Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on families of children with developmental disabilities: A community-based formative study

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every facet of society but has been particularly disastrous for families of children with developmental disabilities (DD) living on the margins. The unprecedented repercussions of COVID-19, including quarantine, social distancing, and service restrictions, continue to disproportionately impact these families. This is a pattern observed in previous humanitarian crises, where there has been a lack of response for children with DD. There is an urgent need to understand the experiences of families of children with DD in order to develop a community-driven model of service provision. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to identify the experienced impact of COVID-19 on families of children with DD who have significant needs and social barriers. DESIGN/METHODS: This was a community-based participatory study using a formative research framework in accordance with COREQ guidelines. In-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted with caregivers and care providers of children with DD. Data were recorded, transcribed, and coded using deductive and inductive coding methods by three independent coders. A peer debriefing strategy was used to verify the coding approach and interpretation of findings in accordance with the RATS (relevancy, appropriateness, transparency, and soundness) guidelines for qualitative research. Perceived parental stress and social support were explored using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). RESULTS: A total of 25 IDIs were conducted. Of the 15 caregivers interviewed, five were new to Canada. Results suggested both newcomer and non-newcomer families of children with DD are in crisis, reporting high stress and low social support, with increased difficulties navigating and accessing therapies and programs, including those offered virtually. Participants reported behavioural regressions and increased anxiety among their children with DD, as well as caregiver mental health challenges. Providers reported having to change their service delivery model in accordance with public health recommendations, but caregivers said that they were not included in these decisions. CONCLUSION: Families of children with DD face extraordinary barriers to care, which may be further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study demonstrates the value of community-informed design, particularly in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic. To deliver truly patient-centred services during the pandemic, there is an urgent need for responsive programming that is built with patients, for patients.

A large outbreak of measles in the West Midlands, England, 2017-2018: descriptive epidemiology, control measures and lessons learnt.

In November 2017, eight confirmed measles cases were reported to Public Health England from a hospital in the West Midlands. A multidisciplinary Incident Management Team (IMT) was established to determine the extent of the problem and coordinate an outbreak response. Between 1 November 2017 and 4 June 2018, a total of 116 confirmed and 21 likely measles cases were linked to this outbreak; just under half (43%) were aged over 15 years of age. Fifty-five of the confirmed cases were hospitalised (48%) and no deaths were reported. At the start of the outbreak, cases were mostly individuals of Romanian origin; the outbreak subsequently spread to the wider population. Over the 8-month response, the IMT conducted the following control measures: extensive contact tracing, immediate provision of post-exposure prophylaxis, community engagement amongst specific high-risk groups, MMR awareness raising including catch-up campaigns and enhanced vaccination services at selected GP surgeries. Key challenges to the effective control measures included language difficulties limiting community engagement; delays in diagnosis, notification and appropriate isolation of cases; limited resources for contact tracing across multiple high-risk settings (including GPs and hospitals) and lack of timely data on vaccine coverage in sub-groups of the population to guide public health action.

We Need to Know: A Call for Interdisciplinary Education on COVID-19.

COVID-19 disrupted numerous disciplines which led to widespread misinformation on the virus. Thirteen students from across the USA designed a web-based conference, or "webinar," to minimize the misinformation among student populations. Professionals presented the current and possible future impacts of COVID-19 in their respective fields. Pre- and post-conference surveys were administered to the attendees to gauge the impact of the conference. Survey results demonstrated increased knowledge and a lower degree of feeling overwhelmed by COVID-19 information overall, indicating a niche use for webinars during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Therapeutic Approach for COVID-19 – Clinical Challenges and Implementation

SAR-CoV-2 originated from China with first case reporting from Wuhan, has been declared as pandemic by WHO on March 11 2020, which has affected millions of people around the globe with 213 countries and territories infected worldwide. It has caused the death of around 0.6 million individuals with no specific or promising vaccines or treatment available until now to prevent COVID 19, which has been approved;this has led the world to a global crisis not only on the health front but also affected the economic sectors. Researchers across the globe are working around the clock with their level best to discover promising therapeutic approaches for COVID 19, but till now for the treatment, only 3 therapeutics have been approved, including dexamethasone in U.K. and Japan, Avigan in Russia, Italy, and China and remdesivir in Japan and Australia;also convalescent plasma therapy is seen to be effective in critical cases of COVID-19, however, there are limitations with the use of this plasma therapy like the time point of treatment, optimal dose as the dose may vary with number of patients the particular therapeutic effects of convalescent plasma therapy will be further explored in randomized clinical trials. Several complete multinational studies are investigating alternative therapies. More than 100 countries entered a cooperation to evaluate applicants for high-profile COVID-19 diagnosis with this most massive WHO's cooperation. According to WHO's information, there are 28 vaccine candidates under clinical evaluation, with 6 of them entering phase 3. This review emphasizes the allopathic approaches along with the Chinese herbal medicine for the prevention of COVID-19. This paper also includes a brief discussion on the vaccine and nutritional supplements. © The Author(s), 2020.

Examine the association between severe Vitamin D deficiency and mortality in patients with Covid-19

Aim: To determine the association between severe vitamin D deficiency and mortality in patients presented with covid-19. Study Design: Prospective/Observational Place and Duration: Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore during from March 2020 to June 2020. Materials & Methods: Total 140 patients of both genders diagnosed to have covid-19 were enrolled in this study. Patients ages were ranging from 15 years to 75 years. Detailed demographics including age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) were recorded after taking written consent. 5 ml blood sample was taken from all the patients to examine the vitamin D level. Severe Vitamin D deficiency was defined as 25(OH)D < 25 nmol/L (10 ng/dL). Association between mortality and severe vitamin D deficiency was examined. Data was analyzed by SPSS 24.0. Results: Out of 140 patients, 82 (58.57%) were males while 58 (41.43%) were females with mean age 42.46±14.73 years. Severe vitamin D deficiency was observed in 60 (42.86%) patients. Mortality found in 22 (15.71%) patients. Patients with severe vitamin D deficiency had high rate of mortality 16 (26.67%) as compared to patients with no vitamin D deficiency 6 (7.5%), a significant association was observed between severe vitamin D deficiency and mortality in patients with covid-19 disease with p-value <0.05. Conclusion: It is concluded that there was strong relationship between severe vitamin-D deficiency and mortality in patients with covid-19 disease. © 2020 Lahore Medical And Dental College. All rights reserved.