"HIV has taught us that you can survive anything": findings from auto-ethnographic video diaries exploring resilience among people living with HIV during the Covid pandemic in five countries.

This study aimed to elucidate the intrinsic and extrinsic resilience resources among people living with HIV (PLWH) during the Covid pandemic. Autoethnographic video diaries from 29 PLWH from Argentina, UK, Philippines, Zimbabwe, and Trinidad and Tobago were included. Data were thematically analysed and validated with community partners and a video was co-produced. PLWH displayed a readiness to adopt healthy behaviours and engage in optimistic and constructive thinking about the future. Hobbies and daily activities, supportive relationships with peers living with HIV, family and friends, opportunities to mobilise and contribute to their communities in meaningful ways, supportive healthcare providers and reliable access to antiretroviral treatment helped foster psychological resilience among PLWH. The extrinsic resilience resources also supported positive physical health outcomes among PLWH through improved medication adherence.

A National Perspective on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Heart Failure Hospitalizations in the United States.

Nationwide data of the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on heart failure (HF) hospitalizations is lacking. We conducted this study to elucidate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HF hospitalizations. Additionally, we assessed the differences in hospitalization characteristics during the pandemic and the impact that a concurrent diagnosis of COVID-19 has on various outcomes and predictors of inpatient mortality among patients admitted for HF. The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database was queried for all hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of HF between 2017 and 2020. Monthly HF hospitalizations were trended longitudinally over this period. Beginning April 1, 2020, concurrent COVID-19 infections were identified. Subsequently, we stratified HF hospitalizations between April 2020 and December 2020 (HF-2020) based on if concomitant COVID-19 was diagnosed, forming the HF-COVID+ve and HF-COVID-ve groups respectively. HF-2020 was also compared with prepandemic HF hospitalizations between April 2019 and December 2019 (HF-2019). Baseline characteristics were compared, and adjusted outcomes were obtained. During the initial COVID-19 surge in April 2020, HF admissions were reduced by 47% compared to January 2020. Following this decline, HF hospitalizations increased but did not reach prepandemic levels. HF-2020 admissions had an increased complication burden compared to HF-2019, including acute myocardial infarction (8.9% vs 6.6%, P < 0.005) and pulmonary embolism (4.1% vs 3.4%, P < 0.005) indicating a sicker cohort of patients. HF-COVID+ve hospitalizations had 2.9 times higher odds of inpatient mortality compared to HF-COVID-ve and an increased adjusted length of stay by 2.16 days (P < 0.005). A pandemic of the same magnitude as COVID-19 can overwhelm even the most advanced health systems. Early resource mobilization and preparedness is essential to provide care to a sick cohort of patients like acute HF, who are directly and indirectly effected by the consequences of the pandemic which has worsened hospitalization outcomes.

Left to their own devices? Antecedents and contingent effects of workplace anxiety in the WFH selling environment

Purpose>The main purpose of this research is to understand how the sudden shift to work from home (WFH) after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has caught several sales organizations underprepared and ill-equipped to combat emergent challenges. In this research, the authors provide initial evidence into how the WFH arrangement impacts salespeople and sales organizations. Specifically, this research is guided by two objectives: to understand how the shift to WFH environment is affecting salespeople, and to explore how organizations can mitigate dysfunctional effects of the shift to WFH practices and enhance salespeople's commitment toward this new reality.Design/methodology/approach>The authors did preliminary in-depth interviews with 13 executives operating in the business-to-business (B2B) space to identify themes that reflected the reality faced by B2B sales organizations when transitioning to WFH. The authors then conducted a quantitative study involving a survey with 130 B2B salespeople.Findings>The findings from the qualitative research suggested that the WFH situation is quite different from the more traditional remote selling situations that B2B salespeople are used to. More specifically, salespeople experienced more anxiety because of the WFH situations. This finding was supported in the empirical study done by the authors where stress associated with WFH and job insecurity had a significant impact on salesperson anxiety.Research limitations/implications>The study primarily used subjective responses of salespeople with no objective measures. Furthermore, this study is cross-sectional in nature. Future research should build on the present work to understand the long-term consequences of WFH and factor in customer responses to the same. The impact of increased use of technology in the sales process will need further attention, including the sales management implication for the same.Originality/value>Given the unforeseen nature of the COVID pandemic and how unprepared salespeople and sales organizations were to deal with it, this study is one of the first studies that documents the impact of WFH situations on salespeople.

IoT-Based Smart Mask Protection against the Waves of COVID-19

In the year 2020, the word “pandemic” has become quite popular. A pandemic is a disease that spreads over a wide geographical region. The massive outbreak of coronavirus popularly known as COVID-19 has halted normal life worldwide. On 11th March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) quoted the COVID-19 outbreak as a “Pandemic”. The outbreak pattern differs widely across the globe based on the findings discovered so far;however, fever is a common and easily detectable symptom of COVID-19 and the new COVID strain. After the virus outbreak, thermal scanning is done using infrared thermometers in most public places to detect infected persons. It is time-consuming to track the body temperature of each person. Besides, close contact with infected persons can spread the virus from the infected persons to the individual performing the screening or vice-versa. In this research, we propose a device architecture capable of automatically detecting the coronavirus or new COVID strain from thermal images;the proposed architecture comprises a smart mask equipped with a thermal imaging system, which reduces human interactions. The thermal camera technology is integrated with the smart mask powered by the Internet of Things (IoT) to proactively monitor the screening procedure and obtain data based on real-time findings. Besides, the proposed system is fitted with facial recognition technology;therefore, it can also display personal information. It will automatically measure the temperature of each person who came into close contact with the infected humans or humans in public spaces, such as markets or offices. The new design is very useful in healthcare and could offer a solution to preventing the growth of the coronavirus. The presented work hasa key focus on the integration of advanced algorithms for the predictive analytics of parameters required for in-depth evaluations. The proposed work and the results are pretty effectual and performance cognizant for predictive analytics. The manuscript and associated research work integrate the IoT and Internet of Everything (IoE) based analytics with sensor technologies with real-time data so that the overall predictions will be more accurate and integrated with the health sector. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12652-022-04395-7.

Disproportionate Burden of COVID-19 Infection Among Hispanic Patients During the First COVID-19 Surge in South Texas.

Introduction: The morbidity and mortality of the COVID-19 pandemic have disproportionately burdened Hispanic populations in the United States. While health equity research is typically conducted in populations where Hispanics are the minority, this project analyzes COVID-19 racioethnic transmission trends over the first 6 months of the pandemic within a large majority-minority city in South Texas. Methods: Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 across inpatient, emergency department, and outpatient settings of a large county health system were included in a clinical registry. For 4644 COVID-19-positive patients between March 16 and August 31, 2020, demographic and clinical data were abstracted from the registry. Race/ethnicity trends over time were compared for patients with and without COVID-19 diagnoses. Logistic regressions identified predictors of inpatient diagnosis by age, race/ethnicity, and testing delay. Results: The proportion of patients with COVID-19 identifying as Hispanic increased rapidly during the pandemic's first months: from 55.6% in March to 85.7% in June. A significantly greater proportion of patients identified as Hispanic within the COVID-19 cohort compared to other diagnoses cohort. Testing delay was 11.6% longer for Hispanic patients, with each day of testing delay associated with 7% increased odds of inpatient COVID-19 diagnosis. Conclusion: These findings highlight the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Hispanic populations even within a majority-minority community. In the United States, Hispanic persons are more likely to work frontline jobs, live in multigenerational homes in poverty, and be uninsured. The burden of COVID-19 cases within Bexar County's largest hospital system reflects this systemic inequity. Identifying racioethnic health disparities supports efforts toward mitigating structural factors that predispose minority groups to illness and death.

The Nepali-speaking Bhutanese Immigrants: A Population Overlooked amidst the COVID-19 Crisis

The Nepali-speaking Bhutanese (NSB) community living in Central Pennsylvania has been significantly affected by COVID-19 due to various biopsychosocial determinants of health. In this paper, we discuss interventions developed by a tertiary care health system in Central Pennsylvania to provide immediate support to the NSB community.

The Nepali-speaking Bhutanese Immigrants: A Population Overlooked amidst the COVID-19 Crisis.

The Nepali-speaking Bhutanese (NSB) community living in Central Pennsylvania has been significantly affected by COVID-19 due to various biopsychosocial determinants of health. In this paper, we discuss interventions developed by a tertiary care health system in Central Pennsylvania to provide immediate support to the NSB community.

Personal Protective Equipment: Attitudes and Behaviors Among Nurses at a Single University Medical Center

Introduction: Healthcare workers are at an increased risk of infectious disease transmission through occupational exposure. Despite this, rates of personal protective equipment (PPE) use vary among healthcare personnel. This cross-sectional study surveyed healthcare workers at a single academic center to determine how the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected the perceptions and behaviors of PPE usage. Methods: An anonymous online survey through the SurveyMonkey® tool (Zendesk Inc., San Francisco, California) was sent to the University of California, Irvine, Medical Center department listserv of nurses on March 20, 2021, and was closed on June 20, 2021. Results: Of 311 respondents, 23% admitted to suffering a splash injury to the face during a procedure. When compared to one year ago prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, PPE was more important (93% vs. 80%) and more frequently used (80% vs. 54%) by respondents. The recent COVID-19 pandemic had the strongest impact on increasing respondents’ perception of the importance of PPE (44%). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic positively impacted rates of PPE usage and perceptions of the importance of PPE among healthcare workers at a single academic institution. Implementing clear and effective education and training programs, ensuring adequate access to protective gear, and promoting a positive safety climate can help improve adherence to safety protocols and appropriate use of PPE. 

High-flow nasal cannula therapy in a predominantly African American population with COVID-19 associated acute respiratory failure.

IMPORTANCE: Use of non-invasive respiratory modalities in COVID-19 has the potential to reduce rates of intubation and mortality in severe disease however data regarding the use of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) in this population is limited. OBJECTIVE: To interrogate clinical and laboratory features of SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with high-flow failure. DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate characteristics of high-flow therapy use early in the pandemic and interrogate factors associated with respiratory therapy failure. SETTING: Multisite single centre hospital system within the metropolitan Detroit region. PARTICIPANTS: Patients from within the Detroit Medical Center (n=104, 89% African American) who received HFNC therapy during a COVID-19 admission between March and May of 2020. PRIMARY OUTCOME: HFNC failure is defined as death or intubation while on therapy. RESULTS: Therapy failure occurred in 57% of the patient population, factors significantly associated with failure centred around markers of multiorgan failure including hepatic dysfunction/transaminitis (OR=6.1, 95% CI 1.9 to 19.4, p<0.01), kidney injury (OR=7.0, 95% CI 2.7 to 17.8, p<0.01) and coagulation dysfunction (OR=4.5, 95% CI 1.2 to 17.1, p=0.03). Conversely, comorbidities, admission characteristics, early oxygen requirements and evaluation just prior to HFNC therapy initiation were not significantly associated with success or failure of therapy. CONCLUSIONS: In a population disproportionately affected by COVID-19, we present key indicators of likely HFNC failure and highlight a patient population in which aggressive monitoring and intervention are warranted.

Home-Based Telemental Health: A Proposed Privacy and Safety Protocol and Tool.

Objectives: To describe the development of a protocol and practical tool for the safe delivery of telemental health (TMH) services to the home. The COVID-19 pandemic forced providers to rapidly transition their outpatient practices to home-based TMH (HB-TMH) without existing protocols or tools to guide them. This experience underscored the need for a standardized privacy and safety tool as HB-TMH is expected to continue as a resource during future crises as well as to become a component of the routine mental health care landscape. Methods: The authors represent a subset of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Telemental Health Consortium. They met weekly through videoconferencing to review published safety standards of care, existing TMH guidelines for clinic-based and home-based services, and their own institutional protocols. They agreed on three domains foundational to the delivery of HB-TMH: environmental safety, clinical safety, and disposition planning. Through multiple iterations, they agreed upon a final Privacy and Safety Protocol for HB-TMH. The protocol was then operationalized into the Privacy and Safety Assessment Tool (PSA Tool) based on two keystone medical safety constructs: the World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist/Time-Out and the Checklist Manifesto.Results: The PSA Tool comprised four modules: (1) Screening for Safety for HB-TMH; (2) Assessment for Safety During the HB-TMH Initial Visit; (3) End of the Initial Visit and Disposition Planning; and (4) the TMH Time-Out and Reassessment during subsequent visits. A sample workflow guides implementation. Conclusions: The Privacy and Safety Protocol and PSA Tool aim to prepare providers for the private and safe delivery of HB-TMH. Its modular format can be adapted to each site's resources. Going forward, the PSA Tool should help to facilitate the integration of HB-TMH into the routine mental health care landscape.

The Transition of Academic Mental Health Clinics to Telehealth During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: A consortium of 8 academic child and adolescent psychiatry programs in the United States and Canada examined their pivot from in-person, clinic-based services to home-based telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aims were to document the transition across diverse sites and to present recommendations for future telehealth service planning. METHOD: Consortium sites completed a Qualtrics survey assessing site characteristics, telehealth practices, service use, and barriers to and facilitators of telehealth service delivery prior to (pre) and during the early stages of (post) the COVID-19 pandemic. The design is descriptive. RESULTS: All sites pivoted from in-person services to home-based telehealth within 2 weeks. Some sites experienced delays in conducting new intakes, and most experienced delays establishing tele-group therapy. No-show rates and use of telephony versus videoconferencing varied by site. Changes in telehealth practices (eg, documentation requirements, safety protocols) and perceived barriers to telehealth service delivery (eg, regulatory limitations, inability to bill) occurred pre-/post-COVID-19. CONCLUSION: A rapid pivot from in-person services to home-based telehealth occurred at 8 diverse academic programs in the context of a global health crisis. To promote ongoing use of home-based telehealth during future crises and usual care, academic programs should continue documenting the successes and barriers to telehealth practice to promote equitable and sustainable telehealth service delivery in the future.

Modeling novel Anti-Viral peptides (AVPs) with in-silico docking simulations against corona virus.

The havoc created by Corona virus has been dealt with using various integrative approaches adopted by laboratories through-out the world. Use of anti-viral peptides (AVPs) although new but has shown tremendous potential against many pathogens. Previously AVPs have been designed against spike protein of corona virus which is the major entry mediating molecule. Using various in-silico strategies, in this research work AVPs have been modeled against lesser studied viral proteins namely ORF7a protein, Envelope protein (E), Nucleoprotein (N), and Non-Structural protein (Nsp1 and Nsp2). The predicted AVPs have been docked against various host as well as viral proteins. The interaction of small AVPs seems capable of interfering with binding between viral protein and its host counterpart. Therefore, these AVPs can act as a deterrent against novel corona virus, which requires further validation through laboratory techniques.

Forty-One-Year-Old Man with Pulmonary Embolism 5 Months After COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Hypercoagulation is one of the striking features of COVID-19. Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are at high risk for venous thromboembolism. However, it is unknown if the risk for venous thromboembolism persists after discharge. CASE SUMMARY: We report a case with pulmonary embolism 5 months after COVID-19. No risk factors for venous thrombosis have been identified. CONCLUSION: In COVID-19 related hospitalization, large studies are needed to identify the risk of venous thromboembolism after discharge.

A call to action: why medical education curriculum needs to encourage young physicians to innovate.

Patient-centered and physician-led innovations are key to promoting physicians as visionary leaders in the healthcare system especially during times of crises. COVID-19 has inspired some promising recent advancements within medicine worth noting, including improvements in telemedicine, 3-D printed personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators, drug and vaccine development, sterilization of PPE allowing for reuse, and point of care testing; they highlight a broader lesson for how we might innovate better within medicine, even after the crisis has passed. As such, with the complexities of modern-day medicine, to continue to foster this culture of innovation, it is paramount that going forward, medical education adapt and embrace an innovation curriculum that prepares physicians and healthcare workers to work with their communities and researchers to confidently tackle any challenges that may present. Integrating innovation into our careers and medical training is important for advancement of the field and to be able to handle challenges that may present to the healthcare system.

Statistical interpretation of environmental influencing parameters on COVID-19 during the lockdown in Delhi, India.

The novel coronavirus disease is known as COVID-19, which is declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization during March 2020. In this study, the COVID-19 connection with various weather parameters like temperature, wind speed, and relative humidity is investigated and the future scenario of COVID-19 is predicted based on the Gaussian model (GM). This study is conducted in Delhi, the capital city of India, during the lowest mobility rate due to strict lockdown nationwide for about two months from March 15 to May 17, 2020. Spearman correlation is applied to obtain the interconnection of COVID-19 cases with weather parameters. Based on statistical analysis, this has been observed that the temperature parameter shows a significant positive trend during the period of study. The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 is fitted with respect to the number of days by using the Gaussian curve and it is estimated on the basis of the model that maximum cases will go up to 123,886 in number. The maximum number of cases will be observed during the range of 166 ± 36 days. It is also estimated by using the width of the fitted GM that it will take minimum of 10 months for the complete recovery from COVID-19. Additionally, the linear regression technique is used to find the trend of COVID-19 cases with temperature and it is estimated that with an increase in temperature by 1 °C, 30 new COVID-19 cases on daily basis will be expected to observe. This study is believed to be a preliminary study and to better understand the concrete relationship of coronavirus, at least one complete cycle is essential to investigate. The laboratory-based study is essential to be done to support the present field-based study. Henceforth, based on preliminary studies, significant inputs are put forth to the research community and government to formulate thoughtful strategies like medical facilities such as ventilators, beds, testing centers, quarantine centers, etc., to curb the effects of COVID-19.

Clinical deterioration during neutropenia recovery after G-CSF therapy in patient with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Granulocyte colony stimulating factors (G-CSFs) induce neutrophils proliferation and cytokines production. It has often been used to treat neutropenia without solid evidence of efficacy. It has been demonstrated that respiratory distress is associated with neutropenia recovery but not with G-CSFs. In general, G-CSFs are known to be safe and well tolerated in most clinical settings. However, the safety of G-CSFs in an overwhelming inflammatory disease like coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is largely unknown. CASE SUMMARY: We report a case with COVID-19 and neutropenia who rapidly deteriorated after administration of G-CSF. CONCLUSION: We observed a faster neutropenia recovery than previously known after administration of G-CSF in our case and in three similar cases previously reported in literature. This rapid neutropenia recovery and the robust inflammatory response in COVID-19 raise concerns about G-CSF safety in patients with COVID-19.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Immunocompromised Organ Transplant Recipients: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an ongoing pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Our understanding of this new disease continues to grow. The impact of the disease on immunocompromised transplant recipients is largely unknown. We present a case of a solid organ transplant recipient on immunosuppressive therapy who successfully recovered from COVID-19 infection. We also review 10 similar cases found in the literature and describe the clinical course and management, including immunosuppressive therapy.

Implementation of Home-Based Telemental Health in a Large Child Psychiatry Department During the COVID-19 Crisis.

Objective: Telemental health (TMH) is not well described for mental health service delivery during crises. Most child and adolescent psychiatry training programs have not integrated TMH into their curricula and are ill equipped to respond during crises to their patients' needs. In this study, we present the implementation of a home-based TMH (HB-TMH) service during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We describe the technological, administrative, training, and clinical implementation components involved in transitioning a comprehensive outpatient child and adolescent psychiatry program to a HB-TMH virtual clinic. Results: The transition was accomplished in 6 weeks. Most in-clinic services were rapidly moved off campus to the home. Owing to challenges encountered with each implementation component, phone sessions bridged the transition from in-clinic to reliable virtual appointments. Within 3 weeks (March 20, 2020) of planning for HB-TMH, 67% of all appointments were conducted at home, and within 4 weeks (March 27, 2020), 90% were conducted at home. By week 6 (April 3, 2020), reliable HB-TMH appointments were implemented. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic crisis created the opportunity to innovate a solution to disrupted care for our established patients and to create a resource for youth who developed problems during the crisis. Our department was experienced in providing TMH services that facilitated the transition to HB-TMH, yet still had to overcome known and unanticipated challenges. Our experience provides a roadmap for establishing a HB-TMH service with focus on rapid implementation. It also demonstrates a role for TMH during (rather than after) future crises when usual community resources are not available.