Time Of COVID-19 Research Articles

Covid 19 and the metaphors of crisis in selected texts by Adichie and Achebe: a Jungian psycho-analytical reading

This article aims at exploring Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s and Chinua Achebe’s discourses on melancholy and grief in times of Covid 19 and Biafra crises in Notes on Grief (2021), and There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra (2012), as artists’ experience with crisis. The study especially examines language from a Jungian perspective, to bring out the aesthetics of grief or pain as expressive modes of memory and the ideological concern for reviving self and deconstructing otherness. Taking a Jungian psycho-analytical stand, the study focuses on the self’s perception of the other in the context of social crisis. It means to show that crisis is a powerful tool for intellectual regeneration of the artist and an experimental opportunity for society to assess itself, redefine values, reset boundaries and regenerate itself through the teachings drawn from the imposition of the new realities generated by that very crisis. The study finds that Adichie and Achebe’s discourses highlight the necessity to reconceptualise grief and crisis not only as problematic occurrences that create emotive choc and despair, but also as recreational events that contribute to the mental and affective growing of both the artist and his/her society.

Assessing psychological well-being among medical officers during COVID-19 pandemic: An approach toward sustainable development

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant loss of human life and affected healthcare infrastructure globally. The present study aimed to study the presence of anxiety and stress symptoms among medical officers in the Indian army and the impact of anxiety and stress on psychological well-being during COVID. The data was collected from February 2021 to April 2021 using a standardized questionnaire to measure anxiety, stress, and psychological well-being. Data collected from 319 respondents were analyzed using SPSS by Chi-square tool, bivariate correlation, H-test, and U-test. The presence of anxiety and stressed symptoms were 11.9% and 37.3% among medical officers in the Indian army. Medical officers of the AMC unit (doctors) were more impacted by anxiety compared with MNS and ADC medical officers. The risk factors having significant association with stress symptoms were age (maximum in 31-40 and 51-60 years), rank (initial service ranks and senior ranks both), and unit (AMC and MNS are more prone to stress symptoms as compared to ADC unit). Anxiety (-0.543) at p<0.01 has more negative impact on psychological well-being among medical officers of armed forces as compared to stress at work (-0.243) at P<0.01. In this present study, results showed the high presence of anxiety and stress symptoms among medical officers during COVID-19. Results also demonstrated that there is a difference in anxiety level at different times of COVID. Differences in psychological well-being also exist and are impacted due to the presence of stress and anxiety. By prioritizing well-being, focus will be shifted to sustainable development of medical officers.

Implementation of a shared oncologic intermediate and acute care unit in times of COVID. Has it come to stay?

With aging population and improvement of cancer treatments, the growing number of complex cancer survivors’ challenge the delivery of quality and affordable care. Health care systems need innovate to improve care coordination, patients’ outcomes and experiences and to contain costs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the implementation of an oncology care unit shared between an acute and an intermediate care ward. The shared unit was launched as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic situation that overwhelmed hospital resources and put the quality of care for non-COVID pathologies at risk. The unit is formed by a multidisciplinary team, including oncologists, geriatricians, specialized nurses, therapists and social and psychological support. It is located in a ward with dedicated spaces and activities for oncologic patients. Patients are derived from the emergency ward of the acute hospital after triage or a short stay, when they need specialized oncologic care but without need of complex acute procedures. 
 We conducted a pre-post implementation evaluation using mixed-methods. We analyzed system-level longitudinal data from electronic health records before (historical controls) and during implementation. We performed quantitative and qualitative analysis of patients’ surveys, focus groups with professionals, and interviews with patients and caregivers.
 From January 2018 to June 2020 there were a mean of 160 discharges/month from the acute ward. Since the setup of the Unit in July 2020 until April 2022, approximately 45% (1551; 69 discharges/month) of patients were discharged from the subacute ward. Most patients (75.5%) were derived directly from the emergency unit of the acute care hospital or after a 1 day stay or less, thus avoiding acute hospitalization. During the implementation period patients attended in the subacute ward were older (67.9 vs 63.5), had higher comorbidity weight (GMA: 15.2 vs 13.5) and higher complexity (patients with complex chronic conditions due to health or social needs: 9.4 vs 7%; patients with advanced chronic conditions due to limited life expectancy or end of life situation: 20.7 vs 15%). Consequently, the number of complex patients in the acute ward decreased while the total capacity of the system increased.
 The focus group with professionals (n=15) revealed different arquetypes of patients: subacute care, symptoms control, end of life care and social problems; and caregivers: adjusted/unadjusted to the situation. Positive and negative aspects perceived by professionals were contrasted with those of patients. Professionals highlighted multidisciplinary and availability of adequate spaces and activities as positive values, patient valued the professionalism and humane treatment. Some improvement actions are taking place to improve the provision of information to patients.
 In conclusion, the shared intermediate oncology unit increases the total capacity of the oncologic care system and avoids acute hospitalization to complex patients due to age, comorbidity and social needs. Experiences of professionals, patients and caregivers are mostly positive. "

Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder in Times of COVID

Between 15-20% of pregnant and birthing people in the United States experience symptoms of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD). This percentage is higher for individuals who are low income, racially minoritized, and/or marginalized. Social systems of care and support have been shown to reduce symptoms of PMAD and help optimize the health of pregnant and postpartum people. For many people, COVID-19 further exacerbated the negative impacts of PMAD, largely because of disruptions of social support networks and health care resources. This article uses testimonio and autoethnography to discuss the stress, abandonment, and feeling of loss associated with the disruption of access to postpartum mental health care and support. While such feelings of loss and abandonment may feel personal, this article argues that it is critical to recognize the structural dimensions of perinatal mental health and postpartum care. The author concludes that misrecognition of the structural dimensions of PMAD contributes to structural violence.

Online Interventions for Mental Health in Times of COVID: A Systematic Review and Quality Assessment of Scientific Production

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological well-being led to a proliferation of online psychological interventions, along with the publications of studies assessing their efficacy. The aim of the present work was to assess the scientific quality of studies addressing online psychological interventions for common mental health problems, comparing studies published during the COVID-19 pandemic to equivalent control articles published four years before the pandemic. To this end, we developed and applied a quality checklist to both samples of articles (N=108). Overall, we found that the methodological quality of many studies on psychological interventions was poor both before and during the pandemic. For instance, 33% of the studies lacked a control group of any kind in both samples of articles, and less than 5% of studies used blinding of any sort. Within this context, we found that studies conducted during the pandemic were published faster, but showed a decrease in key indicators such as the randomized allocation of participants of the experimental groups, pre-registration or data sharing. We conclude that the low overall quality of the available research on online psychological interventions deserves further scrutiny and should be taken into consideration to make informed decisions on therapy choice, policy making, and public health –particularly in times of increased demand and public interest such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Utilization of the artificial intelligence for the evaluation and improvements in biosegurity protocols for the prevention of infections crossed in attention odontológica for the COVID-19

The COVID-19 has provoked renewing the protocols of attention to the patients that help to the clinics odontológicas. They make big volúmenes's existence of information the utilization necessary out of the artificial intelligence for the processing of the data. It comes into question like objective of investigation to set itself a methodology as from the utilization of the artificial intelligence for the evaluation and you improve in bioseguridad's protocols for the prevention of infections crusades in attention odontológica for the COVID-19. The analytical synthetic and inductive deductive methods utilize themselves for it that they consider a series of articles of scientific investigation with present-day periods of investigation once odontologists in regard to patients were related to and the crossed control of infections in attention odontológica in time of COVID–19, being a total of 101 goods, that they were chosen utilizing certain criteria. This methodology did not sole provide a deep understanding of the data and your relation with bioseguridad's practices, but also you equip the professionals with tools to take decisions based in data in a context of critical health. In order to implement an analysis of the data related with the control of infections gone across in attention odontológica during COVID-19 pandemic in Python, we would be able to follow the following steps, utilizing common libraries like Pandas for the manipulation of data and Matplotlib or Seaborn for visualization

Education of social workers during the pandemic COVID-19 – post-pandemic perspective

The text theoretically elaborates on the importance of education in modern society, which represents the main precondition for development. Special emphasis was placed on the importance of education and its characteristics at the time of the pandemic COVID 19. With that in mind, we conducted this research including students of the Faculty of Political Sciences, Department of Social Work at the University of Sarajevo. The goal of the research was to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of online access to education from the perspective of social work students. In the interpretation of the restrictions related to the access to online classes, we particularly referred to groups of young people (students living in rural areas, students with disabilities) who encountered additional difficulties, i.e. restrictions while following "online" classes, especially during the period of complete closure of educational institutions. Keywords: education, social work, pandemic COVID-19, coronavirus

Journalistic Role Performance in Times of COVID

ABSTRACT This paper examines journalistic role performance in coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, based on a content analysis of newspaper, television, radio and online news in 37 countries. We test a set of hypotheses derived from two perspectives on the role of journalism in health crises. Mediatization theories assume that news media tend to sensationalize or to politicize health crises. A contrasting perspective holds that journalists shift toward more deferential and cooperative stances toward health and political authorities in a health crisis, attempting to mobilize the public to act according to the best science. Hypotheses derived from these perspectives are tested using the standard measures of journalistic roles developed by the Journalistic Role Performance Project. Results show that the deference/cooperation/consensus perspective is better supported, with media moving away from the Watchdog and Infotainment, and toward performance of the Service and Civic roles. We also explore differences in the pattern by country.

Digital Collection: ADDS Project Newsletters from COVID's Early Years

Abstract: This Digital Collection compiles twenty-nine of Tree Elven's weekly newsletters contextualizing international commercials for advertising agency and university subscribers to the ADDS Project newsletter in 2020 and 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its immediacy transports readers back to moments and momentums in the two weeks that became two years. COVID was a game changer at individual and international levels, suffusing mainstream media. Trust became a shifting landscape, brands shifted their ground, and advertisers, like so many others, saw their business fall off a cliff. Not all the ads are about COVID: many are surprising reminders of what else was going on in the world during this time. This digital collection, thus, preserves advertising and responses to it in the time of COVID as so many around the world tried to figure things out.

Challenges of Dementia care in times of COVID. Change and survive or Perish

AbstractBackgroundThe COVID era forced dementia centers to reshaped their strategies in order to keep providing care to patients and to their familiesMethodAdaptation of simple social media tools as a telemedicine systemResultVery usefulConclusionOur Institute faced the same challenges that all other institutions, having to deal with isolation, fear, decreased income and uncertainty. Patients and caregivers suffered enormously these facts.We developed a complex system of telemedicine in order to keep being responsible for the continuing care. Our country was not adapted in technology by that time and most the families belonged to low income sector. Most of them (65% approximately) did not have even a personal computer at home.We adapted neuropsychiatric consultations, neuropsychological evaluations and cognitive training using simple tools such as Instagram, Zoom, Meet and mainly Whatsapp.We were able not only to provide the very same standard of care to patients but also the hold the needs of the caregivers.This rudimentary structure created during the sanitary emergency was the basis for a larger, more complex and sophisticated web platform that we developed and today we are using as a virtual Alzheimer Institute, being able to reach patients and caregivers worldwide.

Use of AI to classify MS Disability during the time of Covid

Use of AI to classify MS Disability during the time of Covid

Assessment of the Effects of Non-point Source Pollution in the Water Quality of the Ramsar Site Sasthamcotta Fresh Water Lake during Pre-COVID and Post-COVID Periods

The Ramsar site, Sasthamcotta Fresh Water Lake in Kerala, has been facing major challenges of deterioration for the past two decades. The present study was accomplished with the assessment of water quality at five locations inside the lake for the period from 2014 to 2022. During this period, fifty-four water samples were collected from these locations, and physiochemical parametric studies, viz., pH, conductance, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, alkalinity, acidity, chemical oxygen demand, total hardness, and chloride content, were conducted. The assessed water quality parameters indicated 100% conformance to Bureau of Indian Standards except for pH, acidity, and total suspended solids. This may be due to anthropogenic activities leading to soil erosion, overspill, acquittals, coming-up-bottom sediments, or algal blooms. Density plots of the respective experimental values underscored that conductivity, suspended solids, and total hardness indicate a large amount of dispersion of data. The water quality index (WQi) calculated pertaining to different sites pointed to the fact that there are only negligible variations across the sites of sample collection. The site of Valla Kadavu has the maximum water quality, and the center of the lake showed a marginal reduction in water quality. Year-wise analysis of the quality of the lake water showed a clear improvement in its quality during COVID years, starting from 2020 onwards. This is due to the drop in anthropogenic activities during COVID times. However, water quality returned to pre-COVID levels in 2022. Also, we can conclude that the anthropogenic activities like sand mining, fishing, etc. contribute only 15% of the drop in WQi or water quality. Further improvement of the water quality can be ensured through stringent regulatory efforts to control the levels of sand mining and water extraction from the lake. Regulatory efforts are also required to reduce threats from urbanization, pollution, and changes in agricultural and land usage patterns. . KEYWORDS :Non-point pollution, Post-COVID, Pre-COVID, Sasthamcotta Lake, Water quality index.

Mental health in healthcare workers and patient families in these COVID times.

Mental health in healthcare workers and patient families in these COVID times.

The activity of the speech therapist at the time of COVID 19: survey of the Campania region

Our government has enacted restrictive and isolation measures, also in the field of rehabilitation, to combat and contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. These have had a major impact on the working methods and activities performed by the Speech Therapist. The Board of Speech Therapists of the Interprovincial Order of NA-AV-BN-CE conducted an anonymous survey to observe the phenomenon. The study aimed to assess how and to what extent the health measures in place influenced occupational activities and work-related discomfort. A questionnaire was structured to investigate, anonymously, different areas of professional interest (how therapeutic activities are carried out, work-related stress management, changes in human relations, specific needs), disseminated via the web thanks to the Google platform, and available from 15/06/2020 to 15/11/2022 for all speech therapists belonging to the interprovincial order of NA-AV-BN-CE. 161 Speech Therapists, aged between 21 and 40 years (73.9 per cent), took part in the survey. They worked mainly in a combined telerehabilitation and outpatient setting (64.12 per cent), and were provided with appropriate PPE for the treatment (65.8 per cent). Speech and language therapists reported a low to medium level of frustration (63.9%) and work-related stress (63.4%) for telerehabilitation treatment, to a high level for outpatient or home treatment (69.6%). Medium to high values (81.4%) of anxiety, worry and work-related distress are reported, favoured by social isolation and a perception of less support among colleagues, with a perceived need for psychological support from specialised figures to manage the emotional burden. The results suggest a medium to high level of work-related discomfort during the pandemic period, mainly for speech therapists who performed outpatient/domiciliary activities, entailing the risk of developing psychological distress. Further research should be undertaken, with multicentre and larger sample size studies, to define the relationships between the working methods promoted, work-related stress and the need to manage it.

Public Culture, Sociality, and Listening to Jazz: Aural Memorialisation in the Time of COVID

Taking its cue from two instances of hyper-local jazz sociability along one street in Mamelodi, five years apart, the focus of this article is on three instances of public memorialisation and, through them, on how listening can be socialised and enculturated. It is an exploration both of how sociality is co-constituted through listening, and of how listening is socially constructed, attending to how people become members of aural collectives in distinctive ways. It foregrounds how mostly working-class people living under conditions seldom of their own making continue, in the avowedly postapartheid context, at least partially to remake their worlds sonically, foregrounding the public cultures that they thereby aurally co-create as a notable cultural expression in and of themselves. Methodologically, it considers how recourse to non-elite aesthetics, viewed as repertoires of living, offer alternatives to the claims of both ethnographies and social histories 'from below' to present 'the word' of the community' in an authoritative sense.

The roles of beginner English teachers at the English BA in times of Covid- 19

The intent of the proposed research offers an overview of the roles that teachers have taken during the pandemic and the possible changes teachers could play nowadays, as well. Based on the current context in the world, teachers face a different and complicated position rather than they used to do. Moreover, this research tries to identify the current roles of teachers as well as to show the impact of teachers’ roles on students and find out, which is the relation between teacher-student and student-student when facing this pandemic.

Pharmacy Department management and organization

The WHO declared the SARS- CoV-2 outbreak a pandemic in March 11, 2020. Spain has been the third country with the highest number of reported cases of COVID-19. In the face of the pandemic, the authorities of the Autonomous Community of Madrid led an unprecedented transformation of hospital services by increasing the number of beds available, setting up temporary field hospitals in fairgrounds, and transforming hotels into support centers for patients with mild symptoms of COVID-19.In the light that this crisis will continue to be a real threat for the years to come, our hospital pharmacies need to be better prepared for similar outbreaks in the future.During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Hospital Pharmacy of Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Maranon has faced four challenges: an exponential increase in the demand for resources, constant changes to therapeutic protocols and approaches, regulatory changes, and a dramatic impact on hospital staff (strain on human resources and psychological impact).This article is aimed at describing the main organizational changes implemented to the Department of Hospital Pharmacy of Hospital GU Gregorio Maranon and its relationship with other hospital pharmacies of the Community of Madrid. An account is provided of the strategies to be adopted for reorganizing a Department of Hospital Pharmacy and achieve a safe and effective use of medications. Strategies range from the creation of integral hospital task groups (COVID-crisis task group, protocolization task group, research task group) to the adaptation of the internal organization of the Department of Hospital Pharmacy, which encompasses aspects related to management and leadership; a communication plan (internal and external); staff management, and the reorganization and adaptation of processes.People, patients and professionals are at the core of these strategies. This paper is a reflection on key factors of “humanization in COVID times”

“We Lost a Lot During COVID”: Migrant Women’s Reflections on Precarity, Work and COVID-19 in Cape Town, South Africa

The restrictions and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have amplified and intensified pre-existing inequalities on a global scale. In South Africa, as a result of the continuing legacies of apartheid, the healthcare and social sectors are frequently stretched and overburdened. Consequently, although care services are provided at public and private levels, much care work is unregulated and undertaken in an informal care economy by voluntary workers, community level healthcare workers, family and domestic workers. The women who undertake this labour are often the most marginalised with regard to access to resources and are likely Black women who are also poor. In addition, the context of increasing economic migration to South Africa from other parts of the continent is important for shaping the informal care economy and the precarious nature of the work. In this research brief, we analyse interviews that formed part of a larger South African and cross-national study on people’s resource constraints and strategies for living with HIV during COVID times. In our current reading of these data, we are interested in women’s experiences of informal work in South Africa and the ways in which these experiences have been shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic. We offer brief reflections on informal, precarious work undertaken by migrant women in South Africa.

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF THE RISKS OF ATTRACTING FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS - NEW FINANCIAL CHALLENGES

At the time of the coronavirus pandemic COVID 19, many economies, including the Serbian economy, are facing an unknown cause of many problems, which is bringing many companies into crisis. In such conditions, the strategic approach and way of thinking becomes crucial for the survival or recovery of companies and even the economy of a country. This is especially the case with small underdeveloped and developing economies, which are particularly affected by the pandemic. In such conditions, foreign direct investments are a decisive factor in the survival and recovery of the economy, and decisions of this type are strategic. Especially in the conditions of a pandemic, investors are sensitive when making strategic investment decisions, and economic freedoms are an important factor in that. The aim of this paper is to determine the impact of economic freedoms in Serbia on making strategic decisions on foreign direct investment, and thus the development of Serbia. The results of the research show the existence of a positive correlation between these factors on the development of Serbia. The econometric model of Pearson Correlation and Greene’s multiple correlation analysis model was used in the analysis.

Assessing the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Aviation Sector and Exploring Strategies for Industry Recovery

One of the most impacted industries among all, is the Airlines industry. Airlines need to study the consequences of a pandemic, what is important is that they adapt to the uncertainty and complex changes. Companies must understand how to manage their capabilities, strategy, mission, and vision, with a fast and changing environment. Each airline can get the benefit of having a low-cost strategy and use the cargo shipment strategy that makes it easy to ship different products. Basically, reaching efficiency and effectiveness to lead the uncertain changes. For the research report it considers the highly affected industry in covid era. Qatar airways operated in a high premium business model but in covid times, demand of the luxury segment got affected. Indigo does their business mainly in India, so they are the worst hit in these times since India shows the second highest number of covid cases in the world. Due to the resurgence of Covid-19, Cathay Pacific have struggled with staff rostering due to Hong Kong’s strict quarantine rules.