Pandemic Struck Research Articles

Editor’s Introduction

Editor’s Introduction

Social media usage among small enterprises during Covid-19 pandemic

When Covid-19 pandemic struck the countryand Malaysian government enacted the Movement Control Order, business operations were disrupted. Social media has become an essential platform for merchants to market their products and ensure business survival. Most small businesses have begun to use social media as a marketing tool, mainly since Covid-19 spread throughout the country. Despite this, few studies have been conducted to determine the extent of such consumption among small traders. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the level of social media usage as a marketing tool among small enterprises. Two hundred seventeen questionnaires were collected from entrepreneurs in the service sector throughout Selangor using snowball sampling. Gender and the year of business existence were factors in social media usage. These findings will be of interest to those who are interested in entrepreneur behaviour in relation to social media usage and the continued development of Malaysia's social media usage as a marketing tool.

What’s Bad About Spoonvilles?: Investigating Pedagogies of Kindness and Connection Through Community-Engaged Art Projects in Public Space

When the pandemic struck I felt that art had nothing to offer in such an apocalypse. But after being involved in participatory art projects I saw them as pedagogical vehicles, connecting people through shared experiences and emotions. Many participatory projects were made by the public and placed physically in public space—banners, murals, chalk drawings and collections of decorated spoons under the auspices of ‘kindness’, ‘joy’ and ‘hope’. Commonly these projects encouraged the people to create and contribute something, focussing on connecting people to the artworks and connecting them to a particular community.Alongside the actual site of the physical artworks, they also existed online. Images shared through social connections via the internet often facilitated more participants and an audience for artworks. Ironically some of these facets of the artwork are very personal and private instead of public. These private moments of making and encounter (integral to public art) can question our assumptions about the publicness of public art. We assume that such projects connect, include and benefit the public—but ‘community’ can also exclude—perhaps evidenced by responses of threats or the destruction of the artworks. Besides sweet platitudes, what does evidence bear out?

Facilitators and barriers to reducing chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer: a qualitative analysis of interviews with patients and patient advocates

BackgroundAs the combination of systemic and targeted chemotherapies is associated with severe adverse side effects and long-term health complications, there is interest in reducing treatment intensity for patients with early-stage breast cancer (EBC). Clinical trials are needed to determine the feasibility of reducing treatment intensity while maintaining 3-year recurrence-free survival of greater than 92%. To recruit participants for these trials, it is important to understand patient perspectives on reducing chemotherapy.MethodsWe collected qualitative interview data from twenty-four patients with Stage II-III breast cancer and sixteen patient advocates. Interviews explored potential barriers and facilitators to participation in trials testing reduced amounts of chemotherapy. As the COVID-19 pandemic struck during data collection, seventeen participants were asked about the potential impact of COVID-19 on their interest in these trials. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed, and researchers used qualitative content analysis to code for dominant themes.ResultsSeventeen participants (42.5%) expressed interest in participating in a trial of reduced chemotherapy. Barriers to reducing chemotherapy included (1) fear of recurrence and inefficacy, (2) preference for aggressive treatment, (3) disinterest in clinical trials, (4) lack of information about expected outcomes, (5) fear of regret, and (6) having young children. Facilitators included (1) avoiding physical toxicity, (2) understanding the scientific rationale of reducing chemotherapy, (3) confidence in providers, (4) consistent monitoring and the option to increase dosage, (5) fewer financial and logistical challenges, and (6) contributing to scientific knowledge. Of those asked, nearly all participants said they would be more motivated to reduce treatment intensity in the context of COVID-19, primarily to avoid exposure to the virus while receiving treatment.ConclusionsAmong individuals with EBC, there is significant interest in alleviating treatment-related toxicity by reducing chemotherapeutic intensity. Patients will be more apt to participate in trials testing reduced amounts of chemotherapy if these are framed in terms of customizing treatment to the individual patient and added benefit—reduced toxicities, higher quality of life during treatment and lower risk of long-term complications—rather than in terms of taking treatments away or doing less than the standard of care. Doctor-patient rapport and provider support will be crucial in this process.

Analisis Peran Teknologi Digital Sebagai Solusi Problematika Belajar Online yang Berkelanjutan

Since the COVID-19 pandemic struck Indonesia, there have been many changes that have affected various aspects of life, including education. The difficulties, among others, are the difficulty of getting materials, this makes the use of technology very much needed. This journal aims to review the important role of educational technology as a solution to learning problems during the pandemic, using a descriptive-analytical literature study method. The results of this review indicate that digital technology has an important role in the teaching and learning process during the current pandemic. Submission of material is also done using technology. In carrying out something, there are always obstacles and obstacles to be overcome, including those related to values, knowledge, attitudes, skills, and facilities and infrastructure used when learning online. Sufficient training and literacy can be a solution to face these challenges. Utilization of digital-based technology is considered effective and becomes a teacher's solution in carrying out online learning. The hope is that this digital technology can continue to be used as a sustainable medium.

Both sides of the screen: Predictors of parents’ and teachers’ depression and food insecurity during COVID-19-related distance learning

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented strains on both parents and teachers, both of whose mental and financial hardships have serious implications for young children's wellbeing. We drew on an existing cohort study of families with low incomes in Tulsa, OK when children were in their Spring of first grade in 2020. We surveyed parents and teachers – children's caregivers on both sides of the screen during distance learning – before and after the COVID-19 pandemic hit and schools were closed. We first compared the proportion of parents and teachers who were depressed and food-insecure before and after the pandemic struck. We then used pre-pandemic characteristics of parents and teachers in separate models to predict their depression and food insecurity during the pandemic. Results showed that rates of depression among both parents and teachers spiked after COVID-19, and food insecurity rates also increased among parents. For both parents and teachers, the strongest predictor of depression during COVID-19 was having experienced depression before the pandemic. Similarly, the strongest predictor of food insecurity during COVID-19 was having experienced food insecurity beforehand. These results point intervention efforts towards identifying the caregivers of children in low-income contexts whose mental and financial wellbeing are likely to be most compromised during this and perhaps future disasters.

Patients in older adult psychiatric hospital during first COVID‐19 wave

The COVID‐19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges to health care services across the world. When the pandemic first emerged in early 2020, health care services were forced to adapt to the new climate created by the pandemic. Here, the authors describe a case series of patients admitted to an older adult psychiatric unit when the pandemic struck, with themed discussions pertinent to the cases and an exploration of how staff adapted to this new and unfamiliar environment.

What Were the Processes and Outcomes of Offering Shared Reading as an Intervention for Veterans in Prison?

Abstract The charity Reading Force encourages Forces families to read together in order to build social, emotional, and mental well-being and offset the impact of the changes and separations routine in military life. They distribute reading scrapbooks and free books and encourage families to work on them together. It was suggested that a version of the project might usefully be developed for veterans in prison, whose families experience many of the same issues. Scrapbook Dads was developed for veterans housed in the Endeavour Wing at Parc Prison, South Wales. The materials were adapted for use by prisoners and their families. They had just been distributed when the pandemic struck, visiting and social/educational activities were cancelled, and the prison went into lockdown. With the materials readily available, the project was heavily used by prison staff to seek to maintain prisoner morale and support family connectivity. This paper charts the process, comments on what was learned, and makes recommendations for how shared reading can be used in prisons in future.

COVIDifying Education through the Lens of Award-Winning Educators in a State University in the Philippines

Paradigm shifts in the field of education have been an issue in the Philippines since the COVID-19 pandemic struck. To fill this gap, this study sought to highlight the pedagogical practices and teaching experiences of award-winning educators in a State University. The qualitative data extracted from semi-structured interviews were analyzed following a thematic analysis based on descriptive phenomenology. One finding revealed that the educators’ years in service and educational attainments were helpful in their migration from face-to-face to distance education, even though the number of course preparations was a weight on their shoulders. Secondly, the educators conducted their classes through preparation and implementation via fifteen instructional methods, formative and summative assessments, and feedback. On another note, the educators determined six roadblocks in their teaching practice with explanations on how they overcame them. Amidst all these, they mentioned that it is imperative to uphold empathy in the conduct of their classes.

Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on ART Service delivery: perspectives of healthcare workers in a Teaching Hospital in Ghana

BackgroundGhana has a generalized HIV epidemic and efforts have been made to curb the spread and reverse its effects on the general population. In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, the health system was unsettled and antiretroviral therapy (ART) care has been impacted in diverse ways. The study sought to explore the effects of COVID-19 on ART service provision in Ghana from the perspectives of the healthcare workers.MethodsAn exploratory-descriptive qualitative approach was employed in this study. Using maximum variation sampling method, fifteen healthcare workers; nurses, data managers and pharmacists were recruited from an ART clinic in a Teaching Hospital in Ghana. In-depth interviews were conducted and analysed using Braun and Clarke thematic approach.ResultsThree themes emerged from the data; “… And the pandemic struck”, “Impact of the pandemic on ART service delivery”; “Effecting the needed change”. The healthcare workers’ initial reactions to the pandemic and their show of commitment in ensuring continued ART service was evident. COVID-19 impacted service delivery in three main ways; (1) clients’ clinic attendance was erratic at various stages of the pandemic, (2) irregular resource availability as shortage was reported due to affected last mile delivery as a result of the lockdown in Accra, and (3) the health worker-patient interaction became less engaging because of established COVID-19 protocols. The healthcare workers however instituted strategies such as adjusting the patient appointment schedule, health professionals’ work schedule, establishing several work stations, task-shifting, and ensuring the implementation of all the COVID-19 protocols within the ART unit to ensure consistent service delivery as well as patient and staff safety. The study also found a decline in the implementation of several strategies established in the ART clinic during the initial phases of the pandemic such as a decline in the supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) by hospital management.ConclusionsAlthough several strategies were implemented to manage the effects of the pandemic on ART care, there is a need to establish pathways of support for healthcare workers within the ART clinic and to consolidate as well as institutionalise the changes that ensured continuous but safe service delivery.

IMPACT OF COVID 19 ON DETECTION OF TUBERCULOSIS AT A COMMUNITY LEVEL HEALTH CENTER IN ALIGARH, INDIA

India is home to more than one quarter of the world's TB burden, and has reported 24.04 lakh new Tuberculosis cases in the year 2019. This number was before the pandemic struck whereas Tuberculosis notication rates fell by 25% during the period of January-June 2020 compared with the same period in 2019. To curb the spread of COVID-19, India announced a nationwide lockdown for 21 days beginning March 2020 that further was extended to several more weeks. This lockdown proved a major hurdle to Tuberculosis patients seeking health care and may result in a delay in diagnosis, treatment interruptions and disease transmission in household contacts. Lockdown has also forced many migrant workers to return to their homes, leading to treatment interruption. In addition to this, since Tuberculosis resembles symptoms of COVID19, this furthermore leads to hesitation and fear in care seeking behaviour leading to decreased Tuberculosis notication rates throughout the country.

Editorial: COVID-19 Chaos and Complexity in Universities

When the devastating COVID-19 pandemic struck the world, universities had to pragmatically deal with change and adaptation in order to survive. Up to now, our universities are still adapting to the change in every respect because of the pandemic which is still amongst us. We have witnessed remarkable ways in which students, staff and stakeholders have adapted to the complexities brought by the pandemic. It has been established that in organisations, there is a strong relationship between evolution, adaptation and survival. Keith Morrison in the ‘School Leadership and Complexity Theory’ discussion (2002) suggests ‘Complexity to be a theory of change and adaptation detailing how change occurs in systems as well as the principles and mindsets needed to flourish in turbulent environments’ that has not changed since 2002. Morrison’s theory is applicable to the situations our higher education institutions are in, especially now during the troubled time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Modification of the technology acceptance model in the use of Google classroom in the COVID-19 Era: A case studies in junior high schools

The purpose of this research was to measure the acceptance of Google Classroom use by junior high school students using variables such as habits, satisfaction, knowledge, and skills. To achieve the set objective, it adopted the TAM, which measures technology usability and ease of use. TAM also provides a theoretical basis for measuring students’ perceptions concerning the use of Google Classroom in online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on this, a questionnaire was used to collect data through an online survey involving a sample of 306 students at the junior high school level. The data obtained was analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to obtain valid and reliable measuring instruments. AMOS was used to measure, assess the structural model based on the goodness of fit standard and test hypotheses. as many as 84.3% of students had never used Google Classroom until the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
 
 Keywords: TAM, Habit, Satisfaction, Knowledge, and skill;

Affections and Afflictions With You

This poem is about the underlying discrimination that East Asian people encounter in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the pandemic struck, I started to analyze my thoughts and feelings on subtle and covert racism, especially during quarantine, which manifested into this piece. My poem explores firsthand experiences of the kind of microaggressions that second generation immigrants from Asia are regularly subject to, as well as the realities of xenophobia, cultural confusion, and identity disjuncture we often endure. Through the poetic form, I expose how everyday interactions are laden with histories of anti-Asian racism and, more specifically, how the coronavirus has further revealed these concealed racist beliefs. The piece opens up the deep-rooted feelings of displacement I have long experienced and ponders if the recent rise in hate crimes against Asians are mere infestations of a hatred that has been growing for generations.

Sustainable development goal deficits and the Covid 19 pandemic

In publications spanning the last 20 years, the present author has discussed the ranking of entire nations by their social and economic performance. Here the sustainable development goals (SDGs) achievements of all OECD member nations for 2020 are investigated, using a set of nine indicators of “Human Well-being” published by the OECD office in Paris, and also using Covid-19 data published by the World Health Organization (WHO). We show that the pandemic struck more severely those nations that already before Jan.1, 2020 harbored unrecognized and unattended well-being deficits in terms of indicators such as care fo the elderly, personal safety, and hygiene. The calculations support views argued forcefully by J.E. Stiglitz, J.- P. Fitoussi and M. Durand (2019): markets are not in equilibrium all the time, and economics needs a new paradigm recognizing the possibility of Pareto inefficiency.

Seeking transnational social protection during a global pandemic: The case of Chinese immigrants in the United States

Drawing on in-depth interviews with Chinese immigrants in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic, this article examines the construction of immigrants' transnational social safety net and its gaps as the pandemic struck their home and host societies successively. Building upon the scholarship on transnational migration and transnational social protection, we argue that understanding how immigrants manage moments of crisis requires a cross-border optic. As we show, transnational connections can be translated into valuable material and immaterial resources. However, such protections are contingent upon the reception of their local receiving communities. The perceived hierarchy between the sending and receiving society, coupled with the U.S.' lack of experience with infectious disease outbreaks, limits the extent to which immigrants could put their transnational knowledge and resources to use. Our analyses shed new light upon the circumstances that empower and constrain immigrants as the global pandemic unsettles their daily routines.

THE PANDEMIC AND THE ECONOMIC CONUNDRUM: HOW ISLAMIC FINANCE CAN HELP

This paper examines the economic and financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the responses that governments undertook. Though large and unprecedented in size, policy response has mostly been the same. Huge monetary stimulus, rate cuts, direct market intervention like bond purchases and debt moratoriums. Many of these were techniques used in the previous global financial of 2007–2009. Economies were already fragile and in a vulnerable state when the pandemic struck in late 2019. Continued use of the same policies did prevent a potential meltdown but has increased system vulnerability. The global debt burden is now much larger but governments may have fully expended all their monetary ammunition. Fiscal stimulus though much needed and more appropriate is seriously constrained by budget deficits and lack of fiscal space. Adding more debt to fund fiscal expansion is not really an option. Yet, the pandemic has made vulnerable, several parts of the economy that need to be salvaged. The SME sector which forms the spine of most developing economies is verging on collapse due to cash flow disruptions arising from lockdowns. The domestic banking sector which had funded these SMEs is exposed to a potential meltdown unless restructuring is done. The loan moratoriums widely adapted do not solve but merely postpone the problem. Governments, given their precarious fiscal position are in no position to provide the huge financial infusion needed to shore up the SMEs and banks. Islamic finance, which has risk-sharing alternatives can provide a way out of this conundrum. The paper proposes a shariah compliant risk sharing alternative to resolve this problem.

U.S. and Finnish high school science engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the COVID‐19 pandemic struck, research teams in the United States and Finland were collaborating on a study to improve adolescent academic engagement in chemistry and physics and the impact remote teaching on academic, social, and emotional learning. The ongoing “Crafting Engaging Science Environments” (CESE) intervention afforded a rare data collection opportunity. In the United States, students were surveyed at the beginning of the school year and again in May, providing information for the same 751 students from before and during the pandemic. In Finland, 203 students were surveyed during remote learning. Findings from both countries during this period of remote learning revealed that students' academic engagement was positively correlated with participation in hands‐on, project‐based lessons. In Finland, results showed that situational engagement occurred in only 4.7% of sampled cases. In the United States, students show that academic engagement, primarily the aspect of challenge, was enhanced during remote learning. Engagement was in turn correlated with positive socioemotional constructs related to science learning. The study's findings emphasise the importance of finding ways to ensure equitable opportunities for students to participate in project‐based activities when learning remotely.

Balancing risk with virtual private networking during a pandemic

When the pandemic struck and teaching went online worldwide, universities had to make pressing decisions that balanced cybersecurity against other factors, including health and safety, usability, and cost. One such challenge Indiana University (IU) faced was how to accommodate the secure telecommunications needs of 130,000 faculty, staff, and students who would now be teaching, learning, doing research, and working from home. Some universities reflexively promoted virtual private network (VPN) use for all activities. Such an approach would have been unsustainable at IU, however, owing both to the licenses and resources needed for the sheer number of users and to the high-throughput applications on which they rely. Perhaps even worse, it would have increased the chances that the VPN would be unavailable during a critical incident or other situation in which secure communications must be guaranteed. Instead, IU launched an awareness campaign demonstrating exactly when VPN use is and isn’t needed. In addition, network staff employed a VPN feature called split tunneling to reduce the load. This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of this approach and how IU made the decision to balance both sides of the risk equation to ensure the continued advancement of its mission throughout the pandemic.

Deployment of Open and Distance Learning to Persevere Teaching and Learning during COVID-19 Pandemic in Malaysia

Education is essential to an individual and definitely to a country in a large scale as it contributes to human development. However, when COVID-19 pandemic struck the world and the number of cases had rose sharply in 2020, it affected every sector including education sector.