Journal of Occupational Health and Epidemiology
Volume:12 Issue: 3, Summer 2023

Remdesivir is a nucleoside inhibitor of RNA polymerase with the antiviral activity used in the treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia. One of the remdesivir side effects is hepatotoxicity. Given the growing body of data supporting silymarin's antiviral and hepatoprotective properties, the present research sought to explore the impact of silymarin on laboratory parameters, frequency of symptoms, and liver enzymes in COVID-19 patients.

In this double-blind randomized clinical trial 70 patients were divided into two groups of 35. Intervention group received remdesivir + 140 mg Silymarin, 3 times, daily for 1 week, and the control group received remdesivir + placebo. Patients' symptoms and laboratory findings were assessed at baseline and 5,7,10, and 14 days’ post enrollment.

Liver enzymes level (aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase), and lactate dehydrogenase were significantly decreased in the intervention group (p < 0.05). Among the clinical symptoms, cough (p=0.03), shortness of breath (p= 0.006), headache (p=0.01), and muscle pain (p=0.03) were significantly lower in the treatment group comparing to the control group. Moreover, the severity of disease in the intervention group was substantially lower than that among the control group.

Concomitant use of remdesivir with silymarin might reduce hepatotoxicity and ultimately improve the patients' condition. More clinical trials with different dosages and larger sample sizes are recommended.

The use of electronic devices (e-devices/ED) in online classrooms by students during the COVID-19 pandemic has been reported as one of the factors contributing to eye fatigue. The aim of this scoping review was to identify the risk factors (ergonomics and environmental conditions) for eye fatigue among students.

A scoping review was conducted on databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, etc. with keywords including eye strain, students, online learning, ergonomics, and environmental factors along the COVID-19 pandemic during the years 2020-2022. Initially, 106 articles were identified. Then, 29 articles were assessed by applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. Finally, 18 articles were selected.

Students used e-devices for ≥4-6 hours/day, so the mean score of Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) was determined to be 30, and the range of eye strain was reported 13.0-94.5%. The review results indicated that use of e-devices due to improper ergonomics (wrong posture, duration of screens usage, screen distance<50 cm computer and<12-inch mobile phone, no breaks, viewing angle, number and duration of online classes/day, diminished blinking rate) and environmental conditions (fatigue 1.728 times in low lighting, relative humidity<40%, air quality/conditioner, high temperature) had significant effects on the eye fatigue of students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Raising awareness of DES among parents and students, proper postures, reducing duration on a screen (<6 hours/day online class), a suitable distance to screen, adjusting the workplace/screen lighting, viewing angle≤15°, usage of software screen time limit, frequent blinking, eyes’ examination, using wetting drops, 15-minute breaks after 2 hours work, and eye exercises can be effective in reducing eye fatigue in students.

Noise pollution from various internal and external sources affects people's behaviors and job performance. The current study investigated the effects of noise pollution on annoyance, aggression, and cognitive failures.

This descriptive study was conducted in 2020-2021 recruiting 400 employees of Tejarat Bank in Tehran. First, questionnaires of cognitive failures, noise annoyance, sensitivity, aggression, and demographic information were completed by the study staff. Next, association between the variables were determined. Finally, using Bayesian models, the association between variables were modeled and important factors were identified using sensitivity analysis.

Based on the results, the mean scores of noise exposure, annoyance, sensitivity, aggression and cognitive failures were 62.86 ± 6.66, 57.74 ± 23.47, 68.26 ± 17.94, 71.19 ±12.68, and 46.83 ± 12.00, respectively. Of all the variables, only annoyance and noise sensitivity had significant effect on aggression. The factors of accuracy, precision, and recall of the Bayesian model were 0.8, 0.89, and 0.96, respectively, which indicates the appropriate diagnostic performance of the model.

Based on our findings, it can be concluded that noise annoyance increases the likelihood of cognitive failures, so that the highest probability of cognitive failures occurs when people are annoyed. In addition, because people with higher noise exposure and higher education experience more annoyance, it can be concluded that the variables of education and noise exposure cause cognitive failures through annoyance.

Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire is a reliable tool to measure the work-related psychosocial factors. The third version of this questionnaire was developed with the substantial changes in comparison with previous versions which would require the re-evaluation of psychometric properties. This study aimed to examine the validity, and reliability of the middle version and Persian translation of the COPSOQ III.

In this descriptive study, all workers of a number of industrial and production units in the northeast of Iran were invited during 2020 to 2022.  Following a forward-backward translation of the COPSOQ III original form, 276 participants completed translated questionnaires. Alpha coefficient, content validity index (CVI), content validity ratio (CVR), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and Pearson’s correlation test with 0.05 significance level, were employed to examine the psychometric properties and reliability of questionnaire.

The average age of the subjects was 36.3 ± 5.9 years. Cronbach alpha coefficient for all dimensions was between 0.56 and 0.88 and for the total scale was 0.88. The team of 22 ergonomics and psychosocial experts reported that the mean of CVI and CVR were 0.97 and 0.78, respectively. The two-factor model fit was reasonable (RMSEA = 0.078; χ 2 = 590; χ 2/df = 2.694 (p < 0.001, df = 219); CFI = 0.89; and TLI = 0.85).

The finding indicated that the Persian version of the COPSOQ III is a valid and reliable tool to survey work related psychosocial factors.

Today, white-collar workers endure a variety of job stress. These factors can cause musculoskeletal problems, threaten aspects of occupational health, and reduce productivity. This study aimed to examine the effect of ergonomic training interventions on the musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), job contents, work-life quality, and productivity in knowledge-based companies.

This study was conducted using quasi-randomized control trial method in 2019-2020. Four groups were included in the study: Ergonomics training, management training, combined interventions, and control group. The participants included 311 office workers who were randomly divided into four groups. Outcome measures were measured in follow-up periods. Repeated-measure ANOVAs was employed to analyze the results.

Interventions performed on neck (P=0.001), right shoulder (P=0.001), left shoulder (P=0.002), and right upper extremity (P<0.025) were associated with significant improvements in MSDs. The interventions significantly increased the control and social support (P=0.001), though they did not affect the psychological demands. The quality of work-life increased significantly in the first month of follow-up, but the long-term trend showed a decline.

Combined interventions significantly increased absolute presenteeism. Simultaneous implementation of individual and managerial ergonomics revealed a greater impact on reducing MSDs and a broader impact on job content and presenteeism.

The World Health Organization characterizes workplace stress as a "global epidemic" due to its pervasive influence on various facets of daily life. Occupational stress among educators is on the rise in both developed and developing nations, with estimates suggesting that at least one-third of teachers experience high levels of stress and burnout. The main objective of this study was to determine occupational stress and associated factors among teachers in selected schools. 

In 2022, a cross-sectional study was conducted in Lamjung District, Nepal, involving nine secondary-level schools from Besishahar Municipality and Marshyangdi Rural Municipality. Data collection occurred from February 13 to February 26, with participation from 193 school teachers who completed a self-administered questionnaire. The selection of teacher participants was carried out using purposive sampling. The association between teachers' occupational stress, socio-demographic characteristics, and work-related variables was analyzed using Pearson's chi-square test.

Nearly half (47.2%) of the respondents had experienced stress, with the majority (37.3%) reporting mild stress levels. Females (50.56%) and older respondents, particularly those aged 51 to 60 years, experienced higher stress levels (71.43%). This study revealed that only education level (p=0.035) and large class size (p=0.002) were significantly associated with occupational stress.

Despite the majority of respondents reporting factors such as a high monthly salary, good student behavior, a favorable work environment, and sufficient social support, nearly half of them still reported experiencing stress. This underscores the need for further investigation into the underlying causes of occupational stress among teachers.

Printing industry workers face hazards from noise and lead exposure. This study investigates the combined effects of lead and noise on malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in these workers, as previous research has focused on isolated effects. This study aimed at assessing the impact of simultaneous lead and noise exposure on the health of people working in the printing industry.

Using TENMARS ELECTRONICS sound-meter following ISO9612:2009, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured using Buege and Aust spectrophotometer Model CE1010 CECIL series 1000. Blood lead analysis followed NIOSH8003 method. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS 20.0 with Pearson and ANOVA tests. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was employed to check the normality of the data.

The study found that the die-cut unit had significantly higher daily noise exposure (mean ± standard deviation = 87.71 ± 1.469 dB) compared to other units. Additionally, the printing unit had significantly higher lead concentration (mean ± standard deviation = 0.1431 ± 0.02 ppb) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration (mean ± standard deviation = 0.9963 ± 0.238 mmol/lit) compared to other units.

The study found a strong link between blood lead levels and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in printing industry workers. However, no significant correlation was found between MDA levels and noise exposure or the combined exposure to noise and lead. These findings emphasize the need to address lead exposure in the printing industry to protect workers' health and prevent elevated MDA levels.

Recent years have seen many attempts to increase the efficiency and reduce the pressure drop of High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filter (HEPA) filters in removing microorganisms through shape change and the use of photocatalysts. This study is the first scoping review of the effects of photocatalysts on increasing the efficiency of HEPA filters in the elimination of airborne microorganisms.

PubMed, Scopus, Irandoc, and Magiran databases were searched for relevant articles. Based on select keywords and the study objectives and applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, eight from a total of 315 articles were identified, two of which were typical in the review of efficiency and pressure drop. These articles investigated the effect of photocatalyst and filter shape on the efficiency and pressure drop of HEPA filters.

These studies were released from 2000 to 2021. TiO2, with its long-term interactions with microorganisms, the attack of superoxide radicals (O2•−), and the release of K+, RNA, proteins, and other essential components will cause their destruction. Ultraviolet rays at a wavelength of 254 nm remove bacteria on the surface of the filter. The synergy of the inherent ability of UV radiation with TiO2 through nucleic acid and protein damage in microorganisms and the generation of oxidative radicals increases the efficiency of HEPA filters compared to either one alone.

The photocatalysts with ultra-violet rays on the HEPA filter can reduce the problem of microorganism growth and increase indoor air quality.