The Epidemiology of COVID-19: A Review

COVID-19 is a new lethal disease with limited information on its transmissibility, the severity of its sequelae, its clinical manifestations, and  epidemiology. This commentary analyzed the global epidemiology of COVID-19 among the vulnerable population. The analysis revealed that most pediatric COVID-19 cases are not severe, but related severe illness still occurs in children. All ages of children are susceptible to COVID-19, and no significant gender difference exists. COVID-19 infection during pregnancy produced fatal outcomes for mothers, but less risky for the baby. The hot spot clusters for COVID-19 are the prisons/jails, nursing/group homes, and long-term facilities where most of the vulnerable populations reside. Ethnic minority groups in the USA and UK are disproportionately exposed to COVID-19 infection and death than Caucasians. The differencemay be because ethnic minorities are exposed to higher risks at work and the long-standing structural economic and health disparities in the two countries. There are now changes in guidelines on who is qualified to receive ventilators in dire situations in many countries around the world if the healthcare system is overwhelmed. Keywords: COVID-19, Epidemiology Le COVID-19 est une nouvelle maladie mortelle avec des informations limitées sur sa transmissibilité, la gravité de ses séquelles, ses manifestations cliniques et l'épidémiologie. Ce commentaire a analysé l'épidémiologie mondiale du COVID-19 parmi la population vulnérable. L'analyse a révélé que la plupart des cas pédiatriques de COVID-19 ne sont pas graves, mais que des maladies graves associées surviennent toujours chez les enfants. Tous les âges des enfants sont sensibles au COVID-19 et aucune différence significative entre les sexes n'existe. L'infection au COVID-19 pendant la grossesse a eu des conséquences fatales pour les mères, mais moins risquées pour le bébé. Les groupes de points chauds pour le COVID-19 sont les prisons / prisons, les maisons de soins infirmiers / de groupe et les établissements à long terme où résident la plupart des populations vulnérables. Les groupes ethniques minoritaires aux États-Unis et au Royaume-Uni sont exposés de manière disproportionnée à l'infection au COVID-19 et à la mort que les Caucasiens. La différence peut être due au fait que les minorités ethniques sont exposées à des risques plus élevés au travail et aux disparités structurelles économiques et sanitaires de longue date dans les deux pays. Il y a maintenant des changements dans les lignes directrices sur les personnes qualifiées pour recevoir des ventilateurs dans des situations difficiles dans de nombreux pays du monde si le système de santé est débordé.  Mots-clés: COVID-19, épidémiologi

Removal of Subsidy: a Question of Trust

The paper demonstrates that the fierce opposition to the economic policy of removal of oil subsidy is largely explicable in terms of the Nigerian masses’ loss of trust in the government’s competence and supposed goodwill. This general distrust in government, it is analytically argued, is a product of the masses’ accumulatedunpleasant experience of incessant battering in the hands of past governments. It is suggested that for the current government to restore the lost trust and consequently win back the cooperation of the Nigerian people, there is need for it to fulfill most, if not all, of its promises to the masses, especially those associated with the newly implemented increment in the price of petrol.This impliesdeviating from the ill-standard (of promise and fail) set by the preceding administrations. Such move must be prefaced by the government’s showing real commitment to the plights of its subjects by cutting down on the profligate lifestyle of its officials to reflect genuineness of purpose and strong will for positive change. Keywords: oil subsidy, trust, government, masses, Nigeria

Efficacy of Physical Therapy in the Management of Reproductive Disorders

Several textbooks and anecdotal reports exist on the management of reproductive disorders by physical therapy (PHT). However, the recommendations from these sources are often not supported by recent empirical outcome evidence. Thus, there is a need for a comprehensive, up-to-date appraisal of the effectiveness of PHT in the management of reproductive disorders. An exhaustive review of the relevant articles published between 1988 and 2019 was undertaken on the primary electronic databases. The search produced 352 “hits,” but only 47 of them met the stated purpose of the review and subsequently classified into nine disease domains. The overwhelming majority (91%) of the 47 articles reviewed found the PHT modalities being investigated to be effective. The credibility of the work ranges from “poor” (for the case reports) to “strong” (for the meta-analysis). The pubococcygeus contraction exercise training (PCET), aka Kegel’s exercise, was the most studied modality, followed by aerobic exercise. Although substantial evidence suggests that PCET and transvaginal electrical stimulation are effective for reducing the symptoms of stress urinary incontinence (UI), the data on adjunctive techniques (EMG biofeedback, and vaginal cones) are less consistent. There is presently no reliable evidence to support the use of PCET in combination with EMG biofeedback and electrical stimulation to relieve overactive bladder and improve sexual function in men. The conflicting findings are because many of the published studies are heterogeneous in methodology with variant time frame follow-up; therefore, making firm conclusion difficult. There is a need for more randomized controlled trials (RCT) with adequate sample sizes and the use of sensitive, reproducible, and valid outcome measures. In conclusion, systematic reviews and meta-analyses are needed to bolster the rationale for recommending PHT in the management of chronic pelvic diseases in women. Similarly, RCT is required to support the recommendation for using PCET, electric stimulation, and EMG biofeedback to treat ejaculatory/orgasmic dysfunction, prostatitis, UI and erectile dysfunction in men. The information in this chapter will be useful to physical therapist students, frontline clinicians, and healthcare policymakers

Assessment of the Effects of Methanol Leaf Extract of Clerodendrum violaceum on the Liver of Mice

Effects of methanol leaf extract of Clerodendrum violaceum on liver function indices of Swiss mice was evaluated. Six groups (A-F) of ten mice each were used. Groups B-F were administered 31.25, 62.5, 125, 250, 500 mg/kg body weight of methanol leaf extract of Clerodendrum violaceum, respectively. Group A received 5% DMSO (control). Five animals in each group were sacrificed after 14 days of administration; the remaining were sacrificed after 28 days of administration. Blood was collected for analyses, livers were collected and weighed. Some of the liver samples were homogenized and some preserved in 10% formalin for histopathological examination. After 14 days, there was significant increase (p < 0.05) in total and conjugated bilirubin and significant reduction (p < 0.05) of albumin and total protein at higher doses. Activities of ALP and γ-GT in serum were significantly elevated (p < 0.05) at all doses while liver and serum ALT activity only at lower doses. Liver and serum AST activity were also significantly elevated (p < 0.05) at higher doses. Activities of ALP and γ-GT in the liver were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) at all doses while ALT activity only reduced at the highest dose in liver and serum. AST activity was reduced at higher doses in liver but only at highest dose in serum. Liver tissue was inflamed with progressive degeneration on day 28. Results showed that methanol leaf extract of C. violaceum adversely affected the normal architecture, synthetic and secretory functions of the liver at high doses

Outcome of the US presidential elections: Reforming the agenda for reproductive health and women’s rights

No Abstract

Effects of a Customized Professionalism Educational Intervention on Physical Therapists’ Knowledge and Attributes of Professionalism

Purpose: There is a growing call around the world to include professionalism in the entry-level education of physical therapists and to teach professionalism as a continuing education professional development workshop for practicing physical therapists. Unfortunately, there is currently no empirical evidence to support the use of didactic instruction to effectuate a change in the knowledge and attributes of professionalism. This study evaluated the effects of a customized professionalism educational intervention on physical therapists’ knowledge and attributes of professionalism. Methods: A quasi-experimental research was conducted among 47 Nigerian physical therapists (Mean age = 41 ± 10.1 years). The educational intervention consisted of a 3-hour classroom lecture and five case studies on professionalism. The impact of the intervention was evaluated by a Professionalism Inventory that assesses the level of knowledge and attributes of professionalism - clinical competence, a spirit of inquiry, accountability, autonomy, advocacy, innovation and visionary, collegiality and collaboration, and ethics and value. Results: Post intervention, the physical therapist\u27s aggregate knowledge of professionalism score improved significantly from 69% to 77% performance level (t = 2.340; p \u3c 0.05). On the contrary, there was no significant difference in the aggregate attributes of professionalism score following the intervention (t = 1.396, p \u3e 0.05). Although the improvement observed in the aggregate attributes of professionalism score was not statistically significant, when the effects of the intervention were examined on the attributes of professionalism subscales, the results revealed that clinical competence, accountability, autonomy, innovation and visionary, and collaborating and collegiality improved significantly (p \u3c 0.05). The intervention was of small practical significance (Cohen d = .34 and .20 for knowledge and attributes of professionalism scores, respectively). Conclusions: It was inferred from the findings that a three-hour classroom instruction consisting of lectures and case studies presentation could improve the knowledge of professionalism of practicing physical therapists. A longer instructional period vis-à-vis mentoring and role modelling in the classroom may be needed to effectuate a practical change in professionalism

HIV sexual risk behaviors and perception of risk among college students: implications for planning interventions

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The college environment offers great opportunity for HIV high-risk behaviors, including unsafe sex and multiple partnerships. While the overall incidence of HIV infection has seen some decline in recent years, rates of HIV infection among young adults have not seen a proportionate decline. As in the general population, African American young adults have been disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This study examined the sexual risk behaviors and perception of HIV risk of students in a predominantly African American commuter urban university in the Midwest.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Students enrolled in randomly selected general education courses completed a paper and pencil survey. Data were collected in Fall 2007, and univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted using SPSS for Windows v.16.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The sample included 390 students, the majority (83%) of whom were never married and 87% were sexually experienced. Among males reporting male partnerships those who used marijuana (OR = 17.5, p = 0.01) and those who used alcohol along with illegal drugs (OR = 8.8, p = 0.03) were significantly more likely to report multiple partnerships. Among females reporting male partnerships, those 30 years and older were significantly less likely (OR = 0.09, p = 0.03) to report having multiple male partners. There were significant differences in condom use last sex (p = 0.01) and consistent condom use (p = 0.002) among the different age groups. Older students were less likely to report condom use. Females age 30 years and older (OR = 3.74, p = 0.05) and respondents age 2029 years (OR = 2.41, p = 0.03) were more likely to report inconsistent condom use than those below 20 years. Marijuana use was correlated with inconsistent condom use (p = 0.02) and alcohol with not using condom last sex among females. Perception of HIV risk was generally poor with 54% of those age 30 years and older, 48.1% of 2029 year olds, and 57.9% of those below the age of 20 years perceived themselves as not having any chance of being infected with HIV. Predictors of moderate/good perception of HIV risk were drug and alcohol use, inconsistent condom use, and multiple partnerships.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Students in the study sample engaged in various HIV risk behaviors but have a poor appreciation of their risk of HIV infection. While low rates of condom use was a problem among older students (30 years and older), multiple partnerships were more common among younger students, and marijuana and alcohol use were related to low condom use among females. Our findings support the need for targeted HIV prevention interventions on college campuses.</p

Making a Case for Yoruba Inverted Supervenience on the Nature of the Mind

The problem of the nature of mind centres on the question whether what is called mind has independent existence or it is nothing over and above bodily events and processes. Whereas Descartes opts for the former by providing the first systematic outline for dualism, wherein mind and body are affirmed to possess distinct ontological statuses, the physicalists, especially of the contemporary order, have continued, vigorously, to affirm the latter with the aim of providing a naturalistic basis for resolving the problem of the nature of mind. The growth of physicalism in contemporary philosophy could be traced to the historical evidence of the diverse irresolvable problems engendered by dualism. However, physicalism has not fared better, as it too has incurred quite a number of issues militating against its plausibility as an explanatory thesis. The many identified inadequacies of the physicalist account of mind necessitates that attempts to address the question should be sought elsewhere. This paper explores Yoruba metaphysical view on the nature of the mind as an alternative account. The paper finds out that the Yoruba metaphysical perspective on the subject matter resembles one of the physicalist theories called supervenience, although in its metaphysical structure, it inverts the order of the orthodox supervenience. Coined “inverted supervenience”, the thesis holds that the physical world supervenes on the spiritual world for its existence. It, thus, becomes futile to seek rational justification for the spiritual world, as doing so appears tantamount to seeking a mental justification for the physical events in the orthodox supervenience hypothesis

Readability and test-retest reliability of a psychometric instrument designed to assess HIV/AIDS attitudes, beliefs, behaviours and sources of HIV prevention information of young adults

Objective: This comparative study evaluated the readability and test-retest reliability of a questionnaire designed to assess the attitudes, beliefs behaviours and sources of information about HIV/AIDS among young adults recruited from universities in the United States of America (USA), Turkey and South Africa. Design/Setting: The instrument was administered on two occasions, within a two week interval, to 219 university students in the USA (n = 66), Turkey (n = 53) and South Africa (n = 100). Method: The psychometric instrument developed has five major subscales: demographic, HIV/AIDS attitudes and beliefs, HIV risk sexual behaviour, alcohol and drug use, and HIV sources of information. Results: The instrument’s readability evaluation revealed a Flesch-Kincaid score (literacy difficulty level of the questionnaire) of 8.4, indicating that respondents would need an eighth grade reading level to understand the survey. The overall test-retest reliability coefficients for the items on the demographic subscale were generally high (0.893–0.997). Similarly, high test-retest reliability was obtained for the HIV risk sexual behaviour (0.738–0.996) and the alcohol and drug use (0.562–1.000) subscales. Much lower test-retest reliability was obtained for the HIV/AIDS attitudes and beliefs (0.32–0.80), and sources of information about HIV/AIDS (0.370–0.892) subscales. Conclusion: We found no discernible difference in the reliability data among the respondents from the three countries. The instrument should be of interest to clinicians and researchers investigating the HIV risk behaviours of young adults and older age groups with an eighth grade reading level. The availability of this instrument may enhance HIV population and intervention studies internationally.Web of Scienc

Cancer pain control in a Nigerian oncology clinic: treating the disease and not the patient

Introduction:&nbsp;inadequate pain control negatively impacts the quality of life of patients with cancer while potentially affecting the outcome. Proper pain evaluation and management are therefore considered an important treatment goal. This study assessed the prevalence of pain, the prescribing patterns, and the efficacy of pain control measures in cancer patients at the Radiation Oncology Unit of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos. Methods:&nbsp;this was a longitudinal study design recruiting adults attending outpatient clinics. Participants were assessed at initial contact and again following six weeks using the Universal Pain Assessment Tool developed by the UCLA Department of Anaesthesiology. Results:&nbsp;among the patients reviewed, 34.0% (118 of 347) were at the clinic, referred for initial assessment following primary diagnosis. All respondents had solid tumours; the most common was breast cancer. The prevalence of pain at initial assessment was 85.9% (298 of 347), with over half of respondents, 74.5% (222 of 347) characterising their pain as moderate to severe. Over a quarter, 28.9% (100 of 347) of patients were not asked about their pain by attending physicians, and none of the patients had a pain assessment tool used during evaluation. In 14.4% (43 of 298) of patients, no intervention was received despite the presence of pain. At six weeks review, 31.5% (94 of 298) of patients had obtained no pain relief despite instituted measures. Conclusion:&nbsp;under-treatment of cancer pain remains a significant weak link in cancer care in LMICs like Nigeria, with a significant contributor being physician under-evaluation and under-treatment of pain. To ensure pain eradication, the treatment process must begin with a thorough evaluation of the patient's pain, an explicit pain control goal and regular reevaluation