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Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic and technological advancements have enabled employees to telework. Referring to this emerging phenomenon, the authors aim to examine how employees' levels of trust in management mediated by psychological well-being impact their performance as they telework. Deploying the theoretical lens of person-environment misfit, the authors also explore the role of technostress in the trust-wellbeing-performance relationship. Design/methodology/approach: The data was collected from 511 full-time service sector employees across Indian organizations through a structured survey questionnaire. The proposed moderation-mediation model for this study was tested using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping method. Findings: Structural equation modeling results indicate that trust in management significantly impacts employee performance while teleworking. While psychological well-being was observed as a significant mediator, technostress played the moderator role in the trust-performance relationship. The moderated-mediation effect of psychological well-being in the trust-performance relationship was stronger when technostress was low and weaker when technostress was high. Research limitations/implications: The authors extend the person-environment misfit theory in the context of telework, highlighting the role of technostress that may impact the trust-wellbeing- performance relationship in such work settings. Practical implications: The study informs leaders and managers on balancing delicate aspects such as employee trust and well-being that significantly impact performance as they telework. The authors also highlight the critical role of managers in respecting employees' personal and professional boundaries to alleviate technostress. Originality/value: The authors make a novel theoretical contribution to the emerging literature on teleworking by examining the trust-psychological wellbeing-performance link and the role of technostress in this relationship. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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Background: Alternative medicine systems in India are growing with the advancement of research and pharmaceuticals. The disease – COVID-19 has still no specific treatment modality and the pandemic is continuing. Among the alternative medicine systems, which one is searched more with a connection to the pandemic, are still unknown. Aims and Objectives: This study aimed to assess the global and Indian internet search volume of alternative system medicine – Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy during the past 2 years of the pandemic (March 2020– March 2022). Materials and Methods: On the Google Trends website (https://trends.google.com), we used the following combination of phrases to search the trend and compare the trends: “COVID Ayurveda,” “COVID Yoga,” “COVID Unani,” “COVID Siddha,” and “COVID Homeopathy.” The data were filtered with the date range from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2022. First, the data were collected for the whole world and then India. All the comma separated values were downloaded for further data analysis. Results: Globally, there were two spikes of searching the COVID and Yoga in the second wave and third wave. Search for homeopathy and Ayurveda also showed two peaks during the first and second waves. In India, there were three spikes of search volume for yoga in three waves. The search for homeopathy showed a peak in the first wave. We found a significant positive correlation between global searches and Indian searches. This indicates a correlated demand or knowledge-seeking regarding alternative medicine. Conclusion: People around the world search for alternative medicine as a possible treatment method for COVID-19. The most common search was for Yoga, followed by homeopathy and Ayurveda in the global population. In India, yoga was the highest searched method followed by homeopathy and Ayurveda.
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Introduction: In late 2020, the advent of COVID-19 variants which presented an increased level of risk to global or worldwide public health were categorised as Variants of Concern (VOCs) and Variants of Interest (VOIs). People have a varied understanding of these emerging variants resulting in the adoption of preventive and control measures. Objective: To find out the knowledge and perceptions towards Omicron in the general population. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted via an online survey on 702 subjects above 15 years of age. Results: 94.3% of the respondents had heard about the different variants of coronavirus affecting people during the pandemic. Out of those, majority had heard about the Omicron variant (95.9%) followed by the delta variant (84.3%). The level of knowledge was found to be significantly associated with education, occupation, history of COVID-19 infection of self or in the family, history of deaths in the family due to COVID-19 etc. 79.4% of the study respondents considered the new variants to be severe. Conclusion: Perception of severity was associated with education, history of COVID-19 infection in the family or hospitalisation of family member(s) due to COVID-19. Copyright (c) 2022: Author(s).
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CONTEXT: The clinical picture of pediatric severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection differs from adults as does the cutaneous manifestations. In this review, we summarize the varied morphological manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the pediatric population. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A comprehensive literature search was conducted (dated 23rd September, 2021) across multiple databases (PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE and Cochrane) with the following keywords. An additional filter of age group between 0-18 years was kept in each of the searches. RESULTS: Chilblains constitute the most common cutaneous manifestation of pediatric coronavirus disease (covid-19). Other commonly reported manifestations include maculopapular rash, urticaria, erythema multiforme, and papulovesicular eruptions. Majority of children with these manifestations are asymptomatic, highlighting the need to clinically suspect and appropriately manage such patients. A subset of pediatric patients develop severe multisystem involvement termed as multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) that has varied mucocutaneous manifestations. CONCLUSION: A wide variety of dermatological manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 infection is reported, and both the pediatrician and dermatologist need to be aware of the same to suspect and diagnose COVID-19 infection in children.
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Purpose: Employee happiness is crucial in any organization as happy employees are said to be more committed in their work. However, COVID-19 stress in the current situation is a major problem for employees and it can negatively influence their happiness level. Therefore, it is critical to understand how the stressful nature of the current pandemic threatens workplace happiness. Based on conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, 1989), this study aims to examine the resources to be protected (i.e. psychological capital) and resource investment (i.e. coping) to ensure the happiness of the employees amidst a bio-psycho-socioeconomic crisis like COVID-19 pandemic. The study explores the mediating role of psychological capital and the moderating effect of coping on the relationship between COVID-19 stress and employee happiness. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from the Indian working population by means of purposive sampling (N = 336). Standardized instruments were used to measure the variables under study. Data analysis were done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences 20.0 and Analysis of Moment Structure 20.0 software tools and PROCESS macro was used for mediation and moderation analysis. Findings: Structural equation modelling analysis showed that COVID-19 stress negatively influenced employee happiness;whereas psychological capital partially mediated the relationship between these two variables. Further, coping was found to buffer against the harmful implications of COVID-19 stress on employee happiness. Originality/value: In an effort to respond timely to the present pandemic scenario, the current study provides an account of the harmful effects of COVID-19-related stress on the workplace happiness of the Indian service sector employees. The study also offers insights into the possible mediating and moderating mechanisms in this relationship. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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Background: Data for front-line health-care workers, risk of disease is limited so as the resources available. Although inspiring stories on doctors fighting against COVID-19-19 were covered we are still unaware of the challenges at ground level. The present study throws light on it and provides way through towards resolving the issues. Objectives:1. To assess the perceptions of the doctors towards the process of COVID-19-19 crisis management. 2.To identify the challenges and recommend solutions based on their views, suggestions. Methods: A cross sectional study on perception of doctors (94) involved in COVID-19 duty was conducted during July to September 2020, with the help of pre-validated semi-structured questionnaire through online google survey form. The questionnaire had demographic details, views on before, during and after the COVID-19 duty along with 4 open ended questions on their good and bad experiences, problems & suggestions. Descriptive statistics for quantitative & thematic analysis for qualitative data was used. Results: Nonresponse rate was 26%, mean age 27.55 year. Majority were from clinical departments (78%). 42% felt that training was proper, 60% adequate PPE kit, 52.6% were aware of management strategy, 86% stressed,82% found difficulties in communication. 42% were provided proper quarantine facility yet, 58% faced discrimination. Few themes emerged under challenges like lack of resources & training, stress & burnout, for which patient sensitization, refresher training, psychological & administrative support was suggested. Conclusion: Although COVID-19 pandemic has impacted life of doctors in either way, the challenges could easily be tackled by the recommended simple solutions. © 2021, Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine. All rights reserved.
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The pandemic Novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was aggressively expanding throughout the world, and no effective vaccines and drugs are available. Giant pharmaceutical industries and researchers use computer intelligence coupled with bioinformatics knowledge to accelerate the development process of designing an effective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, a time-consuming, complicated, intricate, and complex process. Supercomputers are used to give power to the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) assistance for structural modeling of unresolved protein, molecular dynamics simulation (MD) of the modeled protein structure, target finding, selection of B and T cell epitopes and simulations study for vaccine development. In this chapter, we described an in-depth overview on the use and impact of various revolutionary and game-changing technology of computer intelligence like AI and ML which with the guide of computational biology, bioinformatics, structural biology, and genomics paved the way in understanding, design, and development of vaccines at a much diminished time and minimal cost. Various software and tools used in the developmental process are also consolidated here. Finally, the limitations and future prospects of overcoming the global crisis and tackling pandemics with the help of computational intelligence are speculated here. © 2021, The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.