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The aim of this research paper is to investigate the adoption of digital branding among specialty eatery start-ups in a post-pandemic environment. The study analyses the relevance of digital branding's advantages and drawbacks, and examines the intention of specialty eateries to adopt digital branding. Additionally, the research investigates the mediating influence of digital support and awareness on the adoption of digital branding. A detailed Google-form-based survey was conducted on 231 small cafés and restaurants in Maharashtra's major cities that opened after COVID-19 (Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, and Thane) to collect primary data. The data was analysed using the AMOS (Analysis of Moment Structures) program. The study concludes that digital branding plays a crucial role as an independent branding strategy and enhances the performance of specialty eatery start-ups in the post-pandemic era. Furthermore, the study highlights the significant mediating effect of digital support and awareness on the adoption intention of digital branding. This research is the first of its kind to examine the intention of startups in the specialty eatery industry to use digital branding to reach their intended audience. The study utilizes a quantitative approach, contributing to the respective research area that has been predominantly qualitative in previous studies regarding digital branding adoption. The findings of this research provide valuable insights for specialty eatery start-ups and other related businesses to enhance their digital branding strategies. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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Background: COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the newly discovered coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2). Efforts are being taken to control the spread of this disease, of which the development of vaccine against COVID-19 is a major landmark. However, doubts on the efficacy of the vaccine do exist among the population. Aim: The aim of this study was to know the reasons for, perceptions of, and knowledge about the COVID-19 vaccination among dental undergraduate students. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted using an online survey and distributed among undergraduate dental students throughout India. An online validated and piloted questionnaire was sent to dental colleges throughout India using the Google Forms platform. The responses were downloaded in MS Excel 2019. Descriptive analysis (SPSS IBM, USA version 25) was used. Results: The response rate of the study was 32%. Preventing the spread of COVID-19 infection was the primary reason for getting vaccinated and nonavailability of long-term safety data was the main reason for not getting vaccinated. Majority of the students agree that wearing masks, frequent handwashing, hand sanitation, and social distancing postvaccination are necessary. Conclusion: The study points to a rational wait-and-watch strategy adopted by majority of vaccine-hesitant dental students, though the flaws in reasons for getting vaccinated were observed in the present study. These flaws point to the need for a genuine, consolidated, up-to-date, unified easily available, and succinct source of information on all aspects of the present COVID-19 pandemic.
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The mental health of children and adolescents has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and recent data suggests there had been an upsurge of psychiatric morbidity in this subgroup of population. Nonpharmacological behavioral intervention in the form of play therapy has been regarded as one of the best treatment strategies in children with emotional disorders. During lockdown, we attempted a play therapy via telemedicine. In this case report, we describe the case of a four-year-old girl who had sudden-onset behavioral problems following an unplanned hair cut during the lockdown, which was managed with teleplay therapy. Copyright © 2022, Matrix Medical Communications. All rights reserved.
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COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as a major problem for the health-care workers (HCWs). Many HCWs are facing adverse psychological outcomes, during the COVID pandemic. HCWs are not only expected to carry out duties in COVID areas but are also expected to stay in isolation during the period of quarantine. Various models have been proposed to address the psychological issues in HCWs using telepsychiatry. However, there are no clear-cut guidelines, for managing people with suicidal behavior. In this report we present a HCW, diagnosed with recurrent depressive disorder, current episode severe depression without psychotic symptoms, who attempted self-harm and was shortly diagnosed with COVID-19 infection leading her to getting admitted in the COVID-19 ward. She was managed with supportive psychotherapy during her COVID ward stay through telepsychiatry. We discuss the challenges faced and how these were handled.
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In this work, an Adaptive-Network-based Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) control is designed and optimized with the Genetic Algorithm (GA) to control the COVID-19 described by the SEIAR (Susceptible - Exposed - Infected - Asymptomatic - Recovered) epidemic model. This work aims to reduce the number of infected and susceptible people by isolation and vaccination, respectively. In this regard, the ANFIS-based controller is designed. The GA is employed to generate an optimal data set by minimizing the appropriate objective function to train the ANFIS algorithm. The obtained results are evaluated via simulation in MATLAB (R) software to show the capability of the controller in overcoming the outbreak.
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In this paper, a new switched SEIAR-Vac-Iso (Susceptible, Exposed, Infected, Asymptomatic, Recovered, Vaccinated, Isolated) epidemic model is introduced and investigated with application to COVID-19 for the first time. Two theorems concerning the positivity and boundedness of the solutions are proved. Then, the basic reproduction number (R-0) and the equilibrium points of the new model are calculated. The stability of the switched system is also investigated by developing a Lyapunov function and using the switching invariance principle, then the stability conditions of the systems are obtained. Numerical simulations are presented to verify the accuracy of theoretical results.
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Covid-19 infection, which emerged in late 2019, spread across the world rapidly and was declared as a pandemic on 24th March 2020 by the World Health Organization. Besides other implications, Covid-19 pandemic led to significant mental health issues in the general public, those infected with the virus and the health care workers. Over the period of 15-16 months, a significant amount of literature has emerged on the mental health issues in the context of Covid-19 pandemic. This paper aims to evaluate the research trends in mental health related to Covid-19 infection by using the bibliometric analysis. Using the Scopus database, as on 21st of March 2021, 15,223 records focusing on "Covid-19 and Mental Health" were identified. The research on this theme averaged 8.90 citations per paper with 13.77% publications supported by funding agencies from global research agencies/firms were published. Researchers from 158 countries participated in mental health research on Covid-19, with top 12 countries accounting for 95.91% share of the global output and a major share of global citations in the subject. Although researchers from USA, U.K. and China led the global publication share (ranging from 10.40% to 26.56%), but researchers from China, France and Australia registered higher relative citation index (ranging from 1.19 to 2.31). Researchers from Harvard Medical School, USA, University of Toronto, Canada, and King's College, London, U.K. were the most productive (with 299, 270 and 222 papers). Researchers from the National University of Singapore (51.84 and 5.83), King's College, London, U.K. (27.23 and 3.06), Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China (23.65 and 2.66) were most impactful in terms of citation per paper and relative citation index. To conclude, this bibliometric analysis provides an overview of the extent of research activities in Covid-19 and mental health.
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According to the great importance and effectiveness of quarantine in the COVID-19 epidemic, this chapter presents a SEIAR-type model considering quarantined individuals (Q), called SQEIAR model. The main factor that has played a major role in the outbreak of COVID-19 around the world is traveling and immigration of people, which add to the population size impulsively. Therefore, an impulsive epidemic model of SQEIAR is considered to deal with the potential sudden increase in population caused by immigration or travel. Optimal control theory is presented to control and reduce the rate of disease spread in society within an optimal time. Optimal control is used to minimize an objective (cost) function over a free terminal time. Also, quarantine and antiviral treatment are used as control inputs. In the following, numerical simulations are given to prove the accuracy of the theoretical claims and applied to this infection's particular data. Moreover, numerical computations of the COVID-19 are compared with diseases like Ebola and Influenza. In addition, the controller is evaluated with system parameters identified by using actual data of China. Finally, the controller tuned with the estimated parameters of the Chinese data is applied to Spain's actual data to compare the quarantine and treatment policies in both countries. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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Aim: To assess the impact of online classes (started in view of COVID-19 pandemic) on the physical and psycho-behavioural parameters of children as perceived by their parents. Methodology: A cross-sectional web-based survey was carried out among the parents of children attending the online classes due to the ongoing pandemic. Results: 289 parents (either mother/father, or any other relative;67.8%-mothers) responded to the survey. The majority of the responders perceived online classes to be less comfortable, less satisfactory;and reported that their children had poor attention and concentration, had a lower level of learning in the theoretical and practical aspect of the subject. Most parents reported their child gets distracted and engages in surfing the internet or participating in online competitions. About half of the parents reported an increase in irritability (45.0%), the increased demand to go to school (45.0%), and a reduction in self-hygiene/care (43.3%). The other common behavioural problems as reported were stubbornness (36.3%), demanding behaviour (30.0%), tantrums (27.3%), and manipulativeness (27.0%). Conclusion: These preliminary findings suggest that the level of learning with in-person school-based classes is far superior to the online classes. The online classes might have a negative impact on the behaviour and physical health of the children.
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Aim of the Study: To evaluate the views of medical students about online classes started in view of COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: An online survey was conducted using Survey monkey platform (R). A survey link which was sent through the WhatsApp platform (R) to the MBBS/BDS students across the country. The survey questionnaire evaluated the views about the various aspects of the online classes. Results: A total of 1059 students completed the survey, of which 1033 entries were analyzed. The participants' mean age was 20.8 years with nearly equal male-to-female ratio, majority being MBBS students who were taking part in online classes mostly from home (95.4%), by using smart phones (85%). When asked to compare the experience of online classes with regular in-person classes, a majority of the participants reported having poor attention and concentration, poor retention of knowledge, poor learning of theoretical aspects of subject, poor learning of practical aspects of the subject, poor questions/answers sessions, and only 38.9% and 10.6% rated online theory and online practical classes as 'good' or 'very good,' respectively. The most common advantages of online classes reported by the students were that they do not have to travel (69%) and do not have to dress up (69.9%), while the most commonly reported disadvantages included poor learning of practical aspects (75%), followed by strain on eyes (73.4%) and difficulties with internet connectivity (64.8%). A small proportion of students 'occasionally' or more often indulged in surfing Internet, Chatting on WhatsApp/Telegram/FB Messenger, and using Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, We Chat, Snap Chat, and Telegram) while attending online classes. Conclusions: This study suggests that although various colleges are running online classes, as a substitute for the regular in person classes in view of the need for social distancing, these classes are not well received by the students and are possibly does not fulfilling the desired needs of the students. Further, the present study suggests that students still prefer in-person classes.
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Background: There are widespread anxiety and fear related to contracting COVID-19 infection in the general public ever since the outbreak of COVID-19, which had now increased to a great extent due to the ever-rising number of positive cases and mortality rates associated with COVID-19. Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate the anxiety related to contracting COVID-19 infection in the public. Methodology: An online survey was conducted using the SurveyMonkey (R) platform-generated link in which a COVID-19 anxiety-specific questionnaire was used to assess anxiety and worry related to contracting COVID-19. A total of 462 responses were analyzed. About one-sixth (18.8%) of the responders reported anxiety in at least one domain and worry in at least one domain related to contracting COVID-19 infection. While 42.2% of the responders had anxiety in at least one domain, highest being in the domain of anxiety related to behaviors of others, about one-fourth of the responders (26.6%) expressed worry in at least one domain, more in the domain of worry related to family members going out to buy something or for work. Males and people of younger age group had significantly greater anxiety score, and those with a chronic physical illness had significantly greater worry score. Conclusion: The present study suggests that there is a heightened level of anxiety in the society due to COVID-19 and about 18.8% of the people may be having anxiety severe enough to require clinical attention. However, the survey findings should be interpreted well with regard to its limitations being circulated in few social media platforms and, therefore, may not be generalized to the entire country.
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The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on patients with psychiatric illnesses has also been worrisome for psychiatrists. Most of the mental health organizations have mentioned that of all the psychiatric disorders, COVID-19 could worsen the symptoms of people with preexisting obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Fear of contamination with germs is one of the most common intrusive obsessive thoughts with subsequent ritualistic and compulsive handwashing in patients with OCD. The current guidelines and the only safety strategy employed for infection control is frequent hand hygiene. In this regard, there is every possibility that those with preexisting OCD can have worsening of symptomatology, or many individuals can develop new-onset obsessive-compulsive symptoms that need to be addressed and appropriately evaluated. We report an individual with OCD on treatment who relapsed following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This case would help to raise awareness among mental health professionals to have a different approach to patients with OCD during the ongoing pandemic.
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Background: It is essential to assess the knowledge and awareness about COVID-19 infection among people utilizing the emergency health-care services. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and awareness about COVID-19 infection and the practices followed by the patients and their caregivers with respect to prevention of spread of COVID-19. Methodology: A cross-sectional exploratory study was conducted in the emergency outpatient services of a tertiary care center using a brief self-designed questionnaire. Results: More than half of the participants considered that touch and coming in contact with a person with cough/cold were the most common mode of spread of the infection, but many others had several misinformations regarding the exact mode of transmission. Three-fourth of the participants thought that wearing a mask is required to protect oneself from getting infected, while handwashing and social distancing as important precautionary measures were reported by only half and one-fourth of the participants respectively. Only half of the participants used masks during traveling to the hospital and one-third reported of sanitizing hands during travel and only half of the participants reported of having knowledge about using surgical masks and sanitizers in emergency premises, and only two-fifths thought social distancing to be a precautionary measure to follow in the emergency setting. Conclusions: The study findings highlight the need to improve awareness programs so as to improve the knowledge and practices of medically ill patients and their caregivers attending the emergency services.
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Most of the diseases spread from human-to-human which makes it dangerous for anyone who comes in contact with an infected being. The key point to note here is that such a spread gives rise to a network where nodes represent humans and edges show if two humans came in contact with each other or not. Studying and analysing pandemic networks help in managing the spread of disease efficiently. The recent coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak that was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei province, China according to WHO reports, is an apt example of a deadly contagious disease. India has been fighting the virus since February 2020 relentlessly, with the scientists experimenting to find a cure for the disease, and healthcare personnel along with other essential workers ensuring that all necessary preventive and protective measures are being taken to reduce health risks. In our proposed study, we aim at forecasting the spread of COVID-19 in India with the help of SEIR-DH and linear regression model, by simulating the dynamics of disease spreading in a large population. We also aim to mathematically depict how increasing the severity of social distancing can affect the spread of the disease. The results of our study indicate that increasing the strictness of social distancing measures can help reduce the overall number of infected patients and also help flatten the epidemic curve of COVID-19 spread. The curve depicts the number of infected patients requiring healthcare for combating the disease over time. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021.
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Introduction: Nepal entered into a lockdown mode since 24th March 2020 to control the spread of COVID-19 infection. Our aim was to evaluate the mental and behavioural impact of lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic on the general public of Nepal in terms of the point prevalence of sadness, anxiety, feelings and relationship issues due to lockdown. Material And Method: It was a web-based cross-sectional survey conducted by using the Survey Monkey platform during 8th April 2020 and 29th April 2020. The link generated was circulated on Whatsapp platforms. Self-designed clinical profile was made to assess different feelings, leisure activities and relationship changes with family members that are not assessed using scale. The survey link was circulated starting from 8th April 2020 and was closed on 29th April 2020. Results: Of the 142 participants about 35.9% reported being sad, 28.2% had anxiety and about 46.5% of the participants felt lonely. Fear of death (60.6%) and getting infected with corona (52.1%) were the most common stress. Most of them were involved in sexual activities (67.6%) and reading books (42.3%) during lockdown. Some (14.8% and 18.3%) reported marked improvement in relationships with parents and children respectively. Conclusion: The present survey suggests that substantial proportion of the population do not report change in relationship despite reporting sadness, loneliness and change in daily activities. Therefore, social relationship and brotherhood need to be advised in addition to minimising emotional distancing during awareness programs related to COVID-19.