Search results for "Pandemic"

A narrative review on the implementation of liquid biopsy as a diagnostic tool in thoracic tumors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021

Objective: In this review, we evaluate the role of liquid biopsy in managing lung cancer patients during the still ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) healthcare emergency. Background: The novel influenza coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus or SARSCoV-2) has upended several aspects of our lives, including medical activities. In this setting, many routine cancer diagnostic and therapeutic procedures have been suspended, leading to delays in diagnosis, treatments, and, ultimately, increases in cancer mortality rates. Equally drastic has been the impact of COVID-19 on clinical trials, many of which have been stalled or have never begun. This has left many patient…

The impact of SARS-COV2 pandemic on the management oF IPF patients: Our narrative experience

2021

Abstract Background The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has changed the health-care systems around the world in a remarkable way. We describe the strategies adopted to cope with the limitations imposed by the pandemic to the access to health care by patients diagnosed with idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Material and methods We conducted a retrospective observational analysis including IPF patients under antifibrotic drugs (nintedanib and pirfenidone) that accessed to the Outpatient clinic of the University of Palermo, Italy. Patients received a phone number and an email address in case of any urgency and a virtual meeting was settled up monthly. Results 40 patients (M/F: 30/10) were followed up, …

Suggestions for lung function testing in the context of COVID-19

2021

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is currently a challenge worldwide. Due to the characteristics of lung function tests, the risk of cross infection may be high between health care workers and patients. The role of lung function testing is well defined for the diagnosis of various diseases and conditions. Lung function tests are also indispensable in evaluating the response to medical treatment, in monitoring patient respiratory and systemic pathologies, and in evaluating preoperative risk in cardiothoracic and major abdominal surgeries. However, lung function testing represents a potential route for COVID-19 transmission, due to the aerosol generated during the procedures an…

Severe asthma and COVID-19: lessons from the first wave

2020

Objective: Severe asthma is considered a risk factor for SARS-Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection but scientific evidences are lacking. Methods: we performed a literature search and review based on PubMed database national, international recommendations as well as papers on severe asthmatic patients and their management during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Results: the majority of international recommendations, expert panels and editorials provide indications about management of severe asthmatic patients. No published studies evaluated the effects of biologic agents on severe asthmatic patients during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Conclusions: the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and asthma is variable world…

Moving forward the Italian nursing education into the post-pandemic era: findings from a national qualitative research study

2023

Background: During the CoronaVIrus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, nursing education has been dramatically transformed and shaped according to the restrictions imposed by national rules. Restoring educational activities as delivered in the pre-pandemic era without making a critical evaluation of the transformations implemented, may sacrifice the extraordinary learning opportunity that this event has offered. The aim of this study was to identify a set of recommendations that can guide the Italian nursing education to move forward in the post-pandemic era. Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was undertaken in 2022–2023 and reported here according to the COnsolidated criteria for REporting Qual…

“It’s hard to keep a distance when you’re with someone you really care about” — a qualitative study of adolescents’ pandemic-related health literacy …

2021

AbstractPurposeThe aim of this study was to explore how adolescents accessed, understood, appraised, and applied information on pandemic preventive measures, how their lives were impacted by long-lasting regulations and how they described their quality of life.MethodsA qualitative design with focus group interviews was used to elaborate on the quantitative survey results obtained and analyzed in a previous survey study from the first phase of the Covid-19 pandemic. Five focus groups with seventeen adolescents were conducted digitally during the second pandemic phase in November and December 2020. The interview data were analyzed with directed content analysis.ResultsThe adolescents reported…

Quality of life and fear of COVID-19 in 2600 baccalaureate nursing students at five universities : a cross-sectional study

2021

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruptions in the implementation of programs across educational institutions. Nursing students, being both young adults and by practical training, part of the health care system, may be particularly vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to explore the associations between self-reported fear of COVID-19, general health, psychological distress and overall quality of life (QoL) in a sample of Norwegian baccalaureate nursing students compared to reference data. Methods The survey targeted baccalaureate nursing students from five universities in February 2021. An electronic questionnaire consisted …

How COVID-19 kick-started online learning in medical education-The DigiMed study.

2021

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to far-reaching restrictions of social and professional life, affecting societies all over the world. To contain the virus, medical schools had to restructure their curriculum by switching to online learning. However, only few medical schools had implemented such novel learning concepts. We aimed to evaluate students’ attitudes to online learning to provide a broad scientific basis to guide future development of medical education. Methods Overall, 3286 medical students from 12 different countries participated in this cross-sectional, web-based study investigating various aspects of online learning in medical education. On a 7-…

REAZIONI AVVERSE CORRELATE ALLA VACCINAZIONE CONTRO L'INFLUENZA PANDEMICA (H1N1) PRESSO L'AZIENDA OSPEDALIERA UNIVERSITARIA "P. GIACCONE" (A.O.U.P.) …

2010

Large-scale analysis of SARS-CoV-2 spike-glycoprotein mutants demonstrates the need for continuous screening of virus isolates

2021

Due to the widespread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the SARS-CoV-2 genome is evolving in diverse human populations. Several studies already reported different strains and an increase in the mutation rate. Particularly, mutations in SARS-CoV-2 spike-glycoprotein are of great interest as it mediates infection in human and recently approved mRNA vaccines are designed to induce immune responses against it. We analyzed 1,036,030 SARS-CoV-2 genome assemblies and 30,806 NGS datasets from GISAID and European Nucleotide Archive (ENA) focusing on non-synonymous mutations in the spike protein. Only around 2.5% of the samples contained the wild-type spike protein with no variation from the reference. Among…