World Health Organization Website Research Articles

Clinical Features Deserve Consideration for a Urologist in COVID-19.

We have studied up-to-date knowledge about the clinical feature of the Novel coronavirus pandemic worth consideration by the urologist. PubMed database, the United States centers for disease control and prevention (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO) websites were also accessed. A staging system introduced by Siddiqi et al. for the COVID-19 is acknowledged. Hemodialysis centers are high-risk zones in the outbreak of a COVID-19 epidemic. Symptoms and signs, clinical features, and laboratory findings of the renal transplant patients are almost similar to non-transplanted patients.

Changing epidemiology of SARS-CoV in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.

SummarySARS-CoV-2 is a new form of β-coronavirus that has been recently discovered and is responsible for COVID 19 pandemic. The earliest infection can be traced back to Wuhan, China. From there it has spread all over the world. Keeping in view the above perspective, an attempt is made in order to find out the epidemiological pattern of COVID 19 pandemic, if any, in different geo-climatological regions of the world in terms of case incidence and mortality. This study is also an endeavor to review and analyze the gradual changes of the genetic makeup of SARS-CoV from evolutionary and epidemiological perspectives. The raw data of COVID-19 cases and death incidences were collected from the World Health Organization (WHO) website from the time period: 1st April to 6th April, 2020. The data that are utilized here for general and Case fatality rate (CFR) based analysis. Western pacific region, European region and Americas have the greatest number of infected cases (P < 0.001); whereas deaths have been found to be significantly higher in Europe (P < 0.001). Total number of confirmed cases and deaths in south-east Asia are comparatively lower (P < 0.001). Case fatality rate (CFR) has also found significant for European region. SARS-CoV-2 is considered to be a strain of SARS-CoV that has a high rate of pathogenicity and transmissibility. Result indicated that the European region has been affected mostly for both cases and death incidences. The novel mutations in SARS-CoV-2 possibly increase the virus infectivity. Genetic heterogeneity of this virus within the human population might originate as the representatives of naturally selected virus quasispecies. In this context, the presence of the asymptomatic individuals could be a significant concern for SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology. Further studies are required to understand its genetic evolution and epidemiological significance.

Role of Precautionary Measures in Containing the Natural Course of Novel Coronavirus Disease.

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is spreading at an alarming rate. Several health authorities have implemented specific precautionary measures worldwide to combat the spread of the disease. The influence of these measures on tackling the spread of the disease remains to be elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the impact of precautionary measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.MethodsData for this study were gathered from publicly available data sources such as the Worldometer and World Health Organization websites. The expected number of new cases is calculated using a mathematical formula to assess the difference between the observed and expected number of cases, thus indicating the impact of precautionary measures on the spread of COVID-19.ResultsThe preventive measures massively impacted the reduction of COVID-19 cases in Saudi Arabia from the expected number of 437,097 accumulated cases by May 4, 2020, to the observed number of 28,656 accumulated cases. Thus, the fatality rate is reduced from the expected 15,735 accumulated deaths by May 4 to 191 accumulated deaths.ConclusionPrecautionary measures adopted by the Saudi Arabian health authorities were evidently effective in controlling the spread and further burden of COVID-19.

Significados composicionais de Infográficos e o combate à desinformação em tempos de Covid-19

Este artigo empreende um debate sobre a contribuição dos infográficos no combate a proliferação de desinformação, em vista dos significados composicionais de elementos visuais e verbais. Para atender a este objetivo, realizou-se uma reflexão bibliográfica e usou-se três infográficos do site da Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS). Conclui-se que os infográficos apresentam características que ajudam na disseminação de informações idôneas, coesas e concisas, de modo que contribuem efetivamente para suprimir as desinformações em tempos de Covid-19.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Tourism: Perceptions from Bangladesh

The study aim is to measure the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism industry in Bangladesh. This review utilized journals, historical records, newspaper articles, World Health Organization statistics, governmental data, and website materials on COVID-19 incidences in tourism. Secondary research was adopted in which secondary data were collected through a comprehensive literature review. The COVID-19 outbreak has significantly affected global travel and tourism. Bangladesh has also experienced an adverse impact on inbound and outbound tourism. International and domestic tourists have cancelled bookings in Bangladesh, and outbound tourism activities have also been banned. Airlines have cancelled flights, while hotels are almost completely vacant, and as a result, supporting tourism agencies are facing huge economic losses and employment cuts in Bangladesh. The amplification of COVD-19 is predicted to cause a long-term adverse impact on tourism in Bangladesh. The government of Bangladesh has declared an incentive package for early economic recovery that is needed for businesses to survive the pandemic. This review provides a theoretical cognitive model and literature on tourism for a better understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic and may also guide future studies in addressing challenges for the tourism industry.

How COVID-19 is Affecting Apprentices

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background and Objective:&lt;/strong&gt; Coronavirus induced disease (COVID-19) is affecting people all around the world. The rising number of deaths due to COVID-19 is not only harassing people but also causing strong emotions in adults as well as in children due to anxiety, fear and stress. The objective of this study was to assess the fears, anxiety and stress due to COVID-19 pandemic and related issues among the apprentices at various levels in different parts of world. &lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;It was a cross sectional survey design to assess the students/trainee&amp;rsquo;s immediate psychological response during COVID-19 outbreak by using an anonymous online questionnaire. A snowball sampling technique was conducted focusing general public all around the world from 3rd April 2020 till 7th April 2020. A total of N=354 participants filled the form completely. The structured questionnaire collected information on demographic data and psychological aspect of this outbreak, including extreme fear and uncertainty. &lt;strong&gt;Results:&lt;/strong&gt; A total of N = 354 participants completed the questionnaire; majority were from the age group of 21&amp;ndash;30 years. Approximately 66.4% were females and 33.6% males. Participants from Asia were 83.6% while 9.9%, 3.4%, 2.8% and 1% from America/Canada, Europe, Africa and Australia respectively. Out of n = 354 participants 59.3% were relying on health professionals for authentic source of information regarding COVID-19 while 16.4%, 15% and 5.4% considered social media, television and World Health Organization (WHO) website respectively as their authentic guide. Out of the (n = 354) participants 80.5% were afraid about health status during COVID-19 most predominantly females (66.3%) (P = 0.000). A total of 65.8% participants felt agitated or irritated in this outbreak. &lt;strong&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/strong&gt; COVID-19 lockdowns are affecting both physical and mental health of students and apprentices enrolled at different levels of education. Females are more affected and concerned to their loved ones and themselves. Working norms are being maintained and responsibilities are being fulfilled despite this grave situation.&lt;/p&gt;

Data Fusion to Convert Drug Consumption Quantities into Defined Daily Doses.

Analysis of consumptions has proved a misuse of antibiotics, despite the existence of national requirements. To be able to compute drugs consumption quantities of highly heterogeneous drugs expressed in various doses units, the World Health Organization has defined a defined daily dose. A methodology has been also defined from previous work to compute manually the drugs consumptions in daily defined dose. We automated this methodology by using data fusion on data retrieved from different sources including a French public database and the World Health Organization website. Evaluation proved the efficiency of the approach, except for inconsistency cases. We identified these cases and proposed a solution to avoid them.

Prevalence and determinants of alcohol use among adults living with HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia: a systematic review protocol

BackgroundAlcohol use is a challenging problem which attributes to more than 5% of the overall global burden of disease. It is more common among persons with HIV infection than the general population. Although there are separate studies regarding people with HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia, their results are highly variable and discrepant. The objectives of this study will be to evaluate the prevalence of alcohol use and to identify its associated factors among people with HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia.MethodsA systematic search of electronic databases (from inception onwards) of PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library will be conducted. Moreover, grey literatures will be searched from different sources (such as Google Scholar, OpenGrey, and World Health Organization websites). Reference lists of the selected articles will also be searched manually. Observational studies (cross-sectional, case-control, cohort) reporting the prevalence of alcohol use and/or its associated factors among adults with HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia will be included. The primary outcomes will be the prevalence of alcohol use among HIV/AIDS population. Secondary outcomes will be the determinants of alcohol use described in the included studies. Two reviewers will independently screen all citations and full-text articles and extract data. The studies’ methodological quality (or bias) will be appraised using an appropriate tool. If feasible, we will conduct a random effects meta-analysis of observational data. Heterogeneity of primary studies will be assessed using the I2 test. Prevalence estimates will be stratified according to gender, age, and geographical location. Small-study effects (publication bias) also will be examined.DiscussionOur systematic review and meta-analysis will prevail the pooled prevalence of alcohol use and its determinants among people with HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia. The finding of this study will be helpful to design appropriate preventive and interventional strategies for alcohol use among people with HIV/AIDS. This can have direct or indirect policy responses and clinical implications.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42019132524

Mortality From Coronavirus Disease 2019 Increases With Unsaturated Fat and May Be Reduced by Early Calcium and Albumin Supplementation

Mortality From Coronavirus Disease 2019 Increases With Unsaturated Fat and May Be Reduced by Early Calcium and Albumin Supplementation

Causality between Economic Growth and Health Expenditure: A time series analysis from 1996 till 2017 in Albania

-Evidence shows that human capital is a leading driver and one of the most important factors affecting economic development. Economic growth models emphasize the effect that human capital has on the growth and prosperity of a country. The indicators used to measure human capital vary. In this article we will use total health expenditure as a measure for human capital. A healthier population will obviously lead to increased productivity and consequently a higher income for the individual. By increasing public health investments, the workforce will potentially be healthier and consequently human productivity will increase. One of the most important lessons to be learned from the coronavirus pandemic is the importance of investments in health care services, human resources and technical infrastructure for the economy. The aim of this article is to study the relationship between Health Care Expenditure (HCE) per capita and Gross Domestic Product GDP per capita in Albania. The data (in $) is taken from the World Health Organization website, for the time period 1996-2017. The methods used are the ARDL Bounds testing approach for co-integration and the Granger causality test. The main results are: the variables per capita GDP and per capita HCE are not cointegrated. The ARDL(1,1) model estimation points out the positive relationship between the two variables. Also, our study confirms the existence of joint causality between per capita GDP and per capita HCE.

PC-FACS: COVID-19

PC-FACS (FastArticleCriticalSummaries forClinicians inPalliativeCare) provides hospice and palliative care clinicians with concise summaries of the most important findings from more than 100 medical and scientific journals. If you have colleagues who would benefit from receiving PCFACS, please encourage them to join the AAHPM at aahpm.org. Comments from readers are welcomed at pcfacs@aahpm.org.

A Practical Decontamination Framework for COVID-19 Front-line Workers Returning Home.

A Practical Decontamination Framework for COVID-19 Front-line Workers Returning Home.

Neurosurgical Practice During the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Pandemic: A Worldwide Survey

Background and ObjectiveThe severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has consistently changed medical practice throughout specialties, regardless of their contribution in facing the disease itself. We surveyed neurosurgeons worldwide to investigate the situation they are experiencing.MethodsA 17-question, web-based survey was administered to neurosurgeons worldwide through the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies and the Neurosurgery Cocktail from March 28 to April 5, 2020, by web link or e-mail invitation. Questions were divided into 3 subgroups: general information, health system organization, and institutional plans for the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. Collected data were initially elaborated using SurveyMonkey software. Country-specific data were extracted from the World Health Organization website. Statistical analysis was performed using R, version 3.6.3.ResultsOf the 446 respondents, most were from Italy (20%), India (19%), and Pakistan (5%). Surgical activity was significantly reduced in most centers (79%) and dedicated in-hospital routes were created for patients with SARS-CoV-2 (58%). Patient screening was performed only when there were symptoms (57%) and not routinely before surgery (18%). The preferred methods included a nasopharyngeal swab and chest radiograph. Health professionals were rarely screened (20%) and sometimes, even if SARS-CoV-2 positive, were asked to work if asymptomatic (26%). Surgical planning was changed in most institutions (92%), whereas indications were modified for nonurgent procedures (59%) and remained unchanged for subarachnoid hemorrhages (85%).ConclusionsMost neurosurgeons worldwide reported work reorganization and practices that respond to current international guidelines. Differences in practice might be related to the perception of the pandemic and significant differences in the health systems. Sharing data and experiences will be of paramount importance to address the present moment and challenges in the near future.

The new International Classification of Diseases 11th edition: a comparative analysis with ICD-10 and ICD-10-CM

To study the newly adopted International Classification of Diseases 11th revision (ICD-11) and compare it to the International Classification of Diseases 10th revision (ICD-10) and International Classification of Diseases 10th revision-Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM). : Data files and maps were downloaded from the World Health Organization (WHO) website and through the application programming interfaces. A round trip method based on the WHO maps was used to identify equivalent codes between ICD-10 and ICD-11, which were validated by limited manual review. ICD-11 terms were mapped to ICD-10-CM through normalized lexical mapping. ICD-10-CM codes in 6 disease areas were also manually recoded in ICD-11. Excluding the chapters for traditional medicine, functioning assessment, and extension codes for postcoordination, ICD-11 has 14622 leaf codes (codes that can be used in coding) compared to ICD-10 and ICD-10-CM, which has 10607 and 71932 leaf codes, respectively. We identified 4037 pairs of ICD-10 and ICD-11 codes that were equivalent (estimated accuracy of 96%) by our round trip method. Lexical matching between ICD-11 and ICD-10-CM identified 4059 pairs of possibly equivalent codes. Manual recoding showed that 60% of a sample of 388 ICD-10-CM codes could be fully represented in ICD-11 by precoordinated codes or postcoordination. In ICD-11, there is a moderate increase in the number of codes over ICD-10. With postcoordination, it is possible to fully represent the meaning of a high proportion of ICD-10-CM codes, especially with the addition of a limited number of extension codes.

Estimation of COVID-19 prevalence in Italy, Spain, and France

At the end of December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) appeared in Wuhan city, China. As of April 15, 2020, >1.9 million COVID-19 cases were confirmed worldwide, including >120,000 deaths. There is an urgent need to monitor and predict COVID-19 prevalence to control this spread more effectively. Time series models are significant in predicting the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and taking the necessary measures to respond to this crisis. In this study, Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models were developed to predict the epidemiological trend of COVID-19 prevalence of Italy, Spain, and France, the most affected countries of Europe. The prevalence data of COVID-19 from 21 February 2020 to 15 April 2020 were collected from the World Health Organization website. Several ARIMA models were formulated with different ARIMA parameters. ARIMA (0,2,1), ARIMA (1,2,0), and ARIMA (0,2,1) models with the lowest MAPE values (4.7520, 5.8486, and 5.6335) were selected as the best models for Italy, Spain, and France, respectively. This study shows that ARIMA models are suitable for predicting the prevalence of COVID-19 in the future. The results of the analysis can shed light on understanding the trends of the outbreak and give an idea of the epidemiological stage of these regions. Besides, the prediction of COVID-19 prevalence trends of Italy, Spain, and France can help take precautions and policy formulation for this epidemic in other countries.

An analysis of the current status of Internet of Medical Things policies in developing countries

Summary The workforce shortage in the healthcare sector, climate change, demographic changes and changing lifestyles are concerns for policymakers in developing countries. Hence, policymakers are resorting to technology-enabled solutions such as electronic healthcare and the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) in particular. However, for such solutions to be effective there is a need for policies that guide their implementation and use. The aim of this paper was to analyse eHealth policies in developing countries. Specifically, this paper aims to determine whether eHealth policies in developing countries cater for the IoMT. Secondary data were collected from the World Health Organization's website and the websites of the targeted developing countries. The Policy Triangle Framework was used to analyse the IoMT by analysing and highlighting the context, content, process and the actors (stakeholders) delineated within such policies. The results revealed that only Senegal had a policy addressing the IoMT. In addition, the presentation of the policy was complex. More evidence on the IoMT should be provided by scholars so that policymakers can act on it for the improvement of healthcare.

AGA Rapid Recommendations for Gastrointestinal Procedures During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abbreviations used in this paper AGAAmerican Gastroenterological AssociationCDCCenters for Disease Control and PreventionCIconfidence intervalCOVID-19coronavirus disease 2019GIgastrointestinalGRADEGrading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and EvaluationMERS-CoVMiddle East respiratory syndrome–related coronavirusORodds ratioPAPRpowered air-purifying respiratorPPEpersonal protective equipmentRRrisk ratioSARS-CoV-2severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2WHOWorld Health Organization

The Relationship Between Obesity, Overweight, and the Human Development Index in World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region Countries.

ObjectivesObesity is regarded as one of the most prominent health threats worldwide and a serious risk factor for non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes mellitus type 2, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, and some types of cancer. Given the role that societal development—as reflected by the Human Development Index (HDI)—may play in the prevalence of obesity and overweight, this study aimed to investigate the degree to which the prevalence of obesity and overweight is affected by HDI and its components.MethodsIn this ecological study, the required data on HDI and its components were gathered from the latest report of the United Nations Development Program, and data on obesity and overweight were acquired from the latest reports published on the World Health Organization website. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 24.0.ResultsThe prevalence of obesity was determined to be significantly higher among females than males, and the gross national index per capita was found to be significantly higher for males than females (p<0.05). Significant positive correlations were found between HDI and its components and sex, as well as indices of obesity and overweight.ConclusionsA significant positive correlation exists between HDI and obesity. As policy-makers attempt to improve the general welfare of the people, they should be aware of potential unwanted effects of development on the risk of obesity and overweight among the population.

Monitoring transmissibility and mortality of COVID-19 in Europe

ObjectivesAs a global pandemic is inevitable, real-time monitoring of transmission is vital for containing the spread of COVID-19. The main objective of this study was to report the real-time effective reproduction numbers (R(t)) and case fatality rates (CFR) in Europe. MethodsData for this study were obtained mainly from the World Health Organization website, up to March 9, 2020. R(t) were estimated by exponential growth rate (EG) and time-dependent (TD) methods. ‘R0’ package in R was employed to estimate R(t) by fitting the existing epidemic curve. Both the naïve CFR (nCFR) and adjusted CFR (aCFR) were estimated. ResultsWith the EG method, R(t) was 3.27 (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.17–3.38) for Italy, 6.32 (95% CI 5.72–6.99) for France, 6.07 (95% CI 5.51–6.69) for Germany, and 5.08 (95% CI 4.51–5.74) for Spain. With the TD method, the R value for March 9 was 3.10 (95% CI 2.21–4.11) for Italy, 6.56 (95% CI 2.04–12.26) for France, 4.43 (95% CI 1.83–7.92) for Germany, and 3.95 (95% CI 0–10.19) for Spain. ConclusionsThis study provides important findings on the early outbreak of COVID-19 in Europe. Due to the recent rapid increase in new cases of COVID-19, real-time monitoring of the transmissibility and mortality in Spain and France is a priority.

Zika Virus

The epidemic of Zika virus (ZIKV) and its associated complications was first identified in Brazil in 2015, and spread rapidly throughout the Americas and beyond. In response, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared ZIKV infection and associated congenital and neurologic complications a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in February 2016. WHO rapidly responded to the outbreak of this emerging pathogen with global coordination of partners, and development of a comprehensive array of resources to guide clinical diagnosis, management, and public health response.&#x0D; &#x0D; Information on ZIKV transmission and disease continued to accumulate after the PHEIC officially ended in November 2016. Consequently, WHO guidance documents produced during the 2015-2016 outbreak were in need of review and update to accurately reflect this growing body of evidence. Furthermore, the rapid accumulation of documents during the emergency response warranted review, collation, and organization of the WHO website for improved accessibility.&#x0D; &#x0D; As part of my internship, all ZIKV guidance documents were reviewed and catalogued. Guidance documents and reports were systematically disseminated to WHO technical leads and tracked to ensure information was updated. The WHO ZIKV website was reorganized to broadly capture all relevant WHO technical resources through a single, organized portal. These activities were a critical component to transform the WHO Zika program from an emergency response to a long-term program, and to ensure dissemination of accurate and up-to-date information to the global health community.&#x0D; &#x0D; This work underscores the critical importance of sustained attention to ZIKV and other emerging pathogens in the inter-epidemic period, when there is the continued need to track transmission, build national capacity for preparedness and response, and advance development of diagnostics and vaccines. Sustained vigilance and investment in these areas is needed to help minimize future outbreaks and improve care for affected patients, families, and communities.