ABSTRACT
Like so many of our peers who were in the process of completing a Ph.D., we experienced a dislocation from space, routine, and community at the onset of the COVID pandemic. We were no longer meeting in seminars, having incidental chats in the corridors, or engaging in the day-to-day routines that we found supportive as Higher Degrees by Research (HDR) candidates. As student representatives for just over 700 HDRs in our college, we found ourselves wanting to create opportunities to seek out connection during these strange times, but being unsure of how to do this in the context of such a diverse cohort all dealing with different impacts of the pandemic. In September 2020, amidst the second wave of COVID cases in Victoria, we hosted an online student-led interdisciplinary symposium for HDR students in our college (the Intertext Symposium), adapted from its previous face-to-face format. The Symposium surpassed previous years in terms of attendance, engagement, and support from academics. In this chapter we reflect on the lessons learnt from supporting, contributing, and collaborating on the collective goals of the Symposium. We question why people might have sought to engage in the Symposium, the opportunities for further collaborations, and what we will take forward into the future. In addition to reflecting on what we learnt, we also discuss how changes brought about by COVID-related disruptions may have implications for future HDR communities and collaborations. Previous HDR interactions relied heavily on access to physical space, which made it difficult for geographically dispersed candidates to participate. We anticipate models of online conference events and research project management developed during COVID-19 will be used in future events to cater to diverse audiences (such as those who are geographically dispersed, financially disadvantaged, or carers), even in the absence of restrictions and pandemic constraints. In addition, we believe reflexivity and agility will benefit future student representatives and leaders as a means of learning from and responding to complex challenges currently faced by the higher education sector. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.
ABSTRACT
Introduction/Aim: Medium and long-term impacts of COVID-19 pneumonitis are being increasingly recognised. Our study aimed to evaluate outcomes of hospitalised COVID-19 patients with moderate-to-severe respiratory compromise. Method(s): Patients admitted to a tertiary centre with COVID-19 pneumonitis (March 2020-October 2022) were followed in the Post-COVID Respiratory Clinic at 6-24 weeks. Baseline demographics, admission details, pulmonary function tests (PFTs), and clinic data were collected. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were performed to investigate for predictors of persisting respiratory symptoms (dyspnoea, cough, chest pain) and functional limitation (self-reported). Result(s): 125 patients (64.8%male, 63.2+/-16.7years, 42.5% former/current smokers, BMI 31.0+/-8.0kg/m2, 49.6% fully vaccinated) with median follow-up time of 85 [interquartile range (IQR) 64-131] days were included. Pre-existing conditions included lung disease (29.6%), immunocompromise (15.2%), diabetes (24.8%) and hypertension (43.6%). 35.2% required ICU care (14.4% mechanical ventilated, 4% ECMO), 44.8% received high flow nasal prong oxygen and/or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). At initial clinic follow up, 65.4% had persisting X-ray changes. Mean predicted FEV1, FVC, DLCO were 86.8+/-20.7%, 85.3+/-20.3%, 82.2+/-19.8% respectively. Symptoms included dyspnoea (63.2%), fatigue (24.2%), cognitive dysfunction (12.9%) and musculoskeletal complaints (10.5%). Univariate predictors of continued respiratory and/or functional disability included age [odds ratio (OR) 1.03, 95%confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.06, p = 0.01), prior lung disease (OR2.98, 95%CI 1.05-8.48, p = 0.04), hypertension OR2.61, 95%CI 1.09-6.22, p = 0.03) and length of hospital stay (LOHS) (OR1.03, 95%CI 1.00-1.07, p = 0.04). On multivariable analysis, only LOHS was independently predictive of continued respiratory and functional limitations (OR1.03, 95%CI 1.00-1.07, p = 0.02). Conclusion(s): Patients recovering from COVID-19 pneumonitis have a large burden of disability at follow-up. Older age, hypertension, lung disease and LOHS are risk factors for delayed recovery.
ABSTRACT
Objective: This project evaluated the effect of patient education and music therapy delivered by telehealth on depression related to COVID19 among rural nursing home residents. Method(s): This was a prospective, pilot intervention involving 56 residents from three rural nursing homes. The study included a convenience sample of residents at three rural nursing homes. The mean age for the three groups ranged from 67-81 years of age. Participants received either patient education or combined patient education and music therapy as depression interventions. The primary outcome was the change in PHQ-9 scores from baseline to the end of an eight-week period. The secondary outcome was resident satisfaction as measured through an evaluation survey. Result(s): Of the 56 participants enrolled, 28 completed the study and were included in data analysis. Low pretreatment PHQ-9 implied minimal depression. Summary statistics show a 1.53 mean PHQ-9 change for those receiving education-only (53.6%) and a -1.16 PHQ-9 for those receiving combined therapy (46.4%) (p = 0.092). Results did not demonstrate positive outcomes on depression. A potential difference was noted among each facility. Two-thirds of participants rated their experiences as good to excellent. Conclusions and Implications: It appears that education played a positive role, yet music therapy delivered as telehealth did not show improvement in depression. Further studies are needed to determine the potential impact of non-pharmacological interventions in rural nursing home residents during the pandemic.
ABSTRACT
The Met Office held a testbed over winter 2020/2021 where a new numerical weather prediction (NWP) sub-km ensemble was set up on-demand in response to interesting weather phenomena in the United Kingdom. The domain for the model was chosen in real time by a community of Met Office Research Scientists and Operational Meteorologists and over a 4-month period the ensemble was triggered for nine events. The purpose of the testbed was to investigate whether a real-time weather regime-based enhancement in NWP capability was feasible, to understand what benefits a testbed environment might give, and to explore the practicalities of running such an event. Case studies from the testbed demonstrated that forecast ensembles at 2.2 km and 300 m grid spacing were able to capture observed winter weather, with greater spatial detail apparent, especially over complex orography, in the 300-m model. Ensemble spread appeared less influenced by resolution, potentially due to the size of the domains tested or the weather regimes of the case studies. The testbed also showcased underutilized observations and additional radiosonde ascents were conducted. All the testbed meetings were conducted virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions, and decisions were made about when to trigger the event using an online message board. The winter 2020/2021 testbed provides ideas for how on-demand weather-dependent testbeds might be conducted in the future. However, several recommendations are made that would enhance testbed benefits further, including more dedicated resource, stronger technology and data visualization and greater participation from both academia and weather information users.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To assess outcomes of a limited period (7 months) of remote video consultation with prescribing of prescription-only (POM) or prescription-only-veterinary (POM-V) medications by Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) registered veterinary surgeons to UK clients via a veterinary telemedicine smartphone application. Background: Objective evidence is needed to inform the veterinary profession on the impact that remote prescribing, without physical examination in person, has on animal health and welfare. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the RCVS allowed remote prescribing temporarily. Methods: Clinical records from all veterinary video consultations from 1 April-31 October 2020 were reviewed. Details were assessed pertaining to: signalment, body system/disease categories managed, referrals into practice, medication classes prescribed and outcomes following POM-V/POM medications. Records of adverse events and antimicrobial prescribing were reviewed. Results: 16.6% (3,541/21,383) of video consults had a POM-V/POM prescribed;with a (mild) adverse event rate of 0.8% (30/3541). Antibacterials were prescribed in 5.88% of all consultations (1,258/21,383), 99.3% (1249/1258) being first line. Follow-up on prescribing was available in 67.7% (2,399/3541) of cases. 89% (2135/2399) of all known treatment outcomes were complete or had an expected response to treatment. Dermatological disease was the most common body system/disease category seen and prescribed for. Conclusion: Low prescribing rates (including antibacterials) were recorded, treatments were efficacious and no harm was done by prescribing remotely via a veterinary video consult app. Application: Veterinary surgeons and governing bodies are invited to use the information provided in this clinical audit to inform decisions on the suitability of remote consultations and prescribing in veterinary medicine.