Smoking Ban in Closed Public Spaces went into effect in Turkey on May 19, 2008. We aimed at investigating the status of smoking among hospital staff following the ban. The study was conducted with the staff of the university hospital other than physicians. A questionnaire form investigating the status of smoking among hospital staff, the effects of the ban on smoking in closed public spaces, their thoughts that might affect their decisions to quit smoking or to decrease the number of cigarettes smoked was implemented. Prior to each interview, the participants read and signed the informed consent form. Mean and percentage distributions were used in the evaluation of the data. Of 60 individuals, 68% were female, mean age was 40.72 ± 7.25. Of them 50% were active smokers. After the ban 55% of the smokers declared a decrease in the number of cigarettes they smoked, 37% said no change. The ban had no effect on smokers' decisions about quitting smoking. Social leadership and role model characteristics of healthcare professionals should be taken into consideration and the habit of smoking should be handled as a disease, and medical approaches including behavioral therapy should be given the necessary significance they deserve.
Background. The novel coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) caused over 1.7 million confirmed cases and cumulative mortality up to over 110,000 deaths worldwide as of April 14, 2020. 57 Macao citizens were obligated to stay in Hubei province, China, where the highest COVID-19 prevalence was noted in the country and a "lockdown" policy was implemented for outbreak control for more than one month. They were escorted from Wuhan City to Macao via a chartered airplane organized by Macao SAR government and received quarantine for 14 days with none of the individual being diagnosed with COVID-19 by serial RNA tests from the nasopharyngeal specimens and sera antibodies. It was crucial to identify common characteristics among these 57 uninfected individuals. Methods. A questionnaire survey was conducted to extract information such as behavior, change of habits and preventive measures. Results. A total of 42 effective questionnaires were analyzed after exclusion of 14 infants and children with age under fifteen as ineligible for the survey and missing of one questionnaire, with a response rate of 97.7% (42 out of 43). The proportion of female composed more than 70% of this group of returners. The main reason for visit Hubei in 88.1% of respondents is to visit relatives. Over 88% of respondents did not participate in high-risk activities due to mobility restriction. All (100%) denied contact with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases. Comparison of personal hygiene habits before and during disease outbreak showed a significant increase in practice including wearing a mask when outdoor (16.7% and 95.2%, P<0.001) and often wash hands with soap or liquid soap (85.7% and 100%, P=0.031).
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