Child, adolescent, and parent mental health in general population during a year of COVID-19 pandemic in belgium: a cross-sectional study

Background: This study aims to evaluate the mental health status of children, adolescents and their parents during the first year of COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium. Method(s): Analysis compared results before and during the second national lockdown, which started on November 2nd 2020. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between May 2020 and April 2021. Result(s): Two hundred and eighteen adults and 273 children fully completed the survey. Almost one in five children (17.9%) presented moderate-to-severe scores of depression. Adolescents presented a higher level of depression than children (p = 0.007). The rate of moderate-to-severe depression scores (10.8% to 21%, p = 0.007) and internalized symptoms increased during the second lockdown (p < 0.001). Parents' depression (p < 0.001) and anxiety (p = 0.027) levels also increased during the second lockdown. Logistic regression showed that the use of psychotropic medication in parents and parents' depression scores were risk factors for children to have worse depression scores. Conclusion(s): The second lockdown appears to worsen the effects of the pandemic on children's and parents' mental health. There is a need to implement specific interventions targeting both children/adolescents and their parents to support them during lockdown periods and improve mental health outcomes.Copyright © 2022, The Author(s).

The COVID-19 pandemic, an environmental neurology perspective.

Neurologists have a particular interest in SARS-CoV-2 because the nervous system is a major participant in COVID-19, both in its acute phase and in its persistent post-COVID phase. The global spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection has revealed most of the challenges and risk factors that humanity will face in the future. We review from an environmental neurology perspective some characteristics that have underpinned the pandemic. We consider the agent, SARS-CoV-2, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 as influenced by environmental factors, its impact on the brain and some containment measures on brain health. Several questions remain, including the differential clinical impact of variants, the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on sleep and wakefulness, and the neurological components of Long-COVID syndrome. We touch on the role of national leaders and public health policies that have underpinned management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased awareness, anticipation and preparedness are needed to address comparable future challenges.

The impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on youth mental health.

COVID-19 pandemic deeply affected young adults' mental health, partially because of both forced social isolation measures and loneliness. An increase in anxious and depressive symptoms and psychotropic drug use was established during this period. It seems essential to evaluate the potential protective factors, such as resilience, in order to detect vulnerable individuals. This prospective longitudinal study was carried out in a two-phase survey: the first one during lockdown in spring 2020 (T1) and the second one in summer 2020 (T2), when restrictive measures were slackened. The main outcomes were the resilience scale for adults (RSA), the loneliness scale, mental health care needs (MHCN) before and after lockdown and social contacts. Participants were divided into three groups according to their MHCN. 5% of the participants experienced an increase in MHCN at T1, including the start of a psychotropic treatment. Differences in mean RSA scores (total score and Perception of self score) were statistically significant between groups at T1. The difference of loneliness scores was decreased between T1and T2, in particular in youth with MHCN. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictive measures represent a negative impact on youth mental health, particularly among vulnerable individuals. Resilience and social contact with peers are protective factors that need to be taken into account.Copyright © 2021 Association des Medecins anciens etudiats de l'Universite libre de Bruxelles (A.M.U.B.). All rights reserved.

Towards Digital Transformation: A Case Study to Identify and Mitigate COVID-19 in the Retail Industry

The purpose of this research is to demonstrate how retailers have used the digital transformation to mitigate the negative effects of COVID-19. As this research aims to understand a real-life phenomenon for which there is very limited knowledge, we created the opportunity to empirically explore the digital transformation in the retail industry during COVID-19 pandemic. In general terms, the research follows a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory case study design. The results have shown that retailers should focus on technological innovations, adapt their business models, manage their distribution channels, and strengthen their customer-centric strategy. Moreover, it is necessary to emphasize that while smart retail is gradually standing out in the sector, there are also some factors that have not been overcome, such as lack of digital culture, training, and digital leadership. Despite these identified difficulties, the adoption of a digital strategy will allow a differentiating, safe and secure shopping experience, which today is one of the decisive factors for the survival of companies. The COVID-19 pandemic had social and economic effects in all industries – retail was no exception. In turn, the digital technologies already used by companies began to contribute to retailers being able to respond more quickly to customer needs, having been fundamental in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this research is one of the first to explore this topic, bringing new contributions to theory and managerial practice. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Technological Disruption in Grocery Retail: An Overview of the Last Decade (2012–2021)

After grocery retail experienced a radical change with the emergence of the Internet and the use of dot-com in electronic commerce, this sector is once again in a gradual and accelerated process of adaptation and implementation of disruptive technologies. These technologies are the result of automation processes and connectivity implemented by Industry 4.0 tools and recently by the new regulations that brought the impact generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This research paper uses a systematic literature review, this work was carried out from 50 scientific papers collected in the last 10 years (from 2012 to 2021) and that portray the planning of prototypes and implementation of disruptive technologies in grocery retail. The results gather information from technologies such as the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Blockchain, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, use of Drones, Big Data, Robotics and Cloud Computing, and their use in the grocery retail industry in specific areas such as Logistics, Warehousing, Customer Service and Assistance, Freight Transport, Supply Chain and Supplier Management. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Digital transformation in school management: the legacy that strategic actions in the 2020s leave for future pandemics

With the outbreak of social withdrawal due to the pandemic, many countries have undergone drastic transformations in various spheres. In education, face-to-face classes were transformed into distance learning. However, this sudden change caused several problems for students and teachers. Given these events, the purpose of this article was to propose exceptional actions to improve the transition from face-to-face classes to virtual classes. For this, the elements that positively and negatively impacted education in the Covid-19 pandemic were identified in the literature. These elements were then clustered into four strategies, these being: redesign of pedagogical practices, psychological and social support, technological infrastructure in virtual teaching, and school management to cope with the pandemic scenario. The multiple case study method was used, investigating five technical schools located in the state of São Paulo (Brazil). With this, it was possible to propose 10 exceptional actions aimed at the transition from face-to-face classes to virtual classes. The main novelty of this article was the proposition of actions to motivate the school community against the impacts of the pandemic, building memory in its agents, making them more prepared for unexpected events. © 2022 Brazilian Institute for Information in Science and Technology. All rights reserved.

Fatal Traffic Accidents in Sao Paulo State, Brazil: Social Characteristics and Social Distance Effects

Every day someone become a victims of road traffic accidents. A traffic accident is a social, economic and health public problem that affects all society. However, the comprehension of its main causes is still a work in process. The influence of traffic volume can be suggested based on the impact of COVID-19 crisis, since that the fatal traffic accident in Sao Paulo city in 2020 dropped almost 1/3 in relation to 2019. Thus, the objective of this paper is to analyze the number of fatal traffic victims [FTV] in Sao Paulo State among January 2015 and September 2021. To do so, we used a Sao Paulo State database over fatal traffic accidents and applied the statistical analysis to provide graphical and cross tabulation results. Our results indicate that Sao Paulo Metropolitan Region (RMSP) is responsible for 1/3 of the FTV occurred in Sao Paulo State, and there was a decrease in the number of fatal traffic victims due to public policies applications and social distance caused by COVID-19. Furthermore, it identifies social characteristics that contribute to unsafety traffic such as gender (male), life stage (adult), vehicle (motorcycle), period of the day (night) and days of the week (Saturday and Sunday). We conclude that this research provides information necessary to auxiliary decision-makers to develop urban transportation plans to reduce fatal traffic accidents.

Analyzing YouTube Videos Shared on WhatsApp and Telegram Political Public Groups

As the use of smartphones in Brazil has advanced in recent years, instant messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram became part of Brazilians' lives and communication. However, the use of these platforms is not limited to exchanging messages between two users but also serves as a platform for group discussions and content dissemination. This study focuses on YouTube videos shared by politically oriented public groups on WhatsApp and Telegram during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Specifically, we analyze the information disseminated by political groups about the pandemic and the main events that took place during the same period, highlighting the main differences between the platforms. Our investigation shows a relevant political bias in the content shared in public groups in Brazil, with predominantly right-oriented content in messaging apps. A significant overlap of popular videos between these platforms was also found. On YouTube, we found the main categories of videos and examined the narrative that these videos give us from the perspective of WhatsApp and Telegram users. © 2022 ACM.

COVID-19's pandemic: A new way of thinking through linear combinations of proportions

Knowledge about the evolution of an epidemic is of critical importance for assessing the needs of the National Health System (NHS), planning the necessary responses and coordinating resources countrywide. In this work, we analyze the behavior of the COVID-19 epidemic curve in Portugal, by using linear combinations of proportions. These proportions are based on the number of nonhospitalized and hospitalized cases and deaths. The trajectories of different linear relations of proportions and pairs of two proportions are graphically displayed in order to allow the comparison of their behaviors over time. By using as the baseline the summer period of 2020, which corresponds to the “lowest level” of the epidemic curve and is what we consider a “comfortable” scenario for the NHS, we identified several linear relations of proportions that may be used to highlight relevant transitions between future periods of the epidemic and thus provide indicators for assessing the overall state of the resources of the NHS dedicated to treating COVID-19 patients. Our analysis shows an association between the implementation of public health measures and the easing of the pressure over the NHS. These indicators can potentially be used to better prevent the exhaustion of the NHS resources. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on breast cancer neoadjuvant therapy: a retrospective institutional analysis

Background: COVID-19 pandemic motivated a reorganization of healthcare institutions, which may have led to a negative impact on cancer patients' treatment. This study compared the pathological response (PR) rate to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in breast cancer (BC) patients who underwent treatment before (BCv) and during (DCv) the COVID-19 pandemic at our institution.

Time of Initiation of Pumping vs Breastfeeding at Discharge of Preterm Infants

Background: The AAP policy statement on breastfeeding recommends that all preterm infants receive breast milk (BM) feeds. However, mothers delivering prematurely often have difficulty establishing full milk supply. Early BM expression within 1-6 hours of delivery is associated with increased BM production. Baseline data at our large, urban, county hospital revealed that, among all mothers with infants admitted to the NICU, median time to first BM expression was 18 hours in September 2019. In some NICUs, introduction of donor BM led to decreased maternal BM production. Donor BM (DBM) was introduced in our NICU in January 2020. We aimed to (1) assess what characteristics are associated with longer time to first BM expression and (2) implement QI interventions to decrease time to first BM expression, with the goal of helping mothers establish supply to provide BM for their preterm baby beyond NICU discharge. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of deliveries at <33 weeks gestational age (GA) or birthweight <1500 grams between March 2019 and February 2021. A QI project aiming at encouraging NICU mothers to express BM as soon as possible after delivery was initiated in September 2019. Interventions included education of personnel and mothers, increased number of breast pumps, and earlier in-person contact between mothers and lactation consultants. Results: Among 512 neonates, infants 137 were born in Epoch-1 and 375 in Epoch-2;time to first BM expression was available in 448 mothers. Demographics were similar among both Epochs (Table 1a). Average time to first BM expression did not change significantly over time (Figure 1a);however, the range and standard deviation decreased transiently in Epoch-2 and increased again when DBM was introduced and during the COVID-19 pandemic (Figure 1b). In multivariate analysis (n=443), time to first BM expression increased with increasing GA, severe preeclampsia and cesarean delivery but did not decrease in Epoch-2 (Table 1b) and was not affected by DBM. Among women who delivered by cesarean section, time to first BM expression (n=291) was not affected by general anesthesia. The odds of receiving BM feeds at NICU discharge (n=424) increased with increasing GA and was lower with multiple gestations and lower in African-American and nonHispanic White than in Hispanic White neonates (Table 1c);it was not affected by time of first BM expression, administration of DBM, or epoch. Conclusion: Time to first BM expression increased with increasing GA, cesarean section and preeclampsia. The odds of BM feeding at time of NICU discharge increased with increasing GA, was lower with multiple gestation and highest in Hispanics but was not associated with earlier BM expression or use of DBM. The data suggests that limited access of lactation consultants to mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic negated the initial benefits observed during QI initiation.

The COVID-19 Pandemic, a Risk Management Approach

The coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic, one of many global threats to human health, provides an opportunity to analyze how to detect, minimize, and even prevent the spread of future viral zoonotic agents with pandemic potential. Such analysis can utilize existing risk assessment techniques that seek formally to define the hazard, assess the health risk, characterize the health threat, and estimate the probability of occurrence. © 2021 by Turkish Neurological Society.

ON ESTIMATING THE ADDITIONAL INCIDENCE OF COVID-19 AMONG POPULATIONS EXPOSED TO POLLUTED AMBIENT AIR: METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES AND SOME PRACTICAL RESULTS

We estimate quantitatively the influence of ambient air pollution on SARS-CoV-2 spread among populations in six cities in the Russian Federation. These cities are among priority ones as per air pollution and are included in the “Clean air” Federal project (Bratsk, Krasnoyarsk, Norilsk, Omsk, Cherepovets, and Lipetsk). Our hypothesis was that dynamic features of the infection spread would be different from an expected model of its epidemiologic process under exposure to environmental pollution. Regression and correlation analysis was performed for relationships between a daily deviation in actual incidence from a basic epidemiologic scenario and the average daily concentrations of chemicals in ambient air. The initial data were results obtained from instrument measurements of ambient air quality in the examined cities (approximately 10.8 thousand measurements covering 29 chemicals) and the daily incidence of COVID-19 from April 18, 2020 to July 31, 2021 (77,337 cases). An authentic correlation between COVID-19 incidence and chemical concentrations in ambient air was detected in all six examined cities. The contribution of air pollution to COVID-19 incidence rate amounted to 5.0 ± 2.6 % in five cities (Krasnoyarsk, Norilsk, Omsk, Cherepovets, and Lipetsk) over the examined period. In Bratsk, this value was about 33 % and it requires additional research for either confirmation or correction. Growth in COVID-19 incidence in the examined territories is associated with particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5) and some other chemicals that can irritate the airway directly or indirectly (sulfuric acid vapors, hydrogen chloride, formaldehyde, hydrogen sulphide, etc.). Target levels were substantiated for several priority chemicals;should these levels be achieved, one would predict a decrease in COVID-19 incidence by more than 1–3 % in the examined cities. We propose that population morbidity and mortality caused by COVID-19 require further studies, including those combined with medical and biological examination regarding efficiency of vaccination and post-vaccination immunity persistence on territories with elevated environmental pollution. This research is vital due to the considerable global medical and demographic losses during the COVID-19 pandemic and the latest research works providing evidence of a correlation between air pollution and spread of the disease, its severity, clinical course and outcomes. © Zaitseva N.V., May I.V., Reis J., Spencer P., Kiryanov D.А., Kamaltdinov М.R., 2021

Questioning The Early Events Leading To The Covid-19 Pandemic

Sixteen months after the January 30, 2020 declaration by the World Health Organization of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern regarding the spread of COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 had infected ~ 170 million humans world-wide of which > 3.5 million had died. We critically examine information on the virus origin, when and where the first human cases occurred, and point to differences between Chinese and later clinical presentations. The official patient Zero was hospitalized in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, on December 8, 2019, but retrospective analyses demonstrate prior viral circulation. Coronaviruses are present in mammals and birds, but whether a wild animal (e.g. bat, pangolin) was the source of the human pandemic remains disputed. We present two contamination models, the spillover versus the circulation model;the latter brings some interesting hypotheses about previous SARS-CoV-2 virus circulation in the human population. The age distribution of hospitalized COVID-19 patients at the start of the epidemic differed between China and the USA–EU;Chinese hospitalized patients were notably younger. The first Chinese publications did not describe anosmia-dysgeusia, a cardinal symptom of COVID-19 in Europe and USA. The prominent endothelial involvement linked with thrombotic complications was discovered later. These clinical discrepancies might suggest an evolution of the virus. © 2021,Health Risk Analysis.All Rights Reserved.

Christianity, the Brazilian society and domestic violence: disfigured faces and cries for help in the present days

At the present times, the Brazilian people's suffering is notorious, in communion with the whole humankind. At this time of history, everyone is affected by the new Coronavirus pandemic's tragedy. The painful silence broken by tears of sorrow, laid by people who are burying their loved ones;thousands of families mourned by theirs relatives' deaths;a health system that can't handle all the population's needs, in particular, the ones from the most vulnerable;the social isolation necessity and these pandemic times' consequences that manifest themselves through the unemployment, hunger, the lack of hope;all of these are some aspects of the suffering faced by many of our brothers all around Brazil. If that was not enough, domestic violence cases are rising sharply. Such phenomenon is disfiguring the faces of many children, young people and women, who shout for help from their homes' anonymity;those cries cannot be forgotten nor ignored either by Christianity or by any other religion whose basic and fundamental principle is the love to God and the neighbor. Every person of good will member of the Brazilian society should be alert for those cries asking for help. Therefore, this reflection aims to verify which are the present-day challenges, especially the ones related to Christianity and Brazilian society's duty to fight domestic violence, and how they can make themselves close to the victims of those great sufferings as well as taking measures to avoid its repetition. At least two preliminary questions are important: It would be rightful to practice a Christian religious model, which has Jesus Christ as fundament, to be comfortable if its own situation is good, even when many others are forgotten? Would it be reasonable to any person of good will and to a whole society neglect themselves from the faces' disfiguration and from the thousands of children, young people and women's suffering cries?

Covid-19: Neurological sequelae

COVID-19, the human primarily respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, commonly involves the nervous system, the effects of which may persist for many months. Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 include relapsing and remitting neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms that can affect children and adults, including those who had mild acute illness. Since longer-term adverse effects on the central and peripheral nervous system of COVID-19 cannot be excluded, patient and societal health trends should be monitored going forward. Urgent present needs include not only global immunization against SARS-CoV-2 but also the reestablishment of lapsed mass vaccination programs to prevent resurgence of other viral diseases (e.g., measles, polio) that can impact the nervous system. © Spencer P.S., Román G., Buguet A., Guekht A., Reis J., 2021

Impacts of COVID-19 in Retail: A Case Study Research

The objective of this research is to discuss the possible impacts and mitigation measures that emerged in the retail sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a qualitative and exploratory case study of a Portuguese logistic operator, we explored the effects of the pandemic on employeeś daily work. To that end, we used several sources of data collection, such as semi-structured interviews, analysis of official documents and direct observation. The results showed that the logistic operator is adopting several measures and practices to mitigate the effects of COVID-19, such as: 1) use of telework;2) protection and hygiene measures for employees and customers;3) tools to respond to growing demand for non-perishable goods, hygiene/cleaning products and tobacco;4) policies that enhance digital transformation;and, 5) the use of active and preventive communication strategies. Of all the adopted measures, we highlight the digital transformation, due to its potential positive impact in allowing the return of a new normal. This normality is largely achieved by the use of innovative technologies that allowed remote work in practically all departments of the organization. This organizational change improved the paradigm we were used to, as it allowed to build new beliefs regarding the positive impact of teleworking and other opportunities for remote work, without significantly changing the expected service levels. In short, this article contributes to the dissemination of measures and practices adopted by retailers in Portugal, without neglecting the safety and competitiveness of labor practices. © 2021 AISTI.