Health experts have finally said what we’ve all dreaded– COVID-19 may never go away. Even if the world achieves herd immunity through the magic of vaccines, the virus will still linger on for years or decades though in a reduced capacity that’s not able to create the same present damage.
Harvard University director for its Healthy Buildings program Joseph Allen has sounded off on mixed messages about wearing face-coverings as the world goes into its second year of dealing with the pandemic. And the simple verdict is that we should all still wear face masks to protect ourselves from COVID-19.
While the Biden administration has tapped the Defense Production Act to further push the increased production of personal protective equipment (PPEs) for healthcare professionals all over the U.S., there is still a growing concern about the shortage of medical-grade N95 and KN95 respirators in the market today.
After the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), another novel virus in COVID-19 is giving hemophiliacs everywhere great concern. With minimal available information and while studies are still ongoing on how the coronavirus can affect individuals with blood diseases, here’s what we know so far.
While vaccines continue to make headlines across the globe, face masks such as N95 and KN95 respirators cannot be simply dropped out of the news radar as more contagious COVID-19 strains are spreading infection like wildfire globally.
As more expectant mothers in the U.S. are growing worried about the effects of COVID-19 on their pregnancies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released standards and guidelines to ensure their safety and wellbeing.
While recent studies show that there’s a low risk of infection to newborns, it is still important for mothers to wear face-coverings and practice proper hygiene to avoid contracting the COVID-19 virus during the pregnancy or when taking care of a newborn considering that they are at an increased risk for severe illness.
Proper protocols upon detection of pregnancy
According to the CDC, women who are pregnant but do not show any COVID-19 symptoms should still make regular antenatal care visits to health facilities, where health workers will educate them on the symptoms and the importance of social distancing, the wearing of face masks when meeting visitors or going out, and what to do when they experience pregnancy-related complications. Medical-grade face masks with 95% levels of protection such as KN95 respirators are recommended for mothers from the gestation period to delivery.
For pregnant women who are experiencing symptoms or have been in contact with a potential carrier, testing and treatment should be administered immediately at a COVID-19 health facility, after which the general triage process will be observed.
Birthing alternatives out-of-hospital
A concerted effort by the CDC together with the American Hospital Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and immunologists has also shed light on out-of-hospital deliveries for expectant mothers.
Among these, home births or deliveries in nearby birth centers that can provide prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum support are accessible countrywide. This, considering saturated admissions in hospitals for COVID-19 patients and the high risks involved in having their deliveries at hospitals can increase their chances of being infected.
Fortunately, there is no shortage of midwives in the U.S. with over 12,000 professionals across the country. However, midwives need to ensure that mothers are aware of available birthing options, potential risks involved in opting for out-of-hospital births, and proper practices in delivering newborns. It is also essential for midwives to practice infection protocols such as the wearing of face-coverings during health visits so they can also avoid COVID-19.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic upended people’s lives all over the world, more have reported experiencing depression and anxiety from being in quarantine. To mitigate the spread of the virus, worldwide lockdowns forced people in their homes and out of touch with friends and family.
With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tagging COVID-19’s new variants as more contagious and spiking the number of infected cases worldwide, health experts are weighing in on what type of face masks are most effective to prevent it from further spreading both in the medical and general communities.