How It Started, How It's Going: Why Past Research Does Not Encompass Pandemic-Induced Remote Work Realities and What Leaders Can Do for More Inclusive Remote Work Practices

In response to the increasing prevalence of remote work during and after the pandemic, industrial-organizational psychologists postulated a diverse set of recommendations on key actions based on what we already know about remote work complexities that are well captured in the literature. However, as most recent recommendations were made under light of past studies, which elaborated remote work as a voluntary perk rather than a reactive response under the crisis situation, most of the actual challenges that people experienced while working from home remained untouched. Therefore, with this piece, our aim is to present counterarguments to already published recommendations entailing the core difficulties linked to the forced nature of remote work during the pandemic. We believe that the unique pandemic conditions pose particular complexities that go beyond previously identified ones. Thus, there is a need to underline these unidentified obstacles to better equip leaders and employees working remotely during and after the pandemic conditions. We conclude our article by recommending leaders to evaluate the contextual differences in their organizational settings and take appropriate actions by taking a critical lens in evaluating the latest research.

Psycho-Covid

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic generated a health emergency and led to the adoption of different measures, including home quarantine and social isolation, which, as we have seen, has had an impact on the mental health of the majority of citizens, with the possibility of psychiatric disorders appearing. in people without prior mental illness, such as acute decompensations in patients with known disorders, more vulnerable to environmental stressors. Objective(s): Learn and rethink alarm signals in extreme situations such as the one experienced in recent months, as well as observe the impact, negative in many cases, but positive in others, of the patients we treat daily. Method(s): Description through brief clinical cases of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychotic patients and the decompensation that it has entailed, including due to confinementmeasures and social isolation, associated with over-information through the media, chaos initial and the uncertainty that it caused and the associated fear. Result(s): Restrictions as a result of COVID-19 have played a very relevant role as an external stressor for the appearance of psychopathological alterations, including psychotic symptoms. In addition, people who suffer from psychosis or at risk of psychotic disorder can be especially affected and trigger acute psychopathology with social isolation, loss of daily routines, unemployment, homelessness. Conclusion(s): These cases are an example that shows the need for an early and effective approach to the rise in mental illnesses in circumstances of this caliber.

Psycho-Covid

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic generated a health emergency and led to the adoption of different measures, including home quarantine and social isolation, which, as we have seen, has had an impact on the mental health of the majority of citizens, with the possibility of psychiatric disorders appearing. in people without prior mental illness, such as acute decompensations in patients with known disorders, more vulnerable to environmental stressors. Objectives Learn and rethink alarm signals in extreme situations such as the one experienced in recent months, as well as observe the impact, negative in many cases, but positive in others, of the patients we treat daily. Methods Description through brief clinical cases of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychotic patients and the decompensation that it has entailed, including due to confinement measures and social isolation, associated with over-information through the media, chaos initial and the uncertainty that it caused and the associated fear. Results Restrictions as a result of COVID-19 have played a very relevant role as an external stressor for the appearance of psychopathological alterations, including psychotic symptoms. In addition, people who suffer from psychosis or at risk of psychotic disorder can be especially affected and trigger acute psychopathology with social isolation, loss of daily routines, unemployment, homelessness. Conclusions These cases are an example that shows the need for an early and effective approach to the rise in mental illnesses in circumstances of this caliber. Disclosure No significant relationships.

Coping strategies, barriers, and facilitators recorded by brazilian physiotherapists facing the covid-19 pandemic

Objective: To understand what were the coping strategies adopted by Brazilian physiotherapists in the face of the pandemic over two periods (2020 and 2021), and to analyze the barriers and facilitators they identified. Method: This is a quantitative observational study in two sections (cross-sectional and longitudinal), carried out through an online questionnaire, in which 304 physical therapists participated in the research. The instruments applied were a sociodemographic and work form and the Brief COPE questionnaire. For statistics the following analyses were used: frequency, mean, median, interquartile range, and standard deviation;the Mann Whitney U test;the Kruskal-Wallis test;the Spearman's correlation test;and the Wilcoxon test. Barriers and facilitators were organized in the form of a word cloud (Word Cloud Art Creator). Results: The most frequently used coping strategies were acceptance, planning, and active coping in the two periods of analysis. Most participants pointed out that the fear of infecting their family or friends was the main barrier, and family support was the main facilitator. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that the family served as a facilitator for coping, but also as a barrier due to the concern of possible infection of family members. The coping strategies used by physical therapists were considered satisfactory and adaptive.

Horacio Larreta, Tiktoker: an analysis of the discourse, tools, topics, and content of political communications by the mayor of Buenos Aires on TikTok

During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media has acquired particular relevance. During periods of long confinement and lockdown, they have become spaces for entertainment and socialization. Within this digital ecosystem, TikTok plays a key role. It has grown remarkably during the past year and has become the most used social network by adolescents. In Argentina, Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, mayor of the City of Buenos Aires, joined TikTok in October 2020, becoming one of the first political figures to open an account. In less than a year, he amassed around 350 thousands followers and 5.4 million likes. In this article, we describe and analyze the communication strategies deployed by Rodriguez Larreta on TikTok between October 19, 2020, when he joined the network, up to September 19, 2021. We employ a qualitative methodology, with content analysis as our main tool, and focus on investigating the frequency, topics, attributes, and language of the videos uploaded by Rodriguez Larreta during his eleven months on TikTok. Our hypothesis is that the mayor of Buenos Aires used TikTok as a special channel to connect with young voters. This becomes obvious throughout our study, as we observe how he adapted his political communication - in both form and function - to align with the codes and language of this social network, placing special emphasis on his interaction with users.

Impact of COVID-19 on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families,support professionals and organizations

Our world has been transformed by the coronavirus and the infection it causes. The severity of the disease and the consequences of the state of alarm do not affect everyone equally, being people with intellectual and developmental disabilities one of the most vulnerable groups. INICO and Plena inclusion conducted a study to analyze the impact of COVID-19 and lockdown on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, direct support professionals, and disability organizations. To address this goal, four online surveys were developed and completed by almost 1.500 participants from all the Spanish regions. The results indicate that, despite the efforts made by the third sector, the health crisis has unveiled the deficiencies of our support system, which leads us to reflect on three fundamental aspects: the degree to which the development and maintenance of natural support networks is carried out when the person lives in a specific environment;the extent to which the support offered from the third sector reaches individuals outside the disability services network;and the role of our educational system in guaranteeing the right to education for people with special support needs. © 2021 University of Salamanca. All rights reserved.

Infection in asymptomatic carriers of SARS-CoV-2 can interfere with the achievement of robust immunity on a population scale

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to spread worldwide as a severe pandemic, and a significant portion of the infected population may remain asymptomatic. Given this, five surveys were carried out between May and September 2020 with a total of 3585 volunteers in the municipality of Foz do Igua..u, State of Paran.., a triple border region between Brazil/Argentina/Paraguay. Five months after the first infection, volunteers were re-analysed for the production of IgG anti-Spike and anti-RBD-Spike, in addition to analyses of cellular immunity. Seroconversion rates ranged from 4.4% to a peak of 37.21% followed by a reduction in seroconversion to 21.1% in September, indicating that 25% of the population lost their circulating anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies 3 months after infection. Analyses after 5 months of infection showed that only 17.2% of people still had anti-RBD-Spike antibodies, however, most volunteers had some degree of cellular immune response. The strategy of letting people become naturally infected with SARS-CoV-2 to achieve herd immunity is flawed, and the first contact with the virus may not generate enough immunogenic stimulus to prevent a possible second infection.

[Structural capacity, technological human resources and mechanical ventilation requirements in 58 intensive care units in Argentina during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. A SATICOVID-19 Study]

During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, there was a marked requirement for critical care beds, supplies and trained professionals to assist patients with severe respiratory failure. The Argentine Society of Intensive Care (SATI) designed a study to characterize these aspects in intensive care units (ICUs). Multicenter, prospective cohort study;the participating ICUs completed a form at the end of the study (31/10/2020) on hospital characteristics, number of beds in pre- and intra-pandemic critical areas, incorporation of professionals, technological resources, and workload. Fifty-eight ICUs participated;28(48%) were located in Buenos Aires Province, 22(38%) in Buenos Aires Autonomous City and 10 (17%) in other provinces;31 (53%) of UCIs belonged to the public sector;23 (47%) to the private-social security. In 35/58 (60%) of the hospitals critical care beds increased from 902 to 1575 (75%), 37% in ICU and 63% mainly in Coronary Care Unit and Emergency-shock room. In 41/55 (75%) UCIs, staff were incorporated: 27(49%) physicians (70% intensivists), 36 (65%) nurses, 28 (51%) respiratory therapists, 20(36%) cleaning staff, and 1(2%) others. A 96% of the ICUS reported having sufficient ventilators and 95% enough supplies and PPE. Of all patients on invasive mechanical ventilation, 55% [43-64] had COVID-19. Oxygen therapy was required as noninvasive support in 14% [8-24] of COVID-19 admissions. There was a significant expansion of critical operational areas, secondary to the increase in beds, staff, and adequate availability of ventilators and essential supplies. The burden of critical illness from COVID-19 was intense, with more than half of patients on mechanical ventilation.

Seroprevalence in Argentinian health care workers after vaccination with Sputnik V

Introduction: Health care workers (HCW) are at increased risk of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). It is essential to guarantee protection in this population. In Argentina, the vaccination campaign began on December 29, 2020 and HCW were among first beneficiaries. The first available vaccine was Sputnik V. Previous studies showed efficacy over 91%. We aimed to corroborate this. Objectives: To determine presence and quantity of Anti-RBD IgG antibodies in HCW at Hospital Universitario Austral. Methods: Seroprevalence study in HCW 3 or more weeks after the second dose of Sputnik V. We excluded those with history of COVID- 19 (positive RT-PCR, positive IgG before vaccination, symptoms not evaluated). Participants had a blood sample taken and processed using Abbott® SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant. A chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) used for qualitative and quantitative determination of IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 on the Alinity and ARCHITECT i Systems. Quantitative results were used in analyses. As per manufacturer's instructions, a value ≥ 50 AU/ml was considered positive. Descriptive analysis;Stata 10.0 Software. Results: Characteristics of the cohort (Table 1). All of the participants developed Anti-RBD IgG. Antibody concentrations (Picture 1). No difference was found in antibody concentrations between 20 to 40 days versus 40 to 100 days from second vaccine dose. Conclusion:: The entire cohort developed antibodies after immunization with Sputnik V with no difference in concentration between extraction 20-40 days from second dose and more than 40 days. Further studies are needed to determine duration of immunity, influence of variants of concern, and to establish concentrations of IgG correlated with neutralizing antibodies. (Figure Presented).

Delivering Group Lifestyle Triple P through digital practice: A case study with Portuguese parents

The purpose of the current study was to explore the delivery of the Group Lifestyle Triple P (GLTP) parent group programme through digital practice. Eight mothers of obese children aged 6–11 were recruited from a university hospital. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study sought to characterise the perceived changes throughout the intervention and explore the outcome measures on children’s BMI z-score, weight-related behaviour problems, parents’ self-efficacy, interparental conflict and parenting styles assessed pre- and post-intervention. Participants identified changes in themselves, in positive parenting, and in their ability to manage children’s nutrition and physical activity, contributing to improve children’s lifestyle behaviours. The clinical results were similar to the findings of studies in which GLTP was delivered in-person. Delivering GLTP through digital practice seems to be a possible way of implementing the intervention, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Practitioner points: GLTP sessions’ contents and activities were adapted for digital delivery without compromising the programme’s implementation fidelity. Parents perceived an increase in positive parenting behaviours and their ability to manage children’s nutrition and physical activity. The clinical results of the GLTP delivered through digital practice were similar to those of studies in which the programme was delivered in-person. © 2021 The Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice

Coronavirus and animals

The Coronavirus and Animals Webinar, organized by the ICALP (International Center for Animal Law and Policy) was held from June 22nd to July 15th 2020. During the closing session, the author of this editorial presented the work done by the General Directorate for Animal Rights (Spain) to ensure the wellbeing of animals during the pandemic outbreak. © 2020, International Center for Animal Law and Policy. All rights reserved.

Severe rhabdomyolysis in the time of coronavirus

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, has become a global pandemic with alarming numbers of morbidity and mortality. COVID-19 primarily presents as a lung infection, with symptoms of fever, cough, myalgia, and fatigue. The severity of the disease may range from a mild upper respiratory infection to severe pneumonia, ARDS, and death. This novel disease can also present with involvement of multiple organ systems including the kidneys. Acute kidney injury (AKI) has been reported in up to 37 % of cases. Here we report a case of a woman with COVID-19 presenting with rhabdomyolysis and AKI. Case Description: A 48 y/o Hispanic woman with history of HTN, hyperlipidemia and DM type 2 who presented to the ED complaining of shortness of breath, fever, cough, and myalgias. Four days before presentation she had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and was self-isolating at home. Her symptoms worsened prompting her visit to the ED. Vital signs showed fever of 103.1 F, pulse 86, respirations 37, blood pressure 106/58 and O2 Sat 85% at room air, 95% with nasal canula at 4 L. PE was normal except for tachypnea and coarse breath sounds bilaterally on lung auscultation. Admission labs were remarkable for AKI and rhabdomyolysis. Serum creatinine was 3.61, BUN 83, and total CK 106,193. U/A with blood, 5-10 RBC, 5-10 WBC and many bacteria. FeNA was 0.3%. Toxicology panel was negative. Respiratory viral panel was negative. Influenza A and B are negative. She initially received 2 L bolus of IV NS and then continued with balanced crystalloid solutions for volume expansion over the next 3 days. She received treatment with hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin and ceftriaxone for COVID-19 pneumonia. Her symptoms improved and serum creatinine and CK gradually decreased until back to normal levels. Discussion: Rhabdomyolysis can be seen associated with viral infections. We presented a patient with COVID-19 and rhabdomyolysis. There are no studies establishing a mechanism for COVID-19 induced rhabdomyolysis. Patients with COVID-19 pneumonia are generally kept with negative fluid balance to avoid overload and worsening of ARDS. On the other hand, volume expansion is mainstay management for rhabdomyolysis. Clinicians should have a high suspicion for rhabdomyolysis in patients with COVID-19 presenting with myalgias and AKI. Early recognition of and appropriate treatment is crucial to improve outcomes.

Hypertriglyceridemia in Sars-Cov-2 infected patients treated with parenteral nutrition

Rationale: To evaluate hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) risk factors in adult hospitalized COVID patients treated with Parenteral Nutrition (PN). Methods: Patients starting PN from 03/16-04/15/2020 were selected. Data collected: demographic, nutritional (indication, days of PN, PN composition (g/kg/d by adjusted body weight);COVID treatments and analytical. In our COVID protocol, inflammatory state (IS) was considered with at least 2 of the next criteria: PCR>100mg/L, DD>1.000μ/L, LDH>400U/L, ferritin>1.000ng/ml and IL-6>70ng/L. HTG was defined as triglycerides (TG)≥3 mmol/L. Data expressed as median [IQR]. T-student test to compare our results with a previous no-COVID cohort with PN at our center and TG at PN beginning and end. Multivariate analysis to study TG at PN beginning and HTG risk factors. Results: 54 patients, 72.2% men, 67.6 [13.4] years, 80 [19.3] kg, 29.8 [5.6] kg/m2, 61.1 % had dyslipidaemia. PN lasted 5 [5] days. 83.3% received PN for enteral intolerance. PN composition (g/kg/d): 1.28 [0.05] nitrogen, 0.57 [0.78] lipids, 3.05 [1.53] glucose and 19.8 [7.1] kcal/kg/d. No differences between TGC at PN beginning and ending (3,56 [1.01] vs 3.621[1.74], p: 0.89). 80% met IS, 79.6% critical or semicritical, and 50% died. 81.5% received tocilizumab, 79.6% propofol and 12.9% tacrolimus. TG before PN started were higher than our previous cohort (3.31[1.14] vs 2.24[1.19] mmol/L;p<0.001)and patients received lower lipid dose (0.52 [0.02] and 0.7[0.18] g/kg/d, respectively (p <0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed a significant relationship between tocilizumab and initial TG (1.459 [0.342-2.576], r2=0.431), while IS, propofol, BMI, dylipidemia, tacrolimus, Lopinavir/r were not significant. Conclusion: COVID patients may have an increased HTG risk, especially those with tocilizumab. However, more studies must be conducted. Despite reducing PN lipid dose, TG reduction was not observed. References: Llop J, Sabin P, Garau M et al. The importance of clinical factors in parenteral nutrition associated hypertriglyceridemia. Clinical Nutrition (2003) 22(6): 577–583 Disclosure of Interest: None declared

Management of digital strategic communication of the main companies in the tourist and gastronomic sector of Ecuador

In times of uncertainty, companies must rethink their strategic communication and take advantage of the possibilities of the digital environment. The research identified the management of communication 2.0 in the main companies of the tourist and gastronomic sector of Ecuador on Twitter. For the quantitative analysis, the communication index 2.0 on social media (Twitter) was measured. Qualitatively, the generated content was analyzed: direct advertising, indirect advertising and valuable content through metrics and Web analytics tools. Finally, the triangulation of information allowed to describe communication 2.0. The study shows that there is a deficient management of communication strategies 2.0 in companies in the tourism and gastronomy sector of Ecuador, a deficiency that is aggravated by the pandemic (COVID-19), so that the challenges are demanding in order to maintain the business, boost economic income, and above all, meet the expectations and needs of tourist 2.0. © AISTI 2020.