However, during Covid the lockdown has considerably reduced the particulate suspension and the results revealed that the +ve cases are of the nature of community spreading through primary and secondary contacts as reported from the media. If Covid is a visible, brutally virulent, incredibly contagious pandemic that kills rapidly and mercilessly, air pollution is its unseen evil twin. Under the radar, but even ruthlessly, if Covid and PM paired together lead to murder without delay. This is a non-communicable disease (NCD) slow-motion pandemic, equivalent-if not exceeding-the catastrophic wrath of SARS-CoV-2.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic spread rapidly, as did COVID-19-related information on diverse media platforms. Excessive COVID-19-related information caused substantial mental distress among the public. Although most studies focused on the impact of information on individuals during the pandemic, they usually focused on information from internet sources, and few studies compared the impacts between different information sources. We examine the sociodemographic profiles of participants receiving different information sources and the impact of various COVID-19-related information sources on public worry.

A cross-sectional online survey with a total of 2007 participants aged 20years and above recruited anonymously was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sociodemographic data, frequencies at which participants received COVID-19-related information, the information sources (e.g., traditional media, interpersonal information exchange, and academic courses), and the levels of past, currrole in public worry during the pandemic. Therefore, academic courses and the information they provide may help facilitate public education and reduce public worry in cases of infectious disease outbreaks.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are contraindicated in the third trimester of pregnancy due to negative effects including alteration of uteroplacental blood flow, premature ductus arteriosus closure, and adverse effects on the fetal kidney. However, many women are unaware of these risks, and commonly report their use in pregnancy. We aimed to determine if umbilical cord was a reliable matrix for detecting NSAID use, determine incidence of use close to labour, and uncover associations with obstetric/neonatal outcomes.

We developed a UHPLC-MS/MS method to simultaneously detect diclofenac, ibuprofen, indomethacin, naproxen, and salicylic acid in plasma and umbilical cord lysate. Using this method, we screened 380 lysates to determine the prevalence of NSAID use. Results were compared to the clinical outcomes in pregnancy using ICD9/10 chart codes (n = 21).

The UHPLC-MS/MS method has excellent linearity, accuracy, and precision in solvent and plasma, but lower sensitivity in umbilical cord lysate. We rpsia indicates future work should focus on determining safe dosages of NSAIDs and the correct therapeutic window in pregnancy.In the informal sector of Nigeria’s economy, jobs are done manually as against automation resulting in body stress and pain, hence the need for painkiller drugs. Thirty different locally manufactured painkiller drugs, with analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effects, were randomly sampled from pharmaceutical shops within Awka in October 2016. The drugs were pulverised, sieved and ashed before digestion using conc aqua regia HCl HNO3 (31), carcinogenic heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury, nicked and lead) were assayed using Varian AA240 atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). Risk assessment was carried out using US EPA model. The highest levels of arsenic (0.350 mg/kg) were found in samples with code 01, 03 and 020, cadmium (0.107 mg/kg and 0.144 mg/kg) were in samples code 013 and 028, and samples 03 and 011 had chromium levels as 6.637 mg/kg and 5.298 mg/kg. Highest value of mercury (0.470 mg/kg) was in sample code 01. All the painkiller drugs have nickel in the range of 0.046-0.448 mg/kg while highest values of lead were in sample code 05, 025 and 029 as 2.47 mg/kg, 1.11 mg/kg and 1.16 mg/kg. read more Non-cancer risk ranged as As (Nd -1.60 × 10-3), Cd (Nd-1.97 × 10-4), Cr (Nd-6.06 × 10-6), Hg (Nd-2.15 × 10-4), Ni (9.93 × 10-6-3.34 × 10-5) and Pb (Nd-4.36 × 10-4) while the cancer risk were As (Nd-1.63 × 10-7), Cd (Nd-4.45 × 10-9), Cr (Nd-1.56 × 10-7), Hg (Nd -1.53 × 10-9), Ni (1.50 × 10-10 -1.46 × 10-9) and Pb (Nd-8.82 × 10-9). The total cancer risk (TCR) and total non-cancer risk (TNCR) for all the heavy metals were in the range of 7.21 × 10-13-1.25 × 10-10 and 1.51 × 10-7-5.56 × 10-5 respectively. The TCR was below 1 × 10-6 -1 × 10-4 range while TNCR for heavy metals was below 1; the values established by US EPA. In conclusion, continuous consumption of locally Nigerian made painkiller drugs may expose the subjects to heavy metal toxicity.This study investigated the role of price elasticity in the asymmetric adjustment of global retail energy prices and in the rent-seeking behavior of retail energy firms. Overall, 58 nonlinear ARDL models were estimated for the period 2004M12 – 2016M8 using data for gasoline, automotive diesel, domestic heating oil, industrial fuel oil and crude oil markets. The results indicate that global retail energy markets are still pervasively fraught with the problems of rockets and feathers effect and the likelihood of retailers manipulating the tax system to hide rent-seeking behaviors. The results also indicate that there is more likelihood of rent-seeking activities in the markets for road fuels whose demand is relatively more price-inelastic than in the markets for non-road fuels whose demand is relatively more price-elastic, thereby suggesting that differences in market structure could offer a possible explanation for rent-seeking and asymmetric price adjustment in global retail energy markets. These results have far-reaching antitrust and consumer welfare implications, which require regulators and policy makers to interminably monitor the global retail energy markets, especially during periods of economic crisis like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in order to safeguard the overall social welfare.