The COVID-19 pandemic has focused attention on the challenges and risks faced by frontline healthcare workers (HCW). This study aimed to describe the clinical outcomes and risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection in HCW. Three databases were surveyed and 328 articles were identified. Of these, 225 articles did not meet inclusion criteria; therefore, 97 full-text article were reviewed. Finally, after further revision, 30 articles were included in the systematic review and 28 were used for meta-analysis. Twenty-eight studies were identified involving 119,883 patients. The mean age of the patients was 38.37 years (95% CI 36.72–40.03) and males comprised 21.4% (95% CI 12.4–34.2) of the population of HCW. The percentage of HCW who tested positive for COVID-19 was 51.7% (95% CI 34.7–68.2). The total prevalence of comorbidities in seven studies was 18.4% (95% CI 15.5–21.7). The most prevalent symptoms were fever 27.5% (95% CI 17.6–40.3) and cough 26.1% (95% CI 18.1–36). The prevalence of hospitalisation was 15.1% (95% CI 5.6–35) in 13 studies and of death was 1.5% (95% CI 0.5–3.9) in 12 studies. Comparisons of HCW with and without infection showed an increased relative risk for COVID-19 related to personal protective equipment, workplace setting, profession, exposure, contacts, and testing. A significant number of HCW were reported to be infected with COVID-19 during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a prevalence of hospitalisation of 15.1% and mortality of 1.5%. Further data are needed to track the continued risks in HCW as the pandemic evolves and health systems adapt.

A New Peer-Reviewed Journal with Focus on Technology, Innovation and Openess in Medical Education

Background: In competency-based medical education (CBME), “Assessment for learning” or “Formative Assessment” (FA) plays a key role in augmenting student learning. FAs help students to measure their progress over time, enabling them to proactively improve their performance in summative assessments. FAs also encourage students to learn in a way where they address their knowledge gaps and gaps in their conceptualization of the subject matter. The effectiveness of an FA, as a learning and development instrument, relies on the degree of student involvement in the corresponding educational intervention’s design and implementation. The extent of students’ engagement in FA can be evaluated by appraising their perception regarding the educational intervention itself. Objective: This proof-of-concept study aims to develop a systemic understanding of a Formative Assessment as an Instructional Tool (FAIS) implemented in a biochemistry course in the Basic Medical Sciences component of an undergraduate entry, CBME. Methods: The educational intervention in question is an FAIS, which is implemented in a biochemistry course in the first semester of a 6-year bachelor of medicine, bachelor of surgery program. When developing the FAIS, each area of knowledge, skills, and attitudes were considered. Assessment formats are developed per Miller’s learning pyramid. This multiphase study is meant to rely on a convergent mixed methods design, where qualitative and quantitative data are independently collected and analyzed. Thereafter, the outputs of analyses are systematically merged using joint display analysis process. Qualitative data are collected through a focus group session that captures the students’ perception toward the FAIS. Data collection, integral to this focus group session, is exploratory. The inductive qualitative data analysis follows Braun and Clarke’s 6-step framework. The quantitative component of this study revolves around investigating the effect of the FAIS on the course’s summative assessment. The summative assessment performance of the 71 students, enrolled in the FAIS cohort, will be compared to that of the students in the non-FAIS cohort. The total duration of the proposed multiphase research study is 6 months. Results: This proposed multiphase study is expected to showcase, from a systemic perspective, the effectiveness of the respective educational intervention. It will shed light on the participating students’ attitudes in relation to the usefulness of FA in achieving competency goals and in fostering self-directed learning. The proposed study could also uncover the hypothesized association between the FA intervention and enhanced performance in summative assessments. Conclusions: Our findings will generate evidence regarding the application of FAs, which can be leveraged by other medical educators in contexts similar to those under investigation. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/41626

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women throughout the world and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women Objectives: The current study aimed to investigate the effect of eight weeks of training on IL-6, TNF-α and hCRP in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors. Patients and Methods: Twenty-seven postmenopausal breast cancer survivors with mean age of 44.1 ± 4.6, mean height of 158 ± 5.9 cm and mean Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30.2 ± 3.2 kg/m², were randomly divided to three groups; continuous, interval and the control groups. Inflammatory markers, anthropometric variables and VO₂ peak were measured before and after the eight weeks. Statistical analysis of the data was carried out using the Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon test at a significance level of P < 0.05. Results: The anthropometric variables, body fat percentage and adipose tissue reduced significantly in both exercise groups (P < 0.05), and the difference between the two groups was not significant in terms of this reduction. No significant changes were observed in the control group (P > 0.05). The human C-Reactive Protein (hCRP) levels showed a significant reduction in the continuous group (P = 0.015), and the reductions in Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-α) and Interleukin6 (IL-6) were also greater in this group than in the other two groups. No significant differences were observed between the two exercise groups in their inflammatory markers. Conclusions: Exercise can improve anthropometric variables, body composition and VO₂ peak and reduce some inflammatory markers in breast cancer survivors. Keywords: Training; Inflammatory Markers; Breast Cancer