ABSTRACT
Background: COVID outbreak has escalated the burden of psychological distress and developing countries are struggling to manage cases and prevent deaths. To create a holistic approach its necessary to understand the psychological status during pandemic. Hence a study was conducted to evaluate psychological status of adults during COVID pandemic and to assess the relationship between psychological status and sociodemographic factors. Methods: Cross sectional study design and snow ball sampling technique was employed. The study was conducted on 647 adults using online based questionnaire distributed through the social media application and Email between April 2021 and june 2021. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) were used to assess depression and anxiety respectively along with Socio-demographic details and COVID-19 status. Results: 64.60% belonged to age group 18-24 years, 55.17% were females, 72% of them were unmarried and 61.8% were not working. Mean scores of PHQ-9 were 7.42�01 and GAD-7 was 5.78�23. There was a significant positive correlation between PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores. 13.44% of participants reported severe depression category and 6.64% reported severe anxiety. Significant higher grades of severe depression and anxiety was found among Age <25 years and who studied up to graduate compared to their counter parts (p<0.05). Conclusion: Prevalence of anxiety and depression are high among general population during COVID pandemic. The psychological impact of COVID-19 on general population should be recognized as a public health priority by health care providers and policy makers who should urgently adopt strategies for a holistic approach in COVID pandemic.
ABSTRACT
Cholera remains a public health concern in developing countries because of its high morbidity and mortality. This study was designed to assess the magnitude of and factors responsible for an outbreak in a South Indian village and to implement measures for containing and preventing the recurrence of such outbreaks. Data was obtained by surveying households in the village to identify cases and assess factors responsible for the outbreak. A sanitary survey of the water supply system was performed to identify the cause of the outbreak. Preventive measures were implemented by setting up a rapid response team to manage cases and provide safe drinking water and health education regarding the prevention of such outbreaks. A total of 73 cases were reported during the outbreak, an attack rate of 17.5%. Attack rates were similar among males and females, and the highest rates were observed among the elderly [33.3%], while the lowest rates were observed among adults [14.7%]. There were no deaths reported due to cholera in the village. Most households [81%] surveyed did not use any method of water purification, 79.7% practiced open field defecation and 58.2% practiced inadequate hand washing, indicating poor sanitary practices. Cases were most commonly observed in houses which did not practice any method of water purification [p < 0.001] and among people living below the poverty line [p = 0.02]. Despite the high attack rate, no deaths were reported, largely thanks to timely medical and preventive interventions