Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Students, Teachers, and Parents According to School Counselors' Perceptions

This study examines the positive and negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and distance education practices on students, teachers, and parents from the perspective of school counselors. This research was carried out within the scope of phenomenology design, a qualitative research method. The data were obtained via purposive sampling through online interviews conducted with 55 public school counselors at the end of the fall semester of the 2020-2021 academic year in Turkey. Content analysis was utilized to analyze the obtained data. The school counselors expressed that the pandemic had positive and negative relational, individual/psychological, and academic effects on students;positive and negative effects on the application of education and personal lives of teachers;and positive and negative effects on the parent???child???education relationship and the personal lives of parents. The results are discussed in relation to the relevant literature and recommendations are made.

COVID-19 costs: an example of province in Turkey

INTRODUCTION: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to negatively affect Turkey, as it does many other areas all over the world. One effect of COVID 19 has been the significant expenditure increases in health services in post-pandemic countries. Our aim for this study was the following: determining the frequency of outpatient, inpatient, and intensive care treatment in COVID 19 cases, the factors affecting the rates of inpatient and, intensive care treatments, and examining the changes in healthcare costs according to patient characteristics. METHODS: This research is a cross-sectional record review. The universe of this study is composed of outpatients and inpatients that have been treated after being diagnosed with COVID 19 as from March 11, the date the pandemic was first seen in Turkey, to November 30, 2020. Within the scope of the study, data relating to the COVID-19 diagnosis, comorbidity, age (< 50 and 50), and gender were obtained from all primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare institutions in the province. RESULTS: When the invoices of the inpatients who received no intensive care treatment were examined, it was found that the bills of the male patients aged 50 years and older and those with comorbidities were statistically significantly higher. In the patient groups receiving both clinical and intensive care, the mean amount of invoices of female patients and those aged 50 and older were found to be higher than male patients (p < 0.05). In addition to, In all other patient groups, it has been determined that the invoice amounts are below the patient costs, that is, the invoice amounts do not cover the patient cost. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The disease is more severe in those aged 50 and older, those with comorbidities, and it is more severe and more common in males. Consequently, bill amounts and costs of these patients were found to be higher than those of the opposing groups. As a result, the rate of men getting the COVID-19 disease is higher than women. The disease is more severe in males in hospitalized patients, in 50 age group, and in patients with comorbidities. In parallel with these, the invoice amounts and costs of these patients are higher than the opposite groups. In general, the treatment costs of the patients are higher than the invoice amounts and they carry great risks for the future in ensuring the sustainability of the service. Ensuring sustainability in healthcare services depends on the ability of healthcare institutions to obtain invoices to cover their costs. COVID-19 not only creates a big economic burden for reimbursement institutions but also brings a great economic burden for the institutions that provide the service.

Pulmonary embolism in patients with dyspnea after COVID-19 infection.

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary embolism as a potential complication that may occur late in the course of COVID-19 cases. The aim of our study is to evaluate the frequency of pulmonary embolism in patients with new or ongoing dyspnea after a COVID-19 infection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a single-center, prospective observational study to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of consecutive patients presenting outpatient clinic diseases to the chest and a new or ongoing dyspnea after a COVID-19 infection. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected. Dyspnea was evaluated according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification. RESULTS: Pulmonary embolism was detected in 23.8% (25/105) of patients with new or ongoing dyspnea after a COVID-19 infection. Proportion of pulmonary embolism in patients with NYHA classes I, II, III and IV were respectively 8.7%, 20.0%, 30.0% and 35.3% (p for trend=0.02). Compared to NYHA class I and II patients with dyspnea, those in NYHA classes III and IV showed a higher rate of pulmonary embolism [31.6% vs. 14.6%, OR: 2.7 (1.0 to 7.1), p=0.04, respectively]. In Logistic Procedures, NYHA classes of dyspnea (OR: 4.3, 95% CI: 1.2 to 16.6, p=0.03) (NYHA class III and IV vs. NYHA class I and II) determine the likelihood of pulmonary embolism after COVID-19 infection. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary embolism is common in patients with new or ongoing shortness of breath after a COVID-19 infection. Pulmonary embolism is more likely to develop in patients with higher NYHA classes.

Evaluation of the Clinical and Laboratory Characteristics and Factors Determining the Severity of the Disease in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients

Introduction: Identification of high-risk patients in SARS-COV-2 infection and prompt initiation of treatment are essential to reduce mortality rate. In our study, it was aimed to evaluate the clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19 who were hospitalized in our hospital and the factors that determine the severity of the disease. Materials and Methods: The files of definite/probable COVID-19 patients over the age of 18 who were followed by the Infectious Diseases Clink of our hospital between March 15 and November 1, 2020 were evaluated retrospectively. Results: A total of 302 patients were included in the study, 50.3% of the patients were males. Mean age of the patients participating in the study was 62.11 +/- 17.15 years. 51.3% of the patients are 65 years or older. The most common comorbidities in our patients were hypertension and diabetes mellitus. It was determined that lymphocyte count was below 800 in 22.5% of the patients. Involvement was detected on thorax CT in 88.7% of the patients, ground glass was observed in 95.8%. The most commonly used antiviral treatment in patients was favipiravir with 59.6%. Severe disease was present in 25.8% of all patients. In elderly patients with high comorbidities, COVID-19 was more severe, lymphopenia, hypofibrinogenemia and hypoproteinemia were more common in these patients, and there were significant differences in AST, D-dimer, ferritin, LDH, CRP, procalcitonin, troponin, PTZ and INR values in relation to the severity of the disease. Consolidation, infiltration and atelectasis in thorax CT were significantly higher in patients with severe disease. The average hospitalization period of the patients was 10.06 +/- 6.07 days, the rate of follow-up in the intensive care unit was 12.6%, and 5% of the patients died. Conclusion: Good identification of demographic clinical and laboratory prognostic factors for severe COVID-19 may contribute to physicians in the follow-up and treatment of the disease.