Search results for "betacoronavirus"
showing 10 items of 169 documents
Coronavirus Diseases (COVID-19) Current Status and Future Perspectives: A Narrative Review
2020
At the end of 2019 a novel virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), causing severe acute respiratory syndrome expanded globally from Wuhan, China. In March 2020 the World Health Organization declared the SARS-Cov-2 virus a global pandemic. We performed a narrative review to describe existing literature with regard to Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, management and future perspective. MEDLINE, EMBASE and Scopus databases were searched for relevant articles. Although only when the pandemic ends it will be possible to assess the full health, social and economic impact of this global disaster, this review represents a pic…
Preventing problematic internet use during the COVID-19 pandemic: Consensus guidance
2020
As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many governments have introduced steps such as spatial distancing and “staying at home” to curb its spread and impact. The fear resulting from the disease, the ‘lockdown’ situation, high levels of uncertainty regarding the future, and financial insecurity raise the level of stress, anxiety, and depression experienced by people all around the world. Psychoactive substances and other reinforcing behaviors (e.g., gambling, video gaming, watching pornography) are often used to reduce stress and anxiety and/or to alleviate depressed mood. The tendency to use such substances and engage in such behaviors in an excessive manner as putative coping strategies i…
Europe’s War against COVID-19: A Map of Countries’ Disease Vulnerability Using Mortality Indicators
2020
Specific and older age-associated comorbidities increase mortality risk in severe forms of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). We matched COVID-19 comorbidities with causes of death in 28 EU countries for the total population and for the population above 65 years and applied a machine-learning-based tree clustering algorithm on shares of death for COVID-19 comorbidities and for influenza and on their growth rates between 2011 and 2016. We distributed EU countries in clusters and drew a map of the EU populations&rsquo
Covid-19 Pandemic: What Changes for Dentists and Oral Medicine Experts? A Narrative Review and Novel Approaches to Infection Containment
2020
The authors performed a narrative review on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome- CoronaVirus-2 ( SARS-CoV-2) and all infectious agents with the primary endpoints to illustrate the most accepted models of safety protocols in dentistry and oral medicine, and to propose an easy view of the problem and a comparison (pre- vs post-COVID19) for the most common dental procedures. The outcome is forecast to help dentists to individuate for a given procedure the differences in terms of safety protocols to avoid infectious contagion (by SARS-CoV-2 and others dangerous agents). An investigation was performed on the online databases Pubmed and Scopus using a combination of free words and Medical Subject H…
The patient-doctor relationship: new insights in light of the current Ministerial recommendations regarding Phase 2 of the COVID-19 pandemic
2020
Following the publication of the italian Ministerial recommendations relating to dentistry in Phase 2 of the coViD-19 pandemic (focusing on operational protocols for all dental staff), we believe that the patient/dentist relationship should increasingly take into account the heightened fears and anxious thoughts of patients. this particularly regards patients who are about to undergo dental work. Moreover, dentists should also pay close attention to recent events, which have determined the new recommendations regarding SarS-coV-2 biocontainment. Furthermore, the authors of this paper consider it appropriate to make suggestions and develop interventionist techniques regarding the interface w…
Chloroquine for COVID-19: rationale, facts, hopes
2020
The tragedy of the pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) led to a desperate search for effective treatments. Chloroquine (CQ), an aminoquinoline used for many years for the prophylaxis and therapy of malaria and autoimmune diseases, has been put forward as a treatment option. The fact that CQ is not patented and has been in clinical use for years is a major advantage. CQ has been shown to have antiviral effects in SARS, MERS, Ebola, and HIV infections, but without data showing clinical effectiveness [1, 2]. Does the current level of evidence suffice for prescribing CQ for COVID-19?
There is a relationship between obesity and COVID‐19 but more information is needed
2020
Abstract We read with particular interest your comments in Obesity regarding the Coronavirus‐19 (COVID‐19) epidemic (1) and a related manuscript by Simonnet et al. (2). Resolution of the specific relationship between obesity and COVID‐19, two existing public health epidemics, is critically needed to potentially prevent health systems worldwide from being overburdened. Few studies describing COVID‐19 with rates of obesity exist, and most are based on heterogeneous populations (Table 1) (2‐7). In cohort studies with COVID‐19 disease, obesity rates are generally reported as no higher than population‐based estimates; in contrast, subgroups of critically ill patients (e.g, intensive care unit (I…
Thoughts on What Chemists Can Contribute to Fighting SARS-CoV-2 - A Short Note on Hand Sanitizers, Drug Candidates and Outreach.
2020
Abstract The SARS‐CoV‐2 outbreak causing the respiratory disease COVID‐19 has left many chemists in academia without an obvious option to contribute to fighting the pandemic. Some of our recent experiences indicate that there are ways to overcome this dilemma. A three‐pronged approach is proposed.
Alternative Methods of Sterilization in Dental Practices Against COVID-19
2020
SARS-CoV-2, and several other microorganisms, may be present in nasopharyngeal and salivary secretions in patients treated in dental practices, so an appropriate clinical behavior is required in order to avoid the dangerous spread of infections. COVID-19 could also be spread when patients touches a contaminated surface with infected droplets and then touch their nose, mouth, or eyes. It is time to consider a dental practice quite similar to a hospital surgery room, where particular attention should be addressed to problems related to the spreading of infections due to air and surface contamination. The effectiveness of conventional cleaning and disinfection procedures may be limited by seve…
An ethical algorithm for rationing life sustaining treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic
2020
The burning ethical question raised by the COVID-19 pandemic is how to deal fairly and ethically with a large number of patients simultaneously becoming critically unwell. Across the world, in both developed and developing countries, health systems are grappling with the possibility or the reality that the demand for intensive medical care will outstrip availability. There is a need for ethical guidelines on how to allocate treatment, but such guidelines are potentially highly controversial.1 In this commentary, we set out a simple algorithm (Figure 1), including what we take to be the essential ethical principles that ought to guide resource allocation in any country or setting as well as …