Exploring COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Amongst Black Americans: Contributing Factors and Motivators.

PURPOSE: To determine reasons for hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination and motivators to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Black Americans. DESIGN: Mixed-methods. SETTING: Individual interviews in March-April 2021. PARTICIPANTS: Black adults (20-79 years) who attended a church in Boston, MA and identified as "vaccine hesitant" (n = 18). METHODS: Individual in-depth Zoom interviews to elicit participant views on vaccines in general, specific reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, and trusted sources of information. Participants were also asked about possible motivators that could increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake. Transcripts were de-identified and analyzed for major themes using an inductive approach. RESULTS: Analysis included 18 complete interviews. Lack of trust in the government, healthcare, or pharmaceutical companies (n = 18), rushed development (n = 14), fear of side effects (n = 12), history of medical mistreatment (n = 12), and a perception of low risk of disease (n = 9) were the top-cited reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Motivators likely to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake included more data (n = 17), friends and family getting vaccinated (not celebrities) (n = 11), and increased opportunities that come along with being vaccinated (n = 8). CONCLUSION: There were many reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, as reported by participants who were all Black Americans in the Boston area. The public health challenge of increasing vaccine uptake in the Black community is nuanced and intervention efforts may be more successful if delivered by trusted members of the community and tailored to the needs of individuals.

The impact of a global pandemic on education

In this qualitative research study, the researchers examined the impact of a global pandemic on education. The research focused on internal and external pressures placed on educators, the impact on their well-being, common practices in regard to educator self-care, and educators' perceptions of their own resilience. Furthermore, educator perceptions of the emotional and academic impact of a global pandemic on students in conjunction with an evaluation of instructional content and its delivery are presented, along with educators' perceptions in regard to supporting the needs of students and families during a global pandemic. At the conclusion of the study, researchers determined a global pandemic does impact education. The results of this study are meaningful for districts, schools, and educators to provide effective strategies for possible future pandemics in a variety of areas. For the study, researchers utilized a questionnaire, which included Likert-scale data, and conducted individual interviews via Zoom. All participants of the study were alumni of the CAM University College of Education located in Middle Tennessee. CAM is a pseudonym to persevere the anonymity of the university being studied. Qualitative data were coded by the researchers and results were reported as a narrative organized by themes. The findings reveal the different ways educators perceived the impact of a global pandemic in regard to their well-being, self-care, and resilience. Moreover, the findings show how educators perceived the impact of a global pandemic on their instruction and delivery of instruction, the emotional and academic impacts on students, and how supports were provided for students and families. Researchers provided recommendations, which included create a state-wide re-opening plan for schools to provide guidance during a pandemic, provide devices and hotspots for students, establish attendance policies, conduct home visits, provide educators with professional learning related to online instruction and social and emotional strategies, focus on building resilience and creating networks of support for educators, and providing counseling and therapy for educators. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Delivering online alternatives to the anatomy laboratory: Early experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Social distancing measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic will make anatomy dissecting room practicals difficult, if not impossible to run at some institutions in the upcoming academic year. The learning community that exists within physical anatomy practicals needs to be moved online. Virtual replacement of visuo-spatial and social elements of learning anatomy pose particular challenges to educators. Our department has trialed Blackboard Collaborate, an online communication platform in conjunction with Visible Body, a 3D anatomical modeling program. We have delivered 266 hr of synchronous small group teaching to medical and physician associate students. We describe this approach and discuss the relevance of distance learning pedagogy to the design of new online anatomy teaching and development of online learning communities.

Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Elderly With Dementia During COVID-19 Pandemic: Definition, Treatment, and Future Directions.

BACKGROUND: Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) of dementia, such as anxiety, depression, agitation, and apathy, are complex, stressful, and costly aspects of care, and are associated to poor health outcomes and caregiver burden. A steep worsening of such symptoms has been reported during Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, their causes, their impact on everyday life, and treatment strategies have not been systematically assessed. Therefore, the aim of this review is to provide a detailed description of behavioral and psychopathological alterations in subjects with dementia during COVID-19 pandemic and the associated management challenges. METHODS: A PubMed search was performed focusing on studies reporting alterations in behavior and mood and treatment strategies for elderly patients with dementia, in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. The following search strategy was utilized: (COVID* OR coronavirus OR "corona vir*" OR SARS-CoV-2) AND (dementia OR demented OR dement* OR alzheimer* OR "pick's disease" OR "lewy body" OR "mild cognitive" OR mild cognitive impairment OR MCI). RESULTS: Apathy, anxiety and agitation are the most frequently NPS during the COVID-19 pandemic and are mainly triggered by protracted isolation. Most treatment strategies rely on pharmacotherapy; technology is increasingly utilized with mixed results. CONCLUSIONS: NPS of dementia during COVID-19 appear to arise from social restrictions occurring as a consequence of the pandemic. Implementation of caregiver support and the presence of skilled nursing home staff are required to restore social interaction and adjust technological support to the patients' needs.