COVID-19 Pandemic and Quality of Life among Romanian Athletes

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Eating Disorders: A Wake-Up Call for the Future of Eating Disorders Among Adolescents and Young Adults

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a chronic hemolytic disease with multisystem involvement leading to significant morbidities and mortalities. SCD confers a significant burden on patients (pts), including a high impact on quality of life (QoL). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pts with SCD has not been well characterized. Aims: The Real World Assessment Survey for Sickle Cell Disease in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) (ROARS) is a cross-sectional survey of pts with SCD and treating healthcare professionals (HCPs), which was designed to understand several aspects of the burden of SCD in KSA. In this study, we examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on SCD pts based on findings from ROARS. Methods: Between September and December 2021, pts with SCD (age: 5-65 years) and HCPs (>2 years SCD experience, SCD load >50 pts, >50% of clinical practice time spent treating SCD pts) were surveyed (in person or via caregiver if pts were between 5-14 years of age) using the structured, bilingual ROARS questionnaires (English/Arabic) through personal quantitative web-assisted telephone interviews. ROARS was developed by SCD experts from KSA and Novartis, and includes the global health domain of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS), a validated tool for assessing QoL among SCD pts and caregivers of different age ranges. Questions covered topics such as disease impact on QoL, symptoms, disease complications, treatment goals, treatment strategies, and COVID-19. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the results. Results: A total of 1011 pts (pediatric: n=504; adult: n=507) and 64 HCPs (hematologists: n=31; non-hematologists: n=33) completed the survey. Data were collected from 11 cities, with 90% of respondents from Eastern and South-Western provinces of KSA where the SCD prevalence is highest. The top 5 complications reported by both pediatric and adult pts were fever (52%), joint issues (49%), swollen and/or painful fingers/toes (47%), infections (37%), and tight chest pain (35%). A high proportion of pts (80%) felt that the pandemic had an impact on their medical care (Figure) (adults: 85%;[PM(1] pediatric: 76%). The impact of COVID-19 on medical care was particularly evident in pts treated with hydroxyurea compared to untreated pts (adults: 91% and 79%; pediatric: 84% and 74%). When survey results were stratified by the number of vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs), 85% of adult pts reported an impact of the pandemic on their medical care, regardless of the VOC frequency (<5 or ≥5); among pediatric pts, 72% with ≥5 VOCs and 83% with <5 VOCs reported an impact. Mental/emotional impact of the pandemic was reported by 66% of pts (adults: 68%; pediatric: 64%). The majority of pts missed or cancelled their appointments due to COVID-19 (adults: 81%; pediatric: 74%). Overall, 39% of the pts reported the impact of the pandemic as severe (Figure). From the HCPs’ perspective, 86% felt that COVID-19 affected their medical service, and 78% thought it affected their pts’ mental/emotional well-being. Overall, 16% of HCPs thought the pandemic significantly impacted their pts. Image:Summary/Conclusion: The ROARS survey among Saudi pts with SCD found that the majority of pts, especially adults, felt the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on their medical care and emotional well-being. The impact of COVID-19 was also reflected in a decline in pt care, as reported by HCPs. In future, it would be interesting to understand the impact of the pandemic on vaccinated vs unvaccinated SCD pts.

Objectives: Changes in academic conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic are potential stressors for medical students and can make them vulnerable for the development of psychiatric disorders.Previous pandemics had a negative impairment on well-being due to social isolation and the perceived threat, an increase in fear, anger and frustration and an increase in post-traumatic stress disorder among health professionals. Therefore, this study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical students’ mental health and possible psychological consequences. Methods: In this anonymous online survey (online 12/01/2021-03/31/2022), we examined the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health of 561 German medical students aged between 18 und 45 years. Perceived anxiety and burden were assessed retrospectively from spring 2020 to autumn 2021. Changes in symptoms of anxiety and depression were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), quality of life was assessed using the WHO Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL BREF). Results: Anxiety and burden showed wavelike courses with higher scores in autumn, winter and spring. The scores for depression and anxiety increased after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the time before (p<.001). Results of a multifactorial ANOVA showed, that previous psychiatric illness (p<.001), being in the first two years of studies (p=.006), higher burden (p=.013) and greater differences in symptoms of depression (p<.001) were associated with a decreased quality of life in medical students. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has a negative impact on mental health of medical students and their actual quality of life. Therefore, medical faculties should establish specific support to prevent the development of psychiatric sequelae probably resulting in long-term medical leaves.

Citation:Li Y, Qin Q, Sun Q, Sanford LD, Vgontzas AN, Tang X. Insomnia and psychological reactions during the COVID-19 outbreak in China. J Clin Sleep Med. 2020;16(8):1417–1418.

BackgroundIn previous pan-/epidemics such as the SARS epidemic of 2002/2003, negative effects on the wellbeing and an increase in symptoms of depression and anxiety were observed in doctors due to social isolation and the threat they experienced. Therefore, it is feared that the COVID-19 pandemic will also have a negative impact on the mental health and quality of life of doctors.ObjectiveThe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of physicians. In particular, on the subjective anxiety and burden, depression and quality of life for the total sample and subsamples (work in COVID-19 units vs. no work in COVID-19 units).Materials and methodsIn an online survey, 107 physicians (23–42 years) were asked about their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to socio-demographic data, pandemic- and work-related data were also included. For example, infection control measures, deployment on COVID-19 wards and the subjective perceived threat posed by the pandemic. The physicians were asked to rate their perceived anxiety and stress, retrospectively, at 7 different points in time during the pandemic. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to retrospectively assess symptoms of anxiety and depression before and after the onset of the pandemic. The quality of life of the participants after 2 years of the pandemic was assessed using the WHO Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF).ResultsBoth subjective anxiety and burden showed wave-like patterns with higher scores in autumn, winter and spring. We observed significant differences between the seven measurement time points for anxiety [Chi2(6) = 197.05, p < 0.001] as well as for burden [Chi2(6) = 106.33, p < 0.001]. Symptoms of depression and anxiety increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic (M = 14.16, SD = 7.83) compared to the pre-pandemic time [M = 7.31, SD = 5.14, t(106) = −10.67, p < 0.001]. Physicians who worked at COVID-19 units showed higher scores in quality of life related to social relationships (M = 70.39, SD = 17.69) than physicians not working at COVID-19 units [M = 61.44, SD = 24.55, t(90.14) = −2.145, p = 0.035]. The multi-factorial ANOVA showed that previous psychiatric illness (p < 0.001), greater difference in depression scores (p = 0.014), higher anxiety scores (p = 0.048) and less work experience (p = 0.032) led to lower quality of life.ConclusionHospitals should offer specific support, such as supervision, to prevent the development of longer-term psychiatric sequelae likely to lead to sick leave and high costs for the healthcare system.Trial registrationThe study has been registered at the German Clinical Trials Registry (DRKS-ID: DRKS00028984).

COVID-19 pandemic had an important impact in mental health across all countries and populations. However, health care professionals, particularly those in the front line have been subjected to increased levels of stress, workload, deterioration of work environment and working conditions while potentially being afraid of contracting the infection themselves or infecting love ones due to the higher risk of contagion when dealing with infected patients. Some studies have stressed out this impact showing increased levels of burnout, depression, hopelessness, stress and post-traumatic stress in all physicians however, the impact of the pandemic may have been different depending on the specialty. We intended to study the impact of COVID-19 pandemic for doctors working at general hospitals and liaison psychiatrists dealing with COVID-19 patients in Europe. We developed and applied online questionnaires to physicians working at general hospitals and psychiatrists working at liaison services, in different European countries (Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Greece, Poland, Croatia), in order to determine what were their working conditions and it they reported mental health symptoms during the pandemic. This questionnaire included demographic data, questions about working conditions when dealing with general and COVID patients and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS). It was distributed thought email and social media platforms used by doctors. This work has been approved by each local Ethics committee and all participants signed an informed consent.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Developments in paediatric cancer care throughout the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons from China

Background/Aim. Due to the dire situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, medical students from all over the world have been involved in the fight against the new virus. We aimed to study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the medical students’ quality of life in the context of altruistic behavior.Methods. In total, 437 medical students from Astana Medical University and Kazakh-Russian Medical University participated in a cross-sectional study. Altruistic behavior was assessed to what extent the participants showed certain acts of altruism. To evaluate the immediate psychological impact of COVID-19, we conducted an online survey, using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, Personal Well-being Index (PWI), and Academic Motivation Scale. Results. Female students showed a lower level of PWI and a higher level of Fear of COVID-19. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress was 14.4%, 18.1%, and 6.6%, respectively, and was correlated with Fear of COVID-19. Students with confirmed COVID-19, students with family members or friends with confirmed COVID-19, and students who lived with high-risk people had a high risk for low personal and psychological well-being. Altruistic behavior during the COVID-19 was associated with high PWI. Volunteering and providing medical care students demonstrated a higher level of personal and psychological well-being, and satisfaction with the profession. But, working in provisional hospitals was associated with symptoms of stress.Conclusion. Despite the negative impact of the COVID-19, altruistic behavior had a positive impact on medical students ‘quality of life.Keywords: altruistic behavior, medical students, COVID-19, psychological well-being, quality of life.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has a profound impact on all aspects of the lives of societies in the world. Quality of life is a measure that can express a person’s well-being in a pandemic situation. There is very less information about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the quality of life. Thus, the objective is to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on quality of life among the employed population and to study the change in lifestyle related factors contributing to quality of life. Methodology: Cross sectional web-based study was conducted from December 2020 - May 2021 among ≥18 years of study participants. Convenient sampling method was used. Data analysis was done using Epi info software 7.2.2 version. Results: A total 252 study participants completed the study. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic was severe on physical domain 114(43.51%) and on psychological domain 20(7.63%). Overall impact of COVID-19 pandemic on quality of life was moderate 136(51.91%). 234(89.31%) participants responded that there was excellent change in lifestyle related practices. Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic had overall moderate impact on quality of life in our study subjects, along with excellent change in lifestyle related practices. These findings would need to be verified in larger population.

IntroductionHealthcare professionals, due to the nature of their work, have always experienced occupational stress, depression and low quality of life, which have been aggravated during the COVID-19 pandemic.AimA large-scale cross-sectional descriptive correlational study aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Greek healthcare professionals’ psychological status and quality of life.Material and MethodsThe study was conducted at “Attikon” General University Hospital and the 2nd Health Region in Athens, Greece. An assessment of anxiety and depression was carried out using the Zung’s Self-Rating Anxiety and Depression Scale (SAS/SDS). To assess the participants’ Quality of Life (QoL) the Short Form Survey-36 (SF-36) was used.Results147 healthcare professionals were enrolled in the study. 70.7% experienced normal stress levels, 23.8% mild, 4.8% moderate and 0.7% severe. Mild depression was experienced by 34.7%, moderate by 10.2% and severe by 1.4%, with a 53.7% showing no depressive symptoms. Women experienced higher levels of anxiety and depression (p=0.001 & 0.001 respectively), and were 5.4 times more at risk to develop anxiety [Odds Ratio (OR) 5.357, 95% Confidence Interval (CI), 1.95-14.72: p=0.001] and 3.4 depression (OR, 3.365, 95% CI, 1.59- 7.12: p=0.002). Nurses and other professionals experienced higher stress and depression levels (p=0.004 & 0.040 respectively) than doctors. Participants reporting more exhaustion exhibited higher anxiety and depression levels (p=0.001). Compared to the pre-COVID-19 era, women (p=0.001), other health professionals (p=0.001) and those experiencing more physical burnout during COVID-19 (p=0.005) reported worse physical health. Anxiety and depression were negatively correlated with most sub scales of SF-36 except social functioning and bodily pain (p=0.001).ConclusionsHealthcare professionals’ QoL has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and they experience higher levels of anxiety and depression. There is a need to develop strategies to address the negative psychological impact of this pandemic on healthcare professionals.

Background &amp; Objective: Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most common primary headache. TTH worsens quality of life and is related to various psychosocial factors. We aimed to examine the severity of headache (intensity, frequency, and duration), analgesic use, quality of life (QoL), and the impact of COVID pandemic-induced stress in TTH patients. Methods: TTH cases seen at neurology outpatient clinics in 15 centers in Turkey were included in the study. A questionnaire incorporating sociodemographic and medical information, headache features, sleep quality, general quality of life, and impact of the pandemic event was administered to the subjects. Results: A total of 975 TTH patients were evaluated. Headache severity was higher in women as well as in patients with a history of COVID-19 contact. Women, those with chronic diseases, and cases with a COVID-19 contact history had worse perceptions of quality of life and were affected to a greater extent by the pandemic. The factors affecting the impact of the pandemic were female gender and difficulty in access to health services for headache. Co-existing chronic diseases and lost productive time due to headaches were negative determinants for both QoL and the impact of the pandemic. Conclusion: Our results show that the COVID pandemic severely worsened the headache burden, quality of life and mental health of TTH patients. These findings can guide us in the clinical approach to TTH cases.

As a result of COVID-19 lockdowns and the associated effects on the auditory-social environments of cochlear-implant (CI) users, we expected that adult CI users would report a decrease in real-world communication abilities, a decrease in social isolation, and a decrease in quality of life (QOL) from pre- to post-pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic brought many changes to the environments in which adults with CIs interact and communicate. However, the impact of these changes on CI users' real-world functioning is not well understood. This study investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on real-world communication abilities, social isolation, and CI-related QOL in adult CI users. Fourteen adult CI users completed self-report questionnaires assessing communication abilities, social isolation, and CI-related QOL at time points before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Responses at the 2 time points were compared to evaluate changes in CI users' real-world functioning. Adult CI users showed a significant decrease in self-reported communication ability and a nonsignificant decline in CI-related QOL from before to during COVID-19. However, a nonsignificant trend of a decline in social isolation was also observed in adult CI users. Findings showed a decrease in self-reported communication abilities and, to a lesser extent, CI-related QOL, suggesting that changes to the auditory-social environment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic may have negatively impacted communication abilities in real-world, challenging environments. Yet, the potential decrease in social isolation suggests that these changes may have had an overall positive effect on social interaction, potentially with close family and friends in well-controlled environments. Assessing changes in real-world functioning in the same CI users from both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique glimpse into how changes in the auditory-social environment may impact outcomes in adult CI users.

Nearly 20 years after the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic, we are facing another COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the aim of our study was to analyse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism behaviour of international students in Poland. We paid attention to the overall impact of the pandemic on life, travel, choice of tourist destination, tourism activity, ecotourism preference, and health and safety issues. We formulated two research questions: What areas of international student tourism behaviour were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic? What differences in travel behaviour occurred between international students from Europe and Asia? Participants were recruited from universities located in Warsaw between June and September 2020. A total of 806 questionnaires were collected, 87 of which were eliminated due to non-response. The research sample consisted of 719 people. Six factors were identified in the survey results: tourism inclination, impact on tourist destination, hygiene and accommodation, impact on life, impact on tourism, and mode of tourism. Impact on life and impact on tourism were attributed to the general impact dimension; tourism inclination and mode of tourism can be summarized as attitude and preference. Food and accommodation were assigned to hygiene and safety dimensions. In almost all aspects, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s lives was greater for Asian respondents. Asian respondents were more likely to say that they would avoid COVID-19-affected areas when choosing tourist destinations in the future, and avoid travelling to crowded large cities after COVID-19 ended. European survey participants’ responses were more moderate.

Сфера туризма сталкивается с беспрецедентной проблемой коронавирусной болезни 2019 года (Covid-19), вызванной тяжелым острым респираторным синдромом коронавируса 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Целью данной статьи является анализ влияние пандемии Covid-2019 на состояние и развитие сферы туризма. Было проанализировано влияние пандемий на развитие туризма, рассмотрено влияние пандемии Covid-2019 на состояние и развитие сферы туризма – турпотока, поступления от международного туризма. Был проанализировано видение развития туризма и сопряженных с ними отраслей, цепочки создания добавленной стоимости в условиях пандемии в некоторых странах на начало мая 2020 года. Выявлены основные подходы к ограничительным мерам. Представлены возможные прогнозы развития сферы туризма после пандемии Covid-2019. Проанализированы государственные меры по поддержанию экономики в целом и в частности сферы туризма.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on environmental awareness, sustainable consumption and social responsibility: Evidence from generations in Brazil and Portugal