Impact Of COVID-19 Pandemic Research Articles

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Clinical Course and Complications of Varicella-A Retrospective Cohort Study.

In this study, we aimed to characterize a cohort of children hospitalized due to varicella before and after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical charts of all children hospitalized in the Regional Hospital of Infectious Diseases in Warsaw due to varicella in the years 2019 and 2022 were retrospectively analyzed and compared. In total, 221 children were included in the analysis; 59 of them were hospitalized in 2019, whereas 162 were hospitalized in 2022. Children hospitalized in 2022 were older than those reported in 2019 (median 4.0 vs. 3.0 years, p = 0.02). None of the hospitalized children received complete varicella vaccination. The most common complication in both years was bacterial superinfection of skin lesions, found in 156/221 (70.6%) of patients. This complication rate was higher in 2022 (50.8% in 2019 vs. 77.8% in 2022, p = 0.0001), OR = 3.38, 95% CI: 1.80-6.35. Moreover, skin infections in 2022 more often manifested with cellulitis (in 2022 13.6% vs. 3.4% in 2019, p = 0.03), OR = 4.40, 95% CI: 1.00-19.33. Sepsis as a complication of varicella was almost five-fold more prevalent in 2022 than in 2019 (p = 0.009), OR = 5.70, 95% CI: 1.31-24.77. Antibiotic use increased between 2019 and 2022 (71.2% vs. 85.2%, p = 0.01). Furthermore, patients were treated more frequently with the combination of two different antibiotics simultaneously (only 3.4% of patients in 2019 compared to 15.4% in 2022, p = 0.01). Primary infections with varicella zoster virus in 2022 led to a more severe course of the disease.

Drivers of firms’ digital activities in response to the Covid-19 pandemic

The aim of the paper is to analyse the main internal drivers of the increase and adoption of online activities carried out by firms in reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic. While the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on several measures of firm-level performance has been debated in many papers, not enough effort has been devoted to investigating its digitalization impact, especially with respect to the drivers of firms operating in transition countries. To this end, we explore a very detailed firm-level dataset, drawn from the World Bank Enterprise Survey (WBES) combined with the Covid-19-ES Follow-up Survey, for 22 Eastern European and Central-Eastern Asian countries. Our findings reveal that (i) higher online activity is associated with higher digital and technological endowment of the firm and (ii) this relationship is shaped by external factors, such as country-level digital infrastructure.

Long term impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mammographic breast cancer screening.

1597 Background: The impact of COVID19 pandemic on patient health beliefs and healthcare systems has adversely affected mammographic breast cancer screening (MBCS) during the initial stages of the pandemic. The aims of our study were to determine whether the initial decrease in MBCS rates persisted or if there was a rebound in later stages and to quantify the impact on urban and rural populations. Methods: This retrospective observational study analyzed data from March 2017 to March 2023 to assess whether eligible women received annual MBCS during this timeframe. We included women aged 40-75 years, drawn from the integrated Mayo Clinic system, encompassing nearly 60 primary care practices in Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, representing a broad cross-section of the United States (US) population. US census data was utilized to classify a county as urban or rural. We divided the study period into 4 categories:1) pre-COVID-19 pandemic (March 1, 2017-March 10, 2020), 2) early pandemic (March 11, 2020-March 10, 2021; pre-vaccination period), 3) mid- pandemic (March 11, 2021-March 10, 2022; delta and omicron variant dominant period), and 4) late pandemic (March 11, 2022-March 1, 2023; recovery period). Utilizing the Poisson regression model, we compared the incidence rate ratio (IRR) for rates of MBCS across the 4 predefined time periods. Multivariable modeling was performed to assess the significance of MBCS rates with urbanicity while controlling for the year (2017-2022) and age. Results: By race and ethnicity, the women in this cohort were White (92%), Black (3.1%), Asian (3%) and other (1.9%). The median age was 57 years and the cohort included 239, 804 women aged 40-75 years. MBCS rates was 49.2% in 2017, 47.1% in 2018, 46.4% in 2019, and decreased to 42.1% in 2020 and improved to 44.7% in 2021 and 43.8% in 2022. Compared with the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period, there was a significant decrease in MBCS rate in the early pandemic (IRR= 0.886, 95% CI 0.879, 0.892, p<0.001). Though the MBCS rate improved in the mid-pandemic period, it remained below the pre-pandemic level (IRR=0.941, 95% CI 0.934, 0.948, p<0.001). Similarly, during the late stage of the pandemic, the MBCS rate remained lower than the pre-pandemic level (IRR=0.922, 95% CI 0.915, 0.928, p<0.001). Rural counties had a lower MBCS rate compared with urban counties (IRR = 0.936, 95% CI 0.931, 0.941, p<0.001). Conclusions: This study confirms the negative impact of the early COVID-19 pandemic on MBCS, and it revealed its persistent effect, as the current MBCS rate remains below the pre-pandemic rate. These findings were more evident in rural counties. Factors contributing to the long-lasting impact are being analyzed with the intent to develop and implement targeted solutions to improve the MBCS rate.

Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Waitlisted Preoperative General Surgical Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital in India - Problems and Probable Solutions: an Observational Study.

Among patients affected by Covid-19, a large subset included those who were on preoperative general surgical waiting list for elective operations. There are very few studies on the various factors that impacted these patients during the pandemic in India. The current study aimed to analyse the factors which hampered the surgical management of such patients and to suggest implementable solutions which can mitigate those factors in future pandemics. This was a cross sectional observational study conducted from March 2021 to February 2022. Patients from the surgical register who were placed on a waiting list for routine elective procedures like hernias, gallstone disease, benign thyroid swellings, etc were included, while those with malignancy and emergencies were excluded. We sought information about their current status regarding the planned surgery, the factors which have prevented or are preventing them from accessing suitable surgical service and the current status of individually experienced symptoms. There were 38 respondents. Most of the patients belonged to the age group 40-60 years and had an average waiting period of more than six months. In 20/38 patients, surgery was postponed because of Covid-19 pandemic, seven patients were admitted but operation was postponed for various reasons, while a few others suffered due to financial difficulty or lockdown restrictions. In 23/38 patients' symptoms progressed and nine patients had unbearable symptoms at the time of the study. Two of the 38 respondents underwent emergency surgery outside the institute. All subjects knew that Covid-19 patients were being treated in the institute, where most of them were still willing to continue their treatment. Three patients refused to continue treatment because of apprehension about getting Covid-19. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Covid-19 pandemic over, experts opine that there might be more such incidents in not-too-distant future. Our study is among the few of its kind that provides some analytical data regarding the factors which prevented the general surgical patients access to surgical service in India during the Covid-19 pandemic and to suggest some implementable strategies to mitigate the effect of those factors in future pandemics.

Systematic Literature Review on the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Referrals to Child and Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in United Kingdom (UK)

Systematic Literature Review on the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Referrals to Child and Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in United Kingdom (UK)

The impact of COVID-19 and missed diagnosis of breast cancer.

1118 Background: To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on breast cancer diagnosis based on age, race, and regions within the US. Methods: Data on breast cancer incidence were obtained from the United States Cancer Statistics (USCS) program from 2001-2020. SEER*Stat 8.4.1.2 and Joinpoint regression program 5.0.2 were used to calculate estimated and actual incidence rates per 100,000 females. Rates were age-adjusted as appropriate. We compared actual breast cancer incidence rates in the year 2020 to estimated rates based on trends from 2001-2019 with sub-analyses for age, race, and region. Results: From 2001 to 2019, there were 4,005,763 identified cases of breast cancer in the United States. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, the incidence rate of breast cancer was 162.87 per 100,000 in females in the US. Based on the data from 2001 to 2019, breast cancer increased by 1.32% per year (p<0.001). Using these prior trends, it was expected that the incidence of breast cancer to be 165.02 per 100,000 adults (265,206 total cases) in 2020. However, the reported incidence was only 147.77 per 100,000 (237,471). Thus, there were 10.46% (27,735) less breast cancer cases than expected. The missed diagnosis rate was more pronounced in older age groups with 15.89%, 14.75%, and 13.27% cases missed for the age groups 85+, 80-84, and 70-74 respectively. Based on racial and ethnic groups, we found that Hispanic females had the greatest number of missed cases at 13.04% compared to 12.68%, 10.57%, and 8.94% of Non-Hispanic Asians and Pacific Islander (NHAPI), Non-Hispanic White (NHW), and Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) females respectively. The discrepancy between expected and actual number of cases by U.S. region ranged from the highest in the Northeast (11.90%) followed by 11.83%, 10.60%, and 9.49% in the West, South, and Midwest regions respectively. An intersectionality analysis showed that 40–44-year-old Hispanic females residing in the Midwest region had the largest discrepancy at 27.01%. Conclusions: The reported breast cancer cases significantly declined during the pandemic. Older age, Hispanic race and ethnicity, and those residing in the Northeast region had the greatest number of missing cases. As breast cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, more mitigating factors are needed to improve the access to care for patients in these at-risk groups to improve detection of breast cancer and its associated mortality.

The impact of COVID-19 and missed diagnosis of colorectal cancer.

e15598 Background: To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on colorectal cancer diagnosis based on sex, age, race, and regions within the US. Methods: Data on colorectal cancer incidence were obtained from the United States Cancer Statistics (USCS) program from 2001-2020. SEER*Stat 8.4.1.2 and Joinpoint regression program 5.0.2 were used to calculate estimated and actual incidence rates per 100,000 adults. Rates were age-adjusted as appropriate. We compared actual colorectal cancer incidence rates in the year 2020 to estimated rates based on trends from 2001-2019 with sub-analyses for sex, age, race, and region. Results: From 2001 to 2019, there were 2,627,565 identified cases of colorectal cancer in the United States. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, the incidence rate of colorectal cancer was the highest in males at 42.26 per 100,000 compared to 32.18 in females. The overall cancer incidence was 36.87 per 100,000 in both males and females in the US. Based on the data from 2001 to 2019, colorectal cancer decreased by 2.20% per year (p < 0.001). Using these prior trends, it was expected that the incidence of colorectal cancer to be 36.44 per 100,000 adults (115,392 total cases) in 2020. However, the reported incidence was only 32.47 per 100,000 (102,798). Thus, there were 10.9% (12,594) less colorectal cancer cases than expected. The missed diagnosis rate was more pronounced in males compared to females, where 11.90% and 10.84% less colorectal cancer cases were detected compared to expected in 2020, respectively. Based on age, the cases missed were the highest amongst middle aged adults, with 13.56%, 13.49%, and 13.05% cases missed for the age groups between 50-54, 65-69, and 70-74 respectively. Based on racial and ethnic groups, we found that Non-Hispanic Asians and Pacific Islander (NHAPI) had the greatest number of missed cases at 14.38% compared to 11.98%, 11.36%, and 11.27% of Non-Hispanic Black (NHB), Non-Hispanic White (NHW), and Hispanic adults, respectively. The discrepancy between expected and actual number of cases by U.S. region ranged from the highest in the Southern (11.64%) to the lowest in the Western (10.92%) region. An intersectionality analysis showed that 40–44-year-old NHAPI females residing in the Western region had the largest discrepancy at 47.96%. Conclusions: The reported colorectal cancer cases significantly declined during the pandemic. Males, middle age, NHAPI and NHB race and ethnicity, and those residing in the Southern region had the most number of missing cases. Due to the widespread prevalence of colorectal cancers, more mitigating factors are needed to improve the access to care for patients in these at-risk groups to improve diagnosis and detection of colorectal cancer and its associated mortality.

Напрямки подолання наслідків впливу пандемії COVID-19 на м’які навички кадрового потенціалу України

The purpose of the work is to develop a single comprehensive system that will helpto overcome the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic impact on the soft skills of the personnel potential of Ukraine. In order to determine the main methods of overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic consequences, a survey of random respondents was conducted. In addition, the purpose of the survey was to assess respondents’ own soft skills during the pandemic and their changes before and after it. The article used the historical method, methods of abstraction, forecasting and analysis. The method of systematization became one of the main ones in achieving the goals and objectives of the research. Thus, we were able to systematize the research results, assess the possibilities for developing a mechanism for overcoming the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis, and form them in a single system. It has been established that the COVID-19 pandemic has a direct impact on the soft skills of personnel potential in Ukraine. People learned how to adapt to new working conditions, how to communicate in an unfamiliar mode, thereby acquiring new skills. The concepts of self-motivation, stability, and adaptability have become more important. The survey conducted in this study confirmed the importance of all these components. The authors of the article propose several strategies for coping with the consequences of the pandemic. The first is independent continuous development and improvement of skills. It can be online training, participation in events, etc. It is also important to provide employees with online tools for collaboration so that employees feel comfortable using the latest technologies. Providing employees with flexible working conditions is also an important aspect, as this will allow them to learn and develop more willingly and effectively. A favorable working environment will help maintain psychological health. Employers can offer employee assistance programs, counseling services, and more. These approaches can significantly increase the effectiveness of the functioning of employees and improve the development of soft skills in the conditions of any crisis. The research is valuable for economic science and has practical significance. The article reveals an understanding of how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the soft skills of employees, their ability to solve problems, make decisions, communicate, etc. This is how we can formulate people’s ideas about how to improve their skills, how to learn to solve problems that arose during the pandemic. An effective mechanism for overcoming the consequences of the pandemic on the soft skills of human resources (both private and public sectors) is becoming an urgent task for companies, government structures and educational institutions, and therefore important for analysis and research in academic circles. The research is very relevant in modern conditions, as the ability to overcome a crisis is important not only during a pandemic, but also in connection with other factors, in particular, with the beginning of a war and its impact on people’s lives.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on neurodevelopmental outcomes of premature infants: a retrospective national cohort study

ObjectiveTo compare the neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignPremature infants born in 2018 were assigned to the pre-pandemic group, while those born in 2019 were...

Impact of covid-19 pandemic on pregnant women and nursing mothers: integrative review

Objective: to identify research related to nursing care in Primary Health Care for obstetric patients and nursing mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Integrative literature review in the LILACS, Scielo and MEDLINE databases using combinations "Pregnant Women OR Pregnancy AND COVID-19", "Breastfeeding OR Breastfeeding AND COVID-19" and "Primary Health Care AND Obstetrics". 28 articles were included in the search. Results: information analysed divided into 1) Vulnerabilities and impacts for women during pregnancy during the pandemic; 2) Potentials developed in the COVID-19 pandemic for pregnant and postpartum women; 3) Understand how to continue instructing women on breastfeeding in times of COVID-19 and 4) Protocols developed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: the study presented looks at assistance to pregnant and breastfeeding women during the pandemic and guides the work for this audience today.

Opinions of School Principals on the Impact of College Exams and Covid-19 Pandemic on Visual Arts Course

The aim of this study is to determine the perspectives of school principals on the positive or negative effects of online applications and college exams in schools during the pandemic process. Within the framework of the study designed in the qualitative research model, the opinions of 21 school principals from 6 regions in Northern Cyprus were obtained through a semi-structured interview form. As a result of the research data analyzed by content analysis, it has been revealed that both the Covid-19 pandemic and the college exams have a negative effect on the visual arts course. In particular, the fact that the visual arts course is not within the scope of college exams is among the main reasons why it is considered trivial by teachers, students and parents alike.

Medium-Term Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Household Entrepreneurship in China

ABSTRACT This study investigates the medium-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on household entrepreneurship in China, utilizing data from the 2015–2021 China Household Finance Survey. Employing a generalized Difference-in-Differences (DiD) methodology, we find that the pandemic has significantly dampened household entrepreneurship one year after its initial outbreak in China. Our analysis suggests that this decline is largely attributable to heightened risk aversion and increasingly pessimistic outlooks on the future. Moreover, our heterogeneity analysis reveals that this adverse effect predominantly impacts individuals with lower educational levels, the elderly, and those in regions with inadequate digital and financial infrastructure. These findings offer vital insights for policymakers aiming to rejuvenate household entrepreneurship in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic in Patients with Cancer and the Relation with Traumatic Events, Difficulty in Emotion Regulation, and Social Support

Objective: We aimed to investigate the psychological effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in cancer patients and its relationship with traumatic events, difficulty in emotion regulation and social support during the COVID-19 Pandemic Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted with 149 patients diagnosed with cancer. Patients were assessed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PTSDCL), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale for DSM-5 (DASS-21), Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale (ACE), Stressful Life Events Inquiry List, Difficulty in Emotion Regulation Scale-Short Form (DERS), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Supports(MSPSS). Results: 92 (61.7%) of the 149 participants were female and 118 (79.2%) were married. The median age was 51 years. 66 (%44.3) experienced moderate-to-severe distress on any or more of the DASS-21 scales. High DERS-Goals levels (p

The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Life Cycle of Tourist Destinations from Tour Operators and Hoteliers' Perspectives

Purpose: This study explores the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism sector and tourist destinations by expanding the Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC) model, thus providing a more comprehensive understanding of the pandemic's influence on destination and insights for developing effective revitalization strategies for tourism destinations. Design/methodology/approach: Employing a qualitative research approach, the study utilizes the TALC model to conduct qualitative interviews with tour operators and hoteliers, aiming to gather nuanced insights into the im-pacts of the pandemic on tourism destinations. Nine tour operators and four hoteliers participated in the online interviews. Data analysis was driven by the interview responses, and thematic analysis was guided by concepts of the COVID-19 pandemic impacts and the six stages of Butler's TALC model. Findings: Severe impact of the pandemic on tourism businesses, encompassing a decline in tourist arrivals, business closures, and substantial job and income loss. Tourist destination impacts can be classified into four distinct stages― stagnation, exploration, involvement, development, and consolidation providing a structured framework for inter―preting the evolving dynamics of tourism destinations. Contextual issues and diverse approaches are suggested to revitalize tourist destinations in order remain attractive, competitive, and sustainable. Research limitations/implications: The restriction of the sample size to only two tourism sectors and generalizing findings due to the exploratory and qualitative nature of the research. Originality/value: It provides insightful of pandemic impacts on tourist destination and relevant strategies, drawing upon Butler's theory. The practical implications for destination management and stakeholder engagement are in-strumental in shaping the development of effective destination management strategies.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on children overweight in Japan in 2020.

This study aimed to explore the association between the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and overweight incidence among preadolescent elementary school children in Japan. A population-based longitudinal study was conducted in Adachi City, Tokyo, Japan, using data from the Adachi Child Health Impact of Living Difficulty (A-CHILD) study. The control group (2016-2018) comprised 434 children, and the COVID-19 exposure group (2018-2020) included 3500 children. Overweight was defined as a body mass index (BMI) z-score of 1 SD or more according to the World Health Organization standards. The study design involved comparing BMI z-scores before and after exposure to the pandemic, considering the associated lifestyle changes and potential consequences on physical activity, parental employment status and income. By 6th grade, the prevalence of overweight increased from 17.7% to 19.2% in the control group and 22.5% to 29.5% in the COVID-19 exposure group. Difference-in-differences analysis revealed that children's exposure to COVID-19 significantly increased BMI z-scores (coefficient 0.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.14-0.29) and a higher odds ratio of overweight (odds ratio 2.51, 95% CI 1.12-5.62), even after adjusting for time-varying covariates. The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with an increased prevalence of overweight among elementary school children in Japan.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cervical cancer screening participation, abnormal cytology prevalence and screening interval in Catalonia.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a national lockdown and the interruption of all cancer preventive services, including cervical cancer screening. We aimed to assess the COVID-19 pandemic impact on opportunistic screening participation, abnormal cytology (ASCUS+) prevalence and screening interval in 2020 and 2021 within the Public Health System of Catalonia, Spain. Individual data on cytology and HPV testing of women aged 25-65 from 2014 to 2021 were retrieved from the Information System for Primary Care Services (SISAP). Time-series regression models were used to estimate expected screening participation and abnormal cytology prevalence in 2020 and 2021. The impact was determined by comparing observed and expected values (ratios). Additionally, changes in screening interval trends between 2014 and 2021 were assessed by fitting a Piecewise linear regression model. Cervical cancer screening participation decreased by 38.8% and 2.2% in 2020 and 2021, respectively, with the most significant impact on participation (-96.1%) occurring in April 2020. Among older women, participation was lower, and it took longer to recover. Abnormal cytology prevalence was 1.4 times higher than expected in 2020 and 2021, with variations by age (range=1.1-1.5). From June 2020 onwards, the screening interval trend significantly changed from an increase of 0.59 to 3.57 months per year, resulting in a median time of 48 months by December 2021. During the pandemic, fewer women have participated in cervical cancer screening, abnormal cytology prevalence has increased, and the screening interval is more prolonged than before. The potential cervical cancer lifetime risk implications highlight the need for organized HPV-based screening.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on physician-scientist trainees to faculty one year into the pandemic

PurposePhysician-scientists play a crucial role in advancing biomedical sciences. Proportionally fewer physicians are actively engaged in scientific pursuits, attributed to attrition in the training and retention pipeline. This national study evaluated the ongoing and longer-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stress levels, research productivity, and optimism for physician-scientists at all levels of training.MethodsA multi-institutional cross-sectional survey of medical students, graduate students, and residents/fellows/junior faculty (RFJF) was conducted from April to August 2021 to assess the impact of COVID-19 on individual stress, productivity, and optimism. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify associated variables and unsupervised variable clustering techniques were employed to identify highly correlated responses.ResultsA total 677 respondents completed the survey, representing different stages of physician-scientist training. Respondents report high levels of stress (medical students: 85%, graduate students: 63%, RFJF: 85%) attributed to impaired productivity concerns, concern about health of family and friends, impact on personal health and impairment in training or career development. Many cited impaired productivity (medical students: 65% graduate students: 79%, RFJF: 78%) associated with pandemic impacts on training, labs closures and loss of facility/resource access, and social isolation. Optimism levels were low (medical students: 37%, graduate students: 38% and RFJF: 39%) with females less likely to be optimistic and more likely to report concerns of long-term effects of COVID-19. Optimism about the future was correlated with not worrying about the long-term effects of COVID-19. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, all respondents reported increased prioritization of time with family/friends (67%) and personal health (62%) over career (25%) and research (24%).ConclusionsThis national survey highlights the significant and protracted impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stress levels, productivity, and optimism among physician-scientists and trainees. These findings underscore the urgent need for tailored support, including mental health, academic, and career development assistance for this biomedical workforce.

The Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Reproductive Health in Kenya: Challenges, Lessons and Opportunities

Health systems and healthcare delivery around the world have been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Kenya, the attainment of universal health coverage (UHC) has been hampered by the pandemic, particularly in the areas of reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH). This paper examines the effect of COVID-19 on RMNCH in Kisumu, Isiolo, Machakos, and Nyeri counties in Kenya. The objective of the study was to determine if there was a significant change in service delivery under reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health in hospitals under the Universal Health Coverage Program. The target population was the patients seeking RMNCH services in these hospitals. The study arrived at a sample of 78 respondents achieving a response rate of 84%. The study used a mixed-methods approach, comprising both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. The quantitative data were collected through a retrospective analysis of RMNCH indicators from January 2019 to June 2021, while the qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews with healthcare workers and community members. The key finding of the study was that there was a significant decrease in the quality of RMNCH services during the COVID-19 period compared to before the pandemic. This conclusion is based on the results of a Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test, which produced a test statistic Z of -4.321 and an Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed) value of 0. The challenges identified as hindering access to and provision of RMNCH services during the pandemic include inadequate personal protective equipment, inadequate supply of essential medicine, and reduced funding for RMNCH services. The study concluded that COVID-19 pandemic had a significant negative impact on RMNCH in the four counties. The pandemic led to disruptions in health service delivery, resulting in reduced access to essential RMNCH services. Consequently, there was an increase in maternal and child deaths. Recommendations include strengthening health systems, improving access to essential RMNCH services, and providing necessary resources and support to healthcare workers for delivering high-quality care.

Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Primary Healthcare Services Delivery as Perceived by Rural Residents

This study assessed the impact of the CoViD-19 pandemic on primary healthcare services in Barangay Mabua, Surigao City. Employing a quantitative research design, the study profiled participants and investigated the pandemic’s effects on healthcare delivery. Purposive sampling was used, and data was collected through a validated questionnaire. The research objectives included examining variance based on participant profiles and deriving recommendations. The findings revealed a significant impact of the pandemic on primary healthcare services, with preventive and rehabilitative services showing variance across demographics. The study concluded that despite challenges, primary healthcare services continued to cater to the community. The implications of the research were far-reaching, offering insights for policymakers, healthcare providers, and the community. The recommendations encompassed health literacy campaigns, collaborative efforts, and financial assistance programs to address the identified challenges. The study not only contributes valuable insights to the field but also lays the groundwork for future research endeavors in healthcare service delivery during crises.

Perceived Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Clinical Care and Treatment of Tuberculosis-Directly Observed Treatment Short-Course (TB-DOTS) Patients

The study determined the perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the clinical care and treatment of TB-DOTS patients in Claver, Surigao del Norte, Philippines, from 2020 to 2022. The research utilized a quantitative approach through a descriptive survey, with 150 respondents through purposive sampling. Most respondents were male, and a notable proportion had completed high school. The analysis employed descriptive statistical tools, showing a positive attitude toward the financial aspects of compliance and heightened awareness of COVID-19 preventive measures. Despite challenges introduced by the pandemic, such as difficulties attending medication refill appointments, TB-DOTS patients generally expressed satisfaction with Claver’s healthcare facilities, there are variations based on educational attainment and occupation. These variations suggest the need for tailored interventions to address the specific needs and challenges of different groups of patients. Additionally, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare services and medication refill appointments is evident. To mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on TB services, health authorities in the Philippines collaborated with key stakeholders to ramp up and adopt easy-to-implement solutions. One solution was home-visit treatment with the help of health workers.