Search

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge in mental health issues and psychological distress, disruption to work/studying conditions, and social isolation particularly among young adults. Changes in these factors are differentially associated with alcohol use. Moreover, the relationship between these factors are bidirectional and may have fluctuated throughout the different phases of the pandemic. However, studies focusing on young adults had conflicting results, short follow-up periods, and lacked comprehensive data to describe underlying mechanisms. Methods: 1067 young adults participated in repetitive measures termed wave 4 (2021) of the Survey of Adolescent Life in Västmanland Cohort “SALVe” Cohort. Of these, 889 also completed pre-pandemic measurements termed wave 3 (2018). Participants completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) to evaluate alcohol consumption and harmful use. Cross-sectional associations between perceived changes in alcohol use and shift in individual, mental health, and work environment factors were examined using Chi-square tests. Logistic regression was utilized to identify pre-pandemic predictors of harmful consumption during the pandemic. Results: Harmful consumption decreased only in females following the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants who reported increased feelings of depression, anxiety, and loneliness were more likely to increase their alcohol use. Interestingly, the subgroup who felt less lonely and met their friends more often, as well as those who continued working/studying from their regular workplace also had an increased likelihood of higher consumption. Only pre-pandemic ADHD and delinquency symptoms predicted harmful alcohol consumption following the pandemic. Conclusion: Females reduced harmful alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic. While those who suffered the burden of social isolation and distress were more likely to increase their alcohol use, young adults who felt less lonely and met their friends more often also had a similar outcome. The relationship between loneliness and alcohol consumption among young adults is influenced by the social factors that may be facilitated by drinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the safety and well-being of healthcare workers. A scoping review was conducted to highlight the impact of COVID-19 on the safety, health, and well-being of healthcare workers and to shed light on the concerns about their perceived safety and support systems. A literature search was conducted in three different databases from December 1, 2019, through July 20, 2022, to find publications that meet the aim of this review. Using search engines, 3087 articles were identified, and after a rigorous assessment by two reviewers, 30 articles were chosen for further analysis. Two themes emerged during the analysis: safety and health and well-being. The primary safety concern of the staff was mostly about contracting COVID- 19, infecting family members, and caring for patients with COVID-19. During the pandemic, the health care workers appeared to have anxiety, stress, uncertainty, burnout, and a lack of sleep. Additionally, the review focused on the suggestions of health care providers to improve the safety and well-being of workers through fair organizational policies and practices and timely, individualized mental health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To study the prevalence and patterns of problematic gaming and gambling during the COVID-19 pandemic and the association with psychiatric traits and major types of anxiety categories. Method: 1067 young adults participated in both wave 3 (2018) and wave 4 (2021) of the SALVe Cohort. Associations with psychiatric symptoms and anxiety were examined using logistic regression and Chi-square tests. Results: Problematic gaming decreased by 1.3 percentage points to 23.2% since the start of the pandemic, while problematic gambling increased by 0.9 percentage points to 6.5% in w4. Average time spent playing video games/day decreased from 2.2 h (w3) to 1.7 h (w4), while increases in gaming activity were associated with worsened feelings of loneliness (p = 0.002), depression (p < 0.001), and anxiety (p < 0.01) during the pandemic. Predictors for problematic gaming at w4 were previous problematic gaming and social anxiety (p = < 0.001 and 0.01, respectively). Moreover, previous problem gambling also predicted problem gambling at w4 p < 0.001. All anxiety categories were associated with both problematic gaming and gambling when adjusted for age and sex. However, after adjusting for depression and insomnia, social anxiety was associated with problematic gaming (p < 0.001), while panic was associated with problem gambling (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Overall, problematic gaming has decreased since the start of the pandemic, while problem gambling has increased. Worsened feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety during the pandemic are associated with increased gaming. Moreover, the association between problematic gaming and gambling and anxiety is independent of depression and sleep problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2020, theWorld Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global health pandemic. The rapid spread and high fatalities associated with COVID-19 have increased interest in assessing Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) toward this illness among the general population in comparison to specific subgroups. Most publications to date have explored KAP among the general public, healthcare providers, and people with chronic conditions, but not amongst those with mental illness. Yet, research has shown patients with mental illness are at higher risk of poor outcomes related to infectious diseases such as COVID-19. The objective of this study is to compare KAP toward COVID-19 between people with mental illness and the general public. Materials and methods: This is a cross-sectional study, done over 3-months in 2020, to compare KAP during the COVID-19 pandemic in three groups: outpatients from outpatient Psychiatry clinics (N = 165), inpatients admitted to a Psychiatry ward (N = 100), and the general public (N = 345). KAP parameters were assessed through online surveys. Results: The proportion of subjects in the public group (84.8%) giving the correct responses to most Knowledge questions was significantly higher than those in the inpatient and outpatient groups. Compared to the public and inpatient groups, subjects in the outpatient group (92.7%) were significantly more optimistic and confident that COVID-19 would be brought under control. A higher proportion of subjects from the general public (82.9%) indicated that they attended crowded places and were more compliant in wearing masks. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that poorer COVID-19 knowledge was associated with being single and having a young age (18-29), with both inpatients and outpatients and with primary-or secondary-level education. Conclusion: Patient populations, both inpatients and outpatients, had inadequate Knowledge, more positive attitudes and confidence regarding the outcome of COVID-19, and less safe practices than the public. This highlights the need for targeted approaches around COVID-19 and pandemics in general in this vulnerable population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many of the survivors of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are suffering from persistent symptoms, causing significant morbidity and decreasing their quality of life, termed "post-COVID-19 syndrome" or "long COVID". Understanding the mechanisms surrounding PCS is vital to developing the diagnosis, biomarkers, and possible treatments. Here, we describe the prevalence and manifestations of PCS, and similarities with previous SARS epidemics. Furthermore, we look at the molecular mechanisms behind the neurological features of PCS, where we highlight important neural mechanisms that may potentially be involved and pharmacologically targeted, such as glutamate reuptake in astrocytes, the role of NMDA receptors and transporters (EAAT2), ROS signaling, astrogliosis triggered by NF-κB signaling, KNDy neurons, and hypothalamic networks involving Kiss1 (a ligand for the G-protein-coupled receptor 54 (GPR54)), among others. We highlight the possible role of reactive gliosis following SARS-CoV-2 CNS injury, as well as the potential role of the hypothalamus network in PCS manifestations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aims to explore the lived experiences of frontline nurses providing nursing care for COVID‐19 patients in Qatar. Design: Qualitative, Phenomenological. Methods: Nurses were recruited from a designated COVID‐19 facility using purposive and snowball sampling. The participants were interviewed face‐to‐face using semi‐structured interview questions from 6 September–10 October 2020. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method. Result: A total of 30 nurses were interviewed; (76.7%) were deployed for >6 months. Three major themes were drawn from the analysis: (a) Challenges of working in a COVID‐19 facility (subthemes: working in a new context and new working environment, worn out by the workload, the struggle of wearing protective gear, fear of COVID‐19, witnessing suffering); (b) Surviving COVID‐19 (subthemes: keeping it safe with extra measures, change in eating habits, teamwork and camaraderie, social support); and (c) Resilience of Nurses (subthemes: a true calling, a sense of purpose). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is causing an unprecedented situation for the world's health services. Health, local communities, and government are adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, on January 21, 2020, the WHO Emergency Committee declared a global health emergency because of increasing numbers of COVID-19 case notifications from countries overseas. While the pandemic caused grave damage to socioeconomic phenomena and multiple global phenomena such as commodity prices, remittances, trade, tourism, significant job loss, and drastically lower wages, the pandemic has also negatively affected multiple global phenomena. The advent of technology has spurred significant changes in many aspects of our lives and improved the exchange of information, the presentation of data, and the management of medical resources through telemedicine. In this article, we present a mathematical data visualization approach for analyzing pandemic data behaviors, such as exponential growth and deviations using the data related to COVID-19 events. Furthermore, this article will include studies on the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on finance sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic's first wave on Canadian childcare. Using results from 8,300 responses to a Canadawide survey of centres and regulated family childcare, it illustrates how limited public funding and reliance on parent fees made childcare unsustainable when services closed. The lack of public funding created financial stress and uncertainty about the future among centres Canada wide, including in provinces offering more robust support. The paper concludes by considering how dynamics set in motion by the pandemic shaped political developments and may ultimately contribute to the transformation of Canadian childcare to a publicly funded systemic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case highlights an atypical presentation of a patient with unknown history of mental disease who has been diagnosed with a bipolar disorder associated with severe COVID‐19 symptoms. Neuroimaging was only positive for subtle white matter changes; he was treated with antipsychotics and mood‐stabilizing agents until he reached partial remission. The authors urge clinicians to consider the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on patients with mental illness and the urgent need for vigilant monitoring of presenting signs and symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The bag-of-features (BoF) model has a promising potential for classifying normal and COVID-19 CXR images. • The ensemble-based BoF classification provided superior performance compared to other classifiers for COVID-19 detection. • The number of visual words in the BoF model has a significant effect on the classification performance. • The proposed system achieved the best results of 98.6% accuracy, 99.4% sensitivity, and 97.7% precision using K = 200. The medical and scientific communities are currently trying to treat infected patients and develop vaccines for preventing a future outbreak. In healthcare, machine learning is proven to be an efficient technology for helping to combat the COVID-19. Hospitals are now overwhelmed with the increased infections of COVID-19 cases and given patients' confidentiality and rights. It becomes hard to assemble quality medical image datasets in a timely manner. For COVID-19 diagnosis, several traditional computer-aided detection systems based on classification techniques were proposed. The bag-of-features (BoF) model has shown a promising potential in this domain. Thus, this work developed an ensemble-based BoF classification system for the COVID-19 detection. In this model, we proposed ensemble at the classification step of the BoF. The proposed system was evaluated and compared to different classification systems for different number of visual words to evaluate their effect on the classification efficiency. The results proved the superiority of the proposed ensemble-based BoF for the classification of normal and COVID19 chest X-ray (CXR) images compared to other classifiers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]