ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted pediatric cardiac services across the globe. Limited data are available on the impact of COVID.19 on pediatric cardiac care in India. AIMS: The aims are to study the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the care of children with heart disease in India in terms of number of outpatient visits, hospitalizations, catheter-based interventions, and cardiac surgeries. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This is a retrospective, multicentric, observational study. METHODS: We collected monthly data on the number and characteristics of outpatient visits, hospitalizations, catheter-based interventions, and cardiac surgeries and major hospital statistics, over a period of 5 months (April to August 2020), which coincided with the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in India and compared it with data from the corresponding months in 2019. RESULTS: The outpatient visits across the 24 participating pediatric cardiac centers decreased by 74.5% in 2020 (n = 13,878) as compared to the corresponding period in 2019 (n = 54,213). The reduction in the number of hospitalizations, cardiac surgeries, and catheterization procedures was 66.8%, 73.0%, and 74.3%, respectively. The reduction in hospitalization was relatively less pronounced among neonates as compared to infants/children (47.6% vs. 70.1% reduction) and for emergency surgeries as compared to elective indications (27.8% vs. 79.2%). The overall in-hospital mortality was higher in 2020 (8.1%) as compared to 2019 (4.8%), with a higher postoperative mortality (9.1% vs. 4.3%). CONCLUSIONS: The current COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the delivery of pediatric cardiac care across India with two-third reduction in hospitalizations and cardiac surgeries. In an already resource-constrained environment, the impact of such a massive reduction in the number of surgeries could be significant over the coming years. These findings may prove useful in formulating strategy to manage subsequent waves of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
ABSTRACT
In this paper, students, and teachers' attitudes towards shifting to an entirely online learning environment were assessed due to COVID-19. The main objective of the study was to investigate the students' and teachers' attitudes towards Online learning during the COVID-19 situation in Bangladeshi Government Colleges. Findings revealed that cost and time-effectiveness, safety, convenience, and improved participation were the most frequently cited positive aspects of the online learning experience, while distraction and reduced focus, heavy workload, problems with technology and the internet, lack of ICT knowledge, and poor network infrastructure, limited availability of educational resources, low attendance of learners, uncooperative learners and insufficient support from instructors and colleagues were the most recurrent negative aspects. The qualitative and quantitative research method was adopted, with semi-structured interviews conducted via Zoom with 10 College teachers and Focus group discussion conducted via Zoom with 18 and survey 100 college students via Google platform from three Bangladesh renowned Government College from Hons 1st year to masters' level located in Rajshahi divisional district town of the country. A sample of these essays was analyzed using open coding. The findings of the study help instructors and institutions understand students' and Teachers' attitudes regarding online teaching & learning under abnormal circumstances. Several recommendations informed by the interpretation of the participants' feedback are offered to assist instructors, administrators, and policymakers improve future online learning experiences. After conducting the whole study, it can be said that though have some problems adapting to online classes in three regarding BGCs colleges affiliated to the National University of Bangladesh, they are slowly becoming accustomed to it.