 The rapid guide includes three diagnosis recommendations and four management recommendations covering patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 with different levels of disease severity, throughout the care pathway from outpatient facility or hospital entry, to home discharge.  The rapid guide offers considerations about implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and identifies research needs.  The guide will be relevant for clinicians, hospital managers and planners, policy-makers, hospital architects, biomedical engineers, medical physicists, logistics staff, and control officers involved in water/sanitation and infection prevention.

ABSTRACT. In today's world, technologic developments bring social and economic benefits to large sections of society; however, the health consequences of these developments can be difficult to predict and manage. With rapid advances in electromagnetic field (EMF) technologies and communications, children are increasingly exposed to EMFs at earlier and earlier ages. Consistent epidemiologic evidence of an association between childhood leukemia and exposure to extremely low frequency (

Annette Prüss-Ustün and colleagues consider the role of air pollution and other environmental risks in non-communicable diseases and actions to reduce them

The Global Solar UV Index was developed as an easy-to-understand measure of the amount of biologically-effective ambient solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) at different locations on the earth’s surface. Over the past few years, questions have been raised about the global applicability of the UV Index, about the evidence base for exposure risk thresholds and related protective measures, and about whether the overall impact of the UV Index could be improved with modifications. An international workshop was organized by several organizations, including the World Health Organization, to assess if current evidence was sufficiently strong to modify the UV Index and to discuss different ways it might be improved in order to influence sun-protective behavior. While some animal research suggests there may be no threshold effect, the relative importance of sub-erythemal doses of sunlight in causing skin cancer in humans remains unknown. Evidence suggests that regular use of sunscreen can prevent skin cancer and that sunglasses are an effective method of protecting the eyes from solar UVR. The UV Index as a risk communication tool continues to be useful for raising awareness and to support sun-protection behavior. Although there was agreement that guidance on the use of the UV Index could be improved, the workshop participants identified that strong health outcome-based human evidence would be needed as the basis for a revision. For the UV Index to be relevant in as many countries as possible, it should continue to be adapted to suit local conditions.

Summary Background Exposure to artificial tanning devices is carcinogenic to humans, and government regulations to restrict or ban indoor tanning appear to be increasing. Objectives We evaluated changes in the international prevalence of indoor tanning among adolescents and adults after artificial tanning devices were classified as carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2009. Methods Systematic searches in PubMed and Web of Science databases were undertaken. Overall, 43 studies reporting ‘ever’ or ‘past‐year’ indoor tanning exposure after 2009 were identified. We used metaregression analysis to evaluate the prevalence of indoor tanning over time. Random effects meta‐analysis was used to summarize the prevalence of indoor tanning in adolescents and adults according to sex, region and presence of age prohibitions. Results Global prevalence of indoor tanning in adolescents for 2013–2018 was 6·5% [95% confidence interval (CI) 3·3–10·6], 70% lower than the 22·0% (95% CI 17·2–26·8) prevalence for 2007–2012. Among adults, the prevalence was 10·4% (95% CI 5·7–16·3) for 2013–2018, a decrease of 35% from 18·2% for 2007–2012. Since 2009, the overall past‐year prevalence among adolescents was 6·7% (95% CI 4·4–9·6) and 12·5% (95% CI 9·5–15·6) among adults. The prevalence of tanning indoors in the past year was similar in North America (adults, 12·5%; adolescents, 7·6%) and Europe (adults, 11·1%; adolescents, 5·1%). In 2009, three countries had regulations restricting indoor tanning, compared with 26 countries today. Conclusions Prevalence of indoor tanning has declined substantially and significantly in adolescents and adults since the 2009 IARC statement, reflecting the rise in regulations that limit this source of unnecessary exposure to carcinogenic ultraviolet radiation. What is already known about this topic? Indoor tanning is associated with an increased risk of melanoma. A meta‐analysis of worldwide indoor tanning prevalence for 1986–2012 found a past‐year prevalence of 18% in adolescents and 14% in adults, with higher prevalences during the period 2007–2012. Policies to regulate indoor tanning began to be implemented across the globe in 2009. Only one study carried out in the U.S.A. has evaluated the efficacy of such policies in reducing indoor tanning prevalence. What does this study add? For the period 2013–2018, we found indoor tanning prevalences of 6·7% in adolescents and 11·9% in adults. This implies a reduction in indoor tanning use of 70% in adolescents and 35% in adults during the last 10 years. Our study encourages policy makers to strengthen indoor tanning regulations that reduce sunbed use among the general population in order to produce maximum public health benefit.