ABSTRACT
Introduction: The purpose of this study was to analyze hospital capacities in terms of hospital beds and staffing in the United States and explore the trends of hospital capacities during the Omicron variant emergence. Methods: Using data collected by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, this study examined hospitalization rates from 15 December 2021 to 13 February 2022. Graphical trends were plotted for visualization of hospital bed usage and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) inpatient cases. A Pearson correlation test was used to explore the relationship between critical staffing shortage and COVID-19 death cases. Descriptive statistics of all hospital data were calculated. Results: At the peak of the Omicron variant surge, approximately one-third of the adult intensive care unit beds were used for COVID-19 patients in the United States. The total number of COVID-19 death cases increased as the number of hospitals with critical staffing shortages increased (p < 0.05). Discussion: This study can inform hospital administrators and public health policymakers on how to modify the use of existing hospital and human resources as the continually evolving pandemic taxes hospital capacity. Future studies need to be conducted to determine the long-term trend and how the COVID-19 pandemic continues to change rapidly.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To investigate dental students' perceptions and concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, their coping strategies and support resources, and their perceived stress levels. METHODS: A customized 19-item survey and the perceived stress scale (PSS) were applied to undergraduate dental students from the US, Spain, Ireland, Chile, India, and Brazil between April 10 and July 5, 2020. Linear modeling and mediation analysis were used to explore the relationships among demographics, stressors, coping mechanisms, social support, and stress RESULTS: A total of 4475 students responded to the survey. The majority (72.4%) were women, and 52.3% had no COVID-19 training at the time of the survey. The students reported that they had to accommodate to changes in patient care (96.6%) and didactic learning (95.2%) activities, while 88.5% of the respondents indicated at least one of their courses moved online. Transition to online courses went "smoothly with some troubles" for 51.8% of the respondents, and 48.3% perceived the faculty as prepared for the online transition; however, 45.9% reported feeling extremely concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on their education. The average PSS score was 21.9 of 40 (moderate stress). Multivariate models were built for participants with full data (n = 3899). Being male, having completed more dental coursework, and perceiving a smoother transition were associated with lower PSS scores; more concern about academic progress was associated with higher PSS. Faculty support mediated the relationship between a smoothness of transition and concern about academic progress and PSS scores CONCLUSION: Stress caused by the pandemic may be alleviated by smoother transition and good faculty support.