Public Concerns during the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Multicultural Cross-Sectional Study among Internet Survey Respondents in Three Countries.

(1) Background: this study aimed to evaluate the worries, anxiety, and depression in the public during the initial coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lockdown in three culturally different groups of internet survey respondents: Middle Eastern (Israel), European (Poland), and North American (Canada). (2) Methods: a cross-sectional online survey was conducted in the mentioned countries during the lockdown periods. The survey included a demographic questionnaire, a questionnaire on personal concerns, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4). A total of 2207 people successfully completed the survey. (3) Results: Polish respondents were the most concerned about being infected. Canadian respondents worried the most about their finances, relations with relatives and friends, and both physical and mental health. Polish respondents worried the least about their physical health, and Israeli respondents worried the least about their mental health and relations with relatives and friends. Canadian respondents obtained the highest score in the PHQ-4, while the scores of Israeli respondents were the lowest. (4) Conclusions: various factors should be considered while formulating appropriate solutions in emergency circumstances such as a pandemic. Understanding these factors will aid in the development of strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of stress, social isolation, and uncertainty on the well-being and mental health of culturally different societies.

Identification of risk groups for mental disorders, headache and oral behaviors in adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The dramatically changing situation during COVID-19 pandemic, is anticipated to provoke psycho-emotional disturbances and somatization arising from the current epidemiological situation that will become a significant problem for global and regional healthcare systems. The aim of this study was to identify the predictors, risk factors and factors associated with mental disorders, headache and potentially stress-modulated parafunctional oral behaviors among the adult residents of North America and Europe as indirect health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This may help limit the long-term effects of this and future global pandemic crises. The data were collected from 1642 respondents using an online survey. The results demonstrated increased levels of anxiety, depression, headache and parafunctional oral behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic in both North American and European residents. The results of this study facilitated the definition of the group most predicted to experience the aforementioned secondary effects of the pandemic. This group included females younger than 28.5 years old, especially those who were single, less well educated and living in Europe. In case of this and other global crises this will allow faster defining the most vulnerable groups and providing rapid and more targeted intervention.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Polish urologists? Results from a natonal survey: Central European Journal of Urology

Sept. 15, 2020 Introduction Poland was initially less affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, however, severe restrictions, and health care restructuration have impacted all areas of medicine, including urology. [...]we aimed, via an online survey, to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Polish urologists and urology residents. [...]despite initial success with flattening the COVID-19 incidence curve, escalating restrictions, further health care restructuration (including the opening of COVID-19-dedicated hospitals), and unexplored COVID-19 fear likely led to indirect adverse effects of the pandemic also impacting Polish physicians and their work. [...]COVID-19, a droplets-transmitted respiratory infection, despite not being in the initial scope of treatment of urologists, has impacted all areas of urology including emergencies, outpatient clinics, elective surgeries, as well as physicians' everyday lives [6, 7]. Most of the responders felt that their main worksite provided PPE (definitely yes: 20.09%;rather yes: 49.78%), with 78.60% believing that the availability of PPE has improved since the outbreak in March, 2020. [...]86.92% of doctors reported over 25% declines in outpatient consultations and 55.90% claimed that their income dropped over 25%. There were also other borderline significant results, such as more urologists and residents working in the COVID-19 centers indicating >50% earnings decreases as compared to those not in COVID-19 dedicated centers (36.1% vs. 21.2%) DISCUSSION Our study indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic has deeply and negatively influenced Polish urologists and urology residents, in terms of clinical practice, financial situation, mental health, and family life.

Temporomandibular Disorders and Bruxism Outbreak as a Possible Factor of Orofacial Pain Worsening during the COVID-19 Pandemic-Concomitant Research in Two Countries.

BACKGROUND: In late December 2019, a new pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) infection began to spread around the world. The new situation gave rise to severe health threats, economic uncertainty, and social isolation, causing potential deleterious effects on people's physical and mental health. These effects are capable of influencing oral and maxillofacial conditions, such as temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and bruxism, which could further aggravate the orofacial pain. Two concomitant studies aimed to evaluate the effect of the current pandemic on the possible prevalence and worsening of TMD and bruxism symptoms among subjects selected from two culturally different countries: Israel and Poland. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Studies were conducted as cross-sectional online surveys using similar anonymous questionnaires during the lockdown practiced in both countries. The authors obtained 700 complete responses from Israel and 1092 from Poland. In the first step, data concerning TMDs and bruxism were compared between the two countries. In the second step, univariate analyses (Chi2) were performed to investigate the effects of anxiety, depression, and personal concerns of the Coronavirus pandemic, on the symptoms of TMD, and bruxism symptoms and their possible aggravation. Finally, multivariate analyses (logistic regression models) were carried out to identify the study variables that had a predictive value on TMD, bruxism, and symptom aggravation in the two countries. RESULTS: The results showed that the Coronavirus pandemic has caused significant adverse effects on the psychoemotional status of both Israeli and Polish populations, resulting in the intensification of their bruxism and TMD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The aggravation of the psychoemotional status caused by the Coronavirus pandemic can result in bruxism and TMD symptoms intensification and thus lead to increased orofacial pain.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Polish urologists? Results from a national survey.

INTRODUCTION: Poland was initially less affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, however, severe restrictions, and health care restructuration have impacted all areas of medicine, including urology. Therefore, we aimed, via an online survey, to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Polish urologists and urology residents. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between May 15 and June 6, 2020, 229 (28.63% response rate) urologists and urology residents responded to a 28-question online survey. The questionnaire analyzed basic demographic and professional characteristics, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physicians' everyday work, mental status as well as private life. We further compared the differences between the selected subgroups. RESULTS: Nearly all (96.5%) responders claimed that the pandemic had a moderate to high impact on their everyday clinical practice with the majority of the residents (62.0%) believing that the COVID-19 pandemic will harm their training. Most responders (86.9%) reported over 25% declines in outpatient clinic consultations and 55.9% claimed that their income dropped over 25%. Only 38.9% wanted telemedicine to permanently replace some of the consultations after the pandemic, with residents being significantly more positive about this modality (51.4% vs. 33.1%; p = 0.01). Interestingly, 79.9% noticed the negative psychological effect of the pandemic on their colleagues, and 57.6% felt increased anxiety, sadness, or stress. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the complaints and needs of Polish urologists and urology residents after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a significantly negative impact on their work, mental health, and private life.