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Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of non-specific measures of infectious disease prevention, including the use of respiratory protective equipment. Despite the improvement in the epidemiological situation and gradual lifting of public health restrictions, some people keep wearing face masks. Objective: To analyze the use of respiratory protective equipment in accordance with COVID-19 face mask requirements and after the end of the mask mandate among medical students in Moscow. Materials and methods: The questionnaire-based survey was conducted in two stages in March 2021 and in March–April 2022 among 988 and 830 third year students of the Institute of Clinical Medicine, Sechenov University, respectively, to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics, the practice of wearing face masks in public places, and the incentives to use them. The observational study was carried out in March 2022 among 816 Russian and 96 foreign students by counting those wearing face masks in the classrooms. Results: We established that 97.5 % of the respondents used respiratory protective equipment during the period of restrictive public health measures. The main reasons for doing that were a mask mandate due to coronavirus and the necessity of personal contacts with other people. The survey showed that masks were most often used in health facilities, supermarkets, pharmacies, subway, and at the university. During the first two weeks after abolishing mandatory wearing of face masks, 18.3 % of all the respondents continued their use, mainly out of concern for other people’s health, of whom 9.9 % and 89.6 % were Russian and foreign medical students, respectively. The second survey demonstrated that 7.2 % of the Russian medical students kept wearing masks in some settings later on. In case of yet another increase in the COVID-19 incidence, 97.6 % of the respondents intend to use respiratory protective equipment and 74.7 % of them plan to recommend this preventive measure to their relatives. Conclusions: Medical students continue using respiratory protective equipment after the restrictions are lifted, mainly to protect others.

The use of respiratory protection is one of the measures for the non-specific prophylaxis of coronavirus infection. The wearing of masks is mandatory for the entire population in several countries, including Russia. The object of the study is airport workers who are at an increased risk of infection. They are in contact with many passengers arriving from other countries where mass vaccination has not yet been carried out. The study aims to assess the hygienic prevalence of adverse reactions when using face masks, to identify risk factors for their occurrence. A questionnaire survey and an evaluation of the bacterial contamination of the masks after wearing were carried out. Face sweating under the mask (68.60 %) and feeling short of breath (66.94 %) were the most frequent and pronounced reactions to wearing in comparison with other manifestations (p < 0.001). The more often an adverse reaction occurred, the more apparent it was (r = 0.79–0.95). We found a moderate positive relationship between wearing time and the frequency of facial sweating (r = 0.31). Facial skin reactions were more frequent and pronounced among users of a cotton mask compared with users of neoprene and non-woven masks. An association was found between the frequency and severity of skin manifestations and bacterial contamination of the inner mask’s surface after wearing. A moderate positive relationship was found between the colonies number and wearing time for neoprene and cotton masks (r = 0.33 and 0.46, respectively). The number of colonies increases with the duration of wearing. Factors aggravating adverse reactions’ manifestation: problem skin, young age, moderate and hard work. Recommended: keep the skin clean and well hydrated, change the mask every 2 hours, select the face mask size, fix mask on the face so as not to cause chafing and squeezing of the skin.

The article discusses several problems of health and quality of life management, such as motivating people to healthy lifestyle using gamification and monetization methods, the validity of recommendations and their personalization, monitoring results and supporting the use of health-saving programs, correct orientation in the face of a huge amount of unreliable information about methods of improving health from the Internet, etc. The tool for solving these problems is an intelligent digital platform created by the authors, which, based on big data about the human body, its lifestyle and habitat, automatically generates personal recommendations for healthy lifestyle aimed at improving health and quality of life. The complex of scientific and methodological, technological, regulatory, legal, motivational, commercial, and other approaches and solutions developed within the framework of this project is considered. A comparative analysis of several analogues of the platform is carried out.

Use of respiratory protective equipment (RPE) has become the most significant way to prevent the coronavirus infection from its rapid spread. Our research goal was to analyze efficiency of various RPE used by people during COVID-19 pandemic. We made a review focusing on RPE manufactured and tested as per standards existing in different counties; we also analyzed the State Medical Equipment Register of the Federal Service for Surveillance in Public Healthcare as well as a market where respiratory protective equipment available to people was distributed. RPE is quite variable as per such parameters as bacterial filtration efficiency, number of layers and quality of a material it is made of, being fit to a person’s face (masks for children/adults), conditions for use (a time of use, whether a mask can be disinfected and used again, etc.). Data provided for customers when respiratory protective equipment is sold are rather scarce and controversial (people do not understand what a mask name means and how efficiently it protects their respiratory organs). Respiratory protective equipment which is registered within the State Medical Equipment Register of the Federal Service for Surveillance in Public Healthcare accounts for only 24% of the overall equipment sold to consumers. Taking into account variable and multiple properties of different masks, we developed a RPE classification basing on their efficiency when it comes down to protection from respiratory infections. FFP3/KN100/N99/N100 respirators are the most efficient ones. FFP2/KN95/N95/DS/DL2/KF94 respirators have average efficiency. FFP1 respirators and nonwoven medicals masks, II R, II, I type, and woven gauze masks have efficiency that is lower than average (RPE is mentioned in a descending order as per its efficiency). Low and extremely low efficiency was established accordingly for various non-medical masks (nonwoven, woven cotton, and synthetic ones) and face shields. When RPE is manufactured and sold, there are no precise criteria for assessing its protective efficiency. There is either no unified approach to such concepts as «medical» and «non-medical» masks. Most respiratory protective equipment sold on the consumer market in Russia is not registered within the Russian State Medical Equipment Register of the Federal Service for Surveillance in Public Healthcare. Our classification allows working out a unified approach to providing data on respiratory protective equipment for consumers.

Introduction: Self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic is a temporary measure to limit the spread of infection. All citizens arriving from abroad to Russia must comply with the rules of self-isolation. Since April 2, 2020, almost all citizens of the Russian Federation have followed the rules of self-isolation. Also, this month in the Russian capital, Moscow, about 6 million citizens have isolated themselves. In general, in the territory of Russia, the number of citizens on self-isolation reached 100 million. Billions of citizens around the world are staying at home due to the self-isolation regime, so a sanitary assessment must be considered. Self-isolation, characterized by physical inactivity, hypoxia, diet disturbances, lifestyle changes during work / rest, mental stress; this provides an opportunity to identify the presence of public health risk factors and contributes to an increase in the incidence of No Communicable Diseases (NCDs). Purpose of the Study: Carrying out a sanitary-hygienic assessment of COVID-19 self-isolation, determining priority risk factors causing non-infectious diseases, and proposing preventive measures. Objectives: To Identify public health risk factors during self-isolation. To conduct a comprehensive hygienic assessment of self-isolation according to the priority criteria. To develop a pointing system (hygiene index for self-isolation). To propose measures to minimize health risks during self-isolation. Materials and Methods: We used analytical, and systematization approaches. Information from the legal documents of the hygienic-sanitary laws of the Government of the Russian Federation (nutrition hygiene, hygiene of workforce, children, and teenagers). World Health Organization COVID-19 documents. Research Results: We assessed the sanitary-hygienic aspects of self-isolation to identify the leading risk factors on public health, and as a result, we proposed hygienic criteria for self-isolation. We developed a hygienic self-isolation index point score (HSIPS) that considers the Russian law-based requirements for diet, work, rest, and physical activities. Thus, the usage of those hygienic standards is beneficial to prevent public health risks in ordinary and extremely challenging conditions of self-isolation. We proposed measures to minimize risks during self-isolation, and we based them on adequate sanitary-hygienic standards. The main sanitary-hygienic risk factors of self-isolation are: sedentary lifestyle, hypoxia, nutritional deficiencies (malnutrition), and work/rest imbalance. Conclusion: We proposed a sanitary-hygienic definition of self-isolation. We identified leading risk factors for public health of the self-isolated population. We proposed sanitary-hygienic criteria for assessing self-isolation based on the regulations and standards of the Government of the Russian Federation. We developed a hygienic self-isolation index point score (HSIPS), which determines that the optimal mode is directly proportional to the coefficients of a person’s physical activity (D), indoor area (air cubic capacity) per isolated (S), time spent in fresh air (T) and inversely proportional to the calorie intake. We proposed measures to prevent noncommunicable diseases (NCD) for citizens on self-isolation.

The COVID-19 outbreak represents a global public health emergency. National governments have gradually introduced restrictive measures. Using respiratory protective equipment (face masks) and gloves was essential practice without specific infection control measures or guidelines. This study aimed to assess hygiene indicators when using gloves by transport workers in Russia during the COVID-19 pandemic and to develop integral indicators and recommendations for wearing gloves for workers for whom this is a mandatory requirement. For this purpose, 1103 transport workers were surveyed using a questionnaire. We investigated the hygiene aspects of gloves and evaluated the bacterial contamination of the contact side of the gloves based on the wash results. We assessed the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, the duration of the work shift, the frequency of use of types of gloves, skin manifestations, the degree of comfort, and bacterial growth. We carried out the ranking according to comfort, the absence of adverse dermatological reactions when wearing gloves, and bacterial contamination of the inner surface of the gloves. It has been identified that it is necessary to use a comprehensive assessment of gloves to create a register of protective equipment, taking into account the frequency with which it was worn, the severity of the skin condition, comfort, and bacterial contamination.

Due to the conditions that cause the spread of COVID-19, national health systems worldwide are under severe strain. Most countries face similar difficulties such as a lack of medical personnel and equipment and tools for diagnosis and treatment, overrun hospitals, and forced restriction of planned medical care. Public authorities in healthcare take the following measures due to increased pressure: limiting the transmission and spread of the virus (social distancing and quarantine), mobilizing medical personnel, ensuring the availability of diagnostic and treatment tools, and providing a sufficient number of premises, which are not always suitable for the provision of medical care (buildings and structures). To date, the stages of management decision-making to counter coronavirus infection and the risk of COVID-19 transmission at various facilities have not been analyzed. The authors propose a methodology for assessing the COVID-19 transmission risk at various social and transport facilities. A survey of 1325 respondents from Moscow demonstrated the most significant risk factors, such as visitation avoidance, infection risk, and facemask wearing. Risk categories were determined and objects classified according to high, medium, and low-risk levels.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern, and as a response, public health authorities started enforcing preventive measures like self-isolation and social distancing. The enforcement of isolation has consequences that may affect the lifestyle-related behavior of the general population. Quarantine encompasses a range of strategies that can be used to detain, isolate, or conditionally release individuals or populations infected or exposed to contagious diseases and should be tailored to circumstances. Interestingly, medical students may represent an example of how the COVID-19 pandemic can form new habits and change lifestyle behaviors. We conducted a web-based survey to assess changes in lifestyle-related behavior of self-isolated medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then we analyzed the sanitary-hygienic regulations of the Russian Federation to determine the requirements for healthy buildings. Results showed that during the pandemic, the enforcement of isolation affects medical students’ lifestyle-related behavior and accompanies an increase in non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and healthy buildings are cutting-edge factors in preventing COVID-19 and NCDs. The Russian sanitary-hygienic regulations support improving this factor with suitable requirements for ventilation, sewage, waste management, and disinfection. Herein, assessing isolation is possible through the hygienic self-isolation index.

The use of face masks has assumed a leading spot among nonspecific prevention measures during the coronavirus pandemic. The effectiveness of this protective measure depends on the specifics of individual use. The purpose of our study was to analyze the use of respiratory protective equipment (RPE) by medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The evaluation of face mask use was based on the results of a survey of medical students at Sechenov University. There were 988 participants in the study: 97.5% used RPE during the pandemic, 89.1% used disposable medical and hygienic face masks, 27.4% used reusable cloth face masks, and 13.2% used respirators. The majority of respondents (75.2%) were found to wear face masks correctly. However, 17.0% of the respondents were found to cover only their mouths with a face mask, while 7.8% reported often shifting their face mask under the chin due to perceived discomfort. Only 25.1% of respondents changed their disposable face mask after 2–3 h of wearing, while 13.0% decontaminated and used it several times. Most cloth face mask users (93.7%) decontaminated their marks, but only 55.7% of respondents did so daily. Face masks were most often worn in medical organizations (91.5%), and 1.4% of respondents did not use respiratory protection anywhere. In conclusion, we consider it necessary to introduce a special module on nonspecific prevention in the discipline of hygiene.

Self-isolation is a preventive measure that started in January 2020 as a response to the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 infection, and it has no precedents in human history. During this pandemic, governments forced billions of people to self-isolate for several months, and the sanitary-hygienic assessment of self-isolation became an essential issue. It is possible to assess self-isolation using several methods: We proposed a sanitary-hygienic definition of self-isolation. We developed a hygienic self-isolation index point score (HSIPS) which determines that the optimal mode is directly proportional to the coefficients of a person’s physical activity (D), indoor area (air cubic capacity) per isolated (S), time spent in fresh air (T) and inversely proportional to the calorie intake. The self-isolation index point score (HSIPS) determines if self-isolation is (1) optimal, (2) favorable, or (3) unfavorable. We determined methods to assess the level of functional reserves of the body. We identified the leading risk factors for the health of the self-isolation population. We proposed sanitary-hygienic criteria for assessing self-isolation based on the sanitary-hygienic standards of the Russian Federation. The sanitary-hygienic assessment of self-isolation can ensure the prevention of cardiovascular, alimentary-dependent diseases, and pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. Besides, self-isolation accompanies a decrease in motor activity and unbalanced nutrition.

The coronavirus pandemic has posed a serious challenge to humanity. Most countries are entering a second wave of increased incidence. Currently, it is necessary to pay close attention to the measures of non-specific prevention of infection among the population, which include, first of all, the use of face masks. The aim of our study was to assess the understanding of the importance of using face masks by students of the Sechenov Medical University. The survey was used. 228 students participated in the survey. Three quarters of those surveyed consider wearing masks to be an adequate measure to combat Covid-2019. All respondents wear a mask inside the university. It is a mandatory requirement for all students and teaching staff. The majority of those surveyed believe that disposable medical masks protect from saliva and mucous secretions of carriers and covid-patients. Two of third of students know the rules and duration of the use of disposable masks. Breathing and vision difficulties were indicated as the main reasons for refusing to use of masks. The most popular type of masks were disposable medical masks. Skin reactions due to masks wearing were noted by 65% ​​of students. The most common manifestations were redness, dryness and itching of the skin. Despite of these symptoms, the majority of respondents continued to wear masks. Conclusions. Medical students believe that wearing face masks during a pandemic is an adequate protective measure against Covid-2019. Their knowledge allows to properly select and use of personal protective equipment. Most of the respondents have civic responsibility and understand the importance of masks using not so much for personal protection as for protecting others and can actively promote their use among the population.

Novel coronavirus (SARS-COV-2) was identified in December 2019 in the People's Republic of China, and it started emerging as an international healthcare emergency. COVID-19 pandemic might represent the tip of the iceberg and is the responsibility of all public healthcare authorities and experts to develop an adequate response using the right protocols and instruments to ensure public safety. To ensure safety and to improve public health, we developed a risk assessment criteria (RAC) that combine all the necessary preventive elements (sanitary, hygienic, and organizational). RAC is a reliable assessment method based on the following sanitary-hygienic criteria: distance from the infectious source, contact time, and the magnitude of the contact hazard. Furthermore, we suggested an occupational classification system according to the coronavirus COVID-19 infectious risk (high risk, medium risk, and low risk). To reduce the spread of coronavirus infections, we also proposed the use of the following sanitary-hygienic principles: time protection (the shorter the time of contact with potential carriers of a mild form of a disease, the lower the infectious risk), distance protection (compliance with social distancing), and impact scale protection (the fewer the contacts with possible asymptomatic carriers, the lower the infectious risk). To minimize the spread of mass epidemics and infectious diseases, we believe that it is essential to implement a preventive action plan (PAP) that includes the following measures: reconsidering architectural standards; designing and building modular hospitals and modular equipment; mandatory self-isolation; and preparing a professional workforce. This action plan can be used to improve the readiness of public health authorities on countering biological threats in the short, medium, and long terms.

Coronavirus infection (COVID-19) spreading took place in the Russian Federation in recent 10 months. Russia has a reliable and effective governmental public health infrastructure that worked at an advanced level to control the situation since the first day of receiving reports about pneumonia ofunknown etiology cases in December 2019 and the registration of the first COVID-19 cases in Wuhan, China, in January 2020. Several measures were applied (administrative, organizational, technical, sanitary, and hygiene), nevertheless, creating an adequate response to the COVID-19 pandemic was 15 a challenge for the Russian national public health authorities.We used official information of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor), the Russian Federation Government, and Moscow Government, and the official World Health Organization (WHO);the analysis was conducted between 1 December 2019 and 31 March 2020.Rospotrebnadzor implemented a set of measures which comprised of three stages: 1. Stage 1 Preventive and sanitary measures; 2. Stage 2 Organizational and technical measures; 3. Stage 3 Organizational and preventive measures.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern, and this emergency led to postponing elective dental care procedures. The postponing aimed to protect the public from an unknown risk caused by COVID-19. At the beginning of the outbreak, for public health authorities, the aerosol-generating procedures and the close proximity between dental care workers and patients in dentistry represented sufficient justification for the delay of dental visits. Dental care is a priority, and for many years, studies have proven that the lack and delay of dental care can cause severe consequences for the oral health of the general population, which can cause a high global burden of oral diseases. Safety is necessary while resuming dental activities, and risk assessment is an efficient method for understanding and preventing the COVID-19 infectious threats facing the dental industry and affecting dental care workers and patients. In this study, for safe dental care delivery, we adapted risk assessment criteria and an approach and an occupational classification system. Based on those tools, we also recommend measures that can help to minimize infectious risk in dental settings.