Coronavirus Pandemic Research Articles

Predictors of resilience for people with spinal cord injury over two periods of COVID-19 social distancing restrictions: a 12-month longitudinal study using structural equation modelling

BackgroundThe novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is disproportionately impacting the health of people with disability. Resilience has remained an important health promoting characteristic during periods of social distancing restrictions. Factors promoting resilience for people with disability under the context of the pandemic remains poorly understood. Studies have yet to investigate evidence-based factors that promote resilience over multiple periods of restrictions for people with disability.MethodsA longitudinal study developed via a collaborative partnership between peer-support workers with lived experience of spinal cord injury (SCI) and university researchers was undertaken to fill knowledge gaps around factors promoting resilience for people with SCI during two periods of stringent social distancing restrictions within Victoria, Australia. Over 12-months, participants with SCI completed two surveys, towards the end of two lockdown periods. Evidence-based factors associated with resilience were measured. The Impact on Participation and Autonomy Questionnaire, the International SCI Quality of Life scale, and the 10-item Conor Davidson Resilience Scale, respectively measured autonomy and participation limitations, life satisfaction and psychological health, and resilience. A structural equation modelling (SEM) approach established factors directly and indirectly associated with resilience.ResultsA model with excellent fit was produced. During two extended lockdowns over the 12-month period, increased family role limitations and favourable psychological health were respectively, negatively (Lockdown 1 [n = 127]: β = -.251, p < .01, Lockdown 2: β = -.400, p < .01) and positively (Lockdown 1: β = .601, p < .01, Lockdown 2 [n = 65]: β = .430, p < .01) associated with resilience. Indirect negative associations between resilience and increased outdoor autonomy limitations (Lockdown 1: β = -.195, p < .01, Lockdown 2: β = -.255, p < .01) and social life limitations (Lockdown 1: β = -.217, p < .01, Lockdown 2: β = -.142, p < .05) existed, and these relationships were moderated by psychological health.ConclusionsPsychological health, and participation and autonomy are determinants of resilience during periods of crisis. Health and social care providers and public health departments should prioritise programs promoting these domains, to counter the negative impact of social distancing.

Intervention Effect of Exercise and Diet on Immunity Under the Coronavirus Pandemic

In the context of the global pandemic, enhancing immunity is an important way to defeat the virus. This article analyzes the immune system and immune function of the body and proposes to intervene in the function of the immune system through diet and various intensities of exercise. Research has shown that doing less intensive exercise can improve the impact of negative emotions, thereby enhancing the immune system. Long-term high-intensity exercise can suppress immune function. In the event of a disease outbreak, the immune system can be strengthened by providing adequate nutrition. The most important thing is that the human body should have sufficient high-quality protein. Firstly, protein is the material foundation for maintaining health. Secondly, the human body needs to consume more vitamin A. Thirdly, we mainly eat trace elements such as iron, zinc, and selenium. Fourthly, there must be more biologically active foods. At the same time, it is important to ensure sufficient sleep, a good mood, and exercise.

Identification, Isolation, and Molecular Characterization of Betacoronavirus in Oryx leucoryx.

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are enveloped viruses with a large RNA genome (26 to 32 kb) and are classified into four genera: Alphacoronavirus, Betacoronavirus, Gammacoronavirus, and Deltacoronavirus. CoV infections cause respiratory, enteric, and neurologic disorders in mammalian and avian species. In 2019, Oryx leucoryx animals suffered from severe hemorrhagic diarrhea and high morbidity rates. Upon initial diagnosis, we found that the infected animals were positive for coronavirus by pancoronavirus reverse transcriptase RT-PCR. Next, we detected the presence of CoV particles in these samples by electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. CoV was isolated and propagated on the HRT-18G cell line, and its full genome was sequenced. Full-genome characterization and amino acid comparisons of this viral agent demonstrated that this virus is an evolutionarily distinct Betacoronavirus belonging to the subgenus Embecovirus and the Betacoronavirus 1 species. Furthermore, we found that it is most similar to the subspecies dromedary camel coronavirus HKU23 by phylogenetic analysis. Here, we present the first report of isolation and characterization of Betacoronavirus associated with enteric disease in Oryx leucoryx. IMPORTANCE CoVs cause enteric and respiratory infections in humans and animal hosts. The ability of CoVs to cross interspecies barriers is well recognized, as emphasized by the ongoing pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The identification of novel CoV strains and surveillance of CoVs in both humans and animals are relevant and important to global health. In this study, we isolated and characterized a newly identified Betacoronavirus that causes enteric disease in a wild animal, Oryx leucoryx (the Arabian oryx). This work is the first report describing CoV infection in Oryx leucoryx and provides insights into its origin.

The role of vitamin D in the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection and long COVID in children (literature review)

Long-term observation of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the pediatric population revealed the presence of persistent symptoms in 1 : 4 to 1 : 10 children four or more weeks after the onset of this infection. The question about the role of vitamin D in the course of COVID-19 and the development of long-term health conditions is still debatable. The purpose of this review is to generalize and clarify the effect of vitamin D on the course of ­COVID-19 and the post-COVID period in children. Electronic search for scientific publications was done in the PubMed, Scopus, ResearchGate, Wiley Online Library and Google Scholar databases from 2019 to February 2023. Analysis of studies on COVID-19, the post-COVID period, and the impact of hypovitaminosis D on their course attests to the ambiguity of published results in the pediatric cohort. A number of resear­chers have linked vitamin D deficiency to higher mortality, higher hospitalization rates, and longer hospital stays. Hypovitaminosis D impairs the functioning of the immune system in an organism infected with the pandemic coronavirus, which increases the risk of severe course and mortality. But this hypothesis still needs in-depth study to understand the essence of the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the course of the coronavirus infection and long COVID. The hypothesis about the relationship between hypovitaminosis D and immunosuppression during infection with a pandemic coronavirus and its potential role in the formation of long-term health conditions after acute COVID-19 is still under permanent study.

Universal use of face mask for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 in community settings in a South-western State of Nigeria: willingness and barriers

Background and objectivesOne of the major drivers of the novel coronavirus (SARS‐CoV‐2) pandemic is community transmission. Nigeria, like other countries globally, took to strict preventive public health measures including good respiratory and hand hygiene, physical distancing, and the use of face mask to control the spread of COVID-19 disease. Furthermore, the government of Lagos State in Nigeria made a pronouncement on the universal use of face mask in the community. While the use of face masks has proven to be an effective barrier to the transmission of respiratory diseases, its use in the community is uncommon. This study assessed the willingness and compliance with wearing face masks for the reduction of the community spread of COVID-19 and identified possible barriers to use of mask among residents in Lagos State.MethodsThis was a descriptive cross-sectional study, that surveyed 552 respondents who were adult residents of Lagos State. Data collection was quantitative, using a pretested, interviewer-administered questionnaire, and findings were presented in frequencies and percentages. Pearson’s chi-square and logistic regression analyses were used to test the association between variables. The level of significance was set at 5%.ResultsA majority (75.7%) of the respondents were willing to wear a face mask in public areas but only 21.9% of the respondents were willing to wear a mask at all times. The most identified barriers to wearing mask were discomfort (72.5%) and inconvenience (77.7%). Two-thirds of the respondents reported they were compliant with always wearing a face mask when leaving home. Only 15.0% of the respondents wore the mask continuously and appropriately, covering the nose and mouth. Having a post-secondary education and being older (40 years and above) were found to be positive predictors of both willingness to wear a mask and compliance with universal mask policy (wearing masks continuously and appropriately).ConclusionOur findings suggest that willingness to wear a face mask influences compliance, and that having a post-secondary education and being older (> 40 years) were positive predictors of both willingness to wear a mask and compliance with universal mask policy (wearing it continuously and correctly). The major barriers to wearing masks were discomfort and inconvenience. Effective risk communication strategies to reach diverse groups for better compliance with public health measures are urgently needed even for the future.

Mechanism of Action and Impact of the New Coronavirus Vaccine

A massive global health disaster caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has harmed millions of people and resulted in severe suffering and mortality. Since the COVID-19 epidemic, research into mRNA vaccines and therapies has expanded. To achieve disease preventive and treatment goals, mRNA vaccines entail injecting a synthetic mRNA sequence encoding protein antigen into the human body, instructing the body to express the right protein, and prompting the body to evoke a specific immune response. As a result, efforts have been launched around the world to develop a vaccine that can protect against the virus and halt its spread. The mode of action and effects of the novel coronavirus will be examined in this essay. The background, literature review, and research progress, motivation and research framework, case study, and influence on the human body will all be covered in the article. All of these are predicated on the mRNA relationship. Finally, the article will include a conclusion that summarizes the findings of the study as well as its limitations and future prospects.

Relationship between Secondary Trauma Self-Efficacy, Secondary Trauma and Job Burnout among Doctors Dealing with COVID-19 Patients

Background: The global pandemic of coronavirus became a profound threat to the physical and mental health of people worldwide. Healthcare workers especially doctors on the frontline experience critical and traumatic situations on regular basis. Doctors dealing with COVID-19 patients become more vulnerable to secondary traumatic stress and burnout due to persistent exposure to stressful situations.&#x0D; Objective: To examine the relationship between secondary trauma self-efficacy, job burnout and secondary trauma in doctors who are involved in treating people infected with COVID-19. Method: The study was conducted by using cross-sectional research design. The sample consisted of 78 doctors who were working as frontline workers in dealing with COVID-19 patients. Online google form was&#x0D; devised to collect data from the participants by employing convenient sampling technique. The google form comprised of demographic questionnaire and two scales i.e., Secondary Trauma Self-Efficacy scale and Compassion Fatigue scale. Two primary hypotheses were formulated i.e., there would likely be a negative relationship between secondary trauma self-efficacy and compassion fatigue in doctors dealing with coronavirus patients and secondary trauma self-efficacy would likely predict secondary trauma and job burnout in doctors dealing with coronavirus patients. The hypotheses were tested through SPSS software by conducting Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Hierarchical Multiple Regression analysis. Results: The results showed that there was significant negative relationship between Secondary Trauma Self- Efficacy and Compassion Fatigue (r= -0.54, p

Reasons for Not Working During the Coronavirus Pandemic Among Working-Age Persons With and Without Disabilities in the US

ObjectiveTo provide new information about the reasons why persons with and without disabilities were not working during the coronavirus pandemic. DesignSecondary analysis of the Household Pulse Survey conducted between April 14, 2021, and May 9, 2022. SettingThe United States. Participants876,865 people with and without disabilities aged 18-64 years (N=876,865). InterventionN/A. Main Outcome MeasuresReasons for not working such as “Sick with coronavirus symptoms or caring for someone who was sick with coronavirus symptoms”, “Concerned about getting or spreading the coronavirus”, “Sick (not coronavirus related) or disabled”, “Laid off or furloughed due to coronavirus pandemic”, “Employer closed temporarily due to the coronavirus pandemic”, “Caring for children not in school or daycare”, “Caring for an elderly person”, “Retired”, “Did not have transportation to work”, and “other” reasons. ResultsThe number of people with disabilities and people without disabilities in the sample was 82,703 and 794,162, respectively. People with disabilities were more likely to report that they were laid off or furloughed and less likely to report that they did not want employment than people without disabilities. Working-age adults with disabilities were more likely to report health or disability reasons not related to coronavirus than working-age adults without disabilities as a reason for not working. Caring for children not in school or daycare was 1 of the most cited reasons for both people with and without disabilities. Women, among both the groups, were more likely to not work primarily due to caregiving responsibilities. People with disabilities were more likely to report getting or spreading the coronavirus and less likely to report being retired as a reason for not working than people without disabilities. ConclusionAnalyzing reasons why people with disabilities were not working during the pandemic is crucial for successful employment policymaking in a post-pandemic world.

The Effectiveness of Online Cognitive-Behavioral Stress Management Training on Blood Glucose Control and Problems in Sexual Function of Married Women with Diabetes During the Coronavirus Pandemic: A Quasi-Experimental Study

The Effectiveness of Online Cognitive-Behavioral Stress Management Training on Blood Glucose Control and Problems in Sexual Function of Married Women with Diabetes During the Coronavirus Pandemic: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Impact of Novel Coronavirus Pandemic on Emergency and Elective Surgical Practice: A Retrospective Study in a Tertiary Care Center

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a significant worldwide impact on general surgical practice. Since the beginning of this pandemic, hospitals have become a hot zone for the transmission of coronavirus. Routine and emergency surgical services have been severely disrupted worldwide due to this pandemic and may continue to be so for some time if more mutations take place in the virus. As of February 27, 2022, at 9 a.m., 43.5 crore positive cases were confirmed worldwide with over 6 million deaths. In India, 42,916,117 positive cases were confirmed to this date with 513,756 deaths. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgery daily practice and surgical patients was very high. There was a high impact on elective, semi-elective, cancer surgery, transplant programs, and education programs in our institution during the COVID-19 era. The most common reasons were being reduced number of availabilities of non-COVID-19 beds in the general surgical ward, difficulty in separating COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients, high transmission, and infection rate of COVID-19, reduced number of surgical intensive care unit beds and operation theatre due to allotment of these exclusively for COVID-19 patients. The reduced number of staff and health-care workers due to posting in the COVID-19 ward was also a major factor in the reduced number of electives and other surgeries in our institution. We need to find ways to continue providing essential medical services to patients while fighting this pandemic since it might take longer than expected to end. The present report summarizes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our surgical services and the changes that we have adopted for better care of surgical patients and safe surgical practice to provide valuable information worldwide. This article also summarizes current evidence and recommendations for changes to surgical practice in our hospital according to the World Health Organization, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Indian Council of Medical Research, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to minimize the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical services.

The Possibilities, Limits, and Complexities of Triage in COVID-19 Regime

The new and prevailing Corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic is an extremely contagious virus. Scientific research has gone far in the study and treatment of the virus. One of the things known about it at present is that its spread depends on social contact. In this paper, I consider the challenge that allocation of scarce medical resources poses in the fight against COVID-19. Millions have been infected, just as the number of diseased also runs in thousands. The allocation of scarce medical resources during the COVID-19 pandemic regime poses a challenge to healthcare providers. In attempting to save the lives of COVID-19 patients, how should we allocate ventilators or vaccines? Since ventilators, or as at present vaccines, are scarce compared to the number of patients that need it for survival, who should get one? To address this challenge, healthcare providers often resort to triage, especially in Emergency Departments (EDs) and intensive care units (ICUs). In this paper, I discuss the possibilities, limits, and complexities associated with the principle of triage in the distribution of scarce medical resources in the treatment and attempt to save the lives of COVID-19 patients. I contend that triage as a principle of distribution of scarce health resources fails in the distribution of scarce life-saving resources to COVID-19 patients. I aim to show that the triage protocol approach fails in terms of clinical and non-clinical evidence as well as regarding procedural issues associated with its application.

E-Learning in Kuwait: Students’ Perspective

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has wreaked havoc on societies around the world and continues to do so and produced cataclysmic socio-economic challenges. This virus compelled countries to enact restrictive policies in order to combat, defend, and prevent against the spread of infection. In most nations, including Kuwait, a complete lockdown was imposed, with necessary measures taken to limit social gatherings, wear protective masks, and encourage social distancing. Businesses, organizations, and institutions have been forced to discover new avenues to survive and thrive by converting to remote operation using digital technology. Similarly, the epidemic has forced educational institutions to abandon conventional face-to-face instruction in favor of online digital learning. The goal of this study is to assess the online learning process in Kuwait from the perspective of students. In this regard, a survey questionnaire was designed and distributed to students throughout Kuwait; 830 students responded, with just 500 students with complete answers. In light of the dangerous and widespread of the harmful virus, analysis found that students consent to online learning. However, most prefer face-to-face instruction in a classroom setting.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic – A Comprehensive Review of Demographics, Comorbidities, Vaccines, Therapeutic Development, Blood Type, and Long Covid

The study summarizes the pandemic COVID-19's impact on symptoms, demographics, comorbidities, and vaccine and therapeutic development and demonstrates an association with cases and mortality for the past two years.

Karawaka i synonimy, czyli o leksykalnych powrotach

The authors, referring to the article Words that come back by Bogdan Walczak from 1998, present the history of the word karawaka in Polish. It is the name of the cross with two horizontal beams protecting against various disasters, especially against epidemics. Originally, it was a reliquary from the 4th century AD with a piece of the Holy Cross Tree, brought in the 13th century during the Crusades from Jerusalem to the Spanish city of Caravaca (from which its name comes). The custom of erecting such crosses and wearing these types of small crosses disappeared in the 20th century, and returned with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic. The lexeme karawaka was recorded for the first time in Samuel Bogumi Lindes Polish Language Dictionary, and in the Polish Language Dictionary edited by Witold Doroszewski it already had the status of historicism. This word and its synonyms (krzy karawaka, krzy choleryczny, krzy epidemiczny, krzy morowy, krzy epidemiczny, krzy choleryczny, krzy karawaka) returned to Polish in 2020, and the lexical novelty during the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic is krzy pandemiczny.

Environmental, social and economic impacts due to the COVID-19 outbreak

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted daily life, challenging national health systems, stalling growth and affecting population in general. It was especially detrimental to vulnerable groups, which include people with disabilities, the elderly, impoverished people and indigenous populations. Additionally, crises in the food, health, security, employment and labor sectors have troubled the economic and social world structures. Consequently, the pandemic has seen workers suffered from malnutrition while exposing tens of millions to extreme poverty. Even today some are still stuck in these situations. Considering all the aforementioned, our document covers the global crisis caused by COVID-19 and proposes possible efforts that could be carried out to overcome its devastating consequences.

Covid-19 as a Black Swan. University Education Adaptation to Online Learning in the Second Wave of the Coronavirus Pandemic from the Perspective of Students and Academics

In 2020 and 2021, modern society faced a historically unprecedented situation in the field of education. Education systems worldwide underwent a massive transformation from conventional forms of face-to-face learning to distance learning alternatives. This forced transformation of teaching, triggered by the global COVID-19 pandemic, has been a major test of resilience and adaptability for universities and other academic institutions. This emergency situation, and the way it was handled, was the subject of empirical study by the University of Finance and Administration in the form of a questionnaire-based survey focused concurrently on students and academics during the 2020/2021 academic year, during what has been referred to as the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. We observed the attitudes of students and academics, then broke these down to greater levels of detail through mutual confrontation in the areas of evaluating the quality of online education, the decreasing or increasing levels of interest in courses, the level of communication skills of educators, or their availability during online office hours. We also explored the key question of the role and significance of the absence of physical interactions that characterizes distance learning. The empirical data point to ambivalence in the perceptions of online learning in both populations studied. While, on the one hand, there are clear collective expressions of confidence in the communication skills of educators, partly in the overall quality of the online instruction they provide and partly in their willingness to continue to enhance it in subsequent semesters, on the other hand, the expectations of students were not fully met in certain subjects, which was marked by a palpable decline in interest. One criterion that was critical for the emotional acceptance of online learning is the absence of physical interaction and presence in the school environment. It would therefore appear that the ideal model for future education is a combination of full-time and distance learning that would combine their respective benefits, while eliminating their perceived shortcomings.

Methods for Assessing the Psychological Tension of Social Network Users during the Coronavirus Pandemic and Its Uses for Predictive Analysis

This article address approaches to the development of methods for assessing the psychological state of social network members during the coronavirus pandemic through sentiment analysis of messages. The purpose of the work is to determine the psychological tension index by using a previously developed thematically ranked dictionary. Researchers have investigated methods to evaluate psychological tension among social network users and to forecast the psychological distress. The approach is novel in the sense that it ranks emojis by mood, considering both the emotional tone of tweets and the emoji’s dictionary meanings. A novel method is proposed to assess the dynamics of the psychological state of social network users as an indicator of their subjective well-being, and develop targeted interventions for help. Based on the ranking of the Emotional Vocabulary Index (EVI) and Subjective Well-being Index (SWI), a scheme is developed to predict the development of psychological tension. The significance lies in the efficient assessment of the fluctuations in the mental wellness of network users as an indication of their emotions and a prerequisite for further predictive analysis. The findings gave a computed value of EVI of 306.15 for April 2022. The prediction accuracy of 88.75% was achieved.

COVID-19 Infection and Vaccination and Its Relation to Amyloidosis: What Do We Know Currently?

Amyloidosis is a complex disorder characterized by deposited insoluble fibrillar proteins which misfold into β-pleated sheets. The pathogenesis of amyloidosis can vary but can be the result of immune dysregulation that occurs from sustained high inflammatory states, often known as AA amyloidosis. Multi-organ involvement including hepatic, gastrointestinal, renal, cardiac and immunological pathological manifestations has been observed amongst individuals presenting with amyloidosis. The recent global pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, also referred to as coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), has been shown to be associated with multiple health complications, many of which are similar to those seen in amyloidosis. Though COVID-19 is recognized primarily as a respiratory disease, it has since been found to have a range of extra-pulmonary manifestations, many of which are observed in patients with amyloidosis. These include features of oxidative stress, chronic inflammation and thrombotic risks. It is well known that viral illnesses have been associated with the triggering of autoimmune conditions of which amyloidosis is no different. Over the recent months, reports of new-onset and relapsed disease following COVID-19 infection and vaccination have been published. Despite this, the exact pathophysiological associations of COVID-19 and amyloidosis remain unclear. We present a scoping review based on our systematic search of available evidence relating to amyloidosis, COVID-19 infection and COVID-19 vaccination, evaluating current perspectives and providing insight into knowledge gaps that still needs to be addressed going forward.

Comparison of Facial Palsy Cases before and during the Pandemic Coronavirus Disease-2019

Comparison of Facial Palsy Cases before and during the Pandemic Coronavirus Disease-2019

The Level of Anger Among Couples During the Coronavirus Pandemic in the Northern Region

This paper aimed to investigate the level of anger among spouses during the Corona pandemic (COVID-19) in the northern region of Jordan. The descriptive analytical approach was used, and to collect data, the researcher adopted the Anger Management Scale (AMS) (Stith &amp; Hamby, 2001). The scale consisted of (32) items distributed over four areas (Escalating Strategies, Negative Attributions, Calming Strategies, and Self-Awareness). A total of (406) couples from the northern governorates were recruited in this study. Statistically significant differences were found for the effect of the number of years of marriage, favouring the category (more than ten years). In addition, the number of children demonstrated statistically significant differences favouring the category of (more than (6) children). However, no statistically significant differences were attributable to educational qualification.