Managing Stress and its Consequences during Covid-19, the College of Technological Studies, Kuwait

The unprecedented outbreak of Covid-19 and the suspension of classes while continuing teaching created disruption and a situation that added considerable stress not only to the management of technical and vocational institutions but also to teachers, trainers and students and their ability to cope with the situation. The shift to online teaching platforms rather than face-to-face learning caused emotional and physical consequences that affect the ability of teachers and trainers to achieve course objectives. This paper identifies and examines the emotional and physical consequences resulting from the use of online teaching platforms on teachers, trainers and students, in addition to examining the quality of online teaching platforms in achieving course objectives. The research involves designing, testing, and distributing questionnaires to a sample of teachers, trainers, and students as well as meeting with the Dean of the College of Technological Studies. The findings of this research revealed that teachers and trainers are more vulnerable to stress, and this can have a significant effect on teachers and trainers psychological and physical health and triggers emotional and physical consequences. In respect to students' perception towards the effectiveness of applying online teaching platforms, the majority of students were disagreed that online teaching platforms helped in gaining the required skills, understanding cases studies and understanding the course topics. Thus, the management of the College of Technological Studies must ensure that teachers and trainers are well equipped with the required knowledge, skills and attitudes to overcome and/or reduce the consequences resulting from the use of online teaching platforms. Copyright for this article is retained by the author(s).

Epidemiological and clinical features of the first cohort of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Bahrain

Background: This study investigates the clinical characteristics of the first confirmed cases of Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in Bahrain. Methods: This is a retrospective, cross-sectional study including the first 247 confirmed cases in Bahrain. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were extracted from electronic medical records. Results: Mean Standard Deviation (SD) age of patients was 44.15 (16.5) years. More males were affected by the disease (61%;151/274). Mean (SD) of the duration between confirmation and discharge was 9.8 (5.1) days. Of 247 patients, 4 deaths were reported (1.6%);17.5% (24/137) showed a temperature of >37- on admission, with 4% (6/148) yielding an oxygen saturation of 94% or less. Leukopenia was reported in 36.8% of patients (63/171). One quarter of patients (25.5%) received oseltamivir, 24.7% received hydroxychloroquine sulfate (24.7%), and 1.2% received steroids. Conclusion: In this study, the authors have captured the epidemiological and clinical profiles of the first cases of COVID-19 pertaining to the first wave of the pandemic in Bahrain. The early strict measures may have contributed to the lower incidence as well as lower morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 infection in Bahrain. Major gaps in our knowledge of the clinical spectrum of COVID-19 and its prognosis, outcomes, and associated risk factors indicate the need for further research.

Mechanical Thrombectomy for Treatment of Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis in Vaccine-Induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia.

Reports of a rare form of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis with profound thrombocytopenia have emerged following introduction of the adenovirus-vectored coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. Between March and June 2021, seven cases of refractory vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia were referred to our institution for mechanical thrombectomy. The condition of 1 patient deteriorated during interhospital transfer, and the remaining 6 underwent successful recanalization. No procedure-related adverse events were reported. At the time of this writing, 3 patients have been discharged with a good functional outcome (mRS 0-1), one required rehabilitation for mild dysarthria and vocal cord palsy (mRS 3), and 2 have died due to severe mass effect. Our anecdotal experience suggests that endovascular therapy may be safe and effective in reducing thrombus burden in selected cases of postvaccination cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.

SARS-CoV-2 viral load as an indicator for COVID-19 patients' hospital stay

Background/objective: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed a global threat to public health. An objective strategy is quintessential to handle resources prudently. This study assessed the utility of the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) cycle of threshold (Ct) to evaluate the severity of the COVID-19 infection. The study also assessed the duration of the hospital and the management of healthcare resources.