COVID-19 Pandemic, Climate Change, and Conflicts on Agriculture: A Trio of Challenges to Global Food Security

Global food security is a worldwide concern. Food insecurity is a significant threat to poverty and hunger eradication goals. Agriculture is one of the focal points in the global policy agenda. Increases in agricultural productivity through the incorporation of technological advances or expansion of cultivable land areas have been pushed forward. However, production growth has slowed in many parts of the world due to various endemic challenges, such as decreased investment in agricultural research, lack of infrastructure in rural areas, and increasing water scarcity. Climate change adversities in agriculture and food security are increasing. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected global food supply chains. Economic and social instability from the pandemic contribute to long-term disturbances. Additionally, conflicts such as war directly affect agriculture by environmental degradation, violence, and breaches of national and international trade agreements. A combination of food security and climate change challenges along with increased conflicts among nations and post-COVID-19 social and economic issues bring bigger and more serious threats to agriculture. This necessitates the strategic design of policies through multifaceted fields regarding food systems. In this comprehensive review, we explore how these three challenging factors, COVID-19, climate change, and conflicts, are interrelated, and how they affect food security. We discuss the impact of these issues on the agricultural sector, plus possible ways of preventing or overcoming such adverse effects.

Assessment of depression and anxiety in residents of a continuing care retirement community during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine

Purpose of Study During the COVID-19 pandemic, the State of Louisiana implemented a quarantine to decrease the risk of infection. This situation led to a decrease in social interaction which is a risk factor for anxiety and depression, among the elderly population confined in residences. The objective was to determine whether being quarantined while living in a residential community would negatively affect the mental health of the elderly. Methods Used A short longitudinal assessment and analysis to assess anxiety and depression. Data was initially collected, then at 6 weeks, and 12 weeks during the quarantine. We used the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) as these screening tools are designed for the elderly, to assess the incidence and severity during the quarantine. Summary of Results 57 residents of a Continuous Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in the New Orleans metropolitan area, stratified as nursing home residents, assisted living, and independent living of a 37 (80%) of the 46 patients were females, with a mean age of 86.1 (SD 9.1) years old;25 (54.3%) were nursing home residents, 13 (28.3%) were in assisted living, and 8 (17.4%) were in an independent living community. 16 (34.8%) patients were diagnosed with depression before taking the survey, and five (10.9%) had previously diagnosed anxiety. Anxiety scores decreased significantly from baseline (average 4.35 vs. 3.28, p-value =0.045) at 6 weeks but did not change from time 0 to week 12 or week 6 to week 12. Depression, scores did not change significantly between the time periods. Conclusions Our data indicate a trend toward an increase in depression and anxiety during periods of pandemic quarantine isolation. Because the elderly are particularly susceptible to loneliness and resulting depression assessing these indicators may help mitigate the economic burden and cognitive decline resulting from the complications of depression and anxiety in the elderly population residing in community centers during periods of unanticipated extended quarantine isolation.

Pattern of dental problems among patients visiting a dental hospital during covid-19 pandemic

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Nepal is a part of this worldwide corona virus disease. In this critical situation, the patients have a sense of insecurity visiting dental hospital. Objective To assess the pattern of dental problems in patients visiting a dental college during COVID-19. Method A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Dental Hospital of Kathmandu Medical College and Teaching Hospital from May to August 2020. The patients visiting the Dental hospital were assessed for dental problems. Data were analyzed in Statistical Package of Social Sciences version 20. Frequency and percentage for pattern of dental problems were calculated. Result Most of the patients of age group of 14 to 31 years 530 (36.53%) had dental problems during the survey period. Out of total patients having dental emergency, 739 (50.93%) were males and 712 (49.07%) were females. Majority 545 (37.56%) visited the dental hospital for endodontic consultation followed by emergency consultation for oral surgical procedures 298 (20.54%). Least consulted dental emergency condition was prosthodontic consultation 18 (1.24%). Conclusion The study findings showed that the major dental problems in patients causing emergency visit to dental hospital during COVID-19 pandemic period were dental pain and swelling requiring endodontic consultation and the least need felt is prosthodontic consultation. © 2020, Kathmandu University. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 and its global impact on food and agriculture

Disease outbreak and global pandemics have been the greatest threat for the sustainability of human existence. Mankind has witnessed many pandemics over the course of human history that killed millions of people and ravaged the global economy and politics. In the current context, the world is facing yet another pandemic as Corona virus disease of 2019 (COVID- 19). Realizing the gravity of situation, every country has undertaken special steps to fight against the pandemic mostly with non-pharmaceutical measures involving social distancing and self-isolation. In addition, restriction in travel and trade are done in majority of countries to limit the spread of the virus. All these combat against the pandemic has vastly affected the major economic sectors such as Agriculture. Agriculture serves as the most important economic sector endorsing food security and human development. The review intends to go through every possible impact of global pandemic COVID -19 on Food and Agriculture across the globe. It is important to assess the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on Agricultural sector and Food as it primarily involves the sustainability of human life and secondarily involves the economy. The pandemic protocols and provisions interferes the supply chain of the market with impaired production and distribution accompanied with lack of labor and supply of inputs. This vastly affects the livestock, poultry, fishery as well as dairy production. The planting of spring crops like maize, sunflower, spring wheat, barley, canola and open field vegetable can't be operated amidst pandemic. Thus, the pandemic has seeded a serious impact on the food security due to distortion of the supply chain which is needed to be addressed quickly by the government.