The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spread rapidlyaround the world. Two types of approaches have beenapplied to use of face masks as a tool to prevent the spreadthis disease in society. The aim of the systematic reviewwas to assess the effectiveness of face masks against thenovel coronavirus. A literature search was performed usingdifferent databases until April 30, 2020. Search termswere ‘facemasks’, ‘novel coronavirus’, and ‘healthcareworkers’. Five studies were included in the systematicreview. A study stated that no difference between surgicaland cotton masks. Also, two studies have emphasized theuse of surgical masks or N95 respirators by medical staff,and two other studies emphasized the use of any type offace mask by general public. More studies in controlledcontexts and studies of infections in healthcare andcommunity places are needed for better definition of theeffectiveness of face masks in preventing coronavirus.

Introduction:Mental stress amongst pre-hospital Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workers is an iceberg phenomenon; owing to unique occupational stressors faced by them. This study was aimed to examine the mental health status of pre-hospital EMS workers and its correlation with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Work Environment Scale (WES). Methods:This cross-sectional study incorporated 224 emergency EMS members from urban and road EMS bases in eastern Iran in 2018. General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian version (PTSD-C), and Work Environment Scale (WES) were used as research instruments. Data were analyzed via SPSS Statistics software (version 21); while p<0.05 was considered significant. Results:The mean age of participants was 31.91±6.9 years; 36(16.1%) had PTSD ≥50, which increased with age (p-0.01), number of offspring (p-0.022) and time working at the EMS (p-0.002). Mean WES scores were 73.41±12.27; with a significant impact of marital status (p-0.007), the number of offspring (p-0.023), qualification (p-0.019) and less time working at the EMS (p-0.008). Mental distress was recorded in 89(39.7%) individuals. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that members at higher risk of mental distress were; those with associate's degree (adjusted OR 3.192; 95% CI, 1.456-6.998), individuals with 1 or 2 offspring (adjusted OR 2.03; 95% CI, adjusted OR 3.380; 95% CI, respectively), and those with PTSD equal or higher than 50 (adjusted OR 2.504; 95% CI, 1.063-5.903), with a reverse impact of WES (p>0.05). Conclusion:PTSD adversely affected mental health and clinical performance of the subjects; while work-place environment augmented working spirit as well as psychological resilience. Strategies aiming at stress-dilution and improvements in a professional environment cannot be over-emphasized.

Introduction:The coronavirus disease 2019 has become the greatest critical healthcare concern in 2020. The present study investigated the correlation between COVID-19 distribution and the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) among countries.Material and methods: Data were obtained from publicly available data on COVID-19 and HIV/ AIDS, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and Global Burden of Disease (GBD). Bivariate correlation analyses were used to investigate the correlation between the variables.Results: COVID-19 cases and death ratio negatively correlated with the prevalence of HIV/AIDS (r = -0.40 and r = -0.38, p < 0.05, respectively). Conclusions:The findings indicated that in countries with high prevalence of HIV/ AIDS, COVID-19 cases and death ratio were low, which could be due to the type of therapy or screening system. Nevertheless, further studies are required in this field.