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Compared to other respiratory viruses, the proportion of hospitalizations due to SARS-CoV-2 among children is relatively low. While severe illness is not common among children and young individuals, a particular type of severe condition called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) has been reported. The aim of this prospective cohort study, which followed a group of individuals under the age of 19, was to examine the characteristics of patients who had contracted SARS-CoV-2, including their coexisting medical conditions, clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, and outcomes. The study also aimed to investigate the features of children who met the WHO case definition of MIS-C, as well as those who required intensive care. A total of 270 patients were included between March 2020 and December 2021. The eligible criteria were individuals between 0-18 with a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection at the Infectious Disease Hospital "Prof. Ivan Kirov"in Sofia, Bulgaria. Nearly 76% of the patients were <= 12 years old. In our study, at least one comorbidity was reported in 28.1% of the cases, with obesity being the most common one (8.9%). Less than 5% of children were transferred to an intensive care unit. We observed a statistically significant difference in the age groups, with children between 5 and 12 years old having a higher likelihood of requiring intensive care compared to other age groups. The median values of PaO2 and SatO2 were higher among patients admitted to the standard ward, while the values of granulocytes and C-reactive protein were higher among those transferred to the intensive care unit. Additionally, we identified 26 children who met the WHO case definition for MIS-C. Our study data supports the evidence of milder COVID-19 in children and young individuals as compared to adults. Older age groups were associated with higher incidence of both MIS-C and ICU admissions.Copyright © 2023 P. Velikov et al., published by Sciendo.
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Aquaculture production in Bulgaria has increased over the last decade, reaching 16 442 tonnes in 2019. Fish production has doubled in comparison with 2007, while that of mussels has increased tenfold. The Bulgarian contribution to EU aquaculture production has been increasing significantly in both volume and value over the years, making up 1.15% of the volume and 1.0% of the value of EU production in 2019. Freshwater aquaculture accounts for 78% of total production. Common carp dominates with about 29.4% (4836 t), followed by rainbow trout with 29.2% (4820 t) in 2019. The cultivation of sturgeon species and caviar production are among the most dynamically developing aquaculture segments. Mariculture in the Black Sea has increased in recent years, with the production of Mediterranean mussel reaching 2932 tonnes in 2019. An average of 405 farms operated during the period 2010-2019. Four regions (Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Burgas and Montana) account for 50% of the total fish production. Pond aquaculture is the dominant technology used in Bulgaria, and it serves as the basis for numerous other activities, including management of fish stocks in various water bodies mainly for recreational fishing. Approximately 35 net-cage farms currently operate in bigger dams. Recirculating fish farms output made up only 0.15% of the total amount of aquaculture for the period 2010-2019. The aquaculture sector exhibited difficulties in recovering from the financial crisis of 2007-2008, manifested by a slow growth for the period 2010-2014. From 2015 to 2019 there has been a significant growth, manifested in a sharp increase of total revenue and profitability, especially among the larger enterprises in the sector, as well as an increase in the number of employees, and the labour productivity. As a result, in 2019 the registered total revenue per enterprise and total revenue per employee were more than double the respective figures for 2010. The profits of larger enterprises increased more than three times on average, but smaller entities, micro-enterprises with less than 5 employees, operated at the border line between profit and loss. The COVID-19 crisis could have lasting consequences. Despite EUR 1.2 million direct payments in the sector in 2020, there has been a significant drop in the export of aquaculture products. Consumption of fish and other aquaculture products remains low compared to those in the other EU countries.
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Patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and with high mortality rates due to Coronavirus disease 2019, mainly because of the older age in this group of patients, comorbidities, compromised immune status due to uremia, as well as inability to keep social isolation because of the necessity for regular physical presence in dialysis facility. Several retrospective studies of patients on MHD in Europe, America and Asia, show high susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 in this group of patients with very high rates of critical course of the disease and high mortality rates, reaching more than 40% The aim of this retrospective observational study was to identify risk factors among patients on intermittent hemodialysis for infection with SARS-CoV-2 as well as predictors of severe COVID-19 and fatal outcome. Materials and methods. We analyzed 69 patients receiving intermittent dialysis in Aleksandrovska University Hospital - Hemodialysis Unit. 34 of them have been tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the period from September 2020 (when the first case of the disease was registered for our dialysis center) up to March 2022, and are compared with a control group of 35 dialysis-dependent patients without COVID-19. Data about comorbidities, main laboratory and radiologic findings, need of hospitalization and treatment in ICU, as well as data for conducted treatment, are collected from electronic medical records. To identify predictors of severe COVID and poor outcome we compared the group of survivors with the one of non-survivors. Results. There are no significant differences between patients on MHD with and without COVID-19 except higher frequency of COPD and hypoproteinemia in the positive group. Older age, female gender, history of smoking, lymphopenia with neutrophilia, treatment in ICU and need of mechanical ventilation, signs of malnutrition - hypoproteinemia and lower levels of serum creatinine, are risk factors for severe disease and fatal outcomes. Conclusions. The course of COVID infection in dialysis-dependent patients is severe and with high mortality rate, in line with other studies worldwide. Malnutrition is the main risk factor for COVID and also main predictor for poor outcomes.
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The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has led to radical lifestyle changes worldwide, particularly in the Republic of Bulgaria, and was a factor for global changes in economics, politics, healthcare and daily life. Aim(s): The aim of the study was to analyze the public attitudes, awareness and fears related to the COVID-19 disease in the Republic of Bulgaria. Material(s) and Method(s): The survey was conducted between August 1st, 2022 and September 1st, 2022 via an anonymous questionnaire consisting of 24 closed questions. A total of 1861 people, aged 18-69 years and older, took part in the survey after being selected randomly. The data were statistically processed via MS Excel. Result(s): The main source of information to the respondents on issues related to COVID-19 was the Internet (29,8%), followed by TV (26%) and the specialized website (Single information portal) - 15,9%. More than one-third (35,1%) of the respondents was afraid of getting infected and an equal share of participants reported that they have been infected with COVID-19. More than half of the respondents (52,5%) adhered to all the provisions of the governmental bodies related to limiting the COVID-19 pandemic. The most frequent symptom of post- COVID-19 syndrome was being easily fatigued (26,7%), followed by shortness of breath (13,4%) and persistent cough (11,6%). Conclusion(s): The survey could be useful in understanding what were the public attitudes, awareness and fears related to the COVID-19 disease in the Republic of Bulgaria during the pandemic.Copyright © 2023 D. Penchev et al., published by Sciendo.
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Coronavirus disease 2019 is a pandemic disease, which commonly presents with fatigue, loss of smell, fever and ground-glass opacities on diagnostic imaging of the lungs. After the first few months of the pandemic, we noticed a tendency for audio-vestibular complaints on out-patient visits post-hospitalization for COVID-19. Objective. The aim of this study was to study the prevalence of audio-vestibular complaints in COVID-19. Materials and methods. This study included 57 patients with audio-vestibular complaints during and after hospitalization for COVID-19 at University Hospital Kaspela in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The patients underwent both auditory and vestibular tests, as well as a computed tomography of the cranial brain. Results. The ratio of males to females was 1,35:1, with most belonging to the age group of 51 to 70 years (63,2%). All 57 patients had sudden hearing loss - unilateral in 36 (63,2%) and bilateral in 21 (36,8%), while 17 patients (29.8%) additionally had subjective tinnitus. Forty-eight patients (84,2%) had vestibular complaints - general dizziness in 46 (95,8%) and rotatory vertigo in two (4,2%). Two patients had spontaneous nystagmus (3,5%), 43 (75,4%) - saccades, and 25 (43,9%) - smooth pursuit and gaze disturbances. Romberg with closed eyes was positive in two patients (3,5%), and Fukuda lateralized to the healthy ear also in two patients (3,5%). Dix-Hallpike was positive in one patient (1,8%). The video head-impulse test was positive in two patients (3,5%). Vascular encephalopathy was found on computed tomography in 33 patients (57,9%). Conclusions. Coronavirus disease 2019 may be associated with vestibulocochlear nerve damage, and in most cases, it is an isolated injury to the auditory nerve. Complaints of dizziness are most likely due to vascular changes in the central nervous system.
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Shingles is a viral skin disease caused by the Varicella Zoster virus. We report varicella zoster virus reactivation in three long-time athletes after vaccination with a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. The three athletes had no evidence of immunosuppressive conditions or other illnesses, and all three did not suffer from COVID-19. The first patient is a 21-year-old athlete with an 8-year sports career. He developed shingles four days after being vaccinated against COVID-19. The second athlete is 20 years old and has been actively involved in fitness for ten years. He was diagnosed with herpes zoster three days after the vaccination. The third athlete is 23 years old and has been actively involved in sports and fitness since the age of 6;he was diagnosed 4 days after the vaccination against COVID-19. All three were diagnosed by a dermatologist. Discussion: The relationship between the development of herpes zoster after the administration of a vaccine against COVID-19 has been the subject of many studies worldwide, but the occurrence of herpes zoster after Covid-19 vaccination in athletes is described for the first time. Our team did not find a report of a case of an athlete with herpes zoster after vaccination for COVID-19 anywhere, which motivated us to describe the above three cases.
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In recent years, a number of complications have been observed as a result of uncontrolled antibiotic treatment. One of them is gastrointestinal dysbiosis. Not infrequently it is the cause of pseudomembranous colitis, a disease with a remarkably high associated mortality. It can be severe and requires serious medical care. This report presents a clinical case of a patient who developed the disease pseudomembranous colitis after antibiotic treatment for a Covid infection. The aim of the report is to define and present in a systematized manner the nursing care provided in the specific case. The daily analysis of the patient's condition allows to offer complex, adequate and individual nursing care, which, in addition to meeting her needs, also aims to alleviate her condition.
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BackgroundThe Covid-19 pandemic has put patients with rheumatic diseases in front of a number of obstacles that had to be solved together with Bulgarian rheumatologists. The lockdowns and restrictive measures have made it difficult for people with rheumatic diseases to have access to timely hospital and pre-hospital care. A number of digital solutions have been implemented to address these issues.ObjectivesTo highlight the problems that patients with rheumatic diseases had during the Covid-19 pandemic;access to rheumatologists and the effectiveness of hospital and pre-hospital care during the pandemic, access to treatment, changes of treatment;communication between physicians and patients, the impact of the pandemic on work, social contacts, hobbies.MethodsAn anonymous survey was conducted online and by telephone. The survey was developed by Medical university, Plovdiv, University hospital "Kaspela”:, Plovdiv, Bulgarian Association for Musculoskeletal Ultrasound, Bulgarian organization for people with rheumatic diseases;Association for patients with autoimmune diseases.Number of participants: 1205 patients with RMD's.Age range: 18-82ResultsFace to face meetings with doctors have been limited during the pandemic.Visits to the rheumatologist's office are significantly reduced and phone, email, text messaging, online consultations were preferred as communication channels.Before the pandemic, 76% of respondents most often communicated with their physicians by visiting their practice, during the pandemic their relative share decreased to 46%, with a significant difference of 30%Phone consultations: patients using this type of communication increasing from 38% before the pandemic to 56% during the pandemic, a significant difference of 18%The percentage of patients who communicated via text or email rises from 10% to 17 %.It has become apparent that Digital transformation is needed and patients and physicians should work together to achieve it and to be established in Bulgaria.245 patients reported a change in their treatment. Of these: (30%) reduced the dose of their medications, 119 (49%) increased the dose and the remaining 55 (21%) stopped their therapy.From the responses of the respondents, it is clear that 71% have not experienced a change in their work during the COVID-19 pandemic, 17% have worked from home.From the responses of the respondents, it is clear that 71% have not experienced a change in their work during the COVID-19 pandemic, 17% have worked from home, 4% have been fired, 3% have left their jobs due to the risk of their health and 5% left their jobs for other reasons.ConclusionThe Covid-19 pandemic has shown that the digital transformation in rheumatology care can be an efficient alternative to some of the services offered to patients with rheumatic diseases in Bulgaria (especially secondary examinations and therapy monitoring examinations). The results of the conducted survey could be used to support digitization in healthcare in Bulgaria.Very important was the collaboration between the patient organizations and the Bulgarian Association for Musculoskeletal Ultrasound, Medical University, Plovdiv and the rheumatologists from University hospital "Kaspela” Plovdiv.References[1]Gianfrancesco M, Hyrich KL, Al-Adely S, et al. Characteristics associated with hospitalisation for COVID-19 in people with rheumatic disease: data from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance physician-reported registry. Ann Rheum Dis 2020;79: 859–66.[2]Monti S, Balduzzi S, Delvino P, Bellis E, Quadrelli VS, Montecucco C. Clinical course of COVID-19 in a series of patients with chronic arthritis treated with immunosuppressive targeted therapies. Ann Rheum Dis 2020;79: 667–68.[3]Dejaco, C.;Alunno, A.;Bijlsma, J.W.;Boonen, A.;Combe, B.;Finckh, A.;Machado, P.M.;Padjen, I.;Sivera, F.;Stamm, T.A.;et al. Influence of COVID-19 pandemic on decisions for the management of people with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases: A survey among EULAR countries. Ann. Rheum. Dis. 2020AcknowledgementsBul arian organization for people with rheumatic diseases.Association for patients with autoimmune diseases.Bulgarian Association for Musculoskeletal Ultrasound.Disclosure of InterestsNone Declared.
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Energy poverty is a multifaceted phenomenon that affects many Europeans. Alleviating energy poverty is high in the EU, national, and local policy agendas. Despite the attention the phenomenon has been gaining from a policy perspective, especially after the current energy crisis, there are still some gaps due to the complexity of the issue and its vastly different manifestations across Europe. This manuscript presents the policy implications stemming from the implementation of the POWEPROOR approach in alleviating energy poverty in eight European countries, as co-created with relevant stakeholders in each country. The knowledge gained from empowering energy-poor citizens by promoting behavioural changes and small-scale energy efficiency interventions, as well as by encouraging the uptake of renewable energy sources in the form of collective energy initiatives while leveraging innovative financing schemes, resulted in policy recommendations for national and sub-national governments and lessons for civil society and the private sector.
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Objective: The study aimed at identifying the influence of socio-demographic factors on perceived stress during the first and the second "waves" of the COVID-19 pandemic among patients with depression and anxiety in remission compared to controls. Method: The study was designed as case-control, cross-sectional and non-interventional, and included 60 outpatients with depressive and anxiety disorders in remission and 60 controls with or without family history of affective disorder. A self-assessment scale (Perceived Stress Scale, PSS-10) was used to evaluate perceived stress. The remission was objectified by the Clinical Global Impression scale (CGI-S 2) and a questionnaire about the socio-demographic features and clinical characteristics of the disorders was completed. Results: By using multiple logistic regression, it was found that the diagnostic category and/or the relevant family history did not predict higher levels of perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic (p > 0.05). Females were associated with higher risk of moderate or high stress (OR=2.613, p=0.017), as well as those working from home during the pandemic (OR=4.00, p=0.026). Conclusions: Addressing the COVID-19 effects on mental health in a biopsychosocial manner, the study shows the impact of socio-demographic factors such as gender and work environment in times of a psychosocial crisis. The lack of differences in stress perception by the patients in remission and healthy controls implicates the importance of adequate maintenance treatment and easy access to mental health services in times of crisis.
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Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 infection has affected more than 683 million people worldwide with 6.8 million deaths. Unfortunately, Bulgaria is one of the most severely affected European Union (EU) member-states with one of the highest mortality rates. Aim: The study aims to provide a description of the demographic characteristics, discharge rate, and fatality rate of COVID-19-diagnosed patients in one region of Central South Bulgaria in 2021. Materials and methods: A retrospective nested case series study was conducted among patients hospitalized with a confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection between January 1st and December 31st, 2021. Anonymized patient data on age, sex, admission and discharge dates, treatment, and the outcome was collected from hospital electronic patient records and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Data from 1630 (51% male) patients were identified. The mean age was 63.64 years (+or-15.23). 1342 (82%) of the patients were discharged. The mean age of the diseased was 70.88 years (+or-10.05). 1455 (89%) patients received only symptomatic therapy, 155 (10%) patients were treated with remdesivir (VekluryR), 11 (1%) patients were treated with casirivimab/imdevimab (RonapreveR) and 9 (1%) patients were administered regdanvimab (RegkironaR). Conclusions: The study results demonstrate that Bulgarian patients with COVID-19 were treated according to the best global and national evidencebased guidelines. Lethality and discharge rates are in concordance with global trends and outcomes.
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The article presents the results from a virtual ethnographic study, focused on the return intentions of 11 mobile Bulgarian citizens living in several countries in the European Union and beyond, employed in highly qualified jobs. In-depth interviews were conducted online in the months of April-May 2020, at the time of the first lockdowns and restrictions on international travel both to/from Bulgaria and to multiple countries around the world. The core issues, analyzed in this article, are the motivations for potential return and how the Bulgarians abroad observe and feel the COVID19 situation in their current destination country. The qualitative data shows that in this particular small number of respondents, the majority of the highly qualified mobile Bulgarians do not have intentions to return to Bulgaria, most of them prefer to stay in their current country. In several cases, COVID-19 blocked their opportunities to further move internationally, for example, to a new job position in a third destination country. Three figures of highly qualified mobile people are synthesized, explaining three models of return intentions at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The aim is to present the health care in a specific clinical case diagnosed and hospitalized with COVID-19. The methods used are documentary and observation. A clinical case of a 73-year-old patient admitted to the Covid ward of a university hospital in Sofia with complaints of persistent fever and progressive dyspnea is presented. The patient has not been vaccinated against COVID-19 and has a number of concomitant diseases - overweight, hypertension, type II diabetes, dyslipidemia, myocardial infarction and implanted left coronary artery stent. Health care for patients with COVID-19 infection is multifaceted, requiring high professionalism and competence, excellent theoretical knowledge and practical skills, willingness to work in a constantly changing environment, continuity of training, continuous improvement of skills and are in line with modern standards for treatment and care of patients with coronavirus infection.
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The widespread distribution of COVID-19 has had serious negative impacts on the tourism industries of many European countries and particularly those EU Member States where tourism is one of the most important contributors to local and national economies. As a response to the negative implications of the pandemic, most EU states have introduced a number of job retention schemes and other financial instruments to support tourism businesses. This chapter explores the socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic on the tourism industry in Bulgaria and examines the measures undertaken to sustain one of the most hardly hit sectors nationwide. The analysis concludes that in addition to the EU-wide initiatives and funding schemes, Bulgaria has also introduced distinctive local mechanisms to support its tourism businesses. However, more research is needed to study the effectiveness of those measures and more specifically, the stakeholders' perceptions about the extent to which they have been successful in supporting small and medium enterprises. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.
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Purpose: Since early 2022, the COVID-19 vaccination rate in Bulgaria has remained low, with large regional differences. This study examines the association between the availability of vaccination sites and the number of administered doses, and the extent to which district-level variation is attributable to differences in vaccination services provision. Material(s) and Method(s): Data on COVID-19 vaccine doses administered by districts were used. This data set was combined with district-level information on available vaccination sites, such as general practitioners and temporary vaccination points. The district-level differences in vaccination coverage and service provision were illustrated through country heat maps, and the association between the variables was explored using two linear regression models. Result(s): According to the first regression model, the number of general practitioners and temporary vaccination points accounted for only 3.8% of the district-level variation in administrated doses. As covariates in the second model, sociodemographic and economic data were included. The combined influence of these factors explained 42.2% of the variance across districts. According to the findings, the average annual gross wage is a significant determinant of the district-level differences in the number of administrated doses. Conclusion(s): There is no statistically significant association between administered doses and vaccination sites by districts, which does not correspond to the findings of other international studies. District-level variation in vaccination rates is associated with some sociodemographic and economic differences. The paucity of district-level data impedes further analyses of the vaccine coverage differences and their underlying determinants.Copyright © 2023, Peytchinski, Gospodin Iliev ET. All rights reserved.
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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first detected in December 2019, and shortly after pandemic has been declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) due to its unstoppable global spread. Considerable amount of effort has beenput around the World in order to develop a safe and effective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. Inactivated and RNA vaccines have already passed phase three studies showing sufficient efficacy and safety, respectively. Nowadays, there is a noticeable dominance of SARS-CoV-2 variants with various mutations over the wild type SARS-CoV-2. However, there is no report showing the efficacy of these vaccines on these variants. This case study describes a thirty-eight-year-old male reported to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 alpha variant following two doses of inactive CoronaVac administration with a protective level of SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies. The variant analysis of the virus reported to be positive for N501Y mutation.This is the first case in the literature demonstrating that inactive SARS-CoV-2 vaccine might have a lower efficacy on alpha variant.Copyright © 2022 Cenk Serhan Ozverel et al., published by Sciendo.
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Rural and depreciated regions' population is more affected by the COVID-19 pandemic while facing a number of barriers to accessing health services. The aim of this study is to examine whether there are variations in COVID-19 immunisation coverage between urban and rural areas in Bulgaria and to what extent these differences are caused by certain aspects of vaccine access. Material and methods: Data on the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered by municipalities in Bulgaria from the beginning of the immunisation campaign until the end of 2021 were combined with some demographic variables and information on the availability of general practitioners and temporary immunisation sites. Correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between datasets, supplemented by graphical analysis, grouping municipalities by the variables' average national values. Findings: The number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered by municipalities has shown a moderate negative correlation with the proportion of the rural population, suggesting differences in immunisation coverage by type of settlement. In general, having more immunisation sites in a municipality does not considerably boost vaccination coverage because there is only a slight association between the number of administrated doses and the availability of vaccination points. There is no correlation between immunisations and the proportion of the adult population. Conclusion: Urban-rural disparities often affect the most vulnerable groups at higher risk of morbidity and mortality, and this, in turn, can exacerbate existing health inequalities. Additional efforts are needed to reduce structural barriers to access and overcome vaccine hesitance and mistrust by disseminating appropriate and reliable information and adequate communications.
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An important environmental problem for the Municipality of Burgas is the relatively high levels of PM10 pollution. Particulate matter PM10 is defined as the fraction of particles with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 10 pm. The article provides statistical processing and evaluation of daily data on the concentration of PM10 in the air by quarters fix Burgas, 2021. A histogram of the frequency distribution of concentrations by quarters was prepared. A regression model for calculating the monthly concentrations in the atmospheric air is derived The tests and inspections performed show that the performed modelling is suitable for evaluation, analysis and forecast. Air pollution harms human health and the environment. Exposure ID air pollution is associated with a wide range of acute and chronic health effects, ranging from irritating effects to death From the end of 2019 until now in the world, Europe and in particular Bulgaria is raging a dangerous respiratory disease known as COVD19. The average monthly new cases of COVD19 for Burgas were assessed, as well as the respective maximum and minimum monthly values. A qualitative assessment of the relationship between the monthly concentrations of PM10 and the incidence of COVID19 was made.
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Introduction: Since the COVID-19 pandemic, visiting policies in various healthcare centres across the world have changed. Visiting patients by relatives and friends have been stopped or significantly limited. New conditions and legal constraints for family visits had to be implemented also at in-patient palliative care settings, even though accompanying a dying person is crucial for the quality of the end of life. The study aimed to identify and review the visiting policies at in-patient specialist palliative care settings across Central and Eastern Europe. Patients and Methods: The study was conducted one year after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak from May to October 2021. Information about visiting policies, published on official websites of the in-patient specialised palliative care settings (stationary hospices and hospital-based palliative care units) from Central and Eastern European countries, were identified and categorised. The websites which lacked information about visiting policy during the COVID-19 pandemic were excluded. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the obtained data was conducted by using content analysis techniques and descriptive analysis. The content from websites was translated into Polish with the usage of the Google Translate machine tool. Result(s): Data from 55 in-patient palliative care settings from 8 countries were collected and analysed (83.6% from Poland, and the other from Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine). In 43.6% of the organisations, visits were stopped and 56.4% of settings published information about the special requirements for visiting arrangements. In 32.7% of all examined units upfront approval from a physician or the head of a department for visiting a patient was required, and 29.1% published information about personal protective equipment. 32.7% of organizations recommended telephone contact with the patient, and 12.7% provided video calls. Conclusion(s): Web information regarding visiting patients in in-patient palliative care settings is limited. There is a need to establish detailed requirements for the visits with better access to the website for the visitors, in case of a global disease outbreak.Copyright © Via Medica, ISSN 2545-0425, e-ISSN: 2545-1359.
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Purpose: This paper aims to investigate potential consumers' willingness to pay for robot-delivered services in travel, tourism and hospitality, and the factors that shape their willingness to pay. Design/methodology/approach: An online survey yielded a sample of 1,573 respondents from 99 countries. Independent samples t-test, Analysis of variance (ANOVA), cluster, factor and regression analyses were used. Findings: Respondents expected to pay less for robot-delivered services than human-delivered services. Two clusters were identified: one cluster willing to pay nearly the same price for robotic services as for human-delivered services, whilst the other expected deep discounts for robotic services. The willingness-to-pay was positively associated with the attitudes towards robots in tourism, robotic service experience expectations, men and household size. It was negatively associated to travel frequency, age and education. Research limitations/implications: The paper's main limitation is its exploratory nature and the use of a hypothetical scenario in measuring respondents' willingness to pay. The data were gathered prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and do not reflect the potential changes in perceptions of robots due to the pandemic. Practical implications: Practitioners need to focus on improving the attitudes towards robots in tourism because they are strongly and positively related to the willingness to pay. The marketing messages need to form positive expectations about robotic services. Originality/value: This is one of the first papers to investigate consumers' willingness to pay for robot-delivered services in travel, tourism and hospitality and factors that shape their willingness to pay. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)