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Background: This web-based survey is done to collect and assess data from people tested for COVID-19 with PCR in Pakistan. Methods: This 3-month study is a cross-sectional online survey, conducted by Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA), Health Research Advisory Board (HealthRAB) and National Institute of Health (NIH). Data collection was done using Google Forms. People who were tested for COVID-19 using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) were included in the study. The sample size of the study was 1,537. SPSS version 22 was used for data analysis. Results: Majority of the respondents belonged to the age group 20 - 39 years. The most common symptoms found were fever 633 (41%), cough 534 (34%), generalized body aches 432 (28%) and sore throat 392 (25%). The mean COVID-19 mental health score was 3.59 (SD: 5.808, range: 0-18). Treatment with antibiotics and painkillers had a strong correlation (p-value < 0.05) with the disease outcomes. The disease outcomes had moderate correlation (p-value < 0.05) with anti-allergy, steroids, plasma and oxygen therapy, and weak correlation (p-value < 0.05) with Antiviral and Antimalarial therapy. Out of the total respondents, 561 (36.1%) were cured from COVID-19, 14 (0.9%) were expired during/after hospitalization, 15 (1%) were still infected and 962 (62%) were not infected. Conclusion: Pakistani population has a better cure rate than some of its neighboring countries. However, further research in this area is required to draw a definite conclusion.
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Objective: To determine the relation between days on ventilatory support and overall mortality to total days of pre-ventilator illness in COVID-19 patients. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Pak Emirates Military Hospital Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Mar to Aug 2020. Methodology: A total of 140 admitted patients within the prescribed time frame were observed in the established COVID-Intensive Care Units of Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi. The criteria for inclusion in the study were patients of any age and gender on ventilatory support with a confirmatory diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 both by RT-PCR, and radiological evidence on HRCT Chest. Results: The mean age of patients was 59.39 ± 13.517 years. Patients who presented with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 and more than ten days of illness with respiratory compromise had a higher occurrence to be placed on mechanical ventilation. There was a strong linear and positive correlation between the total days of illness on presentation and the total days on ventilatory support (p-value <0.01). This linear relationship consequently translated into overall mortality of 78.6% with a 21.4% survival rate. Conclusion: To conclude, the total days of illness in critical COVID-19 patients had a linear relationship to days on ventilatory support and overall mortality. © 2022, Army Medical College. All rights reserved.
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Purpose: Pakistan is predominantly a cash-based economy, with consumers showing several traits ranging from low confidence on the electronic commerce security, poor access to banking, absence of widespread awareness of e-payments and other religious and psychological barriers to adopting alternatives to cash. This study aims to examine e-payment modes in Pakistan with respect to their impact on supplier and consumer behaviour before and during the pandemic times. Design/methodology/approach: The research follows a qualitative approach. Focus groups and interviews are conducted to carry out an in-depth analysis of consumer and supplier behaviour. Findings: The findings show that customers are not satisfied with the current e-commerce system in Pakistan, whereas though producers prefer prepayments, they are forced to rely on cash on delivery. However, due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak, consumers are going cashless to avoid physical cash and observe safety protocols. To convert this temporary and enforced patronage of online transactions into a long-term and sustainable one, massive marketing and a combined effort from the government, private bodies and financial institutions is required. Research limitations/implications: The study was conducted using online interviews which has the drawback of connection issues, delays and lags in the connectivity, and hence may lead to miss important gestures for data analysis. Originality/value: This research can be of benefit to online consumers and the supplier side of the online retail industry, by providing them with insight into the various factors that affect consumer behaviour towards e-commerce payment options. An understanding of the behavioural motivators of consumers will allow e-retailers in developing more marketing strategies that are effective, to improve the satisfaction level of their customers and contribute to the development of Pakistan’s e-commerce sector into a globally competitive one. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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Background: Pandemic spread, rapid transmissibility and currently incurable status has made COVID-19 a major concern of today. Old age and weak immunity make cancer patients highly susceptible to get infected. Methods: A questionnaire-based study was conducted to determine knowledge of cancer patients about COVID-19 and resulting response in terms of preventive measures, delays in scheduled cancer management and impact of delay on cancer. Data was analyzed using SPSS version.23. Descriptive variables were reported as means and frequencies. Intergroup analysis was done using Chi square test with p<0.05 taken as significant. Results: Of 269 enrolled patients, the majority had advanced/metastatic disease (82.4%) and were being treated on an outpatient basis (71.6%). Almost all (99.6%) were aware of COVID, electronic/print being the most common source of information (62.7%). Though having different views, 81.5% took it as a natural calamity. 71.3% considered themselves among the highrisk population. During first and second wave, 22.4% had delayed their investigations while treatment interruptions were seen in 34.7% patients, with average duration of delay being 55±27 days and traveling difficulties due to lockdown commonest reason of delay (54.8%). During this period 62.4% either noted worsening of symptoms or new symptoms. Despite all the chaos, 89.9% selected for treatment continuation if provided with a chance and appropriate facilities. Correlation of delay in therapy with high level of education (p=0.013) and perception about COVID-19 as a natural calamity (p=0.041) was found to be statistically significant. [Formula presented] Conclusions: Patient’s perspective is an important factor in management of a disease especially under unusual circumstances like COVID-19. It should be taken into account to help in making efficient management planning in future. Legal entity responsible for the study: The authors. Funding: Has not received any funding. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the knowledge, perceptions, and attitude of young doctors and nurses at Kind Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) Jeddah, KSA, regarding the effectiveness of telemedicine in dealing with the patients for either follow-up or continuous monitoring of chronic diseases. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This prospective cross-sectional study was carried out on the young doctors and nursing staff at KAUH. An online questionnaire addressing all the required fields, i.e., background essential demography, perceptions, acceptance, and knowledge regarding telemedicine's utility, was sent to the targeted population of health care workers. Completed responses were analyzed statistically as per study objectives. RESULTS: The response rate in our study was 85%. A total of 335 participants responded to our questionnaire. One hundred seventy-one (51.1%) were doctors, whereas one hundred sixty-four (48.9%) were the nursing staff. Among doctors, 50 (29.4%) were recent graduates, whereas, in the nursing side, 77 (46.7%) were the senior nursing students. The knowledge and attitude of the young nursing staff were relatively better than the senior staff taking part in the study and the trends were found statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Our study participants, being young, were enthusiastic, had good knowledge regarding the advantages and limitations of telemedicine in managing the selected groups of patients. Their perception and attitude were quite positive. This is an encouraging trend in the promotion of telemedicine as an established way of managing patients with special requirements in an effective way. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of telemedicine in emergencies to protect both patients and health care workers by reducing chronic patients' avoidable hospital visits.