In the last week of May the Journal of Advanced Internal Medicine published our paper: ‘Impact of COVID-19 on community health: A systematic review of a population of 82 million‘ [1]. As we know relatively little about the COVID-19 we conducted a review of the literature on the impact of COVID-19 on community health. The review found limited evidence in support of quarantine to prevent COVID‐19, most studies considered quarantine as an essential public health measure to minimize rate of infection and mortality. Under these circumstances, people should focus on maintaining personal hygiene, proper nutrition, and extreme social distancing to reduce the risk of COVID-19. Besides, that there is a need to provide professional psychological support to reduce mental ill-health. In addition we have highlighted two different public health approaches in South Asia, namely Nepal and India.
This is not the first Faculty of Health & Social Sciences (FHSS) health science publication on COVID-19, earlier this year saw the publication of a blog for the Healthy Newborn Network [2], a letter on the increased risk of COVID-19 to BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) communities in the BMJ [3], and a paper on the public health implications of COVID-19 [4].
The Journal of Advanced Internal Medicine is Open Access and hence freely available to anyone with an internet access and it is part of Nepal Journals Online (NepJOL) which provides online publication of Nepalese journals.
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
CMMPH (Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health)
References:
- Sathian, B., Asim, M., Mekkodathil, A., van Teijlingen, E., Subramanya, S.H., Simkhada, S.,Marahatta, S.B., Shrestha, U.M. (2020) Impact of COVID-19 on community health: A systematic review of a population of 82 million, Journal of Advanced Internal Medicine 9(1): 4-11. https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/JAIM/article/view/29159
- Tamang, P., Mahato, P., van Teijlingen E, Simkhada, P. (2020) Pregnancy and COVID-19: Lessons so far, Healthy Newborn Network [14 April] healthynewbornnetwork.org/blog/pregnancy-and-covid-19-lessons-so-far/
- Asim, M., Sathian, B., van Teijlingen, E.R., Mekkodathil, A., Subramanya, S.H., Simkhada, P. (2020) COVID-19 Pandemic: Public Health Implications in Nepal, Nepal Journal of Epidemiology 10 (1): 817-820. https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/NJE/article/view/28269
- Alloh, F.T., Regmi, P., van Teijlingen, E. (2020) Is ethnicity linked to incidence or outcomes of Covid-19? (Rapid Response) BMJ (14 May) 369:m1548