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Početak 2020. godine obilježila je pandemija SARS-CoV-2 virusom. SARS-CoV-2 je nevidljiv, visoko infektivan i apstraktan virus sa izrazito visokom stopom hospitalizacija. Diljem svijeta zdravstveni sustavi nisu bili spremni na pandemiju unatoč upozorenjima stručnjaka javnog zdravstva. Uvođenjem pandemijskih mjera zaustavljeno je uobičajeno djelovanje ljudi, što je rezultiralo ogromnim strahom od zaraze i smrti, te ekonomskom i gospodarskom krizom u cijelom svijetu. COVID-19 bolest pobuđuje veliki interes za istraživanje brojnih znanstvenika, istraživača i liječnika sa prioritetom na pronalazak cjepiva i lijekova za suzbijanje SARS-CoV-2 virusa. RT-PCR metoda trenutno je zlatni standard za kvalitativno i kvantitativno otkrivanje virusnih nukleinskih kiselina. Glavni uzrok COVID-19 mortaliteta je posljedica akutne virusne upale pluća, koja se dovodi do ARDS-a. ARDS nastaje kada plućni ili izvanplućni inzult, uzrokuje otpuštanje upalnih medijatora, potičući nakupljanje upalnih stanica u alveolama i mikrocirkulaciji pluća. Upalne stanice oštećuju vaskularni endotel i alveolarni epitel, što dovodi do plućnog edema, stvaranja hijalinske membrane, smanjene propustljivosti pluća i smanjene izmjene plinova. Kako bolest napreduje, potrebna je sve veća respiratorna potpora koja najčešće zahtijeva skrb u jedinicama intenzivnog liječenja. Respiratorna potpora uključuje oksigenaciju sa sustavima niskog i visokog protoka kisika, neinvanzivnu ventilaciju, korištenje pomoćne terapije nebuliziranih lijekova i prone položaj tijela, te naposljetku, kod životno ugroženih bolesnika, invanzivnu ventilaciju i ECMO. U liječenju sudjeluje cijeli medicinski tim (liječnici, medicinske sestre, fizioterapeuti i dr.), stoga su potrebni dobri međuljudski odnosi i komunikacija kako bi se postigao optimalan i uspješan oporavak pacijenta. Globalna pandemija zahtijeva snažan angažman medicinskog osoblja u kliničkom upravljanju, podizanju svijesti i razmjeni znanja te javnoj sigurnosti. Medicinske sestre zajedno s ostalim članovima multidisciplinarnog tima čine prvu liniju obrane u liječenje COVID-19 bolesti. Pandemija je pokazala da medicinske sestre posebno zahtijevaju iskustvo, vještine i znanje iz područja pružanja medicinske skrbi kod pacijenata podvrgnutim intenzivnim metodama liječenja, naročito kod respiratornih bolesti. Za uspješno liječenje najtežih COVID-19 respiratornih infekcija ključno je iskusno medicinsko osoblje s dobrom organizacijom rada i jasno definiranim protokolima. Cilj ovog rada je na jednostavan način opisati djelokrug sestrinskih problema u zbrinjavanju COVID-19 oboljelih, koji su bili podvrgnuti neinvanzivnim i invanzivnim metodama ventilacije, kako bi se olakšao proces prilagodbe, smanjio stres i pružila potpora medicinskim sestrama da što brže svladaju osnove intenzivne medicine. The beginning of 2020. was marked by the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 is an invisible, highly infectious and abstract virus with an extremely high hospitalization rate. Health systems around the world did not prepare for the pandemic properly, despite warnings from public health experts. By introducing pandemic measures, the normal functioning of people was halted and resulted in enormous fear of infection and death, as well as of an impending economic world crisis. The COVID-19 disease motivated a great number of scientists, researchers and doctors to find a vaccine and drugs to combat the SARS-CoV-2 virus. RT-PCR method is currently the gold standard for the qualitative and quantitative detection of viral nucleic acids. The main cause of mortality by COVID-19 is due to acute viral pneumonia that further develops into ARDS. ARDS occurs when pulmonary or extrapulmonary insult causes the release of inflammatory mediators, promoting the accumulation of inflammatory cells in the alveoli and lung microcirculation. Inflammatory cells damage the vascular endothelium and alveolar epithelium, leading to pulmonary edema, hyaline membrane formation, reduced lung permeability, and reduced gas exchange. As the disease progresses, higher respiratory support is needed and therefore care in intensive care units. The respiratory support includes oxygenation with low and high oxygen flow systems, non-invasive ventilation, the use of adjuvant therapy with nebulized drugs and prone position, and finally, in life-threatening patients, invasive ventilation and ECMO. The entire medical team (doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, etc.) participate in the treatment, so good interpersonal relations and communication are necessary for achieving an optimal and successful patient recovery. A global pandemic requires strong engagement of medical staff in clinical management, raise of awareness, share of knowledge, and public safety. Nurses, together with other members of the multidisciplinary team, form the first line of defense in the treatment of the COVID-19 disease. The pandemic has shown that nurses require experience, skills and knowledge in the field of providing health care in patients treated by intensive methods, especially in treating respiratory disease. Experienced medical staff, with good work organization and clearly defined protocols, are essential for the successful treatment of the most severe COVID-19 respiratory infections. The aim of this work is to describe, in a simple way, the scope of nursing problems in providing care for COVID-19 patients, who were treated by non-invansive and invasive methods of ventilation, in order to facilitate the adaptation process, reduce stress and provide support for nurses to master the basics of intensive care medicine as quickly as possible.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the novel virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began in December 2019 in China and has led to a global public health emergency. Previously, it was known as 2019-nCoV and caused disease mainly through respiratory pathways. The COVID-19 outbreak is ranked third globally as the most highly pathogenic disease of the twenty-first century, after the outbreak of SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome in 2002 and 2012, respectively. Clinical, laboratory, and diagnostic methodology have been demonstrated in some observational studies. No systematic reviews on COVID-19 have been published regarding the integration of COVID-19 outbreaks (monitoring, fate and treatment) with environmental and human health perspectives. Accordingly, this review systematically addresses environmental aspects of COVID-19 outbreak such as the origin of SARS-CoV-2, epidemiological characteristics, diagnostic methodology, treatment options and technological advancement for the prevention of COVID-19 outbreaks. Finally, we integrate COVID-19 outbreaks (monitoring, fate and treatment) with environmental and human health perspectives. We believe that this review will help to understand the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak as a multipurpose document, not only for the scientific community but also for global citizens. Countries should adopt emergency preparedness such as prepare human resources, infrastructure and facilities to treat severe COVID-19 as the virus spreads rapidly globally.

Teški akutni respiratorni sindrom koronavirus 2, virus je koji se pojavio krajem 2019. godine u Wuhanu, proširio svijetom i uzrokovao pandemiju koronavirusne bolesti 19. Zbog brzog širenja virusa i često eksponencijalnog rasta zaraženih, javili su se brojni problemi u zdravstvu, ali i svjetskoj ekonomiji i gospodarstvu. Kako bi se spriječilo širenje virusa i smanjio broj pacijenata većina država uvodila je stroge epidemiološke mjere te je zatvarala svoje granice. Pandemija COVID-19 zahtijevala je brzu reakciju znanstvenika te su nekoliko dana nakon sekvenciranja genoma virusa započela brojna istraživanja usmjerena razumijevanju biologije virusa te terapijskim i preventivnim pristupima protiv COVID-19 bolesti. Pritom su uspješno iskorištena prethodna znanja o cjepivima i modernoj mRNA tehnologiji te je upravo mRNA cjepivo bilo prvo odobreno cjepivo protiv koronavirusne bolesti. mRNA tehnologija u posljednjih deset godina doživjela je velik razvoj te je danas često korištena tehnika u eksperimentalnim pristupima liječenju raka. mRNA molekule za cjepiva se sintetiziraju in vitro na temelju sekvence genoma ciljanog patogena te se cijepljenjem unose u organizam nakon čega aktiviraju urođeni i stečeni imunosni odgovor. Stoga se mRNA tehnologija ubraja u važne pristupe prevencije COVID-19 bolesti te se očekuje da će pridonijeti završetku pandemije COVID-19., Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, appeared in late 2019. in Wuhan, spread around the world and caused coronavirus pandemic. Due to rapid spread of the virus and almost an exponential growth of those infected individuals, numerous problems arose in healthcare, as well as in the world economy. In order to prevent spread of the virus and reduce the number of patients, most states introduced strict epidemiological measures. The COVID-19 pandemic required a quick response from scientists, so few days after sequencing of the virus genome, intense research began to understand the biology of the virus, and preventive and therapeutic measures against COVID-19 infection. Previous knowledge of vaccines and modern mRNA technology has been used and mRNA vaccine became first approved vaccine against coronavirus disease. mRNA technology had a major development in the last ten years and today it is often used technique in experimental tumor targetting. mRNA molecules are synthesized in vitro based on the pathogen genome sequence and are introduced into the body by vaccination. After vaccination they stimulate a protective immune response. mRNA technology is one of the major upcoming therapeutic approaches and will likely contribute to ending COVID-19 pandemic.

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the German government and the sixteen German federal states issued a variety of counter measures to decelerate the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to prevent a collapse of the healthcare infrastructure. These measures comprised amongst others social distancing, the temporary closure of shops and schools, a ban of large public gatherings and meetings with others not living in the same household. It is fair to assume, that all measures, heavily affected social life and psychological functioning (Goldman, 2020; Steinmetz, Batzdorfer, & Bosnjak, 2020). As Google Trend data can be perceived as a proxy for psychological states and behaviours (Goldman, 2020), we intend to study the effects of countermeasures in conjunction with infection rates and the state of the national economy on people´s search interests during the pandemic. Changes in search interests and their relevant predictors can then be used in order to inform policy makers to adopt their intervention strategies allowing for supporting subpopulations at high risk (Knipe, Evans, Marchant, Gunnell, & John, 2020).

The paper contributes to unravelling the perceptions of urban commercial drivers regarding their vulnerability to catching the SARS-CoV-2 virus while at work. It further examines how the perception of vulnerability influences personal use of face masks by drivers, as well as on their insistence on appropriate masking behaviour by other persons on-board public transport. Overcrowding and unsanitary conditions in informal public transport in Africa could facilitate the spread of the corona virus. However, the use of face masks, among other enhanced mitigation measures significantly contain and minimize the spread of the virus. Primary data, obtained through surveys at five major public transport terminals in Accra, was analysed and interpreted using the Health Belief Model as an explanatory framework. Results indicate that most drivers have a high vulnerability perception to Covid-19. It further emerged that older drivers, in particular, consistently wore face masks and insisted on other persons in their commercial vehicles to follow suit. Socio-demographic factors, and the need to ensure one’s personal safety and those of loved ones were critical determinants of face mask use among surveyed drivers. The study thus recommends that public awareness campaigns should strategically focus attention on the younger generation of drivers (i.e. 18–39 years) who perceived themselves to be immune to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Also, the collaborative efforts of state and non-state actors, like the transport operator unions, must be further strengthened if the gains made so far against Covid-19 is to be sustained.

Radiation inactivation of enveloped viruses occurs as the result of damages at the molecular level of their genome. The rapidly emerging and ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia pandemic prompted by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is now a global health crisis and an economic devastation. The readiness of an active and safe vaccine against the COVID-19 has become a race against time in this unqualified global panic caused by this pandemic. In this review, which we hope will be helpful in the current situation of COVID-19, we analyze the potential use of γ-irradiation to inactivate this virus by damaging at the molecular level its genetic material. This inactivation is a vital step towards the design and development of an urgently needed, effective vaccine against this disease.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is a live attenuated M. bovis vaccine that was developed about 100 years ago by Albert Calmette and Camille Guérin. Many countries have been using the vaccine for decades against tuberculosis (TB). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a single dose of BCG for infants in TB endemic as well as leprosy high risk countries, and globally almost 130 million infants are vaccinated yearly. The role of BCG is well known in reducing neonatal and childhood death rates. Epidemiological and retrospective cross-sectional studies demonstrated that the BCG vaccination protects the children against respiratory tract infections and lowers the risk of malaria in children. In addition, BCG enhances IFN-γ and IL-10 levels, thus providing immunity against respiratory tract infection even in elderly people. The BCG is also known to provide nonspecific innate immunity against viruses and parasites, through an innate immune mechanism termed ‘trained immunity’ and is defined as the immunological recall of the innate immune system by epigenetic reprogramming. Based on these studies it is suggested that the BCG has the potential to act as a protective agent against COVID-19. Further proven safety records of BCG in humans, its adjuvant activity and low-cost manufacturing make it an attractive option to stop the pandemic and reduce the COVID-19 related mortality. In this review we discuss the heterologous effects of BCG, induction of trained immunity and its implication in development of a potential vaccine against COVID-19 pandemic.

This research aims to give an overview of what is happening inside Brazil when it comes to the public policies regarding the pandemic. The country ‘s situation is far from ideal, so the second goal is to analyze how Brazil reached such a complicated situation of having around 1500 (this number is higher every day) deaths per day by COVID-19. The case of Brazil is one of the most radical today. Therefore, from the Ukrainian state ‘s perspective, it is justified to thoroughly analyze Brazil ‘s situation in the fight against SARS-CoV-2 to avoid making significant mistakes in the future.

COVID-19 virusna je bolest koja se prvi put pojavila u kineskom gradu Wuhanu u prosincu 2019. godine. Nakon kratkog vremena, proširila se po cijelom svijetu i zahvatila sve dijelove svijeta pa tako i Republiku Hrvatsku. Prvi slučaj u našoj zemlji zabilježen je 25. veljače 2020. godine. Na snagu su stupile brojne mjere: ograničeno kretanje ljudi, ograničena druženja u skupinama, zatvaranje ugostiteljskih objekata, a između ostalih su zatvorene škole, a nastava se održavala na daljinu. Nakon gotovu godinu dana počelo je cijepljenje protiv bolesti COVID-19, a na tržištu se pojavilo nekoliko vrsta cjepiva. Do 29. svibnja 2022. godine ukupan broj oboljelih u svijetu iznosi 531.473.822, dok je u Hrvatskoj ukupan broj oboljelih 1.136.417. Rezultati ovog istraživanja koje je provedeno među učenicima 4. razreda osnovne škole i učiteljima razredne nastave na području grada Sinja pokazali su da se učenici koji su preboljeli koronu više brinu o higijeni i da poznaju osnovne činjenice o koronavirusu. Nadalje, istraživanje je pokazalo kako su učitelji s više godina radnoga staža teže provodili online nastavu. Učitelji koji su se cijepili dodatno su se informirali o koronavirusu i svoja znanja su prenosili učenicima kao i da se oni koji su preboljeli bolest COVID-19 nisu cijepili. Postati i ostati odgovoran, brinuti se za sebe kao i za druge članove zajednice je jedini mogući način preživjeti pandemijsko razdoblje. Odgovornim ponašanjem kao što je socijalna distanca, pranje ruku i pojačana higijena, ali i poštivanjem pravila i znanstvenih spoznaja svatko može pridonijeti okončanju ove pandemije. Unatoč svim nedaćama i poteškoćama pandemijskog života, dogodila se i pozitivna stvar, destigmatizacija poziva u pomoć. Odrasli i djeca počeli su otvorenije razgovarati, iznositi svoja intimna razmišljanja i pokazivati različite emocije što je dovelo do zbližavanja otuđenih obitelji i mnogo više zajedničkih trenutaka. Od početka pandemije do danas, provedena su brojna znanstvena istraživanja i dokazani su i predstavljeni brojni načini koji pomažu da se pandemija suzbije., COVID-19 is a viral disease that first appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019. After a short time, it spread all over the world and covered all parts of the world, including the Republic of Croatia. The first case in our country was recorded on February 25, 2020. Numerous measures came into force: the closure of cafes, limited movement of people, limited socializing in groups, and, among others, schools were closed and classes were held at a distance. After almost a year, vaccination against the disease COVID-19 began, and several types of vaccines appeared on the market. As of May 29, 2022, the total number of patients in the world is 531,473,822, while in Croatia the total number of patients is 1,136,417. The results of this research, which was conducted among 4th grade elementary school students and primary school teachers in the city of Sinj, showed that students who overcame the crown care more about hygiene and know the basic facts about the coronavirus. Furthermore, the research showed that teachers with more years of work experience found it more difficult to conduct online classes. Teachers who were vaccinated were additionally informed about the coronavirus and passed on their knowledge to the students, as well as that those who overcame COVID-19 were not vaccinated. Becoming and remaining responsible, taking care of yourself as well as other members of the community is the only possible way to survive the pandemic period. By behaving responsibly such as social distance, hand washing and hygiene in general, but also by respecting rules and scientific knowledge, anyone can contribute to ending this pandemic. Despite all the hardships and difficulties of pandemic life, there was a positive moment, a destigmatization of the call for help. Adults and children began to talk more openly, express their intimate thoughts and express different emotions, which led to the rapprochement of estranged families and many more moments together. From the beginning of the pandemic until today, numerous scientific studies have been conducted and numerous ways have been proven and presented to help combat the pandemic.

[EN] The administration of vaccines against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) started in early December of 2020. Currently, there are only a few approved vaccines, each with different efficacies and mechanisms of action. Moreover, vaccination programs in different regions may vary due to differences in implementation, for instance, simply the availability of the vaccine. In this article, we study the impact of the pace of vaccination and the intrinsic efficacy of the vaccine on prevalence, hospitalizations, and deaths related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Then we study different potential scenarios regarding the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic in the near future. We construct a compartmental mathematical model and use computational methodologies to study these different scenarios. Thus, we are able to identify some key factors to reach the aims of the vaccination programs. We use some metrics related to the outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to assess the impact of the efficacy of the vaccine and the pace of the vaccine inoculation. We found that both factors have a high impact on the outcomes. However, the rate of vaccine administration has a higher impact in reducing the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic. This result shows that health institutions need to focus on increasing the vaccine inoculation pace and create awareness in the population about the importance of COVID-19 vaccines., Funding support from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (P20GM103451) via NM-INBRE is gratefully acknowledged by the second author

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus has quickly spread all over the world, directly affecting the dentistry practice. This study aimed to perform a literature review about the current evidences on biosafety practices and clinical recommendations regarding the return to the elective dental care in the practice of Pediatric dentistry. An electronic search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Grey literature databases using the terms "Pediatric dentistry" and "COVID-19". Initially, 38 studies were retrieved. After title and abstract were read, it was identified that 22 studies referred specifically to children's dental practice. A total of 19 studies were included in this study. The COVID-19 pandemic will imply significant changes in the reorientation of dental practices, from biosafety issues to technical procedures. Greater rigor in the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) may cause strangeness for children. Consequently, an improvement in the management of patient's behavior before and during the treatment and new approaches to perform the procedures will be demanded. Non-aerosol techniques and minimally invasive procedures will be preferable whenever possible. Professionals will need to be constantly updated based on what the scientific literature recommends. The moment is suitable for the use of preventive practice and minimally invasive techniques.

The progress of the COVID-19 pandemic initiated research to develop vaccines against this novel coronavirus infection. The WHO and national regulatory authorities in many countries have elaborated guidelines to speed up the development and authorisation of COVID-19 vaccines.The aim of the study was to analyse international and Russian regulatory recommendations for the development and fast-track approval of COVID-19 vaccines in the context of the pandemic, as well as to summarise the preliminary published results of the first stages of preclinical and clinical studies. The paper analyses approaches to fast-track approval of medicines in the face of the pandemic in Russia, the European Union, and the United States. It summarises regulatory requirements for the quality of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as for preclinical, and clinical studies. It describes the first results of COVID-19 vaccine development. The analysed regulatory documents allow for accelerated authorisation due to reduction of time spent on evaluation of vaccine quality, safety, and efficacy. Another option is the so-called conditional marketing authorisation when a vaccine is registered based on incomplete preclinical and clinical data provided that all the studies will be completed after the vaccine authorisation. The paper summarises the results of clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines. The few published preliminary results of the first phases of COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials demonstrate the vaccines’ good tolerability, safety, and immunogenicity. Evaluation of adenovirusbased vaccines showed that almost half of the volunteers had had high antibody titers to adenovirus before the study, which resulted in milder adverse reactions and low immunogenicity. In addition, the immune response was weaker in the older group of subjects (45–60 years) as compared to the subjects younger than 45 years. The results of the analysis of regulatory requirements for the development and marketing authorisation of COVID-19 vaccines in the context of the pandemic, as well as of national and international regulatory approaches to vaccine development and authorisation can be used as a basis for the development of Russian requirements for COVID-19 vaccines in the context of the pandemic.

Background Antigen testing using lateral flow devices (LFDs) plays an important role in the management of the novel coronavirus pandemic of 2019 (COVID-19) by rapidly identifying individuals who are asymptomatically carrying high levels of the virus. By January 2021, LFD community testing sites were set up across English local authority areas to support the management and containment of regional COVID-19 cases, initially targeting essential workers unable to work from home during the national lockdown. This study aimed to examine the characteristics and motivations of individuals accessing community LFD testing across two local authority areas (LAAs) in the South West of England. Methods Data were collected as part of a service evaluation from December 22nd 2020 until March 15th 2021 for two LAAs. Demographic and postcode data were collected from an online test appointment booking platform and the National Health Service testing service online system, with data accessed from Public Health England. An online survey was sent to individuals who made a testing appointment at an LAA1 site using the online booking platform, consisting of 12 questions to collect data on individual’s motivations for and experiences of testing. Results Data were available for individuals who completed 12,516 tests in LAA1 and 12,327 tests in LAA2. Most individuals who engaged with testing were female, working age, white, and worked as early years or education staff, health and social care staff, and supermarket or food production staff. 1249 individuals completed the survey with 60% of respondents reported getting tested for work-related reasons. Individuals first heard about LFD testing through various channels including work, media, and word of mouth, and decided to get tested based on the ease and convenience of testing, workplace communications, and to identify asymptomatic cases to help stop the spread. Most tests were completed by individuals living in less deprived areas based on national deciles of deprivation. Conclusions While national and local COVID-19 testing strategies have evolved, community and personal LFD testing remains a crucial pillar of the testing strategy. Future studies should collect quantitative and qualitative data from residents to most effectively shape testing offers based on the needs and preferences of their population.

Summary Background The COVID-19 global pandemic left the unprepared health care systems struggling to mount a measured response. This gave rise to important questions about surgeons’ attitude towards surgical practice and the level of preparation at work. Methods Cross-sectional web-based national survey distributed to general surgeons by e‑mail over a period of 7 days. Results Among 304 responders, 42.6% were working in the hospital with COVID-19 patients. Three quarters of all surgeons (74.5%) were afraid of contracting the disease. While 42% expressed a fear for their own life while caring for COVID-19 patients, 90.1% were afraid of transmitting the disease to family members. The average reported level of PPE provided at the workplace was significantly higher among the group which was not afraid of contracting COVID-19 than among the group afraid of contracting COVID-19 (4.0 vs. 3.12, p = 0.02). Nearly all surgeons (93.8%) agreed that cancer surgeries should be continued during the pandemic and 49% perceived laparoscopy as a safe approach when operating on COVID-19 positive patients. Conclusion A high proportion of surgeons admitted being afraid of working during the COVID-19 pandemic, which had various implications for their attitude towards surgical practice. Protecting health care workers is an important component of public health measures for addressing the epidemic

The new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is changing how society operates. Environmental changes, disrupted routines, and reduced access to services and social networks will have a unique impact on autistic individuals and their families and will contribute to significant deterioration in some. Access to support is crucial to address vulnerability factors, guide adjustments in home environments, and apply mitigation strategies to improve coping. The current crisis highlights that our regular care systems are not sufficient to meet the needs of the autism communities. In many parts of the world, people have shifted to online school and increased use of remote delivery of healthcare and autism supports. Access to these services needs to be increased to mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19 and future epidemics/pandemics. The rapid expansion in the use of telehealth platforms can have a positive impact on both care and research. It can help to address key priorities for the autism communities including long waitlists for assessment and care, access to services in remote locations, and restricted hours of service. However, system-level changes are urgently needed to ensure equitable access and flexible care models, especially for families and individuals who are socioeconomically disadvantaged. COVID-19 mandates the use of technology to support a broader range of care options and better meet the diverse needs of autistic people and their families. It behooves us to use this crisis as an opportunity to foster resilience not only for a given individual or their family, but also the system: to drive enduring and autism-friendly changes in healthcare, social systems, and the broader socio-ecological contexts.

What will the post-pandemic world be alike? This is undoubtedly an issue that interests many people around the world. One thing is certain — the world after the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus will be different. This is primarily due to the noticeable processes of redefining the fundamental spheres of human functioning. This article presents a different perspective on the fight against a deadly virus because the essential aspect that is taken into account is the concept of social freedom. The different view of the coronavirus narrative lies in the pragmatic approach that allows indicating the processes and mechanisms of limiting social freedom under the pretext of fighting the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The research methods used for this purpose, characteristic of social sciences and humanities, make it possible to determine the discourse according to which the authorities of individual countries operate. Interesting in this context is also the process of imposing prohibitions and orders from society, which, through social apathy and fear of responsibility, will, in the future, become a social norm, thereby legitimizing the nonhumanistic state control over society.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant negative impact on the global health economies. As health care resources have been prioritised to cater for patients affected by COVID-19, routine health care services have remained suspended. In an effort to slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus, the UK introduced a country-wide lockdown which came into effect on the 23rd March 2020. Since then, clinics offering laser and intense pulsed light services have remained closed for business. As the rate of COVID-19 infection slows, the UK government has issued guidance for lifting of the lockdown in a cautious and phased manner. With this in view and to facilitate safe resumption of laser and intense pulsed light services, the British Medical Laser Services has issued this guidance document, based on best available and current scientific evidence.

Alcohol consumption in the COVID-19 era is a health emergency. Loneliness and social distancing cause alcohol abuse. Alcohol consumption through a continuum during the isolation period has created new cases of alcohol use disorders. To all this, we must add the increased risk of infection and deteriorating symptoms. In fact, it is known that ethanol reduces the activity of adaptive and acquired immunity and promotes the expression of ACE2 receptors. Healthcare institutions are required to inform citizens properly about alcohol-related problems in this emergency period.

Background and Aims Palliative care is a critical component of the response of a healthcare system to a pandemic. We present risk factors associated with mortality and highlight an operational palliative care consult service in facilitating early identification of risk factors to guide goal‐concordant care and rational utilization of finite healthcare resources during a pandemic. Methods In this case series of 100 consecutive patients hospitalized with COVID‐19, we analyzed clinical data, treatment including palliative care, and outcomes in patients with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection admitted to three hospitals in Seattle, Washington. We compared data between patients who were discharged and non‐survivors. Results Age (OR 4.67 [1.43, 15.32] ages 65‐79; OR 3.96 [1.05, 14.89] ages 80‐97), dementia (OR 5.62 [1.60, 19.74]), and transfer from a congregate living facility (OR 5.40 [2.07, 14.07]), as well hypoxemia and tachypnea (OR 7.00 [2.91, 22.41]; OR 2.78 [1.11, 6.97]) were associated with mortality. Forty‐one (41%) patients required intensive care and 22 (22%) invasive mechanical ventilation. Forty‐six (46%) patients were seen by the palliative care service, resulting in a change of resuscitation status in 54% of admitted patients. Fifty‐eight (58%) patients recovered and were discharged, 34 (34%) died, and eight (8%) remained hospitalized, of which seven ultimately survived and one died. Conclusions Older age, dementia, and congregate living were associated with mortality. Early discussions of goals of care facilitated by an operational palliative care consult service can effectively guide goal‐concordant care in patients at high risk for mortality during a pandemic. Development of a functional palliative care consult service is an important component of pandemic planning.

Graphical abstract, Neurosurgery as one of the most technologically demanding medical fields rapidly adapts the newest developments from multiple scientific disciplines for treating brain tumors. Despite half a century of clinical trials, survival for brain primary tumors such as glioblastoma (GBM), the most common primary brain cancer, or rare ones including primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), is dismal. Cancer therapy and research have currently shifted toward targeted approaches, and personalized therapies. The orchestration of novel and effective blood–brain barrier (BBB) drug delivery approaches, targeting of cancer cells and regulating tumor microenvironment including the immune system are the key themes of this review. As the global pandemic due to SARS-CoV-2 virus continues, neurosurgery and neuro-oncology must wrestle with the issues related to treatment-related immune dysfunction. The selection of chemotherapeutic treatments, even rare cases of hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) that occur among immunocompromised people, and number of vaccinations they have to get are emerging as a new chapter for modern Nano neurosurgery.

COVID-19 pojavio se u prosincu 2019. u Wuhanu, u Kini. Nakon nekog vremena proširila se vijest o novom virusu koji je zaprijetio čitavom svijetu. Krajem veljače 2020. godine pojavio se prvi zabilježen slučaj u Hrvatskoj, a sredinom ožujka nastupio je i prvi lockdown u Hrvatskoj, ali i u drugim zemljama diljem svijeta. U početku, virus je shvaćen bezazleno, međutim nakon nekog su se vremena pojavili teži slučajevi, a sve mlađi ljudi bez komorbiditeta teško su obolijevali. S vremenom su se otkrivali novi simptomi koji su bili različiti gotovo za svaku osobu. COVID-19 uzdrmao je svijet i promijenio ritam života svakome na svoj način. Krajem prosinca 2020. godine počelo je cijepljenje protiv COVIDA-19 u Hrvatskoj, a do 24. kolovoza 2021. godine potpuno je cijepljeno 38,9 % stanovništva ili približno polovina odraslog stanovništva (Koronavirus.hr, 2021). Rezultati istraživanja provedenog među studentima svih 5 godina Učiteljskoga studija u Splitu u akademskoj godini 2020./2021. pokazali su da ne postoji statistički značajna razlika u stavovima i promišljanjima o COVIDU-19 između studenata viših i nižih godina te između onih koji su preboljeli COVID-19 i onih koji nisu. Također, ne postoji statistički značajna razlika u stavovima i promišljanjima o cijepljenju protiv COVIDA-19 između studenata viših i nižih godina Učiteljskoga studija. Studenti su u drugom dijelu upitnika pokazali znanje o znanstvenim činjenicama o COVIDU-19. Nesigurni su u pitanjima zadržavanja virusa SARS-CoV-2 na površinama, utjecaju virusa na organe i organske sustave te nisu u potpunosti upoznati s činjenicom da ovaj virus nije prvi otkriveni koronavirus. Nadalje, izrazili su nepovjerenje prema Nacionalnom stožeru civilne zaštite, medijima, cijepljenju te učinkovitosti epidemioloških mjera. Većini studenata društveni je život ostao nepromijenjen, a stavovi su podijeljeni kada je riječ o utjecaju pandemije na njihov život i načinu nošenja s pandemijom. Većina ih se želi vratiti na nastavu na fakultetu i smatraju da je nastava na fakultetu kvalitetnija od nastave na daljinu. Ono što iznenađuje je i razina procijepljenosti među studentima koja iznosi samo 10 %, a tu razinu kasnije potvrđuju i njihovi stavovi prema cijepljenju protiv COVIDA-19. Kako bismo donosili odluke koje su najbolje za nas i zajednicu u kojoj živimo te formirali ispravne stavove, važno je da budemo dobro informirani i da ne podliježemo raznim teorijama zavjere. Samo na taj način možemo biti odgovorni prema sebi i prema drugima., COVID-19 appeared in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. After some time, the news spread about a new virus that threatened the whole world. At the end of February 2020, the first recorded case appeared in Croatia and in mid-March the first lockdown occurred in Croatia, but also in other countries around the world. Initially, the virus was understood harmlessly, but after a while, more severe cases appeared and increasingly younger people without comorbidities became seriously ill. Over time, new symptoms were discovered, different for almost every person. COVID-19 shook the world and changed the pace of everyone's life in other way. At the end of December 2020, vaccination against COVID-19 began in Croatia, and by August 24, 2021, 38.9 % of the population or approximately half of the adult population had been fully vaccinated (Koronavirus.hr, 2021). The results of the research conducted among students of all 5 years of Primary Education in Split, in the academic year 2020/2021., showed that there was no statistically significant difference in attitudes and reflections about COVID-19 between senior and junior students and between those who had COVID-19 and those who did not. Also, there is no statistically significant difference in attitudes and reflections about vaccination against COVID-19 between senior and junior students of Primary Education. In the second part of the questionnaire, students demonstrated knowledge of the scientific facts about COVID-19. They are insecure about the retention of SARS-CoV-2 virus on surfaces, the impact of the virus on organs and organ systems, and they are not fully aware of the fact that this virus is not the first coronavirus to be detected. Furthermore, they expressed distrust towards the National Civil Protection Headquarters, the media, vaccination and the effectiveness of epidemiological measures. For most of the students, social life has remained unchanged, and attitudes are divided when it comes to the impact of a pandemic on their lives and how to deal with a pandemic. Most of them want to return to teaching at the faculty and they believe that teaching at the faculty is better than distance teaching. What is surprising is the level of vaccination among students, which is only 10 %, and this level is later confirmed by their attitudes towards vaccination against COVID-19. In order to make decisions that are the best for us and the community we live in and to form the right attitudes, it is important that we are well informed and do not believe in various conspiracy theories. Only this way we can be responsible to ourselves and to others.

Trudnoća je predivno iskustvo žene koje sa sobom nosi razne izazove. Da bi trudnoća bila uredna i uspješna, potrebno je pratiti njezin tijek. Tijek trudnoće prati se kroz perinatalnu zaštitu trudnica koja se dijeli na antenatalnu, partalnu i postpartalnu skrb. Antenatalna skrb obuhvaća praćenje majke i fetusa kroz fizikalne i ginekološke preglede, ultrazvučne preglede, kardiotokografije, laboratorijske nalaze i drugo. Trudnice zajedno s partnerima pohađaju trudničke tečajeve zbog edukacije i mogućnosti dolaska pratnje na porodu. Rođenjem novorođenčeta nakon otpusta iz rodilišta, u kućnu posjetu dolazi patronažna sestra koja educira majku i obavlja pregled novorođenčeta i same majke. Koncem 2019.-te godine u Kini se pojavila bolest uzrokovana SARS-CoV-2 virusom. Virus se prenosi kapljičnim putem i aerosolom, a zbog ubrzanog načina života i čestih migracija brzo se proširio svijetom i uzrokovao pandemiju. Za prevenciju od zaraze uvode se mjere poput fizičkog distanciranja, higijenskog pranja ruku, dezinfekcije ruku i površina te samoizolacije. Zbog prisutnih mjera dolazi do promijenjenog tijeka praćenja trudnica i babinjača. Broj pregleda kod liječnika je reduciran, neke države uvode zabrane pratnje na porodu, ovisno o epidemiološkoj slici države. U periodu karantene i samoizolacije, patronažne sestre nisu bile u mogućnosti ići na teren i organizirati posjete svakoj babinjači. Sve navedeno je dovelo do promjena kod žena i zdravstvenih djelatnika. Tijekom izrade rada provedeno je istraživanje s ciljem dobivanja uvida utjecaja pandemije na trudnice i babinjače. Rezultati su pokazali da je mali broj žena (29,25%) bilo zaraženo SARS-CoV-2 virusom i najčešće su bile zaražene tijekom trudnoće. Bez obzira na mjere koja pandemija sa sobom nosi, 95,26% žena je odlazilo na redovne preglede kod liječnika tijekom trudnoće, a samo 19,76 % žena je moralo raditi PCR test prije pregleda (UZV, CTG, ginekološki pregled ili prije poroda). Rezultati su pokazali da 61,26% sudionika nije pohađalo trudnički tečaj, što možemo povezati s rezultatima da 80,63% sudionica nije imalo pratnju na porodu. Maske za lice (kirurške, platnene) su uvelike ženama otežavale disanje i ograničavale komunikaciju s drugim ljudima (76,28%), a u 69,17% žena negativne osjećaje su prouzrokovale svakodnevne informacije o bolesti COVID-19. Pregnancy is a wonderful experience for a woman, an experience that brings various challenges. In order for a pregnancy to be healthy and successful, it is necessary to monitor its course. The course of pregnancy is monitored through the perinatal protection of pregnant women, which is divided into antenatal, perinatal and postpartum care. Antenatal care includes monitoring the mother and the foetus through physical and gynaecological examinations, ultrasound examinations, cardiotocography, laboratory reports and more. Pregnant women, together with their partners, attend pregnancy courses for educational purposes and the possibility of accompanying mothers on delivery. With the birth of a new-born and after being discharged from the hospital, a health visitor comes to the mother’s home to educate her and perform an examination of the new-born and the mother herself. At the end of 2019, a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus appeared in China. The virus is transmitted by droplets and aerosols, and due to busy lifestyle and frequent migrations, it quickly spread around the world and caused a pandemic. Measures such as physical distancing, hygienic hand washing, hand and surface disinfection and self-isolation are introduced to prevent infection. Due to the present measures, the course of monitoring pregnant women and midwives has changed. The number of medical examinations has been reduced, with some countries introducing bans on accompanying childbirth, depending on the epidemiological status of the country. During the period of quarantine and self-isolation, health visitors were not able to go out on the field and organize visits to every midwife. All of the above has led to changes in women and health professionals. While writing the paper, a research was conducted with the aim of gaining insight into the impact of the pandemic on pregnant women and midwives. The results showed that a small number of women (29, 25%) were infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus, most commonly during pregnancy. Regardless of the measures that the pandemic brings, 95.26% of women went for regular check-ups during pregnancy, and only 19.76% of women had to do a PCR test before an examination (ultrasound, CTG, gynaecological examination or before delivery). Results showed that 61.26% of the participants did not attend a pregnancy course, which can be linked to results that 80.63% of the participants did not have someone to accompany them on delivery. Face masks (surgical, cotton) made it very difficult for women to breathe and limited communication with other people (76.28%), and for 69.17% of the women everyday information about the COVID-19 disease caused negative feelings.

BackgroundThe current pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has shown epidemiological and clinical characteristics that appear worsened in hypertensive patients. The morbidity and mortality of the disease among hypertensive patients in Africa have yet to be well described.MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study all confirmed COVID-19 adult patients (≥18 years of age) in Lagos between February 27 to July 62,020 were included. Demographic, clinical and outcome data were extracted from electronic medical records of patients admitted at the COVID-19 isolation centers in Lagos. Outcomes included dying, being discharged after recovery or being evacuated/transferred.Descriptive statistics considered proportions, means and medians. The Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were used in determining associations between variables. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and Cox regression were performed to quantify the risk of worse outcomes among hypertensives with COVID-19 and adjust for confounders.P-value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsA total of 2075 adults with COVID-19 were included in this study. The prevalence of hypertension, the most common comorbidity, was 17.8% followed by diabetes (7.2%) and asthma (2.0%). Overall mortality was 4.2% while mortality among the hypertensives was 13.7%. Severe symptoms and mortality were significantly higher among the hypertensives and survival rates were significantly lowered by the presence of additional comorbidity to 50% from 91% for those with hypertension alone and from 98% for all other patients (P P = 0.001, 95%CI = 1.4–4.0, death: HR = 2.30,P = 0.001, 95%CI = 1.2–4.6, for those with hypertension only} {severe/critical illness: HR = 3.76,P = 0.001, 95%CI = 2.1–6.4, death: crude HR = 6.63,P = 0.001, 95%CI = 3.4–1.6, for those with additional comorbidities}. Hypertension posed an increased risk of severe morbidity (approx. 4-fold) and death (approx. 7-fold) from COVID-19 in the presence of multiple comorbidities.ConclusionThe potential morbidity and mortality risks of hypertension especially with other comorbidities in COVID-19 could help direct efforts towards prevention and prognostication. This provides the rationale for improving preventive caution for people with hypertension and other comorbidities and prioritizing them for future antiviral interventions.

COVID-19 je nova infektivna bolest, uzrokovana SARS-CoV-2 virusom, koja se prvi puta pojavila u prosincu 2019. godine u gradu Wuhanu te se vrlo brzo proširila na ostatak svijeta. Novonastala pandemija utjecala je na sve sastavne dijelove transplantacijskih programa, što se odrazilo i na redukciju ukupnog broja transplantacija na globalnoj razini. Zbog podložnosti transplantiranih pacijenata infektivnim bolestima u pitanje je dovedena mogućnost prenošenja infekcije na primatelje organa, bilo od živih ili preminulih donora, bilo tijekom boravka u zdravstvenim ustanovama te kako na najadekvatniji način kako provesti screening na COVID-19 i minimalizirati boravak pacijenata u bolnicama. Također, sve veći broj COVID-19 pozitivnih pacijenata koji trebaju bolničko liječenje zahtijevaju alociranje resursa u jedinice intenzivnog liječenja, čime se ograničavaju resursi i medicinsko osoblje koje postoperativno može skrbiti o pacijentima. Sve navedeno dovodi do smanjenog broja organa za transplantaciju promjena u kirurškoj praksi, ali i sve većeg implementiranja telemedicine u praćenju bolesnika. Posljedice koje će COVID-19 pandemija ostaviti su osjetno povećanje lista čekanja te sukladno tome veći broj ljudi koji će čekanjem organa bubrežnu funkciju morati zamijeniti dijalizom, koja nosi svoje rizike., COVID-19 is a new infectious disease, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which first appeared in December 2019 in the city of Wuhan and spread very quickly to the rest of the world. The emerging pandemic affected all components of transplant programs, which was reflected in the reduction of the total number of transplants globally. Due to the susceptibility of transplanted patients to infectious diseases, it was questioned the possibility of transmitting the infection to organ recipients, either from living or deceased donors, or during their stay in health care facilities. Another question was how to conduct screening for COVID-19 and minimize hospital stays. Also, an increasing number of COVID-19 positive patients in need of inpatient treatment require the allocation of resources to intensive care units, thus limiting resources and medical staff who can care for patients postoperatively. All of the above leads to a reduced number of organs for transplantation, changes in surgical practice and also to the increasing implementation of telemedicine in the follow-up of patients. The consequences that the COVID-19 pandemic will leave are a significant increase in waiting lists and, accordingly, a larger number of people who will have to replace their renal function with dialysis, which carries its own risks.

COVID-19 has now spread to all the continents of the world with the possible exception of Antarctica. However, Africa appears different when compared with all the other continents. The absence of exponential growth and the low mortality rates contrary to that experienced in other continents, and contrary to the projections for Africa by various agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO) has been a puzzle to many. Although Africa is the second most populous continent with an estimated 17.2% of the world's population, the continent accounts for only 5% of the total cases and 3% of the mortality. Mortality for the whole of Africa remains at a reported 19,726 as at August 01, 2020. The onset of the pandemic was later, the rate of rise has been slower and the severity of illness and case fatality rates have been lower in comparison to other continents. In addition, contrary to what had been documented in other continents, the occurrence of the renal complications in these patients also appeared to be much lower. This report documents the striking differences between the continents and within the continent of Africa itself and then attempts to explain the reasons for these differences. It is hoped that information presented in this review will help policymakers in the fight to contain the pandemic, particularly within Africa with its resource-constrained health care systems.

Many pathogenic viral pandemics have caused threats to global health; the COVID-19 pandemic is the latest. Its transmission is growing exponentially all around the globe, putting constraints on the health system worldwide. A novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), causes this pandemic. Many candidate vaccines are available at this time for COVID-19, and there is a massive international race underway to procure as many vaccines as possible for each country. However, due to heavy global demand, there are strains in global vaccine production. The use of a plant biotechnology-based expression system for vaccine production also represents one part of this international effort, which is to develop plant-based heterologous expression systems, virus-like particles (VLPs)-vaccines, antiviral drugs, and a rapid supply of antigen-antibodies for detecting kits and plant origin bioactive compounds that boost the immunity and provide tolerance to fight against the virus infection. This review will look at the plant biotechnology platform that can provide the best fight against this global pandemic.

Coronavirus disease 2019 is a respiratory infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Coronavirus disease 2019 leads to the rapid activation of innate immune cells, particularly in patients with severe disease. Psoriatic arthritis is a heterogeneous chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the association of psoriasis and arthritis. Similar to those with other viruses, patients with psoriatic arthritis are at a significant risk of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Patients with psoriatic arthritis are immunosuppressed owing to immune dysregulation during the active disease period or owing to immunosuppressive drugs administered during remission, and they are prone to infections. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is a threat to millions of people globally owing to the decline in immunity and because a significant number of people develop severe illness. In the period of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, we briefly present recommendations for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis. In this review, we briefly address the management options and treatment recommendations for patients with psoriatic arthritis during and after the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in light of recent scientific publications.

Background The spread of COVID-19 creates disruption, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity in all organizations. People are the primary asset of any organization and help achieve their goals. Accordingly, to manage human resources sustainably, the organizational strategy review is an appropriate retort. Objective The purpose of this comprehensive review study is to identify unknown challenges, strategies, and unusual decisions related to human resource management other than clinical organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The study applied a narrative review approach dissection based on organizations' human resource management strategies to combat the COVID-19 impacts. The review study conducted published literature research through the electronic databases at Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, and LISTA. The study extracted 1281 articles from the mentioned databases from November 2021 to the first quarter of 2021. This study reviewed selected papers, included 15 relevant articles, and removed duplicates according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Finally, the study developed a conceptual framework of human resource management strategies based on the literature findings to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Results The COVID-19 pandemic posed numerous adverse consequences, such as economic shock, global health crisis, change in social behaviors, and challenges at the organization level to continue business operations. Besides, the strategies included flexibility, strengthening internal efficiency, talent acquisition, and making innovative changes based on organizational assessment and needs for smooth business activities. Conclusion The appropriate human resource management strategies implementations would increase employees’ mental well-being, satisfaction, productivity, motivation, and health safety at the workplace., Human resource management; COVID-19 adverse consequences; Novel coronavirus; Pandemic, Infectious disease, SARS-CoV-2 virus; Abrupt global challenges; Innovative HR strategy.

Summary The SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, which causes the COVID‐19 disease, has impacted every nation on the globe, albeit disproportionately. African countries have seen lower infection and mortality rates than most countries in the Americas Europe and Asia. In this commentary, we explore some of the factors purported to be responsible for the low COVID‐19 infection and case fatality rates in Africa: low testing rate, poor documentation of cause of death, younger age population, good vitamin D status as a result of exposure to sunlight, cross‐immunity from other viruses including coronaviruses, and lessons learnt from other infectious diseases such as HIV and Ebola. With the advent of a new variant of COVID‐19 and inadequate roll‐out of vaccines, an innovative and efficient response is needed to ramp up testing, contact tracing and accurate reporting of infection rates and cause of death in order to mitigate the spread of the infection.

Rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coranovirus-2 virus (SARS-CoV-2) caused the pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19). Clinical course of the disease presents symptoms mainly from the respiratory system such as: cough, dyspnea and fever, and among some patients, can deteriorate even further to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), eventually leading to death. This outbreak, as well as previous ones (SARS, MERS) pose a significant challenge for health care managers, epidemiologists and physicians. Below we are presenting the clinical profile of the COVID-19 among special group of patients; pregnant women and newborns, who require special clinical management during hospitalization. In the summary of this manuscript, we present practical guidelines for managing pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2, labor and care of the newborn of a positive mother, as well as practical guidelines for COVID-19 vaccinations. It is important to stress, that this manuscript is based on information available as of December 2020.