Online activities for individuals with intellectual disabilities at a day centre in the wake of COVID-19.

Background: The lockdown of a day centre for individuals with intellectual disabilities led to digital activities instead of traditional physical presence. Method: This study is based on 17 interviews with staff of a day centre, directors of day centres and support persons. Findings: The purpose of the digital activities was to overcome physical distance and to create "social connectedness" with service users at a day centre. Emphasis was placed on recognisability to meet the needs of the service users. When the lockdown was lifted, service users were included in the production of digital artefacts. There were also obstacles to digitalisation: some service users had no access to Internet or tablets at home, some lawyers forbid the use of common digital programmes and service users were denied being visible on social media, support persons lacked digital competence and were reluctant to digital activities. Conclusions: The experiences of digital activities including coproduction of films made individuals with intellectual disabilities active and visible on social media. This might facilitate the possibilities for future digital inclusion in society. The support from staff at the sheltered accommodations was vital and when it succeeded it promoted a more holistic approach to the service users' everyday lives.

Guest editorial

[...]most individuals who are under correctional control serve time in the community on probation or parole. Because health care for older adults is exceedingly complex and costly when compared to younger adults, this large and growing older adult population under correctional control (prisons, jails, parole or probation) ought to sound an alarm through the public health and carceral fields. Service providers in community-based settings such as area agencies on aging, senior centers and leaders in long-term care are encouraged to prepare for an influx of elders with a criminal legal history and to examine current strengths and potential barriers in rising to the challenge of compassion in the wake of custody.

Impact of COVID-19 on foodservice operations within urban Kansas childcare centers

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to identify the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic affected foodservice operations within urban Kansas childcare centers. METHODS: Three COVID-19-related questions were added to an online survey of Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) participating childcare centers located throughout Kansas. Responses were collected from July through August, 2020. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis of open-ended responses were used to identify common concerns. RESULTS: Seventy-nine of the 138 childcare centers invited to complete the COVID-19-related questions responded (57.2% participation rate). The majority (n=56, 70.1%) reported decreased enrollment, whereas a small number (n=9, 11.4%) reported an increase. Approximately twothirds of the centers (n=49, 62.0%) reported foodservice operation modifications owing to COVID-19-related challenges. Three overarching themes were discovered within the centers' responses: (a) procurement challenges including decreased availability and increased cost of foods, (b) changes in meal service including shifting to disposable tableware and ceasing familystyle meal service, and (c) menu and production changes in response to enrollment changes and product availability issues. APPLICATION TO CHILD NUTRITION PROFESSIONALS: Future consideration for CACFP participants include shifting to more shelf-stable foods when faced with food availability issues and utilizing more cost-effective food purchasing options, which might be attained through group purchasing organizations. Well-developed emergency plans such as emergency menus should include plans for procurement challenges. Resources and training to increase understanding and knowledge of CACFP meal pattern guidelines may make menu changes based on availability easier or less challenging. Best practice guidelines, such as family-style meals, may have to take health and safety measures into consideration. As centers continue to experience COVID-19-related issues and plan for a "return to normal", child nutrition professionals can fulfill an important role in helping centers adapt their foodservice operations to meet the challenge.

Hygienic aspects for dealing with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in institutions with multidimensional, special education opportunities for handicapped children

This article discusses efforts and challenges concerning the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in specialized schools or daycare facilities for handicapped children and adolescents. In this heterogeneous group, a relevant proportion may face an increased risk of a complicated infection due to underlying chronic conditions. Their capability to adhere to the rules of physical distance, hand hygiene, face masks plus aeration may be limited. In addition, wearing a mask and keeping distance impaires necessary contacts concerning nursing care and nonverbal/visual communication between children and their caregivers.

Day Centres for Homeless People in South London: Early Learning Points from Operating During the First COVID-19 Lockdown in England

Context: Many day centres for homeless people remained open during the first national lockdown in England following the COVID-19 pandemic. Lacking any official guidance on how to adapt, day centres for homeless people had to navigate risks of infection and changes in the situation of homeless people during this time. Objective: This small study aimed to discover how some day centres for homeless people approached and experienced the implications of lockdown. The objective was to draw early learning points to inform further research on the future trajectory of day centre provision for homeless people during the pandemic and beyond. Methods: This rapid qualitative study included semi-structured phone interviews with day centre managers (n = 5) and a systematic search of public facing websites of day centres (n = 10) across four South London boroughs. Data were analysed inductively, using the framework method. Findings: Findings indicate three learning points 1: the importance of strong networks between day centres with local authorities and other organisations for homeless people to enable services to provide humanitarian assistance, 2: the significance of day centres in their role as humanitarian assistants as a first point of contact for newly homeless people 3: the value of a central information hub. Limitations: The regional focus on South London and the sample size, which reflects ethical imperatives involved in avoiding undue pressure on day centre staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, limit this study. The findings are to be considered as a springboard for in-depth research into day centres’ support for homeless people during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Implications: Findings are valuable as a snapshot of this largely under-researched group of services and service users during the first lockdown. Further research based on the findings could lead to good practice examples to inform the future trajectory of social care provision for homeless people. © 2021 The Author(s).

Special Issue: Aktuelles zu COVID-19. (Special Issue: Aktuelles zu COVID-19.)

This special issue contains eight selected manuscripts on the subject of COVID-19. The selected manuscripts consist of case reports (one each from Germany and Austria), a report on "contact tracing" and the role of children in the spread of infection, and a description of the lockdown consequences in the private sector. K. Farber et al.from Rosenheim report on a 10-week-old infant who is admitted to hospital with suspected sepsis. S. Samueli et al.from Vienna describe the course of the disease in a 9-year-old boy with PIMS. U. Heudorffrom Frankfurt am Main reports on a project on "contact tracing" in Frankfurt day-care centers and schools. K. Theiss et al.from Homburg an der Saar describe the effects of the lockdown during the first COVID-19 wave on 34 pediatric and adolescent medical practices in Saarland. T. Heimann et al.from Hamburg, Ulm and Lucerne raise the question of whether and in what form the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated lockdowns affect child protection. S. Schwarz et al. from Witten/Herdecke, Mainz and T..bingen present data from a Germany-wide register on the use of facemasks.

Symptomatic infants have higher nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 viral loads but less severe disease than older children. (COVID special issue #2.)

This study reports NP viral load in infants, children, and adolescents hospitalised and discharged from 14 March to 24 April, 2020. Of the 57 patients who tested positive counted with SARS-CoV-2, 20 (35.1%) were infants 12 months of age or younger. Older children and adolescents range from 1 year old to 21 years old. The mean NP viral load in neonates was significantly higher than in older children and adolescents. However, the proportion of neonates with severe illness is significantly lower than in older patients. The mean time to positive test from onset of symptoms is shorter in neonates than in older children. Rates were similar in both groups examined within 7 days of symptom onset. The report suggests that symptomatic infants have higher NP viral loads at the time of presentation, but develop less severe disease than older children and adolescents. Whether this is due to a slightly earlier presentation to clinical care related to host biology is investigated. These data have implications for mitigating the spread, especially in collective settings (e.g. day care centers) or hospital units (e.g., primary care units) for infants that serve this group.