Self-report on COVID-19: a survey of paraguayan dentists / Autorreporte acerca del contagio de COVID-19: una encuesta a odontólogos paraguayos

Aim: To determine the frequency of signs and/or symptoms compatible with COVID-19 in Paraguayan dentists, as well as the possible source of contagion. Material and Methods: Online survey consisting of 13 questions, applied to all dentists in Paraguay from January 20 to February 15, 2021. Results: A total of 433 dentists participated in the survey; 47.5% displayed symptoms compatible with COVID-19 and 13.39% indicated that they had contracted the disease, providing confirmation via a positive test result. Headache, loss of smell, loss of taste, cough, and fatigue were the most prevalent symptoms among COVID-19 positive cases. The main source of contagion was the family nucleus. Only one participant reported having contracted the disease while providing dental care. Conclusion: Almost half of the dentists displayed symptoms compatible with COVID-19. Only 13.39% tested positive for COVID-19. Only one case of contagion was reported to have happened during the provision of dental care.

High-Containment Agriculture Animal Research: An AAALAC International Perspective.

Institutions that conduct high-containment agricultural research involving domestic livestock represent a specialized category of programs that are accredited by AAALAC International. The accreditation process includes a comprehensive assessment of the overall program of animal care and use. However, the complex design of these facilities and the unique care required for animals in this type of environment often mean that additional attention will be directed at areas regarded as higher risk when the programs are evaluated. Specific issues that may stimulate additional discussion and interest include animal housing practices, environmental conditions inside the facility, maintenance of procedure and support areas, methods for obtaining and safely transporting healthy research animals, strategies to minimize animal pain and distress, unusual protocol review challenges, and institutional policies relevant to personnel training and safety. These issues are further discussed to inform institutions of potential concerns that should be reviewed and assessed during internal preparations for accreditation visits by AAALAC site visit teams.

Outside the Box: Working With Wildlife in Biocontainment.

Research with captive wildlife in Animal Biosafety Level 2 (ABSL2) and 3 (ABSL3) facilities is becoming increasingly necessary as emerging and re-emerging diseases involving wildlife have increasing impacts on human, animal, and environmental health. Utilizing wildlife species in a research facility often requires outside the box thinking with specialized knowledge, practices, facilities, and equipment. The USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) houses an ABSL3 facility dedicated to understanding wildlife diseases and developing tools to mitigate their impacts on animal and human health. This review presents considerations for utilizing captive wildlife for infectious disease studies, including, husbandry, animal welfare, veterinary care, and biosafety. Examples are drawn from primary literature review and collective 40-year experience of the NWHC. Working with wildlife in ABSL2 and ABSL3 facilities differs from laboratory animals in that typical laboratory housing systems, husbandry practices, and biosafety practices are not designed for work with wildlife. This requires thoughtful adaptation of standard equipment and practices, invention of customized solutions and development of appropriate enrichment plans using the natural history of the species and the microbiological characteristics of introduced and native pathogens. Ultimately, this task requires critical risk assessment, understanding of the physical and psychological needs of diverse species, creativity, innovation, and flexibility. Finally, continual reassessment and improvement are imperative in this constantly changing specialty area of infectious disease and environmental hazard research.

Challenges and Opportunities in the Use of High and Maximum Biocontainment Facilities in Developing and Licensing Risk Group 3 and Risk Group 4 Agent Veterinary Vaccines.

New solutions are necessary for the singular global health security threat formed by endemic, epidemic, and emerging/re-emerging zoonoses, coupled with epizootic and enzootic transboundary animal diseases (TADs). This One Health issue is related to the daily interactions between wildlife, domesticated and indigenous livestock, and humans primarily associated with global trade, transboundary co-movement of humans and diverse livestock/livestock products, and agriculture production intensification and penetration into previously uninhabited areas. The World Health Organization defines Risk Group 3 (RG-3) and RG-4 pathogens as mainly viruses but also bacteria that serve as the foundation for approximately 60% of emerging infectious diseases that are zoonoses. The World Organisation for Animal Health defines trade-notifiable TADs, and subsets of these are zoonotic. Livestock vaccination policies mainly focus on TADs that are promulgated by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and government agriculture agencies. The development, licensure, and product manufacturing of next-generation molecular-based RG-3 and RG-4 veterinary vaccines largely ignored by the global animal health biopharmaceutical sector can have an important positive impact on food security and One Health. There have been sharp increases in the global demand for livestock meat and milk products, especially in low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia. This relatively recent market driver-coupled with scientific advances in human EID and zoonotic disease vaccine platform technologies and increases in the number of high (US biosafety level 3 agriculture) and maximum (US animal biosafety level 4) biocontainment facilities with supporting workforce capabilities-offers new investment opportunities to the animal health biopharmaceutical sector. Moreover, a growing number of One Health public-private partnerships have moved the net present value calculus in favor of the financial feasibility of RG-3 and RG-4 veterinary vaccine product development and licensure. This article highlights the challenges and opportunities in the use of high and maximum biocontainment facilities in developing and licensing RG-3 and RG-4 veterinary vaccines that are safe and effective against epizootic and enzootic TADs and zoonotic diseases.

Challenges and Solutions With Agricultural Animal High Containment Waste Disposal.

Waste disposal in Agricultural Animal High Containment Animal Biosafety Level 3Ag and Animal Biosafety Level 4Ag (ABSL-3Ag and ABSL-4Ag) research facilities necessitates significantly more attention to detail in operations than that required in lower-containment-level laboratories. The unique features and requirements of agricultural-related research involve additional equipment and systems to safely transfer decontaminated waste out of the facility. The waste stream coming from ABSL-3Ag and ABSL-4Ag facilities, or high containment agricultural research waste, consists of many forms and differs from most research facility waste in that it is produced from research with livestock or other species loose housed, with the animal room serving as primary containment. This is in contrast to small laboratory animals being housed in primary containment caging. Waste handling equipment in agricultural research facilities may include autoclaves, effluent decontamination systems, incinerators, high-temperature renderers, alkaline tissue digester systems, high-efficiency particulate air filtration of exhaust and supply air, gas decontamination systems, and laundry facilities. This article focuses primarily on the disposal of waste from ABSL-3Ag livestock facilities, including procedures and lessons learned over 10 years of facility operation.

Livestock and Risk Group 4 Pathogens: Researching Zoonotic Threats to Public Health and Agriculture in Maximum Containment.

Maximum-containment laboratories are a unique and essential component of the bioeconomy of the United States. These facilities play a critical role in the national infrastructure, supporting research on a select set of especially dangerous pathogens, as well as novel, emerging diseases. Understanding the ecology, biology, and pathology at the human-animal interface of zoonotic spillover events is fundamental to efficient control and elimination of disease. The use of animals as human surrogate models or as target-host models in research is an integral part of unraveling the interrelated components involved in these dynamic systems. These models can prove vitally important in determining both viral- and host-factors associated with virus transmission, providing invaluable information that can be developed into better risk mitigation strategies. In this article, we focus on the use of livestock in maximum-containment, biosafety level-4 agriculture (BSL-4Ag) research involving zoonotic, risk group 4 pathogens and we provide an overview of historical associated research and contributions. Livestock are most commonly used as target-host models in high-consequence, maximum-containment research and are routinely used to establish data to assist in risk assessments. This article highlights the importance of animal use, insights gained, and how this type of research is essential for protecting animal health, food security, and the agriculture economy, as well as human public health in the face of emerging zoonotic pathogens. The utilization of animal models in high-consequence pathogen research and continued expansion to include available species of agricultural importance is essential to deciphering the ecology of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, as well as for emergency response and mitigation preparedness.

Revisión de los aspectos éticos y criterios de bioseguridad en odontología en el contexto de la pandemia por COVID-19 / Review of the ethical issues and biosafety measures in dentistry in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

El presente trabajo es una recopilación de información de bases de datos Medline, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar y SciELO. El objetivo fue recopilar recomendaciones de bioseguridad planteadas a nivel nacional e internacional, resaltando el uso del consentimiento informado en la práctica odontológica en el contexto de la pandemia por COVID-19 y realizar un análisis de los aspectos éticos que involucra la práctica profesional. Se incluyeron artículos de revisión sistemática, manuales, entrevistas, editoriales, páginas web y literatura gris, se discriminó la evidencia y refrendó la información con artículos publicados en revistas indexadas, relacionando los aspectos éticos y deontológicos de la práctica odontológica y criterios de bioseguridad. Se concluye que es necesario el uso del consentimiento informado, por el alto riesgo de infección cruzada, así como el refuerzo de varios aspectos de bioseguridad como el uso adecuado del equipo de protección personal (EPP), en beneficio de los pacientes y del personal.

This review compiles information from Medline, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, SciELO databases. Its objective is to provide biosecurity recommendations, high- lighting the use of informed consent in dental practice in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to current Peruvian regulations. A systematic review of articles, manuals, interviews, editorials, web pages, grey literature included, evidence discredited and information endorsed with articles published in indexed journals, relating ethical and deontological aspects of dental practice in biosafety criteria. In conclusion, the use of informed consent is important because there is a high risk of cross-infection as the reinforcement of several aspects of biosafety like the appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE), for the benefit of patients and staff.

Conocimientos de los estomatólogos sobre bioseguridad en tiempos de COVID-19 / Knowledge of odontologists on biosafety in times of COVID-19

Objetivo: describir el nivel de conocimientos de los estomatólogos sobre la bioseguridad ante la COVID-19 e identificar su relación con variables de interés. Las investigaciones sobre bioseguridad estomatológica en tiempos de COVID-19 han sido un tema recurrente en la actualidad y cobran una especial importancia,pues brindan pautas y permiten comparar el comportamiento de este fenómeno en diferentes centros. Materiales y métodos: es una investigación observacional descriptiva y transversal enlos servicios estomatológicos cubanos del municipio Mella de la provincia Santiago de Cuba, en noviembre de 2020. La población estuvo constituida por estomatólogos, seleccionándose una muestra de 40. Se estudiaron variables como ocupación profesional, años de graduado y nivel de conocimientos sobre bioseguridad que se identificó como adecuado, medianamente adecuado e inadecuado según encuestas aplicadas. Resultados: en los tres primeros ítems evaluados predominó el nivel de conocimientos inadecuado (en el 50,0 % sobre medidas generales, en el 47,5 % acerca de la higiene de las manos y 40,0 % en la protección personal); en grado medio el manejo de prendas y cuidado del medio ambiente con un 50,0 y 75,0 % respectivamente; además, no existieron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre el nivel de conocimientos y la ocupación profesional y los años de graduado.Conclusiones: el nivel de conocimientos de los estomatólogos sobre la bioseguridad ante la COVID-19 es medianamente adecuado y no depende ni del nivel de especialización ni de la experiencia profesional..(Au)

Objective: to describe the level of knowledge of odontologists about biosafety in the face of COVID-19 and identify its relationship with variables of interest. Research about dental biosecurity against COVID-19 has become specially important at present that offer guidelines and allow us to compare the behavoiur of this phenomenon in different centers. Material and methods: it is a descriptive and cross-sectional observational research in the cuban odontological services of Mella municipality in Santiago de Cuba province in November 2020. The population consisted of dentists and a sample of 40 dentists was selected. Variables such as profesional occupation, years of graduation and level of knowledge on biosafety, which was identified as adequate, moderately adequate and inadequate, according to the surveys applied. Results: in the first three items evaluated, the level of inadequate knowledge predominated (50% on general measures, 47.5 % on hand hygiene, and 40 % on personal protection); in medium grade, the use of jewelry and care of environment with 50 and 75 % respectively; in addition there were no statistically significant differences between the level of knowledge, professional occupation and years of graduation. Conclusions: the level of knowledge of odontologists about biosafety in the face of COVID-19 is moderately adequate and does not depend on their level of specialization or professional experience..(Au)

Intubation Containment System for Improved Protection From Aerosolized Particles During Airway Management.

OBJECTIVES: Worldwide efforts to protect front line providers performing endotracheal intubation during the COVID-19 pandemic have led to innovative devices. Authors evaluated the aerosol containment effectiveness of a novel intubation aerosol containment system (IACS) compared with a recently promoted intubation box and no protective barrier. METHODS: In a simulation center at the authors' university, the IACS was compared to no protective barrier and an intubation box. Aerosolization was simulated using a commercial fog machine and leakage of aerosolize mist was visually assessed. RESULTS: The IACS appeared to contain the aerosolized mist, while the intubation box allowed for mist to contact the laryngoscopist and contaminate the clinical space through arm port holes and the open caudal end. Both devices protected the laryngoscopist better than no protective barrier. DISCUSSION: The IACS with integrated sleeves and plastic drape appears to offer superior protection for the laryngoscopist and assistant providers from aerosolized particles.

Medidas de bioseguridad para la manipulación de citotóxicos y signos clínicos y síntomas de la exposición a estos medicamentos en personal de enfermería / Biosafety measures for handling cytotoxic drugs and signs and symptoms of risk exposure in nursing Staff / Medidas de biossegurança no manuseio de medicamentos citotóxicos e sinais e sintomas de exposição a eles na equipe de enfermagem

Introducción. Las terapias ofrecidas a los pacientes con cáncer, incluidos los medicamentos citotóxicos, generan un alto riesgo para los profesiona-les de la salud involucrados en el proceso de atención del paciente; por tanto, todo el personal, incluido el de enfermería, debe contar con las medidas de seguridad necesarias para evitar la aparición o el aumento de efectos no deseados para su salud.Objetivo. Describir las medidas de bioseguridad adecuadas para la ma-nipulación de medicamentos citotóxicos y los signos clínicos y síntomas producto de la exposición a estos fármacos en el personal de enfermería de una institución de salud para adultos de Envigado, Colombia.Materiales y métodos. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo de corte trans-versal en el personal de enfermería que tuviera a su cargo el cuidado de pacientes oncológicos en una institución de salud de alta complejidad del municipio de Envigado durante el primer semestre del 2018. A los partici-pantes se les aplicó una encuesta autodiligenciable, en la cual se registra-ron datos sociodemográficos, laborales, de salud y medidas de protección personal para la administración y manipulación de citostáticos. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo de los datos.Resultados. Participaron 51 trabajadores con una mediana de edad de 33 años (RIQ=8); el 90 % pertenecía al servicio de hospitalización. Los síntomas manifestados más frecuentes fueron cefalea (64,7 %), dolor ab-dominal (25,5 %) y mareo (25,5 %). El 98 % de los participantes contaba con los suministros y elementos personales para la manipulación de cito-tóxicos, pero solo el 19,6 % había recibido capacitación sobre el manejo de estos medicamentos.Conclusiones. Se deben realizar capacitaciones al personal de salud para que identifiquen en su área de trabajo los riesgos a los que se encuentran expuestos y así adopten las medidas de bioseguridad necesarias para des-empeñar sus labores diarias.

Introduction: Therapies currently being offered to cancer pa-tients such as cytotoxic drugs, generate a high risk for health ca-re staff involved in patient-caring process. Consequently, Nur-sing staff must have the necessary safety measures to avoid the appearance and, or increase of adverse effects on their healthObjective: To describe the biosafety measures for handling cytotoxic drugs, signs, and symptoms of risk exposure in nur-sing staff at a health institution for adults in Envigado, Colombia Methodology: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out in nursing staff caring for cancer patients at a high-com-plexity health institution in the city of Envigado during the first semester of 2018. A survey was conducted to collect sociode-mographic, employment, and health data as well as personal protection measures for management and handling of cytosta-tic drugs. Descriptive analysis of the data was presented.Results: There were 51 participants. The median age was 33 years (IQR 8) and 90% of the participants in this study worked in hospitalization services. The most frequent signs and symp-toms included headache (64.7%), abdominal pain (25.5%), and dizziness (25.5%). 98% of the participants in this study had the necessary supplies and personal elements to handle cyto-toxic drugs and 19.6% expressed having undergone training for handling of cytotoxic drugs.Conclusions: Health care staff training ought to be focused on risk-identification in their work area, allowing for the imple-mentation of all necessary biosafety measures.

Introdução. As terapias oferecidas aos pacientes com câncer, incluindo drogas citotóxicas, criam um alto risco para os pro-fissionais de saúde envolvidos no processo de atendimento ao paciente; portanto, todos os trabalhadores da saúde, incluin-do enfermeiros, devem ter as devidas medidas de segurança necessárias para evitar o aparecimento ou aumento de efeitos indesejados à sua saúde.Objetivo. Descrever as medidas apropriadas de biossegurança para o manuseio de medicamentos citotóxicos e os sinais e sin-tomas resultantes da exposição a esses medicamentos na equi-pe de enfermagem de uma instituição de saúde de adultos em Envigado, Colômbia.Materiais e métodos. Foi realizado um estudo descritivo de corte transversal na equipe de enfermagem encarregada do cuidado de pacientes com câncer em uma instituição de saúde de alta com-plexidade no município de Envigado durante o primeiro semestre de 2018. Informações sociodemográficas, trabalhistas, de saúde e de proteção individual no manuseio de citostáticos, foi realizada uma análise descritiva dos dados obtidos em questionario. Resultados. Participaram 51 trabalhadores com uma media de idade de 33 anos (RIQ = 8); 90% pertenciam ao serviço de hospitalização. Os sinais e sintomas mais frequentes foram ce-faleia (64,7%), dor abdominal (25,5%) e tontura (25,5%). 98% dos participantes possuíam suprimentos e itens pessoais para o manuseio de medicamentos citotóxicos, mas apenas 19,6% ha-viam recebido treinamento no manuseio desses medicamentos.Conclusões. O pessoal de saúde deve ser treinado para que possa identificar os riscos a que se expõe e adotar as medidas de biossegurança necessárias para realizar suas tarefas diárias.