Spatiotemporal Assessment of Air Quality and Heat Island Effect Due to Industrial Activities and Urbanization in Southern Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
air pollution, Riyadh, industrial city, Geostatistic, land surface temperature
The aim of this paper is to evaluate the air and thermal pollution in the southern suburbs of Riyadh, where people are suffering from poor air quality due to the rapid development of the industrial facilities in the area. The study involved the distribution of questionnaires to 405 residents living in that area in order to obtain their opinions about air pollution. In addition, land surface temperature and 12 components of air were measured at 18 points. In addition, the air quality data from 2016 to 2020 for Al Khaldya and Southern Ring Road air stations were assessed. Al Misfat (Oil Refinery) and the Second Industry City are significant contributors to air pollution and also result in the urban heat island effect from high temperature due to factories and industrial activities. However, all the measured components of air quality are lower than the standard limits except the element particulate matter (PM)10, which exceeds the standard limits in several parts of the study area and during several months of the year. This can surely have a negative impact on the health of residents. At the same time, this study found that the preventive measures taken to stop the spread of COVID-19 infections have led to a positive impact in the area in terms of improvement in air quality.
Abeer Salman, Manahil Al-Tayib, Sulafa Hag-Elsafi, Faisal K. Zaidi, Nada Al-Duwarij
Biology (General), Chemistry, Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General), Technology, Physics
Contactless Food Supply and Delivery System in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experience from Raytheon Mountain Hospital, China
covid-19, nutrition, Medical staff, food delivery, raytheon mountain hospital
Xiaodong Tan,1,2 Li Ran,2 Fucui Liao3 1School of Nursing, Wuchang University of Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Health Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Medical Insurance and Management, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xiaodong TanWuchang University of Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail 00300469@whu.edu.cnFucui LiaoZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail 371381804@qq.comAbstract: The contactless food supply and delivery system of Raytheon Mountain Hospital is an innovative action to solve the dining problem and balance nutrition for medical staff and patients. The system was established according to five approval criteria, including localization, experience in hospital meal service, sufficient raw materials and supporting facilities, food safety, and high execution in dispatching. From the preparation phase to service optimization and improvement, the service model of the full collection of food and beverage information, point-to-point distribution, contactless food delivery, one-stop ordering, and full coverage of separately eating is established to safeguard the contactless food supply and delivery system operating smoothly. As of April 15, 2020 Raytheon Mountain Hospital had been operating safely for 68 days with no occurrence of food safety accident.Keywords: COVID-19, food delivery, medical staff, nutrition, Raytheon Mountain Hospital
Baseline Characteristics and Associated Factors of Mortality in COVID-19 Patients; an Analysis of 16000 Cases in Tehran, Iran
COVID-19; Inpatients; Survival; Mortality; Comorbidity; Noncommunicable Diseases; Iran
Introduction: Given the importance of evidence-based decision-making, this study aimed to evaluate epidemiological and clinical characteristics as well as associate factors of mortality among admitted COVID-19 cases. Methods: This multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted on confirmed and suspected COVID-19 cases who were hospitalized in 19 public hospitals affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU), Tehran, Iran, between February 2019 and May 12, 2020. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the infected cases were compared between the deceased and survivors after discharge. Case fatality rates (CFRs) were calculated across all study variables. Single and multiple logistic regressions were used to explore the risk factors associated with COIVD-19 mortality. Results: Out of the 16035 cases that referred to the hospitals affiliated to SBMU, 16016 patients (99.93% of Confirmed and 99.83% of suspected cases) were hospitalized. 1612 patients died with median hospitalization days of 5 (interquartile range (IQR): 2-9) and 3 (1-7) for confirmed and suspected COVID-19 cases, respectively. The highest death rate was observed among ages>65 (63.4% of confirmed cases, 62.3% of suspected cases) and intensive care unit (ICU)/critical care unit (CCU) patients (62.7% of confirmed cases, 52.2% of suspected cases). Total case fatality rate (CFR) was 10.05% (13.52% and 6.37% among confirmed and suspected cases, respectively). The highest total CFR was observed in patients with age>65 years (25.32%), underlying comorbidities (25.55%), and ICU/CCU patients (41.7%). The highest CFR was reported for patients who had diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (38.46%) as underlying non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and patients with cancer (35.79%). Conclusion: This study showed a high CFR among suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases, and highlighted the main associated risk factors including age, sex, underlying NCDs, and ICU/CCU admission affecting survival of COVID-19 patients.
Alireza zali, Saeid Gholamzadeh, Gohar Mohammadi, Mehdi Azizmohammad Looha, Forouzan Akrami, Elaheh Zarean, Reza Vafaee, Ali Maher, Mahmood Khodadoost
10.22037/archives of academic emergency medicine.v8i1.872
Medical emergencies. Critical care. Intensive care. First aid
Real-Time Estimation of Rt for Supporting Public-Health Policies Against COVID-19
covid-19, SARS-CoV-2, Public health policies, effective reproduction number Rt, epidemiologic modeling
In the absence of a consensus protocol to slow down the spread of SARS-CoV-2, policymakers need real-time indicators to support decisions in public health matters. The Effective Reproduction Number (Rt) represents the number of secondary infections generated per each case and can be dramatically modified by applying effective interventions. However, current methodologies to calculate Rt from data remain somewhat cumbersome, thus raising a barrier between its timely calculation and application by policymakers. In this work, we provide a simple mathematical formulation for obtaining the effective reproduction number in real-time using only and directly daily official case reports, obtained by modifying the equations describing the viral spread. We numerically explore the accuracy and limitations of the proposed methodology, which was demonstrated to provide accurate, timely, and intuitive results. We illustrate the use of our methodology to study the evolution of the pandemic in different iconic countries, and to assess the efficacy and promptness of different public health interventions.
David Medina-Ortiz, Sebastián Contreras, Álvaro Olivera-Nappa, Álvaro Olivera-Nappa, David Medina-Ortiz, David Medina-Ortiz, H. Andrés Villavicencio, Claudia P. Saavedra
Electronic health record derived-impact of COVID-19 on myasthenia gravis.
covid-19, Hospitalization, Vaccination, Outcomes, myasthenia gravis
Bhaskar Roy, Sukanthi Kovvuru, Krishna Nalleballe, Sanjeeva Reddy Onteddu, Richard J Nowak
An Autotuning Cable-Driven Device for Home Rehabilitation
Out of all the changes to our daily life brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most significant ones has been the limited access to health services that we used to take for granted. Thus, in order to prevent temporary injuries from having lingering or permanent effects, the need for home rehabilitation device is urgent. For this reason, this paper proposes a cable-driven device for limb rehabilitation, CUBE2, with a novel end-effector (EE) design and autotuning capabilities to enable autonomous use. The proposed design is presented as an evolution of the previous CUBE design. In this paper, the proposed device is modelled and analyzed with finite element analysis. Then, a novel vision-based control strategy is described. Furthermore, a prototype has been manufactured and validated experimentally. Preliminary test to estimate home position repeatability has been carried out.
Jhon F. Rodríguez-León, Betsy D. M. Chaparro-Rico, Matteo Russo, Daniele Cafolla
Clinical Value of SARS-CoV2 IgM and IgG Antibodies in Diagnosis of COVID-19 in Suspected Cases
covid-19, SARS-CoV-2, clinical pathway, Antibody test, nucleic acid test, posterior probability, Positive Likelihood Ratio
Yangchun Feng Clinical Laboratory Center, The Third Hospital Affiliated to Xinjiang Medical University (Affiliated Cancer Hospital), Urumqi, 830011, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yangchun FengThird Hospital Affiliated to Xinjiang Medical University (Affiliated Cancer Hospital), Urumqi 830011, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail paopao1987123@163.comObjective: To explore the clinical value of SARS-CoV2 IgM and IgG antibodies in the diagnosis of COVID-19 in suspected cases by likelihood ratio.Methods: By reinterpreting data from a previous study, the positive likelihood ratio of IgM and IgG antibodies in COVID-19 pneumonia diagnosis was calculated, and the posterior probability of IgM and IgG antibodies and their tandem detection was calculated finally.Results: The positive likelihood ratios of single IgM and IgG antibodies were 18.50 and 12.65, respectively, and the posterior probabilities were 90.18% and 86.26%, respectively. However, the posterior probability of the two antibody-tandem test was 99.15%, which could give clinicians more quantitative confidence in the diagnosis of COVID-19 in suspected cases. According to the results of this study, combining the advantages and disadvantages of nucleic acid testing and antibody detection, a feasible clinical path was found for clinicians to diagnose COVID-19 pneumonia from suspected cases.Conclusion: For suspected cases, IgM- and IgG-antibody tests should first be done at the same time. If all antibody tests are positive, COVID-19 pneumonia could be confirmed. If not, nucleic acid detection (once or more) should be carried out, and in extreme cases high-throughput viral genome sequencing is required.Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV2, positive likelihood ratio, posterior probability, antibody test, nucleic acid test, clinical pathway
Consensus for prevention and management of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) for neurologists
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has become a pandemic disease globally. Although COVID-19 directly invades lungs, it also involves the nervous system. Therefore, patients with nervous system involvement as the presenting symptoms in the early stage of infection may easily be misdiagnosed and their treatment delayed. They become silent contagious sources or ‘virus spreaders’. In order to help neurologists to better understand the occurrence, development and prognosis, we have developed this consensus of prevention and management of COVID‐19. It can also assist other healthcare providers to be familiar with and recognise COVID-19 in their evaluation of patients in the clinic and hospital environment.
Neurology. Diseases of the nervous system
Revisiting Urbanisation Pattern amid COVID-19 Pandemic in India
India, covid-19, population density, migrant workers, health infrastructure, Urbanisation
The COVID-19 pandemic, from its beginning in India on 30 January 2020, has caused over 3.7 million cases of illness and claimed over 66 thousand deaths as of 1 September2020. The large metropolitan cities have been the major hotspots of COVID-19 pandemic. The peculiar urbanisation patterns are crucial in spreading COVID-19 in India. This study attempts to highlight how urbanisation patterns increase the vulnerability of COVID-19 spread in India. The higher density, urban sprawl and associated intra-urban commuting, large slum population, inadequate water, sanitation and housing conditions along with homelessness are found to catalyse the vulnerability of COVID-19 spread in urban areas. The existing public health infrastructure in the country is found to be inadequate with respect to the increasing demand. Efforts to contain the spread are being made; nonetheless, the rapid increase in the cases of illness and deaths from COVID-19 has inflated the challenges for administration and citizens. Rapid enhancement in health infrastructure and health personnel must be made along with strict adherence to the measures of quarantine, social distancing and hygiene for the citizens are of utmost response to the decrease the spread.
Ethnology. Social and cultural anthropology
Homelessness and Covid-19 in the City of Tshwane: Doing liberation theology undercover – A conversation with Ivan Petrella
Making change, street homelessness, undercover liberation theologian, deliberative public administration, making space, making plans, making known
Ivan Petrella argues that the goals of liberation theology can sometimes be better served by doing it undercover. This article reflects on responses to homelessness during Covid-19 in the City of Tshwane, describing and reflecting upon it from the perspective of a researcher-theologian as well as activist-urbanist. It employed two lenses in its reflection: Petrella’s notion of the ‘undercover liberation theologian’, as well as what is known as deliberative public administration theory, as possibly complementary approaches. It traces ways in which people of faith/theologians participated in the City of Tshwane through means other than explicit theological discourse. It implies that such engagement was not less theological but perhaps more strategic, describing that task of the undercover liberation theologian as that of making space, making plans, making known and making change. Ultimately, it calls for a subversion of suspect models of theological education, suggesting that it is in losing ourselves in the messiness of public processes and multiple solidarities with the poor, that the unfree might experience freedom, and liberation theological goals might find concrete expression. Contribution: This article reflects on responses in the City of Tshwane to street homelessness during Covid-19. It unpacks the notion and role of the ‘undercover’ liberation theologian in local political processes, and how losing ourselves in public processes and multiple solidarities with the urban poor, might help gain freedom for the unfree.
HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies