COVID Experience Research Articles

How do long COVID patients perceive their current life situation and occupational perspective? Results of a qualitative interview study in Germany.

Many people experience persistent or new-onset symptoms such as fatigue or cognitive problems after an acute infection with COVID-19. This phenomenon, known as long COVID, impacts physical and mental wellbeing, and may affect perceived quality of life and occupational perspectives likewise. The aim of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of how people with long COVID experience health-related restrictions in their daily life and their occupational situation, and to identify key challenges they face. Guided qualitative interviews were conducted with 25 people with long COVID. The interviews were transcribed according to Dresing/Pehl and Kuckartz and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Afterward, a systematic comparison of the data and a reflection under consideration of lifeworld-theoretical approaches (Berger and Luckmann) were carried out. The interviews revealed that many participants have severe symptoms which strongly impair them in perform daily and work-related activities, and in their personal interests. Many interviewees already reach their stress limit during routine household activities or childcare. Of the 25 participants, 19 experienced limitations in pursuing leisure activities, and 10 of the 23 interviewees with jobs reported being on sick leave for several months. Several respondents who had vocational reintegration are still affected by ongoing symptoms that affect their work performance considerably. This leads to uncertainty, role conflicts, a decline in social contacts, and decreased incomes, which contribute to an impairment in their quality of life. This study shows the huge need for specific support for people with long COVID in different areas of life. To prevent people with long COVID from finding themselves in social and economic precarity, decision-makers should develop strategies to systematically support them in their sustainable reintegration into the workforce. The focus should be on creating long COVID-sensitive workplaces, compensating for decreased incomes, and improving access to relief services such as vocational reintegration. We argue, that a shift of perspectives is necessary and that long COVID should be considered rather as a "social disease" with considerably impairments in the social life of those affected. The study is registered in the German register for clinical trials (DRKS00026007).

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a personalised self-management intervention for living with long COVID: protocol for the LISTEN randomised controlled trial

BackgroundIndividuals living with long COVID experience multiple, interacting and fluctuating symptoms which can have a dramatic impact on daily living. The aim of the Long Covid Personalised Self-managemenT support EvaluatioN (LISTEN) trial is to evaluate effects of the LISTEN co-designed self-management support intervention for non-hospitalised people living with long COVID on participation in routine activities, social participation, emotional well-being, quality of life, fatigue, and self-efficacy. Cost-effectiveness will also be evaluated, and a detailed process evaluation carried out to understand how LISTEN is implemented.MethodsThe study is a pragmatic randomised effectiveness and cost-effectiveness trial in which a total of 558 non-hospitalised people with long COVID will be randomised to either the LISTEN intervention or usual care. Recruitment strategies have been developed with input from the LISTEN Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) advisory group and a social enterprise, Diversity and Ability, to ensure inclusivity. Eligible participants can self-refer into the trial via a website or be referred by long COVID services. All participants complete a range of self-reported outcome measures, online, at baseline, 6 weeks, and 3 months post randomisation (the trial primary end point). Those randomised to the LISTEN intervention are offered up to six one-to-one sessions with LISTEN-trained intervention practitioners and given a co-designed digital resource and paper-based book. A detailed process evaluation will be conducted alongside the trial to inform implementation approaches should the LISTEN intervention be found effective and cost-effective.DiscussionThe LISTEN trial is evaluating a co-designed, personalised self-management support intervention (the LISTEN intervention) for non-hospitalised people living with long COVID. The design has incorporated extensive strategies to minimise participant burden and maximise access. Whilst the duration of follow-up is limited, all participants are approached to consent for long-term follow-up (subject to additional funding being secured).Trial registrationLISTEN ISRCTN36407216. Registered on 27/01/2022.

Logistical power and logistical violence: lessons from China’s COVID experience

ABSTRACT The Chinese government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic can be broken into three stages – from denial in early 2020, to relatively successful management from March 2020 to March 2022, and finally to the disastrous zero-COVID policy from March until November 2022. The article traces this to a general trend in China since the 2010s, namely the state’s increasing concentration of “logistical power” (state and non-state actors’ capacity to generate social dynamics based on the coordination of mobility), which led to “logistical violence” (force that destroys social dynamics based on the state’s exclusive control over mobility). Informed by Hannah Arendt’s thought and based on my engagement in public discussion in China during and after COVID pandemic, I propose the concepts of “logistical power” and “logistical violence” in order to facilitate public reflections – in addition to providing academic explanations – about what the pandemic may mean for China’s future.

Something Beautiful and Powerful: Politics, Art, and Bread and Puppet Theater

Something Beautiful and Powerful: Politics, Art, and Bread and Puppet Theater

“Efficacy of education and exercise program to improve awareness regarding Post-COVID syndrome and quality of life among COVID-19-recovered individuals from Karad Taluka, Satara District:”A study protocol

Context: The COVID-19-recovered individuals who have post-COVID syndrome/long COVID experience specific symptoms (fatigue, shortness of breath, and cognitive fog) after 6–12 weeks. In this study, we set out to raise post-COVID syndrome awareness and COVID-19-recovered people’s quality of life through an education and exercise program. Aims: The aim is to improve awareness regarding Post Covid Syndrome and impact on their Quality of Life among Covid-19 recovered individuals. Settings and Design: This Longitudinal research study will be carried in a tertiary care hospital karad. Subjects and Methods: Three hundred and twenty Covid-19 recovered and discharged individuals will be the pariticipants of this longitudinal study using a consecutive sampling technique. Participants in the study will be assessed. In addition, an educational session discussing post-COVID syndrome will be provided, followed by an exercise program with specialized exercises (daily 30 min 4 days/week). After that, symptoms and quality of life will be evaluated again in the first and third months. Conclusions: This study will raise the awareness of post-COVID syndrome among patients.

Prophylaxis and Remediation for Future Pandemic Pathogens-(Lessons from a Post-COVID World).

Since influenza and coronaviruses are currently deadly and emerging threats worldwide, better treatment, remediation and prevention options are needed. In that regard, a basic understanding of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2/COVID-19 (Betacoronaviridae) and other viral pathogen mechanisms of transmission are expected. Unfortunately, unprecedented, and growing distrust of vaccines and even masks or personal protective equipment (PPE) in the United States and elsewhere presents itself as an added challenge. We postulate that development of improved and highly effective prophylactic measures, together with new life-saving therapies that do inhibit or otherwise treat infection of SARS-CoV-2, influenza and other viral pathogens, could be an adjunct measure to globally protect vulnerable individuals from pandemic threats. In this review, we share what we learned from the past COVID experience to offer a multifactorial and improved approach to current and future pandemic infections or threats using low-cost means.

Future Proposals for E-Learning at Conventional Tertiary Institutions as they Move on Past the COVID Experience

As the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading rapidly throughout the world, the most widespread reaction in many countries to curtail the disease was lockdown. As a result, educational institutions had to find an alternative to face-to-face learning. The most obvious solution was e-learning. Conventional tertiary institutions with little virtual learning experience had to deal with an unprecedented challenge. This study delineates practices that can be suggested for conventional institutions of tertiary education that may be planning to acquire more e-learning experience in the post-COVID era so that they may be better prepared to move on beyond traditional classroom teaching. The qualitative research method was utilized to carry out this study. The data collected for the study comprised mainly two sources: the existing literature that tackles the issue of how tertiary institutions around the world shifted to e-learning during the pandemic, and an analysis by the researchers of COVID-related circulars that were issued by the Saudi Ministry of Education and by Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University. The review of related literature and the analysis of the circulars enabled the researchers to produce a number of suggestions aimed at improving the e-learning experience of conventional tertiary institutions. The researchers followed five steps in their literature review: (1) pinpointing search terms and then creating a search strategy and implementing it, (2) sorting the studies gathered, excluding duplicates and studies deemed irrelevant, and decreeing standards for deciding what to keep and what to rule out, (3) evaluating the studies in the light of those standards, (4) obtaining data, and (5) analysing data. This study does not recommend that conventional tertiary institutions become 100% online, but it does suggest that those institutions should make some learning content digitally accessible, build community partnerships, encourage self-study skills among students, help students change their learning style from passive to active, and revisit their e-assessment practices. This paper also stresses the importance of giving further support to teaching staff, sheds light on how institution buildings can reopen smoothly as the restrictions ease, discusses what factors influence the outcomes of e-learning, and tackles the issue of student dropouts during the pandemic. This study concludes by outlining the important notion of adopting blended learning and developing e-learning programs on an international scale.

Supervised hospital based pulmonary rehabilitation outcome in long COVID-experience from a tertiary care hospital.

Some patients suffer from various multisystem symptoms even after active process of COVID-19 illness has settled lasting more than four weeks called as long COVID. Pulmonary rehabilitation therapy is the proposed option in those patients. This study aims to study the impact of pulmonary rehabilitation on outcome of long COVID patients through improvement in mMRC dyspnea scale, oxygen saturation, cough score, six-minute walk distance and biomarkers of inflammation. A retrospective observational study was carried out from the data of electronic medical records among 71 Long COVID patients. Parameters like Spo2, MMRC scale, cough score, six-minute walking distance along with blood levels of D-dimer, C-reactive protein (CRP), leucocyte count at the time of admission and after three weeks of pulmonary rehabilitation were collected. The outcome among the patients was divided into full recovery and partial recovery group. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software version 19.0. Among 71 cases in our study 60 (84.50%) where male with mean age was 52.7 ± 13.23 years. Biomarkers like CRP and d-Dimer were elevated in 68 (95.7%) and 48 (67.6%) patients, respectively, at the time of admission. After 3 weeks of pulmonary rehabilitation mean SPO2, cough score, 6MWD showed significant improvement and normalization of biomarkers in recovered group of 61 out of 71 which was statistically significant. Significant improvement of oxygen saturation, mMRC grade, cough score, six-minute walk distance and normalization of biomarkers were marked following pulmonary rehabilitation. Thus, pulmonary rehabilitation therapy should be offered to all long COVID cases.

Demographic and COVID Experience Predictors of COVID-19 Risk Perception among Chinese Residents in Canada.

The current study aimed to identify demographic and COVID experience predictors for COVID-19 risk perception among Chinese residents in Canada. A final sample of 653 participants aged 18 and up completed an online survey in simplified Chinese during the peak of the first wave of COVID-19 (25 April-10 June 2020). After removing those with missing data on demographic covariates, as missing data cannot be imputed, 444 were included in the structural equation model, and COVID-19 risk perception was indexed by three outcome variables: self-infection risk perception (i.e., likelihood of personal infection of COVID-19); threat perception (i.e., whether the pandemic is a real threat); and future infection rate prediction (i.e., a latent variable for community, Ontario, Canada, and World infection rate predictions). Predictors included demographic (i.e., income, gender, education, age, household size, employment status, and life satisfaction) and COVID experience variables (i.e., personal connection with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases, self-isolation experience, perceived anti-Chinese discrimination, and confusion over COVID-19 information). In the structural equation model, we found increased risk perception for the following demographic and COVID experience predictors; women, relatively higher education, living alone, working in a medical field, lower in life satisfaction, having personal connection with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases, with perceived anti-Chinese discrimination, or showing high confusion over COVID-19 information.

The experience of COVID-19 among people with depression: Impact on daily life and coping strategies

BackgroundThe prevalence of depression symptoms among U.S. adults increased dramatically during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to understand the impact of the pandemic on people with a history of depression. MethodsIn June 2020, a national sample of 5023 U.S. adults, including 760 reporting past/current diagnoses of depression, completed survey measures related to the COVID experience, coping, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. ResultsAfter adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, a history of depression increased the odds of negative effects of pandemic on multiple aspects of life: routines, access to mental health treatment, alcohol use, prescription painkiller use, and other drug use. Those with a history of depression also scored significantly higher on the PHQ-8, GAD-7, and PDS-5 (all ps < 0.0001). Greater use of adaptive coping strategies was significantly associated with lower scores, and greater use of maladaptive strategies with higher scores. Individuals reporting a history of depression reported greater use of both adaptive and maladaptive strategies. ConclusionsAdaptive coping strategies appear to be protective and help regulate symptomatology, suggesting that particular focus during the clinical encounter on developing tools to promote well-being, alleviate stress, and decrease perceptions of helplessness could mitigate the effects.

The effect of contracting COVID on speech perception in high-school students: Evidence from the brain

Accumulating evidence suggest that some individuals who recovered from COVID experience “brain fog” aside from other organ dysfunctions. Many young individuals who contracted with COVID have relatively mild symptoms and rapid recovery. However, it is unknow whether COVID have any negative impact on their brain function. The current study compared the neural response to speech sounds in high-schooler with and without a history of contracting COVID. An event-related potential paradigm was used, and the electro-encephalogram (EEG) waves were timelocked to each speech stimulus. The mismatch negativity responses (the different between the standard and deviant sounds) were compared between the two participant groups. Preliminary analysis suggested that there are some differences between the experiment group and the control group. Further studies need to examine the long-term effect of COVID on brain and cognitive function in the young population.

Exploring the Latino COVID Experience through Oral Histories: Stories to Inform Research

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated many challenges present in Latino communities. To investigate the effects of the pandemic on Latino communities, the Latino Research Institute’s COVID Consortium team cataloged and utilized Voces of a Pandemic transcripts of interviews conducted with Latinos in the United States by the Voces Center at the University of Texas at Austin. The cataloging of transcripts entailed categorizing information about the interview subjects, such as demographics, occupation, job status, vaccination status, and whether they or their families had contracted COVID-19. Subsets of interviewees were selected and analyzed using the consensual qualitative research method. Qualitative findings included the following: Latino K–12 teachers and parents experienced barriers to accessing technology, college students’ mental health declined, activists united to allocate resources and protest, and transgender individuals experienced difficulty obtaining adequate care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Oral histories have been shown to be a valuable tool for integrating qualitative methods into social science and humanities research. Researchers can use quotes, clips, or photographs found in oral history archives to add voices to their study and enhance their findings on the effects of policy and social determinants on select communities.

Perceived stress of adolescents during the COVID-19 lockdown: Bayesian multilevel modeling of the Czech HBSC lockdown survey.

ObjectiveLong-term isolation, including lockdowns and quarantines, may have a distressing effect on anyone experiencing it. Adolescent brain architecture is very sensitive to environmental adversities, and the mental health development of adolescents may be particularly vulnerable during the pandemic era. In order to better understand the triggers for perceived adolescent stress (PSS) during the COVID-19 lockdown, the present study aimed to assess the effects of social well-being and changes in time use during the lockdown, as well as the family COVID experience of adolescents.MethodsThe sample for this study comprised n = 3,440 adolescents (54.2% girls; mean age = 13.5 ± 1.6 years). Bayesian correlations between PSS, health and well-being variables were assessed. PSS was then modeled as an outcome variable in a series of nested Bayesian multilevel regression models.ResultsThe negative impact of the COVID-19 lockdown was more apparent in girls. PSS was moderately correlated with adolescent health and well-being. The strongest predictor of higher level of PSS was frequent feeling of loneliness. On the contrary, lower level of PSS was most associated with having someone to talk to.ConclusionLong-term social isolation of adolescents could be harmful to their mental health. Psychological coping strategies to prevent the consequences of social isolation and development of mental health problems should be promoted on the individual, family, and even community level.

Pain Management and Telemedicine: A Look at the COVID Experience and Beyond.

COVID-19 caused a drastic change in clinical medicine around the globe. In the United States, telemedicine was rapidly adopted on a wide scale to minimize direct patient interaction and to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Telemedicine also went hand in hand with the rapid movement of working remotely. This has provided several challenges to chronic pain management clinics along with other subspecialties. Telemedicine has also opened opportunities for providing valuable care for patients with significant barriers to healthcare professionals. Given the benefits and downfalls of telemedicine, it is ultimately up to the provider who has an established patient-physician relationship and best understands the patient's limitations and healthcare needs who can best determine which patient population telemedicine is appropriate for and how frequently it can be utilized for each individual patient.

Impact of evening carbohydrate intake on the resolution of persistent night sweats in patients with long COVID: a case series

Up to 25% of patients with long COVID experience persistent night sweats. However, in most cases they remain untreated until they disappear on their own. Since SARS-CoV-2 is known to disrupt glucose homeostasis, we hypothesized that impaired mitochondria would result in faster glycogen depletion at night due to reduced ATP production yield, inducing adrenaline production ultimately leading to the onset of persistent night sweats. To test our hypothesis we investigated whether incorporating carbohydrates into the diet of three non-diabetic patients with long COVID before bedtime would have any effect decreasing their night sweats. Remarkably, after one week with the dietary intervention, the patients reported that their night sweats had completely disappeared. Therefore, we propose carbohydrate supplementation as an affordable solution for night sweats in long COVID patients.

The COVID-19 Experience: Creativity as an Identity Attractor for Young People Facing the Developmental Challenges.

The study focuses on identifying the impacts of the COVID experience on young people and exploring whether, during the pandemic period, adolescents and young adults resorted to flexible and creative coping strategies, which may have served as resources. The participants consisted of 70 Italian freshmen (18 males and 52 females) aged 18 to 21, attending their first year of university. Adopting a narrative approach, we identified seven creativity functions and two interpretative factors, supporting the idea that creativity may have constituted a psychological resource for young people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the findings suggest that creativity can be configured as an identity attractor. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

What have we learnt from the COVID experience? Lessons for the future

This article reports on a study conducted at a university in North Cyprus which aimed to gather empirical evidence regarding both teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of online learning as experienced during the COVID pandemic. The study discovered that both teachers and students were aware of both advantages and disadvantages of the system which had been thrust upon them. Overall, most of the teachers favoured the development of some kind of blended/hybrid methodology, while a majority of the students favoured a return to in-class learning. Both teachers and students recognized a need to focus on physical and mental health, on assessment issues, and on issues of technology and connectivity. A major conclusion from the study is the urgent need for teacher education, both pre-service and in-service, to help teachers develop the digital knowledge and skills required for a successful blended/hybrid learning/teaching environment.

Incorporating Well-Being into Mentorship Meetings: A Case Demonstration at Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Surgery a Harvard Medical School Affiliate.

Surgeons have been under great pressure during the COVID pandemic. Their careers are filled with fast paced decisions, life and death situations, and long hours at work. The COVID pandemic created more tasks and even new responsibilities at times, but when the operating rooms were closed down, there was less work. The COVID experience invited the opportunity to rethink mentoring in the surgery department at the Massachusetts General Hospital. The leadership experimented with a new style of mentoring which involved a team approach. In addition, they tried something else that was new: adding a lifestyle medicine expert and wellness coach to the mentoring team. The program was tested on 13 early stage surgeons who found the experience to be beneficial, and they commented that they wished they had it even earlier in their careers. Including a non-surgeon who was a lifestyle medicine physician and wellness coach added an element of whole person health that was acceptable to the surgeons and even embraced as the majority of them elected to follow up with one on one coaching after the mentoring meeting. This team mentoring program with senior surgeons and a lifestyle medicine expert is one that can be explored by other departments and other hospitals given its success at the department of surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Emotional support animals supporting college students’ mental health and well-being: A qualitative analysis exploring practices, policies, and perceptions

Objectives: Describe the emotional support animal (ESA) experience of college students detailing the process of obtaining an ESA, as well as the benefits and obstacles. Participants: Nine students who had an ESA at college provided preliminary information while an additional four offered insights into their COVID experience with their ESA. Archived records from the Accessibility Resource Center added detail on the ESA process. Methods: This mixed-method study included qualitative interviews (9 students prior to COVID and 4 during COVID) as well as a quantitative analysis of archived data. Thematic analysis was used to extract themes from the interviews. Archived data were analyzed for frequency of select topics. Results: Four positive themes (presence of animal, empowerment, symptom alleviation, and social catalyst) and three negative themes (housing accommodations, lack of ESA education on campus, and social consequences) were extracted from initial interview responses. Analysis of COVID interviews also revealed positive and negative themes with many similar to the pre-COVID responses but also included unique themes reflective of the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Archived data revealed a substantial increase in the number of ESAs on campus, a wide range of species, and an array of complaints such as safety concerns, ESA behavior, ESA cleanliness, and ESA in unauthorized areas. Conclusions: Overall, the college ESA experience appears beneficial, facilitating the adjustment to college for students with mental health concerns. However, there are drawbacks. Knowledge of obstacles and concerns will help ease the ESA process for all constituents.

Older Adults' Biobehavioral Fall Risks Were Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned for Future Fall Prevention Research to Incorporate Multilevel Perspectives.

Background and ObjectivesExamining the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on fall risks may provide insight into how multilevel factors as described in National Institute of Nursing Research's (NINR’s) draft strategic plan can guide future fall prevention research. This article describes the affect of COVID-19 on fall risks from the perspective of older adults who live in assisted living facilities (ALFs), and explores the needs and approaches to implement fall prevention interventions at individual, social, community, and policy levels.Research Design and MethodsExploratory survey study. Participants from a fall prevention study at 2 ALFs in Oregon were invited to the study. Survey questions asked about COVID experience, and changes in fall risks and day-to-day activities in Spring 2020. Quantitative responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Cohen’s d effect sizes. Qualitative responses were analyzed using conventional content analysis.ResultsThirteen participants (age: M = 87.08, standard deviation = 6.52) responded. More participants reported feeling unsteady compared to pre-COVID data (38% vs. 62%), while the proportion of those worried about falling remained the same at 38%. Participants reported negligible decreases in importance of fall prevention and small decreases in confidence of fall prevention (Cohen’s d = −0.13 and −0.21, respectively). The themes related to the affect of COVID on fall risks were: not to worry about fall risks but be cautious and physical activity is important, but it’s hard during COVID. Impact of COVID on day-to-day activities were: varying degrees of concern for COVID, lack of social and community support, and finding unique ways to cope with COVID.Discussion and ImplicationsThese individual-level perspectives suggest that older adults were at increased risk for falling. Results exemplify the influence of broader-level factors (e.g., social, community, and policy) on individual biobehavioral factors (e.g., fall risks and health behaviors), and illustrate the value of examining multilevel factors in future fall prevention research.