Resilient Coping is More Important Than Previous Virtual Learning Experience: Predicting Pharmacy Student Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated a swift transition to online learning in medical and health sciences. This study investigated the associations of previous experience with online learning, current confidence with online learning, and resilient coping skills with perceived stress reported by pharmacy students during the emergency transition to online learning. Methods: Undergraduate pharmacy students (N=113, response rate = 41%) completed an online, self-report, cross-sectional survey during April-June 2020. Measures included Likert items measuring prior experience and current comfort levels with online learning, the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS), and the Perceived Stress Scale 10-Item Version (PSS-10). Experience, comfort with online learning, reported scores, and internal consistency for the BRCS and PSS-10 were summarized. A linear regression model examined the associations of prior experience with online education, gender, and resilient coping with perceived stress. Results: Of the 113 respondents (78% female, mean age 22.3 years), > 50% had only occasional prior experience with online learning, coursework, and examinations, but 63% expressed confidence with online learning. Mean PSS-10 and BRCS scores were 23.8 and 13.3, respectively, and both scales demonstrated good internal consistency (α > 0.80). BRCS score was the single predictor of the PSS-10 score (r2 = 0.18, p < 0.001). Female gender was not a significant predictor (p = 0.11). A multiple regression model explained moderate variation in perceived stress (adjusted R2 = 0.19). Conclusion: PSS-10 and BRCS scores indicated moderate levels of stress and coping skills among students during online teaching. Most students had some prior exposure to online learning, coursework, and examinations. Higher resiliency scores, but not prior online learning experience, predicted lower perceived stress.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Perceived Stress and Eating Behaviors of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students of UWI, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados

Objective: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on perceived stress, anxiety, depression, and eating behaviors of university students in Barbados was investigated. Design and Methods: Students completed an online survey between June and July 2021 including the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4), SCOFF Questionnaire, and Salzburg Stress Eating Scale. We used bivariate and multivariable logistic regression to assess factors associated with eating behaviour and eating disorders. Result(s): Of 506 respondents (mean age 26 years, 81.4% female, 85.2% undergraduates), 7.23% were underweight, 52.34% normal weight, 20.85% overweight, and 19.57% obese. PHQ-4 screening suggested anxiety prevalence of 46% (95% CI 42% to 51%) with 22% (95% CI 17% to 25%) severe anxiety, and 43% (95% CI 39% to 47%) depression prevalence. 22.5 % of students screened positive for eating disorders on the SCOFF;positive screen for eating disorder was more likely positive in obese (36%) vs underweight (15%) students (p Conclusion(s): The screening instruments indicated concerning levels of anxiety, depression, and eating disorders associated with the COVID-19 pandemic among university students in Barbados. These conditions may remain undetected unless students seek help or are referred. Proactive health services and educational outreach are needed. Prevalence estimates should be viewed with caution until cut-off scores are empirically established for students in Barbados.

An innovative, blended, and supplementary clerkship to minimize clinical training gaps identified during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective: 1. To identify training gaps in junior clerkship rotations during the COVID-19 pandemic. 2. To develop a Clinical Transition Selective Clerkship (CTSC) during Year 4. 3. To seek student feedback on organization and management of the CTSC. Design and Methods: An online cross-sectional survey of medical students was conducted during June-September 2021 to identify training gaps. In response to identified gaps, the 4-week CTSC was developed to provide further opportunities to develop core competencies. Result(s): Just under half of students reported the opportunity to observe (45.7%) and perform (44.5%) core skills >3 times during the medicine junior clerkship. For the surgical clerkship, 48.3% observed and 44.2% performed core skills 1-3 times. For child health, 39.6% observed and 34.8% performed skills 1-3 times. More than half of respondents (55.3%) expressed concern that they missed the usual clinical clerkship training experiences during online rotations. Three-quarters (74.5%) expressed the need to acquire additional clinical experience. The majority of students rated the following aspects of the CTSC as 'Good' or better: clarity of goals and objectives (58.3%);educational value/amount learned (56.2%);professionalism of faculty (66.7%) and other clinical staff (75%);usefulness of feedback (75%);workload challenge/level of material appropriate (70.8%);overall rating/quality of CTS (60.4%). However, the following aspects were rated as 'Poor' or "Fair": organization and coherency (77.1%);commitment of coordinators (64.6%);CTS achieved stated goals (62.5%). Conclusion(s): Our study identified training gaps in junior clerkship rotations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CTSC provided opportunities to develop clinical competencies disrupted by the pandemic.

Resilient Coping is More Important than Previous Experience with Virtual Learning: Predicting Stress Experienced by Pharmacy Students in Trinidad and Tobago During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: To summarize pharmacy students' previous experience and current confidence with online learning and explore the association of prior experience with online learning and resilient coping with perceived stress at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method(s): Students completed an online cross-sectional survey during April-June, 2020. Measures included Likert items for experience and current comfort levels with online learning;the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS);and the Perceived Stress Scale-10 Item Version (PSS-10). We summarized experience and comfort with online learning;reported scores and internal consistency for the BRCS and PSS-10;and estimated a regression model of perceived stress as a function of prior experience with online education, gender, and resilient coping. Result(s): Of 113 respondents (response rate 41%, 78% female, mean age 22.3 years) >50% had only occasional prior experience with online learning, coursework, and examinations, but 63% expressed confidence with online learning. Mean PSS-10 and BRCS scores were 23.8 and 13.3 respectively, and both scales demonstrated good internal consistency (a > .80). BRCS score was the single predictor of PSS-10 score (r2 = 0.18, p < 0.001). Gender was not a significant predictor of perceived stress (p = 0.11). A simultaneous regression model explained a moderate amount of variation in perceived stress (adjusted R2 = 0.19). Conclusion(s): Most students had limited previous online learning, coursework, and examination experience. Responses indicated moderate levels of stress and coping skills after introducing online teaching. Lower resiliency scores, but not lack of virtual learning experience, predicted higher perceived stress. Results underscore the importance of efforts to enhance coping and resilience of students.

The incidence and characteristics of pediatric traumatic hyphema presenting during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: To analyze the clinical and epidemiologic trends of pediatric traumatic hyphema presenting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method(s): A single-center retrospective cohort study of all pediatric patients aged 21 or under diagnosed with traumatic hyphema. The incidence of traumatic hyphema presenting during the COVID-19 pandemic time periods of heavy restrictions (group 1) and loosened restrictions (group 2) were compared with similar control time periods prepandemic (groups 3 and 4, resp.). Patients' demographics, BCVA, IOP, need for IOP-lowering therapy, hyphema characteristics, and complications were subsequently analyzed. Result(s): A total of 23 cases were identified in the aforementioned time-period, with 5 patients in group 1, 6 in group 2, 11 in group 3, and 1 in group 4. The overall incidence of traumatic hyphema was 0.63 cases-per-month. For groups 1-4 the incidence was 0.35, 1.55, 0.77, and 0.26 respectively. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the incidence rate ratio (IRR) was 4.44 (95% CI: 1.35, 14.54, p = < 0.01 when the loosened (group 2) and the heavy (group 1) restrictions time-period were compared. Group 1 vs. group 3 IRR was 0.45 (95% CI, 0.16-1.31;P = 0.13). Group 2 versus group 4 IRR was 6.00 (95% CI, 0.72-49.84;P = 0.06). Conclusion/Relevance: There was an increased incidence of traumatic hyphemas following loosened COVID-19 restrictions. While the cause for this is unknown, prevention is possible through education on proper supervision, age-appropriate toys, and use of safety glasses. The public should be made aware of the importance of these measures. Copyright © 2022

Infection of 3D Brain Organoids with Human Pathogenic Viruses Under Biosafety Level-3 Conditions with Subsequent Inactivation to Study Viral Replication, Pathomechanisms, and Other Viral Infection-Mediated Effects

Viral infectious diseases may cause neurological symptoms primarily in two nonexclusive ways. Infection may lead to an excessive inflammatory response that damages the neuronal system, which is referred to as immunopathology, or the pathogen is able to infect brain cells, such as neurons or nonneuronal glial cells, like oligodendrocytes, microglia, and astrocytes. Viruses that target and infect cells of the CNS, in general, are called neurotropic. 3D brain organoids provide favorable conditions to study target cells and induced pathomechanisms associated with such viral neurotropism. In the context of highly pathogenic viruses, strict safety precautions (safety level-3 laboratory) must be taken if infectious laboratory strains or strains from clinical samples are to be used for infection experiments. Likewise, safe inactivation protocols must be used for subsequent analysis. This chapter will discuss appropriate protocols, focusing on methodological aspects for each of these steps, and discuss advantages and disadvantages when working with 3D brain organoids while handling biosafety level-3 pathogens based on our work with severe acute respiratory virus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Copyright © 2023, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.