Daily Archives: 6 March 2020
In May, 14% of households could not buy protein foods such as meat, fish and eggs due to lack of money. Across the country, in urban sectors alone the number would rise to 3.5 million people; not counting the rural areas, hard hit. With the high number of infections in the markets and the forgetfulness of the State towards small farmers, a disruption in the food supply channels is being generated.
The World Health Organization says it is temporarily halting its clinical trials that use hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 patients over published concerns that the drug may do more harm than good. The move comes after the medical journal The Lancet reported on Friday that patients getting hydroxychloroquine were dying at higher rates than other coronavirus patients. The WHO has 3,500 patients from 17 countries enrolled in what it calls the Solidarity Trial. This is an effort overseen by the WHO to find new treatments for COVID-19. The patients in the trial have been randomly assigned to be treated with hydroxychloroquine which is a common malaria drug, or 3 other experimental drugs for treating COVID-19 in various combinations. Only the hydroxychloroquine part of the trial is being put on hold.
The key aim of this guideline is to present recommendations based on a critical evaluation of the evidence on emerging digital health interventions that are contributing to health system improvements, based on an assessment of the benefits, harms, acceptability, feasibility, resource use and equity considerations. This guideline urges readers to recognize that digital health interventions are not a substitute for functioning health systems, and that there are significant limitations to what digital health is able to address.
3.3 million lives could be lost in Africa alone. Overstressed health systems cannot cope with any surge in infections. African countries are plagued with a myriad of diseases. Many Africans have lost their livelihoods due to lockdown restrictions. Food security is a concern. These countries depend on foreign aid.
Amidst uncertainty surrounding the outlook for COVID-19 fatalities and infections, developing and deploying a vaccine is the topmost global priority. Health and logistics systems under stress will be challenged for the global distribution of a new vaccine, when and if it becomes available. If the protocols for handling such a vaccine resemble those for existing ones, it will need to be supported by strong and sustainable cold chains. This poses a daunting development challenge.
Emergency room doctor Jim Sauto works long shifts at the Cleveland Clinic, and as soon as he walks into his home, he immediately showers to decontaminate himself. Then he isolates in a small back bedroom away from his wife and two children until he heads back to the hospital the next morning. Like all medical workers who treat coronavirus patients, Sauto is afraid he might somehow pass the virus to his family, he said.
Over half of people in the UK aged 75 years and above experience chronic pain – defined as pain lasting three or more months. Chronic pain can impact activities of daily living, quality of life, and independence. Rural perspectives on aging with chronic pain are rare despite demographic trends indicating that rural populations are aging faster than urban populations and with an increasing prevalence of long-term painful conditions. Through interviews and observations, we explored the experiences of rural older people with chronic pain. Our inquiry was framed by an ecological model of wellness, which argues that socio-spatial and resource environments are crucial in nurturing and developing individual opportunities and competencies, promoting positive perceptions of the environment, and in contributing to overall health. Through an adapted constructivist grounded theory approach, our analysis revealed three key concepts, each an ongoing (re)negotiation between health and the rural environment: “Life coming inwards,” “Managing chronic pain,” and “Maintaining meaning.” Findings highlight the relational nature of rural environments and key factors inherent in supporting people to adapt in order to age well with chronic pain. We consider implications for our understanding of processes of aging well, future research, and policy and service provision.
With 94% of America’s schools shuttering their doors this month due to coronavirus concerns, Save the Children has been working to support the most vulnerable children in some of rural America’s poorest communities. Our efforts are focused on making sure they’re able to continue to learn and get the nutrition they need while they’re home from school.
There are now more than 11,000 coronavirus cases tied to Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods and JBS. Tyson Foods, the largest meat processor in the United States, has transformed its facilities across the country since legions of its workers started getting sick from the novel coronavirus. It has set up on-site medical clinics, screened employees for fevers at the beginning of their shifts, required the use of face coverings, installed plastic dividers between stations and taken a host of other steps to slow the spread. Despite those efforts, the number of Tyson employees with the coronavirus has exploded from less than 1,600 a month ago to more than 7,000 today, according to a Washington Post analysis of news reports and public records. What has happened at Tyson — and in the meat industry overall — shows how difficult it is to get the nation back to normal, even in essential fields such as food processing. Meat companies have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on measures such as protective gear, paid leave and ventilation systems since they were forced to shut dozens of plants that were among the top coronavirus hot spots outside urban areas.
What’s keeping you awake? your guide to better sleep during the COVID-19 crisis