ABSTRACT
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to obtain a deep understanding of experiences of stigma among people infected with COVID-19 in South Korea. Methods: Data were collected through in-depth interviews from March 2021 to November 2021 with nine people who had been infected with COVID-19. The data were analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method. Results: Six theme clusters emerged from participants' stigma experiences: “I've become the coronavirus itself”, “a desperate defense to protect myself”, “pointing a finger at oneself”, “a scapegoat for the public interest”, “the aftereffects caused by social prejudice” and “an isolated loner”. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that people infected with COVID-19 suffered considerable emotional distress and were hindered in their daily life recovery due to stigma. Based on this study, medical staff who treat patients infected with COVID-19 should understand their stigma in depth and strive to develop and implement the necessary instruments and nursing intervention programs to reduce this stigma. © 2022 Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing.
ABSTRACT
By analyzing cases in South Korea, this study examined high school physics teachers’ online teaching practices during the first semester of school lockdown due to COVID-19. A total of eight physics teachers participated in this study. Data sources included observations of online classes, interviews with the teachers, and lesson materials. Data analysis was informed by social practice theory and literature on online learning. As a result, teachers’ practices were distinguished based on teaching emphases including content explanation, participatory learning, and independent first-hand experience. Through the application of various technological tools, teaching practices varied in terms of the degree of interactions and student self-directedness. Three essential practices of physics teaching, defined as those preserved from on-site teaching, were identified. Those features reflected the nature of schooling and the subject matter. The teachers were found to have professional development opportunities through online teaching experiences. Implications for professional development and further research topics are suggested. © Kang and Seo, 2021
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients have unusually high requirements for analgesics and sedatives compared to non-COVID 19 patients, and the need for higher dosages coupled with prolonged infusions can contribute to critical drug shortages. In an attempt to preserve the limited supply of the injectable formulations at our institution, use of enteral opioids and benzodiazepines was implemented. Research Question or Hypothesis: To evaluate potential differences in clinical effect and analgesic/sedative usage between two groups of mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients based on route of administration: IV+enteral versus IV alone. Study Design: Retrospective cohort study Methods: This IRB-approved study evaluated ventilation time and fentanyl or midazolam usage when used concurrently with enteral hydromorphone and lorazepam. Inclusion criteria: 18-89 years old patients admitted to ICU with positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR or antigen test and respiratory failure requiring invasive mechanical ventilation for >72 hours. Exclusion criteria: pregnancy or breast-feeding, and chronic opioid or benzodiazepine use within 30 days prior to admission. Data were collected in Microsoft Excel for initial analyses with subsequent inferential testing (Student's t-tests) performed using STATA® 13.1, College Station, TX. Significance for all testing was defined as alpha less than 0.05. Results: One hundred patients were evaluated, 55 in IV+enteral group and 45 in IV only group. There was no significant difference in ventilation time between two groups (20.7±13 vs. 16.5±12 days, p=0.1068). However, there was a statistically significant increase in fentanyl (1869.2±850.5 vs. 2281.6±853.4, p=0.0002) and midazolam (126±76.7 vs. 148.9±77.2, p=0.0061) requirements on day 3 in IV alone group and increase in fentanyl requirements when compared to IV+enteral group (33±842 vs.-412.4±673.6, p= 0.0050). Conclusion: Duration of mechanical ventilation in patients with COVID-19 is not reduced with combined IV+enteral compared to IV only analgesics/sedatives, but the combination may reduce IV analgesic requirements ameliorating the impact of IV shortages.
ABSTRACT
With the prolonged COVID-19 situation, wearing a face mask has become daily routine and we studied facial skin changes caused by wearing a mask for preparing possibilities on changing skin. We analyzed the skin characteristics that changed for about three months from mid-June to mid-September, and compared to skin changes caused by wearing a mask during the day. Measured areas were divided into two groups. Cheeks, perioral area and chin were mask-wearing area and forehead was non-mask-wearing area. Skin temperature, redness, hydration, keratin, elasticity, pore, color and trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) were measured. Skin changes caused by long-term wearing of mask were shown in TEWL, skin hydration and keratin. Compared to June, TEWL was increased significantly on the cheeks, perioral area and chin. There was significant difference in TEWL increase in the cheeks and perioral area compared to the forehead. Also, skin hydration was significantly decreased on the cheeks. Skin hydration of perioral area was also decrease. There was significant difference in skin hydration decrease in the cheeks compared to the forehead. Compared to June, skin keratin was significantly increased on the cheeks. Skin keratin of perioral area was also increase on the perioral area and chin. There was significant difference in skin keratin increase in the cheeks and chin compared to the forehead. In previous studies, skin characteristics that were quickly affected by wearing a mask were skin temperature and redness. On the other hand, TEWL, skin hydration and keratin were more affected by wearing a mask for a long time so there was difference short-term and long-term effect of mask in changed skin characteristics. In this study, we identified the effect of long-term wearing a mask on the face skin. This result is meaningful in that we studied the effect of wearing a mask in daily life for ordinary people, not those who wear mask in the occupational environment.