Background This study aimed to determine the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on emergency department (ED) visits and emergency consultations according to the triage levels indicating the patients' urgency. Methods A cross-sectional retrospective study was performed in the ED of a tertiary training and research hospital between 1 April and 31 May 2020 in İstanbul, Turkey. The daily count of emergency visits and the count of the emergency consultations during the study period were recorded. The emergency visits and consultations in the same months of the previous year (1 April-31 May 2019) were included as a control group. Results Approximately 50% reduction in ED visits and a 30% reduction in emergency consultations were detected. A significant decrease was detected in all triage levels of visits and emergency consultations (p less then 0.001). Within total ED visits, a significant increase was found in the red (4.32% vs. 4.74%) and yellow (21.66% vs. 33.16%) triage levels visit rates, while the green (74.01% vs. 62.1%) level was decreased. Within total emergency consultations, anesthesiology (0.83% vs. 1.56%) and cardiology (3.17% vs. 3.75%) consultation rates increased, neurology (2.22% vs. 1.15%), orthopedics (3.53% vs. 3.01%), and ophthalmology (2.89% vs. 1.57%) consultation rates decreased, internal medicine (2.45% vs. learn more 2.49%), and general surgery (4.46% vs. 4.64%) consultation rates did not change. Conclusions During the COVID-19 pandemic, ED visits at all triage levels decreased. While the rate of critical patient visits increased, non-emergency patient visit rates decreased. The total count of consultations decreased, while the total consultation rates increased. The management of the COVID-19 pandemic will be easier by using or developing appropriate triage scores, as well as establishing good interdisciplinary coordination.Problem-based learning (PBL) emphasizes learning behavior that leads to critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and collaborative skills in preparing students for a professional medical career. However, learning behavior that develops these skills has not been systematically described. This review aimed to unearth the elements of effective learning behavior in a PBL context, using the protocol by Arksey and O'Malley. The protocol identified the research question, selected relevant studies, charted and collected data, and collated, summarized, and reported results. We discovered three categories of elements-intrinsic empowerment, entrustment, and functional skills-proven effective in the achievement of learning outcomes in PBL.The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic increased the burden on many healthcare systems and in the process, exposed the need for medical resources and physical space. While few studies discussed the efficient utilization of medical resources and physical space so far. Therefore, this study aimed to summarize experiences related to facilities used for centralized isolation for medical observation and treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic in China and to provide suggestions to further improve the management of confirmed cases, suspected cases, and close contacts. In China, three types of facilities for centralized isolation (Fangcang shelter hospitals, refitted non-designated hospitals, and quarantine hotels) underwent retrofitting for the treatment and isolation of confirmed and suspected cases. These facilities mitigated the immediate high demand for space. Moreover, in order to minimize infection risks in these facilities, regulators and governmental agencies implemented new designs, management measures, and precautionary measures to minimize infection risk. Other countries and regions could refer to China's experience in optimally allocating social resources in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a conclusion, government should allocate social resources and construct centralized isolation and quarantine facilities for an emergency response, health authorities should issue regulations for centralized isolation facilities and pay strict attention to the daily management of these facilities, a multidisciplinary administration team is required to support the daily operation of a centralized isolation facility, in-depth studies and international collaboration on the centralized isolation policy are encouraged.The recent outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and concerns about several other pandemics in the 21st century have attracted extensive global attention. These emerging infectious diseases threaten global public health and raise urgent studies on unraveling the underlying mechanisms of their transmission from animals to humans. Although numerous works have intensively discussed the cross-species and endemic barriers to the occurrence and spread of emerging infectious diseases, both types of barriers play synergistic roles in wildlife habitats. Thus far, there is still a lack of a complete understanding of viral diffusion, migration, and transmission in ecosystems from a macro perspective. In this review, we conceptualize the ecological barrier that represents the combined effects of cross-species and endemic barriers for either the natural or intermediate hosts of viruses. We comprehensively discuss the key influential factors affecting the ecological barrier against viral transmission from virus hosts in their natural habitats into human society, including transmission routes, contact probability, contact frequency, and viral characteristics. Considering the significant impacts of human activities and global industrialization on the strength of the ecological barrier, ecological barrier deterioration driven by human activities is critically analyzed for potential mechanisms. Global climate change can trigger and expand the range of emerging infectious diseases, and human disturbances promote higher contact frequency and greater transmission possibility. In addition, globalization drives more transmission routes and produces new high-risk regions in city areas. This review aims to provide a new concept for and comprehensive evidence of the ecological barrier blocking the transmission and spread of emerging infectious diseases. It also offers new insights into potential strategies to protect the ecological barrier and reduce the wide-ranging risks of emerging infectious diseases to public health.