Case identification, isolation and contact tracing are fundamental strategies used to control the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). This has led to widespread testing that resulted in the interruption of the supply chain for testing materials around the world. A prospective study was conducted to compare cheap and easily sourced 3-dimensionally printed polylactic acid and polyester nasopharyngeal swabs to commercially manufactured swabs, in detecting severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). During the study period, 287 laboratory-confirmed hospitalized COVID-19 patients, at multiple stages of their illness, were enrolled. The median age for the study population was 47.6 years (IQR: 34.4-56.6 years) and two-thirds (67.6%) of the subjects were male. The median duration of hospitalization, at the time of sampling, was 13 days (IQR 10-16 days). Overall concordance between the prototype and control swabs was 80.8% (Cohen's kappa coefficient = 0.61). Most discrepant results were due to prototype-positive control-negative results. When considering all positive results to be true positives, the prototype swab had a higher sensitivity (90.6% vs 80.8%, 95%CI 85.7-94.0% and 74.7-85.7%, respectively, p < 0.015). The cost to produce the prototype swab was estimated to be 0.05 USD per swab. Polylactic acid 3D-printed polyester-tipped swabs were shown to be effective for nasopharyngeal sample collection. We believe that this design can easily be adopted in countries where commercial swabs are not readily available and can play a vital role in public health efforts for disease control in low-income countries.

Background Understanding the risk factors responsible for the increased infection among HCWs can mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 among HCWs and patients alike. The aim of this study is to evaluate factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare Workers. Methods Healthcare workers and hospital administrators were asked to participate in this cross-sectional survey study that was conducted in Jaber Al Ahmad Hospital (JAH) between August to October 2020. Participants were invited to undergo SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody testing and to complete a questionnaire targeted to factors that may be associated with acquisition of SARS-CoV-2. Descriptive analysis and multivariate logistic regression were done. Results 847 healthcare workers participated in the study and 20.5 % of them had previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. The average age of participants was 35.7 years (SD = 7.9); 52.4% were female, and 55.8% were doctors. Multivariate analysis showed that working as a nurse (adjusted OR 1.77, 95% CI = 1.15, 2.71), and wearing gloves (adjusted OR 2.93, 95% CI = 1.19, 7.22) were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of contracting SARS-CoV-2 infection while controlling for other factors. Most personal protective equipment (PPE) were reported to be available always or most of the time, with the least available PPE item being coveralls (74.4%). Conclusions After adjusting for confounding factors, being a nurse and prolonged glove use were associated with increased likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Prospective cohort studies are required to further elucidate the reasons for our findings in order to minimize the transmission of infection among healthcare workers.

Background: Physical activity (PA) is important for the long-term health and weight management of patients who undergo metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS). However, the roles of exercise professionals in clinical MBS settings have not been systematically determined. Objectives: To investigate: (1) who are the professionals implementing PA programming in MBS clinical settings; and (2) what patient-centric tasks do they perform? Setting: Clinical and academic exercise settings worldwide. Methods: This is a multimethod study. A systematic literature review of all bariatric PA programs was conducted. Data about job tasks were extracted, reduced and provided to a panel of 10 experts to sort into categories. Cluster analysis was utilized to find the hierarchical structure of tasks. A Delphi process was used to agree on a final model, and then the literature was recoded for higher order job task categories. Results: The majority of PA professionals were exercise physiologists in the USA and physiotherapists or other types of exercise professionals elsewhere. Forty-three tasks were identified, the most reported being: supervision of exercise, fitness testing, and exercise prescription. Higher-order categories were: (1) Exercise-related health assessment, (2) Body composition and physical fitness assessment, (3) Lifestyle physical activity and sedentary behavior assessment, (4) Education, instruction, and prescription, (5) Exercise monitoring, (6) Behavioral counseling and psychosocial support, and (7) Dietary support. The most common skills reported in the literature were: supervision of exercise, fitness testing, exercise prescription, heart rate monitoring, and physical activity counseling. The following statements were rated an average of 9.0, indicating "imperative" was indicated by all respondents: 1) "Pre- and post-operative PA/exercise guidelines for bariatric surgery patients are needed", 2) "Bariatric surgery programs need to include PA/exercise as part of multidisciplinary care". Conclusions: Our expert group of bariatric exercise professionals, allied clinicians, and scientists reached a consensus on 7 major classifications of job tasks for the exercise professional. It is important for governing medical associations across the world to formally recognize experienced exercise professionals as playing pivotal roles in continuing, multidisciplinary care for bariatric surgery patients. These findings provide evidence-based guidance on how to solidify these positions within the greater context of healthcare.

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