As the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) began spreading globally with no clear treatment in sight, prevention became a major part of controlling the disease and its effects. COVID-19 spreads from the aerosols of an infected individual whether they are showing any symptoms or not. Therefore, it becomes nearly impossible to point exactly where the patient is. This is where personal protective equipment (PPE) comes in. These are masks, respirators, gloves, and in hospitals where the contact with the infected and confirmed patient is direct, also gowns or body covers. The PPEs play a major role in the prevention and control of the COVID-19. The PPE is able to prevent any invasion of the virus particles into the system of an individual which is why it is an essential item to have for healthcare workers. Due to the high demand for PPEs all around the world, it is important to optimize the use of protective gear and ration the supplies so that the demand are met. However, there are guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to maintain the supply in the wake of this increased demand of PPE, how the manufacturers should track their supplies, and how the recipients should manage them. Various strategies can be used to increase the re-use of PPEs during the COVID-19 pandemic that has modified the donning and doffing procedure.

Purpose During the timeline of twenty years, several epidemics and pandemics have occurred. Yet, a consistent feature of these public health crises is the surge in the demand for healthcare services exceeds the availability. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted in the month of June and July 2020 in Karachi, Pakistan. The study participants included doctors and medical students residing in Karachi. Results Out of 187 doctors, 74.3% were working during the COVID-19 pandemic, of which 58.3% were willing to work. Out of 200 medical students, 93.5% were not volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic, of which 46% were willing to volunteer. Doctors strongly agreed that they would be willing to work during the COVID-19 pandemic if they were healthy and able to do so (57.2%), if they were provided personal protective equipment (PPE) (51.3%), and if they were guaranteed coverage of treatment cost if they get infected while working (57.8%). Medical students strongly agreed that they would be willing to volunteer during the COVID-19 pandemic if they were provided PPE (49.0%), and if their parents were supportive of their decision to volunteer (44.5%). Most doctors (54.5%) felt that they were extremely likely to get infected while working during the COVID-19 pandemic and 59.4% felt that in turn, they were extremely likely to infect their families as well. Most medical students (40.5%) felt that they were somewhat likely to get infected while volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic and 55.5% felt that in turn, they were extremely likely to infect their family as well. In the event of infection with COVID-19, 51.3% doctors and 42.0% medical students felt that they would recover without hospitalization. Conclusion Since future pandemics are likely, we encourage health-care policymakers to utilize the findings of this study to create a sustainable pandemic response.

The spread of COVID-19 has been exponential throughout the globe. Though only a small percentage of infected individuals reach the critical stage of the disease, i.e., acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), this percentage represents a significant number of patients that can overwhelm the healthcare system. Patients presenting with ARDS need mechanical ventilation, as their lungs are unable to oxygenate blood on their own due to fluid accumulation. One way to manage this excess pressure of fluid build-up around the lung tissues is to relieve the dorsal alveoli by prompting the patient to lie face down on the stomach; this is called awake proning. It is a procedure that is directed towards the recruitment of lung parenchyma when infected with pneumonia or when the condition has worsened into ARDS. This helps in relieving the pressure from the dorsal lung surface that has markedly higher perfusion than the ventral surface. Awake proning delays the use of mechanical ventilation and facilitates the patients with severe ARDS or severe pneumonia in maintaining the supply of oxygen to the body tissues. Since medical institutes are overburdened and limited ventilators are available, awake proning can reduce not only the burden on hospitals but also decrease the need for ventilators.

Balochistan is the largest of Pakistan's four provinces, yet it is also the poorest and most impoverished, particularly in terms of neonatal healthcare. In order to build and tailor strategies to improve neonatal outcomes, it is necessary to identify barriers and facilitators for interventions. Therefore, we conducted this study to provide an overview of neonatal healthcare quality and assess the structural capacity for the improvement and further development of neonatal healthcare facilities in Balochistan. MethodsA descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted in Balochistan, a province of Pakistan. The survey was designed to assess the level of staffing and facilities in the neonatal health care units. Data were gathered through trained staff either by in-person visits to the facility or via telephone. ResultsA total of 177 facilities were assessed in 25 districts of Balochistan. A majority (88.7%) of the facilities were from the public sector. Birth and neonatal care services were provided at only 63 (36%) of the assessed facilities and only three had newborn intensive care units (NICUs) with a 1:5 staff: patient ratio. Unfortunately, all NICUs lacked the basic advanced facilities. None of the hospitals had an infection control policy or staff nor any training program for doctors. ConclusionIn conclusion, healthcare facilities to manage neonatal patients requiring hospital care are extremely limited in Balochistan and the ones that are available have very limited resources. To improve the healthcare system in Balochistan, all stakeholders should be involved in the planning, decision-making, and implementation of healthcare programs at all levels to ensure sustainability and efficiency.

Background: Birth weight is one of the significant determinants of perinatal survival and infant morbidity and illnesses during early childhood. The burden of LBW neonates in the developed world is around 7%, whereas it is more than double at around 16.5% in developing countries.Methods: The retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the Indus Hospital and Health Network, Karachi, Pakistan. Data was extracted through the electronic medical record (EMR) with specific coding related to LBW from 1st January 2019 to 31st December 2020.Results: Our study showed LBW disease burden of 7.61% equated to 7% in the developed world while, in contrast with LBW prevalence in the developing countries, 16.5%. Gestational diabetes, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and primigravida are the major risk factors associated with LBW.Conclusions: Our study concludes that antenatal care is one of the major aspects to decrease the incidence of LBW, especially in primigravida. By estimating LBW, we can plan early detection and prompt interventions against this problem, reducing the burden of morbidity and mortality in neonates.