Dynamics analysis and optimal control of delayed SEIR model in COVID-19 epidemic

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains serious around the world and causes huge deaths and economic losses. Understanding the transmission dynamics of diseases and providing effective control strategies play important roles in the prevention of epidemic diseases. In this paper, to investigate the effect of delays on the transmission of COVID-19, we propose a delayed SEIR model to describe COVID-19 virus transmission, where two delays indicating the incubation and recovery periods are introduced. For this system, we prove its solutions are nonnegative and ultimately bounded with the nonnegative initial conditions. Furthermore, we calculate the disease-free and endemic equilibrium points and analyze the asymptotical stability and the existence of Hopf bifurcations at these equilibrium points. Then, by taking the weighted sum of the opposite number of recovered individuals at the terminal time, the number of exposed and infected individuals during the time horizon, and the system cost of control measures as the cost function, we present a delay optimal control problem, where two controls represent the social contact and the pharmaceutical intervention. Necessary optimality conditions of this optimal control problem are exploited to characterize the optimal control strategies. Finally, numerical simulations are performed to verify the theoretical analysis of the stability and Hopf bifurcations at the equilibrium points and to illustrate the effectiveness of the obtained optimal strategies in controlling the COVID-19 epidemic.

The views of scientists-police officers on the problem of epidemic prevention

The subject of the study is the provisions formulated by foreign and domestic jurists in the field of policeistics regarding the prevention of epidemic threats. The article provides a comparative legal analysis of the views of cameralist authors on these issues in antithesis with the views of representatives of social Darwinism. The aim of the study is the scientific reconstruction of the political and legal model of the functioning of state power structures, namely the executive and medical police for the prevention of epidemic diseases, presented in the works of scientists-police officers of the late XVIII – early XX centuries. Abstraction, comparative legal and content analysis were chosen as the methods of study, with the help of which the works of political scientists were studied. The scope of application of the results and their novelty lies in the awareness of the value of the accumulated social and state-legal experience in the prevention of various kinds of epidemics. In the context of the emergence of a new coronavirus infection, the problem of determining and promptly applying a set of effective anti–epidemic measures has become particularly acute, many of which had deep historical roots and were reanimated as living conditions and everyday life, on the one hand, and the imperious dictates of the state, on the other. The conclusions and results of the work were accumulated on the basis of studying the works of representatives of the science of the police state and law. It was revealed that the stated problems are historically imperishable. The complex of preventive measures of an anti-epidemic nature was developed which historically spontaneously and entered into the usual norms of everyday life in Russia since ancient times. Since the XIV century, all kinds of quarantine and other restrictive measures have been taken to counteract mass diseases. At the same time, these diverse measures had a common focus despite the various sources of origin and development.

High-output soft-contact fiber-structure triboelectric nanogenerator and its sterilization application

Infectious diseases are spreading rapidly with the flow of the world’s population, and the prevention of epidemic diseases is particularly important for public and personal health. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a simple, efficient and non-toxic method to control the spread of bacteria and viruses. The newly developed triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) can generate a high voltage, which inhibits bacterial reproduction. However, the output performance is the main factor limiting real-world applications of TENGs. Herein, we report a soft-contact fiber-structure TENG to avoid insufficient friction states and to improve the output, especially at a high rotation speed. Rabbit hair, carbon nanotubes, polyvinylidene difluoride film and paper all contain fiber structures that are used to guarantee soft contact between the friction layers and improve the contact state and abrasion problem. Compared with a direct-contact triboelectric nanogenerator, the outputs of this soft-contact fiber-structure TENG are improved by about 350%. Meanwhile, the open-circuit voltage can be enhanced to 3440 V, which solves the matching problems when driving high-voltage devices. A TENG-driven ultraviolet sterilization system is then developed. The bactericidal rate of this sterilization system can reach 91%, which significantly reduces the risk of disease spread. This work improves a forward-looking strategy to improve the output and service life of the TENG. It also expands the applications of self-powered TENG sterilization systems.

Exploring the Application of "Internet Medical" to Epidemic Prevention and Control on Chinese Campus in the Post-Epidemic Era.

China has entered the post-epidemic era with the implementation of a general program for epidemic prevention and control of Category B infectious diseases. The number of sick people in the community will increase dramatically over a period of time, which will inevitably lead to a run on hospital medical resources. Schools, as one of the key institutions in epidemic disease prevention, will face a major test of their medical service system. The "Internet Medical" will be seen as a new way for students and teachers to access medical services, providing them with the convenience of remote consultation, interrogation, and treatment. However, there are many problems with its use on campus. In this regard, this paper aims to identify and evaluate the problems in the interface of the "Internet Medical" service model on campus, intending to improve the current level of medical services on campus and ensuring the safety of students and teachers on campus.

An online survey based on homoeopathy as prophylactic for influenza (Flu) like illness

Background: The homoeopathic prophylaxis (homeoprophylaxis) had been used in prevention of epidemic diseases and had been applied for more than 200 years to various diseases in different parts of the world. A survey has been undertaken to primarily assess the effects of homoeopathic medicine as prophylactic in Influenza like illness. Objective: The objective of this study was to identify the effects of homoeopathic prophylaxis against flu like symptoms and to identify the most commonly used medicine for homeoprophylaxis.Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted in the midst of the pandemic (27th April 2020 to 3rd May 2020) in Uttar Pradesh, India. A pilot-tested, self-administered questionnaire consisting of 22 questions was used for this survey. Results: A total of 347 responses were received on closing of survey. Out of these, 233 received homoeopathic prophylaxis and 114 had not received same. Of the 233 who received prophylaxis, 26(11.15%) had exposed with person/s having flu like symptoms, 206 had no history of exposure, while 35 were unsure of it. Arsenic album was the most commonly taken homoeopathic prophylaxis as single dose once in a day maximum for 3 days. Prophylaxis was taken in maximum cases for 3 days and in dosage of once in a day. 54.07% participants who have taken homeoprophylaxis were, ‘very confident’ about the protective effect of the medication.Conclusions: Further detailed survey on large number of participants is need of future to assess the effects of homoeopathic prophylaxis.

Scale Difference from the Impact of Disease Control on Pig Production Efficiency.

Simple SummaryThis paper uses the data of fixed observation points in the country’s rural areas, the Data Envelopment Analysis model is used to calculate the production efficiency of pig farmers, which shows the efficiency level of pig breeding in the country. Then, the Tobit model is used to analyze that epidemic prevention and control has a positive effect on production efficiency. Finally, the threshold regression model was used to analyze the results: the effect of disease control on production efficiency was different under different breeding scales. When the breeding scale was less than 6.0002, the disease control had a negative impact on the production efficiency. When the breeding scale was greater than 12.9994, the disease control had a positive impact on the production efficiency. The research results of this paper not only help farmers to correctly understand the relationship between epidemic prevention and production efficiency, guide farmers to expand their breeding scale, and actively participate in epidemic prevention and control, but also provide a reference for the government to formulate policies according to different scales to guide farmers to carry out epidemic prevention and control.Epidemic disease prevention plays a critical role in ensuring the healthy development of livestock farming, and the subjective willingness of breeders can be affected by the cost of epidemic disease prevention. To correct the misconception that farmers regard the cost of disease control as an ineffective cost, and to promote the healthy development of the pig breeding industry, our study employed the data envelopment analysis super-efficiency model and panel threshold regression model to evaluate the combination of the cost of epidemic disease prevention and swine productivity using data collected from 1998–2018 across 30 provinces in China. The following results were obtained. (1) The cost of epidemic disease prevention generated a non-linear on swine productivity when the swine farming scale was limited; (2) When the number of animals at the beginning of the year was less than 6.0002, swine productivity was impacted negatively; (3) When the number of animals at the beginning of the year ranged between 6.0002 and 12.9994, the impact was insignificant; (4) A strong correlation was observed between the expenses of epidemic disease prevention and animal productivity when the number of animals at the beginning of the year exceeded 12.9994. These results indicate that publicity should be enhanced to elucidate the combination of epidemic disease prevention and swine productivity among breeders. In addition, the government should introduce relevant policies to encourage the development of large-scale pig farming, such as subsidies for the construction of large-scale farms and insurance.

Escherichia coli Disinfection with Ag+ in the Recycled Flow Ultrasonic Reactor

After the recent pandemic process, disinfection/sterilization methods used for the control of infectious diseases have gained even more importance. The alternative disinfection studies like ultrasound (US) have been developing due to the various shortcomings of microbial inactivation processes such as chlorine application, ozone and ultraviolet radiation, which are widely applied for the prevention of epidemic diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms. Within the scope of this study, disinfection treatments were carried out in recycled flow ultrasonic reactors operated at 22kHz, 36kHz and 833kHz ultrasonic frequencies using Escherichia coli bacteria indicated fecal contamination in the water sources. In this article, the combined usage of silver ions (0.1mM, 0.01 mM and 0.005 mM Ag+) and US (22 kHz, 36 kHz and 833 kHz ultrasonic frequencies) were mainly investigated using initial Escherichia coli bacteria concentration of 1x104 CFU/mL. As a result of the study, Escherichia coli was inactivated obtaining 4-log reduction with 22 kHz ultrasonic frequency with the minimum Ag+ concentrations. To conclude, the disinfection was effectively achieved with US and Ag+ methods, and higher Escherichia coli inactivation rate were obtained in US-Ag+ dual processes with faster decontamination time and lower Ag+ concentration due to their synergistic effects.

Application of Artificial Intelligence for Rapid Prevention of Epidemic Diseases (COVID-19)

Background: Epidemic diseases are hazardous in terms of a rapid outbreak. Rapid control of these diseases by finding patients and quarantine and treatment can be the only tool to reduce the number of cases and mortality at the beginning of the outbreak, in the absence of therapy and vaccines. COVID-19 (coronavirus) is a deadly viral disease that causes severe respiratory illness and spreads through the air. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have played an essential role in solving complex problems. The use of these technologies in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 epidemic can reduce the effects of epidemics in various contexts. Objective: The purpose of this article is to review the applications of artificial intelligence in cases of contagious disease. In this work, COVID-19 disease has been used as an example of dangerous infectious diseases (while the studied methods can be used for all contagious diseases), and a systematic review of the literature on the role of artificial intelligence as COVID-19 has become a comprehensive and critical technology for combating epidemiology, diagnosis, and disease progression. Methods: A complete search of the literature has been done using the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, and other sources. In this work, the aim is to review articles that the authors believe can be helpful in the prevention of infectious diseases in the event of an outbreak of artificial intelligence in the prevention of more casualties. The first steps needed in a flurry of a disease (including coronavirus) include identifying the primary sufferers and isolating them from the public and examining the illness and how the disease has progressed. In these stages, artificial intelligence can very effectively help the medical community and even the government prevent an epidemic. In this study, the keywords COVID-19, artificial intelligence, and infectious diseases have been used. Results: During our literature search, we came across 73 papers. Researchers analyzed studies examining the diagnostic roles and imaging features of patients with COVID-19. The latter were scanned using CT or ultrasound scans, chest radiographs, or positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans. Chest x-ray and CT scan are the imaging modalities that are most widely utilized for the diagnosis and management of COVID-19 patients, with chest CT scan being more accurate and sensitive in diagnosing COVID-19 at an early stage. Only a handful of studies have looked into the roles of ultrasonography and PET/CT scans in diagnosing COVID-19 infection. Conclusions: We gathered research from the existing COVID-19 literature that employed artificial intelligence-based methodologies to give insights into various domains of COVID-19 in this systematic review. Our findings indicate critical variables, data formats, and COVID-19 sources to help with clinical research and translation. Findings from this study may also assist in reducing the harm caused by the pandemic in the case of such epidemic diseases in the future.

Transformation of Health Care Delivery System Towards Pandemic, Endemic and Epidemic Disease Prevention

Transformation of Health Care Delivery System Towards Pandemic, Endemic and Epidemic Disease Prevention

Recent Advances of Microneedles and Their Application in Disease Treatment.

For decades, scientists have been doing a lot of research and exploration to find effective long-term analgesic and/or disease-modifying treatments. Microneedles (MNs) are a simple, effective, and painless transdermal drug delivery technology that has emerged in recent years, and exhibits great promise for realizing intelligent drug delivery. With the development of materials science and fabrication technology, the MN transdermal drug delivery technology has been applied and popularized in more and more fields, including chronic illnesses such as arthritis or diabetes, cancer, dermatocosmetology, family planning, and epidemic disease prevention, and has made fruitful achievements. This paper mainly reviews the latest research status of MNs and their fabrication methodology, and summarizes the application of MNs in the treatment of various diseases, as well as the potential to use nanotechnology to develop more intelligent MNs-based drug delivery systems.

Homeopathy: a preventive approach to medicine?

By applying the principle of therapeutic similarity, homeopathy seeks to stimulate the organism to react against its own disturbs. For homeopathic medicines to awaken effective homeostasis responses they must be individualized, this means that they must be chosen according to their similarity to the set of characteristic symptoms in patients. In this way, by aiming at decreasing individual susceptibility predisposing to disease, homeopathic medicines have healing and preventive effects in many human illnesses. On the other hand, homeopathic medicines may have specific indications in the treatment and prevention of epidemic diseases provided they are also chosen according to the particular set of symptoms peculiar to a given epidemic, viz. the so-called “epidemic genius”, as historical examples show. This update paper discusses the epistemological foundations of Hahnemann’s homeopathy as a preventive medical approach, the scientific evidences supporting its clinical application and the minimum requirements to employ it both therapeutically and preventively in epidemics.

Isoprophylaxis is neither homeoprophylaxis nor homeopathic immunization, but isopathic immunization unsupported by the homeopathic epistemological model: A response to Golden

Homeopathy might be employed for the prevention of epidemic diseases (homeoprophylaxis) provided remedies are selected on an individual basis in compliance with the ‘principle of symptom-based similitude’ and according to the totality of symptoms peculiar to a given epidemic (remedy of the ‘epidemic genius’ or ‘genus epidemicus), as countless examples in the literature show. The use of nosodes for the prevention of epidemic diseases (isoprophylaxis), i.e., selected based on the ‘principle of etiological identity’ with full neglect of symptom-based individualization and pathogenetic trials, is not supported by the homeopathic epistemological model. As long as there are no reliable scientific evidences attesting to its efficacy and safety, ‘isopathic immunization’ might not be indicated as a regular replacement of classical immunization, as it would mean a transgression of the bioethical principles of beneficence and non-maleficence. Although many homeopathic practitioners systematically indicate that practice, it is condemned by homeopathic institutions worldwide. In this article, I elaborate on epistemological, ethical and scientific features of these disparate approaches to prophylaxis, which I had summarily addressed in a previous review.

A comprehensive investigation of the microbial risk of secondary water supply systems in residential neighborhoods in a large city

Secondary water supply systems (SWSSs) are characterized by long water stagnation and low levels of chlorine residuals, which may pose a high microbial risk to terminal users. In this study, the SWSSs of 12 residential neighborhoods in a metropolitan area of 5 million people in southeastern China were seasonally investigated to assess their microbial risks by determining more than 30 physicochemical and biological parameters. Although the microbiological quality of SWSS water met the requirements of the standards for drinking water quality of China, it did deteriorate in various aspects. The heterotrophic plate counts with R2A media were high (> 100 CFU/mL) in some SWSS tank and tap water samples. Propidium monoazide (PMA)-qPCR revealed a one magnitude higher abundance of viable bacteria in the tank and tap water samples (average 103.63±1.10 and 103.65±1.25 gene copies/mL, respectively) compared with the input water samples, and Enterococcus, Acanthamoeba, and Hartmannella vermiformis were only detected in the tanks. In particular, the high detection frequency of Legionella in 35% tank and 21% tap water samples suggested it is a supplementary microbial safety indicator in SWSSs. The microbial regrowth potential was more obvious in summer, and Illumina sequencing also demonstrated distinct seasonal changes in the relative abundance of bacterial gene sequences at the genus level. Turbidity and residual chlorine were closely connected with total bacterial biomass, and the latter seemed responsible for microbial community structure alteration. The extremely low chlorine residuals associated with a high abundance of total bacteria (as high as 106.48 gene copies/mL) and Legionella (as high as 106.71 gene copies/100 mL) in the closed valve tanks highlighted the high microbial risk increased by mishandling the operation of SWSSs. This study found that SWSSs possessed a higher microbial risk than the drinking water network, which suggested that the frequency and scope of monitoring the microbial risk of SWSSs in megacities should be strengthened for the purpose of waterborne epidemic disease prevention and control.

Modeling and simulation of fractional order COVID-19 model with quarantined-isolated people.

The dynamics of diseases and effectiveness of control policies play important role in the prevention of epidemic diseases. To this end, this paper is concerned with the design of fractional order coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) model with Caputo Fabrizio fractional derivative operator of order for the COVID‐19. Verify the nonnegative special solution and convergence of the scheme with in the domain. Caputo‐Fabrizio technique apply with Sumudu transformation method is used to solve the fractional order COVID‐19 model. Fixed point theory and Picard Lindelof approach are used to provide the stability and uniqueness of the results. Numerical simulations conspicuously demonstrate that by applying the proposed fractional order model, governments could find useful and practical ways for control of the disease.

Acupuncture and related interventions for anxiety in coronavirus disease 2019: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background:Traditional Chinese medicine plays an irreplaceable role in the treatment and prevention of epidemic diseases in China. Acupuncture is an important part of Chinese medicine. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, acupuncture and related interventions are used to treat COVID-19 patients in China. The systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture and relevant interventions for anxiety in COVID-19.Methods:We will search for randomized control and observational studies of acupuncture and related interventions for anxiety in COVID-19 in the 6 databases from inception to 31 October 2020. There is no language restriction. Two independent reviewers will screen and collect all trials, data extraction and evaluate the risk of bias of the researches. We will perform a meta-analysis if appropriate.Results:Our findings will evaluate the feasibility of acupuncture and related interventions as adjunctive therapy for anxiety in COVID-19 patients, which will be disseminated in a relevant conference and published in a peer-reviewed publication.Conclusion:Our research will appraise the overall quality and evidence of whether acupuncture and related interventions are effective therapies for anxiety in COVID-19.

Efficacy of homoeopathy in the prevention of epidemic diseases and cure

Efficacy of homoeopathy in the prevention of epidemic diseases and cure

Optimal policies for control of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.

Understanding the early transmission dynamics of diseases and estimating the effectiveness of control policies play inevitable roles in the prevention of epidemic diseases. To this end, this paper is concerned with the design of optimal control strategies for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). A mathematical model of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission based on Wuhan's data is considered. To solve the problem effectively and efficiently, a multi-objective genetic algorithm is proposed to achieve high-quality schedules for various factors including contact rate and transition rate of symptomatic infected individuals to the quarantined infected class. By changing these factors, two optimal policies are successfully designed. This study has two main scientific contributions that are: (1) This is pioneer research that proposes policies regarding COVID-19, (2) This is also the first research that addresses COVID-19 and considers its economic consequences through a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm. Numerical simulations conspicuously demonstrate that by applying the proposed optimal policies, governments could find useful and practical ways for control of the disease.

Cisterns as Vital Structures: Byzantine Cisterns and Subarachnoid Cisterns.

Water is essential for life. It is needed not only to survive but also to sustain daily life activities. The maintenance of daily life activities related to hygiene as well as prevention of epidemic diseases and accidents involving fire was as important in the past as today. Powerful empires built many open-air and covered cisterns for water reservation and constructed aqueducts to bring water from hinterland to these cisterns. The first prototypes of cisterns were constructed in the Neolithic age. Byzantine cisterns such as the Basilica Cistern and Aqueduct of Valens are excellent examples that are remnants from the past to present. Similar to these social measures for water preservation, biological structures exhibit their own measures. In the human body, subarachnoid cisterns of central nervous system are the best-known cisterns, despite the presence of the cisterna chyli and Golgi body. The central nervous system produces and stores water in the form of cerebrospinal fluid in the subarachnoid cisterns for mechanical and immunological protection of the anatomical structures and for autoregulation of cerebral blood flow every day. Any condition that may adversely affect the cisterns, public or subarachnoid, may cause serious and irreversible damage to life. Hence, we should appreciate the importance of water for life; moreover, ?if there is water there is life? is not a great prophecy.

IDOMEN: An Extension of Infectious Disease Ontology for MENingitis.

In sub-Saharan African countries the prevention and control of epidemic diseases requires the improvement of the surveillance system for these diseases. Biomedical ontologies are a growing field that can improve health information systems. Indeed biomedical ontologies allow semantic support, data integration, automated reasoning. We are building a meningitis ontology to assist filtering messages relevant to meningitis domain on social media in order to predict a possible epidemic. Indeed, the messages filtered are used for data and event extraction that serve as input for a meningitis surveillance system. In this paper we focused on the modeling and formalization of different perspectives of the meningitis disease such as biological perspective, clinical perspective, epidemiological and public health perspective. This paper presents the three modules in the global Infection Disease Ontology for Meningitis (IDOMEN) and at the end, we illustrate a case of reasoning with our ontology.

The Outbreak of Classic and Norwegian Type Scabies, in Mentally Handicapped Persons in a Rehabilitation Centre-Iran

Introduction: Scabies is an ectoparasitic infection caused in humans by the scabies mite Sarcoptes scabiei variety hominis. Aim: The aim of this study was to detect early disease scabies, finding its risk factors, and prevention of epidemic diseases among the people who are susceptible to scabies, because of disability and mental retardation. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study which was managed in a rehabilitation centre, which is responsible for the care of disabled and mentally retarted in Iran for a period of two months from July 27, 2018 until September 28, 2018. This centre had five units (A, B, C, D and E) comprising of 46 employers (34 staff; 2 nurses and 10 service personnel) who were catering to 110 handicapped persons. The index case of scabies in disability centre was a 16-year-old child with Down Syndrome, who was in contact with the patients in Unit E. On July 27, 2018, it reported one outbreak of scabies in this rehabilitation dormitory to one Centre Care Health (CCH) of Iran. All of 19 patients had symptom including: skin itching; papule on testis and penis and generalised rash on the body and two patients had thick crust on skin in armpit and anal area. Four service personnels had itching and papule on the neck. The patients were examined by a team including entomologists and dermatologists and demographic information of the patients was collected by completing the questionnaire (with regard to the principles of medical ethics). Mentally retarded persons were treated with 5% permethrin cream and for staff; nurses and service personnel 10% crotamiton cream was given except for pregnant women who used 10% sulfur ointment. Results: A total of 110 individuals with mental and physical disorders (23.6% males and 76.4% females) were resident in five units out of which 19% of individuals were exposed and 81% unexposed. The sex ratio of male to female was 1:3.2. The mean age of patients was 27 years (SD=7.09, Range 14-48 years) that most affected age group was 21-30 years (45.4%), 92% of exposed group was females and 8% were males. Using of sharing towels (odds ratio: 23.25, 95% CI: 8.91-60.64), sharing bathroom supplies (odds ratio: 3.31, 95% CI: 1.03- 10.64), sleeping in a common bed (odds ratio: 23.25, 95% CI: 8.91-60.64) and sharing glove (odds ratio: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.28- 2.18) were the most important risk factors of the scabies. Conclusion: It is an urgent need that in social places, including hospitals, centres for the care of the elderly and mentally handicapped people, the nurses and service personnel get trained about the importance of urgent report of epidemic diseases especially scabies to Health care centres.