Psychological and professional impact of COVID-19 lockdown on French dermatologists: Data from a large survey

During the COVID-19 lockdown, professional soccer players ceased their regular team training sessions and were provided with exercise programs to follow independently. This investigation assessed the impact of a 7-week COVID-19 lockdown and home-based individual physical training on professional soccer players’ body composition and physical fitness. The study consisted of nineteen division 1 elite soccer players (age 27.68 ± 5.99 years, height 178.47 ± 5.44 cm) and compared the anthropometric and physical fitness parameters obtained post-transition period to those obtained post-COVID-19 lockdown. The statistical analysis indicated that body fat percentage was significantly higher after the lockdown period [t(18) = -5.59, p < 0.01, d = 0.56]. Furthermore, VO2max [t(17) = -11.54, p < 0.01, d = 0.57] and running time [t(17) = 3.94, p < 0.01, d = 0.76] values were significantly higher after the COVID-19 lockdown than those obtained after the transition period. In addition, significantly higher level of performance was demonstrated on squat jump [t(18) = -4.10, p < 0.01, d = 0.30], countermovement jump [t(18) = -7.43, p < 0.01, d = 1.11] and sit and reach tests [t(19) = -5.33, p < 0.01, d = 0.32]. Concurrently, lower body strength was indicated to be significantly greater (p < 0.01) following the COVID-19 lockdown. The training protocol provided during the confinement, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, was effective in keeping physical fitness at a significantly higher level compared to the transition period. Coaches and trainers are encouraged to examine the effectiveness of this protocol, as it may help them develop effective periodization programs during the transition period. This protocol may aid in the development of effective periodization programs that require minimal equipment and can be followed in similar situations.

Purpose:To study the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the regular follow-up of keratoplasty patients.Methods:This retrospective interventional case series included 30 patients who had immunological corneal endothelial rejection out of 190 patients who came for post-PKP follow-up between September 15, 2019, and September 30, 2020. The demographics, primary diagnosis, surgical technique, time of presentation, recovery of graft, associated ocular problems, and visual acuity at 1 month were analyzed. Forward stepwise (likelihood ratio) binary logistic regression was used to find significant variables.Results:The study population had 19 males (63.33%) and 11 females (36.67%). The mean age of the study group was 42.83 ± 18.89 (8–80) years. Of 30 patients, 19 (63.3%) presented before and 11 (36.7%) after the COVID-19 lockdown. Overall, 23 (77%) showed a reversal of graft rejection. Logistic regression showed that preoperative indications, large-sized grafts, and deep corneal vascularization were significant risk factors for non-resolution of graft rejection. It was noted that patients who presented to the hospital late had poor recovery (P = 0.002). The delay in the presentation was a significant risk factor for non-resolution of graft rejection (P < 0.01). Z-test for proportions revealed that the difference in the non-resolution of rejection on immediate or delayed treatment in patients presenting during lockdown (P = 0.002) was significant.Conclusion:This article is to highlight the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on graft rejection recovery of PKP patients due to delays in follow-up. Early treatment helps in the recovery of graft transparency and the reversal of immunological graft rejection. Also, primary diagnosis, deep vascularization, and large-sized grafts were significant risk factors for non-resolution of graft rejection.

From an infectious perspective, children and adolescents were not highly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, social isolation measures have deeply changed their lifestyle, which is believed to have a psychological impact on them. The objective was to assess the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the emotional health of children and adolescents attending primary or secondary school. Parents of children and adolescents from San Carlos de Bariloche participated in the study. Adults' perception of the emotional and behavioral impact of lockdown on children and adolescents, changes in sleeping habits, screen use, sports-related activities, eating, and medical consultations, was assessed. A total of 267 parents were included. Of them, 96.3 % noticed emotional and behavioral changes. The most common ones were that their children were more bored (76.8 %), more irritable (59.2 %), more reluctant (56.9 %), and angrier (54.7 %). It was observed that they woke up and went to bed later, and slept 30 minutes more. Moreover, leisure screen use increased by 3 hours on weekdays. Time dedicated to physical activities did not change, but the type of activities did: swimming and team sports were replaced by biking, walking, and skiing. COVID-19 lockdown affected the emotional health and habits of children and adolescents. Boredom, irritability, and reluctance were more present during lockdown. The possibility of doing outdoor physical activities allowed them to keep practicing sports.

BACKGROUND: The lockdown would become the primary strategy for facing covid-19 as it quickly mutates which might cause repeated pandemics; however, it negatively affects individuals’ quality of life (QOL). The schizophrenia caregivers experience considerable stress. The research on the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on QOL of schizophrenia caregivers is essential, especially for those who reside in rural areas. AIM: This study aimed to investigate the impact of lockdown-related COVID-19 on QOL among primary caregivers of schizophrenia patients living in a rural area. METHODS: This study recruited 204 primary caregivers (15–79 years). This study used the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument (WHOQOL-BREF) to asses QOL’s primary caregiver. Evaluate the possible change in caregivers’ QOL before and during the COVID-19 lockdown using paired t-test for repeated measures. RESULTS: The mean age of the caregivers was 46.61 years (SD = 12.79), ranging from 15 to 79 years, with a preponderance of male (54.5%), aged 38–47 years old (29.7%), married (81.2%), employed (57.4%), and had senior high school level of education (34.7%). Majority were parents (26.2%) of the ill relative, and took care of the patients more than 5 years (52.5%). There was a statistical difference (p &lt; 0.05) in caregivers’ QOL between before and during the COVID-19 lockdown, including in physical health, psychological, social relationships, and environment domain. CONCLUSION: Implementing a lockdown policy related to COVID-19 has negatively impacted the caregivers’ QOL. The degradation of caregivers’ QOL showed from before to during COVID-19 lockdown. Further study needs to explore the QOL of other mental illness caregivers regarding COVID-19 lockdown. This finding becomes a reference for a government to modify some policy-related lockdowns to minimize their negative impact.

UK COVID-19 lockdowns significantly affected primary care access and delivery. Little is known about whether lockdowns disproportionally impacted vulnerable groups, including people who misuse substances, people who have experienced domestic violence or abuse, those with intellectual disability, and children with safeguarding concerns. To evaluate the impact of UK COVID-19 lockdowns on primary care contact rates among vulnerable groups. Natural experimental design using all registered patients in the OpenSAFELY platform. With approval from NHS England, we conducted controlled interrupted time-series analyses on records from 24 million patients in England between September 2019 and September 2021. Pre-pandemic, primary care contact rates were 110.1 per 1000 patients per week. Following the initiation of the first lockdown (23 March 2020), there was a large reduction of 29-61 contacts per 1000 patients per week among vulnerable and general population groups. For patients with alcohol misuse, those aged ≥14 years with intellectual disability, and children with safeguarding concerns, this reduction was significantly more extreme than corresponding general populations (relative rate difference -23.8 [95% confidence interval {CI} = -39.8 to -7.7, P = 0.003], -24.6 [95% CI = -38.8 to -10.5, P<0.001], and -15.4 [95% CI = -26.9 to -3.8, P = 0.009], respectively). Following the final lockdown (29 March 2021), all groups had contact rates exceeding pre-pandemic rates (with increases more marked in vulnerable populations), except those only including children. Our results suggested a larger short-term impact of the first COVID-19 lockdown on primary care contact for some vulnerable groups, compared with the general population, and differential impacts persisted through subsequent lockdowns and beyond for some vulnerable groups. There is a need to examine drivers of these differences to enable more equitable primary care access and provision.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought major changes not only at the economic and social level but especially in the medical system. To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the quality of glycemic control in Romanian patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Our study group included 102 Romanian volunteers' patients with T1DM from both urban and rural areas. Data were collected during an interview, based on a structured questionnaire with multiple-choice questions about diabetes management during lockdown, how they interact with their diabetologist, how they accessed the treatment and what other factors influenced their diabetes management during the lockdown. Blood glucose levels were significantly higher in the MDII group as a consequence of delayed administration of insulin corrections due to inadequate insulin dosing (60% vs 31.81%; χ 2 = 5.51, p = 0.018). In addition, insulin pump users had improved response to stress and anxiety (ie, additional therapeutic safety being provided by use of insulin pump; in some devices, blood glucose being continuously monitored, leading to premature detection of important blood glucose excursions) compared to insulin pen users (χ 2 = 5.09, p = 0.024). In the context of hypoglycemia, we observed that in the pen MDII group, more users have administered an excess of insulin, compared with the pump users (80% vs 45.45%; χ 2 = 10.34; p = 0.001). A lower impact of COVID-19 lockdown on glycemic control was observed in patients with T1DM treated using insulin pumps compared to patients with T1DM who administered their insulin using insulin pens. Telemedicine and online consultations have brought significant improvements in diseases management. Stress, emotions, and anxiety were among the main reasons that led to increases in blood sugar levels, suggesting that the psychological impact may have long-term complications.

Introduction and Aims: The increase in stress levels, social confinement, and addiction's physical consequences play an essential role in the proliferation of drug abuse. In this context, the Covid-19 pandemic produced remarkable effects on those individuals prone to addictions, especially to alcohol. Alcohol is linked to multiple dangerous conditions such as social issues, severe medical conditions, and road accidents. The determination of ethylglucuronide (EtG) in hair is frequently performed to test and monitor chronic excessive alcohol intake conditions, as it allows differentiation among low-risk/moderate drinkers, and excessive/chronic drinkers. Our study aimed to explore hair EtG levels in a controlled population to assess the impact of Covid-19 lockdown on alcohol intake along March-May 2020.Materials and Methods: EtG levels were measured in all hair samples collected in the months following April 2020 to evaluate the behaviors related to alcohol intake along with the time frame from March to May 2020. The measured concentration distributions for each month were compared with those reported in the same month during the previous 4 years (2016–2019). The dataset was built to highlight possible differences between genders, and the different categories of alcohol consumption, separately.Results: The samples collected from April to August 2020 (500 < N <1,100 per month) showed an increase in the percentage of subjects classified as abstinent/low-risk drinkers (from 60 up to 79%) and a decrease of subjects classified as moderate and chronic drinkers (−12 and −7%, respectively) when compared to the previous 4 years. A decrease in the overall mean value of EtG in the period April–June 2020 was observed, while the EtG levels of both June and July 2020 provided an increasing trend for chronic/excessive consumers (+27 and +19% for June and July 2020, respectively). A peculiar rise in the EtG levels of moderate and chronic/excessive female consumers was observed along April–June 2020, too.Discussion and Conclusions: Behavioral and social studies generally report a decrease in alcohol consumption during the Covid-19 lockdown. However, people already suffering from drug or alcohol addictions before Covid-19 pandemic seemingly enhance their harmful behavior. Our data from April to August 2020 are consistent with both suppositions. Our observations confirm once again the utility of EtG to investigate the patterns of alcohol consumption in the population.

Background Lockdowns and restrictions were introduced worldwide by governments in 2020 and 2021 in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19. Lockdowns restricted the movement of people, whereby they could only leave their homes for essential reasons. There is yet to be a systematic review that integrates existing quantitative literature on the impact of lockdowns on mental health globally. Aim The purpose of the current study was to assess and synthesise current quantitative research on the global impact of COVID-19 lockdowns and isolation restrictions on adult mental wellbeing. The target group was adults aged 18 years and over internationally. Method Findings from 16 quantitative cross-sectional surveys and questionnaire studies from peer-reviewed journals were synthesised in this systematic literature review. Results Themes that emerged from the findings included increased depression, anxiety symptoms, and stress, and reduced social interaction and sleep quality. Conclusion The impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on mental health was evident through the shared experiences of insomnia, loneliness, physiological changes, and reduced sleep quality. An increased prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms was common in younger adults and more so in women than men.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns have adversely impacted children on the autism spectrum and their families, especially in Malaysia where this population is often marginalized. The current quantitative research aimed to investigate the impact of the Malaysian COVID-19 lockdown on the behavior and psychological distress of children formally diagnosed with an autism spectrum condition (ASC) as well as the psychological distress and well-being of their parents, in comparison with a typically developing (TD) control group.Methods: The children's ages ranged between 5 and 17 years. The sample included 72 ASC parent-child dyads and 62 TD parent-child dyads. The primary caregiver completed an online survey including the following: demographic and diagnostic information; ASC symptoms; children's inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, perceived stress, depression, and anxiety; parents' perceived stress, depression, anxiety, and well-being based on their experience pre- and mid-lockdown (March 18th to June 9th 2020) in Malaysia.Results: Among the ASC group, no significant pre- and mid-lockdown change was found in ASC symptoms (p > 0.05). There were no significant gender differences (boys/girls) in all the child scales. The 2 [diagnosis (ASC, TD)] × 2 [lockdown (pre-lockdown, mid-lockdown)] mixed-model ANOVAs revealed main effects of lockdown on children's attention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, anxiety, and parents' perceived stress, depression, and psychological well-being (p < 0.005). There was a main effect of diagnosis in all child and parent variables, except parents' perceived stress (p >0.005). However, there was no significant interaction effect between diagnosis and lockdown (p >0.005). All child behavior (inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity) and child psychological distress (anxiety, depression, and perceived stress) were significantly correlated in both the ASC and TD groups (p < 0.005). On the other hand, only some of the parent variables were significantly correlated with child variables (p < 0.0045) in the ASC group while none of the parent variables were significantly correlated with the child variables (p > 0.005) in the TD group.Conclusion: The results provide preliminary evidence indicating negative effects of the Malaysian lockdown on both children on the autism spectrum and TD children, as well as their parents. These quantitative results will be triangulated with the qualitative interview data to provide a holistic understanding of the impact of the pandemic, informing translational policy and practice recommendations.

We investigate the causal impact of Covid-19 lockdowns on household income, income expectations, consumption of durable goods and budget allocation in Indonesia using high-frequency data from the monthly Bank Indonesia Consumer Survey, which had more than 176,000 respondents. We find that Covid-19 lockdowns had a large and significant adverse impact on household income, expectations and consumption. We also find that households tried to smooth consumption in the face of declining income, resulting in a significant increase in the budget allocated to consumption while reducing the shares of debt repayments and savings. The impact of lockdowns on households was also heterogeneous by expenditure levels, regions and levels of education. These findings have important implications for policy intended to cushion the pandemic’s impact on households and ensure a more inclusive recovery.

Introduction: Quarantines and lockdowns are the type of social restrictions and isolation that cause many adverse effects including psychological aspects for anyone who experienced. Aim: Determine the level of psychological impact of COVID-19 lockdown among adolescents. Methods: Descriptive design was adopted. 100 adolescents were selected by convenience sampling technique. Self administered questionnaire was prepared to assess the psychological impact of COVID-19 lockdown. The data analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The study findings revealed that, the adolescents doesn’t have the major psychological impact like Depression (79%), anxiety (78%) and stress (99%), during the Covid-19 Lockdown. The all three domains of Psychological impact (depression, anxiety and stress) having a positive relationships within them. There is significant association found between the psychological impact of COVID-19 lockdown with their age, years of study with level of depression. Exposure to COVID-19 infectionand parents belongs to frontline health worker were got associated with anxiety. There is no significant association found with stress and selected demographic variables. Conclusion: The COVID-19 Lockdown has been found no any major impact of Psychological health among selected adolescents. Hence it need further research on different settings. Implications for practice: Mental Health nurses have responsibilities to identify the psychological health among adolescents at pandemic/lockdown period.

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the lockdown on oral oncology-related out-patient volume at Indian dental institutions. The total number of newly diagnosed cases of oral submucous fibrosis, oral leukoplakia, oral lichen planus, and oral cancers, recorded at two dental institutional settings before lockdown (January-March 2020) and after lockdown (June-August 2020), were included retrospectively and compared. The study included a total of 797 cases at both institutions. At Institution-I, a total of 312 cases were recorded before the lockdown, and 63 cases were recorded after the lockdown. At Institution-II, a total of 311 cases were reported before lockdown, and 111 cases were recorded after lockdown. Comparisons between the pre-lockdown and post-lockdown data yielded a significant change in the proportions of oral sub-mucous fibrosis, oral leukoplakia, oral lichen planus, and oral cancers at both institutions (Chi-square test; p < 0.001). Following the lockdown, a substantial reduction was observed in the proportion of oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) cases at both institutions, and the proportion of oral cancers increased at both institutions. There was a significant difference between the proportions of cases reported before lockdown at both institutions (p < 0.001). However, after-lockdown, no such differences were noted (p = 0.69); the absence of significance could most likely be due to the low sample size or low-power during the post-lockdown period. The oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) and oral cancer (OC) patient volumes reduced substantially following lockdown. During the post-lockdown period, the proportion of oral cancers increased, whereas the proportion of OSMF cases decreased. Results indicate that OPMD and oral cancer patients were impacted differently by the lockdown. This study provides insight into the impact of lockdown and highlights the importance of reestablishing oral oncology-related patient care. A vital discussion is also provided on useful compensatory strategies that may reduce delays during the ongoing crisis. How to cite this article: Panta P, Reddy P, Misra SR, et al. Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Oral Oncology-related Outpatient Volume at Indian Dental Institutions. J Contemp Dent Pract 2021;22(5):501-505.

Lionetti F, Fasolo M, Dellagiulia A. On the role of moderator on children’s sleep health in response to COVID-19. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021;17(2):353–354.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as a serious public health threat and has had a tremendous impact on all spheres of the environment. The air quality across the world improved because of COVID-19 lockdowns. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, large numbers of studies have been carried out on the impact of lockdowns on air quality around the world, but no studies have been carried out on the systematic review on the impact of lockdowns on air quality. This study aims to systematically assess the bibliographic review on the impact of lockdowns on air quality around the globe. A total of 237 studies were identified after rigorous review, and 144 studies met the criteria for the review. The literature was surveyed from Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Google search engine. The results reveal that (i) most of the studies were carried out on Asia (about 65%), followed by Europe (18%), North America (6%), South America (5%), and Africa (3%); (ii) in the case of countries, the highest number of studies was performed on India (29%), followed by China (23%), the U.S. (5%), the UK (4%), and Italy; (iii) more than 60% of the studies included NO2 for study, followed by PM2.5 (about 50%), PM10, SO2, and CO; (iv) most of the studies were published by Science of the Total Environment (29%), followed by Aerosol and Air Quality Research (23%), Air Quality, Atmosphere &amp; Health (9%), and Environmental Pollution (5%); (v) the studies reveal that there were significant improvements in air quality during lockdowns in comparison with previous time periods. Thus, this diversified study conducted on the impact of lockdowns on air quality will surely assist in identifying any gaps, as it outlines the insights of the current scientific research.

The people living in Onne are highly vulnerable to PAH exposure due to constant exposure to black soot through oral, dermal, and inhalation routes. This work aims to determine the PAHs profile of selected soils in Onne, to determine the health risks associated with PAHs exposure through the soil, and to determine the impact of reduced industrial and other activities on the PAHs profile and associated public health risks. This study evaluated 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) pollutants in soil samples from the four (4) major clans in Onne using a gas chromatography flame ionization detector (GC-FID) during and after the COVID-19 lockdown. The results showed a differential presence of PAHs during and after the lockdown. Of the 16 priority PAHs, 10 and 8 PAHs were respectively detected during and after the COVID-19 lockdown. High molecular weight PAHs such as benzo(k)fluoranthene and benzo(a)anthracene were major contributors during the lockdown, while low molecular weight PAHs such as naphthalene, acenaphthylene, and fluorene were present at higher levels after the lockdown. An assessment of health risk by incremental lifetime cancer risks revealed that the entire population of Onne might be at risk of cancer development across periods, though a higher risk was presented during the lockdown. In addition, children under the age of 18 may be at greater risk. To the best of our knowledge, there is no previous report on the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on soil PAH profile and health risks, with particular attention to the Onne industrial host community. Earlier work considered the ecological risks of heavy metals on dumpsites in Onne. Taken together, the PAH-contaminated soil in Onne poses an immediate health concern. Therefore, reduced anthropological activities, as evident during the COVID-19 lockdown, may play a role in exposure and cancer risk reduction. While there may not be another lockdown due to the challenging impacts associated with a physical lockdown, firmly controlled economic activity can be a solution if embraced by stakeholders. The COVID-19-lockdown was encumbered with restricted movements and security checks, which limited the number of samples collected. However, the Local Government Council (Department of the Environment) granted permission for the researchers to work with a minimal threat to their lives.