Relationship Between Perceptions of COVID-19 and Social Media Use: A Cross-Sectional Study in Turkey

Objective: Although social networks offer a valuable opportunity to share the most up-to-date information and to assist in the management of the pandemic, they may also be associated with intensification of the societal concerns and fear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between perceptions of regarding the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), social media use and perceived stress in a community sample in Turkey. Methods: The target study population consisted of the healthcare workers of XXXX University and their close relatives/friends. Of the 1564 participants 375 were healthcare workers (24.0%), 481 were non-healthcare workers (30.8%), 297 were students (19.0%), 210 were unemployed subjects (13.4%), and 201 were retired (12.9%) individuals. For data collection sociodemographic form, Perception of COVID-19 (P-COVID-19), Perception of Causes of COVID-19 (PCa-COVID-19), Perception of Control of COVID-19 (PCo-COVID-19), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Social Network Addiction Scale (SNAS). The scales used were compared among the five groups that made up the sample. Results: Perception of COVID-19 dangerousness and contagiousness was significantly lower in retirees (p=0.003, p

Attitudes of healthcare workers towards COVID-19 and affecting factors

The COVID-19 outbreak, which was first reported in December 2019, has affected the whole world. The first case in Turkey was confirmed on March11, 2020. Healthcare workers fight at the frontline against this virus with intense infectivity and are the occupational group under the highest risk. 7.428 health workers were infected in Turkey in late April 2020. Anxiety levels of healthcare workers have increased due to this high risk exposure. The aim of this study is to examine the attitudes of healthcare workers towards COVID-19 and the affecting factors. The study is cross-sectional. The study population consists of the healthcare workers working in the province of Samsun (N = 11926). The sample size of the study was determined as 370 people within the 5% margin of error and 95% confidence interval. The study data were collected between April 1, 2020 and April 30, 2020. Questionnaires were used as a data collection tool in the study. The questionnaire consists of two parts. The first part includes descriptive questions to determine individual characteristics. The second part is the covid attitude survey created by reviewing the literature. Descriptive statistics, Student's t test and One-Way Anova were used to evaluate the data. The age distribution of the participants is 34.81 +/- 8.54. In the study, it was determined that gender, marital status, title, working year, having children or not, chronic disease status, and health and life satisfaction were the factors affecting the attitude towards Covid-19 (p <0.05). It was ascertained that the COVID-19 attitudes of women, those who were still married, midwives, those who had been working for 11-20 years, those with children, those with chronic diseases, and those with a poor health perception and life quality were more negative compared to others. COVID-19 causes especially healthcare workers to become concerned both for themselves and their relatives since it is an unrecognized infection and easily transmitted. It might be important to follow different strategies particularly for healthcare workers who are married, have children and have health problems.Copyright © 2020 Necati Ozpinar. All rights reserved.

Violence Against Healthcare Workers During COVID-19 Pandemic In India

Purpose: The violence against healthcare workers is one of the world's serious public health and patient care challenges. This is often exacerbated during emergencies, and the same has been observed during COVID-19. Method(s): The study reported an analysis of media reports during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic from India. We searched and analysed violent incidents against healthcare workers reported in English & Hindi online media. Our media analysis also reported perpetrators and triggers to mitigate violence against healthcare workers. Finding(s): We studied 51 incidents of violence, during March 2020-August 2021, as per our inclusion criteria. The majority of this reported violence occurred from the government hospitals (45.1%), followed by the community (29.4%), private hospitals (19.6%), quarantine facilities (4.0%), and burial grounds (1.9%). Doctors were targeted in the majority (82.3%), followed by other hospital staff (security and support) (33.3%), nurses (9.8%), ANMs (3.9%), and ASHA (2.0%). The majority of reported incidents were related to physical violence (58.9%), followed by verbal and physical combined (23.5%), sexual harassment (9.8%), and verbal (7.8%). The preparators of violence were family members (53.0%), community (31.4%), police officials (7.8%), and patients (7.8%). Conclusion(s): The actions required to mitigate the violence against healthcare workers require a multipronged approach with the introduction of strict policy measures and their implementation. The mandatory training of healthcare workers in soft and communication skills, protection, and coping mechanisms to prevent and de-escalate such incidents.Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved.

Post-vaccination COVID-19 positivity and clinical situation analysis in healthcare professionals: Post vaccine COVID-19 positivity and healthcare professionals

Aim: Healthcare workers are an occupational group that is at the forefront of a pandemic process, where morbidity and mortality are intense. Deaths due to COVID-19 among workers in our country and in the world are reported mostly in healthcare workers. In this study, we aimed to analyze the rate of contracting COVID-19 among healthcare workers after vaccination and the clinical features of the disease. Material(s) and Method(s): Between January 14, 2021 and June 29, 2021, the diagnosis of COVID-19 in healthcare workers who had clinical complaints after a single dose and two doses of vaccination was made as a result of the evaluation of the patients' throat and nose swab samples by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The disease table of the positive patients was grouped as home treatment and hospital treatment by accessing clinical and laboratory records from electronic medical records. Result(s): At least one dose of vaccine was given to 11,540 (79.62%) of a total of 14,461 healthcare workers. COVID-19 positivity was detected in the PCR test performed on 51 single-dose vaccinated healthcare workers and 177 double-dose vaccinated healthcare workers with clinical complaints. While all patients vaccinated with a single dose were treated at home, 176 of the patients vaccinated with two doses were treated at home and 1 was treated in the hospital. Discussion(s): It has been seen that if countermeasures against COVID-19 are not taken, it could be a great disaster for the whole world, that the most important defense against this pandemic is vaccination, and that those who have COVID-19 after vaccination have a mild illness even if they have the disease.Copyright © 2022, Derman Medical Publishing. All rights reserved.

Assessment of Risk to Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Tertiary Care Facility Based Cross-sectional Study in Pakistan

Objective: To assess the risk of COVID-19 to healthcare workers (HCWs) in Tertiary care hospitals and its association with demographic factors. Study Design: Cross-sectional analytical study. Place and Duration of Study: Tertiary Care Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from May to Dec 2020. Methodology: Healthcare workers working in a designated COVID-19 Tertiary care hospital were included in the study. A modified "Risk assessment and management of exposure of HCWs in the context of COVID-19 tool" was distributed. HCWs were categorized as "high risk" and "low risk" of COVID-19 infection. Frequency and percentages were computed for demographic variables. Results: A total of 182 healthcare workers were included, and 167(91.7%) returned the study questionnaire. Most of them were nurses (n=65, 40.1%) working in the medical unit (n=99, 61.1%). Low risk HCWs were 73.5%( n=119) and only 26.5%( n=43) were high risk. Gender (p-value: .02) and type of HCWs (p-value: .01) were significantly associated with the risk of COVID-19. Conclusion: One-fourth of HCWs were at high risk of COVID-19 virus infection. Female gender and nurses were more likely to acquire COVID-19 infection. © 2023, Army Medical College. All rights reserved.

Transferability of psychological interventions from disaster-exposed employees to healthcare workers working during the COVID-19 pandemic—update to a systematic review and secondary analysis

Background: The COVID-19 Pandemic had a significant negative impact on the mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs). Evidence-based interventions that could be used to mitigate this impact are lacking in the literature. This review aims to evaluate psychological interventions used for employees following previous disasters and assess the transferability of these interventions to a healthcare setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Intervention information from a previously published systematic review of the literature published up to 2015 was extracted, and an additional search of studies published from 2015–2020 was conducted. Studies were assessed for transferability using a checklist derived from the PIET-T process model. Results: Interventions from eighteen studies were assessed for transferability (including three studies identified in an updated literature search). Interventions established as most transferable included resilience training, meditation/mindfulness interventions, and cognitive behavioural therapy. Psychological debriefing was transferable but as it is contrary to current recommendations is not deemed appropriate for adoption. Conclusions: Several existing interventions have the potential to be utilised within the COVID-19 context/ pandemic. More research needs to be undertaken in this area to assess these interventions upon transfer. © Journal of Public Health and Emergency. All rights reserved.

Features of the Formation of Seroprevalence to SARS-CoV2 in the Population of the Republic of Tatarstan during the Spread of COVID-19

Relevance. It is relevant to study the features of the formation and duration of the humoral immune response to a new coronavirus infection in a high-risk group of infection-among medical workers. Aims. To study the dynamics of the levels of specific antibodies (IgM and IgG) to SARS-CoV2 in unvaccinated MRs of the temporary infectious diseases hospital to assess the trends of the individual humoral immune response to a new coronavirus infection. Materials and methods. We monitored IgM and IgG to SARS-CoV-2 in 68 unvaccinated healthcare workers monthly from July 2020 to July 2021 by two-stage direct solid-phase ELISA using the test systems «SARS-CoV-2-IgG-ELISA-BEST» and «SARS-CoV-2-IgM-ELISA-BEST», Russia. Among them, there were 26.5% men and 73.5% women, the average age was 43.5 ± 1.51 years, doctors 52.9%, paramedical personnel 36.8% and junior staff 10.3%. 69.1% had a history of clinical manifestations of COVID19, among them 42.7% had a mild infection, 20.6% had a moderate infection, and 5.9% had a severe infection, 30.9% were asymptomatic. Statistical processing were carried out using the methods of variation statistics using the Excel statistical package and the WinPepi software product (version 11.65). Results. A decrease in the geometric mean value of IgM titers to SARS-CoV-2 (average monthly decrease of 6.40%) and an increase in the geometric mean value of IgG titers (average monthly increase of 4.26%). An individual assessment of the dynamics of antibodies from the day with the first positive result showed a decrease in the geometric mean values of antibody titers and IgM and IgG to SARS-CoV-2 (monthly average decrease of-23.56% and-1.18%, respectively). An individual assessment of the immune response made it possible to distinguish three groups according to the dynamics of IgM: M0-IgM in the blood were absent (50 ± 5.7446%);M1-IgM persisted for 1–2 months, followed by a rapid decrease in titer (16.176 ± 3.7943%);M2 – IgM remained in the blood for three or more months (33.824 ± 5.1033%). By the nature of the dynamics of IgG MR were divided into four troupes. With a downward trend in IgG titer: G0 – IgG does not exceed 95% of the upper confidence limit of the individual trend in any of the samples taken (19.118 ± 4.7686%), G1 – does not exceed 95% of the upper confidence limit of the individual trend starting from 3 months after the start observations (4.412 ± 2.4903%), G2 – there is an excess of 95% of the upper confidence limit of the individual trend starting from 3 months after the start of observation (69.118 ± 5.6027%);G3 – with a trend of increasing IgG titer (7.353 ± 3.1651%). Сonclusions. The results of serological monitoring as a whole indicate the formation of herd immunity in this cohort. Monitoring the intensity of the individual immune response to SARS-CoV-2 throughout the year reflects the natural course of the infectious process and is the basis for vaccination against COVID-19. The results of serological monitoring can be used to predict the epidemiological situation, plan specific and non-specific COVID-19, personalization of vaccination. © 2023, Numikom. All rights reserved.

Mental health concerns of frontline registered nurses associated with the COVID-19 pandemic

Problem: COVID-19 caused local healthcare facilities to admit patients with COVID-19 at increasing rates, critically overloading healthcare system resources. Caregiver-related stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic placed frontline registered nurses (RNs) at risk for mental health consequences (Havlioglu & Demir, 2020;Shechter et al., 2020). Methods: This quality improvement project used a descriptive design to administer a collection of validated instruments assessing anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and demographics. A purposive sample of RNs were recruited from the COVID-19 units in a local hospital, and the survey was distributed via email. Results: During the implementation period (April 4, 2021-May 15, 2021), 56 RNs began the survey with 47 fully completing and nine partially completing the survey. Participants self-reported symptoms consistent anxiety (n =19/56, 33.9%) and depression (n =21/56, 37.5%). PTSD was marked as a concern for RNs scoring greater than 33 on the IES-R (McCabe, 2019;Nie et al., 2020);25% of RNs (n=14/56) met this criterion. Of all participants, 53.5% (n=30/56) self-reported substance use to cope with the stress related to the pandemic. Some RNs admitted to thoughts of self-harm (n = 5/56, 8.9%). Implications for Practice: This project revealed frontline RNs are at risk for mental health issues with inadequate resources to manage potential issues. Expansion of employee assistance programs are essential to follow up on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] recommendations and data uncovered in this project. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Evaluation of Worry and Anxiety in the Postpandemic Normalization Process in Operating Room Staff

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic, which is a rapidly spreading infection, has caused serious stress and anxiety in people, primarily healthcare workers. In our study, we aimed to determine the anxiety of loss of professional skills that may be caused by staying away from operations for a long time due to the pandemic in operating room workers and the reasons that may cause anxiety caused by working under the threat of coronavirus infection during the normalization process. Methods: The population of this cross-sectional study consists of doctors, nurses, technicians, and auxiliary personnel working in the operating room of our hospital. Sociodemographic form, health histories, Worry and Anxiety Questionaire (WAQ) and occupational skill loss anxiety questionnaire were applied to the researchers. Results: Worry and Anxiety (WA) scores and occupational anxiety scores of female healthcare workers were found to be statistically significantly higher than males. It was determined that the WA scores of the anesthesia assistants and operating room nurses were statistically significantly higher than the scores of the surgeons and assistants. It was determined that the WA scores of the participants with chronic disease were statistically significantly higher than those without chronic disease. Conclusion: Psychological support should be continued for health workers who work under intense working conditions and high risk, especially for health workers on the front line, and their family members when necessary. It has been determined that anesthetists and health workers who have previously had psychological disorders and chronic diseases carry a high risk of worry and anxiety, and psychological support should be prioritized. © 2022 Anestezi Dergisi. All rights reserved.

Capturing COVID: A pilot study using the EPII with long-term care staff

The Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) is a new virus responsible for a global pandemic and significant impacts on communities. However, the full extent of the impact on biopsychosocial well-being has not been captured. The present study investigated the Epidemic-Pandemic Impact Inventory (EPII), a newly developed measure designed to capture a person's experience of the pandemic across multiple domains of life, and a demographic questionnaire in a long-term care (LTC) sample. Healthcare work is considered essential during the pandemic and therefore healthcare workers must enter environments that place them at an increased risk for contracting and passing infectious diseases. COVID-19 has a unique impact on healthcare workers in LTC due to the nature of the setting (e.g., high likelihood of contracting or passing the virus, risk to patients, low access to resources). Additional exploratory analyses were performed to understand whether job title and self-identified race impacted response to the EPII. Fifty participants from three different long-term care facilities in Southern Colorado completed the EPII. Results indicated that LTC workers endorsed the greatest number of adverse experiences related to work and employment, infection, and quarantine. The EPII did not capture potential difference based on job title. However, White participants endorsed a greater number of problems with mental health and wellbeing compared to participants of color. This pilot study provided evidence for the utility of the EPII among a LTC population and identified potential areas to improve the psychometric properties of the assessment tool moving forward. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Psychological Effects on Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Single-center Study at a Tertiary Hospital in Tokyo, Japan.

Objective The present study analyzed the psychological status of healthcare workers in Japan and the influencing factors during the 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic. Methods An online survey was conducted from July 22 to August 21, 2020. A total of 328 of the 1,029 medical staff members in our university hospital participated in the study. Their mental health was assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. A multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with the mental health outcomes. Results Of the respondents, 78.0% reported psychological distress. Overall, we found that women, non-physicians, those who lived alone, and younger respondents had significantly greater psychological distress than their counterparts. The multivariate regression analysis showed that four factors were extracted as independent 12-item General Health Questionnaire-related factors: the lack of a sense of mission as a medical professional, the burden of the change in the quality of work, the lack of understanding about virus infectivity, and a strong sense of duty. Conclusion In summary, we found a high prevalence of psychological distress among healthcare workers during the 2019 coronavirus disease outbreak in Japan. Independent risk factors for psychological distress were the burden of the change in the quality of work, the lack of understanding about virus infectivity, a sense of responsibility, and the lack of a strong motivation and drive to help.

COVID-19 and Italian Healthcare Workers From the Initial Sacrifice to the mRNA Vaccine: Pandemic Chrono-History, Epidemiological Data, Ethical Dilemmas, and Future Challenges.

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak a pandemic. Simultaneously, in Italy, in which the first case had occurred on February 18, the rigid phase of the lockdown began. The country has attracted worldwide attention, becoming at the same time a field of study both concerning the spread of the pandemic and advanced assessments of the effectiveness of political, public health, and therapeutic measures. The protagonists of the Italian crisis were the healthcare workers (HCWs) who were exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) without having any perception of what they were facing, courageously contributing to the containment of the epidemic to be defined by the media as "heroes." However, in the first phase of the pandemic (March-May 2020), the price that the Italian Public Health System had to pay both in terms of the number of positive virus cases and deaths among the HCWs was beyond and represented a peculiarity compared to what happened in other countries. In the current study, after a summary of the evolution of the pandemic in Italy, we offer an analysis of the statistical data concerning contagions and deaths among healthcare workers (physicians in particular). In conclusion, we describe the critical issues that still need to be resolved and the future challenges facing healthcare workers and the general population.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of healthcare workers Towards Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of SARS-CoV 2 pandemic is the greatest public health concern of the century. Healthcare workers are the front liners of pandemic management. Their knowledge, attitudes and practices can influence the outcome of pandemic. The study aims to determine the knowledge, attitude and practices among healthcare workers. METHODS: Knowledge, attitude and practice related questionnaire based online survey through Google forms was conducted from Healthcare workers, following ethical approval from NHRC (ERB protocol registration number: 297/2020 P). Online forms were disseminated via Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, Viber and personal messaging. Responses containing anonymized data was collected analyzed in using SPSS-version 26, (Year: 2019). The results were interpreted in terms of percentage response, knowledge score, and practice and discussed on the possible solutions in improving the infection prevention and control practice. RESULTS: 473 HCWs responded to the questionnaire, out of which 426 responses met inclusion criteria which is 90% of the total responses. The mean score for knowledge was 3.20 + 1.15 out of maximum seven; with 45.7% correct answers. 70.4 % (300) participants felt that Nepal will be unable to contain the pandemic, 64 % of the total employed participants felt that there was inadequate institutional preparedness to protect HCWs from exposure. 91% participants reported practicing hand hygiene after every patient encounter; whereas 31.7% (77) and 22.1% (59) participants did not know how to check sealing of the N95 masks and use personal protective equipment's respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The survey findings showed deficiencies in knowledge and appropriate practice among the HCWs, in prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Attitudes towards COVID19 were a mix of both positive and negative viewpoints. Even in health care workers with access to internet, there is significant gap in universal infection prevention and control practices required for self-protection and limiting untoward transmission.

Identifying asymptomatic healthcare workers with COVID-19 in a community hospital: an institution's experience.

The outbreak related to SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 has been classified as a pandemic. Many healthcare institutions enacted policies to limit the spread within their facility. As hospitals begin to return to normal particularly with elective procedures, a common concern is how an organization should react in the event that healthcare workers test positive for COVID-19. When our organization had a cluster of positive inpatient healthcare workers, we elected to test all direct patient care healthcare workers. Through this process we learned two valuable lessons that have redefined our practice: 1) the recognition that aggressive contact tracing provides greater yield than testing everyone and 2) organizations must implement effective social distancing both within each department and how departments interact with each other to limit the scope of contract tracing.