Pandemic Hit Research Articles

A review of the impact of social disruptions on food security and food choice.

At times of severe social disruption, be that war, conflict, pandemic, or economic downturn, both the availability and consumption of healthy dietary patterns can be adversely affected with any effects often outlasting the initial social disruption. For instance, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and lockdown restrictions followed, households were reported to consume unhealthy diets. In some cases, this seemed to be a response to the situation and a coping mechanism. In contrast, in other cases, it was a consequence of limited food availability or access, with some communities finding that fresh foods became difficult to source due to the disruption in global supply chains. The example presented by the impact of conflict in Ukraine, which has also disrupted global food supply chains, at a macrolevel, food systems and at a microlevel, individual and community shows that food choices may respond to different global events in similar ways. Therefore, in this review, a range of events/disruptions are considered, beyond pandemics and wars, including climate disasters (e.g., fire, famine, and floods) that have been shown to impact food supply and consequently, food security. The importance of this can be seen as inadequate and nutritionally poor diets have a concomitant effect on health, which extends beyond the initial period of societal stress and disruption of food supply chains. Hence, the impact of such disruptions on consumer behavior which includes food choice needs to be corroborated. Therefore, this review aims to discuss the impact of such disruptions on consumer behavior and food choices. Additionally, this review provides some practical strategies that can be used to ensure the availability of healthy diets.

A CRITICAL LEGAL PERSPECTIVE ON STATUTORY INTOXICATION – TIME TO SOBER UP?

Intoxication has been a phenomenon since time immemorial. Alcoholic beverages play a central role in South African life and culture. Millions of rands are spent annually by government on “Arrive Alive” and “Zero Tolerance” campaigns in the fight against drunken driving. The liquor industry advertises aggressively, linking its products to positive cultural symbols and social needs. The use of alcohol and drugs is, however, also associated with personal, social and legal problems. The role of alcohol and drugs in South Africa’s escalating crime rate cannot be ignored. According to Jacobs, alcohol abuse is involved in a quarter of all admissions to general hospitals in the United States of America. This is precisely the reason that government put a total ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages when the Covid pandemic hit South Africa and hospitals were flooded with Covid patients. Alcohol abuse also plays a major role in the four most common causes of death of men aged 20 to 40: suicide, accidents, murder and cirrhosis of the liver. On 9 May 2022, the World Health Organization stated that the harmful use of alcohol is a causal factor in more than 200 disease and injury conditions. A million deaths annually result from harmful use of alcohol globally, which amounts to 5,3 per cent of all deaths worldwide. It was further stated that alcohol consumption causes death and disability relatively early in life; in mortalities of persons aged 20–39 years, approximately 13,5 per cent of total deaths are attributable to alcohol. It is, therefore, alarming that people who become voluntarily drunk, to this day, still stand a chance of being acquitted in South African courts if the evidence reveals that, at the time of the act, the accused happened to fall into the grey area between “slightly drunk” and “very drunk”. This legal position was once again confirmed in the case of S v Ramdass. The decision represents yet another instance where an accused who committed alleged crimes in a state of voluntary intoxication was acquitted on both counts. South Africa’s legal position on voluntary intoxication is clearly at odds with the global and national call for stricter regulations on the public’s excessive use of alcohol, which makes a consideration of the Ramdass judgment, and the policy behind it, deserving of closer analysis.

The Students’ Perception Toward the Use of Smartphones in Learning English at MAN Sidenreng Rappang

Technology and education are two things that cannot be separated until now. Especially when the pandemic outbreak hit which required the education world to implement an online learning system, smartphones became one of the choices for learning media. However, researchers found a phenomenon that occurred in MAN Sidenreng Rappang after the covid-19 pandemic, where students could use smartphones in the learning process in the classroom. This study aims to determine how students' perceptions of smartphone use in learning English at MAN Sidenreng Rappang. Participants in the study consisted of seven students from twelfth grade. In addition, this study used observation, interview, and documentation techniques to obtain data. From the findings, researchers found that smartphones can be used as one of the learning media in accordance with the results of research that shows a positive impact related to the use of smartphones in learning English in the classroom, such as making learning more fun, making it easier for students to access learning materials. Smartphones also provide various features and applications that help in the learning process, such as easier assignment collection, helping the translation process, and various applications that can support the learning process. The use of smartphones also improves students' skills, especially in improving vocabulary, speaking, and listening skills. In addition, the use of smartphones also motivates students to learn. But from the findings, researchers also found several obstacles faced by students while using smartphones, such as disruption of learning focus, data packages, and poor internet connection.

Critical Analysis of the Project for Strengthening Pancasila Student Profiles in the Learning Process at SD Negeri Sidanegara 04, Central Cilacap District

The current implementation of the learning process is a distance learning transition due to the co-19 pandemic in 2020 and face-to-face learning in the new normal era. Face-to-face learning actually took place before the Covid 19 pandemic hit Indonesia. During the Covid 19 pandemic, learning took place remotely which resulted in alienation between teachers and students. The existence of learning loss is one of the policies contained in the Decree of the Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia No 719 / P / 2020, the impact of distance learning is the basis of this curriculum change. In (Rachmawati et al., 2022) the application of project-based learning is an option in the prototype curriculum which is considered capable of supporting learning recovery due to learning loss as character development according to the Pancasila Student Profile.The aims of the study were (1) to describe the implementation of the Pancasila student profile strengthening project at SD Negeri Sidanegara 04, Central Cilacap District; (2) analyzing the strengthening of the Pancasila student profile project in the learning process at SD Negeri Sidanegara 04, Central Cilacap District; (3) to describe the supporting and inhibiting factors of strengthening learning in the Pancasila student profile project at SD Negeri Sidanegara 04, Central Cilacap District. This research took place at SD Negeri Sidanegara 04, Central Cilacap District. The research used is field research with a descriptive qualitative approach using the Phenomenology model. The results of this study are 1) the implementation of strengthening the Pancasila student profile project at SD Negeri Sidanegara 04, Cilacap Tengah District, has gone very well. 2) The various characters formed in the implementation of the Pancasila student profile project include being independent, mutual cooperation and creative. 3) the supporting factors for the activity are the support of the principal, teachers and employees, parents, guardians and committees. Some partners also support the activity. The inhibiting factor for the activity was the coordination between the teacher and the student's guardians besides the limited time and energy.

Changed Perceptions: Lessons Learned Regarding Nurse's Postpandemic Concerns.

Through a unique set of timings, a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis of a nursing department was conducted with the staff nurses of a large medical center in late 2019 and again in 2022. The intent of the 2019 analysis was bifold, to obtain rich input from nursing staff to apprise the 2020 Nursing Strategic Plan and to inform the hospital-wide core councils and the nursing unit councils on focused project work identified as Weaknesses and Threats. When the pandemic hit, work on strategic planning was paused to manage the unparalleled impact that COVID-19 had on the organization. In 2022, nursing leadership realized they had an opportunity to repeat the SWOT analysis, not only to inform the 2023 Nursing Strategic Plan but also to determine whether the perceptions of staff nurses regarding the SWOT in the nursing department had changed postpandemic. A thematic analysis provided the structure to analyze the perceptions of nurses pre- and postpandemic. This article presents our reflections for nurse leaders to consider when addressing the positive (Strengths/Opportunities) and negative (Weaknesses/Threats) perceptions of nurses in a postpandemic health care environment.

Analisis Pertumbuhan Fintech Sebelum dan Saat Pandemi Covid-19 di Indonesia

Fintech in development has fluctuations in every sentiment, both negative and positive and has had an impact on its development. Before the Covid-19 pandemic occurred, many people still use traditional financial services which were carried out through offline payment transactions and carrying cash even though fintech options were available. During the Covid-19 pandemic occurred, financial services changed offline habits into online activities. However, inconsistencies occurred between loan disbursement which increased while the interest trend in fintech financing decreased when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. The purpose of this study is to analyze whether there were differences before and during the Covid-19 pandemic among fintech lenders in Indonesia. analyze whether there were differences before and during the Covid-19 pandemic for fintech borrowers in Indonesia. The data used is transaction data of fintech lenders and borrowers in Indonesia from 2018 – 2022. This study uses the Paired Sample t-Test and the Wilcoxon Test with the Eviews 12 test tool. The results of this study indicate that there are significant differences in lender transactions and borrowers in conditions before the entry of Covid-19 to the time of entry of Covid-19 to Indonesia. The conclusion is that this significant difference is because during Covid-19, especially investors in Indonesia experienced many problems from health to finance, so when Covid-19 occurred they held back money more than investing in fintech so that lender transactions decreased. In borrower transactions due to lender transactions as lenders decreasing so that loan requests by borrowers that can be fulfilled also decrease.

A compartmental model for COVID-19 to assess effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions with emphasis on contact-based quarantine

Relative to the number of casualties, COVID-19 ranks among the ten most devastating plagues in history. The pandemic hit the South Asian nation of Bangladesh in early March 2020 and has greatly impacted the socio-economic status of the country. In this article, we propose a compartmental model for COVID-19 dynamics, introducing a separate class for quarantined susceptibles, synonymous to isolation of individuals who have been exposed and are suspected of being infected. The current model assumes a perfect quarantine based on contact with infectious individuals. Numerical simulation is conducted to investigate the efficiency of disease control by segregating suspected individuals and other non-pharmaceutical interventions. In addition, we assort quantitatively the importance of parameters that influence the dynamics of the system. Fitting the system to the early phase of COVID-19 outbreaks in Bangladesh, by taking into account the cumulative number of cases with the data of the first 17-week period, the basic reproduction number is estimated as 1.69.

Learning from implementation of a COVID case management desk guide and training: a pilot study in Sierra Leone

BackgroundWhen the COVID pandemic hit the world, there was need for applied guides and training materials to support frontline health care staff to manage patients effectively and safely and to educate themselves and communities. This article reports on the development and piloting of such a set of materials in Sierra Leone, which were based on international evidence but adapted to the local context. Reflecting on this experience, including community and health system barriers and enablers, is important to prepare for future regional shocks.MethodsThis study, in Bombali district in 2020, piloted user-friendly COVID guides for frontline health workers (the intervention), which was evaluated using facility checklists (pre and post training), routine data analysis and 32 key informant interviews.ResultsKey informants at district, hospital and community health centre levels identified gains from the training and desk guides, including improved diagnosis, triaging, infection prevention and management of patients. They also reported greater confidence to share messages on protection with colleagues and community members, which was needed to encourage continued use of essential services during the pandemic. However, important barriers were also revealed, including the lack of testing facilities, which reduced the sense of urgency, as few cases were identified. Actions based on the Ebola experience, such as setting up testing and isolation centres, which the community avoided, were not appropriate to COVID. Stigma and fear were important factors, although these were reduced with outreach activities. Supplies of essential medicines and personal protective equipment were also lacking.ConclusionThis pilot study demonstrated the relevance and importance of guides adapted to the context, which were able to improve the confidence of health staff to manage their own and the community’s fears in the face of a new pandemic and improve their skills. Previous epidemics, particularly Ebola, complicated this by both creating structures that could be revitalised but also assumptions and behaviours that were not adapted to the new disease. Our study documents positive adaptations and resilience by health staff but also chronic system weaknesses (particularly for medicines, supplies and equipment) which must be urgently addressed before the next shock arrives.

Monitoring COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia using SEIRD model parameters with MEWMA

BackgroundWhen the COVID-19 pandemic hit Saudi Arabia, decision-makers were confronted with the difficult task of implementing treatment and disease prevention measures. To make effective decisions, officials must monitor several pandemic attributes simultaneously. Such as spreading rate, which is the number of new cases of a disease compared to existing cases; infection rate refers to how many cases have been reported in the entire population, and the recovery rate, which is how effective treatment is and indicates how many people recover from an illness and the mortality rate is how many deaths there are for every 10,000 people. MethodsBased on a Susceptible, Exposed, Infected, Recovered Death (SEIRD) model, this study presents a method for monitoring changes in the dynamics of a pandemic. This approach uses a Bayesian paradigm for estimating the parameters at each time using a particle Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. The MCMC samples are then analyzed using Multivariate Exponentially Weighted Average (MEWMA) profile monitoring technique, which will “signal” if a change in the SEIRD model parameters change. ResultsThe method is applied to the pre-vaccine COVID-19 data for Saudi Arabia and the MEWMA process shows changes in parameter profiles which correspond to real world events such as government interventions or changes in behaviour. ConclusionsThe method presented here is a tool that researchers and policy makers can use to monitor pandemics in a real time manner.

Efforts to Increase the Number of New Students at Private Universities at the LMII Indonesia Medan High School of Economics during the Covid-19 Pandemic Period Hit the World with the Implementation of Strategic Management

Efforts to Increase the Number of New Students at Private Universities at the LMII Indonesia Medan High School of Economics during the Covid-19 Pandemic Period Hit the World with the Implementation of Strategic Management

Innovative housing models that reflect the needs of contemporary society. (Post-pandemic context)

This article is concerned with understanding the need for housing in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and suggesting alternatives to provide solutions for housing in a demanding post-pandemic society and a new lifestyle. Since this pandemic hit the world, the issues revealed tackled primarily general societal health, followed by social distancing, change of transportation concepts, and a new remote work model within the housing unit; putting into a tangible discussion, the overall quality of housing. An emergent need to re-address a new concept for housing, sustaining the actual socio- economic model of living, is frequently being discussed between academics alternating between provision for flexible internal spaces, innovative and resilient houses as well as re- adaptations. In this context of global societal changes, ‘The Housing Unit’, has been positioned under pressure to meet the extra needs of the inhabitants, like better indoor physical comfort and air quality, natural light and ventilation, wider spaces, and flexible interiors, needs which were previously addressed in the outdoor environment. Whiles the impact of the pandemic in regard to housing as the primary unit responsible for the overall quality of life imposes researchers and different professionals in design fields to attend to and forecast changes within the housing as the primary “nucleus” driving the general health and quality of life for the citizens; the situation challenged every component of the urban environment, including the uses of public space, public transportation and movement within the city, which already seeks to be redefined. This research is conducted during a two-week workshop, in the framework of the doctoral program in Architecture and Urban Planning, concerning the context Northern Albanian Region of Lezha, with the participation of the students: Rine Zogiani, Nicola Talamonti, Elena Verzella, Luca Lanzoni, Bianka Madhi,, Armela Lamaj. The results of the workshop, after a thorough investigation of existing housing typologies, the relation of public spaces with residential buildings, and other aspects like sustainability, through the objective of providing innovative housing solutions. generated variable models of housing in two main directions: a) adaptations of existing housing units; and b) new proposals for contemporary, post-pandemic housing. The proposals integrate the use of near public space and the incorporation of auto-sufficient buildings concepts.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Investment Management in the Housing Market in Turkey

COVID-19 significantly impacted the management of investments in the residential property market. Changes in property demand, shifts in market volatility, financing challenges, changes in property management and changes in local regulations and policies are presented. The pandemic created a more challenging and unpredictable investment management (IM) environment in the residential property market. However, with proper knowledge management (KM) and investment strategies, investors may have opportunities to thrive in this changing market. Investment KM refers to identifying, capturing, organising and sharing information and expertise related to investment activities within an organisation. KM in residential investment involves developing a system for gathering, organising and using information and expertise related to buying, owning, and selling a property. COVID-19 significantly affected the property market. Effective KM in residential investment can help individuals make informed decisions, identify potential risks, and maximise the value of their investment. Like many others worldwide, the Turkish residential market was hit by COVID-19. The Turkish residential market has a few key points: financing, shifts in buyer preferences, and regulation changes. The pandemic hit Turkey's residential property market, leading to property price changes. The Turkish government implemented several residential policies to support the residential market and help individuals and families facing financial challenges due to the pandemic. Those policies did not eliminate the challenges but mitigated some of the negative effects of the pandemic on the market and helped individual investors. This article discusses house price changes in Turkey during the COVID-19 period, the factors affecting price changes, and the property policies that affect property price changes. This article analyses IM challenges and explores how KM can help individual property investors.

Integrated point-of-care RT-PCR methods during and after COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken the world by surprise and people and organisations worldwide worked in some way or the other to combat the spread; isolate from the infected and get back to normal life, as it was before the pandemic hit. In this regard, the diagnosis of COVID-19 was at the centre of control and prevention and have seen a vehement change in every aspect, especially development of point-of-care testing for better and quick diagnosis. Among different types of techniques developed, the most important was the RT-PCR method of detection which detects nucleic acid of the virus in samples. RT-PCR is a laboratory-based method requiring trained professionals and precise steps for accurate testing. With the advent and spread of the pandemic, number of RT-PCR diagnostic centres rose significantly, and the detection process became less cumbersome, easy to use, ability to handle large volume of samples, more accurate, less time-consuming, and cost-effective. Different industries developed RT-PCR kits, reducing the efforts to prepare laboratory samples. Machines were employed for labour-driven tasks in PCR testing. In addition, new age technologies such as artificial intelligence, IoT, digital systems were combined with RT-PCR for accurate and easy testing. In this review, point-of-care RT-PCR methods, when the COVID-19 started, and the methods now, has been compared on the basis of technological advancements.

The Role of Tourism Bubble Destination for Sustainability Development

In late 2019 pandemic has broken into global outrage. This has led some countries to border closing. Since late 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused unprecedented global health and social emergencies and profound negative impacts on the global economy. However, the pandemic also hit the economy in Indonesia, especially related to tourism. As solutions in Indonesia after the pandemic hit in early March 2020 there are several policies is applied regarding the tourism bubble made government. As for Indonesia, they have been cautious about the COVID-19 safety protocol in Indonesia. This study is aimed to understand the concept of the tourism bubble in various literature and is represented as an understandable concept as grounded theory. The objective of this study is to understand also how the basic relationship between sustainable tourism and the bubble tourism concept. Nevertheless, this study also can help to define tourism bubble destinations. Although as an outcome, understanding Bubble Tourism destinations may help to develop the sustainability theory. The study design is grounded on theory. Grounded theory is to generate a conceptual theory that accounts for a pattern of behavior that is relevant and problematic for those involved. In conclusion, it can be understood that the Tourism bubble destination can become the answer to sustainable development in the tourism industry. This idea can become a solution not only for the prevention of loss in culture, assets, and value but also as curative when there is a problem related to health in society.

COVID-19 pandemic hits differently: examining its consequences for women’s livelihoods and healthcare access – a cross-sectional study in Kinshasa DRC

ObjectivesThe emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic led to multiple preventive actions as primary interventions to contain the spread of the virus. Globally, countries are facing enormous challenges with consequences for...

Remaining ‘open’ during a crisis: Managing academic continuity at The Open University, UK

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, higher education institutions (HEIs) around the world faced an unprecedented amount of complexity and uncertainty, regardless of their mode of delivering teaching, learning and assessment activities to their students. Despite already having robust policies and processes in place for delivering such activities online, distance learning institutions around the world were far from being exempt from this disruption. This paper highlights that the continuity of academic decision making during a crisis affects all institutions and needs to be managed carefully to maintain the expected quality of academic standards and student experience, while protecting the health and well-being of students and staff. By evaluating the effectiveness of The Open University’s approach to considering academic issues during the COVID-19 pandemic and considering longer-term implications for the institution, this paper presents a modified version of an academic continuity model to assist other institutions in managing academic continuity during crisis situations. This revised model takes into account the cyclical and ongoing nature of The Open University’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact that prolonged uncertainty can have on applying such a model in practice.

Mental Health First Aid Training in Rural Maryland during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Program Implementation through Virtual Delivery

The growing mental health concerns during COVID-19, particularly among rural residents, is a public health emergency. Rural residents are at an elevated risk, as rurality has been associated with various disparities, including lower accessibility to mental health services. Maryland Rural Opioid Technical Assistance (ROTA; Maryland Extension) aimed to address this issue by delivering evidence-based programs on opioid misuse and mental health to rural community members and practitioners throughout Maryland when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. and all research activities had to transition to the virtual setting. The current study provides an overview of the implementation process of the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program and reports the findings from the evaluation efforts. Participants (N = 398) completed a one-time online survey and answered open-ended questions, reporting high satisfaction rates and positive experiences with the virtual delivery of the program. Results suggested that the virtual format was still effective in program content delivery and that virtual delivery of evidence-based programs may be an opportune strategy to reach more rural residents. Recommendations for future research and practice efforts include building sustainable partnerships with local community organizations and considering rurality and prolonged-pandemic factors for effective program implementation.

Inclusive excellence online: Pandemic lessons learned supporting traditionally underserved students

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and all higher education pivoted to online learning, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) created ‘Finish Line’, a programme designed to help former students with some college, but no degree to complete their studies, often several years after they had left the institution. More than 200 students have done so to date, which was a surprising pandemic silver lining for an institution with fewer than 5 per cent of all courses delivered online before 2020. But was Finish Line just a temporary strategic initiative to get through a global health crisis? Or could it also be a proof of concept for how to meet and support ‘non-traditional’ adult learners where they are — and want to go? In this reflective case study, we offer candid lessons learned to go beyond the logistics of an enrolment management strategy of ‘re-recruiting’ former students through the affordances of online education to reassessing and redefining our ‘inclusive excellence’ mission in a post-pandemic, often digital-first world.

Differences in instructional quality during the Covid-19 pandemic between Oman and Germany and the role of teacher competences

IntroductionSchool closures during the Covid-19 pandemic hit educational systems worldwide, forcing teachers to switch to digital learning settings. The presented study aims to (a) adapt and evaluate scales on instructional quality in digital settings, (b) describe instructional quality during the pandemic, and (c) to identify predictive teacher competences.MethodData was assessed in a cross-sectional design via an online questionnaire conducted in Oman and Germany simultaneously.ResultsAnalyses of data from N = 284 teachers in Oman and Germany revealed mostly good psychometric parameters, differences in instructional quality between both countries, and positive relations between teachers’ competences and instructional quality.ConclusionThe present study contributes to instrument development and to the growing body of research, investigating teaching quality during the pandemic.

Influence of socio-economic status on functional recovery after ARDS caused by SARS-CoV-2: the multicentre, observational RECOVIDS study

PurposeSurvivors after acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are at high risk of developing respiratory sequelae and functional impairment. The healthcare crisis caused by the pandemic hit socially disadvantaged populations. We aimed to evaluate the influence of socio-economic status on respiratory sequelae after COVID-19 ARDS.MethodsWe carried out a prospective multicenter study in 30 French intensive care units (ICUs), where ARDS survivors were pre-enrolled if they fulfilled the Berlin ARDS criteria. For patients receiving high flow oxygen therapy, a flow ≥ 50 l/min and an FiO2 ≥ 50% were required for enrollment. Socio-economic deprivation was defined by an EPICES (Evaluation de la Précarité et des Inégalités de santé dans les Centres d’Examens de Santé - Evaluation of Deprivation and Inequalities in Health Examination Centres) score ≥ 30.17 and patients were included if they performed the 6-month evaluation. The primary outcome was respiratory sequelae 6 months after ICU discharge, defined by at least one of the following criteria: forced vital capacity < 80% of theoretical value, diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide < 80% of theoretical value, oxygen desaturation during a 6-min walk test and fibrotic-like findings on chest computed tomography.ResultsAmong 401 analyzable patients, 160 (40%) were socio-economically deprived and 241 (60%) non-deprived; 319 (80%) patients had respiratory sequelae 6 months after ICU discharge (81% vs 78%, deprived vs non-deprived, respectively). No significant effect of socio-economic status was identified on lung sequelae (odds ratio (OR), 1.19 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.72–1.97]), even after adjustment for age, sex, most invasive respiratory support, obesity, most severe P/F ratio (adjusted OR, 1.02 [95% CI 0.57–1.83]).ConclusionsIn COVID-19 ARDS survivors, socio-economic status had no significant influence on respiratory sequelae 6 months after ICU discharge.