COVID-19 Experience Research Articles

A Symptom-Based Natural Language Processing Surveillance Pipeline for Post-COVID-19 Patients.

Post-acute sequelae of SARS CoV-2 (PASC) are a group of conditions in which patients previously infected with COVID-19 experience symptoms weeks/months post-infection. PASC has substantial societal burden, including increased healthcare costs and disabilities. This study presents a natural language processing (NLP) based pipeline for identification of PASC symptoms and demonstrates its ability to estimate the proportion of suspected PASC cases. A manual case review to obtain this estimate indicated our sample incidence of PASC (13%) was representative of the estimated population proportion (95% CI: 19±6.22%). However, the high number of cases classified as indeterminate demonstrates the challenges in classifying PASC even among experienced clinicians. Lastly, this study developed a dashboard to display views of aggregated PASC symptoms and measured its utility using the System Usability Scale. Overall comments related to the dashboard's potential were positive. This pipeline is crucial for monitoring post-COVID-19 patients with potential for use in clinical settings.

Death anxiety and materialism during the pandemic: investigating the role of personal experiences of COVID-19

ABSTRACT Given that personal experiences related to coronavirus (such as being infected or having a close friend or family member diagnosed with it) may induce greater fear of death, and based on terror management theory, we hypothesised that personal experiences of COVID-19 would be associated with increased materialism. Furthermore, the relationship between personal experiences of COVID-19 and materialism was expected to be mediated by generalised anxiety. Two quasi-experimental studies were conducted: Study 1 (N = 1,138) during the first wave of infections in Poland and Study 2 (N = 285) during the second wave. Study 1 showed that individuals with close friends or family members who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 (n = 43) had higher levels of materialism (mainly in the dimension of centrality), and this relationship was mediated by the level of generalised anxiety. Study 2 showed that average levels of materialism decreased during the pandemic, but not among respondents who had suffered from coronavirus infection (n = 32) – levels of materialism increased in this group, especially in the dimension of centrality. Our studies are the first to show how personal real-life experiences related to COVID-19 can translate into levels of materialism in individuals.

The lived experience of receiving and providing antenatal care during the Covid-19 crisis in Southern Europe: An exploratory qualitative study

ObjectiveThe Covid-19 pandemic led to a reorganization of antenatal care including the cancellation or shift into telemedicine of consultations and restrictions to the presence of an accompanying person. The aim was to explore healthcare professionals’ and women’s lived experience of such reorganisation consequences on the quality of care and specific challenges they faced, with a particular emphasis on telemedicine and equity. MethodsExploratory qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions of women and healthcare providers in New Aquitaine (France) and in the Basque Country (Spain). We collected data from a purposive sampling of women (n = 33) and professionals (n = 19) who had received or provided antenatal care in hospitals and ambulatory facilities between March 2020 and December 2021. Participants’ narratives were thematically analysed to identify themes that were subsequently contextualised to the two territories. ResultsAntenatal care professionals and pregnant women experienced strong emotions and suffered from organizational changes that compromised the quality and equity of care. The pandemic and associated restrictions were sources of emotional distress, fear and loneliness, especially among more disadvantaged and isolated women. Among professionals, the lack of adequate means of protection and the multiple changes in caring protocols generated burnout, feeling of abandonment and emotional distress. ConclusionsThe Covid-19 experience should serve to critically consider the unexpected consequences of reorganising healthcare services and the need to meet patients’ needs, with a particular consideration for disadvantaged groups. Future scenarios of telemedicine generalisation should consider a combination of in presence and remote consultations ensuring antenatal care quality and equity.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Response and Its Impact on Post-Corona Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management in Türkiye

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected the entire world, has not only created a number of emerging issues for each country, especially in the field of public health, but has also provided a number of opportunities for risk management, alternative strategies and completely new ways of looking at challenges. This brief report examines the COVID-19 pandemic response in Türkiye and the possible implications of the experience for future responses to other health emergencies and disaster risk management, based on the lessons learned. This study uses publicly available literature from government, private sector and academic sources to analyse the conflicts, changes and lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, which are components of the World Health Organization (WHO) Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (Health EDRM) framework. The COVID-19 experience in Türkiye has several aspects, including the significant role of healthcare workers, the existence of an effective health system accustomed to emergencies, applications based on information technologies, the partial transparency of public authorities in providing information and a socio-cultural environment related to cooperation on prevention strategies, including wearing masks and vaccination. Challenges in Türkiye include distance learning in schools, lockdowns that particularly affect the elderly, ensuring environmental sustainability, hesitation about the effectiveness of social/financial support programs, the socio-cultural trivialisation of pandemics after a while and the relaxation of prevention strategies. Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic include the value of transparency in public health/healthcare information, the strengthening of all aspects of the health system in terms of health workers and the importance of a balanced economy prepared for foreseeable risks.

Perceptions of COVID-19 Risk: How Did People Adapt to the Novel Risk?

There is limited understanding of how risk perceptions changed as the US population gained experience with COVID-19. The objectives were to examine risk perceptions and determine the factors associated with risk perceptions and how these changed over the first 18 mo of the pandemic. Seven cross-sectional online surveys were fielded between May 2020 and October 2021. The study included a population-weighted sample of 138,303 US adults drawn from a market research platform, with an average 68% cooperation rate. Respondents' risk perception of developing COVID in the next 30 days was assessed at each time point. We examined relationships between 30-day risk perceptions and various factors (including sociodemographic features, health, COVID-19 experience, political affiliation, and psychological variables). COVID risk perceptions were stable across the 2020 surveys and showed a significant decrease in the 2021 surveys. Several factors, including older age, worse health, high COVID worry, in-person employment type, higher income, Democratic political party affiliation (the relatively more liberal party in the United States), low tolerance of uncertainty, and high anxiety were strongly associated with higher 30-d risk perceptions in 2020. One notable change occurred in 2021, in that younger adults (aged 18-29 y) had significantly higher 30-d risk perceptions than older adults did (aged 65 y and older) after vaccination. Initial differences in perception by political party attenuated over time. Higher 30-d risk perceptions were significantly associated with engaging in preventive behaviors. Cross-sectional samples, risk perception item focused on incidence not severity. COVID risk perceptions decreased over time. Understanding the longitudinal pattern of risk perceptions and the factors associated with 30-d risk perceptions over time provides valuable insights to guide public health communication campaigns. The study assessed COVID-19 risk perceptions at 7 time points over 18 mo of the pandemic in large samples of US adults.Risk perceptions were fairly stable until the introduction of vaccines in early 2021, at which point they showed a marked reduction.Higher COVID-19 30-d risk perceptions were significantly associated with the preventive behaviors of masking, limiting social contact, avoiding restaurants, and not entertaining visitors at home.

Regional geographies and public health lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Arctic.

This study examines the COVID-19 pandemic's spatiotemporal dynamics in 52 sub-regions in eight Arctic states. This study further investigates the potential impact of early vaccination coverage on subsequent COVID-19 outcomes within these regions, potentially revealing public health insights of global significance. We assessed the outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic in Arctic sub-regions using three key epidemiological variables: confirmed cases, confirmed deaths, and case fatality ratio (CFR), along with vaccination rates to evaluate the effectiveness of the early vaccination campaign on the later dynamics of COVID-19 outcomes in these regions. From February 2020 to February 2023, the Arctic experienced five distinct waves of COVID-19 infections and fatalities. However, most Arctic regions consistently maintained Case Fatality Ratios (CFRs) below their respective national levels throughout these waves. Further, the regression analysis indicated that the impact of initial vaccination coverage on subsequent cumulative mortality rates and Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) was inverse and statistically significant. A common trend was the delayed onset of the pandemic in the Arctic due to its remoteness. A few regions, including Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Northern Canada, Finland, and Norway, experienced isolated spikes in cases at the beginning of the pandemic with minimal or no fatalities. In contrast, Alaska, Northern Sweden, and Russia had generally high death rates, with surges in cases and fatalities. Analyzing COVID-19 data from 52 Arctic subregions shows significant spatial and temporal variations in the pandemic's severity. Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Northern Canada, Finland, and Norway exemplify successful pandemic management models characterized by low cases and deaths. These outcomes can be attributed to successful vaccination campaigns, and proactive public health initiatives along the delayed onset of the pandemic, which reduced the impact of COVID-19, given structural and population vulnerabilities. Thus, the Arctic experience of COVID-19 informs preparedness for future pandemic-like public health emergencies in remote regions and marginalized communities worldwide that share similar contexts.

“A World of Possibilities”: The Future of Technology in Higher Education, Insights from the COVID-19 Experience

During the emergency online pivot, two faculties (i.e., divisions) of a large Irish university aimed to document insights about teaching and learning in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. An anonymous online survey of all teaching staff within each faculty was undertaken, some of the results of which are presented here. Key findings focus on the use of online technology in higher education, demonstrating the differential impacts on different disciplines and year groups, and pointing to levels of educator readiness and the need for focused professional development and training to prepare staff for integrating online learning to ensure satisfactory outcomes. The emergency online pivot led to significant progress in the use of technology in higher education, and greater academic staff recognition of the benefits and scope afforded by technology. Arising from their COVID-19 experiences, staff expressed a strong preference for blended learning as opposed to learning taking place either fully online or in-person. The potential role of hybrid learning in ongoing efforts towards sustainability was also noted. Many of our findings align with recent research, which is discussed throughout. We argue that a ‘one size fits all’ approach to online education is not appropriate, with greater nuance required and consideration of the rapidly changing educational landscape and issues of environmental sustainability.

The Mediating Role of Psychological Well-being in Explaining the Effect of a Health-Promoting Lifestyle on Death Anxiety in Seniors with COVID-19 Experience

The coronavirus and its variants continue to threaten the physical and mental health of many individuals, particularly those among the elderly infected with COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating role of psychological well-being in explaining the impact of a health-promoting lifestyle on death anxiety among seniors with COVID-19 experience in Tehran. This descriptive, correlational study involved a population of home-dwelling men and women aged 65 to 75 years in Tehran in 2023, who had experienced COVID-19 in the past six months. A targeted sample of 400 individuals responded to the Death Anxiety Scale (Templer, 1970), the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile (Walker et al., 1987), and the Psychological Well-being Scale (Ryff, 1989). Structural equation modeling was employed for data analysis. The findings, obtained using confirmatory factor analysis and AMOS 24 software, indicated a good fit between the structural model and the collected data. A positive and significant relationship was found between a health-promoting lifestyle and psychological well-being, and a negative and significant relationship between a health-promoting lifestyle and death anxiety, as well as between psychological well-being and death anxiety. Indirect pathways between death anxiety, a health-promoting lifestyle, and death anxiety were also confirmed (p = .001). Based on the results of this study, it can be stated that a health-promoting lifestyle influences the death anxiety of seniors with COVID-19 experience through psychological well-being. The findings of this study can be useful for counselors, psychologists, and health professionals.

Understanding the experiences of PHC nurses in caring for older patients in the post-fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: an exploratory qualitative study.

To ensure the best possible care, the perspective of PHC nurse work experience during the COVID-19 pandemic should be considered when developing nursing care protocols for older patients who receive PHC services. This exploratory qualitative study was conducted with 18 nurses working continuously in PHC between the first and fifth waves of the pandemic. Semi-structured thematic interviews were undertaken. Qualitative thematic content analysis was conducted to identify and group the themes that emerged from the discourse. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. The first topic describes the nurses' experiences of physical and mental suffering in caring for older patients in response to the pandemic. The second topic covers the experience of reorganizing PHC work. The third topic focuses on the difficulties of caring for older patients. The final topic includes issues of support needs for nurses in PHC work. The experience and understanding of PHC nurses in caring for older people during the COVID pandemic should lead to significant changes in the system of nursing care for geriatric patients and in the cooperative role within geriatric care specialist teams. Drawing on the experience of COVID-19, it is necessary to work on the weak points of PHC exposed by the pandemic in order to improve the quality of care and life for geriatric patients.

Priority populations’ experiences of isolation, quarantine and distancing for COVID-19: protocol for a longitudinal cohort study (Optimise Study)

IntroductionLongitudinal studies can provide timely and accurate information to evaluate and inform COVID-19 control and mitigation strategies and future pandemic preparedness. The Optimise Study is a multidisciplinary research platform established...

Developing a Model of Death Anxiety Based on Perceived Social Support with the Mediation of Psychological Well-being in the Elderly with COVID-19 Experience

Developing a Model of Death Anxiety Based on Perceived Social Support with the Mediation of Psychological Well-being in the Elderly with COVID-19 Experience

Exploring Elite Athlete Experiences of Growth: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Well-Being

The aim of the current study was to explore elite athletes’ experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on both growth and well-being. Informed by two complementary theoretical models, this research focused on elite athletes’ potential to experience growth. Five elite athletes completed the Stress-Related Growth Scale–Revised and underwent semistructured interviews to develop a narrative of their experiences. Through a thematic analysis, we articulated elite athletes’ experiences of both illusory and real adversarial growth following the COVID-19 pandemic. Four themes illustrated their experiences: the COVID-19 experience, searching for positives, self-transformation, and the social impact. A fifth theme, well-being, was integral throughout, involving the continued protection and development of athlete well-being. Future research recommendations and implications include further exploration of adversarial growth experiences after the pandemic and long-term effects of the pandemic on elite athletes, the creation of an adversarial growth measure, and engagement with this research to inform support measures to decrease the impact of adversity on elite athletes’ well-being.

Thematic analysis to explore patients’ experiences with long COVID-19: a conceptual model of symptoms and impacts on daily lives

ObjectivesThere is limited qualitative research on patients’ experiences with long COVID-19, and how specific symptoms impact their daily lives. The study aimed to understand patients’ lived experiences of long COVID-19...

Cultural difference in the role of communion in coping with COVID-19.

People are overwhelmed with COVID-19 news every day, which induces stress but also makes people feel connected to others. The present study examined two conflicting pressures of COVID-19-stress and communion-on the link between COVID-19 saliency and psychological consequences in two cultures. Specifically, we aimed to examine whether COVID-19 saliency and daily emotional experiences are mediated by COVID-19 stress and communion, and whether the relation between communion and daily emotions is emphasized among Koreans compared to U.S. We collected a 14-day daily diary from South Koreans (n = 201) and the U.S. participants (n = 128), measuring individuals' daily experiences of COVID-19 and emotions. COVID-19 saliency led to COVID-19-related stress, which was positively linked to daily negative emotions; COVID-19 saliency was also positively associated with communion, which led to decreased negative emotions in both cultures. As hypothesized, the opposite effect of COVID-19 stresses and communion emerged for positive emotions. Further, culture significantly moderated the relationship between communion and daily emotions, suggesting that communion is a more important coping mechanism for Koreans than U.S. The current study speaks to the importance of a sense of communion to cope with the negative consequences of the global crisis, especially for individuals from East Asian cultural context. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Adolescents' lived experiences of COVID-19

Adolescents' lived experiences of COVID-19

Adopting Integrated Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Approaches to Pinpoint the COVID-19 Patients' Risk Factors That Uplift the Onset of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Owing to the recent emergence of COVID-19, there is a lack of published research and clinical recommendations for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) risk factors in patients who contracted or received treatment for the virus. This research aims to identify potential molecular targets to inform therapeutic strategies for this patient population. RNA sequence data for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and PTSD (from the National Center for Biotechnology Information [NCBI]) were processed using the GREIN database. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, pathway enrichment analyses, miRNA interactions, gene regulatory network (GRN) studies, and identification of linked drugs, chemicals, and diseases were conducted using STRING, DAVID, Enrichr, Metascape, ShinyGO, and NetworkAnalyst v3.0. Our analysis identified 15 potentially unique hub proteins within significantly enriched pathways, including PSMB9, MX1, HLA-DOB, HLA-DRA, IFIT3, OASL, RSAD2, and so on, filtered from a pool of 201 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene ontology (GO) terms and metabolic pathway analyses revealed the significance of the extracellular region, extracellular space, extracellular exosome, adaptive immune system, and interleukin (IL)-18 signaling pathways. In addition, we discovered several miRNAs (hsa-mir-124-3p, hsa-mir-146a-5p, hsa-mir-148b-3p, and hsa-mir-21-3p), transcription factors (TF) (WRNIP1, FOXC1, GATA2, CREB1, and RELA), a potentially repurposable drug carfilzomib and chemicals (tetrachlorodibenzodioxin, estradiol, arsenic trioxide, and valproic acid) that could regulate the expression levels of hub proteins at both the transcription and posttranscription stages. Our investigations have identified several potential therapeutic targets that elucidate the probability that victims of COVID-19 experience PTSD. However, they require further exploration through clinical and pharmacological studies to explain their efficacy in preventing PTSD in COVID-19 patients.

Surface engineering of carbon microspheres with nanoceria wrapped on MWCNTs: a dual electrocatalyst for simultaneous monitoring of molnupiravir and paracetamol.

In the present study, nanoceria-decorated MWCNTs (CeNPs@MWCNTs) were synthesized using a simple and inexpensive process. Molnupiravir (MPV) has gained considerable attention in recent years due to the infection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Since some people infected with COVID-19 experience fever and headaches, paracetamol (PCM) has been prescribed to relieve these symptoms. Therefore, there is an urgent need to monitor and detect these drugs simultaneously in pharmaceutical and biological samples. In this regard, we developed a novel sensor based on nanoceria-loaded MWCNTs (CeNPs@MWCNTs) for simultaneous monitoring of MPV and PCM. The incorporation of CeNPs@MWCNTs electrocatalyst into a glassy carbon microsphere fluorolube oil paste electrode (GCMFE) creates more active sites, which increase the surface area, electrocatalytic ability, and electron transfer efficiency. Interestingly, CeNPs@MWCNTs modified GCMFE demonstrated excellent detection limits (6.0 nM, 8.6 nM), linear ranges (5.0-5120 nM, 8.0-4162 nM), and sensitivities (78.6, 94.3 μA μM-1 cm-2) for simultaneous detection of MPV and PCM. The developed CeNPs@MWCNTs electrocatalyst modified GCMFE exhibited good repeatability, anti-interference capability, stability, and real-time analysis with good recovery results, which clearly indicates that it can be used for real-time industrial applications.

Epidemic control by social distancing and vaccination: Optimal strategies and remarks on the COVID-19 Italian response policy.

After the many failures in the control of the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying robust principles of epidemic control will be key in future preparedness. In this work, we propose an optimal control model of an age-of-infection transmission model under a two-phase control regime where social distancing is the only available control tool in the first phase, while the second phase also benefits from the arrival of vaccines. We analyzed the problem by an ad-hoc numerical algorithm under a strong hypothesis implying a high degree of prioritization to the protection of health from the epidemic attack, which we termed the "low attack rate" hypothesis. The outputs of the model were also compared with the data from the Italian COVID-19 experience to provide a crude assessment of the goodness of the enacted interventions prior to the onset of the Omicron variant.

Winners or Losers? Two Academic Years in Experiences of COVID-19 Pandemic

Background. The COVID-19 pandemic declared on March 11th, 2020, has had a substantial impact on the lives of all over the world. The student population, being one of the most vulnerable and substile ones, was forced to face specific unexpected circumstances for the first time in their lives. Objective. In this paper, the authors explored the reflections of the COVID-19 experience and basic segments of everyday life of university students after the first academic year under pandemic measures and a follow-up year with their subjective perception of to what extent their lives have changed and how they were able to adapt to COVID-19 emergency measures. Design. The field research was conducted among students in two European countries: Slovenia and Serbia. The qualitative semi-structured interviews with students (N=20, 50% male) were executed in June-July 2020 and June-July 2021. Results. The basic segments of students' daily lives underwent significant changes, yet they successfully coped and adapted to the COVID-19 emergency measures. Notably, improvements were observed in study strategies, reducing fear and loneliness. Above all, the primary longing was for social contact and gathering with friends. In their private lives, they were more concerned about opportunities but on the other hand, they gained more free time for various non-academic activities. Finally, sports science students have proven better-coping mechanisms with extraordinary circumstances. Conclusion. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the changes in the daily lives of students during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Influence of COVID-19 on Mental Health of Young Families Residing at Harion Municipality in Sarlahi District of Nepal

Since the WHO declared COVID-19 as a pandemic, the spread of the COVID-19 was the focus of attention of scientists, governments and populations. One of the main concerns was the influence of this pandemic on people’s health, mainly on mental health. This study is an in-depth analysis of the influence of COVID-19 and its measurement policies on mental health of young families residing at Harion municipality in Sarlahi district of Nepal. Husserl phenomenology approach was used to explore the experience of young families. Four participants were phone interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule to elicit their experiences of COVID-19 and its influence on their mental health. The analysis was carried out under three major themes: (1) ‘COVID-19 and its influence’, (2) ‘Lockdown and its effects’, and (3) ‘COVID-19 and strategies for the prevention from this disease’. Fear of getting disease and being affected themselves and their beloved ones and end of life was one of the main causes. Another cause by the lockdown created financial challenges and loneliness with serious mental health problem in young families. The findings highlight the influences of COVID-19 and its measurement policies effects in mental health and different ways of coping strategies adopted by young families in Nepal.