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Objectives Previous research has documented significant associations between the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, various mental health problems, and coping strategies. However, literature on the moderating role of gender on the relationship between distress and coping strategies during COVID-19 is almost nonexistent. Hence, the main objective of this study was two folds. To examine gender differences in distress and coping strategies, and to test the moderating effect of gender on the relationship between distress and coping among university faculty members and students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method A cross-sectional web-based study design was used to collect data from the participants. A sample of 649 participants (68.9% university students and 31.1% faculty members) was selected. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) were used to collect data from the participants. The survey was sent out during the COVID-19 lockdown from May 12th to June 30th, 2020. Results The results showed significant gender differences in distress and the three coping strategies. Women consistently scored higher on distress (p < 0.01), task-focused (p < 0.05), emotion-focused (p < 0.001), and avoidance coping (p < 0.01) compared to men. Gender moderated the relationship between emotion-focused coping and distress (p < 0.001) but not the relationship between distress and task-focused or avoidance coping. Conclusion Increased emotion-focused coping is associated with decreased distress among women while the use of emotion-focused coping by men predicted more distress. Workshops and programs focused on providing skills and techniques on how to cope with stressful situations induced by the COVID-19 pandemic are recommended.
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Objectives: Previous research has documented significant associations between the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, various mental health problems, and coping strategies. However, literature on the moderating role of gender on the relationship between distress and coping strategies during COVID-19 is almost nonexistent. Hence, the main objective of this study was two folds. To examine gender differences in distress and coping strategies, and to test the moderating effect of gender on the relationship between distress and coping among university faculty members and students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A cross-sectional web-based study design was used to collect data from the participants. A sample of 649 participants (68.9% university students and 31.1% faculty members) was selected. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) were used to collect data from the participants. The survey was sent out during the COVID-19 lockdown from May 12th to June 30th, 2020. Results: The results showed significant gender differences in distress and the three coping strategies. Women consistently scored higher on distress (p < 0.01), task-focused (p < 0.05), emotion-focused (p < 0.001), and avoidance coping (p < 0.01) compared to men. Gender moderated the relationship between emotion-focused coping and distress (p < 0.001) but not the relationship between distress and task-focused or avoidance coping. Conclusion: Increased emotion-focused coping is associated with decreased distress among women while the use of emotion-focused coping by men predicted more distress. Workshops and programs focused on providing skills and techniques on how to cope with stressful situations induced by the COVID-19 pandemic are recommended.
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Online food delivery is the latest trend to hit the world. This trend has increased rapidly in recent years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which struck at once changing the country’s economic landscape. Therefore, motorcycles and mobile phones with high data access and battery storage capacity are used mainly involving identifying the place of delivery. Due to the widespread and frequent use of cellular phones in tracking the position of food delivery then causing the cellular phone battery storage will be depleted and require recharging the phone which involves a long time. This in turn will cause delays in the food delivery procedure. The development of a Thermoelectric Generator system using the Internet of Things (IoT) for energy harvesting is very important. Given that the development method is based on the differential temperature on the exhaust chamber of the motorcycle and heatsink to solve the problem of charging a cellular phone on a motorcycle. The process of developing this system requires control over the voltage capacity as well as the ability to monitor it online through the Internet of Things system. The development of this system revealed that large temperature difference rates produce high electrical voltages to 10 V with power rates up to 206 mW. It also shows that the quantity of TEG will affect the rate of voltage increase and the value of power produced in direct proportion as the quantity of TEG increases. In conclusion, the benefits of temperature changes will generate reusable energy for daily use. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
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During COVID-19 pandemic;regular use of disinfectant become a must leading some times to misuse and many cases of toxicities appear. To examine toxicity correlates of Egyptian disinfectant misuse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Self-report online survey conducted between;September 2nd to September 16th, 2020 of Adults from the Egypt recruited via social media. Outcomes included Socio-demographic and baseline characteristics of the participants (Age, Sex, Educational level, Residence, type of Work, Work require direct contact with people, frequency and type disinfectant use), Knowledge and practice of the studied participants about utilization of disinfectant during the COVID 19 pandemic, Prevalence of toxicity with disinfectant, mode of exposure and manifestations among the participants during COVID 19 pandemic, of toxicity symptoms duration and attitude of management. Correlates are risk factors for toxicity exposure, satisfaction factors of practice and knowledge of disinfectants utilization. The participants included 558 adults (mean=30.9, 73.3% female). Most of participants show satisfactory knowledge 64.3% and practice 84.6% of disinfectant utilization during the pandemic. Disinfectant toxicity occurred in 31.5% mainly through skin contact 40.9% and inhalation 37.5%. Multiple respiratory 93% and dermal 83% were the main symptoms of toxicity. The toxicity symptoms continue for hours 30.7% with 50% home management without consultation. Female sex, regular use of disinfectant and bad ventilation were risk factors for toxicity exposure. Conclusions: Public messaging should continue to emphasize avoidance of high-risk practices such as unsafe preparation of cleaning and disinfectant solutions and inhalation or ingestion of cleaners and disinfectants with that message to prevent transmission of COVID 19 in household settings.
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Background: COVID-19 pneumonia is responsible for the latest pandemics. Chest computed tomography (CT) scan is known to be an essential tool for diagnosis of COVID-19. In this research, the relationship between on-admission chest CT severity score, capillary blood oxygen saturation level, and laboratory inflammatory markers results in patients with SARS-COV-2 pneumonia was investigated. Methods: This prospective analytical study was conducted in COVID-19 isolation unit, Zagazig University Hospitals, from 1st to end of April 2021. Adult patients with COVID-19 infection were included. Chest CT scan was performed for all patients, and CT severity score was computed. The initial capillary oxygen saturation was also assessed at the time of admission. The information was gathered and analyzed. Results: A total number of 305 COVID-19 patients were involved in the study with the following data: age, gender, presence of co morbidities, capillary blood oxygen saturation, laboratory tests including absolute lymphocytic count, CRP, D-dimer and ferritin levels, as well as chest CT severity score. Based on chest CT severity score, we found that 110 cases (36.1%) were mild, 163 cases (53.4%) were moderate, and 32 cases (10.5%) were severe, with significant male predominance among moderate and severe cases. The initial measurements of blood oxygen saturation values revealed that mean blood oxygen saturation was 95.6% among mild to moderate cases and 85.4% among severe cases. Furthermore, there was a high statistically significant negative correlation between chest CT severity score and absolute lymphocytic count of studied cases, while there was a statistically significant positive correlation with D-dimer, CRP and ferritin levels. Conclusions: CT scans can help clinicians in developing a management strategy and serve as a predictor of illness severity and possible outcomes. In individuals with COVID-19 infection, the severity of a chest CT scan is positively correlated to inflammatory markers and oxygen demand.
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Introduction Aplastic anemia is a syndrome of bone marrow failure characterized bone marrow hypoplasia. Immunosuppressive therapy is one modality of its management. We report a case in which use of this modality was hindered by lack of data showing the effects of its use during the novel COVID- 19 infection. Case presentation A 20-year-old man with a newly diagnosed pancytopenia presented with fever, cough, headaches, and exertional dyspnea. When his vital signs were obtained, he was afebrile but his blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen saturation were within normal range. Physical exam was unremarkable. Laboratory tests showed that the white blood cell count was 1.42 K/mL, hemoglobin level was 9.7 g/dl, and platelet count was 13 K/mL. He was tested for COVID-19 infection and was found to be positive. A peripheral blood smear showed pancytopenia. A bone marrow biopsy showed hypocellular marrow with trilineage hypoplasia. Flow cytometry showed no significant trilineage abnormalities. Vitamin 12 and folate levels were within normal range. Testing for antinuclear antibodies, rheumatoid factor, HIV, hepatitis C, and hepatitis B were negative. Ultrasound of the abdomen showed no enlargement of the spleen. The PNH FLAER test was done twice and was inconclusive possibly due to hemolysis or severe pancytopenia. The patient was diagnosed with aplastic anemia, but the cause was unclear. Anti-thymocyte globulin, cyclosporine, and steroids were considered for treating the aplastic anemia, but there was concern about their unknown effect on his active COVID-19 infection. Immunosuppressive therapy was decided to be held until he was cured from his COVID-19 infection, and he was discharged after his blood cell indices improved. Discussion Being an infection caused by a novel virus, COVID 19 can cause a therapeutic dilemma when no data are available about the effects of certain therapies on the infection. In our patient, immunosuppressive therapy was needed to treat the aplastic anemia but there was no published literature on the effect of this treatment on the course of the infection. This should become less of an issue with time as data surrounding COVID-19 infection and its effects on other diseases and treatment modalities grow.
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Qatar, a country with a strong health system and a diverse population consisting mainly of expatriate residents, has experienced two large waves of COVID-19 outbreak. In this study, we report on 2634 SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequences from infected patients in Qatar between March-2020 and March-2021, representing 1.5% of all positive cases in this period. Despite the restrictions on international travel, the viruses sampled from the populace of Qatar mirrored nearly the entire global population's genomic diversity with nine predominant viral lineages that were sustained by local transmission chains and the emergence of mutations that are likely to have originated in Qatar. We reported an increased number of mutations and deletions in B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 lineages in a short period. These findings raise the imperative need to continue the ongoing genomic surveillance that has been an integral part of the national response to monitor the SARS-CoV-2 profile and re-emergence in Qatar.
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COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Disease Outbreaks , Genomics , Humans , Qatar/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown instigated serious mental health conditions. So far, the UAE data on mental health problems due to this pandemic outbreak is still scarce. The objective of this study was to identify the prevalent psychological difficulties experienced by university students, faculty members, and staff during COVID-19 lockdown and the coping strategies used. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to collect data from 737 participants using an online electronic survey. Participants included students, faculty members, and staff from universities in the UAE. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used to measure general distress, Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ-16) was used to measure worry, and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS-48) was administered to measure coping strategies used by participants during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Data were collected during May to June 2020. Results: The results indicated that 60.4% of students, 57.4% of the faculty members, and 52.3% of the staff experienced mild psychiatric problems. About 32.9% of students, 33.7% of the faculty members, and 25% of the staff experienced high levels of worry during the COVID-19 lockdown. Changes in eating patterns, worsening chronic health problems, change in sleep patterns, and concentration difficulties were reported. Furthermore, significant differences were observed in worry and coping strategies among participants. Women use more avoidance and emotion-focused coping compared to men. Conclusion: It was concluded that COVID-19 lockdown has negatively impacted university faculty, staff, and students in terms of health behavior, psychological and physical health.
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The standard of e-learning is a compound of different quality factors quality dimensions. The researchers looked at the efficiency of e-learning from various angles and viewpoints. However, few works of literature study, specifically, the quality of e-learning portals or software. Besides, the students' or learners' opinions about this issue. In this research, we only focused on the quality of e-learning portals and technology and what factors and impact they have on e-learning in general from the students' perspectives. The results show that the students are more concerned about the usability and related factors because their learning process become depends fully on the e-learning portal as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2021 IEEE.
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In the recent pandemic of COVID-19, the growing demand for mobile data services is become beyond the expectation for the 5G networks. To face the new situation the intelligent networks needs to think differently of how to handle the limitation of the coverage resource to meet the users' application demands. In this paper, application-Aware optimization algorithm has been proposed for 5G networks. The cell selection in a small cell environment with the lack of movement gives new perspective to mobility and resource optimization. The proposed algorithm using fuzzy logic integrates the system information with the application attributes to satisfy different applications needs. The available capacity with the QoS metrics such as throughput, packet loss, and end to end delay are investigated for an optimal cell selection. The performance evaluation reveals improvement in system utilization and QoS. © 2021 IEEE.
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As medication experts, clinical pharmacists play an active and dynamic role in a medication shortage response. Supplementing existing guidelines with an actionable framework of discrete activities to support effective medication shortage responses can expand the scope of pharmacy practice and improve patient care. Dissemination of best practices and illustrative, networked examples from health systems can support the adoption of innovative solutions. In this descriptive report, we document the translation of published shortage mitigation guidelines into system success through broad pharmacist engagement and the adaption and implementation of targeted strategies. The profound, wide-reaching medication shortages that accompanied the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are used to highlight coordinated but distinct practices and how they have been combined to expand the influence of the pharmacy enterprise.
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Big Data applications are widely used in many fields such as artificial intelligence, marketing, commercial applications and health care, as demonstrated by the role of Big Data in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it is essential to ensure the quality of the generation and use of Big Data applications. Consequently, Big Data applications must satisfy quality factors suited for these applications. Furthermore, quality frameworks need to be applied and tested for the quality factors of Big Data applications. Nevertheless, the quality measurement process needs to overcome some challenges for it to become applicable and trustworthy. This research lists different quality factors and dimensions and describes quality frameworks that are commonly used to measure the quality of Big Data. Furthermore, it lists the frequent challenges that researchers and data scientists face throughout the Big Data quality measurement process. Finally, it outlines the solutions that need to be developed for confronting the challenges of Big Data quality. © 2020 National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR). All rights reserved.
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The first known severe disease caused by a coronavirus (CoV) in humans emerged with the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in China, which killed 774 people during its 2002/2003 outbreak. The Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) was the second human fatal disease, which started in 2012 in Saudi Arabia and resulted in 858 fatalities. In December 2019, a new virus, SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), originating from China, began generating headlines worldwide because of the unprecedented speed of its transmission; 5.2 million people were infected and 338 480 had been reported dead from December 2019 to May 2020. These human coronaviruses are believed to have an animal origin and had reached humans through species jump. Coronaviruses are well known for their high frequency of recombination and high mutation rates, allowing them to adapt to new hosts and ecological niches. This review summarises existing information on what is currently known on the role of wild and domesticated animals and discussions on whether they are the natural reservoir/amplifiers hosts or incidental hosts of CoVs. Results of experimental infection and transmission using different wild, domesticated and pet animals are also reviewed. The need for a One Health approach in implementing measures and practices is highlighted to improve human health and reduce the emergence of pandemics from these zoonotic viruses.
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COVID-19/epidemiology , Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus , SARS-CoV-2 , Zoonoses , Animals , COVID-19/etiology , COVID-19/transmission , Camelus/virology , Chiroptera/virology , Coronavirus Infections/etiology , Coronavirus Infections/transmission , Disease Vectors , Global Health , Humans , One Health , PandemicsABSTRACT
The rapid spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to a global pandemic. The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) presents with a spectrum of symptoms ranging from mild to critical illness requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Acute respiratory distress syndrome is a major complication in patients with severe COVID-19 disease. Currently, there are no recognized pharmacological therapies for COVID-19. However, a large number of COVID-19 patients require respiratory support, with a high percentage requiring invasive ventilation. The rapid spread of the infection has led to a surge in the rate of hospitalizations and ICU admissions, which created a challenge to public health, research, and medical communities. The high demand for several therapies, including sedatives, analgesics, and paralytics, that are often utilized in the care of COVID-19 patients requiring mechanical ventilation, has created pressure on the supply chain resulting in shortages in these critical medications. This has led clinicians to develop conservation strategies and explore alternative therapies for sedation, analgesia, and paralysis in COVID-19 patients. Several of these alternative approaches have demonstrated acceptable levels of sedation, analgesia, and paralysis in different settings but they are not commonly used in the ICU. Additionally, they have unique pharmaceutical properties, limitations, and adverse effects. This narrative review summarizes the literature on alternative drug therapies for the management of sedation, analgesia, and paralysis in COVID-19 patients. Also, this document serves as a resource for clinicians in current and future respiratory illness pandemics in the setting of drug shortages.