Diabetic ketoacidosis amongst patients with COVID-19: A retrospective chart review of 220 patients in Pakistan.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of diabetes mellitus and diabetic ketoacidosis and associated factors in COVID-19-positive patients. BACKGROUND: High mortality amongst SARS-Cov2 patients may be attributed to diabetes and diabetic ketoacidosis. METHODS: A total of 220 COVID-19 positive patients, hospitalized in North West General Hospital & Research Center, Peshawar, KP, Pakistan, from April to September 2020, were analysed using STATA 14. Patients with positive PCR were labelled as COVID-19 positive and were included in the study. Patients with a clinical picture of COVID-19 and negative PCR were excluded from the study. Those having ketonemia >0.6 and random blood glucose level >250mg/dl, while HCO3 (bicarbonate) ≤18, were labelled as diabetic ketoacidosis. The statistical significance level was set at p < .05. RESULTS: A total of 220 COVID-19 patients were admitted; 166 (75.4%) were male and 54 (24.5%) were female. The mean age in years of the patients was 55.95 (SD13.9). About 57.7% of patients had diabetes mellitus, and 15 (6.8%) patients developed diabetic ketoacidosis. Amongst those with DKA, 5 patients died during hospital admission. The use of steroids was significantly higher (p < .001) in the DKA group compared with non-DKA patients. Hypertension (103,46.8%) and fever (170,77.3%) were the most reported comorbidity and symptom respectively. CONCLUSION: The proportion of diabetes mellitus is high in patients with COVID-19. Diabetic ketoacidosis is a frequent complication in this group associated with in-hospital mortality. Steroid administration for COVID-19 should be balanced with strict glycemic control to prevent diabetic ketoacidosis and increase hospital survival.

Inovasi filantropi Islam dalam menanggulangi masyarakat miskin terdampak COVID-19: Studi kasus di Baznas Provinsi Kalimantan Barat

Dunia sekarang lagi dilanda Pandemi COVID-19. Ada 34 Provinsi di Indonesia yang tergolong zona merah terdampak COVID-19 termasuk Provinsi Kalimantan Barat (Kalbar). Penyebaran virus ini sangat cepat dan berdampak terhadap berbagai lapisan masyarakat terutama ekonomi para karyawan dan masyarakat miskin di Provinsi Kalbar. Untuk menanggulangi dampak tersebut perlu adanya peran dan partisipasi dari seluruh kalangan termasuk Baznas Provinsi Kalbar sebagaimana amanat dari Undang-Undang Nomor 23 tahun 2011 tentang Pengelolaan Zakat. Tulisan ini fokus pada inovasi dalam fundraising filantropi Islam pemanfaatannya dan kendala-kendala yang dialami Baznas dalam menanggulangi masyarakat miskin terdampak COVID-19 di Provinsi Kalimantan Barat. Dengan menggunakan jenis penelitian lapangan dan didukung dengan hasil wawancara dan dokumentasi tulisan ini menemukan dua strategi yang digunakan oleh Baznas Provinsi Kalbar dalam fundraising ZIS yang mengalami kenaikan sebesar 292 kali dibandingkan tahun 2019 yaitu sosialisasi Fatwa MUI terkait pemanfaatan ZIS dan optimalisasi peran UPZ. Dalam hal pemanfaatannya pada masa pandemi COVID-19 Baznas Provinsi Kalbar mendistribusikan 91% dana ZIS pada bidang darurat kesehatan berupa program kesehatan dan kuratif sedangkan sisanya (9%) dimanfaatkan untuk bidang darurat sosial-ekonomi berupa paket logistik keluarga zakat fitrah dan fidyah serta BTM. Terbatasnya waktu dan ruang gerak pada masa pandemi merupakan kendala yang dirasakan Baznas Provinsi Kalbar.

Perceptions of COVID-19-related Risks and Deaths Among Health Care Professionals During COVID-19 Pandemic in Pakistan: A Cross-sectional Study.

COVID-19 is an established challenge to the health care professionals (HCPs) having physical, emotional, and psychological repercussions. We determine the perceptions of Pakistani HCPs regarding the risks and deaths related to COVID-19. A cross-sectional study was conducted among HCPs throughout Pakistan from 16th February 2021 to 6th March 2021 by disseminating an online Google questionnaire via all possible social media platforms including WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and emails. Out of total of 462 HCPs, 33.55% tested COVID-19 positive and 49.43% had received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The proportion of HCPs worried about contracting COVID-19 was 46.97%. A total of 69.48% mentioned that doctors are at a higher risk of dying from COVID-19 infection compared to the general population. In a dichotomous analysis done for risk perception, 72.06% of doctors reported a high-risk perception of contracting COVID-19 in hospital settings. The main reasons identified to be associated with higher mortality amongst the HCPs, specifically doctors, included comorbidities (47.26%), working in high-risk wards (24.02%) and lack of adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) (28.72%). Using univariate and multivariate regression the HCPs tested positive rated two-fold high risk while performing professional duty during COVID-19 pandemic [unadjusted odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)): 2.23 (1.24-4.02), P = .007; adjusted OR (95% CI) 2.27 (1.22-4.19), P = .009]. In conclusion, Pakistani HCPs have significant COVID-19-related concerns and anxieties. The doctors perceived to be at a higher risk of dying with COVID-19, due to a variety of personal and professional reasons.

Effect of e-evaluation on work motivation among teachers during the movement control order in COVID-19: the mediating role of stress

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the effect of e-evaluation on work motivation among teachers during the Movement Control Order (MCO) in COVID-19 and determining the mediating role of stress.Design/methodology/approachThe study is designed using a causal research design to examine the cause-effect relationship between the study variables. The study sample consists of 595 school teachers selected via convenient sampling. Quantitative data are collected from an online survey through the questionnaires with demographic, stress, e-evaluation and work motivation developed by the researchers were distributed during the MCO period. To test the model, structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied by using AMOS 21.FindingsThe results indicated that the e-evaluation, stress and work motivation of teachers during the MCO were conducted at a moderate level. The stress relationship with work motivation of teachers was also weak and showed a negative relationship, while e-evaluation and work motivation showed a strong relationship. The results of the SEM analysis revealed that the model fit was achieved with RMSEA = 0.07, GFI = 0.96, CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.97, ChiSq/df = 4.30 and p = 0.00. In addition, there was no role of stress as a mediator in the relationship between e-evaluation and work motivation and e-evaluation contributed 54% to work motivation.Research limitations/implicationsThis study underlines our contention that teachers’ work motivation correlated positively with their e-evaluation. The findings suggest that teachers’ stress cannot mediate the relationship between e-evaluation and work motivation. The limitations of the study include the convenience sampling, non-probability sampling technique, not chosen at random and undermines the generalizations from sample to the population.Practical implicationsThe results provide a useful framework to teachers for the successful implementation of e-evaluations in their instruction to enhance their work-motivation.Originality/valueThere is a lack of e-evaluation studies in teacher education and teaching strategies, and the correlation between e-evaluation and work motivation during COVID-19 pandemic is often absent.

Rancang bangun wastafel dan portal otomatis dengan mempertimbangkan antropometri guna mencegah penularan COVID-19

Coronavirus yang merajalela pada tahun 2019 (COVID-19) mempunyai karakteristik mudah menular, sehingga menjadikan virus ini sangat berbahaya. Meskipun Vaksin sudah ditemukan, protokol kesehatan masih harus diterapkan setidaknya selama 4 tahun kedepan. Salah satu protokol kesehatan yaitu selalu mencuci tangan dengan air mengalir dan sabun. Akan tetapi pada saat mencuci tangan, orang akan tetap menyentuh keran air dan botol sabun, padahal hal ini sangat berpotensi menjadi salah satu media penularan virus. Oleh karena itu penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menghindari sentuhan fisik saat mencuci tangan. Alat ini dilengkapi dengan portal pendeteksi suhu yang berfungi melakukan screening untuk memastikan orang yang akan masuk tidak sedang mengalami demam. Pengembangan teknologi dalam penelitian ini menggunakan metode rancang bangun (research and development). Desain yang dibuat mempertimbangkan Antropometri orang Indonesia. Sehingga Teknologi Tepat Guna (TTG) tersebut dapat memberikan rasa nyaman dan aman saat digunakan. Dari hasil pengujian alat, menunjukkan sensor MLX90614 (temperatur) memiliki tingkat kesalahan rata-rata pengukuran sebesar 0.213ºC atau sekitar 0.58%, sedangkan sensor PIR (jarak) memiliki tingkat sukses 90%. Secara keseluruhan sistem otomatis pada wastafel dan portal dapat berjalan dengan baik.

Access and Use Experience of Personal Protective Equipment Among Frontline Healthcare Workers in Pakistan During the COVID-19 Emergency: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Healthcare workers are at the highest risk of contracting novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and, therefore, require constant protection. This study assesses access to personal protective equipment (PPE), availability of adequate information about PPE use, self-reported ability to correctly wear and remove (donning and doffing) PPE, and risk perceptions associated with COVID-19 among frontline healthcare workers in Pakistan. Using a structured and validated questionnaire, an online survey was conducted from May 9 to June 5, 2020. Responses were received from 453 healthcare workers. Of these, 218 (48.12%) were doctors, 183 (40.40%) were nurses, and 52 (11.48%) were paramedical staff. Only 129 (28.48%) healthcare workers reported having adequate access to PPE at all times, whereas 156 (34.44%) never had access to PPE and 168 (37.09%) had access to PPE occasionally. Lack of access to PPE led the majority (71.74%) of healthcare workers to use coping strategies such as reuse of N95 and surgical masks. A total of 312 (68.87%) respondents believed that the risk of contracting COVID-19 in the work environment was high and the majority (62.69%) adopted precautionary measures at home to keep their families safe. A significantly high (n = 233, 51.43%, P = .03) number of respondents reported self-medicating. Of all the respondents, only 136 (30.02%) were tested for COVID-19 at least once, of which 32 (23.53%) ever tested positive. These findings suggest that healthcare workers in Pakistan had limited access to PPE. Adequate provision and training is vital to protect the healthcare workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic.