CONTAGION, CONTAINMENT, COMMUNALISM: Contested citizenships in the times of COVID

The landscapes of our desires situated in structures that violate us are multi-sited and deep-rooted. In one of his public addresses, the Prime Minister demanded the country to bang plates to shoo away the virus, and people happily complied in the national interest. The patriarchal casteist nation is irked when it sees women taking over streets and claiming their rights, worse, when they are Muslim women conveniently framed within the global Islamophobic narrative as the repressed that need saving. The State suggests that they might be influenced, misguided by external forces, erasing at that moment any agency from these women. The sit-in at the Jafrabad metro station coincided with Trump's visit to India, making the situation worse. The state machinery was deployed to disrupt the political mobilizations. While Trump racialized COVID-19 in his press briefings and tweets, naming it ‘Chinese', in India, the virus had a religion. © 2022 selection and editorial matter, Niharika Banerjea, Paul Boyce and Rohit K. Dasgupta;individual chapters, the contributors

COVID-19 Relates to Both PTSD and PTG in a Non-clinical Population, Why?

We assessed levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and post-traumatic growth (PTG) during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK using an online questionnaire, in May and June 2020, during "lockdown.” Some 440 participants took part and 91.8% of the sample was female. Large numbers of participants had high levels of PTSD, with some 50.2% with "probable PTSD”. Yet 49.5% of participants also demonstrated high levels of PTG. Regression analysis revealed rumination to be key predictors for PTSD and PTG. © 2022 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Comparing exertional desaturation between the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and 1-minute sit to stand test (1MSTST) in those prescribed Ambulatory Oxygen (AO)

IntroductionDuring the COVID-19 pandemic the 1MSTST was utilised as a remote exercise test for AO prescription, with comparable physiological response to the 6MWT1. However, reduced desaturation has been reported using 1MSTST compared with 6MWT2, and was observed on return to face-to-face appointments.Remote exercise testing has patient choice and sustainability benefits. Using the 1MSTST would support this, however, test inaccuracy could affect prescription. Our aim was to determine whether using the 1MSTST compared with the 6MWT would affect AO prescription.MethodsData was collected from June 2021 to January 2022. Patients attending face-to-face clinic, whose prescription optimised their oxygen levels according to a 6MWT, completed a 1MSTST to determine whether remote monitoring could be offered. Lowest SpO2 between tests were compared, with accepted oximeter SpO2 margin of error of ±2%, and impact on prescription determined.ResultsTen patients completed both tests. Mean age 54.5 (SD 3.92) years, three (30%) men, six patients (60%) had COPD.When compared, the lowest SpO2 on the 6MWT and 1MSTST matched in six (60%) patients, but not in four patients. The difference in degree of desaturation between tests ranged from 3% to 5%.Using 1MSTST alone, five (50%) patients would have had their AO prescription weaned.ConclusionBasing AO prescription on the 1MSTST would have led to inappropriate weaning of AO in half of patients, when referenced against usual practice using the 6MWT.However, for six patients the test results matched within the SpO2 margin of error and in four of those the 1MSTST resulted in the same AO prescription outcome as the 6MWT, and could be used to facilitate virtual follow up.The role of the 1MSTST in AO prescription is unclear and requires further investigation, including repeatability of 1MSTST desaturation and predictability of patient characteristics to inform utility.ReferencesCrook et al (2017). A Multicenter validation of the 1-min sit-to-stand test in patients with COPD. European Respiratory Journal. Volume 49: 1–11.Holland et al (2020) Home-based or remote exercise testing in chronic respiratory disease, during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: a rapid review. Chronic Respiratory Disease. Volume 17: 1–18.

Broke and Book-Bound: Surviving College During a Global Pandemic

Education has been historically branded as a tool to transcend conditions that have aided and abetted systems of generational and societal inequities. During a global pandemic, there has been no greater challenge to this view than considering the impact of life-altering events and their implications on higher education, success, and thriving. Specifically, the COVID-19 crisis has put this health-based issue on an international stage, but more specifically, spotlighting how it has exacerbated issues such as poverty, hunger, homelessness, and educational attainment. This chapter will examine the existing literature around the issue of global pandemics on college attainment for college students who are resource and access-gapped and best practices to consider to support holistic success during a global pandemic.

Paul’s letters as a guide to online worship: reflections on a denominational survey of worship during lockdown

A nationwide denominational survey in Australia revealed that most Salvation Army congregations moved to online worship during the COVID pandemic and that their leaders planned to continue online worship after lockdowns and restrictions had lifted. Therefore, it is timely to reflect on the creation and delivery of online worship. This comparative study seeks to draw parallels between online worship and the apostle Paul’s letters to distant and dispersed congregations and so address the question: can the creation and narration of Paul’s letters to Rome and Philippi offer insights into the shaping and effectiveness of online worship?. © Contact Pastoral Trust 2022.

Voices from the frontline: a review of EMS first responders' experience of COVID-19 in Ireland

Purpose: This study explored the experiences of Irish emergency medical services (EMS) first responders during the first nationwide restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review (SLR) of research into healthcare workers' and first responders' experiences during the COVID-19 and 2003 SARS pandemics was performed. The SLR informed the content of an online questionnaire distributed via the Irish Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council to 2,092 first responders on its live register. Data analysis used both descriptive and content analysis. Findings: EMS first responders faced many challenges including PPE quality, training on its use, issues with decontamination facilities, and organisational effectiveness. Emotional challenges included the anxiety experienced, the impact on families, and ethical dilemmas confronted related to patient care. Positive findings also emerged, such as first responders' dedication to working through the pandemic, collegiality, and the community goodwill displayed. Originality/value: While investigations of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers have been undertaken globally, studies focussing exclusively on the experiences of EMS first responders have been rare. This study addressed this knowledge gap, providing an insight into the challenges and successes experienced by first responders and identifying opportunities for learning that can be applied to future public health emergencies. © 2022, Gavin David Brown, Ann Largey, Caroline McMullan, Gráinne O'Shea and Niamh Reilly.

The implications of a crisis-driven societal shift to online consumption

Currently over half the global population is under some form of social distancing requirement and around 90 countries are experiencing variations of ‘lockdown’. Social Distancing will likely continue for the foreseeable future (until a vaccination is found). Lockdown exit strategies include maintaining social distancing in some form, resulting in a further uptake in technologically enabled consumption. Lockdown and Social Distancing have resulted in a massive shift toward online consumption. This chapter examines the societal implications of this including the effect on the individual, society and the economy. The consumption of goods, services and increasingly experiences online can have significant implications on productivity including querying productivity as an appropriate measure for this connected economy. Individuals find themselves increasingly embedded in a world they don’t necessarily understand whilst at the same time are being disembedded from their familiar consumption patterns. Business models will have to rapidly change and develop to suit this new world. © Philip McCann and Tim Vorley 2021.

Split-dose 1 L polyethylene glycol (PEG) with ascorbate (PLENVU) is non-inferior to split-dose PEG with sodium picosulfate and magnesium citrate (Prepkit-C), with similar tolerability: A randomized controlled trial

Background and Aim: Post-marketing studies comparing low-volume polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based regimens are limited. The aim of this randomized controlled non-inferiority study was to compare the efficacy and tolerability of two commercially available low-volume PEG-based preparations: PLENVU (Norgine) macrogol 3350, sodium ascorbate, sodium sulfate, ascorbic acid, sodium chloride and potassium chloride and Prepkit-C (Fresenius Kabi) macrogol 3350, sodium chloride, potassium chloride and sodium sulfate, sodium picosulfate, magnesium oxide, citric acid and aspartame in an unselected adult colonoscopy outpatient population. Methods: Patients undergoing outpatient colonoscopy were randomized to receive either split-dose Prepkit-C or PLENVU. Patient compliance, satisfaction, and tolerability were captured using a standardized questionnaire on the day of the procedure. A blinded endoscopist assessed the quality of bowel preparation using the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) and Aronchick Scale during the colonoscopy. The procedure times, rates of cecal intubation, and polyp detection rates were also recorded. Results: The study was terminated at 19 months, as recruitment was halted due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, and an unplanned interim analysis was performed. A total of 164 patients were randomly assigned to either Prepkit-C (n = 82) or PLENVU (n = 82). In the PLENVU group, 89% of patients achieved satisfactory preparation (total BPPS score ≥6 and each subscore ≥2), compared with 85.4% in the Prepkit-C group, resulting in an estimated difference of 3.7% (95% CI, -6.6% to 13.9%;P = 0.48). The median BBPS score with PLENVU was significantly better in the right, middle, and left colonic subsegments with PLENVU (BBPS score, 3;IQR, 2-3) than with Prepkit-C (BBPS score, 2;IQR, 2-3) (P < 0.001). A significantly higher proportion of patients in the PLENVU group had a BBPS score of ≥7, compared with patients in the Prepkit-C group (80% vs 57%;P = 0.002). A significantly greater proportion of patients had good-excellent quality of bowel preparation in the PLENVU group compared with the Prepkit-C group (84% vs 57%;P < 0.001) (Fig. 1). More patients in the PLENVU group reported moderate to severe nausea compared with those in the Prepkit-C group (P = 0.028);however, there were no other differences in patient satisfaction or tolerability between the two groups. Conclusion: The quality of bowel preparation achieved with PLENVU is at least non-inferior to that with Prepkit-C in a real-world unselected group of colonoscopy outpatients, with equivalent tolerability outcomes. This is despite a lower volume of preparation (by 500 mL) that is required to be ingested with PLENVU. Further studies are required in patients at risk of suboptimal bowel preparation.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on access to new patient cancer care as evaluated in the Integra Connect Database (ICD)

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of life. Integra Connect sought to assess its impact on new visits for cancer care by querying its Electronic Medical Record and Claims database as a surrogate for understanding Covid's impact on cancer care in the larger United States population. Methods: Using Real World Data (RWD) from over 1200 oncology providers in 14 large practice settings, comprising 250 plus care sites in the ICD, we measured new patient (Pt) and established Pt visits from 2018 through 2020. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) codes for new and established Pt's were applied to define cohorts. Disease states were defined using CMS Oncology Care Model (OCM) mapping to diagnosis codes. Because the ICD is heavily based in the Eastern US, we conducted a geographic analysis by segmenting providers by Northeast (NE) with 506 providers from NY, NJ, PA, and VA and Southeast (SE) with 578 providers from FL, GA, SC, and AL. We looked at visits across all tumor types and identified breast cancer (BC) and colorectal cancer (CC) as likely to be most affected by decreased screening, and multiple myeloma (MM) and advanced prostate cancer (APC) as likely to be vulnerable to delay in initiation of first treatment since treatment often trails diagnosis. Results: We found a decline in new patient volume (NPV) in '20 of -1% compared to '19;this compared to an anticipated increase of +7% based on growth in NPV in the ICD from '18 to '19. In the NE we saw NPV decrease in '20 by -7% vs. '19 but increase by +6% in the SE compared to '19. In comparing NPV '20 to '19 and '19 to '18, we saw a smaller increase for BC of +4% vs. +6% and for CC of +5% vs. +7%, respectively. Whereas in MM it was -7% vs. +3% and APC -6% vs. +8%. (See Table). Conclusions: Covid-19 has negatively impacted cancer care access. This RWD shows the number of both newly diagnosed Pts and those with initial oncologic intervention in established Pts, where symptoms traditionally have determined initiation of treatment, has declined year-overyear. The American Cancer Society projected new Pt cases to increase +2% in '20 to 1.806 million (ACS, Cancer Facts and Figures 2020), whereas in the ICD, that figure was projected +7% but resulted in -1%. This suggests a major expected reduction of new Pt cases in the US at large. The drop in cases during Covid-19 in our data was greater in the NE compared to the SE. In addition, the drop in the NE in our data was earlier and more prolonged than SE. While recovery occurred in both regions, after an initial overshoot following lockdowns, volumes plateaued at levels lower than pre-pandemic.

Trialling a novel socially-distanced teaching approach for OMFS dental core trainees: case-based discussions through WhatsApp©.

In our tertiary level centre, the oral and maxillofacial (OMFS) rotas often change at short- notice due to service requirements and the development of guidance relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, we have developed a novel teaching method for our dental core trainees (DCTs) to accommodate hectic schedules and conflicting availability between junior and senior staff. Here, we describe the innovative teaching approach we have established using case-based discussions via WhatsApp©. Feedback has been excellent. Respondents have stated that the most useful aspect is flexibility to participate in between tasks and across multiple sites, and 87% stated that they use the searchable summaries when managing patients. This teaching method is highly beneficial for OMFS DCTs. It allows flexibility for fluctuating schedules, is interactive, and provides an easily accessible resource whilst on call. We believe that other teams may benefit from the method if scheduling the time for regular didactic teaching is difficult, or they wish to supplement existing practices.

International cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Special Issue: The economics of the COVID-19 pandemic.)

This paper explores the concept of 'global public goods' (GPGs) in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that many of the tasks involved in public health, and in particular those involved in the control of an infectious disease like COVID-19, ought to be treated as GPGs that can only be effectively delivered through international cooperation. It sets out what a cooperative response to the COVID-19 pandemic should look like and introduces ideas for further discussion about how it might be financed.

Schooling Beyond COVID-19: An Unevenly Distributed Future

The COVID-19 pandemic crisis has had a major impact on how schooling is done. With schools closed, teaching, and learning continue dependent on information and communication technologies (ICT). To the degree that this has been a success, there is the possibility that post-pandemic societies might choose to de-school, switching to online teaching and learning only. In this perspective piece, I describe two major risks if that future were to be embraced;that is, lack of equitable access and dehumanization. My argument is that these futures already exist in pockets around the globe and we can use those experiences to evaluate those options. I suggest instead that the post-pandemic period gives us an opportunity to re-imagine what schools and schooling are for and advocate for a re-schooled society in which our investment in schools builds and develops society. © Copyright © 2020 Brown.