Spread Of COVID-19 Research Articles

Integrating Motion Intention and Impedance Control in Teleoperated Robotic Rehabilitation for Upper Extremity Disorders

Abstract Due to the global pandemic in 2020, rehabilitation services had to adapt to virtual care to meet the needs of patients with a diversity of upper extremity disorders and injuries, from simple fingertip injuries to replanted extremities, while mitigating the spread of COVID-19. For patients who require occupational therapy in their rehabilitation, teleoperated robotic care can fulfill this need. Moreover, some clinical studies show that incorporating the active intention of patients into rehabilitation training enhances the effectiveness of therapies. This research aims to develop a bilateral impedance controller with a Franka Emika 7 DOF (degree-of-freedom) articulated robot using MATLAB, facilitating upper limb occupational therapy. Through this setup, the Franka robot will lead patients through various therapeutic exercises based on their motion intention, such as a pick-and-place exercise. The exercises’ efficacy is assessed through evaluations of torque, muscle strength, and jerking performance. During patients’ rehabilitation exercises with the Franka Robot, we anticipate observing decreased muscle activity alongside a smooth, assist-as-needed trajectory. This method will allow a patient to perform complex movements essential for daily activities quicker than traditional occupational therapy.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of chemical inactivation and immunogenicity of the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus

The rapid spread of coronavirus infection COVID-19 among the population of many countries around the world has contributed to the emergence of many genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2. Compared to previous coronavirus variants, the new Omicron variants have shown a noticeable degree of mutation. Virus inactivation is one of the most important steps in the development of inactivated vaccines. The chemical inactivation agents currently used are β-propiolactone and formaldehyde, but there is no uniform standard for designing and specifying the inactivation process. Evaluation and comparison of the effectiveness of chemical inactivation of two agents, formaldehyde and β-propiolactone against immunogenicity of the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Nasopharyngeal swabs were used to obtain the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant virus. Vero cell culture was used to isolate, reproduce, titrate the virus, and perform a neutralization reaction. The kinetics of studying the inactivation of the virus by chemical agents such as formaldehyde and β-propiolactone was carried out. Studies have been conducted to comparatively evaluate the effectiveness of chemical agents used to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus of the Omicron variant, planned for use in the production of an inactivated whole-virion vaccine. Formaldehyde and β-propiolactone were used as inactivation agents in concentrations of 0.05, 0.1, 0.5% of the total volume of the virus suspension. It has been established that complete inactivation of the virus by formaldehyde in the concentrations used at a temperature of 37 °C occurs within up to 2 hours, and when using beta-propiolactone, within up to 12 hours. Inactivated virus samples have different antigenic activity depending on the concentration of the inactivation agents used. The most pronounced antigenic activity is manifested in samples of the pathogen that were treated with an inactivation agent at a mild concentration of 0.05%. Increasing the concentration of inactivation agent by 5 or more times leads to a significant decrease in the antigenicity of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. With the inactivation modes used, the loss of biological activity of the virus occurs faster and antigenicity is retained largely when treated with formaldehyde.

Assessing the impact of socio-economic and environmental factors on COVID-19 spread in urban neighborhoods: evidence from Urmia, Iran

ABSTRACT The majority of the world’s population has been living in cities for the past two decades, making these areas particularly vulnerable to various stressors, including natural and man-made disasters. A growing literature suggests that socio-economic and environmental indicators significantly affect the epidemic. As a result, this research aims to investigate the effect of these indicators on the rate of infection with COVID-19 in the neighborhoods of Urmia City in Iran. This study uses Moran’s analysis, cluster and outlier analysis to identify high-risk and low-risk areas, as well as weighted spatial regression analysis. The results indicate that the number of employees, the number of elderly people, construction density, and road density have a significant relationship in predicting the epidemic. Based on the study of the effect of variables on the number of COVID-19 patients in Urmia City in Iran, the predicted values for the number of coronavirus patients indicate that the risk of contracting COVID-19 in the southern and part of the western areas is higher than in the northern and northeastern areas.

When does China go to war? Explaining China’s Covid19-driven perceived vulnerability in 2020

ABSTRACT This paper argues that China intruded at multiple points along the LAC in May 2020 to showcase strength amidst the COVID-19 pandemic which is believed to have originated in Wuhan. COVID-19 led to large scale deaths and a global economic meltdown with Beijing severely criticized for the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic, poor regulation of the animal markets, suppressing information and failure to prevent the spread of COVID-19 beyond China’s borders. This caused immense damage to China’s international reputation and status, its economy, and relations with other countries. Border incursions by China in May 2020 were a guise to highlight China’s strength lest India consider China in a weakened state and gain leverage over Beijing in the bilateral relationship. Through border incursions, Beijing wanted to mask its vulnerability created by COVID-19 and showcase its willingness to not compromise over its security interests. China is both powerful and insecure about its status. This combination makes it undertake a particularly pessimistic security-centric outlook and more likely to engage in risky behavior. Like in the previous instances, the use of military force against India in the year 2020 stemmed from a sense of vulnerability caused by loss of status due to Covid19.

Analysis of the incidence of influenza before and after the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea.

Influenza outbreaks of varying size occur every year, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries experienced influenza at lower levels. However, following the relaxation of COVID-19 prevention measures in 2022, the incidence of influenza began to increase gradually. Thus, this study compared the occurrence of influenza from week 36 of 2017, before the COVID-19 outbreak, until 2023. The analysis was conducted using influenza-like illness occurrence data available from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency infectious disease website. Additionally, to examine the changes in COVID-19 and influenza occurrence during the pandemic, COVID-19 incidence data from 20 January 2020 to 31 August 2023 were obtained from the KDCA Coronavirus Disease 19 homepage. During the COVID-19 pandemic, which corresponds to the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 influenza seasons, there was no seasonal influenza epidemic, and the incidence rates were below the usual outbreak levels. However, in the 2022/2023 season, when the spread of COVID-19 had eased, a seasonal pattern similar to that observed before the COVID-19 pandemic was noted. Furthermore, correlation analysis between the rates of influenza-like illness and COVID-19 incidence showed no significant correlation during the entire period. However, a significant correlation emerged in 2023 (r = 0.393, p <0.05). These results suggest that influenza was suppressed during the COVID-19 pandemic but returned to typical seasonal patterns after the COVID-19 prevention policies were eased. The positive correlation observed between the incidences of COVID-19 and influenza in 2023 indicates that COVID-19, no longer a novel pandemic-causing infectious disease, may have transitioned to an endemic pattern similar to seasonal influenza.

Local effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions on mitigation of COVID-19 spread through decreased human mobilities in Japan: a prefecture-level mediation analysis

To control the COVID-19 epidemic, the Japanese government and the local governments have repeatedly implemented non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) throughout 2020–2022. Using Bayesian state-space mediation models, we examined the effect of repeated NPIs on infection spread mitigation, mediated by human mobility changes in each prefecture during three epidemic phases: from April 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021; from March 1, 2021 to December 16, 2021; and from December 17, 2021 to December 31, 2022. In the first phase, controlling downtown populations at nighttime was effective in mitigating the infection spread in almost all prefectures. In the second and third phases, the effect was not clear, especially in metropolitan prefectures. Controlling visitors from the central prefectures of metropolitan areas was effective in mitigating infection spread in the surrounding prefectures during all phases. These results suggest that the local spread of infection can be mitigated by focusing on nighttime human mobility control in downtown areas before the epidemic spreads widely and transmission routes become more diverse, and that the geospatial spread of infection can be prevented by controlling the flows of people from large cities to other areas.

Safety and Immunogenicity of Intranasal Razi Cov Pars as a COVID-19 Booster Vaccine in Adults: Promising Results from a Groundbreaking Clinical Trial

Protective antibodies in the upper respiratory tract prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the community. Intranasal vaccines could raise the specific secretory IgA and IgG levels. This is a single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of Razi Cov Pars (RCP) intranasal recombinant protein subunit COVID-19 vaccine as a booster in adults. We compared specific IgG and IgA levels in the intranasal RCP group (n = 97) versus placebo (n = 96) in serum, saliva, and nasal mucosal secretions on days 0 and 14 and reported their Geometric Mean Ratios (GMR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). We showed significant increases in IgA and IgG anti-RBD in the nasal mucosa in the RCP group, but their increase was not detectable in the serum and saliva. Anti-spike IgA in the nasal mucosa also increased in the RCP group compared to the placebo. This increase against the COVID-19 variant Omicron was also similar to that of the Wuhan. We detected no serious adverse reactions or anaphylaxis and all adverse events resolved completely during the follow-up period and were similar in both groups. Intranasal RCP is safe, stimulates the respiratory mucosal immunity, and could be a booster on various COVID-19 vaccines and be effective against new virus variants.

Dynamical systems analysis of a reaction-diffusion SIRS model with optimal control for the COVID-19 spread

We examine an SIRS reaction-diffusion model with local dispersal and spatial heterogeneity to study COVID-19 dynamics. Using the operator semigroup approach, we establish the existence of disease-free equilibrium (DFE) and endemic equilibrium (EE), and derive the basic reproduction number, R 0 . Simulations show that without dispersal, reinfection and limited medical resources problems can cause a plateau in cases. Dispersal and spatial heterogeneity intensify localised outbreaks, while integrated control strategies (vaccination and treatment) effectively reduce infection numbers and epidemic duration. The possibility of reinfection demonstrates the need for adaptable health measures. These insights can guide optimised control strategies for enhanced public health preparedness.

Review of domestic test systems for detecting current or past SARS‑CoV‑2 infection using enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assay

Introduction. Rapid and reliable assessment of circulating antibody levels to SARS-CoV-2 remains the current challenge for monitoring and preventing the spread of COVID-19. As the risk of emergence and dissemination of new viral strains continues to grow, epidemiologic research is also becomes increasingly important. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is useful to assess the vaccination effectiveness and the need for revaccination, the proportion of post-disease and vaccinated individuals, and to monitor population immunity. This article provides an overview of the local ELISA kits currently available for the detection of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins, with a comparison to the certified kit by Mediagnost Ltd. (Germany).The aim. Laboratory testing of seven domestic reagent kits for the determination of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins by ELISA in comparison with the certified test system “Anti-SARS-CoV-2 ELISA E 111-IVD” (Mediagnost Ltd., Reutlingen, Germany).Materials and methods. The study included 80 serum samples from conditionally healthy donors: experimental group (n=70, serum samples collected after 2019) and control group (n=10, serum samples collected before 2018). The experimental group is comprised of non-infected and post-disease individuals; a proportion of those were vaccinated against COVID-19.Results and conclusions. The data obtained indicate high reproducibility, sensitivity (100 %), and specificity for all domestic ELISA kits in detecting both post-disease (90–95 %) and vaccinated volunteers (100 %). The main quality criteria of the obtained results were comparable to those for the certified test system, “Anti-SARS-CoV-2 ELISA E 111-IVD” (Mediagnost Ltd., Germany). All kits detecting IgG to the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and to the S-glycoprotein were effective for the reliable assessment of antibody production after the vaccination. Kits for the detection of antibodies to the RBD and/or viral nucleocapsid are useful for identifying unvaccinated post-disease individuals.

Data on the Effects of Covid-19 Pandemic on the Quantity, Quality and Management of Solid Waste in Babol Hospitals

Medical waste is about 1-2 % of urban waste, which is very important in terms of health. The aim of this study is to analyze the effects of the covid-19 epidemic on the quantity, quality and management of hospital waste data (infectious, common, sharp objects, and chemical waste) in the two periods before and during the covid-19 epidemic in Babol hospitals. In this regard, all 6 government hospitals were selected and investigated. Data were collected by the researcher using the standard checklist of the environmental and labor health center of the ministry of health. finally, the obtained data were analyzed using excel. The total solid waste produced by the studied hospitals before covid-19 pandemic was 3019.9 kg/day, of which 51.7 % was ordinary waste, 43.25 % was infectious waste, 3.11 % was chemical waste, and 1.93 % was sharp pointed waste. The total solid waste produced in 2021 was 3053.2 kg/day, of which 35 % was ordinary waste, 59.31 % was infectious waste, 3.35 % was dangerous chemical medical waste and 2.3 % was sharp pointed waste. Given the large amount and the danger of infectious waste in the hospital, careful and continuous monitoring of the management of such waste will be necessary to ensure, maintain and increase the level of health of the personnel, patients and all those referring to hospitals.• This study investigates the impact of the outbreak of covid-19 on quantity, quality and also it shows the types of medical waste (infectious, normal, sharp and chemical) in three consecutive years before and after the corona epidemic.• The impact of the spread of Covid-19 on the management of all types of medical waste has been investigated in this study.• The results of this study can be used to improve the management of waste production practices in hospitals, medical clinics and other similar centers.

A multiple behaviour temporal network analysis for health behaviours during COVID-19.

The aim of this study was to examine the temporal dynamics of multiple health behaviours (physical activity, alcohol consumption, healthy eating, cigarette consumption, recreational drug use, vaping), and pandemic-related health behaviours (e.g., hand washing, physical distancing) using network psychometrics. The International COVID-19 Awareness and Responses Evaluation (iCARE) study is an international multi-wave observational cohort study of public awareness, attitudes, and responses to public health policies implemented to reduce the spread of COVID-19 on people around the world. A sub-sample of longitudinal data from Canadians (n = 254) was analysed across four waves (February-July 2020). We used temporal network models to fit temporal networks, contemporaneous networks, and between-subject networks from items within the iCARE survey. Positive temporal associations were observed between physical activity and healthy eating, and a bidirectional relationship was evident between outdoor mask use and vaping. A contemporaneous network revealed positive associations between consumption behaviours (vaping, cigarette use, alcohol use, and recreational drug use), and negative associations between physical activity and drug use, and healthy eating and cigarette use. Health behaviours are interconnected and can be modelled as networks or behavioural systems. The application of temporal network analysis to the study of multiple health behaviours is well suited to address key research questions in the field such as 'how do multiple health behaviours co-vary with one another over time'. Future research using time series data and measuring affective and cognitive mediators of behaviour, in addition to health behaviours, has the potential to contribute valuable hypothesis-generating insights.

Can Massive Religious Festival Celebrations Encourage a Faster Spread of a Pandemic? The Case of COVID-19 in Israel.

This paper attempts to evaluate how massive religious festivalcelebrations can encourage the faster spread of any pandemic according to our problem statement, such as the case of COVID-19. For example, we evaluate Israel's three major religions, namely Judaism, Christianity, and the Islamic festival celebrations, respectively. Firstly, we have the traditional Jewish festivities such asHanukkah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Rosh Hashanah. In the Christian's traditional festivities celebrations, we identified Christmas, Easter Day, and All Saints Day. Finally, the Muslim festivities ofMuharram and the Birthday of theHoly Prophet Mohamad. Thepurpose of thisstudy wasto evaluate if these nine massive religious festival celebrations are the main reasons for the large spread of COVID-19 in Israel directly or indirectly. In fact, we propose a new methodology to evaluate the impact of any massive religious festivalcelebration andthe fast spread of any pandemic everywhere and anytime. The new indicator is entitled "The National Spread Levels of Infectious Diseases Risk from Massive Religious Festivities Index" (National-SLIDRMRF-Index). Finally, the major finding in this research is that any massive religious events can generate an exponential number of COVID-19 cases constantly. Therefore, this research concluded that we urgentlyneed a standardized index to monitor and control the expansion of any pandemic such as COVID-19 among different religious groups in the same country. At the same time, we give different policy recommendations to the Israeli government to constantlykeep major controls and measures ofdifferent religious events inJerusalem.

Covid-19, the Eucharist and spreading disease through Christianity’s holiest rite

During the Covid-19 pandemic in the USA, churches were faced with a question of medical and metaphysical importance: can Christianity’s rite of Holy Communion spread Covid-19? This article examines Christian responses to Covid-19 through a case study of five of Christianity’s multifaceted Covid eucharistic policies, arguing that the responses of churches in times of crisis reflect a nuanced understanding of the metaphysical theories surrounding the Eucharist. The goal of this article is to serve as a primer on the relationships between beliefs of the Eucharist and Covid-19 in American churches, seeking to provide an overview and facilitate further inquiry into modern concerns of Christianity’s holiest rite and the spread of disease.

비대면 상담서비스 운영 변화와 과제: 국내 사이트를 중심으로

Objectives This study aims to identify operational changes and challenges in the development of non-face- to-face counseling by comparing the past and present usage of contactless counseling in the context of the rapid increase in the use of contactless counseling due to the spread of COVID-19 and the development of information technology. Methods For comparison with the past, we used the survey methodology from a previous study (Kim, Kye-hyun, &amp; Lim, Eun-mi, 2000) and analyzed 113 counseling sites, including five items (‘service target’, ‘service operator’, ‘counseling method’, ‘counseling content’, and ‘usage fee’) and two additional items (‘counselor’s expertise’ and ‘guidance on using non-face-to-face counseling’) as survey indicators. Results First, we found that counseling methods, which were limited in the early days of non-face-to-face coun-seling, are now being diversified through the development of technology and the expansion of media use. Second, we observed a new way of connecting counselors by establishing platforms for non-face-to-face counseling at large portal sites and private counseling organizations, not limited to the free services provided by public in-stitutions in the past. Third, although guidance for non-face-to-face counseling is currently provided, there is a lack of information on the expertise and confidentiality of counselors. Conclusions This study aims to identify the current status of non-face-to-face counseling in Korea by comparing the past and present operation status of non-face-to-face counseling in Korea, and to identify development tasks. It is expected to provide various implications on the need to strengthen the awareness, professionalism, and eth-ical considerations of non-face-to-face counseling.

Estimation of Epidemiological Parameters for COVID-19 Cases in Burkina Faso Using African Vulture Optimization Algorithm (AVOA)

In this paper, we present a mathematical model that accounts for virus transmission through deceased individuals to simulate the dynamics of COVID-19 spread in Burkina Faso. The existence and uniqueness of the model’s solution have been proven. The basic reproduction number was calculated using the Jacobian determinant method. The stability of the disease-free and endemic equilibrium points was studied. To estimate the model parameters, we used African Vulture Optimization Algorithm (AVOA). We then used this algorithm to estimate the parameters of the developed model using daily reported COVID-19 cases in Burkina Faso from March 11 to April 20, 2020. The results obtained show that the proposed model is more realistic for simulating the spread of COVID-19 in Burkina Faso.

Modeling Emergency Traffic Using a Continuous-Time Markov Chain

This paper aims to propose a novel call for help traffic (SOS) and study its impact over Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Human-to-Human (H2H) traffic in Internet of Things environments, specifically during disaster events. During such events (e.g., the spread COVID-19), SOS traffic, with its predicted exponential increase, will significantly influence all mobile networks. SOS traffic tends to cause many congestion overload problems that significantly affect the performance of M2M and H2H traffic. In our project, we developed a new Continuous-Time Markov Chain (CTMC) model to analyze and measure radio access performance in terms of massive SOS traffic that influences M2M and H2H traffic. Afterwards, we validate the proposed CTMC model through extensive Monte Carlo simulations. By analyzing the traffic during an emergency case, we can spot a huge impact over the three traffic types of M2M, H2H and SOS traffic. To solve the congestion problems while keeping the SOS traffic without any influence, we propose to grant the SOS traffic the highest priority over the M2M and H2H traffic. However, by implementing this solution in different proposed scenarios, the system becomes able to serve all SOS requests, while only 20% of M2M and H2H traffic could be served in the worst-case scenario. Consequently, we can alleviate the expected shortage of SOS requests during critical events, which might save many humans and rescue them from being isolated.

Attitude, Behavior, and Practices of Infection Control (Hand Washing, Social Distancing and Wearing Mask) among Communities During COVID-19 Outbreak in Areas, (Orangi, Baldia, Movach, Site, Garden, Nazimabad, Qayyumabad) of Karachi, Pakistan

Background Novel corona virus infectious disease covid-19 was first time reported in Wuhan city of China at the end of December 2019.[1] Which proliferated rapidly in China and then around the globe in 209 countries of USA, Europe, Australia, and Asia as well as Pakistan. The death toll around the world has been reached to more than 42 million and 2 billion have been affected so far,[3] in Pakistan the death toll reached to 23 thousand and affected population reached to 10 million and still numbers increasing rapidly.[5] Government taken Various measures in Pakistan for the control of covid-19. Despite of having insufficient funds Pakistan also taken accurate quantify like planned special hospitals, laboratories for testing, isolation facilities, mindfulness drive and lock down to minimize spread virus. Despite the government strict policy towards COVID-19 there are many people who are unable to follow the measures which add into the rapid spread of virus. the aim of the study is to assess the attitude, behavior, and practice among the resident of Karachi specifically those who are residing in SITE area, Orangi Town, Baldia Town, Movach Goth, Nazimabad, Garden, Qayyumabad and Gulshan-e-Iqbal to know the public response towards following SOPs.  Method A self-administered questionnaire was designed, based on determined attitude, behavior, and practices among the resident of Karachi during COVID-19 outbreak. Questionnaire were prepared at google form and accessible online for the participants. The questionnaire was processed to the residents of Karachi, between the duration from 12, June to 10, July 2021. The collected data was analyzed with help of SPSS version 26.0 (IBM) to identify the attitude behavior and practices of people during COVID-19 outbreak. The responses were analyzed based on age, gender, level of education, and income, to identify statistical correlation by utilizing chi square test.  Results The study included 318 participants, out of which 193(61%) males and 125(39%) were female. The majority (291;92%) of the participant was familiar with the covid 19, (94%; 299) of the participant were concerned about the health of their families, (95%;303) agreed that self- care and protection can reduce the possibility to get infected by COVID-19 infection, a vast majority (98%; 313) participants were following cough etiquettes.  Conclusion All of the study participants were from Karachi and they have reasonably good attitude, behavior and practices towards COVID-19 precautions, but still there must be given further awareness to cope with the social and psychological impact of the COVID-19 on public health, and also awareness session should be taken into account to reduce the spread of the infection COVID-19.

Repeated time-series cross-validation: A new method to improved COVID-19 forecast accuracy in Malaysia

Forecasting COVID-19 cases is challenging, and inaccurate forecast values will lead to poor decision-making by the authorities. Conversely, accurate forecasts aid Malaysian government authorities and agencies (National Security Council, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of International Trade and Industry) and financial institutions in formulating action plans, regulations, and legal acts to control COVID-19 spread in the country. Therefore, this study proposes Repeated Time-Series Cross-Validation, a new data-splitting strategy to identify the best forecasting model that is capable of producing the lowest error measures value and a high percentage of forecast accuracy for COVID-19 prediction in Malaysia. Some of the highlights of the proposed method are:•A total of 21 models, five data partitioning sets, and four error measures to improve the forecast accuracy of daily COVID-19 cases in Malaysia.•The best model selected produces the lowest error measure value for the Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), and Mean Absolute Scaled Error (MASE).•The average 8-day forecast accuracy is 90.2 %. The lowest and highest forecast accuracy was 83.7 % and 98.7 %.

A Deep Learning Algorithm to Detect Covid-19 from Lung X-ray Images

Covid-19 Predictive Model Using Deep Learning algorithm on X-Ray images of different patients. The individuals have been infected with the virus in the recent years due to large population spreading of covid- 19 virus has increased, A real-time reverse transcriptase- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) kit serves to identify the illness. This project provides another solution by implementing a model that distingue, the covid and normal patients by using lung X-Ray images. In this project we consider the following three dataset such as coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) contaminated by SARS-COV-2, common pneumonia (CP) and normal control to implement the deep learning model during predicting covid-19. These model gives better accuracy and efficiency in anticipating covid-19 infection.

Catching-Up in Islamabad, Pakistan: Identifying and Reaching Zero-Dose Children Following the COVID-19

Abstract Background Routine Immunisation (RI) is critical in mitigating child morbidity and mortality while preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in considerable disruptions, which have given rise to an unprecedented number of zero-dose (ZD) infants. It has presented formidable obstacles for healthcare systems on an international scale. Methods The study employed a retrospective analysis of data obtained from thirteen Supplementary Immunisation Activities (SIAs) that were carried out from 2019 to 2021 to investigate the fluctuations in the documented number of children with ZD. Health authority stakeholder interviews yielded valuable insights about vaccination strategies and obstacles. Results An enormous increase in the number of documented ZD minors were identified during the study period. The number of documented ZD minors rose from 3,827 in 2019 to 4,271 in 2020, and then again to 9,620 in 2021. Notwithstanding diligent attempts to immunise ZD children, the vaccination rate persisted at a less-than-ideal 81.24% of documented ZD children in 2021. Conclusions As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, pre-existing obstacles to accessing ZD infants in Islamabad were further intensified. The lessons learned emphasise the significance of community engagement, improved outreach strategies, and fortified healthcare infrastructure in guaranteeing comprehensive immunisation coverage. It is imperative to confront these challenges to reduce the likelihood of subsequent epidemics and protect children’s health. Key messages • The spread of COVID-19 among ZD neonates in Islamabad accelerated, prompting calls for improved vaccination programmes. • The suboptimal ZD vaccination rate in 2021, despite concerted efforts, underscores the criticality for enhanced strategies.