Suchergebnisse

AIM: The aim of the paper is to enhance understanding of how members of the public make sense of the Covid-19 vaccines and to understand the factors influencing their attitudes towards such artefacts of pandemic governance. METHODS: The paper draws on 23 online in-depth interviews with members of the UK public and builds on relevant literature to examine participants' perceptions of the benefits and risks of Covid-19 vaccines, the sources that have shaped their attitudes, and the level of trust they have towards the government's handling of the pandemic through vaccines. RESULTS: The findings indicate that participants generally felt that the benefits of having the vaccine outweigh the risks and that Covid-19 vaccines are a crucial mechanism for enabling society to return to normal. Vaccine acceptance was, for some, strongly linked to a sense of social responsibility and the duty to protect others. However, some participants expressed concerns with regard to the side-effects of Covid-19 vaccines and their perceived potential impact on fertility and DNA makeup. Participants used various sources of information to learn about Covid-19 vaccines and understand their function, benefits, and risks. The majority of participants criticised the government's response during the early stages of the pandemic yet felt positive about the vaccine rollout. CONCLUSION: Just as with any other vaccination programme, the success of the Covid-19 immunisation campaigns does not only depend on the efficacy of the vaccines themselves or the ability to secure access to them, but also on a myriad of other factors which include public compliance and trust in governments and health authorities. To support an effective immunisation campaign that is capable of bringing the pandemic to an end, governments need to understand public concerns, garner trust, and devise adequate strategies for engaging the public and building more resilient societies.

Objectives - The aim of this study was to explore possible long-term negative health effects of injuries sustained by modern weaponry. Setting - The study was conducted in Gaza's main hospital, Al-Shifa Hospital. Participants - During the last 10 to 15 years, thousands of civilian Palestinians in Gaza have survived numerous military incursions, but with war-related traumatic injuries caused by explosive weapons. It is unclear to which extent the injuries sustained by such modern weaponry may increase survivors' risks of negative long-term health effects and serious illness. We have reported mechanisms and severity of injury, demographics and psychosocial status among 254 Palestinian patients in Gaza with war-related extremity amputations. Among the same amputees, subgroups of patients presented a variety of alarming symptoms and findings. 94 patients received further diagnostic clinical exploration, radiology imaging and clinical chemistry laboratory tests at the main clinical centre in Gaza, the Al-Shifa Hospital. Results - Nine out of ten of the referred patients were young (median 31.5 years) males (88/94, 92.6%). Ultrasound imaging revealed that 19 of 90 patients (20%) had fatty liver infiltration, 3 patients had lung nodules and 10 patients had lung atelectasis on chest CT. Twelve had remaining shrapnel(s) in the chest, five patients had shrapnel(s) in the abdomen and one in the scrotum. We found shrapnel(s) in the amputation stumps of 26 patient's amputated limbs, while 8 patients had shrapnel in the non-amputated limb. Three patients had liver lesions. Nineteen patients had elevated liver enzymes, 32 patients had elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and 12 were anaemic. Two patients tested positive for hepatitis C virus and three were positive for hepatitis B virus (HBV). One of the 19 patients with fatty liver tested positive for HBV. Two of the patients with fatty liver infiltration had elevated glycatedhaemoglobin levels and confirmed diabetes mellitus type II. Conclusion - Nearly half (44, 8%) had remaining metal fragments from explosives of unknown composition harboured in various parts of their bodies. All patients identified with lesions and nodules are being followed up locally. As of now, we cannot anticipate the long-term health consequences of living with metal residuals from modern explosive weapons embedded in body organs and tissue.

CONTEXT: COVID-19 came suddenly, bringing to the fore the challenges inherent in the health system. In a developing country, such as Nigeria, which already had myriad problems with funds and equipment in the health sector. AIMS: This study aims to examine the challenges encountered by the staff in Radiology facilities and how they combated the challenges. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional study of radiology facilities in Nigeria. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Radiologists from nine government and four private facilities who attended to COVID-19 patients were asked to fill questionnaires on challenges faced and their coping strategies. Responses were sent through E-mail. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Data from the responses were analyzed using Microsoft excel for Mac 2011 and presented as figures and tables. RESULTS: Majority of the government 7 (77.8%) and private facilities 4 (100%) had no equipment dedicated only to COVID-19 patients. Seven (77.8%) government facilities complained of inadequate staff, poor availability of personal protective equipment (PPEs) 8 (88.9%), and lack of technology for remote viewing 7 (77.8%). Fear of cross-infection was a challenge in one of the facilities 1 (11.1%). Coping strategies adopted include ensuring less traffic in the department by discouraging walk-in patients and canceling non-emergent cases, booking suspected/confirmed cases for lighter times, using old film for face shields and cloth for facemasks, staff education on COVID-19 and preventive measures, and sending reports to physicians through E-mail. CONCLUSIONS: There were a lot of challenges during the COVID-19 crisis, with government hospitals experiencing more challenges than private facilities. The challenges included among others inadequate staff strength and lack of technology for remote viewing. Some were overcome using education and by production of facemasks/shields production using recycled materials.