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Harrigan SP, Tsang VWL, Yassi A, Zungu M, Spiegel JM. Impacts of economic inequality on healthcare worker safety at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional analysis of a global survey. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e064804. [PMID: 36198468 PMCID: PMC9534779 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-064804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess the extent to which protection of healthcare workers (HCWs) as COVID-19 emerged was associated with economic inequality among and within countries. DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis of associations of perceptions of workplace risk acceptability and mitigation measure adequacy with indicators of respondents' respective country's economic income level (World Bank assessment) and degree of within-country inequality (Gini index). SETTING A global self-administered online survey. PARTICIPANTS 4977 HCWs and healthcare delivery stakeholders from 161 countries responded to health and safety risk questions and a subset of 4076 (81.2%) answered mitigation measure questions. The majority (65%) of study participants were female. RESULTS While the levels of risk being experienced at the pandemic's onset were consistently deemed as unacceptable across all groupings, participants from countries with less income inequality were somewhat less likely to report unacceptable levels of risk to HCWs regarding both workplace environment (OR=0.92, p=0.012) and workplace organisational factors (OR=0.93, p=0.017) compared with counterparts in more unequal national settings. In contrast, considerable variation existed in the degree to which mitigation measures were considered adequate. Adjusting for other influences through a logistic regression analysis, respondents from lower middle-income and low-income countries were comparatively much more likely to assess both occupational health and safety (OR=10.91, p≤0.001) and infection prevention and control (IPC) (OR=6.61, p=0.001) protection measures as inadequate, despite much higher COVID-19 rates in wealthier countries at the time of the survey. Greater within-country income inequality was also associated with perceptions of less adequate IPC measures (OR=0.94, p=0.025). These associations remained significant when accounting for country-level differences in occupational and gender composition of respondents, including specifically when only female care providers, our study's largest and most at-risk subpopulation, were examined. CONCLUSIONS Economic inequality threatens resilience of health systems that rely on health workers working safely to provide needed care during emerging pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean P Harrigan
- Global Health Research Program, School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Vivian W L Tsang
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Annalee Yassi
- Global Health Research Program, School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Muzimkhulu Zungu
- National Institute for Occupational Health, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
- School of Health Systems and Public Health, University of Pretoria Faculty of Health Sciences, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Jerry M Spiegel
- Global Health Research Program, School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Sambou ML, Dai J, Zhao X, Hong T, Basnet TB, Marley G, Sambou A, Fadoua EH, Naveed M. Determinants of Voluntary Counseling and Testing Service Uptake Among Adult Sub-Saharan Africans: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Public Health Rev 2022; 43:1604065. [PMID: 35992751 PMCID: PMC9381697 DOI: 10.3389/phrs.2022.1604065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: To examine the major determinants of VCT service uptake among adults in SSA. Methods: Electronic databases were searched to identify eligible English language publications. Reporting of the study selection procedure was done according to PRISMA and the selected articles were also critically appraised. Results: We found 8 significant determinants of VCT uptake among adults in SSA, such as less physical access [OR (Odds ratio): 0.77 (95% CI (Confidence interval): 0.62–0.96), p < 0.01], older age [OR: 1.36 (95% CI: 1.08–1.73), p < 0.01], higher education level [OR: 1.60 (95% CI: 1.24–2.05), p < 0.01], high knowledge of HIV and VCT awareness [OR: 1.40 (95% CI: 1.03–1.90), p < 0.01], unprotected sexual practices [OR: 1.75 (95% CI: 1.18–2.58), p < 0.01], discussion on HIV among partners and others [OR: 1.76 (95% CI: 1.10–2.81), p < 0.01], other STIs [OR: 1.40 (95% CI: 1.00–1.98), p < 0.01], and divorced/separated [OR: 1.39 (95% CI: 1.12–1.72), p < 0.01]. Conclusion: This study showed that 8 determinants were significantly associated with VCT service uptake in SSA. Thus, HIV interventions and policy initiatives should be tailored to these determinants to ensure scale-up of VCT service uptake in SSA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juncheng Dai
- *Correspondence: Muhammed Lamin Sambou, ; Juncheng Dia,
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3
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Onohuean H, Igere BE. Occurrence, Antibiotic Susceptibility and Genes Encoding Antibacterial Resistance of Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli From Milk and Meat Sold in Markets of Bushenyi District, Uganda. Microbiol Insights 2022; 15:11786361221088992. [PMID: 35431556 PMCID: PMC9008818 DOI: 10.1177/11786361221088992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacteriological safety of food/food products and the menace of antimicrobial
resistance amongst enteropathogenic bacteria raise therapeutic management
concerns within the public health system. Recently consumers of food/food
products purchased from the public market of Bushenyi District presents with
Enterobacteriaceae infection-associated symptoms and clinical conditions. We
determine the molecular characterization and antibiotic signatures of some
enteric bacterial recovered from foods/food products in markets of Bushenyi
District, Uganda. Standard molecular biology techniques (Polymerase chain
reaction PCR) and microbiological procedures were applied. Meat (MT) and milk
(MK) samples were collected from 4 communities/town markets (Kizinda, Ishaka,
Bushenyi, kashenyi) between April and September 2020 and analyzed. Our result
reveals high differential counts of Salmonella species
(175.33 ± 59.71 Log 10 CFU/100 ml) and Escherichia coli
(53.33 ± 26.03 Log 10 CFU/100 ml) within the 4 markets with the count of
Salmonella species higher than that of E.
coli in each sampled market. The PCR further confirmed the detected
strains (22.72% of E. coli and 54.29% of
Salmonella species) and diverse multiple
antibiotic-resistant determinants {TEM: (12 (23.1%) blaTEM-2
gene, 3 (5.8%) blaTEM gene}, 5 (9.6%) blaSHV
gene, 3 (5.8%) bla-CTX-M-2, 1 (1.9%)
bla-CTX-M-9 }. Other resistance genes detected were {10 (21.7%)
strA gene} and 8 (17.4%) aadA gene}
indicating a potential antibiotic failure. The need for alternative medicine and
therapeutic measure is suggestive. Astute and routine surveillance/monitoring of
potential pathogens and food products in the public market remains a core for
maintaining future consumer safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hope Onohuean
- Biomolecules, Metagenomics, Endocrine and Tropical Disease Research Group (BMETDREG), Kampala International University, Western Campus, Ishaka-Bushenyi, Uganda
- Biopharmaceutics unit, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Kampala International University Uganda, Ishaka, Uganda
| | - Bright E Igere
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Western Delta University Oghara, Delta State, Nigeria
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Bora K, Pagdhune A, Patgiri SJ, Barman B, Das D, Borah P. Does social media provide adequate health education for prevention of COVID-19? A case study of YouTube videos on social distancing and hand-washing. HEALTH EDUCATION RESEARCH 2022; 36:398-411. [PMID: 34230968 PMCID: PMC8394832 DOI: 10.1093/her/cyab028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Social media offers an opportune platform for educating the public about the recommended interventions during global health emergencies. This case study evaluated information in the popular social media platform YouTube about two key interventions (namely, 'social distancing' and 'hand washing') recommended during coronavirus disease-2019. Using the keywords 'social distancing' and 'hand washing', 77 and 78 videos, respectively, were selected from YouTube through pre-defined criteria. The understandability, actionability and quality of information in these videos were assessed. Cumulatively, the social distancing videos received >9 million views and the hand-washing videos received >37 million views. Thirteen social distancing videos (16.9%) and 46 hand-washing videos (58.9%) provided understandable, actionable and good-quality information. The non-understandable, non-actionable or poor-quality videos had paradoxically more viewer engagements than the understandable, actionable or good-quality videos, respectively. Most social distancing videos came from news agencies (68.8%). Hand-washing videos were mostly uploaded by health agencies or academic institutes (52.6%). The videos were less likely to be understandable and actionable and to be of good quality when uploaded by sources other than health agencies or academic institutes. The paucity of adequate information and the limited representation of 'authoritative' sources were concerning. Strategies for harnessing social media as an effective medium for public health education are necessary during pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Avinash Pagdhune
- ICMR—National Institute of Occupational
Health, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
- Model Rural Health Research Unit
(MRHRU)—Sachin, Surat, Gujarat, India
| | - Saurav Jyoti Patgiri
- ICMR—Regional Medical Research Centre,
North East Region, Dibrugarh, Assam, India
| | - Bhupen Barman
- Department of General Medicine,
North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical
Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Shillong, Meghalaya, India
| | - Dulmoni Das
- Department of Psychiatric Nursing,
B.Sc. Nursing College Silchar, Cachar, Assam, India
- Department of Psychology, Gauhati
University, Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Probodh Borah
- Department of Animal Biotechnology,
College of Veterinary Sciences, Guwahati, Assam, India
- DBT—Advanced State Biotech
Hub & Bioinformatics Centre, College of Veterinary
Science, Guwahati, Assam, India
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Saati AA, Khurram M, Faidah H, Haseeb A, Iriti M. A Saudi Arabian Public Health Perspective of Tuberculosis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:10042. [PMID: 34639342 PMCID: PMC8508237 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph181910042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Tuberculosis is a global health challenge due to its spreading potential. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) faces a challenge in the spread of tuberculosis from migrant workers, but the foremost threat is the huge number of pilgrims who travel to visit sacred sites of the Islamic world located in the holy cities of Makkah and Al Madina. Pilgrims visit throughout the year but especially in the months of Ramadan and Zul-Hijah. The rise of resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an established global phenomenon that makes such large congregations likely hotspots in the dissemination and spread of disease at a global level. Although very stringent and effective measures exist, the threat remains due to the ever-changing dynamics of this highly pathogenic disease. This overview primarily highlights the current public health challenges posed by this disease to the Saudi health system, which needs to be highlighted not only to the concerned authorities of KSA, but also to the concerned global quarters since the pilgrims and migrants come from all parts of the world with a majority coming from high tuberculosis-burdened countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah A. Saati
- Department of Community Medicine & Pilgrims Healthcare, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 24382, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Muhammad Khurram
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Abasyn University, Peshawar 25000, Pakistan
| | - Hani Faidah
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah 24382, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Abdul Haseeb
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah 24382, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Marcello Iriti
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
- Phytochem Lab, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
- Center for Studies on Bioispired Agro-Environmental Technology (BAT Center), Università degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II”, 80055 Portici, Italy
- National Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (INSTM), 50121 Firenze, Italy
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Romero-Gameros CA, Colin-Martínez T, Waizel-Haiat S, Vargas-Ortega G, Ferat-Osorio E, Guerrero-Paz JA, Intriago-Alor M, López-Moreno MA, Cuevas-García CF, Mendoza-Zubieta V, Martínez-Ordaz JL, González-Virla B. Diagnostic accuracy of symptoms as a diagnostic tool for SARS-CoV 2 infection: a cross-sectional study in a cohort of 2,173 patients. BMC Infect Dis 2021; 21:255. [PMID: 33706707 PMCID: PMC7947944 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-05930-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic continues to be a priority health problem; According to the World Health Organization data from October 13, 2020, 37,704,153 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported, including 1,079,029 deaths, since the outbreak. The identification of potential symptoms has been reported to be a useful tool for clinical decision-making in emergency departments to avoid overload and improve the quality of care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performances of symptoms as a diagnostic tool for SARS -CoV-2 infection. METHODS An observational, cross-sectional, prospective and analytical study was carried out, during the period of time from April 14 to July 21, 2020. Data (demographic variables, medical history, respiratory and non-respiratory symptoms) were collected by emergency physicians. The diagnosis of COVID-19 was made using SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR. The diagnostic accuracy of these characteristics for COVID-19 was evaluated by calculating the positive and negative likelihood ratios. A Mantel-Haenszel and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association of symptoms with COVID-19. RESULTS A prevalence of 53.72% of SARS-CoV-2 infection was observed. The symptom with the highest sensitivity was cough 71%, and a specificity of 52.68%. The symptomatological scale, constructed from 6 symptoms, obtained a sensitivity of 83.45% and a specificity of 32.86%, taking ≥2 symptoms as a cut-off point. The symptoms with the greatest association with SARS-CoV-2 were: anosmia odds ratio (OR) 3.2 (95% CI; 2.52-4.17), fever OR 2.98 (95% CI; 2.47-3.58), dyspnea OR 2.9 (95% CI; 2.39-3.51]) and cough OR 2.73 (95% CI: 2.27-3.28). CONCLUSION The combination of ≥2 symptoms / signs (fever, cough, anosmia, dyspnea and oxygen saturation < 93%, and headache) results in a highly sensitivity model for a quick and accurate diagnosis of COVID-19, and should be used in the absence of ancillary diagnostic studies. Symptomatology, alone and in combination, may be an appropriate strategy to use in the emergency department to guide the behaviors to respond to the disease. TRIAL REGISTRATION Institutional registration R-2020-3601-145, Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks 17 CI-09-015-034, National Bioethics Commission: 09 CEI-023-2017082 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Alfonso Romero-Gameros
- Otorhinolaryngology Service, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Tania Colin-Martínez
- Emergency Department. Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Salomón Waizel-Haiat
- Otorhinolaryngology Service, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Guadalupe Vargas-Ortega
- Endocrinology Service, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, 330 Cuauhtémoc Avenue, 06720, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Eduardo Ferat-Osorio
- Education and Research Division. Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - José Alberto Guerrero-Paz
- Otorhinolaryngology Service, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Marielle Intriago-Alor
- Otorhinolaryngology Service, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Mayra Alejandra López-Moreno
- Otorhinolaryngology Service, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Carlos Fredy Cuevas-García
- General Director of the Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Victoria Mendoza-Zubieta
- Education and Research Division. Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Jose Luis Martínez-Ordaz
- Education and Research Division. Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Baldomero González-Virla
- Endocrinology Service, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, 330 Cuauhtémoc Avenue, 06720, Mexico City, Mexico.
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