Stigma Scale Adaptation and Validation for Measuring COVID-19 Stigma.

BACKGROUND: The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been found to be associated with increased psychosocial problems such as depression, anxiety, stress, and stigma. Many health-related stigma instruments that have been developed are condition-specific; these should be adapted and validated for generic use, across different health conditions. This study was conducted to measure stigma, stress, anxiety, and depression using the COVID-19 Stigma Scale-Modified (CSS-M), a modified version of the HIV Stigma Scale, among the Indian population. METHODS: A weblink-based online survey was conducted using the adapted CSS-M, along with the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21. Collected data were analyzed with correlation analysis, reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and convergent and divergent validity. RESULTS: With a sample size of 375, the modified scale for COVID-19 stigma showed internal consistency and a good inter-item correlation (Cronbach's alpha 0.821). Principal axis factoring with varimax rotation along with alternative parallel analysis established the two factorial structure and had valid composite reliability, discriminate validity, and partial convergent validity. CONCLUSION: We found that COVID-19 Stigma Scale-Modified is a valid measure to assess COVID-19-related stigma. The scale was found to be internally consistent with a good inter-item correlation, composite reliability, valid discriminate validity, and partial convergent validity. Specific COVID-related validated scales for stigma should be developed in the future.

Acceptance of and Concerns about Covid-19 Vaccination among Parents: A Cross-sectional Survey in Ras Al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates

Covid-19 has impacted the health and well-being of children worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate parental acceptance of and concerns about vaccinating their children against Covid-19 in Ras Al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. The study adopted a cross-sectional design. Parental acceptance of and concerns about vaccinating their children were collected using a structured questionnaire. A total of 366 parents were selected, using purposive sampling from the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, during the period of November 2021 to February 2022. Of all, 5.3% (56) of the parents expressed a high level of concern regarding vaccinating their children against Covid-19, while 80.6% (295) expressed a medium level and 4.1% (15) a low level of concern. Parental acceptance was found to be medium and high among 71% (260) and 8.8% (69) of the parents respectively, as opposed to 10.1% (37) who were reluctant (low) to do so. The most important concerns for the low acceptance of Covid-19 vaccination were safety, side effects and effectiveness of the vaccination. The study reveals the need to initiate more targeted interventions to improve the acceptability of vaccines and the acceptance of the parents in order to alleviate the concerns of parents about vaccinating their children against Covid-19.

"There is a Fabulous Play in the House of Cards:” Gender and Memory-Mapping in the Film Tasher Ghawr

The pandemic's collective memory features large-scale destruction in the public and private realms. This paper studies the latter by speculating on the complex interrelationship between gender, media, and collective memory. By foregrounding the potential of fictional experientialities to engage with real-life phenomena, the paper analyzes the movie Tasher Ghawr as an epitome of women's experience of the COVID-19 lockdown. This movie was selected pertaining to its current relevance. The paper undertakes a qualitative investigation through a textual analysis of the movie's narrative. The researchers use theories such as collective memory, gender performativity, affect, and counter-memory to illustrate how the protagonist Sujatha's individual gendered memory constantly constructs and deconstructs the collective memory of women as it pertains to the pandemic. The notion of collective memory is highlighted as complexly entangled and dialogically engaged with the memories of the individuals. This paper demonstrates this by constructing Sujatha as a subject defined by the norms embedded in the female collective memory and then shedding light on her subversive brilliance in questioning the stronghold of these discourses. This act of subversion produces a new strand of collective memory where women are no longer simply victims. The results of this study indicate that while women are constructed as subjects through collective memory processes, they also demonstrate a potential to subvert and question the stronghold of this collective memory that presupposes their submissiveness and servility. For future researchers, this movie provides ample critical space to discuss the notion of traumatic memory. © The Author(s) 2023.

Incidence and outcomes following pulmonary barotrauma in COVID-19 ventilated and non-ventilated patients with acute respiratory failure: A retrospective study.

Background and Objectives: : Alveolar rupture following increased transalveolar pressure on positive pressure ventilation is associated with pulmonary barotrauma (PB). The spectrum varies from pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, pneumopericardium, pneumoperitoneum, retro-pneumoperitoneum and subcutaneous emphysema. We studied the incidence of PB and their clinical characteristics in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19)-associated acute respiratory failure. Methods: Patients aged >18 years with COVID-19-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome were included in the study. We recorded demographics (age, gender, comorbidities), severity scores (APACHE II on admission, SOFA on the day of barotrauma), type of PB and outcomes at discharge from the hospital. Patient characteristics are descriptively reported. Survival analysis was done using Kaplan-Meier survival tests after classifying by various factors. Survival was compared using the log-rank test. Results: Thirty-five patients experienced PB. Eighty per cent of patients in this cohort were males with mean age of 55.89 years. The commonest comorbidities were diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Twelve spontaneously breathing patients developed barotrauma. Eight patients experienced sequential events. In all, 18 patients required insertion of pigtail catheters. The median survival time in patients was 37 days (95% CI: 25-49 days). The overall survival rate was 34.3%. Mean serum ferritin levels were six times upper limit of normal in deceased, reflecting the severity of lung involvement. Conclusion: A high incidence of PB was noted following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS CoV-2) infection even in the non-ventilated patients, a consequence of SARS CoV-2 effects on the pulmonary parenchyma causing widespread lung injury.

Risk Based Decision Algorithms for Management of COVID-19 Associated Rhino-orbital Mucormycosis.

Introduction: COVID associated mucormycosis is a challenging problem with significant morbidity and mortality implications. COVID affliction, pre-existing medical conditions especially diabetes and steroid prescription are supposed contributors for development of this opportunistic fungal infection. Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment with adequate post-op anti-fungal therapy. Materials and methods: This is a retrospective analysis of prospectively maintained database of all surgical patients between March-May 2021 at a single centre. Prognosticators such as severity of COVID affliction, use of steroids, extent of rhino-orbital mucormycosis, extent of surgery and outcomes were studied. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse frequency of different variables and chi square test was used to analyse prognostic factors. P value < 0.05 were deemed significant. Results: 74 patients with an average 30 day follow-up were included. All patients had preceding COVID infection and 71.6% were diabetic and 25.7% were diagnosed during the course of their COVID treatment. Multiple sinus involvement being most common (52.61%), 10.81% underwent orbital exenteration and 24.32% palatectomies were performed. Revision surgeries were warranted in 16.21% patients. 9 patients succumbed to disease/ underlying medical and treatment related complications. Conclusion: We propose a risk assessment based on general condition of patient and severity of mucormycosis infection to decide appropriate strategy for surgical intervention. Early detection and timely and adequate surgery are essential pre-requisites to good outcomes. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-021-02692-9.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Characteristics and Outcomes in Children and Adolescents With COVID-19 or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome Admitted to U.S. ICUs.

OBJECTIVES: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used successfully to support adults with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-related cardiac or respiratory failure refractory to conventional therapies. Comprehensive reports of children and adolescents with SARS-CoV-2-related ECMO support for conditions, including multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and acute COVID-19, are needed. DESIGN: Case series of patients from the Overcoming COVID-19 public health surveillance registry. SETTING: Sixty-three hospitals in 32 U.S. states reporting to the registry between March 15, 2020, and December 31, 2021. PATIENTS: Patients less than 21 years admitted to the ICU meeting Centers for Disease Control criteria for MIS-C or acute COVID-19. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The final cohort included 2,733 patients with MIS-C ( n = 1,530; 37 [2.4%] requiring ECMO) or acute COVID-19 ( n = 1,203; 71 [5.9%] requiring ECMO). ECMO patients in both groups were older than those without ECMO support (MIS-C median 15.4 vs 9.9 yr; acute COVID-19 median 15.3 vs 13.6 yr). The body mass index percentile was similar in the MIS-C ECMO versus no ECMO groups (89.9 vs 85.8; p = 0.22) but higher in the COVID-19 ECMO versus no ECMO groups (98.3 vs 96.5; p = 0.03). Patients on ECMO with MIS-C versus COVID-19 were supported more often with venoarterial ECMO (92% vs 41%) for primary cardiac indications (87% vs 23%), had ECMO initiated earlier (median 1 vs 5 d from hospitalization), shorter ECMO courses (median 3.9 vs 14 d), shorter hospital length of stay (median 20 vs 52 d), lower in-hospital mortality (27% vs 37%), and less major morbidity at discharge in survivors (new tracheostomy, oxygen or mechanical ventilation need or neurologic deficit; 0% vs 11%, 0% vs 20%, and 8% vs 15%, respectively). Most patients with MIS-C requiring ECMO support (87%) were admitted during the pre-Delta (variant B.1.617.2) period, while most patients with acute COVID-19 requiring ECMO support (70%) were admitted during the Delta variant period. CONCLUSIONS: ECMO support for SARS-CoV-2-related critical illness was uncommon, but type, initiation, and duration of ECMO use in MIS-C and acute COVID-19 were markedly different. Like pre-pandemic pediatric ECMO cohorts, most patients survived to hospital discharge.

The Problem of Gendered Emojis in Online Communication Platforms: A Study to Understand Digital Dependence on Using Emotions During Pandemic

Digitalization, affordable smart gadgets, and social distancing have turned virtual communication into a lived phenomenon. However, we should be aware of the fact that the virtual communication process is entangled with positive and negative consequences. On the one hand, it has enabled people to develop a feeling of togetherness and belonging, and on the other, it is steeped in conflict and dispute due to the extensive use of emojis that are context-sensitive and are subjected to multiple interpretations. The problem of emojis connected with sexual connotations has not been studied in an online conversation parameter. Hence, the current study examines the sexual connotations that are embedded in the usage of non-facial emojis such as eggplant, cherry, etc., in virtual communication and analyses sexual connotations that are generated in closed group interactions. The methodology undertaken in this study is a quantitative experimental research method to collect data. Participants (N=64) will determine how certain context-sensitive emojis are perceived by them in closed group online conversations. Results suggest that non-facial emojis possess sexual connotations which are highly context-specific and used extensively in interpersonal conversations. In this way, this paper will prepare the ground to study more hidden sexual connotations in emojis. © 2023 ACADEMY PUBLICATION.

Excessive and Unreliable Health Information and Its Predictability for Anxiety: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study

Introduction: Being ignorant or unaware is not expected in a situation like the pandemic of COVID-19 with modern internet connectivity and the era of social media. However, information overload may itself lead to health anxiety. Aims and objectives: This study investigated the predictability of health anxiety with information overload and sociodemographic profiles during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was done among 400 caretakers of non-covid patients in a tertiary healthcare medical college. The consenting participants provided their sociodemographic details and responded to the short health anxiety inventory (SHAI), Beck anxiety inventory (BAI) and Information overload scale (IOS) for COVID-19. Results: A total number of 400 participants aged 35.58 ± 10.57 years participated and out of which 88.2% acknowledged health-related anxiety and 56.8% for excessive use of social media. BAI measured anxiety was mild for 19.8%, moderate for 3.5% and severe for 3%. The linear regression analysis predicted health anxiety by three variables only: total anxiety as measured by the Beck anxiety inventory [β = 0.416, t = 9.318, p = 0.000], information overload (rejection of information) [β = 0.171, t = 3.126, p = 0.002], and excessive use of social media [β = 0.124, t = 2.888, p = 0.004]. Conclusion: Information overload, its rejection and excessive use of social media were found to be predictive of health-related anxiety.

Uptake of telepractice among speech-language therapists following COVID-19 pandemic in India

Uptake of telepractice has drastically increased among speech-language therapists (SLTs) following the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to explore the sudden uptake of telepractice in India among SLTs. An online survey consisting of 20 questions was carried out between 4 and 17 May 2020 using Google form. The participants comprised of SLTs who indicated that they had shifted their services to telepractice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Descriptive analysis was used to summarize the findings. Eighty-four SLTs participated in the study, working across different work settings and from 21 to 53 years of age. Forty-nine percent of SLTs had conducted more than 11 telepractice sessions, 89% conducted only individual sessions. Further, 85% had a mostly paediatric caseload with 75% working with child language disorders. They learnt about telepractice in a range of ways including from colleagues (19%), social media and the internet (18%), formal education (24%), reading (8%) and experience (8%). Overall, SLTs exhibited a positive attitude towards the use of telepractice. The most common platform used was WhatsApp video calling feature (82%), although more than one platform was being used. The greatest challenges faced were dealing with network issues (38%) and lack of cooperation from the child during sessions (27%). The findings highlight an acceptance and uptake towards telepractice. This might pave the path for serious consideration for telepractice in the field of speech-language therapy in India in the future.

A cross sectional study exploring determinants for vaccine awareness, belief and hesitancy among health care professionals regarding Covid-19 vaccine, findings from a teaching hospital based in coal capital of India.

Background: India intends to start its 1st dose of vaccination against Covid-19 on January 16th, 2021 prioritizing its frontline health care professionals with either of the two vaccines-Covaxin or Covishield. Whenever a new vaccine is launched, it is marred with controversy and myths. To understand the doubts and concerns better, this study was conducted on health care professionals working in a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: Willing respondents, who are working in the institute, were administered the questionnaire asking their views on knowledge, beliefs, and reasons for hesitancy regarding Covid-19 immunization. A Likert scale was used to quantify the responses regarding participants' knowledge, beliefs, and hesitancies regarding immunization with the available vaccines. Data were analyzed using MS office Excel sheets and JASP software was used to analyze the data thus obtained. Results: Out of 122 complete responses, we had 73 (60%) doctors, while 30 (24%) were nursing staff, the rest comprised of other health care workers, such as housekeeping staff, janitorial, etc., 66 (54%) respondents were unaware, while 25 (20%) respondents had hesitancy and 23 (18%) were having extremely negative views regarding vaccination. Some of the variables, such as age, role, marital status, gender, etc., were found to be possibly associated with these scores. Conclusion: Issues like concerns over vaccine safety, efficacy, reliability, etc., are deterrents for individuals and whole programme and vaccination drive across the nation. Time and again it has been seen that despite the vaccines' contribution in breaking the transmission, concerns are making people either hesitant or unmotivated to get the vaccines. More dialogues from the authorities regarding the issues of concern may pave the way for more motivation to accept vaccination and increase the vaccination coverage.

Symptomatology and outcome of acute COVID-19 illness in children at Faridabad, India

Introduction: The surveillance case definitions for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children adapted from adult guidelines emphasized the presence of fever and/or respiratory symptoms as the criteria for suspicion and testing. The clinical course of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in Indian children is still not well described. Materials and Methods: This observational study was done at a dedicated COVID-19 tertiary care hospital of Haryana, India, between April 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020, with due approval of Institutional Ethics Committee. A total of 86 SARS-CoV-2 positive inpatient children in the age group of 1 month − 12 years were enrolled to outline the clinical course and outcome of acute illness longitudinally over initial 2 weeks of infection. Clinical management and hospital discharge policy was guided by public health authorities and prevailing scientific evidence which were updated and notified time to time as the pandemic evolved. Descriptive statistics were applied to analyze the study variables. Results: Majority children (48/86;56%) remained asymptomatic throughout 2-week surveillance period, 35 (41%) suffered mild, 2 (2%) moderate, and 1 (1%) severe disease. All children had intact survival. Comorbid condition(s) were present in five (6%) children. Among infants and the subset of children with premorbid condition(s), the proportion of children suffering symptomatic illness (88% and 80%, respectively) and moderate-severe illness (25% and 40%, respectively) was quite high. Respiratory symptoms (68%) and fever (50%) were the most common symptoms. Gastrointestinal symptoms were present in 26% symptomatic children. Fever was the only symptom in 11% children;and 16% children had only gastrointestinal symptoms without any fever or respiratory symptom(s). Conclusion: Acute SARS-CoV-2 infection in children is commonly asymptomatic, or a mild illness with not only respiratory but also non-respiratory manifestations. Thus, a high index of suspicion for SARS-CoV-2 infection is required by the treating physicians in this subgroup of population as they might play an important role in virus transmission and amplification. In case the testing is deferred among asymptomatic contacts or children with mild symptoms, they may be presumed SARS-CoV-2 infected, isolated, and managed accordingly.

Teacher Educators' Insight on Hybrid Approaches in Curriculum Transaction During Covid-19

COVID-19 pandemic has heavily impacted the education sectors at all levels globally. During the pandemic, the regular academic cycle has been disturbed at a large level. Specifically, the curriculum transaction is a highly challengeable one during the pandemic period. It forced all the educational institutions to adopt online platform for transactional activities. On the other hand, it is a challenge to move forward 100% transactions through online platform and hence the hybrid structure - that is, electronic and physical mode is being followed for transactional purposes. With this background, the present study is a survey piloted among teacher educators to know their perception on hybrid approaches towards curriculum transactions in teacher education programs. The Perception Questionnaire was developed by the investigator and was used for data collection. The developed questionnaire was tailored into Google Forms and the link was sent to more than 150 samples (teacher educators) in Coimbatore district. Finally, 72 samples responded appropriately. The collected data were analysed using descriptive analysis. Based on the findings of the study, it is concluded that there is a positive perception on hybrid approaches towards curriculum transactions in teacher education programs like B.Ed. and M.Ed. during the COVID-19 pandemic among the selected respondents in Coimbatore district.

Modeling severe functional impairment or death following ECPR in pediatric cardiac patients: Planning for an interventional trial.

AIM: We aimed to characterize extracorporeal CPR (ECPR) outcomes in our center and to model prediction of severe functional impairment or death at discharge. METHODS: All ECPR events between 2011 and 2019 were reviewed. The primary outcome measure was severe functional impairment or death at discharge (Functional Status Score [FSS] ≥ 16). Organ dysfunction was graded using the Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction Score-2, neuroimaging using the modified Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score. Multivariable logistic regression was used to model FSS ≥ 16 at discharge. RESULTS: Of the 214 patients who underwent ECPR, 182 (median age 148 days, IQR 14-827) had an in-hospital cardiac arrest and congenital heart disease and were included in the analysis. Of the 110 patients who underwent neuroimaging, 52 (47%) had hypoxic-ischemic injury and 45 (41%) had hemorrhage. In-hospital mortality was 52% at discharge. Of these, 87% died from the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies; severe neurologic injury was a contributing factor in the decision to withdraw life-sustaining therapies in 50%. The median FSS among survivors was 8 (IQR 6-8), and only one survivor had severe functional impairment. At 6 months, mortality was 57%, and the median FSS among survivors was 6 (IQR 6-8, n = 79). Predictive models identified FSS at admission, single ventricle physiology, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) duration, mean PELOD-2, and worst mASPECTS (or DWI-ASPECTS) as independent predictors of FSS ≥ 16 (AUC = 0.931) and at 6 months (AUC = 0.924). CONCLUSION: Mortality and functional impairment following ECPR in children remain high. It is possible to model severe functional impairment or death at discharge with high accuracy using daily post-ECPR data up to 28 days. This represents a prognostically valuable tool and may identify endpoints for future interventional trials.

Barriers to Follow-Up Retinal Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To characterize patient-identified barriers to care in those non-compliant with retina appointments during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Inclusion criteria included non-compliant patients from March 1, 2020 to May 1, 2020. Ultimately, 1,345 patients were invited to complete a 14-question survey. A retrospective chart review correlated clinical and demographic information. Univariate logistic regression, independent-samples t-test, and Pearson correlation coefficient identified differences among subgroups. RESULTS: Of the 1,345 patients, 181 (13.5%) completed the survey. The most significant barriers to care included fear of COVID (76/181; 42.0%), wait times (21/181; 11.6%), and costs (11/181; 6.1%). Patients who got their COVID information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (7.8 ± 2.4) and televised news (8.0 ± 2.0) had higher levels of fear. Finally, patients with diabetic retinopathy and higher Charlson Comorbidity Index scores had greater concerns of COVID (P = .034 and P = .047, respectively). CONCLUSION: This survey study suggests fear of COVID-19 is a prominent new barrier to retinal care. Identifying those at risk for loss to follow-up can guide practices as the pandemic continues. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2021;52:526-533.].

Risk factors, epidemiological and clinical outcome of close contacts of covid-19 cases in a tertiary hospital in southern india

Introduction: The knowledge of epidemiologic characteristics and transmission dynamics of a novel pathogen, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among close contacts can help in planning and development of effective control policies in different parts of the world. Aim: To assess the epidemiological and clinical outcome of close contacts of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-2019) cases admitted in a tertiary COVID hospital and to assess the role of risk factors in predicting the epidemiological outcome of these contacts. Materials and Methods: The current retrospective cohort study was conducted among 1286 close contacts of COVID-19 patients admitted to Government Medical College, Thrissur, Kerala. The data collection was done by a semi-structured telephonic interview by the contact tracing team. The questions included the type of exposure to the index case, symptoms if any, date of last exposure with COVID-19 patient, and final COVID-19 status of the contact at the end of 14 days. The association of risk factors of COVID-19 positivity was done using binary logistic regression. Results: Proportion of close contacts of COVID-19 who developed the disease was 24.2% (21.87-26.52%). The mean incubation period was found to be 4.22 days (C.I-3.71-4.65). The serial interval was found to be a mean of 5.24 days (C.I 4.764-5.716). The proportion of household contacts of COVID-19 cases who developed the disease was found to be 26% (C.I-23%-29%). The majority (52.4%) of infections among contacts were asymptomatic. Most common symptom among the COVID-19 +ve was fever (32.8%) followed by cough (16.1%). The most common risk factors of infection among primary close contacts were sharing the same room (adjusted odds ratio-2.394) and common use of fomites (adjusted odds ratio-1.953) while use of a mask was found to be protective (adjusted odds ratio-0.570). Significant factors associated with the type of contact with infection were workplace-related contact (adjusted odds ratio-6.629), household contact (adjusted odds ratio-4.856), and travel-related contact (adjusted odds ratio-2.899). Conclusion: The study concludes important risk factors of transmission among close contacts of COVID-19 as being in a household, workplace and travel related contact where the use of mask was found to be protective. The study also concludes that most of the COVID-19 infections in close contacts are asymptomatic.

Pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema as complication in COVID-19 patient with high CT severity score: Two case reports.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused due to infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome virus coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It is highly infective virus resulting in recent on-going pandemic and causing multisystem involvement predominantly affecting respiratory system. The most common presenting symptoms are fever, dry cough and breathlessness. The role of Computerized tomography (CT) is crucial especially in those patient having negative (rRT-PCR) but with high clinical suspicion, for prognosis and follow up. CT imaging findings mainly consists of multiple patchy bilateral ground-glass opacity (GGO) with or without consolidation and interlobular septal thickening with a peripheral or posterior distribution, mainly involving the lower lobes, depending upon the stage of disease. We present two case report of high CT severity score COVID-19 infection on non-invasive ventilation (NIV) having rare complication of pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema apart from typical COVID pattern lung findings during their course of admission in the hospital.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and effects of a sense of verdict of selected college students in Nepal, Nigeria and India

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a negative impact on mental health among college students across the world. Mental health issues are the leading obstacle to academic success. Aim of the study was to assess the prevalence and impact of COVID-19 on mental health and effects of a sense of verdict of selected college students from Nepal, Nigeria and India. Methods: Non-probability, snowball sampling technique was applied for data collection. A total of 696 responses were recorded from selected colleges from Nepal, Nigeria and India. Online survey-based platform was used to distribute the e-questionnaire to collect the information. Online survey was conducted from 15th to 30th June 2020. Results: More than half of the respondents 390(56%) had experienced depression during lockdown period. Majority of respondents 45(75.0%) from Nigeria had undergone depression followed by Nepal 73(58.87%) and India 271(52.93%). Young respondents 194(38.6%) in the age group of 18-20 years had experienced mild depression. Conclusion: The lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic has been brought an extraordinary academic challenge to the students across the world. It is necessary to adapt holistic approach to develop interventions and preventive strategies to address the mental health of college students for their well being.