Educator Retention in Context: Understanding Patterns in Principal Turnover in Texas and Washington State During the COVID-19 Era

Assessing access to obstetrical care via telehealth in the era of COVID-19

To assess compliance with the international and national guidelines for new normal ophthalmic practice patterns during the pandemic and post-pandemic COVID-19 era. An online questionnaire tool was used for this longitudinal observation study. It was conducted in two phases among practicing ophthalmologists in southern India. The first phase of the study, with 31 survey questions, was conducted in December 2020, and the second phase of the study, with four questions, was conducted in December 2023. Data was analysed using SPSS software, and qualitative variables were presented as numbers and percentages.: A total of 186 ophthalmologists responded to the mail with a response rate of 47%. 37% were young ophthalmologists in the age group of 30–40 years, and 78% were operating surgeons. During the pandemic era, 72% of ophthalmologists followed triage at the hospital front desk, and 34.5% followed teleophthalmology, whereas in the post-pandemic era, only 8% of them followed the triage system. Personal protective equipment was utilised efficiently by all the participants during the pandemic era, whereas in the post-pandemic era, Likert scale showed that 62% of them completely stopped wearing face masks. 86% of them followed proper instrument cleaning methodology in the outpatient department, which declined to 5% in the post-pandemic era. Triage, teleophthalmology, usage of a face mask, proper instrument sterilisation, and surgical precautions were some of the simple new normal practice patterns that can be followed in the post-pandemic period to prevent COVID and other deadly infections by health care professionals.Healthcare practitioners can prevent themselves from acquiring COVID-19 and other deadly infections such as disease 'X' in the post-pandemic period by implementing basic new normal practice patterns such as triage, teleophthalmology, face mask usage, adequate equipment sterilisation, and adhering strictly to surgical precautions protocols.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to estimate the relationship between principal quality and turnover. Principals can have potentially large effects on student outcomes. When school leaders leave their roles, they cause disruptive effects to the school’s climate. If effective principals are more likely to leave, the negative effects of principal turnover are likely exacerbated. Relatively little, however, is known about the quality of principals who leave the principalship. Research design: We use teachers’ perceptions of their principals as a measure of principal quality to understand the quality of principals who leave schools. We address this research question in New York City public schools from 2013 to 2016, and then replicate it at the national level using the Schools and Staffing Survey data from 2008 to 2012. To understand how principal quality relates to principal turnover, we run linear probability regressions of principal exits on (teacher-assessed) principal quality, controlling for a set of teacher, principal, school, district/state, and time characteristics. Findings: We find that higher quality principals are less likely to leave their schools. This finding persists across school contexts and time, lending robustness to our results. Conclusions: Findings suggest that inasmuch as principal turnover is a concern, it is not driven by higher quality principals. Districts should therefore focus on recruiting more higher quality principals as opposed to focusing on reducing overall principal turnover. Moving forward, research should focus on differential attrition patterns so that efforts to retain principals can be better targeted.

Objectives: This research aimed to compare the incidence and severity of acute appendicitis (AA) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: Two southern Saudi Arabian high-volume hospitals hosted this retrospective investigation. The COVID pandemic period (March–June 2020) and the pre-COVID period were identified (March–June 2019). The frequency, clinical manifestation, and severity of AA were compared for patients who underwent appendectomies during these periods. Results: In the study hospitals, total admissions decreased by 52.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 51.1%–53.3%) from 6231 patients during the pre-COVID period to 3261 patients during the COVID period. In the 2019 study period, 107 cases of AA were surgically treated, compared to 61 cases in 2020. The observed reduction rate was 57.1% (95% CI: 47.5%–66.8%). During the COVID period, the duration from the onset of symptoms to hospital admission and hospital admission to surgery was significantly shorter for patients. There were no significant differences between the COVID and pre-COVID periods in terms of the clinical picture or severity of AA. Conclusions: During the COVID era, there was a significant decrease in the number of AA patients hospitalized, which may indicate the efficacy of home treatment for mild cases. The successful measures taken by the Saudi Arabian government during the curfew, along with the optimal utilization of resources and logistics, resulted in the early presentation and management of AA, yielding results comparable to the pre-COVID era.

Research studies strongly support the fact that the leadership of the school principal impacts directly on the climate of the school and, in turn, on student achievement. National statistics relating to principal turnover and dwindling supplies of qualified replacements show clearly that principal turnover has reached crisis proportions. Increasing demands upon the work life of the principal, low salary levels, time constraints, lack of parent and community support and lack of respect are among the reasons that principals are leaving the position. It is essential that the principal's job description be reexamined and new strategies implemented in order to allow the principal to focus on teaching and learning. Specific recommendations for improving the current problem of principal turnover in schools are presented.

Background The identification of SARS-CoV-2 in December 2019 and its subsequent designation as the causative agent of COVID-19 marked the beginning of an unprecedented global health crisis. As the virus spread rapidly across continents, its impact on various demographic groups, including children, became a subject of intense research. While children were initially thought to be less susceptible to severe COVID-19 illness compared to adults, concerns emerged regarding their vulnerability to other respiratory infections amidst the pandemic. Understanding the epidemiological trends of pediatric respiratory tract infections (RTIs) during the COVID-19 era is crucial for informing public health strategies and clinical management protocols. This study aimed to compare the prevalence and characteristics of pediatric RTIs before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon. Methodology A retrospective, observational study was conducted by reviewing medical records of children admitted to three tertiary care hospitals in Lebanon: Sheikh Ragheb Harb University Hospital, Al Sahel General University Hospital, and Rafik Al-Hariri University Hospital. Data were collected from October 2018 to March 2021, encompassing both the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 eras. A standardized data collection sheet was utilized to gather information on demographic characteristics, clinical presentations, duration of hospitalization, and antibiotic usage. Results Our analysis revealed significant shifts in the epidemiology of pediatric RTIs between the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 eras. There was a marked decline in the proportion of school-age children hospitalized with RTIs during the pandemic period. However, the overall percentage of Lebanese hospitalized children across different age groups increased significantly during the COVID-19 era. Furthermore, the prevalence of specific RTIs, such as pharyngitis, increased from 1.1% in the pre-COVID-19to 5.5% during the COVID-19 period (p = 0.016), and the prevalence of bronchiolitis increased from 26.7% to 50.9% (p < 0.001) during the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods, respectively. This notable rise during the pandemic suggested potential changes in circulating pathogens or diagnostic practices. Importantly, the median length of hospital stays for pediatric RTIs decreased during the COVID-19 era compared to the pre-pandemic period, indicating possible improvements in clinical management or healthcare resource utilization. Analysis of antibiotic usage revealed ceftriaxone as the most frequently prescribed antibiotic in both periods, highlighting its continued relevance in the management of pediatric RTIs. Conclusions This study highlights significant epidemiological shifts in pediatric RTIs during the COVID-19 era in Lebanon. These findings underscore the importance of ongoing surveillance and research to adapt public health interventions and clinical practices to evolving infectious disease dynamics. Further investigation is warranted to elucidate the underlying factors driving these changes and optimize strategies for the prevention and management of pediatric RTIs in the context of the ongoing pandemic.

IntroductionTwo decades after implementing the Prevention of Mother to Child transmission (PMTCT) program, South Africa has still not managed to eliminate intrauterine mother-to-child (MTCT) HIV transmission. During the COVID pandemic access to maternal health services was reduced, potentially compromising the PMTCT program.MethodA retrospective record review was conducted at a midwife-run obstetric unit in a high HIV prevalence setting. Data on pregnant women who delivered between January 2019 and December 2020 were analysed to evaluate predictors for MTCT, and compare pre-COVID and COVID-era changes in maternal and infant HIV incidence and prevalence.ResultsA total of 1660 women delivered at the facility over a 24-month period (Jan 2019-Dec 2020), of whom 92.8% enrolled for antenatal care in 2019 and 94.6% in 2020. A significantly greater proportion of women were aware of their HIV status before enrolling for antenatal care in the pre-COVID (2019) than COVID (2020) period (88% vs 40.2%; p < 0.05). There was a significant increase in new HIV infection after enrolling for antenatal care during the COVID period compared to pre-COVID period (120 vs 62 women, p < 0.05). There was also a significant increase in the HIV prevalence among women who delivered during the COVID period than in the pre-COVID era (43.5% compared to 35.8%, p < 0.05). However, more than 95% of HIV-positive women initiated ART in both periods. Overall, a total of thirteen infants tested HIV positive (2.1% MTCT rate), with no difference in MTCT between 2019 and 2020. Infants born to women on antiretroviral therapy (ART) were 93% less likely to have a positive PCR test than those whose mothers who were not on ART. (OR = 0.07, 95% CI 0.031:0.178, p < 0.05).ConclusionThe increase in maternal HIV incidence and prevalence during the COVID era suggest a lapse in HIV prevention strategies during the COVID pandemic. There is an urgent need to improve community test-and-treat campaigns among women of reproductive age in the community and increase access to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis for pregnant women, especially during periods of health crises.

COVID-19 Era Impacts on the American Academy of Ophthalmology

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to help management scholars and executives learn from the COVID-19 global crisis by analyzing if and how the level of financial literacy affected stakeholders' sensitivity to corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues during the pandemic, as well as identifying whether financial literacy is an important variable to account for in the postpandemic period. The authors test the relationship between objective (measurable) and subjective (self-assessed) financial literacy, as well as financial happiness (i.e. satisfaction with one's current financial situation) with CSR during the pandemic. High levels of financial literacy cause individuals to reward companies that implement CSR strategies and processes.Design/methodology/approachThe authors designed an online survey and obtained data on objective and subjective financial literacy, financial happiness and COVID-19 infections, as well as on the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of a representative sample of 1,334 Italian respondents. From a methodological point of view, the authors perform a factor analysis on the CSR-related questions to extract the principal components (PCs) that were used as dependent variables in the regression models to analyze the effects of explanatory variables (financial literacy, financial happiness and COVID-19 infections) and consider the control variables (demographic and socioeconomic characteristics). The authors follow a theoretical approach merging stakeholder theory with CSR.FindingsRespondents with a high level of financial literacy and financial happiness are highly sensitive to all CSR components (ethical, philanthropic, economic and legal social responsibilities). Being infected by COVID-19 increased participants' sensitivity to ethical and philanthropic social responsibility (SR), but not to economic and legal SR. The more educated and employed respondents were, the more sensitive they were to CSR, especially compared to their less educated and unemployed counterparts.Research limitations/implicationsWhile the sample used is large and representative of the Italian population, Italy is an interesting and useful case to analyze, given that it was the first Western country to be severely hit by COVID-19; since the paper only refers to a specific country scenario, the results cannot be generalized to other countries. A cross-country comparison relating financial literacy and financial happiness to CSR during the COVID-19 pandemic period would be desirable. The research study has theoretical implications for management scholars since the authors show that, during the pandemic period, financial education and financial happiness are relevant in explaining stakeholders' greater sensitivity to CSR issues. The findings may thus help scholars to learn from the COVID-19 period, with the aim of further developing and enhancing stakeholders' theory.Practical implicationsThe research also has practical implications, both for corporate executives and for policymakers, helping them to learn from the COVID-19 global crisis concerning the role of financial literacy and financial happiness on CSR sensitivity and, consequently, how they may consider these important variables in the postpandemic era. On the one hand, executives may improve stakeholders' segmentation and eventually modify CSR policies, considering the higher sensitivity of their stakeholders' due to a higher degree of financial literacy. On the other hand, the findings suggest that policymakers should have a stronger role in supporting employment and education in general and in promoting programs to improve financial literacy to increase stakeholders' sensitivity to CSR, thus further stimulating the inclusion of CSR factors in companies' strategies. Increasing stakeholders' sensitivity to CSR will, in turn, increase the propensity of companies to include SR in their strategies. Thus, increasing financial literacy will have tangible positive effects of increasing CSR. Given the greater role played by companies during the COVID-19 period with respect to societal risk, the findings seem particularly useful.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study represents the first that links financial literacy and financial happiness with CSR during the COVID-19 crisis. The large and representative dataset, as well as the use of specific variables related to financial literacy, financial happiness and COVID-19 infections in the CSR assessment model, makes our analysis original, robust and significant by contributing to the CSR literature and to the financial literacy literature from a methodological point of view, as well as by informing corporate executives and policymakers about the role of financial literacy with regard to CSR during the pandemic, which may help them in learning how to improve their decisions and actions in the postpandemic era.

Swati BhanIntroduction This paper aims to provide an overview of the administrative and clinical preparations done in a tertiary care cancer hospital in continuing operation theatre (OT) services through the COVID pandemic. Methods Retrospective data collection, data for the past 1.5 years (COVID period) March 2020 to August 2021 were compared to surgical output for a similar duration of time before the COVID era (September 2018-February 2020). Results A total of 1,022 surgeries were done under anesthesia in the COVID period as against 1,710 surgeries done in a similar time frame in the pre-COVID era. Overall, we saw a 40%drop in the total number of cases. Thorax, abdominal, and miscellaneous surgeries (soft tissue sarcomas, urology, and gyneconcology) saw a maximum fall in numbers; however, head and neck cases saw an increase in numbers during the pandemic. Surgical morbidity and mortality were similar in the COVID and pre-COVID era. No cases of severe COVID infection were reported among the healthcare staff working in OT. Discussion We could successfully continue our anesthesia services with minimal risk to healthcare staff throughout the pandemic by adopting major guidelines in a pragmatic and practical approach with minor changes to suit our setup.

Background: Activity on digital screen has increased so much during the COVID era that there is surge in persons complaining of symptoms of computer vision syndrome (CVS). Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of CVS among the medical students and its associated factors during COVID period and to compare it with pre-COVID period. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 337 undergraduate medical students at Government Medical College, Haldwani, Uttarakhand using pretested structured questionnaire which was filled through Google form for which link was circulated in class WhatsApp group. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16. Frequency, percentage, binary logistic regression, and McNemar test was applied. P&lt;0.05 was considered significant. Results: The prevalence of CVS was significantly higher during COVID period, 54.9% (95% CI=49.7–60.1) that was significantly higher than non-COVID period. Eye strain (16.6%) was the most common CVS symptom during both pre-COVID and COVID period. The prevalence of CVS was significantly associated with use of preventive measures. During COVID period, average hours spent in digital screen was significantly higher as compared to non-COVID period. Conclusion: This study showed that there was increase in CVS among the study participants during COVID era as there was increase in spending hours on digital screen and not or reduction in adopting preventive measures. It is important to increase awareness regarding the symptoms and precautions related to CVS.

The impact of the corona virus (Covid-19) outbreak on the tourism industry, especially Indonesia, is certainly very influential. From 2020 to 2021 a number of cancellations of tourist arrivals have occurred since the virus outbreak was announced. The plane seats are empty, as well as hotels, cruise operators, and other business potentials. As an illustration, the realization of foreign tourist visits during 2019 reached 16.3 million from the target of 18 million. In the tourism sector, tourist arrivals, which are currently the second largest in Yogyakarta, are estimated to decline. The same applies to the investment and trade sectors. In recent years, the investment value has continued to increase. It will even become the second largest in 2021. Therefore, it is necessary to have adequate facilities to support the tourism sector in Indonesia during this Covid-19 period. One of them is Majapahit Market which is located in Umbulharjo village, Cangkringan sub-district, Sleman district. The lack of facilities to support health protocols, guides to tourist attractions, as well as tourist attractions that are still relatively simple have made the Majapahit Market experience a significant decline in tourists. In addition to the PPKM carried out by the government, the Majapahit Market should have facilities that support during this Covid-19 period. In addition to the tourism sector, health protocol facilities in some remote educational places also need improvement. Especially on the lack of knowledge of students about the corona virus, as well as how to carry out learning activities with good and correct health protocols. In addition to remote educational places, several educational places in the city also need improvement during this Covid-19 period. One of them is Cokroaminoto University, Yogyakarta. Based on these problems, the authors carry out community service through UCY Thematic Real Work Lecture (KKN) activities in the Covid-19 era. The activity has been carried out by supporting the community by making adequate facilities in the Covid-19 era, as well as providing education, distributing masks, as well as food assistance to MTs Bima Bhakti Pertiwi students who are currently carrying out offline learning activities, and providing assistance for human resources. to the campus to make improvements during this Covid-19 period.

The escalating level of antimicrobial resistance in Pakistan poses a significant threat to public health nationwide. Objective: To evaluate the antibiotic resistance trend of Acinetobacter spp before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and differences in antimicrobial resistance rates. Methods: This study assessed the microbiological data in two periods: before COVID-19 (January 2017- March 2020) and during the COVID-19 period (April 1, 2020- March 31, 2021). Antibiotic sensitivity testing was performed by using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique. Results: Out of 625 strains of Acinetobacter, 462 (73.9%) were isolated in the pre-COVID-19 period and 163 (26.0%) during the COVID-19 period. The percentages of females in the pre COVID-19 and during COVID-19 era were 53%, and the proportion of males was 46% and 45%, respectively. The age group of 16-30 years (34%) was most infected in both periods. In the pre-COVID era, the percentage of Acinetobacter spp isolated from pus and urine was 47% and 34%, respectively, while in the COVID-19 period, it changed to 48% and 16%, respectively. The drugs that showed a significant increase in resistance during the COVID-19 period were Imipenem 53%, Aztreonam 91% to 100%, Ciprofloxacin 65% to 75%, Moxifloxacin 66% to 100%, Cefotaxime 61% to 97% and Tazobactam 61 to 71%. In the Lahore division, the infection rate increased from 35% (in the pre-COVID era) to 41% (during the COVID era). Conclusions: The notable differences in resistance patterns before and after the COVID-19 era indicate a decrease in the choices of drugs for Acinetobacter infections.

BackgroundBefore COVID-19, knowledge on pandemic vulnerability and mortality in South Africa was largely limited to the context of HIV/AIDS. We evaluated mortality rates and risk of death, prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, in relation to an individual’s COVID-19 vulnerability, based on a scoring algorithm developed in South Africa.MethodsThe analysis was undertaken using data from a health and demographic surveillance system (HDSS) in Soweto and Thembelihle, Gauteng, South Africa. Health and demographic population-based data have been collected from the HDSS area since 2018. Using indicators included in a COVID-19 Vulnerability Index, previously developed in South Africa, the current study established a composite COVID-19 vulnerability index, stratified into tertiles. The risk of death pre-COVID-19 (1 January 2018–28 February 2020) and during the COVID-19 period (1 March 2020–31 December 2021) was analysed. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to compare the risk of death between the two time periods. Statistical analyses were conducted using Stata software version 17.ResultsBefore COVID-19, overall mortality rates were 8.1 (95% CI 7.6–8.8), 7.0 (95% CI 6.4–7.7) and 6.1 (95% CI 5.5–6.7) per 1000 person-years in the lowest, middle, and highest tertile of vulnerability index, respectively. All cause-mortality across all tertiles more than doubled during the COVID-19 period compared to pre-COVID-19 (15.5 against 7.2). The mortality rates during the COVID-19 era were 17.1 (95% CI 16.3–18.0), 14.5 (95% CI 13.4–15. 7) and 13.7 (95% CI 12.8–14.7) per 1000 person-years in the lowest, middle, and highest tertiles, respectively. Overall, individuals in the highest tertile of COVID-19 vulnerability were at a significantly lower risk of death relative to those in the lowest tertile (aHR 0.9, 95% CI 0.8–1.0, p < 0.05). The risk of dying during the COVID-19 period for vulnerable individuals was at least double compared to the pre-COVID-19 period for each of the individual vulnerability indicators.ConclusionsAll-cause mortality during the COVID-19 era was significantly higher than the pre- COVID-19 period, with the increase observed across all vulnerability tertiles. It is important to identify vulnerable individuals and communities during the early stages of a pandemic to inform prioritisation of public health intervention.

This study was conducted to determine the views of academicians regarding &amp;ldquo;The Views of Physical Education and Sports Teaching Instructors on Education in the Covid-19 Period&amp;rdquo;. The study used the phenomenological design, which is among qualitative research designs. &#x0D; &#x0D; The study group comprised 63 academicians carrying out duty in 21 different universities in Turkey during the 2019-2020 academic year. In line with the goal, the study was carried out with academicians who could contribute on voluntary basis. In order to determine the views of the academicians, a structured interview form was used. The interview form comprises four questions aiming to determine the necessity of distance education in the physical education area, which courses in the area can be given within the scope of distance education, possibility of teaching applied courses via distance education and problems they face in courses in the distance education process which has been put into effect compulsorily due to pandemic. &#x0D; &#x0D; The interview form was presented to the opinion of two instructors in the educational sciences area who have carried out qualitative research and then expert opinion was received. The application was conducted by primarily reaching the aforementioned academicians via telephone interview between 1 June-27 July 2020 and conveying the questions via e-mail. The descriptive analysis technique was used in analysis of the data.&#x0D; &#x0D; In the study 79% of the academicians stressed that applied courses should not be taught via distance education, while 52% stated that all theoretical courses could be taught via distance education. Examining the views of the academicians on the problems they faced in courses in the distance education process; 55% stated that the problems were associated with the system, 36% efficiency of the course, 30% inadequate student participation in the course, 21% inadequate student feedback, 21% evaluation, 19% inexperience about distance education and 17% lack of internet and computer opportunities in hometowns of students. &#x0D; &#x0D; Considering the findings of the study integratedly; it is believed that teaching applied courses via distance education is inadequate and inefficient. Also it is possible to state that it may not be appropriate to teach theoretical courses via distance education, except when necessary.