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1.
Journal of Statistics and Data Science Education ; 29(1):54-62, 2021.
Article in English | ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-20237443

ABSTRACT

Although statistical literacy has become a key competence in today's data-driven society, it is usually not a part of statistics education. To address this issue, we propose an innovative concept for a conference-like seminar on the topic of statistical literacy. This seminar draws attention to the relevance and importance of statistical literacy, and moreover, students are made aware of the process of science communication and are introduced to the peer review process for the assessment of scientific papers. In the summer term 2020, the seminar was conducted as a joint project by the University of Hamburg, the University of Muenster, and the Joachim Herz Foundation. In this article, we present the concept of the seminar and our experience with this concept in the summer term 2020.

2.
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ; 82(Suppl 1):2088-2089, 2023.
Article in English | ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-20235908

ABSTRACT

BackgroundVirtual presentations have become increasingly common due to the COVID-19 pandemic and advancements in technology. However, it is not yet clear how to effectively use artificial intelligence (AI) in virtual presentations to enhance their effectiveness.ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to investigate the current state of AI in virtual presentations and to develop practical guidelines for using AI to enhance the effectiveness of virtual presentations.MethodsChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot [1]. The final version contains information up to years of 2021. We wrote to ChatGPT: "I want to submit a study for the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) 2023. Title: "How to make a virtual presentation using artificial intelligence?”. Prepare a summary consisting of background and objectives sections for me.”. The texts generated by ChatGPT were transferred to another virtual platform to be converted to audio and video. The text in the background and objectives sections in this was voiced by the speaking avatar [2].ResultsChatGPT wrote the background and objectives part of this . As the authors, we have not made any changes in order to be objective. Thanks to another artificial intelligence, the content in this text was voiced by an avatar and turned into a video (Figure 1).ConclusionIn the near future, artificial intelligence will be used more effectively in the preparation and presentation of scientific articles. In this way, artificial intelligence will help scientists to use their time more efficiently. Developing technology also offers equal opportunities for scientists with social phobia and visual or speech disabilities.References[1]GPT-3 [Software]. Retrieved from https://openai.com/[2]synthesia. Retrieved from https://synthesia.ai/Figure 1.Acknowledgements:NIL.Disclosure of InterestsNone Declared.

3.
International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction ; : 1-20, 2023.
Article in English | Academic Search Complete | ID: covidwho-20233292

ABSTRACT

The study investigates the factors influencing tourists' online booking intentions. This study employed structural equation modeling to evaluate the online booking intentions of tourists after the second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in India, extending the application of reactance theory in tourism and hospitality services. Mediation and moderation analysis facilitated the unfurling of direct and indirect linkages among the constructs. The findings suggest that online hotel reviews, perceived scarcity, and perceived enjoyment aggrandize tourists' perceived value quotients, escalating their online booking intentions. Besides, visual presentations improve the strength of the linkage, while perceived pandemic threat weakens the linkage between tourists' perceived value and online booking intentions. The research demystifies critical facilitators of tourists' perceived value and online booking intentions that may assist hotel owners in engaging potential tourists and maximizing their hotels' bottom line. The hotel industry lacks research on perceived scarcity, visual presentations, and perceived pandemic threat. This research adds to the body of knowledge by combining the abovementioned factors through a coherent theoretical framework. It makes prospective tourists cautious about COVID-19's virulence and the devastating consequences. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

4.
The Science Teacher ; 90(3):60-64, 2023.
Article in English | ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-20232257

ABSTRACT

The presentation contained information about the virus, how it spreads, the vaccine, who should and should not take it, when it is recommended to be taken, how it invokes an immune response on a cellular level, and what role protein synthesis plays in the vaccine. Students and their partners were given one of seven viruses to research: measles, mumps, rubella, influenza, hepatitis B, rabies, or COVID-19. Students researched the disease and its vaccine type using credible sources, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), Johns Hopkins University, etc. Students answered the following questions: * How does the virus spread? * What are the symptoms of the virus? * How common is the virus? (statistical number) * What does the virus look like? (include picture with antigens shown) * When is the vaccine recommended by the CDC? * How often does the booster for the vaccine need to be taken? * Who should not receive the vaccine? * How does the vaccine work on a cellular level? (Be specific about the type of vaccine and how it invokes an immune response) * What role does protein synthesis play in the vaccine? * What is the vaccine efficacy or effectiveness? * Does the vaccine do any of the following: * Change the host cell's DNA? * Give the person the disease?

5.
IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies ; : 1-9, 2023.
Article in English | Scopus | ID: covidwho-20232132

ABSTRACT

The present study is related to the problem associated with student assessment with online examinations at higher educational institutes (HEIs). With the current COVID-19 outbreak, the majority of educational institutes are conducting online examinations to assess their students, where there would always be a chance that the students go for malpractice. It is difficult to set a question paper for any technical course with great novelty. Under these circumstances, safeguarding academic integrity has become a challenge for HEIs. This study is aimed at improving the quality of questions for online exams to increase the accountability of HEIs by proper evaluation of their students. A detailed procedure with suggestions for setting the questions for technical courses, in the format of assertion and reason, matching, multiple select types, etc., has been discussed with adequate examples. It deals with a strategy for ensuring that all the students are held to the standards that are reflected in their grades. The proposed evaluation method has been implemented on a test batch and presented the results along with a comparison with that of traditional question papers. It is witnessed that there is a simultaneous enhancement of students'learning as an additional benefit of implementing the proposed learning-oriented assessment method. IEEE

6.
IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science ; 1164(1):011001, 2023.
Article in English | ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-2313029

ABSTRACT

International Conference on Geospatial Science for Digital Earth Observation (GSDEO 2021)The international conference on "Geospatial Science for Digital Earth Observation” (GSDEO) 2021 was successfully held on a virtual platform of Zoom on March 26th and 27th, 2021. The conference was jointly organized by the Indian Society of Remote Sensing (ISRS), Kolkata chapter, and the Department of Geography, School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Adamas University. Due to the non-predictable behaviour of the COVID-19 second wave, which imposed restrictions on organizing offline events, the GSDEO (2021) organizing committee decided to organize the conference online, instead of postponing the event.Remotely sensed data and geographic information systems have been increasingly used together for a vast range of applications, which include land use/land cover mapping, water resource management, weather forecasting, environmental monitoring, agriculture, disaster management, etc. Currently, intensive research is being carried out using remotely sensed data on the geoinformatics platform. New developments have led to dynamic advances in recent years. The objective of the international conference on Geospatial Science for Digital Earth Observation (GSDEO 2021) was to bring the scientists, academicians, and researchers, in the field of geo-environmental sciences on a common platform to exchange ideas and their recent findings related to the latest advances and applications of geospatial science. The call for papers received an enthusiastic response from the academic community, and over 100+ participants from 50+ colleges, universities, and institutions participated in the conference. In total 50+ research papers had been presented through the virtual Zoom conference platform in GSDEO 2021.The conference witnessed the presentation of research papers from diverse applied fields of geospatial sciences, which include the application of geoinformatics in geomorphology, hydrology, urban science, land use planning, climate, and environmental studies. There were four sessions namely, TS 1: Geomorphology and Hydrology, TS 2: Urban Science, TS 3: Social Sustainability and Land Use Planning, and TS 4: Climate and Environment. Each session was further subdivided, into two parts, namely Technical Session 1-A and 1-B. Each sub-session had been designed with one keynote speech and 5 oral presentations. Oral sessions were organized in two parts and offered through live and pre-recorded components based on the preference of the presenters. The presentation session was followed by a live Q&A session. The session chairs moderated the discussions. Similarly, poster sessions were organized in three parts and offered e-poster, live, and pre-recorded components. The best presenter of each sub-session received the best paper award.Dr. Prithvish Nag, Ex-Director of NATMO & Ex Surveyor General of India delivered the inaugural speech, and Dr. P. Chakrabarti, Former Chief Scientist of the DST&B, Govt. of West Bengal delivered a special lecture after the inaugural session. Eight eminent keynote speakers, Prof. S.P. Agarwal from the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Prof. Ashis Kumar Paul from Vidyasagar University, Prof. Soumya Kanti Ghosh from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, Prof. L. N. Satpati from the University of Calcutta, Prof. R.B. Singh from the University of Delhi, Dr. A.K. Raha, IFS (Retd), Prof. Gerald Mills from the University College Dublin and Prof. Sugata Hazra from Jadavpur University enriched the knowledge of participants in the field of geoinformatics by their informative lectures. The presentations and discussions widely covered the various spectrums of geoinformatics and its application in monitoring natural resources like vegetation mapping, agricultural resource monitoring, forest health assessment, water, and ocean resource management, disaster management, land resource management, water and climate studies, drought vulnerability assessment, groundwater quality monitoring, accretion mapping and the use of geospatial sci nce in studying morphological, hydrological, and other biophysical characteristics of a region etc. Application of geoinformatics in predicting urban expansion, urban climate, disaster management, healthcare accessibility, anthropogenic resource monitoring, spatial-interaction mapping, and, sustainable regional planning were well-discussed topics of the conference.List of Committees, photos are available in the pdf.

7.
English Language Education ; 31:255-271, 2023.
Article in English | Scopus | ID: covidwho-2292124

ABSTRACT

The health situation brought about by COVID-19 has contributed to the emergence and implementation of novel teaching formats (e.g., hybrid, online) in higher education. This scenario, characterized by the increasing use of technology and digital resources, calls for a methodological and pedagogical shift to best support the teaching and learning process. This study aims to discuss the digitalization of a multimodal genre-based approach to teaching Elevator Pitch presentations in the ESP context. In doing so, we report on the methodological adaptations needed to digitalize and implement the pedagogical proposal and the implications of its transition to an online environment. In addition, this study explores the learning experiences of students as recipients of the pedagogical proposal. Methodologically, a survey was administered to identify students' perceptions of the application of the pedagogical proposal. The results provide insights into the students' perceptions of its implementation concerning the classroom dynamics, the digital resources used, and the presentation format. The study concludes with a reflection on the implications of carrying out digitalization and the transition to online environments. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

8.
2023 Geo-Congress: Sustainable Infrastructure Solutions from the Ground Up - Geotechnical Data Analysis and Computation ; 2023-March:573-583, 2023.
Article in English | Scopus | ID: covidwho-2298695

ABSTRACT

This paper's objective is to document the incorporation of video technology with associated personality assessments into an undergraduate civil engineering curriculum for giving presentations. In 2020, video assignments were implemented into a laboratory that teaches stabilized soil, aggregates, concrete, and asphalt principles. This same laboratory has, for several years, required students to present to a panel of practitioners on open-ended topics based in the area of their laboratory experiments. A large practitioner and alumni survey documented the successfulness of these panels, which allow no electronics to be used, but also documented some items that technology based presentation assignments could improve. This paper summarizes the panel exercises and associated survey findings, and thereafter, describes the implementation of video presentations with associated personality assessments. The research question was whether video presentation assignments were useful in conjunction with the proven in-person practitioner panels toward improved student presentation skills. The collective findings of this paper support this laboratory incorporating video presentations, especially given the diversity in personalities identified during data collection. © 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). All rights reserved.

9.
Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies ; 15(3):635-651, 2023.
Article in English | ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-2298240

ABSTRACT

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic transformed angel investment meetings from in-person to online. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether this move affected angel investors' perception of subjective behavioral cues in pitch sessions within a large Brazilian angel group.Design/methodology/approachThis study followed an exploratory approach using a triangulation process that combined observation, documents and interviews. Data collected by observation, document studies, and interviews were themed, coded, and organized during the research.FindingsThe move from in-person to online pitches did not seem to affect levels of trustworthiness or arrogance as angels assessed more message content during Q&A sessions. Body movement, gestures and "eye gaze” (i.e. the look on a presenter's face) played a central role in passion assessment during in-person meetings. Body language was highly limited during online sessions and tone of voice became the main source of passion assessment.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of this study suggest that pitches at online meetings affect angel investors' perception of founders' subjective cues, particularly cues pertaining to passion. Entrepreneurs should be trained to convey passion with tone of voice and to improve their body language in the context of webcam use. The interviews with volunteer sampling were subject to volunteer bias. Additionally, the findings may be affected by cultural context.Practical implicationsA practical contribution of this study is to highlight the need for entrepreneurs to be trained for online pitches. In an online setting, body language is limited, but it is still possible to use one's hands and tone of voice to connect better to investors.Originality/valueThis study is unique because it captures the transition of angel investment meetings from in-person affairs before the pandemic to online meetings during the pandemic crisis. These unique circumstances provided a real-world laboratory to observe founders' subjective cue effects on angel investment decision-making.

10.
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society ; 104(3):623-630, 2023.
Article in English | ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-2298113

ABSTRACT

Presentations spanned a range of applications: the public health impacts of poor air quality and environmental justice;greenhouse gas measuring, monitoring, reporting, and verification (GHG MMRV);stratospheric ozone monitoring;and various applications of satellite observations to improve models, including data assimilation in global Earth system models. The combination of methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and NO2 retrievals can improve confidence in emissions inventories and model performance, and together these data products would be of use in future air quality management tools. The ability to retrieve additional trace gases (e.g., ethane, isoprene, and ammonia) in the thermal IR along with those measured in the UV–Vis–NIR region would be extremely useful for air quality applications, including source apportionment analysis (e.g., for oil/natural gas extraction, biogenic, and agricultural sources). Ground-level ozone is one of six criteria pollutants for which the EPA sets National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect against human health and welfare effects.

11.
Saudi Journal of Language Studies ; 3(1):32-46, 2023.
Article in English | ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-2272331

ABSTRACT

PurposeThis study aims to focus on how online presentations have a positive effect on the anxiety of the students, especially students who are introverted by nature and always suffer from anxiety and stress while performing face-to-face presentations in the classrooms, which negatively affect students' performance and, thereby grade.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a quantitative research design to obtain a broader perspective. An online questionnaire, developed using Google Forms, was accessed by 239 female undergraduate students from Level 1 to 8 of the English Department at the College of Languages and Translation in King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire consisted of 15 closed Likert-type questions. The Arabic translation of the questions was included in the questionnaire to make the participants more comfortable answering the questions as all the participants' L1 is Arabic.FindingsWith the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020, COVID-19 became a global health issue and significantly impacted education worldwide. With this, a digital transformation took place, resulting in a total e-learning distance education system. This type of technology enhanced distance learning approach had to be adopted as social and physical contacts were limited globally to mitigate the transmissions of the virus. Accordingly, all lectures, learning activities, tests and other forms of evaluation were conducted via distance e-learning. When oral presentations were conducted online, a new reality emerged in this changed situation. This study sought to prove that online oral presentations positively reduce introvert EFL learners' anxiety and stress.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was conducted using a small number of samples;thus, to gain substantial insight, future research could be conducted with a greater number of samples from diverse demographic backgrounds. Teachers' perceptions of online oral presentations could also be considered in future studies since education consolidates between learners and teachers. In addition, as this research explored English language major students only, further comparative studies can be conducted including students from other disciplines, which may lead to new insights and issues related to online presentations. This study used a questionnaire as a data collection instrument. It is recommended to use qualitative tools such as interviews, focus group meetings, journals and student diaries in future studies so that more information about in-person presentation anxiety can be discovered.Originality/valueParticipants' opinions, procured through the questionnaire of this study, can bring new insights for educators and policymakers to incorporate online presentations as one of the mainstream assessment methods for tertiary-level courses.

12.
Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice ; 20(1), 2023.
Article in English | Scopus | ID: covidwho-2270277

ABSTRACT

The study aimed to determine if there is a significant difference between peer and lecturer assessment scores and to explore the relationship between peer assessment scores and the study year of preservice teachers. Furthermore, the study explored the effect of Blackboard Collaborate online group presentations on the development of pedagogical skills of undergraduate pre-service teachers. Two hundred and sixty-two peer and lecturer assessment scores were compared, while 53 students completed the Google form survey. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed a statistically significant difference between peer scores and lecturer-moderated scores in different courses. However, the test did not show a statistically significant difference in the course N2. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between the study year and the difference in scores. The data revealed that the group presentations and assessment improved the pedagogical and assessment skills of the pre-service teachers. The findings are expected to inform practitioners about group presentation and peer assessment practices and their potential to improve pedagogical and assessment skills for preservice teachers during a period of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Practitioner Notes 1. Students improved their presentation and assessment skills (professionalism) as they progress with their studies. 2. Moderation of peer assessment scores by professionals is critical in ensuring that the marks allocated by peers are authentic. 3. Frequent exposure to peer assessment and moderation followed by feedback to the students can significantly improve their pedagogical and assessment skills. 4. Furthermore, the contribution of peer assessment scores to the final score should be minimal due to the significant difference observed between the peer and lecturer scores. © 2023, University of Wollongong. All rights reserved.

13.
50th Annual Conference of the European Society for Engineering Education, SEFI 2022 ; : 1058-1066, 2022.
Article in English | Scopus | ID: covidwho-2254230

ABSTRACT

This paper documents the remote management of a first-year foundations of engineering course with special focus on students' learning by completing a prototype-based project in an online course. The COVID-19 pandemic brought on unprecedented challenges to the teaching and learning communities around the world. Educators made purposeful changes in their teaching approaches, shifting rapidly from in-person to online mode of instruction. This study documents a project-based course that adopted an asynchronous mode of instruction as a part of the general engineering curriculum at a large Southeast university in the United States during the pandemic. This asynchronous course - through implementing necessary changes and adaptations - simulated the experience of a cross-border engineering workplace. The course content focuses on engineering design and problem-solving, physical prototyping, simulated data collection and analysis, contemporary software tools, and professional practices and expectations (e.g., communication, teamwork, and ethics). Learning activities are designed to introduce students to the types of work that engineers do daily and to challenge students' knowledge and abilities as they explore the different elements of engineering by completing an aesthetic wind turbine project. Our paper reports on the development of the course site as informed by recent national developments in scholarship and practice for online teaching and learning. The principles of course design alignment as well as instructor presence and learner interaction as suggested by these national standards are discussed. Further, the study records strategies adapted to enable students to complete a successful prototype-based project working in geographically distributed and virtual, international teams. © 2022 SEFI 2022 - 50th Annual Conference of the European Society for Engineering Education, Proceedings. All rights reserved.

14.
J Paediatr Child Health ; 59(6): 802-807, 2023 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2279759

ABSTRACT

AIM: To determine characteristics and risk factors for non-urgent presentations (NUPs) (triage categories 4 and 5) in neonates to a Western Sydney metropolitan mixed adult emergency department (ED) and the effect of COVID-19 on presentations and admissions. METHODS: A retrospective medical record study examined neonates (age <4 weeks) presenting to the ED between October 2019 and September 2020 and assessed risk factors for NUPs including the impact of COVID-19. Regression analysis was used to determine which risk factors were significant for NUPs to ED and whether there were any significant differences in urgency of presentations and admissions during the post-COVID-19 time (on/after 11th March 2020). RESULTS: From 277 presentations, 114 (41%) were non-urgent. After regression analysis, being a mother born overseas (odds ratio 2.15, 95% confidence interval 1.13-4.12, P = 0.02) was a significant risk factor and maternal age (odds ratio 0.98, 95% confidence interval 0.96-0.1.00, P = 0.02) was a significant protective factor for NUPs in the neonatal period. There were 54 (47%) NUPs pre-COVID-19 and 60 (53%) NUPs post-COVID (P = 0.70). There were similar presenting complaints and diagnoses compared to the literature. CONCLUSIONS: Mothers born overseas and younger maternal age were found to be significant risk factors for NUPs in the neonatal period. There was no apparent impact on presentations and admissions to ED during the COVID-19 period. Further studies are warranted to further evaluate risk factors for NUPs in the neonatal period and further elucidate the impact of COVID-19 on presentations and admissions, specifically in later waves of the virus.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Emergency Service, Hospital , Adult , Female , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Australia , COVID-19/epidemiology , Retrospective Studies
15.
Emerg Med Australas ; 2022 Oct 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2288760

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Diverting lower urgency ED presentations to more suitable healthcare is a key goal of several healthcare systems. During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, there was a substantial drop in ED presentations in New South Wales (NSW), potentially because of lower risk of illness and injury through social restrictions, or ED avoidance for lower urgent care. The present study aimed to better understand the impact of social restrictions during the pandemic on ED presentations, to inform potential shifts to alternative modes of care in emergency medicine. METHODS: We conducted a quasi-experimental study of public ED presentations in NSW. We compared changes in weekly ED presentation counts by urgency, during and after the period of tightest social restrictions in contrast to the baseline period. Expected weekly counts were estimated using segmented quasi-Poisson regression, accounting for age and seasonality. RESULTS: Lower urgency presentations fell more than mid-high urgency presentations, both during and after the period of tightest social restrictions. Lower urgency presentations reduced 30.9% compared to the baseline period during tightest restrictions, in contrast to 20.9% reduction for mid-high urgency presentations. Lower urgency presentations remained 14.4% lower after the tightest restrictions compared to the baseline period, whereas mid-high urgency presentations returned to usual levels. CONCLUSIONS: This finding suggests that reducing lower urgency ED presentation beyond the COVID-19 pandemic maybe feasible, by supporting alternative, more appropriate sources of care.

16.
Infect Disord Drug Targets ; 2022 May 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2281632

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Initially, COVID-19 was typically concerned with respiratory symptoms and had a mild and asymptomatic to critical clinical course. Over time, many atypical presentations related to cardiac, hepatic, gastrointestinal, renal, musculoskeletal, and neurological features have been reported in COVID-19. CASE PRESENTATION: We present three confirmed cases of COVID-19 who developed acute pancreatitis without any other obvious discernible cause. One middle-aged patient of 48-years old male presented with severe abdominal pain with mild symptoms, COVID-19, later diagnosed as acute pancreatitis with a positive outcome. Another 40-year-old male, hospitalized due to moderate COVID-19, developed acute pancreatitis and managed successfully. The third patient of 58 years old with control diabetes and severe COVID-19 developed acute necrotizing pancreatitis. Unfortunately, he succumbed due to multiorgan failure while on the mechanical ventilator. CONCLUSION: Acute pancreatitis is uncommon in COVID-19. Although, it should be kept as a high index clinical suspicion if abdominal pain is reported. Early diagnosis and prompt management can significantly impact the patient's outcome.

17.
Science of the Total Environment ; 857, 2023.
Article in English | Scopus | ID: covidwho-2244602

ABSTRACT

As of 8 July 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) have reported 1010 probable cases of acute hepatitis of unknown aetiology in children worldwide, including approximately 250 cases in the United Kingdom (UK). Clinical presentations have often been severe, with liver transplantation a frequent clinical outcome. Human adenovirus F41 (HAdV-F41) has been detected in most children with acute hepatitis, but its role in the pathogenesis of this infection has yet to be established. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has become a well-established tool for monitoring the community spread of SARS-CoV-2, as well as other pathogens and chemicals. In this study, we adopted a WBE approach to monitoring levels of HAdV-F40/41 in wastewater before and during an acute hepatitis outbreak in Northern Ireland. We report increasing detection of HAdV-F40/41 in wastewater, concomitant with increasing numbers of clinical cases. Amplicon whole genome sequencing further classified the wastewater-derived HAdV as belonging to the F41 genotype which in turn was homologous to clinically derived sequences. We propose that WBE has the potential to inform community surveillance of HAdV-F41 and can further contribute to the ongoing global discussion supporting HAdV-F41 involvement in acute hepatitis cases. © 2022 The Authors

18.
Emerg Med Australas ; 2022 Sep 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2243737

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To compare presentation numbers, class of exposure, poison severity score (PSS) and drugs ingested by patients in a tertiary toxicology service during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic to the corresponding time periods in 2018 and 2019. METHODS: A retrospective cohort observational study of patients admitted or consulted to the Western Sydney Toxicology Service (WSTS) from ED during February to May in 2018-2020. Patient age, sex, triage category, time and date of arrival, mode of arrival, type of poisoning, discharge location, length of stay and PSS were collected from WSTS database and electronic medical records. The total number of ED presentations, hospital admissions and toxicology admissions were gathered from hospital-based data services. RESULTS: There was an overall increase in toxicology presentations in February to May 2020 (n = 441) compared to 2019 (n = 333) and 2018 (n = 255). The daily rate of presentations increased in March to May 2020 with an overall rate ratio of 1.42, 95% confidence interval 1.23-1.63, P < 0.001. There was an increase in presentations across all drug types. From March to April 2020, there was significantly higher number of daily presentations for recreational drugs use compared to 2018. CONCLUSION: There was a relative increase in toxicology presentations during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to an overall decrease in presentations to ED. Recreational drug use increased significantly during the pandemic compared to 2018.

19.
Asian Journal of Medical Sciences ; 14(2):224-233, 2023.
Article in English | Academic Search Complete | ID: covidwho-2235148

ABSTRACT

Apart from routine symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, myalgia, and dyspnea in severe form of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection, very rarely patients can develop worsening of dyspnea due to bilateral pneumothorax. The present case series is about five adult patients, of age ranging from 39 to 57 years, who developed bilateral pneumothorax during their stay in the hospital. All the cases were reported between May 2021 and October 2021 and were tested positive for COVID-19 by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Out of five adults, three patients were males and were two females. All the patients were assessed with quick sequential organ failure assessment (q SOFA) score on admission and then monitored by SOFA Score. On admission, baseline contrast enhanced computer tomography chest was done for three patients, and chest radiography for one patient all showing features of moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumoniae. One patient with q SOFA Score of 3 on admission required immediate invasive mechanical ventilatory support with ultrasonogram chest immediately performed showing bilateral pneumothorax. Patients were started on remdesivir, dexamethasone, low molecular weight heparin or unfractionated heparin, tocilizumab, and antibiotics. Subsequently, during the course of stay in the hospital, rest of the four patients developed symptoms of pneumothorax and emergency bedside chest ultrasonography showed the typical barcode or stratosphere sign confirming bilateral pneumothorax. All the patients were managed with bilateral chest intercostal water seal drainage intercostal drain tube and invasive mechanical ventilation. Fraction of Inspired Oxygen (FIO2), and other ventilatory settings were adjusted depending on daily arterial blood gas findings. Attempts to wean off from ventilatory support and extubation were successful for two patients, whereas three patients did not survive. In this case series, we will be presenting about those five cases of bilateral pneumothorax in COVID-19 patients reported at a tertiary care hospital in Mizoram, India. [ FROM AUTHOR]

20.
Child Adolesc Ment Health ; 2022 Aug 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2236190

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: To explore changes in child and youth mental health service (CYMHS) demand in Brisbane, Australia, following the COVID pandemic. METHODS: The number of monthly presentations and referrals to respectively the emergency department (ED) and community CYMHS were compared among 2018, 2019 and 2020. RESULTS: The study shows a marked increase in referrals to ED starting from July and in the community from May 2020. In the population referred to as community teams, the proportions of Indigenous children and those from lower socio-economic areas decreased. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated the supply and demand disparity in CYMHS, with the largest effect on the most vulnerable families.

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