A study on Instinctive Feelings, Perceived Stressors and Factors that helped in reducing Stress during COVID 19 pandemic among Health Care Workers

Background: Healthcare workers at the forefront of the battle against COVID 19 are not only putting their own health and lives at risk but are also fighting to keep their own worries and emotional stress at bay. Aim & Objective: To evaluate emotions, perceived stressors, and factors that helped in reducing stress of healthcare workers who worked during a COVID19 pandemic. Settings and Design: This cross sectional study was conducted among Health Care staff involved in COVID 19 duty in tertiary care hospital of Gujarat. Methods and Material: Google form link was shared though what's up and mail. The questionnaire was completed online. Consent for voluntarily participation was also obtained through online Google form. Statistical analysis used: Data was entered and analysed through Microsoft Excel 2010. Results: Total 106 participants responded to the questionnaire. It was extremely stressful for health care workers to see their colleagues getting infection, as well as the fear that they could transmit the disease to their families or friends. Main factors that helped to reduce the stress were positive attitude from colleagues, improvement of patients conditions and availability of protective equipment. Conclusions: Personal safety, the protection of family members and unpredictability of pandemic were the main concerns. Hospitals should prioritise stress monitoring for health care workers and provide targeted psychological guidance for HCWs during the pandemic. © 2022, Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine. All rights reserved.

Docking study of transmembrane serine protease type 2 inhibitors for the treatment of COVID-19

The recent pandemic development of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its quick national and international spread present a global health emergency. Entry of coronaviruses into the cell depends on binding of the viral spike (S) proteins to host cells receptors, which rely on cell proteases for activation. One of the proteases, transmembrane serine protease type 2 (TMPRSS2) was proven to be crucial for S protein priming. Our research emphasizes on identifying presupposing drug candidates for the TMPRSS2 inhibitors to combat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). TMPRSS2 homology model is generated by utilizing Modeller9.22, whereas we perform molecular docking with AutoDock Vina. Docking of peptidomimetic inhibitors (inhibitor "92" and inhibitor "50") and allosteric inhibitors (nafamostat and camostat mesilate) in this study is carried out at the active site of the TMPRSS2 homology model. Known active ligands have low docking score energies varying from -7.6 to -8.7 kcal/mol. The docking study has confirmed peptidomimetic inhibitors bind with the catalytic triad HIS 41 and ASP 90 by strong hydrogen bonding. Allosteric inhibitors block access to the catalytic triad (HIS 41, ASP 90, and SER 186) by forming hydrogen bonds with ASP 180, GLN 183, and GLY 209 in the S1 pocket. This investigation gives an insight into the design and identification of drug repurposing candidates for the management of COVID-19. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.

Comprehensive review on repurposing of approved medicine in the management of COVID-19 infection

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, accountable for the COVID-19 pandemic, is now sweeping the globe. As a result, as this disease resists testing and adoption of new treatments, repositioning existing medications may provide a quick and appealing method with established safety, features, and dose used. They are not, however, specific or focused. However, numerous medications have been studied for their efficacy and safety in treatment of COVID-19, with the majority currently undergoing clinical trials. The goal is to rapidly expand novel preventative and therapeutic medications, as well as to apply preventive methods such as early patient identification, isolation, and treatment. Moreover, reducing transmission through physical contact is also important. In the fight against this dangerous disease, finding the proper treatment is crucial. This article summarizes several anti-malarial, anti-parasitic, monoclonal antibodies, immunosuppressant, and immunomodulating agents in clinical trials for COVID-19. The purpose of this article is to evaluate and explore the potential roles of several medications now utilized in COVID-19.

Audit of early use of virtual clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic at a district general hospital and its implications for future practice

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how healthcare is delivered, with an emphasis on using technology to minimize hospital visits. In the dermatology department of a district general hospital, we describe our early experience of replacing faceto-face consultations with video or telephone consultations in response to COVID-19, including facilities for patients to email photographs. Alongside this major change, our patient cohort presents additional challenges with a high incidence of skin cancer, and an elderly population who may be less confident using technology (http://www.ncin.org.uk/skin/laua/at las.html). Data were collected over 43 days during May-July 2020 for nonsurgical appointments. Two hundred and eightyfour appointments were recorded. Average age was 55.5 years (range 0-97). Nineteen (6.7%) appointments did not go ahead;18 did not answer and one was a prisoner for whom necessary preparations were not arranged. Of these, 13 were rebooked, five were discharged and one was booked for surgery based on photos. Of the appointments that proceeded, 210 (79.2%) used telephone only, 37 (14.0%) used video only, 15 (5.7%) used a combination and three (1.1%) were face to face. Reasons cited for not using video included 55 (25.8%) instances telephone deemed sufficient, 50 (23.5%) patients not ready on video software at appointment time, 38 (17.8%) not internet savvy, eight (3.8%) had not received the instruction letter, six (2.8%) had technical issues, three (1.4%) requested telephone consultation and two (0.9%) requested a face-to-face instruction. In the remaining 51 (23.9%), no reason was documented. For patients aged ≥ 65 years, 18 of 127 appointments (14.2%) proceeded by video vs. 27 of 155 (17.4%) in those aged ≤ 65 years. Ninety-seven (36.6%) patients emailed photos beforehand and 48 (18.1%) were asked to provide photos afterwards. One hundred and nineteen (44.9%) virtual consultations avoided hospital visits;43 patients were discharged and 76 had routine follow-up arranged. The data shows that, despite initial difficulty implementing, virtual clinics provide significant potential for reducing hospital visits. Elderly patients were less likely to achieve successful video calls and may benefit from focused support. It was noted anecdotally that patients receiving preparatory phone calls from administrative staff to explain the software had a higher uptake of video consultations. Going forwards, we plan to reaudit, evaluating the impact of administrative staff routinely contacting patients prior to appointments. In the long term, although virtual consultations cannot completely replace face-to-face consultations, this may become an increasingly utilized option reflecting patient choice.