COVID-19: booster(s) vs. hospitalization and Intensive Care Unit admission.

OBJECTIVE: As the pandemic continues, different vaccine protocols have been implemented to maintain the protection of vaccines and to provide protection against new variants. The aim of this study was to assess hospitalized patients' vaccination status and document the efficacy of boosters. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The patients that were hospitalized due to COVID-19 were enrolled from 28 hospitals in Turkey for five months from September 2021. 5,331 confirmed COVID-19 patients from collaborating centers were randomly enrolled to understand/estimate the distribution of vaccination status in hospitalized patients and to compare the efficacy of vaccination/booster protocols. RESULTS: 2,779 men and 2,552 women of which 2,408 (45.2%) were admitted to Intensive Care Units participated in this study. It was found that the highest risk reduction for all age groups was found in groups that received 4 doses. Four doses of vaccination for every 3.7 people under 50 years of age, for every 5.7 people in the 50-64 age group, and for every 4.3 people over 65 years of age will prevent 1 patient from being admitted to intensive care. Regardless of the type of vaccine, it was found that the risk of ICU hospitalization decreased in those who were vaccinated compared to those who were not vaccinated. Regardless of the type of vaccine, the ICU risk was found to decrease 1.25-fold in those who received 1 or 2 doses of vaccine, 1.18-fold in those who received 3 doses, and 3.26-fold in those who received 4 doses. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that the addition of a fourth dose is more effective in preventing intensive unit care even in disadvantaged groups.

Immediate Effects of COVID-19 Outbreak on Psychiatric Outpatients: Post-traumatic Stress and Influencing Factors

Objective: Immediate effects of coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak on psychiatric patients are unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak and public health measures on the psychological well-being of patients with psychiatric disorders. Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed 436 outpatients recruited from a tertiary psychiatry clinic in Istanbul, Turkey, nearly 1 month after the government introduced strict measures of lockdown against the ongoing outbreak. Respondents completed a web-based survey on sociodemographic data, subjective sleep quality, and a range of psychiatric symptoms using the Impact of Events Scale-Revised and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results: Respondents reported high frequencies of clinically significant post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (32.6%, Impact of Events Scale-Revised score ≥ 33), anxiety (36.4%, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale anxiety score > 10), and depression symptoms (51%, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score > 10). In total, 20.5% of respondents described that their psychological status worsened during the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak, and 12.1% of respondents described poor or very poor sleep in the prior month. Positive predictors of increased post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms included chronic medical diseases, knowing someone in the social vicinity diagnosed with the coronavirus disease 2019 infection, job loss or being on temporary leave after the outbreak, and increased exposure time to television or social media. In contrast, male gender, older age, higher educational attainment, and psychiatric diagnoses of schizophrenia, and (to a lesser degree) bipolar disorder were the negative predictors. Conclusion: Our results suggest that patients with psychiatric disorders are prone to substantial psychological distress during the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak, and various individual, behavioral, and social factors mediate this effect.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's eating patterns and parents' anxiety levels: a multi- center study

Objectives: Our study aimed to evaluate the eating patterns of children as well as parental anxiety on virus transmission along with associated factors in the first month of the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to compare the results to pre-epidemic patterns. Materials and Methods: This study was planned as a multi-center (n=8), cross-sectional study. Informed consent forms and questionnaires were sent to the parents of the children between the ages of 6 and 18 years who applied to the study centers and accepted study participation via e-mail or instant messaging applications.

Tracheostomy in COVID-19 patients: a retrospective observational study

Objective: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many patients require intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization with mechanical ventilation (MV). There is still no clear information about the timing and indications of tracheostomy in COVID-19 cases. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between the timing of tracheostomy and outcomes of critical COVID-19 cases. Materials and Methods: This single-center, retrospective, observational study included patients with COVID-19 who were intubated in the ICU between November 1, 2020 and February 1, 2021, and underwent percutaneous tracheostomy. Demographic data of all patients, the day each patient underwent a percutaneous tracheostomy, the complications related to the procedure, laboratory data, mortality, MV duration, and ICU length of stay (LOS) were recorded.

Technological Leadership Of School Principals During The Covid-19 Period

The aim of this research is to examine the technological leadership behaviors of school principals during the COVID-19 period. Qualitative research approach was adopted in the research and a case study was conducted. The study group of the research consists of 13 school principals working in primary, secondary and high schools in Zonguldak province in the 2019-2020 academic year. The semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher was used as the data collection tool in the study. Research data were collected through face-to-face interviews with school principals. Content analysis technique, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the analysis of the data. The findings of the study show that school principals aim to ensure the continuity of the curriculum, to ensure the students’ commitment to school and to support teachers’ professional development in technology while managing distance education through educational technologies during the COVID-19 period. The research findings also show that school principals provide printed resources to students who do not have internet at home, provide technological tools, and provide support for the use of Education Information Network in order to ensure equality in students’ access to technological resources. © 2020. All Rights Reserved.