Mental health and well-being of university staff during the coronavirus disease 2019 levels 4 and 5 lockdown in an Eastern Cape university, South Africa

AJOL : Background: The mental health of university staff members is often neglected and might have been exacerbated during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the mental health and well-being of staff members in an Eastern Cape university just after levels 4 and 5 lockdowns (01 June 2020) in South Africa.Setting: The university was closed during lockdown and staff members had to work from home, trying to save the 2020 academic year.Methods: A cross-sectional exploratory survey of a sample of 280 staff members (response rate = 27.75%), with a mean age of 48.84 ± 10.17 years, completed the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and Mental Health Continuum - Short Form (MHC-SF).Results: A number (27.6%) of staff members reported psychological distress, whilst the majority (60%) was flourishing during lockdown. Socio-economic collapse, contracting the virus and the completion of the academic year were their biggest worries. Whilst a strong negative correlation between psychological distress and mental well-being (MWB) was observed (r = -0.595), age had an inverse correlation with psychological distress (r = -0.130) and a positive correlation with MWB (r = 0.153). Female staff members, staff members with comorbidities and workers in the administration and service sections were significantly more likely to report psychological distress. The mental health of female staff members and members with comorbidities were almost two times more at risk for psychological distress.Conclusion: The mental health and well-being of some university staff members were at an increased risk during lockdown

Fine Dining Restaurants and e-Business Development as a Development Strategy under Covid-19. The Case of Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants 2020-2021

This study seeks to explore whether enhancing the digital channel in fine dining restaurants turns out to be a development strategy under covid-19. Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants for the period 2020 and 2021 is selected as a case, because: (1) there are 50 restaurants belonging to the fine dining category and therefore possible to compare each other, (2) being an annual ranking, it is possible analyze the variation in their operations, after two years under covid-19, (3) all of them have an official website. The methodology consists of reviewing each of the 50 restaurants (both website and Instagram social network) for the period 2020 and 2021, based on predefined aspects. It is concluded that promoting the digital channel in fine dining restaurants turns out to be a development strategy under covid-19, as observed in restaurants in the 50 best rest ranking in 2020, which shows an increase in digitalization to satisfy a digital segment that previously was not being fully served. © 2022 IEEE.

E-Business and E-Commerce as facilitators of digital consumption of art. The case of Gallery Weekend Santiago and Mexico

This study seeks to explore whether E-Business, E-Commerce can facilitate the digital consumption of art. Gallery Weekend Santiago and Mexico are selected as a case study, since (1) it is an event present in the two Latin American countries with the possibility of trading works of art with NFT, (2) it is the first event of art galleries adapted 100% to e-payment and virtual currency (3) both were developed in the context of the covid-19 pandemic, so they have important online strategies to bring the event to the public (4) The sale of art with ethereum cryptocurrencies it is outsourced to the MarketPlace (OpenSea) (5) both countries are in various stages of development and implementation of technological initiatives in the field of e-business and art galleries. The methodology developed is based on reviewing in detail the construction and logic of each official website of gallery weekend santiago and mexico, along with analyzing the composition of the websites and work system of each of the art galleries, attached to the event, based on predefined parameters. It ends with an analysis of OpenSea regarding the upload of works to review how they are displayed on said sales platform, both for Mexico and for Chile. It is concluded that the development of E-Business and E-Commerce can facilitate the digital consumption of art, as has happened in the case of Galerry weekend stgo © 2022 ACM.

Mental health and well-being of university staff during the coronavirus disease 2019 levels 4 and 5 lockdown in an Eastern Cape university, South Africa.

BACKGROUND: The mental health of university staff members is often neglected and might have been exacerbated during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the mental health and well-being of staff members in an Eastern Cape university just after levels 4 and 5 lockdowns (01 June 2020) in South Africa. SETTING: The university was closed during lockdown and staff members had to work from home, trying to save the 2020 academic year. METHODS: A cross-sectional exploratory survey of a sample of 280 staff members (response rate = 27.75%), with a mean age of 48.84 ± 10.17 years, completed the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and Mental Health Continuum - Short Form (MHC-SF). RESULTS: A number (27.6%) of staff members reported psychological distress, whilst the majority (60%) was flourishing during lockdown. Socio-economic collapse, contracting the virus and the completion of the academic year were their biggest worries. Whilst a strong negative correlation between psychological distress and mental well-being (MWB) was observed (r = -0.595), age had an inverse correlation with psychological distress (r = -0.130) and a positive correlation with MWB (r = 0.153). Female staff members, staff members with comorbidities and workers in the administration and service sections were significantly more likely to report psychological distress. The mental health of female staff members and members with comorbidities were almost two times more at risk for psychological distress. CONCLUSION: The mental health and well-being of some university staff members were at an increased risk during lockdown.