ABSTRACT
The immune system is comprised of lymph glands, lymph nodes, thymus gland, spleen, bone marrow, lymphocytes, and molecules such as antibodies and cytokines. It has a vast array of functionally different cells such as T and B lymphocytes, macrophages, neutrophils and mast cells. The ontogenesis of the immune system is comprised of the innate immune cells and the adaptive immune cells, where innate immune cells are the first defense mechanisms to respond to pathogenic environmental factors. There are multiple components of the adaptive immune cells, including immunoglobulins (Igs), T-cell receptors (TCR), and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) responsible for adaptive immunity. However, many elements of both the innate and adaptive immune systems are conserved in our bodies. The adaptive immunity is a type of immunity that develops when a person’s immune cells respond to a pathogen such as microorganism or vaccination. Environmental factors such as pathogenic bacteria or viruses, solar exposure, age, exercise, stress, diet, sleep quality and air pollutants can influence the immune system. There may be marked decline in the immune function due to attack of COVID-19. Most patients with mild COVID-19 develop an appropriate immune response that culminates with viral clearance. However, severe disease manifestations have been linked to lymphopenia and immune hyper-responsiveness leading to cytokine storm. It has been observed that in COVID-19, alveolar macrophages are epigenetically altered after inflammation, leading to long-term lung immune-paralysis. Western diets are known to have adverse effects on the immune function. However, Mediterranean-type diets rich in short-and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), vegetables, nuts and fruits, dairy products and fish and red wine, due to high content of vitamins, minerals and flavonoids may be useful in boosting immunity. Moderate physical activity may also cause an extensive increase in numerous and varied lipid super-pathway metabolites, including oxidized derivatives called oxylipins. Emerging evidence suggests that dietary supplements containing flavonoids, carotenoids, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), vitamins, minerals and antioxidants modulate gene and protein expression and thereby modify endogenous metabolic pathways, and consequently enhance the immunity. Mediterranean-type diet and multiple bioactive nutrients, fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins and minerals as well as moderate physical activity may be crucial for enhancing immunomodulation.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the clinical learning process and experience of nursing students, which triggered their anxieties about careers. Therefore, this study aims to describe the level of anxiety of nursing students about careers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted using a surveyed design with 99 nursing students as respondents. The data were collected through online anxiety career questionnaires and the level of anxiety about a career was used as a variable. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, and distribution frequencies by Microsoft Excel. Results: The study discovered that 45 respondents had a moderate level of anxiety about careers during the pandemic. Furthermore, approximately 61% of the respondents aged 21 years have this characteristic, and most of them were female, namely 85 respondents (84.2%), with the majority of the population of Sumedang being 92 respondents (91.1%). Conclusion: Learning during the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the anxiety of nursing students about careers. The effort of the universities to increase the students’ clinical skills competence such as internship programs, provided an understanding of the job prospects and careers that are needed to reduce anxiety. © 2022 UPM Press. All rights reserved.