No abstract

The main transmission route of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is through individual droplets of respiratory secretions. Accordingly, the most basic preventive measure is wearing a face mask. Since the issue of medical waste during the pandemic is concerning, developing face masks made of reusable and biodegradable materials is necessary. This study aimed to develop "do-it-yourself"<em> </em>face masks and test the effectiveness of banana leaf-filtered cloth face masks. The design development was conducted by a series of trials for making a mask pattern that can be applied to the cloth. Then, we performed bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) and water resistance tests to investigate the effectiveness of banana leaf-filtered cloth-based face masks. The dimensions of the developed face mask are 20x18 cm, with a semi-duckbill model, consisting of three layers of washable cotton cloth and a pocket designed for the banana leaf filter. Among 34 leaf-filtered face masks, 61.8% showed water resistance abilities. Based on the BFE test, the leaf-filtered face masks contained significantly fewer bacteria (the average of 0.417x10³cfu/cm²) compared to the cloth face masks without additional leaf filter (30x10³cfu/cm²). Thus, banana leaf-filtered cloth face masks could be considered as alternative protection during the pandemic.

Background Limited evidence is available as the reference for the model of care on providing maternity care in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) to cope with pandemic disruption. This study aimed to adopt international recommendations to develop the model of care with the context of Indonesian settings. Methods Four codesign workshops and substitute interviews with stakeholders, covering the (i) exploration of service provision during the pandemic, (ii) adoption of international recommendations, (iii) designing and (iv) finalising model of care for maternal health services in primary care under the COVID-19 pandemic. The study took place in Yogyakarta Province Indonesia from July-November 2021. The participants were general practitioners, midwives, nurses, patients, and obstetricians. The data were analysed thematically. Results Twenty-three participants were recruited. As many as 23, 16, 14 and 16 participants participated in the first to fourth codesign workshops or substitute interviews. Key recommendations agreed upon in the workshop were health screening, maintaining antenatal-postnatal breastfeeding care, limiting visitors, using telemedicine, and creating a multidisciplinary team to provide the care. A model of care for improving maternal service was also agreed and received suggestions from the participants. Identified barriers to the recommendation implementation, such as the available clinical resources and negotiating providers’ authority in practice. Conclusion Recommendations and the model of care for improving maternity care in Indonesia are beneficial to be implemented in Indonesian primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research includes pilot studies to explore the acceptability of the model and recommendation implementation in practice.