Drivers of avian habitat use and detection of backyard birds in the Pacific Northwest during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.

Birds living in developed areas contend with numerous stressors, including human disturbance and light, noise, and air pollution. COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns presented a unique opportunity to disentangle these effects during a period of reduced human activity. We launched a community science project in spring 2020 to explore drivers of site use by and detection of common birds in cities under lockdown in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Our goals were twofold: (1) consider how intensity of urbanization, canopy cover, and availability of bird feeders and bird baths influenced avian habitat use; and (2) quantify how daily changes in weather, air pollution, and human mobility influenced detection of birds. We analyzed 6,640 surveys from 367 volunteers at 429 monitoring sites using occupancy models for 46 study species. Neither land cover nor canopy cover influenced site use by 50% of study species, suggesting that backyard birds may have used a wider range of habitats during lockdowns. Human mobility affected detection of 76% of study species, suggesting that birds exhibited species-specific behavioral responses to day-to-day changes in human activity beginning shortly after initial lockdown restrictions were implemented. Our study also showcases how existing community science platforms can be leveraged to support local monitoring efforts.

Redeployment of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are uniquely skilled anesthesia providers with substantial experience managing critically ill patients. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID) pandemic, CRNAs at a large academic medical center in the Mid-Atlantic United States experienced a shift in their daily responsibilities. As the hospital transitioned to the management of patients who tested positive for the virus that causes COVID, the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2), CRNAs were redeployed into the roles of respiratory therapists and intensive care unit registered nurses. Although facing the stress of the global pandemic, this facility's CRNAs proved to be flexible, capable, and necessary members of the care team for patients with COVID-19.

Pandemic Parenting Playbook: Webinar Series to Support Parents during COVID

The COVID pandemic has led to unprecedented levels of stress in parents and families (Ipsos Annual Mental Health Index Survey, 2020). Methods: To support parents through COVID, a team of parent leaders from PLEO (Parents' Lifeline of Eastern Ontario) and an interdisciplinary team of mental health (MH) professionals jointly created and co-hosted a two-session webinar series. Using principles of family engagement (Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health, Oct 2019), the first half of each webinar was a powerpoint didactic on practical strategies for adaptive parenting during COVID. The second half was an opportunity for parents to ask the interdisciplinary panel experts (including peer support parents) questions about strengthening child and youth MH. At the conclusion of each session, the webinar recording, PDFs of slides and a transcript of the Questions and Answers were posted online for free, permanent access. Results: Participants (n=380) completed online surveys after the webinars. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive with satisfaction 90-95% for content, topics and panel discussion. Top strengths: 1) session content;2) suggestions and recommendations;3) session panel. Top suggestions for improvement: 1) more time for questions and answers;2) having the powerpoint slides available in advance;3) more in-depth topics. Conclusions: Parents and professionals co-developed and co-facilitated a two-session webinar to support 380 parents across Ontario. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. The co-development/co-facilitation model is a promising practice. Further steps will explore how to fund and run future sessions, and expand the range of topics.