Predictors of black fungus fear during the COVID-19 pandemic among the Bangladeshi health workers: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe emergence of mucormycosis cases amid the COVID-19 pandemic; fear associated with mucormycosis may turn out to be a terrifying public health issue. This study aimed to assess the association between fear and insomnia status and other predictors of mucormycosis among Bangladeshi healthcare workers. MethodsFrom 25 May 2021 to 05 June 2021, a cross-sectional study was carried out among healthcare workers. A total of 422 healthcare workers participated in this study. A semi-structured online questionnaire was used for data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by convenient and snowball sampling methods. A multivariable linear regression model was fitted to assess the association between fear and insomnia status and other predictors of mucormycosis. ResultsThe results indicated that the respondents with insomnia status had a higher score of mucormycosis fear than not having insomnia ({beta} = 3.91, 95% CI: 2.49, 5.33, p <0.001), significantly. Alongside the increased knowledge score of mucormycosis, the average score of fear increased significantly({beta} = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.20, 0.50, p <0.001). The gender, profession, and death of friends and family members due to COVID-19 significantly affected mucormycosis fear score increment. ConclusionsThis is the first study that focused on assessing the association between mucormycosis fear and insomnia status among the health care workers so far. These study findings recommend emphasizing the mental health aspects and ensuring support to the healthcare workers to better tackle the ongoing public health crisis.

Association between preference and e-learning readiness among the Bangladeshi female nursing students in the Covid-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic jeopardized the traditional academic learning calendars due to the closing of all educational institutions across the globe. To keep up with the flow of learning, most of the educational institutions shifted toward e-learning. However, the students e-learning preference for various subdomains of e-learning readiness did not identify, particularly among the female nursing students for a developing country like Bangladesh, where those domains pose serious challenges. ResultsA cross-sectional study was conducted among the female nursing students perceived e-learning readiness in subdomains of readiness; availability, technology use, self-confidence, and acceptance. The findings of the study revealed that the prevalence of preference for e-learning was 43.46%. The students did not prefer e-learning compared to prefer group has significantly less availability of technology ({beta} = -3.01, 95% CI: -4.46, -1.56), less use of technology ({beta} = - 3.08, 95% CI: -5.11, -1.06), less self-confidence ({beta} = -4.50, 95% CI: -7.02, -1.98), less acceptance ({beta} = -5.96, 95% CI: -7.76, -4.16) and less training need ({beta} = -1.86, 95% CI: -2.67, - 1.06). The age, degree, residence, parents highest education, having a single room, having any eye problems were significantly associated with the variation of availability of technology, use of technology, self-confidence, acceptance, and training need of e-learning. ConclusionsThe outcomes of the study could be helpful while developing an effective and productive e-learning infrastructure regarding the preparedness of nursing colleges for the continuation of academia in any adverse circumstances like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adjusted Dynamics of COVID-19 Pandemic due to Herd Immunity in Bangladesh

Amid growing debate between scientists and policymakers on the trade-off between public safety and reviving economy during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Bangladesh decided to relax the countrywide lockdown restrictions from the beginning of June 2020. Instead, the Ministry of Public Affairs officials have declared some parts of the capital city and a few other districts as red zones or high-risk areas based on the number of people infected in the late June 2020. Nonetheless, the COVID-19 infection rate had been increasing in almost every other part of the country. Ironically, rather than ensuring rapid tests and isolation of COVID-19 patients, from the beginning of July 2020, the Directorate General of Health Services restrained the maximum number of tests per laboratory. Thus, the health experts have raised the question of whether the government is heading toward achieving herd immunity instead of containing the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, the dynamics of the pandemic due to SARS-CoV-2 in Bangladesh are analyzed with the SIRD model. We demonstrate that the herd immunity threshold can be reduced to 31% than that of 60% by considering age group cluster analysis resulting in a total of 53.0 million susceptible populations. With the data of Covid-19 cases till July 22, 2020, the time-varying reproduction numbers are used to explain the nature of the pandemic. Based on the estimations of active, severe, and critical cases, we discuss a set of policy recommendations to improve the current pandemic control methods in Bangladesh.

Noncommunicable Disease Risk Factors Among Adolescent Boys and Girls in Bangladesh: Evidence From a National Survey

Objectives@#To assess the prevalence of noncommunicable disease (NCD) risk factors and the factors associated with the coexistence of multiple risk factors (≥ 2 risk factors) among adolescent boys and girls in Bangladesh. @*Methods@#Data on selected NCD risk factors collected from face to face interviews of 4,907 boys and 4,865 girls in the national Nutrition Surveillance round 2018-2019, was used. Descriptive analysis and multivariable logistic regression were performed. @*Results@#The prevalence of insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, inadequate physical activity, tobacco use, and being overweight/obese was 90.72%, 29.03%, 4.57%, and 6.04%, respectively among boys; and 94.32%, 50.33%, 0.43%, and 8.03%, respectively among girls. Multiple risk factors were present among 34.87% of boys and 51.74% of girls. Younger age (p < 0.001), non-slum urban (p < 0.001) and slum residence (p < 0.001), higher paternal education (p = 0.001), and depression (p < 0.001) were associated with the coexistence of multiple risk factors in both boys and girls. Additionally, higher maternal education (p < 0.001) and richest wealth quintile (p = 0.023) were associated with the coexistence of multiple risk factors in girls. @*Conclusion@#The government should integrate specific services into the existing health and non-health programs which are aimed at reducing the burden of NCD risk factors.

Noncommunicable Disease Risk Factors Among Adolescent Boys and Girls in Bangladesh: Evidence From a National Survey

Objectives@#To assess the prevalence of noncommunicable disease (NCD) risk factors and the factors associated with the coexistence of multiple risk factors (≥ 2 risk factors) among adolescent boys and girls in Bangladesh. @*Methods@#Data on selected NCD risk factors collected from face to face interviews of 4,907 boys and 4,865 girls in the national Nutrition Surveillance round 2018-2019, was used. Descriptive analysis and multivariable logistic regression were performed. @*Results@#The prevalence of insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, inadequate physical activity, tobacco use, and being overweight/obese was 90.72%, 29.03%, 4.57%, and 6.04%, respectively among boys; and 94.32%, 50.33%, 0.43%, and 8.03%, respectively among girls. Multiple risk factors were present among 34.87% of boys and 51.74% of girls. Younger age (p < 0.001), non-slum urban (p < 0.001) and slum residence (p < 0.001), higher paternal education (p = 0.001), and depression (p < 0.001) were associated with the coexistence of multiple risk factors in both boys and girls. Additionally, higher maternal education (p < 0.001) and richest wealth quintile (p = 0.023) were associated with the coexistence of multiple risk factors in girls. @*Conclusion@#The government should integrate specific services into the existing health and non-health programs which are aimed at reducing the burden of NCD risk factors.