Abstract
This review study aims at discussing the linkage between COVID-19 and biomedical waste management. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has already turned healthy places around the world into a living hell with massive death tolls because of its fastest-spreading nature, and continuously leading to lockdowns in almost every part of the world. Amid all the problems so far it created, one significant problem that can create major havoc in this already devastating and contagious atmosphere in a densely populated city is, not handling medical waste properly. It was a systemic review study regarding the relationship between COVID-19 and biomedical waste management. We have gathered total 26 articles and newsletters related to COVID-19 and biomedical waste management using different search portal like PubMed, Google Scholar, Nature, and Lancet. After proper literature review only 12 articles and newsletters which were related to this study were taken for this systemic review purpose. If the massive amount of medical wastages cannot be managed through maintaining proper and adequate guidelines, chances of community-based spreading of COVID-19 can exceed the limit and take more lives in the upcoming days.
Keywords: Biomedical waste management, Pandemic COVID-19.
References
- Amid COVID-19, biomedical waste turning more hazardous: The Financial Express: access on: 25/03/2020: Available at: https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/health/amid-covid-19-biomedical-waste-turning-more-hazardous-1586504008.
- Waste management an essential public service in the fight to beat COVID-19:United Nation Environment Programee: access on: 29/03/2020: Available at: https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/press-release/waste-management-essential-public-service-fight-beat-covid-19
- Impacts of COVID-19 on solid waste management: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment: access on: 04/05/2020 Available at: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/impacts-covid-19-solid-waste-management
- Can Bangladesh cope with covid-19 medical waste: The Daily Star: access on: 04/05/2020 Available at: https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/news/can-bangladesh-cope-covid-19-medical-waste-1897327
- Untreated medical waste: A serious threat to public health: The Daily Star: access on: 28/10/2019 Available at: https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/untreated-medical-waste-serious-threat-public-health-1819624
- Disposal of medical waste remains a big concern: The Daily Star: access on: 30/10/2019
- The COVID-19 pandemic is generating tons of medical waste: The Verge: access on: 01/05/2020 Available at: https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/26/21194647/the-covid-19-pandemic-is-generating-tons-of-medical-waste
- Covid-19: A Letter Concerning Hazardous Waste Management: International Solid Waste Association: access on: 02/05/2020 Available at: https://www.iswa.org/home/news/news-detail/article/covid-19-and-hazardous-waste-management/109/
- Water, sanitation, hygiene, and waste management for the COVID-19 virus: WHO and UNICEF: access on: 29/04/2020: Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/331846/WHO-2019-nCoV-IPC_WASH-2020.3-eng.pdf
- Waste management in the context of the coronavirus crisis: European Commission. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/waste_management_guidance_dg-env.pdf
- Coronavirus Impacts Hit Solid Waste Managers, Generators: Waste 360: access on: 10/05/2020 Available at: https://www.waste360.com/medical-waste/coronavirus-impacts-hit-solid-waste-managers-generators
- Guidelines issued for handling of waste generated during COVID-19 patient's treatment: The Economic Times: access on: 11/05/2020 Available at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/guidelines-issued-for-handling-of-waste-generated-during-covid-19-patients-treatment/articleshow/75264399.cms?from=mdr.
Corresponding Author
Dr Irin Hossain
National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM), Dhaka, Bangladesh
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v8i5.88
