ABSTRACT
Aim: To evaluate the knowledge and attitude of dentists toward geriatric dental care during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Materials and methods: An online questionnaire survey was conducted among a self-selected sample of dentists from different parts of India. The first part of the questionnaire comprised 12 items that collected information regarding knowledge, and the second part comprised 14 items that assessed the attitude of participants toward geriatric dental care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Evaluating knowledge–65% of participants were aware of guidelines by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) for dentists that should be practiced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 93.6% were aware of post-COVID complications present in older adults after recovering from the acute phase of the disease. Evaluating attitude: A total of 69.8% of them found it difficult to deliver dental care to geriatric patients after following all the COVID-19 practice guidelines, and 97.1% of participants were willing to treat a post-COVID older adult in the dental clinic. Conclusion: A total of 69.8% of them found it difficult to deliver dental care to geriatric patients after following all the COVID-19 practice guidelines. Around 31.4% of dentists were not aware of the precautions to be taken to treat older adults with post-COVID complications. Hence there is a need for further studies on post-COVID complications and guidelines for treating the elderly during the pandemic. Clinical significance: As a consequence of newly emerged barriers and post-COVID complications, much poorer oral health outcomes might occur among geriatric patients in the near future. Hence it is important to understand the knowledge and attitude of dentists towards geriatric dental care in order to equip the already small workforce interested in geriatric oral health care. © The Author(s). 2023.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The world is currently experiencing the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) [COVID-19], however, this is not a new phenomenon;it occurred in 2009-2010 in the form of novel influenza A. (H1N1). The H1N1 virus primarily afflicted people between the ages of 26 and 50, but SARS-CoV-2 primarily afflicted those over the age of 60, increasing the number of deaths owing to their weakened immunity. The report provides a case study of the impact of H1N1 and SARS-CoV-2 in India. Methods: Data is obtained from The Hindustan Times newspaper, GoI press releases and World Health Organization (WHO) reports. Results: The incidence rate was initially low and it was only by the 10-15th week that it started increasing. There is an initial upward trend before levelling out followed by a second wave and third wave. COVID-19 exhibited a steeper growth, where the steps taken by the Government were ineffective leading to higher death cases. Kerala was affected due to the travellers returning from the Middle East, while Maharashtra and Delhi saw large incidence rates due to the migrant influx and communal gathering. Conclusion: The most effective and practical approach is to test the symptomatic patients and aggressive testing to contain the transmission. Awareness campaigns to educate the public about social distancing and personal hygiene is more practical. There is still scope of improvement with regards to the public health care support, preparedness and response. Lockdown measures could have been avoided if the initial screening was conducted properly. © 2022 UPM Press. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Older people with dementia in long-term care constitute a complex population. It is important to establish at an early stage after admission the reasons for the placement and gain a good understanding of the background problems and agree a comprehensive care plan which should pay particular attention to management of infections, attitudes to hospitalisation, and palliative care. We discuss the pertinent clinical issues along with the importance of vaccination. The emergence of telemedicine is important. No chapter on long-term care of people with dementia is complete without consideration of the effects and legacy of COVID-19. Finally, a case history illustrating some common issues, and how they might be addressed, is included. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Indirect effects associated with forced or voluntary changes in behaviors due to COVID-19 are largely unknown. Fear of COVID-19 infection may cause patients to avoid medical care for other conditions, and government directives have forced major lifestyle disruptions. The purpose of this study was to analyze deaths at home (DaH) relative to gender, age, ethnicity, location, and cause of death to understand the indirect effects of COVID-19 on mortality rates in Nevada. DaH increased 25% in Nevada during April 2020 (27.9;95% confidence interval: 26.3, 29.5 deaths per 100,000) compared to mean DaH during April the previous four years (22.3 mean deaths per 100,000). The increase was driven by males, people aged 65-74, and residents of the Las Vegas area. There was no trend related to ethnicity. Causes of death that increased in 2020 were diabetes mellitus (109%), nutritional deficiencies (860%), non-transport accidents (50%), and as-yet unknown causes (863%).
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 has caused an unprecedented crisis globally. In response, concern about the impact of stay-at-home orders on domestic violence have led to a consensus expecting a substantial increase in domestic violence. The purpose of this study is to compare the amount of domestic violence calls made to southern Nevada police departments during April and May of the COVID-19 pandemic to the amount of calls received in the same months of the two previous years. The data compares documented calls to three separate police departments--Las Vegas Metropolitan, North Las Vegas and Henderson--in Clark County in both April and May in 2018, 2019 and 2020. The calls collected in this study are based on specific call codes used by police departments to document calls relating to domestic violence, including domestic battery and family disturbance. The results will be beneficial to better understanding the effects of crises on domestic violence and can inform policy regarding the response of law enforcement, healthcare professionals and others.