Effects Of COVID-19 Research Articles

Populist votes, orientations, and the COVID‐19 pandemic in Italy: A latent growth study

AbstractObjectiveWe aimed to predict the trend of populist orientations and votes in Italy before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic.MethodUsing the Consequences of COVID‐19 (COCO) data set (quota sample of the Italian adult population), we conducted a 3.5‐year, seven‐wave longitudinal study, with one wave before the pandemic (June 2019) and six waves during the pandemic (April and October 2020, April and October 2021, and April and October 2022).ResultsTwo latent growth analyses have shown that in the period we considered the degree of populism of the party chosen for the vote decreased linearly; this change was positively associated with the anxiety of the participants. Conversely, populist orientations remained stable.ConclusionThe COVID‐19 pandemic plausibly contributed to a superficial and temporary halt to the long populist wave that hit Italy in the last decades, as demonstrated by the decrease in populist vote choices concomitant with a persistent substrate of populist orientations.

COVID-19's Effect on Practice Quality Improvement and Transformation Activities: Practice Survey Results.

The Transforming Clinical Practices Initiative (TCPI) was a 4-year, large-scale, collaborative, peer-based learning initiative for physician practices of all specialties with broad goals to improve the quality of patient care, spend health care dollars more wisely, and assist practices in being ready to succeed under value-based payment (VBP). We investigated whether the COVID-19 pandemic had erased or diminished practice transformation progress made during the TCPI program period, through a follow-up survey of participating practices fielded in October 2021. In October 2021 to April 2022, we surveyed a probability sample of 2207 primary care and specialty practices that participated in the TCPI, receiving 610 responses. We asked about practice characteristics, financial and ownership stability, clinical performance, and quality improvement efforts, both now and prior to COVID-19. The COVID-19 content was part of a larger survey. Responses were weighted to account for sample selection, unknown eligibility status, and nonresponse. We generated weighted univariate descriptive statistics representative of practices with clinicians enrolled in TCPI. These estimated percentages have a 95% confidence interval of about ±5%. Multivariate analysis of unweighted data examined associations between practice characteristics and other variables of interest. For all but one of 13 practice transformation activities engaged in prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency, a majority of practices (at least 52%) reported that the progress on these activities were either not hurt or were helped by their COVID-19 experience. Compared to January 2020, only about 7% of practices reported that their quality of care or clinical performance was worse due to COVID-19, and 32% reported that their quality of care was better. More rural than urban practices reported that half or more of their transformation activities were hurt by COVID-19 (29% and 14%, respectively). Physician-owned practices were more likely to report quality is better today than prior to COVID-19 relative to practices with other ownership types such as hospitals or health systems (43% vs 24%). Most practices have been able to recover from the deep stress of the COVID-19 pandemic and continue their efforts to improve patient care and performance to succeed under VBP. These results suggest a high perceived return on investment in value-readiness support along with emergency financial support in times of crisis, as well as room to continue preparation for any future pandemic and the national movement toward increased VBP, especially in rural settings.

Coach perspectives on coach-athlete relationships and characteristics of Generation Z academy level rugby union players from South Africa.

The coach-athlete relationship is not merely a by-product of the coaching process but serves as its foundation. Coaches today must align their approaches with the characteristics (character, strengths, and growth areas) of a new generation of athletes, commonly referred to as Generation Z (Gen Z). Born between 1995 and 2012, Gen Z's grew up in a digital age, which shaped their character and behaviour. The purpose of the study was to explore coach-athlete relationships, the characteristics of Gen Z athletes that influence this relationship, and the process of building healthy coach-athlete relationships, from the perspectives of coaches. The study used a qualitative methodology to elicit the perspectives of 11 male rugby union coaches (M ± SD age: 42.09 ± 7.56 years; with 12.83 ± 3.48 years of coaching experience), through semi-structured individual online interviews. We developed the interview script from Jowett's Coach-Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (CART-Q). The interviews were analysed using Merriam and Tisdell's six-step process. The analysis yielded six super themes (and 17 themes). 1. Coach perspectives on coaching Gen Z players (developmental facilitators and debilitators, Covid-19's effect on development). 2. Closeness between coaches and athletes [loving and caring, getting closer, trusting, (not) respecting some players]. 3. Commitment (personally and towards the team, sacrifices). 4. Complementarity (goal setting, collectively working towards common goals). 5. Co-orientation (communicating, reciprocal relationship views). 6. Developing the coach-athlete relationship (approaches thereto, practical steps). Various facets of the coach-athlete relationship are interlinked and shaped by the characteristics and behaviours of this generation of athletes. Practical recommendations are offered on how to cultivate the coach-athlete relationship on emotional, cognitive, and behavioural levels.

Unraveling the Effects of SARS-CoV-2 on Dementia: A Comprehensive Study

Since late 2019, a pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, a highly contagious coronavirus, has jeopardized human and public health. Neurodegeneration and structural brain diseases produce dementia, which is developing rapidly. Strong evidence of COVID-19 brain abnormalities as neurotrophic viruses impair neurological systems. Neuron and glial cell degeneration can affect nerve transmission and brain function. Damage to these brain components raises dementia risk. Multiple studies linked SARS-CoV-2 to dementia. This manuscript contains selective data. This study aims to review the findings and suggest strategies to improve SARS-Covid dementia management. The study makes use of medical research databases like Google Scholar, PubMed, Medline, and Embase. Furthermore, information is also collected by recognized health organizations and government agencies. COVID-19 can produce neuropsychological deficits, agitation, confusion, inattention, and disorientation. Thus, SARS can worsen dementia and neurodegeneration. This article summarizes COVID-19's effects on dementia patients from several sources. The focus on existing treatments for affected patients ties the two.

Mental health disparities across sexual orientations during the COVID-19 pandemic: Longitudinal analysis of a UK nationally representative cohort

ObjectivesDuring COVID-19, sexual minority groups may have experienced heightened mental health challenges, amplified by unique stressors and the effects of pandemic-related restrictions. This study investigates the differential impact of the pandemic on mental health across sexual orientations, leveraging population-representative data to explore these disparities. Study designProspective cohort design. MethodsData from the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study (waves 8–12) was used. Monthly COVID-19 incidence rates at the regional level were used to indicate pandemic severity. Mental health outcomes were evaluated using the Mental Component Score of the Short Form-12 (MCS-12) survey. To examine whether COVID-19 led to differential impacts across sexual orientation, fixed-effect longitudinal models were employed, controlling for individual and time-variant covariates. ResultsLesbian women experienced a significant mental health decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a 3.10 MCS-12 score decrease (95 % confidence interval (CI): -5.77 to -0.43) and an 11.0 % higher likelihood of depression (95%CI: -0.3 % to 22.3 %, p = 0.057) compared to heterosexual women. Conversely, the impact on the mental health of heterosexual women was negative but not significant (-0.22; 95%CI: -0.47 to -0.04). Bisexual individuals and other women showed non-significant mental health declines. For men, COVID-19's effect on heterosexuals was similarly non-significant (-0.21; 95%CI: -0.48 to 0.1), with no significant differences observed in gay, bisexual, and other men. ConclusionsSexual minority individuals, especially lesbian women, faced heightened mental health challenges during COVID-19, emphasizing the urgency for targeted interventions.

Did the COVID-19 Pandemic Affect the Stress Levels among the Mothers of Premature Infants? A Narrative Review of the Present State of Knowledge, Prevention Strategies, and Future Directions.

Understanding COVID-19's effects on susceptible populations remains essential for clinical implementations. Our review aimed to examine whether the pandemic significantly impacted the stress levels in the mothers of premature infants in NICUs. The review of the literature from Google Scholar and PubMed resulted in identifying specific stressors such as the disruption of healthcare systems, limited access to neonatal care, uncertainty due to frequent changes in restrictions, the risk of COVID-19 infection, social isolation, and financial stress. While some quantitative studies concerning this topic did not show a significant increase in the perception of stress in this population compared to the pre-pandemic group, various research has indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic may result in enduring impacts on the emotional and neurological development of children. This article demonstrates a correlation between the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and an elevated incidence of depressive symptoms among the mothers of premature infants. Further studies are needed to assess the long-term impact of pandemic-induced stress.

COVID-19: ramifications of the pandemic on mental health and substance abuse.

To explore the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic on Mental Health and Substance Use. Relevant literature examining the correlation between COVID-19 and mental health/substance use was reviewed, and findings were summarized. Specific mechanisms regarding COVID-19's effects on the brain are unclear, but preliminary studies and biomarkers have been suggested in the literature. Numerous studies demonstrated COVID-19 has immediate and lingering neuropsychiatric impacts on affected patients. Psychiatric disorders and substance abuse increased during the COVID-19 pandemic due to biological and psychosocial factors, with a significant burden on individuals and societies worldwide, particularly in the United States. COVID-19 has shown us that underlying causes of mental health and substance abuse problems are more complicated than we have appreciated. Neuroinflammation and psychosocial stresses impact mental health and substance use. These factors need to be explored further for a better understanding and intervention.

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic and to Develop Strategies for Resistance on the Farming Practices in Ganjam District-An Analysis

The present study entitled “Scientific study on the farming practices in ganjam district to comprehend the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and to develop strategies for resistance” was undertaken with a view to evaluate COVID-19's effects on farmers of Ganjam District of Odisha and to suggest them how to overcome such pandemic situation. The study followed purposive and random sampling techniques that were found appropriate and taken to undergo the analysis. The study was conducted in the Department of Agricultural Extension and Communication, Institute of Agricultural Sciences (IAS), Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University Bhubaneswar, between December 2020 and August 2022. For the selection of District, Blocks and Villages covering 120 respondents, information was collected through structured interview schedule and focus group discussion. Suitable tools and techniques used during the analysis to suffice the study need are frequency, percentage, mean score, standard deviation, Person’s coefficient Correlation, T- test, multiple regression was employed for analyzing collected data. The study revealed that majority of the respondents (85%) belong to middle and older group, having the sex ratio of 3:2 male and female. The study revealed that the education of children adversely affected with mean score of 2.625, further it has been observed that the farmers couldn’t ensure expenses on purchase of household materials. The study depicted that quality food consumption, expenditure habit and farming in general have been adversely affected. The banking activities as regard to getting loan, taking banking transactions have also been adversely affected. Several farmers have faced physical, socio-economic, technological and production constraints. In this study, particularly problem in sound sleep, depression, feeling of insecurity, slowdown of supply chain and non-availability of quality inputs for cultivation are the main focus constraints encountered by agriculture. It was also found that to mitigate such situation farmers had opined that the vaccine should be taken regularly and farmer should develop the saving habit for future use.

LIMBIC-CENC: Successfully conducting longitudinal mTBI research during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conducting mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) longitudinal studies across multiple sites is a challenging endeavor which has been made more challenging because of COVID-19. This article briefly describes several concerns that need to be addressed during the conduct of research to account for COVID-19's impact. The recent actions and steps taken by the Long-term Impact of Military-relevant Brain Injury Consortium (LIMBIC)-Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (CENC) researchers are reviewed. COVID-19's effects on the conduct of LIMBIC-CENC for the short-term and long-term were considered to ensure the study continued safely for participants and researchers. COVID-19 may have long-lasting health and especially neurological effects which may confound the quantitative and qualitative measures of this any comparable longitudinal studies. The recognition, understanding, and preparation of COVID-19's impact on a longitudinal military and veteran mTBI population is crucial to successfully conducting LIMBIC-CENC and similar neurological research studies. Developing a plan based on the best available information while remaining agile as new information about COVID-19 emerge, is essential. Research presented in this special issue underscores the complexity of studying long-term effects of mTBI, in a population exposed to and symptomatic from COVID-19.

Quantifying the impact of post-acute sequelae of coronavirus on the cardiopulmonary endurance of athletes.

Post-acute sequelae of Coronavirus (PASC), or Long COVID, has emerged as a critical health concern. The clinical manifestations of PASC have been described, but studies have not quantified the cardiopulmonary effects. The goal of this study was to quantify PASC cardiopulmonary changes among endurance athletes. Endurance athletes were recruited via social media; 45 met inclusion criteria, 32 had PASC and 13 were asymptomatic at 3 months (control). Comprehensive interviews were conducted to assess: cardiopulmonary symptoms at 3 months; quantitative and qualitative changes in cardiovascular endurance; exercise hours per week at baseline and 3 months; and Modified Oslo, Dyspnea, and EQ-5D-5L scales. All collected data was based on self-reported symptoms. Wilcoxon rank sum compared PASC with control to distinguish the effects of PASC vs effects of COVID infection/lockdown. PASC subjects were more likely to be female (Table). The most common 3-month symptoms in PASC were fatigue and shortness of breath. Based on self-reported data, subjects endorsed a median decrease of 27% in cardiopulmonary endurance levels compared with 0% in controls (p = 0.0019). PASC subjects exercised less hours and had worse self-reported health as compared with controls. PASC subjects also had significantly worse Modified Oslo, Dyspnea, and EQ-5D-5L scores. Of the 32 PASC patients, 10 (31%) reported a complete inability to engage in any cardiovascular endurance exercise at 3 months. PASC leads to a significant, quantifiable decrease in cardiopulmonary health and endurance.

Covid-19 pandemic, social normative compliance, and sustainable consumption: Evidence from experiments

This research aims to investigate the causal effects of consumers' Covid-19 pandemic experiences on their preferences for sustainable consumption. Drawing on social identity theory, we argue that pandemic experiences heighten consumers' awareness of the importance of adhering to collective social norms, subsequently motivating them to adopt sustainable consumption practices that promote collective interests. Through three preregistered experiments, we demonstrate that: (i) Covid-19 pandemic experiences increase consumers' preferences for sustainable consumption; (ii) this effect is more pronounced for individuals with severer pandemic experiences and females; (iii) pandemic experiences influence sustainable consumption preferences by enhancing consumers' social normative compliance. This study contributes to the understanding of Covid-19's consequences from a micro-level perspective of consumer behavior and offers insights into the factors driving consumers' sustainable consumption preferences.

Long-Term Effect of Post-Covid-19 Syndrome on Respiratory Parameters in Iraqi People

Background: The long-term sequelae of COVID-19 are thought to be a novel area of research due to variances in the epidemiology and therapy. Nevertheless, the follow-up time interval (6 or 12 months) was excessively long, and the time point of the follow-up period varied from 3 to 24 months in the prior research. More research is required to understand better COVID-19's effects, including their long-term effects on the lungs and how they may affect pulmonary function. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the long-term impact of post-COVID-19 syndrome on pulmonary function tests. Methods: This research was a case-control study conducted from 13 October 2023 to 13 November 2023 at the Al-Sader Teaching Hospital in Maysan City. There are fifty-eight patients and fifty-eight controls included. This study comprised patients who visited a pulmonary consulting clinic and had COVID-19 symptoms, matched by controls who were chosen at random. The controls had to meet the same criteria as the cases, with the exception that they did not have COVID-19 disease. The most popular kind of breathing or pulmonary function test is spirometry, spirometry was used to measure: FVC, FEV, and FEV1/FVC ratio. Result: Sixty-six post COVID-19 syndrome with ages (34.1 ± 9.8) years and sixty-seven controls were enrolled. The results of FVC and FEV parameters indicate a significant difference (P<0.05) between cases and control groups. However, no significant differences existed between groups for the FEV1/FVC ratio. In the comparison of lung function tests between cases and control across different age groups (18-29, 30-39, 50-65) years, we found that mean FVC is significantly lower for the age group 18-29 years than for 30-39 and 50-65 years, and the mean FEV is significantly lower for the age group 18-29 years than for 30-39. Conclusion: After COVID-19, a significant number of patients continue to have symptoms, with respiratory symptoms accounting for the majority of complaints. Patients with continuing symptoms were younger and presented a significantly lower FVC and FEV.

Role Effectuated by Immune Microenvironment on the Prognosis of COVID-19 Infected Asthmatic Patients and the Potentialities of Repurposing Immunomodulatory Drugs

Abstract:: The WHO declared the Coronavirus Outbreak in 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the SARSCOV- 2 virus, as a pandemic on 11 March 2020. When the world was trying to contain the first wave of the outbreak, the newer mutated strains emerged in the UK and South Africa, and accelerated cases of daily infections in some parts of the globe ignited tribulations afresh. Though the mortality percentage is much lower compared to previous SARS and MERS virus outbreaks, overactivated innate immunity and "cytokine storms" were suspected to cause fatality in COVID-19. Innate immunity, s one of the earliest components of host interaction with various infectious pathogens, may play an integral part in cytokine storm generation and contribute to the disease's severity. The effect of COVID-19 on asthma, which is a heterogeneous disease with variable phenotypes, is somewhat contentious. This study aims to address whether pre-existing asthma will have an advantageous or deleterious effect relative to non-asthmatic patients from an immunological perspective, particularly innate immunity. Also, the prospective of immunomodulatory drugs in combating COV-2 infection and disease advancement are highlighted in this review.

Effects of COVID on Mandated Child Abuse Reporting Among Nurses: The Mediating Role of Compassion Fatigue.

Because COVID triggered elevated rates of child abuse, but diminished rates of child abuse reporting, we explored predictors of nurses' attitudes toward reporting suspected child abuse during the COVID pandemic. In particular, we expected that compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction would mediate the effects of COVID-related stressors (i.e., exposure to COVID patient death and suffering; COVID-related family income loss; frequent direct care of COVID patients; and parental burnout) on nurses' negative attitudes toward reporting suspected child abuse. Employing chain-referral sampling, we recruited a sample of 244 registered nurses (83% White; 87% women). Supporting hypotheses, compassion fatigue mediated the effects of job-related COVID stressors (exposure to COVID patient death and suffering; COVID-related family income loss; and frequent direct care of COVID patients) on nurses' negative attitudes toward reporting suspected child abuse. In addition, among nurses who were also parents, nurses' self-reported parental burnout mediated the relation between compassion fatigue and negative attitudes toward reporting suspected child abuse. In addition, compassion satisfaction mediated the effect of nurses' parental burnout on nurses' negative attitudes toward reporting suspected child abuse.

The Resilience of Travel Demand: The Case of Europeans’ Travel Sentiment During the Covid-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic had a fundamental effect on travel and tourism in general, and travel sentiment in particular. Travel sentiment is an emotional expression that evaluates customer willingness to travel and is shaped by numerous factors. The current study explores the effects of COVID-19, vaccine rollout, and travel-related factors on the travel sentiment of Europeans from September 2020 to September 2021. Employing a quantitative approach, the study analyzed 54,000 questionnaires collected in 10 European countries, measuring Europeans??? travel sentiment. In accordance with the study’s main assertion, it has been found that travel sentiment is highly adaptive and corresponds with both the disabling factor of COVID-19 cases and the enabling factor of vaccine rollout, demonstrating the adaptive and resilient nature of travel sentiment. In this view, travel sentiment demonstrates a high level of adaptive capacity, as can be found in complex systems with high levels of resilience. The study contributes to the emerging discussion on tourism resilience and the resilience of travel demand, placing travel sentiment in the context of tourism resilience theory.

Type I interferon signaling, cognition and neurodegeneration following COVID-19: update on a mechanistic pathogenetic model with implications for Alzheimer's disease.

COVID-19's effects on the human brain reveal a multifactorial impact on cognition and the potential to inflict lasting neuronal damage. Type I interferon signaling, a pathway that represents our defense against pathogens, is primarily affected by COVID-19. Type I interferon signaling, however, is known to mediate cognitive dysfunction upon its dysregulation following synaptopathy, microgliosis and neuronal damage. In previous studies, we proposed a model of outside-in dysregulation of tonic IFN-I signaling in the brain following a COVID-19. This disruption would be mediated by the crosstalk between central and peripheral immunity, and could potentially establish feed-forward IFN-I dysregulation leading to neuroinflammation and potentially, neurodegeneration. We proposed that for the CNS, the second-order mediators would be intrinsic disease-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) such as proteopathic seeds, without the requirement of neuroinvasion to sustain inflammation. Selective vulnerability of neurogenesis sites to IFN-I dysregulation would then lead to clinical manifestations such as anosmia and cognitive impairment. Since the inception of our model at the beginning of the pandemic, a growing body of studies has provided further evidence for the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the human CNS and cognition. Several preclinical and clinical studies have displayed IFN-I dysregulation and tauopathy in gene expression and neuropathological data in new cases, correspondingly. Furthermore, neurodegeneration identified with a predilection for the extended olfactory network furthermore supports the neuroanatomical concept of our model, and its independence from fulminant neuroinvasion and encephalitis as a cause of CNS damage. In this perspective, we summarize the data on IFN-I as a plausible mechanism of cognitive impairment in this setting, and its potential contribution to Alzheimer's disease and its interplay with COVID-19.

COVID-19's effects on undergraduate medical education

COVID-19's effects on undergraduate medical education

Roles and Responsibilities of Community Health Workers in Louisiana Medicaid Managed Care Organizations.

We explored the roles of community health workers (CHWs) working in Medicaid Managed Care Organizations in Louisiana by conducting 10 interviews with CHWs, supervisors, and administrators. We identified 6 themes: CHWs' backgrounds and training; roles as they related to nationally recognized competencies; team integration; who CHWs serve and how members are identified; metrics for success; and the effects of COVID. CHWs are hired for their community connections. CHWs generally do not receive core competency training, and they focus primarily on improving individual-level health outcomes. Administrators and supervisors may need training and support on CHW competencies, supervision, and using common evaluation indicators.

From the Pandemic to the Pitch. Unraveling COVID-19's Effect on Workers' Performance

From the Pandemic to the Pitch. Unraveling COVID-19's Effect on Workers' Performance

"Locked in a Jail Cell in Your Own Home": Child Maltreatment Investigators' Perspectives of COVID-19's Effects on Maltreated Children.

Children were at a greater risk of adverse experiences, including maltreatment, during the COVID-19 pandemic given the increased stress experienced by families and reduced visibility outside the home. Child maltreatment investigators witnessed the effects of the pandemic on maltreated children and offer valuable insight regarding children's experiences during the pandemic. The objective of this study was to examine child maltreatment investigators' perspectives of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maltreated children and their families in Canada. Sixteen child maltreatment investigators were recruited from agencies across Canada that investigate or offer services to children suspected of having been maltreated. Three focus groups were conducted, which followed a semi-structured interview guide developed by the researchers. Thematic analysis resulted in five primary themes regarding maltreatment investigators' perceptions of the pandemic's effects on children, including child maltreatment during the COVID-19 pandemic, increased exposure to violent and traumatic events, stress and challenges faced by families, reduced access to services, and challenges and delays with maltreatment investigations. Child maltreatment investigators perceived that the pandemic profoundly impacted maltreated children and their families. It is critical to ensure children and parents have access to services during future emergencies.