ABSTRACT
In Pakistan, the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported on 26 February 2020, having the travel history from Iran. Islamabad and Rawalpindi have also been affected by COVID-19 epidemic. On 23 March 2020, the Government of Pakistan has declared smart lockdown all over the country including Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The aim of the study was to identify the status of the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding COVID-19 among the general population of the twin cities (Islamabad and Rawalpindi) in Pakistan during the COVID-19 outbreak. A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted from 5 to 19 May 2020, the week during smart lockdown in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Demographic characteristics were compared with independent-samples t-test, one-way, or Chi-square test. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with low knowledge score. Data analyses were conducted with SPSS version 21.0. A total of 1,282 participants completed the questionnaire. Among this final sample, the average age was 30.65 years. Among the survey respondents, 680 (53%) were women, 1096 (86%) held a bachelor's degree or above, 634 (50%) were engaged with the government and private sector and 606 (47%) were married. The overall correct rate of knowledge was 70%. The majority of the respondents agreed that COVID-19 will finally be successfully controlled (59%). Most of the participants had not visited any crowded place (74%) and 95% responded that they have reduced their outdoor activities. In response to precaution measures, 86% stated that they would isolate themselves if they ever felt a fever or cough. The study findings suggest that residents of the two cities have reasonable levels of knowledge on COVID-19. However, it is necessary to launch health education and awareness campaigns to improve the knowledge and practices about COVID-19, to control its transmission. © 2022 The Author(s).
ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine experiences of mental health trainees with their online classes. Methodology: It was an online cross-sectional study carried out during month of June, 2020. The sample comprised of 231 mental health trainees of BS (n = 114) and MS (n = 117) programs of a private university of Lahore. A google doc. consisting of 15 statements was prepared to for online delivery of their classes. Result(s): 45% students responded on "to some extent to no difficulty" experience of smooth running of online lectures. On the item of overall satisfaction with delivery of online lectures, 50% students (out of 114) from BS program and 51% students (out of 117) from MS program rated on "not at all" Although satisfaction was high on the online availability of teacher for the counselling of students however, on understand lectures Only 14% students showed highest level of satisfaction. Conclusion(s): Online classes remained a big challenge for trainees and it was associated with lack of satisfaction in terms of their own learning, evaluation comprehension and health issues.Copyright © 2023, Pakistan Medical Association. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Since it first surfaced, the new Coronavirus has multiplied and mutated into different forms, leading to a significant impact on people's lives. COVID-19's long-term impact is not completely known: It can only be hypothesized based on the prior outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Avascular necrosis (AVN) is one of these consequences, which if left untreated can lead to catastrophic events and bone collapse. It's important to remember that individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 infection are still at risk of developing AVN. The pathological findings in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are very similar to those seen in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) infection. We present cases of 27- and 69-years old men with no comorbidities admitted with complaints of bilateral hip pain post Covid treatment with corticosteroids and antivirals. The diagnosis was established based on history, physical examination, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The use of corticosteroids in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection has saved many lives, and it is still advised for moderate to severe cases on a short-term basis. The long-term use of corticosteroids is associated with numerous side effects. One of the most prevalent side effects of steroids is avascular necrosis of the femoral head, which is aggravated by the disease process. Early detection of avascular necrosis is very crucial in its management due to its high progression rate. Low therapeutic doses of corticosteroids with minimal effective duration remain the key to halting its occurrence.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Spousal violence against women has emerged as a ‘Shadow Pandemic’ during these times (Covid-19).This study was designed to investigate the interplay of socio-demographic factors and economic distress with spousal violence during the lockdown in Pakistan. Methods: A web based cross-sectional study was carried out to test the assumptions. 200 participants (100 women and 100 men) were selected through snowball sampling technique. A questionnaire containing demographic information, a composite abuse scale, and financial stress scale were adapted. Data was collected through Google Forms. Results: The results of Pearson Product Moment Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive relationship among partner violence against women, financial anxiety (r=.60, p<0.001), job insecurity (r=.48, p<0.001), and preserving of financial wellbeing (r=.32, p<0.001). Hierarchal Regression analysis revealed that financial anxiety and efforts to maintain financial wellbeing to be positive predictors of partner violence against women. The results of the study revealed maintaining financial wellbeing to be a significant positive mediator between partner violence and financial anxiety;whereas, life satisfaction was found to be a non-significant mediator. Conclusion: The findings of the study conclude that financial anxiety and assuring financial wellbeing tend to increase partner violence during pandemics and beyond.
ABSTRACT
Stock market forecasting is an important research area, especially for better business decision making. Efficient stock predictions continue to be significant for business intelligence. Traditional short-term stock market forecasting is usually based on historical market data analysis such as stock prices, moving averages, or daily returns. However, major events’ news also contains significant information regarding market drivers. An effective stock market forecasting system helps investors and analysts to use supportive information regarding the future direction of the stock market. This research proposes an efficient model for stock market prediction. The current proposed study explores the positive and negative effects of coronavirus events on major stock sectors like the airline, pharmaceutical, e-commerce, technology, and hospitality. We use the Twitter dataset for calculating the coronavirus sentiment with a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model to improve stock prediction. The LSTM has the advantage of analyzing relationship between time-series data through memory functions. The performance of the system is evaluated by Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Squared Error (MSE), and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE). The results show that performance improves by using coronavirus event sentiments along with the LSTM prediction model. © 2021 Tech Science Press. All rights reserved.