The potential application of probiotics and prebiotics for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19

10.1038/s41538-020-00078-9npj Science of Food411

Strategies to Maintain Fuel Security in Palestine

Fuel plays a key role in many aspects of life, particularly in any country’s national security. However, energy insecurity leads to economic and political instability. In this study, the researcher investigated the strategies used to maintain fuel security in Palestine in order to define the challenges facing Palestine’s fuel security, while exploring geopolitical variables and their impacts, investigate the territory’s fuel storage policies and find out the potentiality to build fuel security infrastructure. To achieve those purposes, the researcher used a combination of descriptive and comparative approaches. More specifically, the researcher compared the Palestinian circumstances with the circumstances of other countries in achieving fuel security in the short run. The data was collected, treated and analyzed in Palestine during 1994-2019 using non-structured interviews. The results showed that that there is no strategy for fuel security in Palestine, failure to adopt a fuel security strategy due to the absence of a healthy environment (political conditions), and building a fuel security strategy is directly linked to full independence and openness to foreign markets. As a result, the study proposed that there should be a well-defined fuel security strategy with clear objectives to achieve fuel security in case of emergency in the state of Palestine. In addition, the researcher recommended strengthening the procedures of the Palestinian Petroleum Authority and private companies to ensure the availability of fuel in the Palestinian markets, initiating the building of the infrastructure, and keeping continuous and diligent efforts and actions to compel the Israelis to abide by the agreements signed during the Oslo Accords, and coordinating with the private sector. This study is important for planners, policy makers, as it highlighted the fuel shortage crisis for future fuel security in Palestine

Adult multisystem inflammatory syndrome in a patient who recovered from COVID-19 postvaccination

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children has become a recognised syndrome, whereas a parallel syndrome in adults, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS-A), has not been well defined. Most cases occur several weeks following confirmed or suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection, but none have been reported in association with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Here we describe the case of a 22-year-old man, who received the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine 6 weeks following a mild COVID-19 infection. He presented after his second dose of the vaccine with a clinical picture of a multisystem inflammatory syndrome-like illness. Additionally, there was laboratory evidence of acute inflammation. The patient’s condition markedly improved after initiation of steroids. Whether the vaccine augmented an already-primed immunity from the infection and contributed to the occurrence of MIS-A is difficult to prove. Understanding the pathogenesis of this condition will shed light on this question and entail major implications on treatment and prevention

Evaluation of food quality and safety parameters and food safety knowledge and practices of food handlers at fast foods restaurants at universities in Jordan during COVID-19

The quality and the safety of the foods that are served at fast foods restaurants and their effect on the consumer health could become a matter of concern during COVID-19. Therefore, the objectives of this study were i) to evaluate the quality and safety of raw foods, suitability and availability of manufacturing places, physical facilities, drinking water and waste management system, and processing conditions, and ii) to assess the knowledge, attitudes, practices regarding food safety and hygienic practices among food handlers at fast foods restaurants in the different universities in Jordan during COVID-19. The study was conducted in 12 fast foods restaurants of 3 different universities in Jordan which are located in different places in Jordan. A desirable practice was given a score of one while no score will be allotted for an undesirable practice through using a standard questionnaire for all the food establishments. This was used to compare with the maximum score obtainable for that relevant operation and the percentage scores was calculated for each operation. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) of the data was performed to study the significant differences at P ≤ 0.05 in all the evaluated properties among the food establishments in the different universities. The results showed that low percentage scores were obtained with 68%, 75%, 32% and 56% for the production area, waste management, product evaluation (chemical, microbial) and food safety program application, respectively. Also, it was found that there were insignificant differences at P ≤ 0.05 among different food serving establishments in different universities in all the safety properties. This means that all the food establishments in all the universities suffer from the same problems with the same degree. As a conclusion, more work should be done to produce safe food in the different food establishments that were studied in the different universities