Investigation of high school students' motivation for physical activity participation and eating attitude levels during the COVID-19 period

The aim of this study is to determine the motivation of high school students to participate in physical activity and their eating attitude levels during the COVID-19 period as well as to examine the relationship between the two variables. In addition, it was also determined whether the motivation for participate in physical activity and eating attitudes differ according to gender, weekly exercise, spending time with technology, family communication times, and participation in exercise during and before the pandemic. A total of 576 high school students, including 406 girls and 170 boys, participated in the study. "Motivation Scale for Participation in Physical Activity (MSPPA)", "Eating Attitude Test (EAT-40)" and "Personal Information Form (KBF)" were used as data collection tools. Data were evaluated using correlation, multiple linear regression, MANOVA and t-test analysis techniques. It was concluded that the motivation of the students to participate in physical activity was moderate, and they did not have eating disorders. It was observed that physical activity motivation did not predict eating attitude, but there were positive and low relationships between sub-factors in relational dimension. According to gender, it was determined that the eating attitudes of female students were more positive than male students. It has been found that the motivation to participate in physical activity is higher for those who exercise before and during the pandemic than those who do not. Consequently, it can be said that during the COVID-19 process, high school students' motivation to participate in physical activity is at a moderate level, and their eating attitudes are generally not at the level of behavioral disorders.

Comparison of Infection Rates, Quarantine Periods, and Fear Levels in Undergraduate Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Students Who Had Face-to-Face and Online Education during Covid-19 Pandemic: A Single-Center, Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: The objective of the present study was to compare the rates of COVID-19 infection and quarantine periods, and COVID-19 related fear in undergraduate physiotherapy and rehabilitation students who continued their educations as online or face-to-face. Methods: Three hundred and one students who continued their education during the 2020-2021 fall term as online (n= 144, for 1st and 4th degrees), or face-to-face under strict special precautions (n= 157, for 2nd and 3rd grades) were included. Demographic characteristics, COVID-19 infection diagnosis and quarantine due to contact were questioned via a structured online form. COVID-19 related fear was assessed by using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale. Results: No statistical differences were detected regarding demographical characteristics and COVID-19 infection rates between the groups (p> 0.05). The online education group had higher quarantine rates due to contact with an infected person (p= 0.040), while the face-to-face group reported higher COVID-19 related fear (p= 0.001). Conclusion: According to our results, although the COVID-19-related fears of student who received face-to-face education were higher than those who received online education, the quarantine numbers and infection rates were similar in both groups. Our results support that physiotherapy and rehabilitation education can be continued as face-to-face under special precautions. The precautions we used in our study may be benefited to continue face-to-face education in future pandemics.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the orthopaedics outpatient clinic

OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted orthopaedic practice since it started. In our study, we aimed to examine these effects on outpatient services. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The patients who applied to the orthopedic outpatient clinic (n=1,518) in six months period under the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic (September 2020-March 2021) and patients (n=1,207) who applied during the same period before the pandemic (September 2019-March 2020) were analyzed according to the demographic characteristics (age, gender), reasons for admission, duration of complaints, treatments applied, surgical acceptance rate, and compliance with treatment. RESULTS: The m ean age in the pre-pandemic outpatient clinic admissions was 39.1 years (1-91 years), the gender ratio was 635/572 (Female/Male), the mean age of the patients was 38.1 years (1-95), and the sex ratio was 793/ 725 (F/M) during the pandemic. Admissions of patients with acute complaints decreased after the pandemic, and applications for subacute or chronic complaints increased. Applications for sports medicine, pediatrics, and hand surgery increased, applications for trauma, foot and ankle surgery decreased, and applications for oncology and spine did not change. Conservative treatment recommendations decreased, the surgical treatment recommendation did not change, and the rate of patients who were given only follow-up decisions increased. There was no significant difference in the treatment rejection and surgical acceptance rate. CONCLUSIONS: We observed that the number of traumas decreased, and the hospital admission duration extended. The increase in the consultation rate and follow-up preference indicates that the treatment is more conservative in this period. In this process, patients should be adequately informed about the precautions taken, and their treatment should not be interrupted.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the orthopaedics outpatient clinic.

OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted orthopaedic practice since it started. In our study, we aimed to examine these effects on outpatient services. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The patients who applied to the orthopedic outpatient clinic (n=1,518) in six months period under the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic (September 2020-March 2021) and patients (n=1,207) who applied during the same period before the pandemic (September 2019-March 2020) were analyzed according to the demographic characteristics (age, gender), reasons for admission, duration of complaints, treatments applied, surgical acceptance rate, and compliance with treatment. RESULTS: The mean age in the pre-pandemic outpatient clinic admissions was 39.1 years (1-91 years), the gender ratio was 635/572 (Female/Male), the mean age of the patients was 38.1 years (1-95), and the sex ratio was 793/725 (F/M) during the pandemic. Admissions of patients with acute complaints decreased after the pandemic, and applications for subacute or chronic complaints increased. Applications for sports medicine, pediatrics, and hand surgery increased, applications for trauma, foot and ankle surgery decreased, and applications for oncology and spine did not change. Conservative treatment recommendations decreased, the surgical treatment recommendation did not change, and the rate of patients who were given only follow-up decisions increased. There was no significant difference in the treatment rejection and surgical acceptance rate. CONCLUSIONS: We observed that the number of traumas decreased, and the hospital admission duration extended. The increase in the consultation rate and follow-up preference indicates that the treatment is more conservative in this period. In this process, patients should be adequately informed about the precautions taken, and their treatment should not be interrupted.

Post-discharge mortality in the first wave of COVID-19 in Turkey

Objective: To determine post-discharge mortality and associated factors of the first-wave multicenter Turkish Thoracic Society (TTD)-TURCOVID study.

Relationship between index of cardio-electrophysiological balance and hydroxychloroquine in patients with COVID-19

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) treatment is frequently prescribed for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Electrocardiographic (ECG) monitorization is recommended because HCQ causes QT interval prolongation. The index of cardioelectrophysiological balance (iCEB), calculated as the ratio of QT interval / QRS duration. In recent years, iCEB has been described as an important marker for dysrhthmias. Decreased or increased iCEB is related with lethal ventricular arrhythmias. In our research, we purposed to investigate the relationship between iCEB and HCQ in patients with COVID-19. 200 patients (males, 84;females, 116;60.4 +/- 13.8 years) with PCR positive and chest tomography findings compatible with COVID-19 pneumonia were registered in the research. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data for all patients were collected. ECG was recorded from all patients on admission to COVID-19 clinic, in oral treatment with HCQ (200 mg, twice daily) for at least 5 days. iCEB (QT/QRS) was calculated from the 12-lead electrocardiogram.The mean age of the patients was 60.4 +/- 13.8 years. Compared to admission ECG, ECG on day 5 showed significant increases in heart rate, QT interval, corrected QT (QTc) interval, and iCEB. Our results suggested that iCEB is related with HCQ treatment in patients with COVID-19. Previous studies stated that high iCEB is related with torsade de Pointes (TdP), ventricular tachycardia. Copyright © 2022 Ondokuz Mayis Universitesi. All rights reserved.

The predictors of long-COVID in the cohort of Turkish Thoracic Society-TURCOVID multicenter registry: One year follow-up results

Objective: To evaluate long-term effects of COVID-19, and to determine the risk factors in long-COVID in a cohort of the Turkish Thoracic Society (TTS)-TURCOVID multicenter registry. Method(s): Thirteen centers participated with 831 patients;504 patients were enrolled after exclusions. The study was designed in three-steps: (1) Phone questionnaire;(2) retrospective evaluation of the medical records;(3) face-to-face visit. Result(s): In the first step, 93.5% of the patients were hospitalized;61.7% had a history of pneumonia at the time of diagnosis. A total of 27.1% reported clinical symptoms at the end of the first year. Dyspnea (17.00%), fatigue (6.30%), and weakness (5.00%) were the most prevalent long-term symptoms. The incidence of long-term symptoms was increased by 2.91 fold (95% CI 1.04-8.13, P=0.041) in the presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and by 1.84 fold (95% CI 1.10-3.10, P=0.021) in the presence of pneumonia at initial diagnosis, 3.92 fold (95% Cl 2.29-6.72, P=0.001) of dyspnea and 1.69 fold (95% Cl 1.02-2.80, P=0.040) fatigue persists in the early-post-treatment period and 2.88 fold (95% Cl 1.52-5.46, P=0.001) in the presence of emergency service admission in the post COVID period. In step 2, retrospective analysis of 231 patients revealed that 1.4% of the chest X-rays had not significantly improved at the end of the first year, while computed tomography (CT) scan detected fibrosis in 3.4%. In step 3, 138 (27.4%) patients admitted to face-to-face visit at the end of first year;at least one symptom persisted in 49.27% patients. The most common symptoms were dyspnea (27.60%), psychiatric symptoms (18.10%), and fatigue (17.40%). Thorax CT revealed fibrosis in 2.4% patients. Conclusion(s): COVID-19 symptoms can last for extended lengths of time, and severity of the disease as well as the presence of comorbidities might contribute to increased risk. Long-term clinical issues should be regularly evaluated after COVID-19. Copyright © 2022 Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine Produced by Wolters Kluwer Medknow.

Supporting biodiversity: Structures of participatory actions in urban green spaces

Biodiversity loss is an important topic considering climate change, global warming, and even the reasoning of current and future animal-related diseases, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Urban biodiversity is also important because of the ecosystem services they provide, restorative benefits for well-being, and physical health of the people who live in urban areas. Each city has its own strategies to cope with this issue, and these strategies do not function without the contribution of habitants of the cities. We developed an index (BBS) of the existing possibilities to support urban biodiversity in Berlin to measure the awareness and willingness of the Berliners to participate and support urban biodiversity. A survey was conducted in a face-to-face situation in four districts of Berlin with 431 urban residents, measuring preference for three different levels of biodiversity, connectedness to residential greenspace, neighborhood and city, nature relatedness, and willingness in participatory actions around greenspace. The results show that the high biodiversity condition in a photo scenario was preferred by most residents, indicating the appreciation for urban biodiversity. The connectedness to the residential greenspace was high (and higher than the connectedness to neighborhood and city), showing large potential for quality of life. While the overall willingness to participate in actions to support urban greenspace was rather high, our index shows substantial differences in activities, which are perceived more or less. This is a key result for urban park management to increase urban biodiversity participation processes. Copyright © 2022 Martens, Öztürk, Rindt, Twarok, Steinhardt and Molitor.

EVALUATION OF THE PATIENT CONSULTATIONS FOR ADMISSION TO PALLIATIVE CARE: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY

Introduction: It is essential to comply with palliative care philosophy during consultations for hospitalisation purposes between specific medical branches and specialised palliative care services (SPCS). We aimed to evaluate the patients who were admitted or consulted to the palliative care service with a palliative care approach. Materials and Method: This descriptive study is based on retrospective review of data. The consultation requests delivered to the SPCS between December 1, 2019 and December 1, 2020 were evaluated through the hospital archive. The number of consultation requests delivered to the SPCS from other departments for hospitalisation purposes, demographic characteristics of patients, their acceptance and rejection rates, and reasons for which these decisions were made were examined. Results: Of the total 394 consultation requests, 53.6% (n = 211) were for males. The acceptance rate was 40.9% (n = 161). The most common primary diagnosis category was gastrointestinal cancers (21.6%), the most common consulting branch was emergency department (44.6%), the most common reason for rejection (53.2%) was the patient’s acute problems and the most common reason for acceptance was the need for nutritional support with a rate of 64.0%.Conclusion: It has been determined that most of the consultations requests were not accepted. It is necessary to use SPCS more effectively.

COVID-19 Cases Admitted to Hospital for Other Reasons

Introduction: As the pandemic continues, SARS-CoV-2 infection has inevitably been detected in patients hospitalized for other reasons. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 infected cases after hospitalization may lead to delay in taking appropriate infection control measures. Materials and Methods: The present study retrospectively scanned all electronic and hard copy records of the cases presented to the hospital and hospitalized for other reasons and then diagnosed as COV1D-19 in Suleyman Demirel University Faculty of Medicine, Research and Training Hospital between 01 April 2020 and 31 December 2020. Results: Accordingly, 22 cases were decided as community-acquired, 3 cases as probable community-acquired, 5 cases as hospital-acquired, and 4 cases as probable hospital-acquired. The reason for sampling for SARS-CoV-2 was determined as having symptoms compatible with COVID-19 in 23 (67.6%) of 34 cases, preoperative screening of COVID-19 infection in 9 (26.5%), and high risky contact in 2 cases (5.9%). Considering contact histories epidemiologically, it was thought that transmission occurred to 8 healthcare staff from 2 cases, and to other patients or relatives from 8 cases, but sequence analysis could not be performed. Conclusion: The high number of hospitalized patients diagnosed as COVID-19 creates a significant burden on the healthcare system in terms of infrastructure and management capacity. It is recommended that patients and healthcare professionals be screened widely and thoroughly, especially in conditions where COVID-19 cases are detected in non-COVID-1 9 units. This kind of screening will allow the potential outbreak to be controlled.

Effectiveness of favipiravir prior to admission to the intensive care unit in COVID-19 pneumonia

After emerging in Wuhan city in December 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rapidly spread throughout China. Although high rates of hospitalization are seen with COVID-19, no specific treatment has been reported, and the choice of antiviral therapies is limited. Favipiravir, approved in Japan for influenza, is one of the drugs that targets RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP). It significantly decreases the duration of fever, cough dyspnea, and the need of oxygen therapy or noninvasive mechanical ventilation, especially in moderate COVID-19 cases. In the current paper we presented four cases with worsening clinical conditions and the development of hypoxia who were treated with Favipiravir before being admitted to the intensive care unit, and who recovered from the disease.