10/11/2024


In South Africa, banning the interprovincial movement may keep the spread to a minimum. Rapid implementation of preventive measures in the early stages is vital in preventing the spread of the pandemic.The novel covid-19 pandemic is a highly infectious disease without known specific treatment and vaccine. Transmission based precautions are important in the fight against the virus. This study investigated the level of transmission-based precautions practiced, the predictors of correct practices, and the challenges experienced by nurses in public health facilities in Edo State during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional survey to elicit responses from 367 front line nurses using a Google online questionnaire. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis. The majority 314(85.6%) of the respondents maintained a good level of transmission-based precautions practice. Hand hygiene was performed by 327(89.1%) of the respondents. Academic qualification was a significant predictor of good practice in favour of respondents with a degree in nursing. Challenges identified were lack of financial motivation, fear of infecting family members and fear of contracting the virus (93.5%). It was concluded that nurses in Edo State Nigeria have good transmission- based practices in relation to covid-19 however efforts should be made to ensure 100% compliance and sustain practices.The spread of the novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has continued to rise in Nigeria despite all scientifically proven preventive measures. Factors militating against preventive and control efforts are yet to be addressed thus the study examined COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria within the first two months of outbreak and its preventive and control challenges. Data from the daily updates of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) were graphically used to describe the trend of spread while facts from both verified online and print media reports on COVID-19 were used to assess the challenges. Outcome of the study showed a steady increase in COVID-19 from one case on the 27thof February 2020 to 1,932 confirmed cases, 58 fatalities, and 319 discharged cases by 30th April 2020. COVID-19 preventive measures in the country include hand washing, use of sanitizers, wearing of face masks, lockdown and social distancing. Factors which undermined government preventive efforts were poor compliance attitude, selective lockdown, social media interference, misconceptions and myths, stigmatization, fear, inadequate health facilities, and distrust for government. It is recommended among others that there is need to ameliorate the adverse effects of COVID-19 misconceptions and myths through evidence-based campaigns using all sources of information.This study aimed to investigate the effect of an educational intervention based on the health belief model (HBM) about COVID- 19 on nursing students' awareness and health beliefs. A true-experimental research design was conducted at nursing college, Najran University, KSA. A comprehensive sampling was followed to include all female students at the colleges (164 students). The sample was divided randomly into intervention (82) and control group (82). The educational intervention was designed and conducted based on the HBM through four sequential phases assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. The current study results indicated no statistically significant differences between intervention and control groups concerning their demographic characteristic, awareness, and health beliefs before intervention. After intervention, significant differences (p less then 0.05) were observed between intervention and control groups in their awareness and all HBM constructs regarding COVID19. There were positive, statistically significant correlations (P less then 0.05) between participants' total HBM score and their total awareness score. This study concluded that HBM is effective in increasing nursing students' awareness regarding COVID-19. It also increases their perceived susceptibility, severity, and benefits. Besides, it may increase their self-efficacy to overcome perceived barriers to practice protective and preventive actions while dealing with COVID-19.In Africa, the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported in Egypt on February 14, 2020. Since then, the number of cases has continued to increase with Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Sudan, Angola, Tanzania, Ghana, and Kenya identified as vulnerable countries. The present study aimed to 1) identify differences in trust level of COVID-19 diagnosis, recent healthcare utilization experiences, and COVID-19-related knowledge, information, and prevention practices in South Korea, Ethiopia, and DRC; and 2) identify factors influencing trust level in healthcare facilities regarding COVID-19 diagnosis. The present study was cross-sectional. The questionnaire survey was conducted between May 1-14, 2020 using Google forms, and 748 respondents were included in the final analysis. The data collected were analyzed using ANOVA, post- hoc test, and binary logistic regression analysis. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/wortmannin.html South Korea showed higher rate of practice for COVID-19 prevention such as hand washing, mask wearing, and etc. than Ethiopia and DRC. The results showed significant differences with the trust level being 3.129 times higher in respondents from DRC than those from Ethiopia (aOR=3.129, 95% CI [1.884-5.196], p less then .000) and 29.137 times higher in respondents from South Korean than those from Ethiopia (aOR=29.137, 95% CI [13.869-61.210], p less then .000). Gender, age, number of family members, healthcare utilization experience, information, and practice were significant variables. Health education expansion for information and practice about COVID-19 in Ethiopia and DRC is necessary.South Africa, similar to many other countries in the African continent is still experiencing challenges in its efforts to provide sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care to women and adolescent girls, and it has become clear that the COVID-19 pandemic is the latest threat to universal access to SRH. In the face of this threat, the Sustainable Developmental Goals that call on the global community to -leave no one behind‖ may become a blurred vision unless we adopt a wider lens away from the tunnel vision that currently plagues health systems around the globe. This paper therefore exposes how SRH may become collateral damage in the face of the present COVID-19 pandemic. Previous disease outbreaks diverted attention from critical SRH services, including antenatal care, safe abortions, contraception, HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections. Governments, policy makers, health system gatekeepers and civil society organisations should not allow the COVID-19 phobia to bar women and adolescent girls from accessing SRH services. In fact, the global and South African response to the COVID-19 pandemic must protect everyone's rights, particularly in the health care context. Gender considerations and a human rights approach must be embedded in ensuring the accessibility and availability of SRH services.The outbreak of COVID-19 threatens continued access to non-urgent healthcare including sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. With the epicentre of the outbreak projected to shift to sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) after making significant impact in China, Europe, USA, and South America, it is necessary for countries in this region to begin to plan for how to tackle a rapid surge in cases. Health facilities are already being primed for increased presentation of COVID-19 cases. As countries prepare, they also need to consider how non-urgent services will not be interrupted. Estimates of a potential disruption in access to long and short acting contraceptives for up to 12 months will result in an additional 15 million unintended pregnancies and additional 28,000 maternal deaths. Thus, effort must be made to ensure that the gains made in SRH outcomes over several years are not lost. The potential of utilizing telemedicine to continue to offer healthcare services to the population for non-urgent care needs to be considered. It will not only provide for continued access to important services that can be delivered remotely but will reduce the risks of COVID-19 infection for both the client and the health workers.The outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in December 2019 and its spread to 216 countries within the first eight months has created a huge strain on health systems across the world. Health care workers (HCWs) at the fore-front of combating the pandemic are largely at risk of infection with the number of infected HCWs increasing daily in many countries. Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, focus of laws and policies have largely been on the responsibilities of HCWs with little or no attention paid to their rights and protection. The increased rate of infection among health workers and the inadequate conditions under which HCWs have carried out their life- saving responsibilities during the pandemic has created the need to change the narrative by focusing on policy formulation and implementation to ensure that HCWs rights are protected. We endorse the widespread use of the WHO recommendations on Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak Rights, Roles and Responsibilities of Health workers, including key considerations for occupational safety and health.Except for such rare situations where it might be determined absence of physician's imputability, physicians cannot ̳save the most lives while respecting the legal rights of the patient' without violating the overarching principle ̳every human life has equal value'. Arguing to the contrary is a conscious hypocritical attitude, or in other words, a fiction. Medical law and ethics long since carry with its various fictions. Furthermore, in a public health emergency such as the current COVID-19 crisis, medical law and ethics change and shift the focus from the patient-centered model towards the public health-centered model. Under these particular circumstances, this fiction becomes striking, and it can no longer be swept under the rug. As health emergencies can happen anywhere, anytime, the patient prioritization in circumstances of limited resources should be accepted. Medical law and ethics should back away from strict commitment to placing paramount emphasis on the value of human life. It is time for medical law and ethics to leave taboo-related hypocritical attitudes, and venture to make a historic compromise. To do so, three principles should be met subsidiarity, proportionality, and consensus and social proof.Contact tracing is the process of identifying, assessing, and managing people who have been exposed to a disease to prevent onward transmission. It is an essential public health tool and a crucial component to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic response in Lagos State, Nigeria. This contact tracing exercise is the largest one to be conducted in the megacity and is leveraging on the expertise of professionals across different strata of the health care system. Following the confirmation of a positive case of COVID-19; the State's contact tracing team commenced investigations by identifying contacts and following them up daily for 14 days from the last point of exposure. In the process of conducting this large-scale exercise, several lessons that can improve contact tracing outcomes such as the need for community mobilizers and decentralization, the importance of technology and communication campaigns were learnt and can serve as good practice for other implementers.