Recommended Safety Measures Research Articles

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Related to Mold Remediation Following Hurricane Ida in Southeast Louisiana

Hurricane Ida, a Category 4 hurricane, made landfall in southern Louisiana in August of 2021, causing widespread wind damage and flooding. The objective of this study was to investigate knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to post-hurricane mold exposure and cleanup among residents and workers in areas of Louisiana affected by Hurricane Ida and assess changes in knowledge, attitudes, and practices that have occurred over the past 16 years since Hurricane Katrina. We conducted in-person interviews with 238 residents and 68 mold-remediation workers in areas in and around New Orleans to ask about their mold cleanup knowledge and practices, personal protective equipment use, and risk perceptions related to mold. Knowledge of recommended safety measures increased since the post-Katrina survey but adherence to recommended safety measures did not. Many residents and some workers reported using insufficient personal protective equipment when cleaning up mold despite awareness of the potential negative health effects of mold exposure.

Impact of climate change on dengue incidence in Singapore: time-series seasonal analysis

ABSTRACT This study aimed to identify the meteorological factors that contribute to dengue epidemics. The monthly incidence of dengue was used as the outcome variable, while maximum temperature, humidity, precipitation, and sunshine hours were used as independent variables. The results showed a consistent increase in monthly dengue cases from 2013 to 2021, with seasonal patterns observed in stationary time-series data. The ARIMA (2, 1, 3) × seasonal (0, 1, 2)12 model was used based on its lowest Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) values. The analysis revealed that a 1-unit increase in rainfall was positively correlated with a small 0.062-unit increase in dengue cases, whereas a 1-unit increase in humidity was negatively associated, leading to a substantial reduction of approximately 16.34 cases. This study highlights the importance of incorporating weather data into national dengue prevention programs to enhance public awareness and to promote recommended safety measures.

Generation of Architectural and Other Safety Measures Against Crises and Killings at Residential Environments in Plateau State of Nigeria

Over the years there have been series of crisis in Plateau State of Nigeria and they have led to massive killings and destruction of valuable properties; this is a very serious problem. Hence, it became necessary to conduct a research work with the aim of overviewing the cases of crises and killings at residential environments in Plateau State, in order to generate architectural and other safety measures to reduce their future occurrences in Nigeria. The research focused on desktop study as the instrument for data collection; reviewed different newspapers in Nigeria with available crisis and killing cases in Plateau State, in order to get relevant information to the research. Thus, table was used for the presentation and analysis of the research data, so as to generate results and the results were checked by using contents analysis technique, in order to validate them. Among the architectural research findings is: 1,290 houses were burnt during December, 2023 crisis in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State and some other research findings are: the security agencies knew that an attack was coming before the 2023 Christmas eve massacre; the security forces know the attackers, and they even know their hideouts for two decades. Among the recommended architectural safety measures to reduce future crises and killings is: the design of the members of roof, door, window, ceiling and any other part of building that can easily burn with the use of wood should be fire retardant type, in order to reduce death, massive destruction of houses and valuable properties in times of fire attack from the terrorists. Some other recommended safety measures are: there should be advanced training of security agencies on immediate defensive responses against the terrorists been rumored of their coming to the state; urgent investigations must be made on the security forces that knew the attackers and their hideouts for two decades without revealing the information, so that the defaulted members of those security forces can receive a very severe/appropriate punishment, in order to stop this kind of bad service in Nigeria.

Implementation status of safety measures to prevent errors with non-oncologic methotrexate: surveys in community and hospital pharmacies

BackgroundAccidental overdose of low-dose methotrexate can lead to serious patient harm. Different safety measures are recommended to prevent errors, yet, as errors continue to happen, their implementation is questionable.AimTo evaluate the implementation status of safety measures for methotrexate in community and hospital pharmacies.MethodAn electronic questionnaire was sent to head pharmacists of 163 community and 94 hospital pharmacies in Switzerland. The implementation of recommended safety measures (general measures, safety working procedures, IT-based measures) was assessed and descriptive analysis performed. An analysis of sales data underlined the relevance of our results, i.e., the population under risk for overdose.ResultsA response was obtained from 53% (n = 87) of community and 50% (n = 47) of hospital pharmacists. Pharmacies had implemented a median of 6 (IQR 3, community) and 5 (IQR 5, hospital) safety measures overall. Most of these were defined safety procedures, instructing staff on how to handle methotrexate prescriptions. Across all safety measures, compliance with single procedures was perceived as “very likely” by 54% of community pharmacies. IT-based measures (e.g., alerts) were absent in 38% (n = 31) of community and 57% (n = 27) of hospital pharmacies. On average, every community pharmacy dispensed 22 packages annually.ConclusionSafety in relation to methotrexate in pharmacies relies mostly on staff instructions, which are considered weak measures. In light of the serious risk imposed on patients, pharmacies should set a focus on stronger IT-based measures that rely less on human performance.

Perioperative variable rate intravenous insulin infusion: a quality improvement project on a vascular surgery ward

AimsVariable rate intravenous insulin infusion (VRIII) is used perioperatively to maintain normoglycaemia in patients with diabetes who are undergoing surgery. The aims of this project were as follows: (1) to...

Identifying the Most Probable Human Errors Influencing Maritime Safety

In the traditional and extended shipboard operation human reliability analysis (SOHRA) model, the error-producing condition (EPC) is critical. The weight and proportion of each EPC in one specific task are often determined by the experts’ judgments, including most of the modified versions. Due to this subjectivity, the result and recommended safety measures may not be as accurate as they should be. This study attempts to narrow the gap by proposing a novel approach, a combination of SOHRA, entropy weight method, and the TOPSIS model. The entropy weight and TOPSIS method are employed to decide the weight of each EPC based on the foundation of the SOHRA model. A cargo-loading operation from a container ship is analyzed to verify this model. The results suggest that the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method can effectively determine the weights of EPCs, and the eight most probable human errors are identified.

Cross-sectional study of the knowledge, perception and attitude of first-year university students in Iraq towards SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and COVID-19 vaccines

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to first assess the knowledge and perception of first-year university students in Iraq about COVID-19 in general and SARS-CoV-2 latest variant of concern, and...

Airborne spread of SARS-CoV-2 – a commentary by the Division of Internal Medicine, University Medical Centre Ljubljana

Slovenia is one of the countries that have been most affected by the autumn/winter 2020/21 wave of the COVID-19 pandemic regarding the incidence and excess mortality among the general population as well as regarding the incidence among health care workers and nursing personnel. The World Health Organization has underestimated the importance of the airborne spread of SARS-CoV-2 and the recommended safety measures have not been entirely sufficient. When people breathe, talk, sing, cough, or sneeze, they emit respiratory droplets of various sizes, most of which are always smaller than 1 μm. Respiratory droplets smaller than 5 μm stay airborne in indoor spaces for a long time and travel over distances much longer than 2 m. Thus, an infected person in an indoor environment creates an infectious aerosol that may infect other people without close interpersonal contact. This short review presents the mathematical model and internet application by authors from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for calculating the safe time before probable airborne infection occurs in indoor spaces. The importance of ventilation, air filtration, air humidity, and air disinfection by ultraviolet light is briefly discussed. The principles of preventing the airborne spread of SARS-CoV-2 are summarized.

Knowledge of and adherence to standard precautions in a hemodialysis unit: a cross-sectional study.

Standard precautions (SPs) are recommended safety measures for healthcare professionals to follow, with a view to preventing healthcare-related infections (HCRIs) and for their own protection. Inadequate adherence to these measures can lead to occurrences of occupational accidents and HCRIs. To ascertain the knowledge of and adherence to SP measures among the nursing staff of a hemodialysis service and the relationship of these variables to occurrences of work accidents with biological material. Descriptive cross-sectional and correlational study with a quantitative approach developed in a hemodialysis clinic in Minas Gerais. Data were collected through sociodemographic questionnaires and questionnaires on knowledge of and adherence to SPs. 29 professionals participated in the study. It is noteworthy that all of them had already participated in training related to SPs. However, no relationship was identified between knowledge of (15.17 points) and adherence to (71.86 points) SPs. In addition, inferential analysis showed that there was a relationship between suffering a work accident with biological material and the sociodemographic data and knowledge of and adherence to standard precautions. Knowledge of the SPs that had been established did not mean mastery of the subject. Despite positive results regarding adherence, factors requiring improvement were observed. It was possible to infer the characteristics that gave rise to greater risk of occurrences of accidents at work. Thus, this study showed the importance of assessing knowledge of and adherence to SP, in order to optimize and direct continuing education towards resolving occupational exposure.

Evolving effects of COVID-19 safety precaution expectations, risk avoidance, and socio-demographics factors on customer hesitation toward patronizing restaurants and hotels

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has had detrimental impacts on hospitality businesses. Drawing on protection motivation theory (PMT), this study investigated what determined customer hesitation to patronize restaurants and hotels and whether such hesitation underwent changes in the duration of the pandemic. The research model was tested using three sets of survey data collected in December 2020 (n = 826), February 2021 (n = 832) and April 2021 (n = 808). The study found that expected COVID-19 safety precautions, COVID-19 risk avoidance, and demographic factors predicted customers’ hesitation to visit restaurant/hotel. The analysis also showed significant shifts in how expectations about safety precautions, risk avoidance, and demographics affected customers’ visit hesitation over time. These findings provide critical insights to restaurant and hotel managers and destination marketers. To ensure that customers feel safe and confident in visiting hotels and restaurants, managers should implement the recommended safety measures and clearly communicate the implementation of these measures to customers.

Compliance With Protective Behavioral Recommendations in the Outbreak of COVID-19 Among People Working in the Urban-Based Informal Economy in Southern Ethiopia.

Regardless of the advocacies made by the media and numerous organizations about the need for preventing the spread of COVID-19, there still exists a gap as far as compliance to regular implementation of the preventive mechanisms within communities is concerned. The purpose of the present study was, therefore, to examine compliance to personal protective behavioral recommendations to contain the spread of COVID-19 among urban residents engaged in the informal economic activities in Wolaita Sodo town, Southern Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study design was used where quantitative data were collected through the survey research method. Three hundred and eighty-four participants of the urban-based informal economy were randomly selected and contacted in their own natural settings with an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were inserted into SPSS software for analysis that involved both descriptive and inferential statistics, including frequency and percentage distributions, binomial and multinomial logistic regressions. The results of the research indicated that only 35.4% of the respondents regularly wore a mask. In addition, 54.9% of the survey participants disclosed that they do not clean their hands with disinfectants after touching objects under circumstances where they cannot get access to water and soap. Moreover, the most commonly reported reason of respondents for non-compliance to regular wearing of a mask has been its inconvenience or discomfort (62.8%), followed by the need to appear indifferent because most people around them do not wear a mask (25.2%). Furthermore, experiences of the respondents of regularly wearing a mask are significantly associated with regular attendance of the media regarding the preventive mechanisms of COVID-19 (OR = 0.224; P < 0.001; 95%C.I: 0.109–0.460), knowledge of someone ever infected by COVID-19 (OR = 0.402; P < 0.05; 95%C.I: 0.190–0.851), the belief that COVID-19 causes a severe illness (OR = 0.444; P < 0.05; 95%C.I: 0.201–0.980), and perception of the likelihood of dying as a result of infection by COVID-19 (OR = 0.374; P < 0.01; 95% C.I: 0.197–0.711). The authors have found a low level of compliance to the recommended safety measures, especially wearing of masks. It is, therefore, important that continued efforts of raising awareness should be done by all the concerned bodies. Above all, urban safety net programs that aim at keeping such social groups at home, at least during the critical wave of the pandemic, should also be strengthened.

Influence of conspiracy theories, misinformation and knowledge on public adoption of Nigerian government’s COVID-19 containment policies

This study examined the individual and collective influence of conspiracy theories, misinformation and knowledge revolving around COVID-19, on public adoption of the Nigerian government’s containment policies. The study adopted the Survey, and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) methods. For the survey, a sample of 466 respondents were drawn from Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, while 24 participants were selected for the FGD. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and thematic approach were used to analyse data generated from the study. Results revealed a COVID-19 conspiratorial thinking among survey respondents and FGD participants, who were also familiar with the orgy of unbridled dissemination of misinformation and conspiracy theories in the social media space. Majority of respondents were knowledgeable about government’s COVID-19 containment policies and were practicing the recommended safety measures. Their decision was influenced by trust in opinion leaders, especially family members and medical experts.

Consequences of Early Separation of Maternal-Newborn Dyad in Neonates Born to SARS-CoV-2 Positive Mothers: An Observational Study

As the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection continues its spread all over the world, data on perinatal management of the maternal-infant dyad are urgent. We performed an observational study to describe the effects of the early separation of the maternal-infant dyad, in case of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection. We reported the medical records for 37 neonates born to 37 SARS-CoV-2 positive mothers in a setting of separation of the dyad after birth. Data on neonatal infection, clinical condition, and breastfeeding rate were recorded until the first month of life. No maternal deaths were recorded; 37.8% of women had at least one pregnancy-related complication. We reported a high adherence to recommended safety measures after discharged with 84.8% of the mothers using at least one personal protective device and 51.5% using all the protective devices. We reported one case of vertical transmission and no cases of horizontal transmission. However, the separation of the dyad had a negative impact on breastfeeding because only 23.5% of the newborns received exclusively human milk during the first month of life. Despite early separation of the dyad protecting the newborns from possible horizontal transmission of SARS-CoV-2, it negatively affects breastfeeding during the first months of life.

MAROCOVID: Snapshot Monitoring of Knowledge and Perceptions of Safety Behaviors during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Morocco.

To assess whether knowledge, attitude, and perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic predicted changes in behaviors among the general Moroccan population, a cross-sectional online survey was conducted between 30 March and 20 April involving a total of 14,157 participants. The statistical analysis of the data included univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Our results suggest that less than ten days after the Moroccan government announced “Health state of Emergency” response to the COVID-19 outbreak, public knowledge, attitude and responses to the pandemic were relatively high. More than half the respondents (63.2%) reported that they complied with more than five of nine recommended safety measures, including avoiding going out (93.2%), and frequent handwashing with soap and water (78.2%). Factors associated with an increased likelihood to adopt safety measures included perceptions that COVID-19 was a human health risk, the pandemic will continue for a long time, availability of clear information, and a lack of medicine. The largest predictor of safety behavior change was age; participants older than 55 were more likely to adopt recommended safety behaviors. Although knowledge and perception among the general public was reasonable, more encouragement from government via health education programs is needed to maintain appropriate behaviors.

Low pH Hypromellose (Taffix) nasal powder spray could reduce SARS-CoV-2 infection rate post mass-gathering event at a highly endemic community: an observational prospective open label user survey

ABSTRACT Objectives: Bney Brak city tops Israel’s COVID-19 infection rate and mortality. Before the Jewish New Year (two-day gathering) SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity rates were 17.6% and reached 28.1% two weeks later Taffix – an innovative nasal powder creates a protective gel over the nasal mucosa blocking viruses from infecting nasal cells, was tested for efficacy in preventing SARS CoV2 infection. Methods: In a prospective users survey, 243 members of an ultra-orthodox community that participated in two days prayers were followed for 14 days following this ‘superspread’ event. Eighty-three used Taffix throughout holiday’s prayers and the following two weeks (ITT). Eighty-one used it regularly (PP). Two used it rarely if at all. The remaining 160 did not use Taffix. Results: After 14 days, 0/81 (0%) of (PP) Tafffix users, 2/83 (2.4%) of (ITT) Taffix users and 16/160 (10%) nonusers were infected. Odds ratio for infection among Taffix users was 0.22, a reduction of 78% (95%CI 1%–95%). No side effects reported. Conclusion: Taffix could be an additional tool against COVID19 spread, in addition to recommended safety measures. This is the first time that a prevention measure of SARS-CoV-2, beyond the use of masks, has proved effective.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the activity of private medical practices in Morocco.

IntroductionThe aim of this study was to assess the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the activity of private medical practices in Morocco.MethodsAn online survey was carried out in June 2020. The study population consisted of physicians (General practitioners and specialists) who run private practices in different regions of Morocco. The questionnaire comprised three sections: demographic and professional data, the impact noticed by the physicians and the strategies they adopted to tackle this impact.ResultsWe analysed 225 responses. Specialists represented 71.6% of the respondents. The majority (94.2%) of the private practices were located in urban areas. Almost all respondents have noticed a change in the demand for medical services, mainly a decrease (96.4%). There was an increase in urgent consultations (30.7%) and consultations for acute motives (39.1%). Respondents also reported less (69.3%) or no (23.1%) regular follow‐up visits for patients with chronic diseases. Decreased incomes concerned 97.3% of the practices. Practitioners reacted by working less hours (87.6%), delaying some procedures (78.2%) and applying recommended safety measures (100%). Telemedicine was used in an informal way to facilitate the communication with patients.Discussion and ConclusionDuring this pandemic, private practices were challenged to contribute to the continuity of healthcare services while ensuring the safety of the staff and the patients. Several strategies were adopted to cope with the new situation and to survive its many challenges.

Predictors of adherence to COVID-19 prevention measure among communities in North Shoa Zone, Ethiopia based on health belief model: A cross-sectional study.

IntroductionCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging respiratory infections and is known to cause illness ranging from the common cold to severe acute respiratory syndrome. At present, the disease has been posing a serious threat to the communities, and it is critical to know the communities’ level of adherence on COVID-19 prevention measures. Thus, this study aimed to identify the predictors of adherence to COVID-19 prevention measure among communities in North Shoa zone, Ethiopia by using a health belief model.MethodsCommunity-based cross-sectional study design was employed. A total of 683 respondents were interviewed using a structured and pre-tested questionnaire. The data were collected by using a mobile-based application called “Google form.” Logistic regression was performed to analyze the data. Estimates were reported in adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and a significant association was declared at p-value of less than 0.05.ResultThe overall adherence level of the community towards the recommended safety measures of COVID-19 was 44.1%. Self-efficacy (AOR = 0.23; 95% 0.14, 0.36), perceived benefits (AOR = 0.35; 95% 0.23, 0.56), perceived barriers (AOR = 3.36; 95% 2.23, 5.10), and perceived susceptibility of COVID-19 (AOR = 1.60; 95% 1.06, 2.39) were important predictors that influenced the adherence of the community to COVID-19 preventive behaviors.ConclusionsIn this study, the overall adherence level of the community towards the recommended safety measures of COVID-19 was relatively low. It is vital to consider the communities’ self-efficacy, perceived benefits, perceived barriers and perceived susceptibility of COVID-19 in order to improve the adherence of the community towards the recommended safety measures of COVID-19.

A Systematic Literature Review on e-Mental Health Solutions to Assist Health Care Workers During COVID-19.

Background: e-Mental health is an established field of exploiting information and communication technologies for mental health care. It offers different solutions and has shown effectiveness in managing many psychological issues. Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has critically influenced health care systems and health care workers (HCWs). HCWs are working under hard conditions, and are suffering from different psychological issues, including anxiety, stress, and depression. Consequently, there is an undeniable need of mental care interventions for HCWs. Under the circumstances caused by COVID-19, e-health interventions can be used as tools to assist HCWs with their mental health. These solutions can provide mental health care support remotely, respecting the recommended safety measures. Materials and Methods: This study aims to identify e-mental health interventions, reported in the literature, that are developed for HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA protocol by searching the following digital libraries: IEEE, ACM, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and PubMed. Results and Discussion: Eleven publications were selected. The identified e-mental health interventions consisted of social media platforms, e-learning content, online resources and mobile applications. Only 27% of the studies included empirical evaluation of the reported interventions, 55% listed challenges and limitations related to the adoption of the reported interventions. And 45% presented interventions developed specifically for HCWs in China. The overall feedback on the identified interventions was positive, yet a lack of empirical evaluation was identified, especially regarding qualitative evidence. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance and need for e-mental health solutions for HCWs.

STUDY ON THE ETHICAL AND SAFETY ASPECTS AMONG ROMANIAN DENTAL HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 virus has a predominantly respiratory transmission through aerosol and droplets; therefore, dentistry represents a medical profession with high risk-exposure, both for dental professionals and for patients. Under these circumstances, the main aim of the present study is to evaluate the perception of a group of dentists (n=67) on the recommended safety measures for preventing and limiting the transmission of this virus; moreover, the participants’ point of view on the need for further scientific research on infection management protocols was assessed. Data was collected via an on-line questionnaire and statistically analysed. The results of this study highlighted that personal protective equipment is considered by 65.7% of the participants the most efficient safety measure related to COVID-19 virus, along with the careful planning of proper disinfection periods in-between scheduled patients. Most participants (89.6%) also agreed with the need for further research on these issues, mostly on the cost/benefit ratio of PPE equipment.

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Management of Patients With ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction in a Tertiary Cardiovascular Center.

Background:In the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the appropriate reperfusion strategy in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is unclear.Methods:This retrospective single-center study consecutively enrolled patients who presented with STEMI and scheduled for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) during the outbreak of COVID-19. Due to the delay in the reporting of the polymerase chain reaction test results, our postprocedural triage regarding COVID-19, followed by the isolation strategy, was based on lung computerized tomography scan results.Results:Forty-eight patients with STEMI referred to our center. PPCI was done for 44 (91%) of these patients. The mean symptom-to-device time was 490.93 ± 454.608 minutes, and the mean FMC-to-device time was and 154.12 ± 36.27 minutes. Nine (18%) patients with STEMI were diagnosed as having typical/indeterminate features indicating COVID-19 involvement. During hospitalization, 1 (2.0%) patient died of cardiogenic shock. The study population was followed for 35.9 ± 12.7 days. Two patients expired in another centers due to COVID-19. No cardiac catheterization laboratory staff members were infected by COVID-19 during the study period.Conclusions:Our small report indicates that by taking the recommended safety measures and using appropriate PPE, we can continue PPCI as the main reperfusion strategy safely and effectively.