Pandemic vulnerability knowledge visualisation for strategic decision-making: A COVID-19 index for government response in Australia

Purpose: First, the key vulnerability factors from the literature are identified. Second, using the vulnerability factors as indicators, a composite index is developed. Last, from the index values, a set of vulnerability knowledge maps, showing the vulnerability hotspots, are prepared. Design/methodology/approach: This study aims to develop a pandemic vulnerability knowledge visualisation index to support the strategic decision-making efforts of authorities. Findings: Ten indicators are identified as vulnerability factors that could significantly impact the virus spread risks. Verifying the identified hotspots against the recorded infected cases and deaths has evidenced the usefulness of the index. Determining and visualising the high-vulnerability locations and communities could help in informed strategic decision-making and responses of the authorities to the pandemic. Originality/value: The study demonstrates that the developed pandemic vulnerability knowledge visualisation index is particularly appropriate in the context of Australia. Nonetheless, by replicating the methodologic steps of the study, customised versions can be developed for other country contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Effect of an Internet-based Intervention on Motor Behavior in Patients after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background During the containment of COVID-19，the traditional face-to-face interventions conducted at the rehabilitation center were plagued by many limitations，while internet-based interventions can overcome the limitations of geographic location，working hours and transportation，with less medical costs. Objective To examine the effects of internet-based interventions on knowledge，attitude/belief and practice（KAP） toward rehabilitation exercises，physical activity（PA）level，and exercise compliance inpatients after PCI. Methods The subjects were 76 patients who received their first PCI in Department of Cardiology，Tangshan Gongren Hospital from November 2021 to June 2022. They were randomly and equally divided into two groups to receive either internet-based intervention with routine nursing（experimental group） or routine nursing （control group）. Before and three months after the intervention，the Rehabilitation Exercise Knowledge-Belief-Practice Scale for Patients with Coronary Heart Disease（REKBPCHD），the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form （IPAQ-SF），and Patients' Exercise Log were used to assess the KAP level，PA level，and exercise adherence，respectively. The impact of network intervention on exercise adherence in patients after PCI by univariate Logistic regression analysis. Results After 3 months of intervention，a significant increase was found in the average total score of REKBPCHD，and the average scores of the knowledge dimension，attitude dimension and practice dimension of the scale in the experimental group（P<0.05），and the increase was more notable than that in the control group（P<0.05）. Moreover，both post-intervention low PA level and total PA level in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group（P<0.05）. Both post-intervention low PA level and total PA level were higher than the baseline levels in the experimental group（P<0.05）. The post-intervention exercise compliance of experimental group were higher than that in the control group（P=0.003）. Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of non-adherence to exercise in the experimental group was relatively lower than that in the control group 〔OR=0.143，95%CI（0.034，0.594），P=0.007〕. Conclusion Theinternet-based intervention can effectively improve the KAP level toward rehabilitation，PA level，and exercise adherence in patients after PCI. © 2023 Chinese General Practice. All rights reserved.

Self-Medication in Medical Students during Covid-19 Pandemic

Introduction: Self-medication is one of the most common health maintenance practices in the world, and has been observed more frequently after the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic. In this context, responsible self-medication is very important to ensure public health and to alleviate health systems. Medical students are referents in society in terms of medication knowledge and therefore are promoters of medication use behaviors.Objective: evaluate self-medication practices among medical students in the context of non-specific symptoms associated or not with SARS-COV-2 infection at a university in Barranquilla, Colombia. Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted in a population of 2285 medical students. A sample of 350 randomly selected students was taken, and a self-administered survey was applied to inquire about aspects related to self-medication practices.Results: The prevalence of self-medication was 100%, and non-responsible self-medication practices were identified in 70.1% of the participants. The academic level of clinical sciences was associated with a high level of knowledge of medication (OR: 1.91;95%CI: 1.1-3.6);however, these variables did not show an association with responsible self-medication practices. Additionally, 48% indicated that they would be willing to self-medicate without seeking medical assistance in case of symptoms probably related to COVID-19. Conclusions: A high frequency of non-responsible self-medication was found. Further studies are needed to facilitate effective interventions.

Overconfidence at the time of COVID-19:Does it lead to laxer attitudes?

BACKGROUND: Health education campaigns often aim to create awareness by increasing objective knowledge about pathogens, such as COVID-19. However, the present paper proposes that confidence in one's knowledge more than knowledge is a significant factor that leads to a laxer attitude toward COVID-19 and hence lower support for protective measures and reduced intention to comply with preemptive behaviors. METHODS: We tested two hypotheses in three studies conducted between 2020 and 2022. In Study 1, we assessed participants' level of knowledge and confidence, as well as attitudes toward COVID-19. In Study 2, we tested the relation between fear of COVID-19 and protective behaviors. In Study 3, we used an experimental approach to show the causal effect of overconfidence on fear of COVID-19. In addition to manipulating overconfidence and measuring fear of COVID-19, we also measured prophylactic behaviors. RESULTS: In Study 1, more overconfident participants had a laxer attitude toward COVID-19. While knowledge had an increasing effect on worry, confidence in said knowledge significantly decreased worry about COVID-19. In Study 2, participants who were more worried about COVID-19 were more likely to engage in protective behaviors (e.g., wearing masks). In Study 3, we show that when overconfidence was experimentally diminished, fear of COVID-19 increased. The results support our claim that the effect of overconfidence on attitudes toward COVID-19 is causal in nature. Moreover, the results show that people with higher fear of COVID-19 are more likely to wear masks, use hand sanitizers, avoid crowded places or social gatherings, and get vaccinated. CONCLUSIONS: Managing adherence to public health measures is critical when it comes to highly infectious diseases. Our findings suggest that efficient information campaigns to increase adherence to public health measures should focus on calibrating people's confidence in their knowledge about COVID-19 to prevent the spread of the virus.

Association between COVID-19 health knowledge, self-efficacy and preventive behaviors among nursing students

Nursing students possess valuable public health knowledge to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection. They can provide health education to the public with reliable information and adequate resources. To better understand the role nursing students can take in prevention efforts, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the association between COVID-19 health knowledge, self-efficacy, and preventive behavior among undergraduate nursing students. The health belief model was the theoretical framework that guided this study. The primary research questions assessed (a) if there was a statistically significant association between COVID-19 health knowledge and preventive behavior among nursing students, and (b) if there was a statistically significant association between self-efficacy and preventive behavior among nursing students. Using 283 surveys taken by nursing students from 11 CUNY colleges, a series of statistical analyses were conducted including a Shapiro-Wilk test, Spearman's correlation analysis, and linear regression. Spearman's correlation analyses were conducted to determine whether there was an association between COVID-19 health knowledge, self-efficacy, and preventive behavior variables. Key findings revealed that both COVID-19 knowledge and self-efficacy were positively correlated with behavioral intention, which was further confirmed by linear regression analyses. This study can positively impact social change by leading to the implementation of a more focused and cohesive information-sharing system which prioritizes best practices in preventive behaviors among health care workers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Effect of educational intervention on knowledge and attitude about the role of vitamins, minerals and nutraceuticals in COVID-19 and other disorders among medical and nursing undergraduates of a tertiary care teaching hospital.

PURPOSE: There must be a perfect balance between Food and Dietary supplements (DS) to ensure optimal well-being. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a webinar on the change in knowledge and attitude about the role of vitamins, minerals and DS among medical and nursing undergraduates so that they could bring about a positive change in popular practices, as well-informed Health Care Professionals (HCPs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional analytical study comprising 12 knowledge and 11 attitude questions administered to medical and nursing undergraduates with the help of semi-structured and pre-validated google form both before and after a webinar explaining the role of key nutrients and also the evidence and recommendations surrounding DS. Data were analyzed using STATA.12 to assess the impact of the webinar. RESULTS: There were 415 participants, with 265 medical and 150 nursing students. There was a significant improvement both in the knowledge (4.95 (±1.45), 7.76 (±1.69) and attitude scores (pre-webinar mean score 31.8 (±5.57) post-webinar mean score 27.7 (±4.90))of the participants after the webinar. An overall positive correlation before the webinar changed to a more significant negative correlation, indicating a positive impact of the webinar (0.0054-0.0701). CONCLUSION: The study suggests that continuing education informing various HCPs and undergraduate students about the absolute necessity of a diet rich in nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics is the need of the hour. Additionally, the efficacy and safety concerns, appropriate indications and dosages of various DS should be adequately stressed so that informed decisions can be made. Such training programs might have a far-reaching impact on the nutrition choices of the population at large.

Influence of sociodemographic characteristics on knowledge and attitudes about COVID-19 in northern Iraq

Objective: Targeted public health campaigns are important in countries where health resources are limited. This is especially the case for countries such as Iraq since decades of sanctions, war and armed conflict have depleted the health system. The current study investigated the influence of sociodemographic characteristics on attitudes towards the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) relating to knowledge and behaviors held by people living in North Iraq. Method: A cross-sectional survey, conducted from 21st March to 12th April 2020, used an online platform. Multivariate analyses were used to examine the relationship between sociodemographic factors and respondents' knowledge, attitude and behavioral practices in response to COVID-19. Results: Respondents with better self-reported health were most likely to report sleep impairment (OR = 2.32,1.49-3.68) impaired eating (OR = 1.84, 1.17-2.95) fear in response to social media news on COVID-19 (OR = 1.92, 1.32-2.81) and were more likely to practice COVID-19 prevention measures (OR= 1.08, 1.01-1.14). On the other hand, those with better self-reported health (OR = 0.4;0.27-0.59) were less likely to report good knowledge on COVID-19 whereas those with higher levels of education (OR= 3.59, 1.29-10.2) claimed to have higher knowledge of COVID-19. Men believed that war was more frightening than COVID-19 (OR = 1.91, 1.33-2.75) compared to woman. Conclusion: Self-reported health and type of employment were the sociodemographic factors most frequently noted to influence knowledge, attitude and behaviors toward COVID-19 amongst the northern Iraqi population. In a country where health resources are scare and stretched because of a history of sanctions and prolonged war and community violence, these results provide directions for targeted approaches to support public health campaigns. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Investigation of Paramedics, Attitude, Knowledge and Practice regarding the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Iran

Background: The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-Co V) was known as a human pathogen associated with respiratory symptoms. This study aimed to investigate attitudes, knowledge, and practice about MERS-CoV in paramedics. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 82 paramedics in Iran in April 2019 were selected in a stratified cluster sampling. Paramedics worked in Health Centers in Iran. We performed educational intervention in this study. A four-point Likert scale researcher-made questionnaire containing demographic (9 questions) and MERS-CoV (33 questions) items was administered to collect the data. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS 18 software. Results: Out of 82 paramedics, who completed questionnaires, 42.7% (35 people) were male, 56.1% (46 people) had a diploma degree, and 19.5% (16 people) had less than 1 year of work experience. about the participants reported 2 laboratory-confirmed infections at Kerman State. In addition, 67.1% (32 people) passed a course to become familiar with disease. Theparamedics' mean age was 37.52±8.88. The knowledge mean score of paramedics was 12.82 (SD=10.04). The highly significant source of data collection in paramedics was the attendance in a course to become familiar with disease (43.9%, 36). The mean score of the practice of paramedics was 13.98 (SD=10.00). The most significant concern in neglecting travel to polluted areas in paramedics was public health defects (39%, 32). There was a significant relationship (P<0.05, t=9.06) between knowledge score and variables: gender (P=0.001), education level (P=0.001), and years in service (P=0.039). Conclusion: The paramedic had concerns and tend to increase the knowledge regarding prevention. The awareness of the transmission of diseases was the most important factor for modifying practice and preventing diseases. Health decision-makers recognized preventive actions to hinder the transmission of this fatal virus. © 2023 Authors. All rights reserved.

Effects of health-promoting leadership, employee health on employee engagement: Employability as moderating variable

Purpose: Employee health is a major challenge for enterprises. Fostering a healthy work environment and promoting employee engagement are key to addressing this challenge. Health-promoting leadership and employee health are the driving forces of corporate development;at the same time, employability is the core element of employee relations. Based on self-determination theory, this study aims to explore the effects of health-promoting leadership and employee health on employee engagement in light of employee employability. Design/methodology/approach: The data of this study encompass 723 valid questionnaires from employees of MSME in China. This study focuses on health-promoting leadership and employee health, engagement relationship and the above relationship moderating by employability. Findings: Health-promoting leadership plays a key role in the workplace, results show that health-promoting leadership has a positive impact on employee health and employee engagement, while employee health did not have a positive effect on employee engagement. Employability negatively moderated the relationship between employee health and employee engagement. Research limitations/implications: This study is based on cross-sectional survey data collected at the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic rapidly and continuously changed the organizational responses to employee health. Future studies could utilize longitudinal methods or focus on measurement instruments of the culture of health, to create additional insights about health promoting. Originality/value: This study adds important knowledge regarding health-promoting leadership and employee health in Chinese MSMEs, an area for which limited research exists. The findings provide insights and knowledge about health-promoting leadership how to affect employee health and to improve engagement outcomes. The findings also identify the moderating role of employability. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Perceptions and practices regarding light sedation in mechanically ventilated patients: a survey on the attitudes of Brazilian critical care physicians

Objective: To characterize the knowledge and perceived attitudes toward pharmacologic interventions for light sedation in mechanically ventilated patients and to understand the current gaps comparing current practice with the recommendations of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Pain, Agitation/ Sedation, Delirium, Immobility, and Sleep Disruption in Adult Patients in the Intensive Care Unit. Methods: This was a cross-sectional cohort study based on the application of an electronic questionnaire focused on sedation practices. Results: A total of 303 critical care physicians provided responses to the survey. Most respondents reported routine use of a structured sedation scale (281;92.6%). Almost half of the respondents reported performing daily interruptions of sedation (147;48.4%), and the same percentage of participants (48.0%) agreed that patients are often over sedated. During the COVID-19 pandemic, participants reported that patients had a higher chance of receiving midazolam compared to before the pandemic (178;58.8% versus 106;34.0%;p = 0.05), and heavy sedation was more common during the COVID-19 pandemic (241;79.4% versus 148;49.0%;p = 0.01). Conclusion: This survey provides valuable data on the perceived attitudes of Brazilian intensive care physicians regarding sedation. Although daily interruption of sedation was a well-known concept and sedation scales were often used by the respondents, insufficient effort was put into frequent monitoring, use of protocols and systematic implementation of sedation strategies. Despite the perception of the benefits linked with light sedation, there is a need to identify improvement targets to propose educational strategies to improve current practices. © 2023 Associacao de Medicina Intensiva Brasileira - AMIB. All rights reserved.

Information certainty influences the attitudes of students and teachers towards COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic struck Spain severely from the beginning. Prevention via information that fosters knowledge, reasonable concern, control, and personal care is the most effective means to slow down the pandemic. In this intervention field study, first, we assessed actual knowledge, concern, control, and care about the COVID-19 in 111 Spanish university teachers and students. Subsequently, we randomly assigned them to two groups. One group (n = 53) received uncertain information about prevention measures, whereas the other group (n = 58) received certain information. Analysis of covariance, using baseline measures as covariates, revealed that the group receiving the certain information reported an immediately increased perceived control and personal care about the pandemic. These findings suggest that measures that are known to be effective in COVID-19 prevention, if communicated with certainty (i.e., solid evidence), could influence people's attitudes, possibly through the schematic organisation of new information. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

COVID-19 worries and behavior changes in older and younger men and women

Objectives: The case fatality rate of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is higher among older adults than younger adults and is also higher among men than women. However, worry, which is a key motivator of behavioral health changes, occurs less frequently for older than younger adults, and less frequently for men than women. Building on this, we tested whether older adults-and particularly older men-would report the least amount of COVID-19 worry and also fewer COVID-19 behavior changes. Method: From March 23-31, 2020, we administered an online questionnaire assessing COVID-19 perceptions, worries, and behavior changes. Participants were a convenience sample of U.S. residents, who were community-dwelling younger adults (18-35) or older adults (65-81). Analyses included 146 younger adults (68 men, 78 women) and 156 older adults (82 men, 74 women). Participants were predominately white, living in suburban/urban areas, and had completed some college. Results: During the early phase of the outbreak in the United States, older adults perceived the risks of COVID-19 to be higher than did younger adults. Despite this, older men were comparatively less worried about COVID-19 than their younger counterparts. Compared with the other participants, older men had also implemented the fewest behavior changes. Discussion: Interventions are needed to increase COVID-19 behavior changes in older men. These results also highlight the importance of understanding emotional responses to COVID-19, as these are predictive of their behavioral responses. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Changes of knowledge attitude and practice in different stages of the COVID-19 epidemic among college students in Shanghai

Objective To investigate and compare the changes and associated factors of knowledge attitude and practice of college students in Shanghai between the early 2020 and the end of 2021 stages of the COVID-19 epidemic and analyze the influencing factors so as to provide reference for epidemic prevention and health education of college students. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional survey was conducted among 913 college students in 12 colleges and universities in Shanghai in 2021 from November to December with a self-designed questionnaire by multi-stage stratified cluster sampling so as to investigate the changes of college students, health literacy related to COVID-19 and the changes of knowledge attitude and practice between the early 2020 and the end of 2021 stages of the COVID-19 epidemic. Results In the early stage of the epidemic the average score of understanding of epidemic prevention and control policies was 2.93±0.94 information judgment was 3.10±0.89 satisfaction degree was 4.11± 1.09 cooperation degree was 4.31±0.96 communication intention was 3.91±1.15. By the end of 2021 the understanding of prevention and control policies was 2.95±0.98 Information judgment was 3.77±0.94 satisfaction degree was 4.22±1.10 cooperation degree was 4.36±0.99 communication intention was 3.97±1.20 there were significant changes at different stages P<0.01. The results of binary Logistic regression showed that majors of social sciences OR = 0.62 majors of natural sciences OR = 0.62 self-rated good health OR = 0.62 and self-rated relatively good health OR = 0.28 were negatively correlated with college students, cognition and attitude changes to the COVID-19 epidemic P<0.05 while the choice of "relatively consistent" OR = 3.31 in "change in health behavior according to reasonable health information" was positively correlated with knowledge and attitude changes P<0.05. Shanghai college students, health literacy about epidemic prevention was generally high. 79.4% of them had a "relatively high" score >80 and 82.6% of the students rated themselves "very well" and "relatively well" knew epidemic prevention. Conclusion Relatively high level of health literacy on epidemic prevention is observed among college students in Shanghai. There had been significant changes in their knowledge attitude and practice of the epidemic since the early stage. It is necessary to carry out more accurate and effective health education and dissemination according to different characteristics so as to build the prevention and control barrier of epidemic among college students. © 2022 by the Author(s).

The knowledge and perception about COVID-19 among medical imaging professionals

The coronavirus invaded the world in late 2019. It includes many subtypes, majorly severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Jordan has faced enormous hardships in dealing with the abrupt spread of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Jordan has taken severe and deterring measures to combat the disease's spread, such as closing Jordanian schools and institutions. Medical imaging professionals (MIPs) play a vital role in corona patients' diagnosis, management, and treatment planning, and their awareness is essential to understand. This study focuses on medical imaging professionals (MIPs) and their aid in COVID-19 planning. The knowledge and perception of the COVID-19 pandemic were assessed using a live cross-sectional survey conducted during the outbreak. Medical imaging professionals and trainees in private, military, and government hospitals provided data. Regarding the diagnosis of COVID-19, the researchers have found that molecular biology techniques are the first line of defence, whereas nasopharyngeal swabs and the polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) are also prevalent among medical professionals for COVID-19 testing. Overall, medical imaging experts and interns in Jordan exhibited expected levels of knowledge and perception. They advised following the CDC and WHO guidelines in their healthcare settings to offer an acceptable approach during the pandemic.

What knowledge matters in health professions education?

What knowledge matters in health professions education is an issue of debate in the literature, foregrounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and informed by calls for students who are not only clinically competent, but also critically conscious of global health inequity. Building on this work, this paper explores what kinds of knowledge are legitimated in two health science programmes at a South African university. Thirty-four health professions teachers participated in the study. Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) Specialisation was used as an analytical framework, with Epistemic and Social Relations as coding categories. Results revealed the dominance of a knowledge code, with the social dispositions and attributes relating to the development of critical consciousness often not considered knowledge at all. Our contention is that both knowledge and social dispositions are equally important in the development of future healthcare professionals and that collaborative curriculum conversations are needed to enable them being interwoven throughout curricula. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Parent-reported Barriers and Parental Beliefs Associated with Intentions to Obtain HPV Vaccination for Children in a Primary care Patient Population in Minnesota, USA.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake among adolescents remains suboptimal in the US. The COVID-19 pandemic posed new challenges to increase HPV vaccination rates. To characterize parent-reported barriers to obtain HPV vaccination for their children and to identify psychosocial factors associated with parents' intention to vaccinate their children for HPV, we administered parent surveys between April 2020 and January 2022 during a randomized pragmatic trial assessing the impact of evidence-based implementation strategies on HPV vaccination rates for adolescent patients at six Mayo Clinic primary care practices in Southeast Minnesota. A total of 342 surveys were completed (response rate 34.1%). Analyses were focused on parents of unvaccinated children (n = 133). The survey assessed the main reason the child did not receive the HPV vaccine, parental beliefs about the vaccine, and the parent's intention to vaccinate the child for HPV in the next 12 months. Frequently reported awareness and access barriers to HPV vaccination included not knowing the child was due (17.8%) and COVID-19 related delay (11.6%). Frequently reported attitudinal barriers include the belief that the child was too young for the vaccine (17.8%) and that the vaccine is not proven to be safe (16.3%). Injunctive social norm (Adjusted-OR = 3.15, 95%CI: 1.94, 5.41) and perceived harm beliefs (Adjusted-OR = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.35, 0.94) about the HPV vaccine were positively and negatively associated with HPV vaccination intention, respectively. Our findings suggest that continued efforts to overcome parental awareness, access, and attitudinal barriers to HPV vaccination are needed and underscore the importance of utilizing evidence-based health system-level interventions.

A single-centre experience rolling out an antibiotic stewardship intervention prior to and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic 2019-2022.

Background: Antibiotics are prescribed to nearly one-half of patients with viral respiratory tract infections (RTI) in outpatient settings. This use is ineffective and may cause undue harm and excess cost from unnecessary antibiotic exposure. We implemented a multifaceted intervention to address inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for viral RTI. Here, we discuss the impact over 4 years, before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Methods: This observational study describes the implementation and initial impact of a multimodal stewardship intervention on inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for viral RTIs in outpatient care settings at a single centre. We tracked the rate of visits for viral RTI as well as antibiotic prescribing for viral RTIs in urgent care, primary care and the emergency department between January 2018 and March 2022. Data were collected 1 year prior to implementation and 3 years after implementation. The primary outcome - the rate of inappropriate antibiotics prescribed for viral RTIs - was described by calendar year (CY) to review changes after the stewardship intervention. Results: In CY2018, the year prior to implementation of targeted RTI antimicrobial stewardship, the rate of inappropriate RTI antibiotics prescribed was 10% in urgent care, 11% in primary care and 18% in the emergency department (ED). During the first CY of the intervention, rates were 8% in urgent care, 10% in primary care and 16% in the ED. In CY2020, the second year of the intervention, inappropriate RTI antibiotics were prescribed in 5% of urgent care and 3% primary care RTI visits and 15% of ED RTI visits. These rates were similar in CY2021 and the first 3 months of CY2022. Over 30,000 visits for RTIs were seen annually in CY2018 and CY2019. Annual RTI visits dropped to 20,222 in CY2020 and 14,172 in CY2021. Conclusion: Although total visits for non-COVID RTIs decreased by approximately 50% during the first 2 years of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, an antimicrobial stewardship intervention was associated with decreases in inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for RTIs. This was maintained throughout 2 years of the pandemic.This article is part of the Antibiotic stewardship Special Issue: https://www.drugsincontext.com/special_issues/antimicrobial-stewardship-a-focus-on-the-need-for-moderation.