ABSTRACT
This study was designed to determine the epidemiological and clinical attributes of COVID-19 patients in the least developed province of Balochistan, Pakistan. The information was obtained from the daily situation report by the Health Department, Government of Balochistan, Pakistan. We investigated the reports of 4177 patients confirmed by RT-PCR tests. Demographic, epidemiological and risk factors data along with comorbidities and clinical signs were recorded. Out of 4500 suspected cases, 4177 cases were directed for the confirmation of COVID-19. A sum of 2177 patients was confirmed to have COVID-19 and 2000 individuals tested negative for the illness. Out of 4177 patients, 2000 patients recovered but 177 patients died because of COVID-19. In current statistics, most males were affected by COVID-19 as 3243 (77.69%) were males and 934 (22.36%) were females. A total of 90.81% of individuals had fever, 88.97% had a cough, 81% had body throbs, and 89.66% had a sore throat. Shortness of breath was observed in 97.06% and 44.09 % had comorbidity. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the outcome of patients was associated with gender and symptoms. The district Quetta had the maximum number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. COVID-19 cases and case casualty proportion are low in Balochistan. Whether this is because of failure to do more tests is still to be discovered. Males and individuals of older age are more impacted, and fatalities were higher in cases with co-morbid conditions. Balochistan has a feeble medical care framework and many asymptomatic cases, and needs more rigid screening activities. © 2023, Mahidol University - ASEAN Institute for Health Development. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Background: COVID-19 has had unprecedented effects in all disciplines of life, across the world. Nationwide shutdowns and uncertainty of reopening educational institutes have raised concerns about the smooth continuity of the education system. Sudden and abrupt shifts to online learning poses significant challenges for dental and medical schools everywhere. Aim: This cross-sectional study explores the challenges faces by students and faculty of Undergraduate Dentistry in clinical years. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from 6th April to 5th May 2020. Two structured questionnaires (for faculty and third, final year BDS students respectively) were designed and validated. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 21, descriptive statistics were applied and frequencies were calculated for various responses Results : Thirty-three (94.3%) faculty members and 161 (95.3%) students expressed that COVID-19 was disrupting the teaching and learning of the clinical years of dentistry, while 16 (45.7%) said clinical teaching had been disturbed more than knowledge-based teaching. According to the students and faculty members, applications like WhatsApp and Zoom were inadequate for developing clinical skills. Conclusion: Clinical teaching and learning of Dentistry have been considerably disrupted by the Corona Virus. Social media applications such as WhatsApp and Zoom are the most commonly used mode for knowledge transfer but are not adequate platforms for clinical skills needed to gain competence in clinical dentistry. The ability of teaching and accessing mandatory clinical skills using online forums is a major concern and needs to be addressed as soon as possible.