Proper training on the preventive measures against COVID-19 among health-care workers is crucial for mitigating the spread of viral infection. The present study evaluated the efficacy of a brief web-based module on the practice of hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette among respective health-care workers. A comparative study was conducted with a total of 500 participants. A self-reported questionnaire was used for both pre- and post-intervention evaluation. The post-intervention assessment was conducted 1–2 weeks following the intervention. The difference in the practice of hand hygiene and respiratory etiquettes during work hours was recorded. We found that the intervention resulted in an evident difference in the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer by the participating doctors before examining the patient. Interns showed a much higher propensity to wash their hands for at least 20 s, relative to other health-care workers. The difference between pre- and post-intervention handwashing for >5 times/day was 6.5% in females and 4.5% in males. In short, the study was able to demonstrate that a web-based health education module is an effective tool for the education and promotion of preventative measures in hospital setups, which may ultimately aid in halting the spread of COVID-19 among health-care workers.

Introduction The constellation of the physical and psychological symptoms that appear several days before menstrual period is regarded as the premenstrual syndrome (PMS). The current study evaluated the symptoms associated with PMS and their impact on the day-to-day activities of women. Methodology An observational cross-sectional study was conducted at a squatter settlement in Karachi, Pakistan, from January 2019 to February 2020. Amenorrheic, pregnant women, and women who were on birth control at the time of data collection were excluded from the study. The demographics, symptoms of PMS experienced by the participants, and the impact of PMS symptoms on the daily lives of women were recorded. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences v.25 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) was used for data analysis. Results The mean age ± standard deviation of 23.93 years ± 9.41 years was recorded. As many as 213 (63%) women reported dysmenorrhea, followed by fatigue in 108 (32%), bloating in 64 (18.9%), and back pain in 45 (13.3%) women. Irritability and anxiety were experienced by 134 (39.6%) and 117 (34.6%) women, respectively. When asked about their attitude and perception towards menstruation, more than four-fifth respondents confessed that they feel impure when they are experiencing their monthly period. About 38 women (11.2%) believed that menstruation is God’s way of punishing the womankind. For the question, “Do you feel that your normal routine is significantly disturbed during your period?”, 40% responded in affirmation. Conclusion The findings of the current study reflected a generally negative attitude towards menstruation, which significantly affected the routine lives of women in our setting. The study further concluded that dysmenorrhea, fatigue, irritability, and anxiety were the most common symptoms of PMS experienced by women.

PurposeThe presence of heavy metals in milk causes many acute and chronic physiological dysfunctions in human organs. The present study aims to investigate the heavy metals in cow's and buffalo's milk of two major cities, Karachi and Gujranwala, Pakistan to estimate metal intake by humans from this source.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 48 milk samples from 2 cities were drawn from animals' udder to avoid contamination. Each sample was digested with nitric acid at 105 oC (degree Celsius) on a pre-heated electric hot plate to investigate the metals by atomic absorption spectroscopy (flame type). Air-acetylene technique analyzed chromium, cadmium and lead, and the hydride method analyzed arsenic in the milk samples.FindingsThe results revealed the highest mean lead concentration (19.65 ± 43.86 ppb) in the milk samples, followed by chromium (2.10 ± 2.33 ppb) and arsenic (0.48 ± 0.73 ppb). Cadmium was not detected in any sample, assuming cadmium's occurrence was below the detection level. The concentrations of all the metals in the samples of the two cities do not differ statistically. Lead concentrations in the buffalo's milk were higher than in cow's milk (p < 0.05). However, the concentrations of arsenic and chromium between buffalo's and cow's milk do not differ statistically. The present study reveals a lower level of metals in the milk than those conducted elsewhere. The mean concentrations of all the metals met the World Health Organization's (WHO) safety guidelines (1993).Research limitations/implicationsAlthough cadmium causes toxicity in the human body, cadmium could not be measured because cadmium's concentration was below the detection level, which is 1 ppb.Practical implicationsThis study will help reduce the toxic metals in our environment, and the sources of heavy metals, particularly from the industrial sector could be identified. The feed and water consumed by the milking animals could be carefully used for feeding them.Social implicationsThis study will help reduce the diseases and malfunction of human organs and organ systems since these heavy metals cause toxicity and carcinogenicity in humans. Arsenic and chromium cause cancer while lead causes encephalopathy (a brain disease).Originality/valueThe study reports heavy metal concentrations in the two attributes of four independent variables of raw milk samples that were scarcely reported from Pakistan.

Many processes in the iron and steel making industries emit carbon monoxide, which causes a variety of toxic effects on human health, such as fatigue, impaired memory, headache, and nausea. At elevated exposure, carbon monoxide poisoning may lead to loss of consciousness and death. Therefore, the current study has been carried out to investigate the occupational exposure of randomly selected fifty-eight employees of Pakistan Steel Mills to the carbon monoxide. The selected employees were from 10 different facilities of the Pakistan Steel Mills, who were working in two different shifts viz. nightshift and dayshift, each of twelve hours. Thirty employees from nightshift and twenty-eight employees from dayshift were monitored for their exposure to carbon monoxide. The instrument was logged to measure the employee’s exposure to carbon monoxide with 1-minute interval. The study reveals that the employees, working in the Raw Materials Production Plant during nightshift were exposed to the highest mean concentration of carbon monoxide while those working in Oxygen Plant during nightshift were exposed to the lowest mean concentration of carbon monoxide. According to study, the highest recorded exposure was found near Blast Furnace during dayshift. The employees’ exposure to 98th percentile concentration of carbon monoxide in different facilities of the steel mills has also been analyzed. The employees’ exposure to carbon monoxide during commuting from home to their workplace has also been investigated.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ije.v3i4.11730      International Journal of EnvironmentVolume-3, Issue-4, Sep-Nov 2014Page: 44-56