Pandemic-induced deathscapes: end-of-life, funerary and bereavement challenges for British-Bangladeshi Muslims

Following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK, end-of-life rituals and funerals across groups of all faiths and none took on a new character due to government-imposed measures to control disease transmission. This article aims to explore the challenges faced by British-Bangladeshi Muslims in relation to performing end-of-life, funeral, and mourning rituals during the first pandemic wave, underpinned by the perception of a ‘good death'. This group was among those disproportionately affected by Covid-19-related mortality and morbidity. Contextualising the study within a review of the literature on deathscapes and shifting policy responses to multicultural populations in the UK, and using an in-depth qualitative research approach, the article highlights the ways in which pre-existing challenges facing individuals seeking Islamic end-of-life, funeral and bereavement rituals have been exacerbated by Covid-19. The article offers new empirical and conceptual insights into the spatio-temporal dimension of end-of-life and funerary practices performed by British-Bangladeshi Muslims to achieve a good death and the changing nature of embodied and virtual deathscapes triggered by the pandemic.

Post-traumatic stress disorders and coping strategies of health professionals during COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: findings of a countrywide cross-sectional study.

Background: COVID-19 pandemic imposed a devastating effect on the psychological health of health professionals as they worked nonstop to withstand the hardship of the pandemic. The present study intended to determine the post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) and coping strategies among health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. Methods: This country-wide cross-sectional study was conducted from July to December 2021 among 1394 health professionals (596 physicians, 713 nurses, 85 medical technologists) who served COVID-19 patients at the secondary, tertiary, and specialized government healthcare facilities in Bangladesh and completed at least one month after exposure to COVID-19 patient-care. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed by SPSS software. All the ethical issues were maintained strictly. Findings: Most of the participants, 877 (62.9%) [95% CI: 60.3-65.5], were female, and 327 (23.5%) [95% CI: 21.3-25.8] developed PTSD. Females (AOR:1.42 [95% CI: 1.083-1.868] p = 0.011), having an elderly family member (AOR:1.515 [95% CI: 1.173-1.956] p = 0.0014), working in specialized hospitals (AOR:2.685 [95% CI: 1.928-3.739] p < 0.001), and working ≥8 hours/day (AOR:1.897 [95% CI: 1.350-2.666] p = 0.0002) had higher odds of developing PTSD. Most of the participants adopted spiritual approaches 96 (29.4%) [24.5-34.6] and distraction by watching TV/YouTube 59 (18.0%) [14.0-22.6] as coping strategies. Interpretation: The study findings would be helpful for health policymakers and managers to develop comprehensive measures for restoring the mental well-being of health professionals by alleviating PTSD induced by a pandemic like COVID-19. Funding: The study got funding from the Directorate General of Medical Education under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Bangladesh.

Pandemic-induced deathscapes: end-of-life, funerary and bereavement challenges for British-Bangladeshi Muslims

Following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK, end-of-life rituals and funerals across groups of all faiths and none took on a new character due to government-imposed measures to control disease transmission. This article aims to explore the challenges faced by British-Bangladeshi Muslims in relation to performing end-of-life, funeral, and mourning rituals during the first pandemic wave, underpinned by the perception of a ‘good death’. This group was among those disproportionately affected by Covid-19-related mortality and morbidity. Contextualising the study within a review of the literature on deathscapes and shifting policy responses to multicultural populations in the UK, and using an in-depth qualitative research approach, the article highlights the ways in which pre-existing challenges facing individuals seeking Islamic end-of-life, funeral and bereavement rituals have been exacerbated by Covid-19. The article offers new empirical and conceptual insights into the spatio-temporal dimension of end-of-life and funerary practices performed by British-Bangladeshi Muslims to achieve a good death and the changing nature of embodied and virtual deathscapes triggered by the pandemic. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR] Résumé À la suite de l’apparition de la pandémie de Covid-19 au Royaume-Uni, les rituels de fin de vie et de funérailles, pour quiconque appartenant ou non à une religion, ont pris un nouvel aspect à cause des mesures imposées par le gouvernement pour contrôler la transmission du virus. Cet article vise à étudier les problèmes que les musulmans bangladais britanniques ont rencontrés face à l’accomplissement de rituels de fin de vie, de funérailles et de deuil, tous reposant sur la perception d’une « bonne mort », pendant la première vague de pandémie. Leur groupe était parmi ceux les plus excessivement touchés par la mortalité et la morbidité liées à la pandémie de Covid-19. En conceptualisant cette étude dans une analyse des études sur les espaces de mort et l’évolution des réponses politiques face aux populations multiculturelles du Royaume-Uni, et en utilisant une approche de recherche qualitative approfondie, l’article souligne les différentes façons par lesquelles les obstacles habituels auxquels les personnes recherchant des rites musulmans de fin de vie, de funérailles et de deuil devaient déjà faire face ont été exacerbés par la pandémie. Il offre de nouvelles perspectives empiriques et conceptuelles sur la dimension spatio-temporelle des pratiques de fin de vie et de funérailles que perpétuent les musulmans bangladais britanniques pour réaliser une bonne fin et la nature changeante des espaces de mort concrets et virtuels déclenchés par la pandémie. (Spanish) [ FROM AUTHOR] Resumen Tras el inicio de la pandemia del Covid-19 en el Reino Unido, los rituales del fin de la vida y funerales en grupos de todas las religiones y ninguna adquirieron un nuevo carácter debido a las medidas impuestas por el gobierno para controlar la transmisión de enfermedades. Este artículo tiene como objetivo explorar los desafíos que enfrentan los musulmanes británico-bangladesíes en relación con la realización de rituales del fin de vida, funerales y duelo durante la primera ola pandémica, fundamentados por la percepción de una ‘buena muerte’. Este grupo ese encontró entre aquellos que fueron desproporcionadamente afectados por la mortalidad y la morbilidad relacionadas con el COVID-19. Contextualizando el estudio dentro de una revisión de la literatura sobre paisajes de muerte y cambiando las respuestas de política pública a las poblaciones multiculturales en el Reino Unido, y utilizando un enfoque de investigación cualitativa a profundidad, el artículo destaca las formas en que los desafíos preexistentes que enfrentan las personas que buscan rituales islámicos para el fin de la vida, funerales y el duelo se han visto exacerbados por el Covid-19. El artículo ofrece nuevos conocimientos empíricos y conceptuales sobre la dimensión espaciotemporal de las prácticas funerarias y del final de la vida realizadas por musulmanes británicos-bangladesíes para lograr una buena muerte y la naturaleza cambiante de los paisajes de muerte encarnados y virtuales desencadenados por la pandemia. (French) [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Social & Cultural Geography is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Assessment of the role of zinc in the prevention of COVID-19 infections and mortality: A retrospective study in the Asian and European population.

Several studies have demonstrated an association between individual zinc status and viral respiratory infections; however, evidence regarding COVID-19 is still missing or insufficient. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between the prevalence of zinc deficiency and COVID-19 cases and deaths per million population in the Asian and European countries. The COVID-19 data from two different time points, that is, May 30 and June 30, 2020 for the Asian population and May 15 and June 15, 2020 for the European population, were analyzed to determine the correlation with the estimated zinc deficiency for these two continents. The prevalence of zinc deficiency was about two times higher in the Asian population (mean 17.5%) than in the European population (mean 8.9%). A significant positive correlation (p < .05) was observed between the prevalence of zinc deficiency and COVID-19 cases at both time periods for the Asian population. However, the correlation between zinc deficiency prevalence and COVID-19 deaths was not significant in the Asian population. In contrast, a significant but negative correlation (p < .05 for all cases) was observed for zinc deficiency with both COVID-19 cases and deaths per million population at both time periods in the European countries. Considering the direct antiviral properties of zinc, it can be suggested that zinc supplementation may be beneficial for most of the population, especially older people and those who are at risk of COVID-19 infections. In conclusion, there is not enough evidence on the association between individual zinc status and COVID-19 infections and mortality. Therefore, cohort studies and randomized controlled trials are required to test this hypothesis.

Exposure to air pollution and COVID-19 severity: A review of current insights, management, and challenges.

Several epidemiological studies have suggested a link between air pollution and respiratory tract infections. The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses a great threat to public health worldwide. However, some parts of the globe have been worse affected in terms of prevalence and deaths than others. The causes and conditions of such variations have yet to be explored. Although some studies indicated a possible correlation between air pollution and COVID-19 severity, there is yet insufficient data for a meaningful answer. This review summarizes the impact of air pollution on COVID-19 infections and severity and discusses the possible management strategies and challenges involved. The available literature investigating the correlation between air pollution and COVID-19 infections and mortality are included in the review. The studies reviewed here suggest that exposure to air pollution, particularly to PM2.5 and NO2 , is positively correlated with COVID-19 infections and mortality. Some data indicate that air pollution can play an important role in the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2. A high percentage of COVID-19 incidences has been reported in the most polluted areas, where patients needed hospital admission. The available data also show that both short-term and long-term air pollution may enhance COVID-19 severity. However, most of the studies that showed a link between air pollution and COVID-19 infections and mortality did not consider potential confounders during the correlation analysis. Therefore, more specific studies need to be performed focusing on some additional confounders such as individual age, population density, and pre-existing comorbidities to determine the impact of air pollution on COVID-19 infections and deaths. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:1114-1122. © 2021 SETAC.

The Effects of Air Pollution on COVID-19 Infection and Mortality-A Review on Recent Evidence.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has created a serious public health concern worldwide. Although, most of the regions around the globe have been affected by COVID-19 infections; some regions are more badly affected in terms of infections and fatality rates than others. The exact reasons for such variations are not clear yet. This review discussed the possible effects of air pollution on COVID-19 infections and mortality based on some recent evidence. The findings of most studies reviewed here demonstrate that both short-term and long-term exposure to air pollution especially PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) may contribute significantly to higher rates of COVID-19 infections and mortalities with a lesser extent also PM10. A significant correlation has been found between air pollution and COVID-19 infections and mortality in some countries in the world. The available data also indicate that exposure to air pollution may influence COVID-19 transmission. Moreover, exposure to air pollution may increase vulnerability and have harmful effects on the prognosis of patients affected by COVID-19 infections. Further research should be conducted considering some potential confounders such as age and pre-existing medical conditions along with exposure to NO2, PM2.5 and other air pollutants to confirm their detrimental effects on mortalities from COVID-19.