ABSTRACT
Recently, a large portion of the world's population has experienced an unprecedented devastating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of its outbreak, not much was known about this disease and therefore, quarantine and social distancing were the only ways suggested to prevent its spread among humans. Although the current situation is much better than before however, strict social distancing norms as well as frequent long-lasting lockdowns with stringent guidelines and actions to control the spread in the early days have affected the physical and psychological health of the people. Consequently, this study was carried out to attain the following major objectives: (i) to identify the potential psychological problems/factors that might have been caused due to COVID-19 led social distancing and lockdowns, and (ii) to determine the ranks of the identified psychological factors to reflect their degree of criticality. The first objective was achieved by gathering information about the potential psychological factors from the experts. Data, in terms of linguistic variables, was collected from the experts and analyzed using two fuzzy-based multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods i.e. Fuzzy Best Worst Method (F-BWM) and Fuzzy TOPSIS (F-TOPSIS) which led to the accomplishment of the second objective. The results of this study revealed that anxiety, stress, panic attacks, frustration, and insomnia were the top five critical psychological factors that might have affected people due to this pandemic. Consistency of the results was ensured by comparing the obtained ranks with the ranks found using the Fuzzy WSM and Fuzzy MABAC methods. In addition, the robustness of the results was ascertained by conducting the sensitivity analysis. Based on the findings of the study, the identified factors were categorized into most, average, and least critical psychological factors. This research might help the relevant authorities to understand the extent of the seriousness of the various psychological factors caused by this pandemic, so that an effective strategy may be developed for better management, control, and safety. © 2022 The Authors
ABSTRACT
This systematic review aimed to explore the challenges and strategies for maintaining a work–life balance (WLB) between individual workers and their organizations during COVID-19 in the Pakistani context. Using the inductive approach in thematic synthesis, we analyzed eight qualitative studies on WLB from December 2019–April 2022. The Quality Appraisal process for selecting studies, constant comparison method, and critical discussion was frequently used to enhance the validity and reliability of findings. Eight analytical themes provided insight related to the challenges of maintaining WLB, strategies for facilitating, and recommended strategies for a sustainable workforce. Workload during COVID-19, lack of resources, training in technology, and mental pressure appeared as significant barriers, while family support, counseling provided by the organization, and self-motivation emerged as facilitators for WLB. Further, the findings highlighted the need for organizational interventions, for instance, emergency preparedness and capacity building of employees. Findings provided insight about guidelines for policymakers and government to make informed decisions and policies about maintaining WLB for mental well-being and a sustainable workforce, particularly women. The synthesis implied that investment in the well-being and productivity of employees could contribute to retaining a more resilient and skilled workforce, ensuring women’s workforce sustainability, and enabling lasting recovery from the pandemic. © 2022 by the authors.
ABSTRACT
Various international initiatives have been launched in 2021 to generate digital vaccination certificates to address challenges faced by travellers exposed during COVID19. While COVID19 has impacted multiple industries where alternate solutions have emerged at competing rates, airline industry in particular have been hit hard due to highly regulated protocol. Owing to its unique characteristics of transparency and decentralization, block chain technology provides an opportunity to create smart solutions for travel industry. We present a solution that describes a scaled, blockchain-based infrastructure for exchanging COVID-19 pandemic travellers’ history and vaccination status in a secure manner. The proposed approach ensures the travellers are coronavirus-free and check their COVID 19 history and vaccination status across the borders and immigration in particular. The framework employs a permission blockchain and Proof of Authority to check vaccination status on airports using the smart contract. It provides a distributed infrastructure for national and international healthcare systems, to check digital vaccination certificate and individual vaccination history and their verification by relevant stakeholders, such as airport securities, health authorities, governments, border control authorities and airlines. © 2022, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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The COVID-19 outbreak has affected dentists all over the world, including those in the Pakistan. It has had a huge impact on the practice of dental professionals as they are in direct contact with oral and nasal secretions of patients in the field. We conducted this study to find out how dental practitioners felt about the outbreak and how they believed it will affect the dental profession. To assess the impact of COVID-19 outbreak in Pakistan an exploratory cross-sectional study of dental professionals was conducted. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to consenting participants between October and December 2021 via an online data collection platform (Google forms). These questionnaires were to collect the data about the understanding and awareness about the pandemics impact on respondent’s sociodemo graphics and psychological health. The data analysis in this study was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. The study included 118 dental practitioners from the Pakistan, with an average age of 39.25 years and a majority of the participants were males. COVID 19 was determined to be well-understood by nearly 91 (77.1 %) respondents. COVID-19 was of the grave concern for more than half of the participants, 64 (54.24%), with the danger of catching the virus in the dentistry clinic being the most concerning cause of concern 64 (54.24%). It is concluded that the dental practitioners had an excellent awareness about the epidemiology, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of COVID-19.
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Background: Understanding the burden of surgical site infection (SSI) requires comprehensive, reliable and comparable data. However, many hospitals do not routinely collect information on wound healing after the patient leaves hospital. Aim: To evaluate five post-discharge surveillance strategies that collect patient/carer reported outcomes on wound healing following adult and paediatric surgery. Method: Between March 2020 and February 2021, colleagues from five specialist hospitals in England collaborated to collect baseline and compliance data for the different methods of postdischarge surveillance. The five methods included were telephone follow-up;postal questionnaires;postal questionnaires and contacting non-responders by telephone to asking patients to install a postoperative app on their personal smartphone (Medopad, Huma) and using a SSI surveillance text link, which did not need to be installed (Isla, Islacare Ltd). Results: Overall, 1432 patients out of 2116 patients provided information about their wound after discharge. The group of patients who were asked to install an app on their smart device had the lowest return rate for information on their wound, while the system that used a text link and did not need to be installed had one of the highest return rates. Conclusion: Understanding baseline practice and evaluating different methods of discharge surveillance may help to drive improvement in this area. Our early findings suggest that in practice, a SSI surveillance approach using a text link and photos, such as Isla, which is used in hospital before discharge by staff and post-discharge by patients warrants further attention.
ABSTRACT
IntroductionIt is a digital era and people always turn on television to gain knowledge of what’s happening around, same is the case with COVID-19 breakout. Whole world relied on media to understand the scenario, as media has always played substantial role in providing information regarding precaution and treatment of the disease.ObjectivesTo assess influence of media surveillance function on society during COVID-19 breakout.MethodsParticipants included in the study are 11 and above who can utilize abstract thinking as per Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. Questionnaire used in the study was Media surveillance questionnaire, it was previously used in the study done during Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) spread in Nigeria. In current study the questionnaire was used by replacing disease name i.e. EVD to COVID-19. Questionnaire was distributed online on social media groups.ResultsAccording to data analysis majority agrees that major source of COVID-19 news is television and Radio, messages on media help in avoiding sick people, media provides helpful information regarding disease prevention and control and messages on media needs more clear directions.ConclusionsMedia played positive role during COVID-19 breakout and it also spread awareness about the myths, false home remedies and precautionary measures. Media also informed society about the health emergencies in case if anyone is infected with the virus. Still media messages need more clarity and direction as people rely more on media than social media. It is media’s responsibility to provide accurate information and more clear messages after inquiring matter properly especially when it’s about human lifeDisclosureNo significant relationships.
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INTRODUCTION: Increasing functional residual capacity with positive pressure improves ventilation perfusion mismatch and relieves hypoxemia. However, most noninvasive interfaces must be tightly applied for prolonged periods and may lead to facial decubiti and delirium. High flow O2 systems with wide bore nasal cannulas are not widely available in resource-limited settings. We hypothesized that applying CPAP through a high flow nasal cannula (improvised nasal CPAP or iCPAP) may provide sufficient alveolar recruitment and greater patient comfort. The objective of this study was to describe the use of a respiratory support strategy using iCPAP in COVID-19 respiratory failure. METHODS: In a prospective, observational design, hemodynamically stable, non-hypercapnic patients, admitted with COVID-19 hypoxic respiratory failure and on iCPAP, were included. For iCPAP ResMed LumisTM 150 VPAP ST-A was used with Respicare High-flow nasal cannula. iCPAP failure was characterized as advancement to conventional BiPAP or endotracheal intubation. Data on ROX index, iCPAP failure, organ failure, survival to discharge was collected. RESULTS: 113 patients were admitted;improvised CPAP (iCPAP) was applied in 45 (49%), 6 (13%) alternated between bilevel positive pressure and iCPAP. Mean APACHE II score was 19.3 ±4.7, 37 (82%) were male, mean age was 52±12.9 years. Systemic steroids were given to 45 (100%), 41 (91%) patients underwent awake proning, 8 (18%) and 7 (16%) were given concurrent tocilizumab and convalescent plasma. Mean PaO2/FiO2 ratio at admission was 129 ±63 (range 43,380). Mean CPAP applied was 12 ±2.7 cmH20. For patients receiving concurrent BiPAP, mean IPAP was 15 ±3.7 cmH20, EPAP 11 ±4 cmH20 were applied. Mean ROX index 2 hours after iCPAP application was 10.9 ±5.5. iCPAP failure occurred in 3 (6.6%) patients;1 required intubation and invasive ventilation and 2 were advanced to only BiPAP support. 39 (87%) patients were discharged alive from the ICU;2 (4.4%) developed acute kidney injury, 5 (11%) had deranged liver function tests. One patient (2%) had a cerebrovascular event. 1 patient (2%) had a cardiac arrest. CONCLUSIONS: iCPAP application in carefully selected patients and with intensive care monitoring, may represent a valid form of respiratory support in COVID-19 hypoxic respiratory failure.
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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has strained health care systems and personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies globally. We hypothesized that a collaborative robot system could perform health care worker effector tasks inside a simulated intensive care unit (ICU) patient room, which could theoretically reduce both PPE use and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exposures. We planned a prospective proof-of-concept feasibility and design pilot study to test 5 discrete medical tasks in a simulated ICU room of a COVID-19 patient using a collaborative robot: push a button on intravenous pole machine when alert occurs for downstream occlusion, adjust ventilator knob, push button on ICU monitor to silence false alerts, increase oxygen flow on wall-mounted flow meter to allow the patient to walk to the bathroom and back (dial-up and dial-down oxygen flow), and push wall-mounted nurse call button. Feasibility was defined as task completion robotically. A training period of 45 minutes to 1 hour was needed to program the system de novo for each task. In less than 30 days, the team completed 5 simple effector task experiments robotically. Selected collaborative robotic effector tasks appear feasible in a simulated ICU room of the COVID-19 patient. Theoretically, this robotic approach could reduce PPE use and staff SARS-CoV-2 exposure. It requires future validation and health care worker learning similar to other ICU device training.