Phelps Coleman (stonebeard34)

This study aimed to compile the up-to-date information about the methods and pharmacological agents used in the diagnosis and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and examine the methods used in the treatment of COVID-19 in patients in the intensive care unit by reviewing the treatment guidelines published by national health authorities worldwide. We surveyed the literature published on the novel coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS] coronavirus [SARS-CoV-2]) before April 25, 2020, in PubMed. The results of the study identified serological and molecular methods (e.g., real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction) used by physicians for diagnosing COVID-19 and identified thorax computed tomography along with other imaging methods used for determining the severity of the disease. However, it was concluded that the desired developments for treatment and vaccination have not been achieved till today, and many of the agents used and studied for the treatment were drugs previously used for the treatment of Middle East respiratory syndrome and SARS. COVID-19 has higher levels of transmissibility and pandemic risk. The available information revealed that, given the size and scope of the pandemic, to date, there has been no scientifically proven effective medicine and vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. There is also an urgent need for further research for finding an effective medicine and vaccine for COVID-19 to prevent the occurrence of an outbreak in future and manage such public health emergency of this magnitude in both short and long terms.The world has experienced pandemics worse than the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the global effect of this pandemic has been overwhelming. Billions of people are in lockdown and also have easy access to information owing to easy and cheap internet connectivity and electronic media. However, information overload during the current COVID-19 pandemic has posed a set of challenges that were not encountered before. There is an 'infodemic' in which false news, conspiracy theories, magical cures, and racist news are being shared at an alarming rate, with the potential to increase anxiety and stress and even lead to loss of life. This review highlights some of these challenges and suggests general measures to avoid information overload and infodemic in the connected world of 21st century. Depression remains under-investigated in people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa due to paucity of adequately validated measures. This study aimed to validate an adapted version of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) among adults living with HIV compared to those from the community in Kilifi, Kenya. Analysis of data from 450 adults living with HIV and 337 adults from the community was conducted examining the reliability, factorial structure, measurement invariance and discriminant validity of interviewer-administered PHQ-9, Swahili version. Internal consistency of the Swahili PHQ-9 was good overall, in adults living with HIV and those from the community (Macdonald's omega>0.80). The two-week test-retest reliability was acceptable among adults living with HIV ( 0.64). A one-factor confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) model indicated the Swahili PHQ-9 was unidimensional in the overall sample, in adults living with HIV and those from the community. Multi-group CFA substantiated measurement invariance of this unidimensional scale across participant group (adults living with HIV vs. community), sex (females vs. males) and age category (young, middle-age and elderly adults). The Swahili PHQ-9 exhibited good discriminant validity between the two participant groups. No diagnostic interview for mental disorders was administered in the original studies limiting analysis of sensitivity and specificity of the Swahili PHQ-9. The Swahili PHQ-9 is a reliable and valid unidimensional scale. see more It a