Background: The fields of expertise of natural disasters and complex emergencies (CEs) are quite distinct, with different tools for mitigation and response as well as different types of competent organizations and qualified professionals who respond. However, natural disasters and CEs can occur concurrently in the same geographic location, and epidemics can occur during or following either event. The occurrence and overlap of these three types of events have not been well studied.

Background In an effort to prevent infants being infected with SARS-CoV-2, some governments, professional organisations, and health facilities are instituting policies that isolate newborns from their mothers and otherwise prevent or impede breastfeeding. Weighing of risks is necessary in policy development Such policies are risky as was shown in the early response to the HIV pandemic where efforts to prevent mother to child transmission by replacing breastfeeding with infant formula feeding ultimately resulted in more infant deaths. In the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of maternal SARS-CoV-2 transmission needs to be weighed against the protection skin-to-skin contact, maternal proximity, and breastfeeding affords infants. Conclusion Policy makers and practitioners need to learn from the mistakes of the HIV pandemic and not undermine breastfeeding in the COVID-19 pandemic. It is clear that in order to maximise infant health and wellbeing, COVID-19 policies should support skin-to-skin contact, maternal proximity, and breastfeeding.

Carbohydrates with digestion characteristics between those of lente uncooked starches and rapidly digestible oligosaccharides were administered in a dose of 1.5 g/kg body weight to five patients with glycogenosis from glucose-6-phosphatase deficiency. Postprandial duration of normoglycemia and concentrations of blood insulin and lactate were determined. Uncooked barley groats in water, or incorporated in a meal turned out to behave as lente carbohydrates. Uncooked couscous in water, couscous incorporated in a meal, and partially cooked macaroni given as a meal behaved as semilente carbohydrates as compared with uncooked cornstarch and glucose. The in vitro determination of the digestibility index along with the in vivo tolerance test enables us to choose and incorporate semilente carbohydrates in the day-time treatment of patients.