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After the scientific consensus on the proliferation of COVID-19, a lethal virus, educational institutions worldwide have swiftly migrated to online learning. This upheaval has propelled online evaluation and assessment to be the norm during this period. The principal objective of the study and research is to explore students' experience with online emergency learning as well as online evaluation. This paper also investigates how Moroccan English as a foreign language (EFL) university learners perceive online assessment in comparison to face-to-face assessment. Data were collected from a sample of 93 Moroccan EFL university students using a self-designed questionnaire. The findings of this research revealed that the students experienced technical issues while submitting their exams. They have also expressed their disappointment with the lack of feedback provided by their professors, not to mention their constant worry about academic honesty. This has led them to lose interest in their studies and possess doubts about reliving this dissatisfactory experience. Therefore, the results implied that participants perceive online assessment as an insignificant factor for performance improvement. This unprecedented experience has had an unadulterated negative impact on students as it has left them both dissatisfied with their experience regarding distance learning and apprehensive about their future educational experiences. It is, then, recommended that the notion of online assessment should be given much attention in higher education in the Moroccan context.

This paper presents the perceptions on distance learning approaches, assessed through an online survey, using experimental design of ideas (Mind Genomics). Students and professors of higher education institutions who had not yet experienced distance learning before COVID-19 pandemic period participated in the study. The participants belong to the universities located in Mediterranean basin, e.g., Albania, Italy, Morocco, Algeria and few African countries. Results suggest that distance learning will shift many of the responsibilities formerly on the professors to those of the students. The data suggests the need for emotional support during this transition, specifically to maintain interaction among students and professor as well as among students themselves in distance learning platforms as in traditional classrooms. The study shows that the effectiveness and the interactivity of this new paradigm are very important and any further developments of distance learning should provide strong support for these components. The position of the professor is indispensable as the guide to the entire process, suggesting that at least at the time of this writing (2020) distance learning approach is perceived only to be an intermittent complementary path to in-person interactions.

Some of the simplest affordances of study abroad became unavailable when students stayed stateside because of the pandemic-induced disruptions to international travel. These ranged from touring city and historical/cultural landmarks, having spontaneous and chance interactions with locals, participating in the performance of traditions and practices, visiting homes, engaging in "domestic" activities with host families and local peers, and developing a sense of community with other fellow students. This paper reports on three alternate, virtual cultural activities that were launched during the pandemic between a U.S. university and its study abroad partner institution in Morocco in order to help compensate for the health disruption. Survey responses, cultural products, and reflections from 118 participants were collected for this study over two Arabic summer intensive programs at the stateside university. The study explores the effectiveness of these activities in promoting intercultural competence and student engagement during this period and speculates on how they can be integrated into the regular programming post-pandemic in order to further enhance immersion.

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 is an extremely contagious and acute viral disease mainly affecting humans., Objective: To estimate seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) for illegible armed force individuals living in Rabat, Morocco., Method: A convenience sample (N = 2662) was conducted from May 2020 to February 2021. We used the standard neutralization assay to quantify the NAbs titers. A serum was positive when the titer was 1:4. High positive NAbs titers were defined when ≥ 1:32., Results: Demographic and socioeconomic status did not affect seroprevalence data. An overall seroprevalence of 24,9% was found. Sera from blood donors, young recruits and auto-immune population had lower NAbs titers. However, titers were above 1:16 in 9% of the population with high risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure. Seropositivity increased over time with values reaching peaks after the epidemic waves (2.4% in May 2020; 16.2% in August 2020; 22.7% in December 2020 and 37% in February 2021)., Conclusion: And increase of NAbs was observed over time and correlated with the post-epidemic waves of COVID-19 in Morocco., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.The authors declare that there are no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work described in this paper., (© 2023 Touil N et al.)

This paper attempts to estimate the impact of a rehiring subsidy implemented as part of the COVID-19 crisis impact response in Morocco. Using administrative data from the National Social Security Fund, it develops the instrumental variable method to estimate the causal effect of this scheme on unemployment duration and on beneficiaries' wages. Intended for employees who have previously received unemployment benefits, this subsidy seems to have produced contrasting effects on the beneficiaries. On one hand, it had a "disincentive" effect on their job search efforts, increasing their unemployment duration, compared to non-beneficiaries. On the other hand, it strengthened their power of bargaining and selection, leading them to choose higher paying jobs, compared to those of non-beneficiaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the spread of Covid-19, several countries, including Morocco, have declared the status of a health emergency. This caused schools to stop giving classes and block the Moroccan educational system. The Ministry of Education resorted to implementing distance education as an alternative to guarantee learning continuity. This includes applying some measures, such as broadcasting classes on TV and encouraging teachers to use online platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom. However, the online experience was not an easy task due to a lack of digital training and internet access. In this regard, the present paper aims to investigate the extent to which Moroccan university students are satisfied with the implementation of online learning. It also investigates the main challenges students encounter in their virtual experience. This study is significant as it provides us with a clear understanding of distance learning as a novel experience in Morocco and the challenges that hindered its success. It is also important because it would add to the accumulation of human knowledge. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were employed through means of questionnaires and interviews, respectively. Questionnaires were administered to students from Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University in Fes who belong to different departments. As for interviews, they were conducted with the same students to give them the chance to elaborate on their answers. The findings of the study revealed that the majority of Moroccan university students were not satisfied with their distance learning experience as it was hard for them to interact due to connection issues. The study also showed that most of the students were confused and unmotivated to learn. Keywords: Covid-19, digital Skills, distance learning, information communication technologyWith the spread of Covid-19, several countries, including Morocco, have declared the status of a health emergency. This caused schools to stop giving classes and block the Moroccan educational system. The Ministry of Education resorted to implementing distance education as an alternative to guarantee learning continuity. This includes applying some measures, such as broadcasting classes on TV and encouraging teachers to use online platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom. However, the online experience was not an easy task due to a lack of digital training and internet access. In this regard, the present paper aims to investigate the extent to which Moroccan university students are satisfied with the implementation of online learning. It also investigates the main challenges students encounter in their virtual experience. This study is significant as it provides us with a clear understanding of distance learning as a novel experience in Morocco and the challenges that hindered its success. It is also important because it would add to the accumulation of human knowledge. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were employed through means of questionnaires and interviews, respectively. Questionnaires were administered to students from Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University in Fes who belong to different departments. As for interviews, they were conducted with the same students to give them the chance to elaborate on their answers. The findings of the study revealed that the majority of Moroccan university students were not satisfied with their distance learning experience as it was hard for them to interact due to connection issues. The study also showed that most of the students were confused and unmotivated to learn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to identify organisational abilities that influence the company's survival during crises. To address this issue, first-through literature review-we identified five groups of crucial organisational abilities that companies pursue during the crisis, i.e., strategic, technological, collaboration, entrepreneurial and relational. We have also identified four objectives that relate to surviving the crisis. Next, we have scrutinised 226 companies from two sides of the world, Poland (Europe) and Morocco (Africa), during the Covid-19 crisis. Quantitative analysis using Structural Equations Modelling demonstrated that surviving during a crisis depends mostly on strategic and entrepreneurial abilities such as the ability to shift resources quickly, organise the work in the firm effectively and plan strategically, as well as diversify its products and services perceived as critical., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Chudziński et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

In this paper, we focus on identifying the transmission rate associated with a COVID-19 mathematical model by using a predefined prevalence function. To do so, we use a Python code to extract the Lagrange interpolation polynomial from real daily data corresponding to an appropriate period in Morocco. The existence of a perfect control scheme is demonstrated. The Pontryagin maximum technique is used to explain these optimal controls. The optimality system is numerically solved using the 4th-order Runge-Kutta approximation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a new method for epidemic risk modelling and prediction, based on uncertainty quantification (UQ) approaches. In UQ, we consider the state variables as members of a convenient separable Hilbert space, and we look for their representation in finite dimensional subspaces generated by truncations of a suitable Hilbert basis. The coefficients of the finite expansion can be determined by approaches established in the literature, adapted to the determination of the probability distribution of epidemic risk variables. Here, we consider two approaches: collocation (COL) and moment matching (MM). Both are applied to the case of SARS-CoV-2 in Morocco, as an epidemic risk example. For all the epidemic risk indicators computed in this study (number of detections, number of deaths, number of new cases, predictions and human impact probabilities), the proposed models were able to estimate the values of the state variables with precision, i.e., with very low root mean square errors (RMSE) between predicted values and observed ones. Finally, the proposed approaches are used to generate a decision-making tool for future epidemic risk management, or, more generally, a quantitative disaster management approach in the humanitarian supply chain.

The COVID-19 pandemic-related measures in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region have resulted in many lifestyle modifications, including changes in diet and food buying patterns among adults. However, the pandemic has impacted women and men differently and exacerbated existing socio-economic and gender inequalities. Indeed, numerous studies conducted worldwide have shown that the COVID-19 pandemic had a disproportionately negative impact on women compared to males. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the effects of COVID-19 on women's food behaviors in three countries of the North Africa sub-region, namely, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia. The study was based on an online poll conducted by SurveyMonkey from 15 September to 5 November 2020, with 995 participants. The outcomes of the research found that when compared to men, (1) women tend to consume more food out of fear, anxiety, or boredom; (2) women prefer to eat more unhealthy food; (3) women tend to stockpile a greater amount of food; and (4) women tend to modify their shopping habits more often. The findings should inform gender-sensitive strategies and policies to address the negative impacts of the pandemic and foster transition towards healthier diets and resilient food systems during the recovery period.

This qualitative study is an investigation and assessment of distance learning in Morocco during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research surveyed 3037 students and 231 professors enrolled in different stages of higher education programs. It aims to investigate the limitations of e-learning platforms and how these activities take place at public and private Moroccan universities during the coronavirus confinement. For this purpose, two structured questionnaires were constructed by researchers from different specialties, and the type of data was based on the responses of students and professors from 15 universities. In this paper, we have used three methods: descriptive analysis, regression analysis, and qualitative response analysis. As a data analytics tool, Microsoft Power BI was used to analyze data, visualize it, and draw insights. In this study, both professors and students stated that online learning is not more interesting than ordinary learning and professors need to provide at least 50% of their teaching in face-to-face mode. Recommendations at teaching and technical levels, such as the need for technical support and training in the use of these tools, were provided to enhance and promote distance education in Morocco. The contribution of this paper comes as a result of data analysis obtained from a survey conducted in some famous Moroccan universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION Research has shown divergent results in terms of nicotine dependence and motivation to quit before and during confinement. Thus, the overall impact of COVID-19 on tobacco dependence and motivation to abstain requires further investigation. The aim of this study is to assess tobacco dependence and measure the motivation to quit before and during confinement in cigarette smokers in Morocco. METHODS This was a descriptive and analytical crosssectional study that included 478 smokers from the 12 regions of Morocco. Data were collected via a questionnaire survey. The Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND) was used to assess tobacco dependence, and the Q-MAT test was used to measure motivation to quit. The questionnaire was distributed between 9 May and 11 June 2020 via e-mail and social networks. Data processing was carried out using Jamovi software. RESULTS The participants were predominantly male (95%) and more than half were married (54%) and aged 26-45 years (54%). The smoking profile was characterized by a high proportion of quit attempts (81%), 77.5% of which were without medical help. Co-consumption of alcohol and cannabis was found in 28% and 20% of participants, respectively. The percentage of participants with moderate and strong dependence was significantly reduced from 26% and 13% to 15% and 9%, respectively. As for the assessment of motivation, participants with a good motivation to stop smoking increased from 34% before confinement to 49% during confinement. This finding was statistically significant (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS The results clearly indicated that confinement in Morocco in 2020 had a positive impact on tobacco dependence and motivation to quit. These results should be an opportunity for health stakeholders to promote smoking cessation and encourage healthier behaviors during periods of crisis such as confinement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider a fractional SIS epidemic system with logistic growth demographic and saturated incidence rate for susceptibles. First, we validate our model by proving the global existence, positivity as well as boundedness of solutions. Then, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for the extinction and persistence of the disease from the population. We also study the local asymptotic stability of the unique positive equilibrium point by analyzing the corresponding characteristic equation. We find that combining logistic growth and saturated incidence for susceptibles can lead the system dynamic behavior to exhibit stability switches. By choosing the growth rate and the carrying capacity of the population as the bifurcation parameters, the stability of the positive equilibrium and the existence of Hopf bifurcation are investigated. Finally, numerical simulations are performed to verify the theoretical results, to fit real-time data from 10 June to 25 November of 2020 and also to predict the number of cumulative cases for COVID-19 in Morocco during 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Objective: Mathematical modeling is the most scientific technique to understand the evolution of natural phenomena, including the spread of infectious diseases. Therefore, these modeling tools have been widely used in epidemiology for predicting risks and decision-making processes. The purpose of this paper is to provide an effective mathematical model for predicting the spread of Covid-19 pandemic., Methods: Our mathematical model is performed according to a SIDR model for infectious diseases. Epidemiological data from four countries; Belgium, Morocco, Netherlands and Russia, are used to validate this model. Also, we have evaluated the efficiency of Morocco's Covid-19 countermeasures and simulated the different relaxation plans in order to predict the effects of relaxation countermeasures., Results and Conclusions: In this paper, we developed and validated a new way of data aggregation, modeling and interpretation to predict the spread of Covid-19, evaluate the efficiency of countermeasures and suggest potential scenarios. Our results will be used to keep the spread of Covid-19 under control in the world., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused one of the most extensive school closures worldwide, sending over one billion students home away from their schools, teachers, and classmates. Governments opted for online education to ensure the continuity of learning. Teachers in Morocco have opted for different tech tools and platforms to design and deliver online classes. This study aims to assess the impact and effectiveness of online teaching during the COVID 19 outbreak among teachers in Morocco. Based on the theoretical framework Online Collaborative Learning (OCL), an online survey questionnaire is employed as a data collection instrument. A total of 421 Moroccan teachers from different regions all over Morocco took part in the study. This paper used the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software to analyze the collected data and determine the impact and quality of online teaching during the Covid-19 national school closure in Morocco. The results showed that most of the teachers faced numerous technology, training, and socio-economic challenges that acted as barriers to the processes of online education. The findings obtained can be of use in making future decisions concerning the implementation of teaching and learning online programs in Morocco considering the teachers' perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel coronavirus COVID-19 has known a large spread over the globe threatening human health. Recommendations from WHO and specialists insist on testing on a mass scale. However, health systems do not have enough resources. The current process requires the isolation of testees in the hospitals' isolation rooms for several hours until the test results are revealed, limiting hospitals' capacities to test large numbers of cases. The aim of this paper was to estimate the impact of reducing the COVID-19 test time on controlling the pandemic spread, through increasing hospitals' capacities to test on a mass scale. First, a discrete-event simulation was used to model and simulate the COVID-19 testing process in Morocco. Second, a mathematical model was developed to demonstrate the effect of accurate identification of infected cases on controlling the disease's spread. Simulation results showed that hospitals' testing capacities could be increased six times if the test duration fell from 10 hours to 10 minutes. The reduction of test time would increase testing capacities, which help to identify all the infected cases. In contrast, the simulation results indicated that if the infected population is not accurately identified and no precautionary measures are taken, the virus will continue to spread until it reaches the total population. Reducing test time is a vital component of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is essential for the effective implementation of policies to contain the virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 crisis hit the economy hard, it is a global situation of declining activity due to a highly contagious disease which has pushed the world to the brink of a deeper recession than ever. Small and medium-sized enterprises constitute 92% of the Moroccan economic fabric, they are among the organizations most seriously affected by the current pandemic. This paper examines the problems that exist before and during this crisis, in order to raise major challenges and choose the ideal approach that will strengthen the competitiveness of these companies. the analysis is based on secondary data and the literature to demonstrate the different constraints of these companies and to show the importance of lean manufacturing as the guarantor of industrial performance. the main question is how the alignment of Lean principals goes well with the desired improvement and with the constraints posed by this crisis, the primary objective of Lean is to provide the means to succeed and accelerate competitiveness. Finally, these circumstances can be a real opportunity to assist Small and Medium Moroccan companies to integrate the methods they need, and "Lean approach" is one of the best performance solutions to adopt in a post COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is modelling and controlling the spread of COVID-19 disease in Morocco. A nonlinear mathematical model with two subclasses of infectious individuals is proposed. The population is divided into five classes, namely, susceptible (S), exposed (E), undiagnosed infectious ( I n c ), diagnosed patients ( I c ), and removed individuals. To reflect the real dynamic of the COVID-19 transmission in Morocco, the real reported data are used for estimating model parameters. Two controls representing screening effort and limited treatment are considered. Based on viability theory and set-valued analysis, a Lyapunov function is constructed such that both exposed and infected populations are decreased to zero asymptotically. The corresponding controls are derived via a continuous selection of adequately designed feedback map. Numerical simulations are presented with three scenarios (cases when each control is used alone and the case when two controls are combined). Our results show that when only one control is to be applied, screening is the most effective in decreasing the number of people in the three infected compartments, whereas combining both controls is found to be highly effective and leads to a significant improvement in the epidemiological situation of Morocco. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first one that applies the set-valued approach to a controlled COVID-19 model which agrees with the observed cases in Morocco. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unexpected outbreak of the Corona virus (COVID-19) disrupted schools and universities around the world. Traditional classes were canceled, forcing schools and universities to switch to online learning. While developed countries have already adopted e-learning and online learning into their teaching practices, which made the transition relatively easy during the COVID-19 crisis, other developing countries continue to struggle with problems of electricity and information technology infrastructure. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the challenges of online learning faced by students and teachers at the Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco. Thus, two anonymous structured Google Forms questionnaires were sent to participants via email. 498 responses were returned from students and 105 from teachers. We use descriptive statistics to better understand the distribution of study participants. The study reveals that the faculty during the lockdown ensured educational continuity and offered a reliable online learning in terms of digital and educational materials. However, technical problems such as the slow speed of the Internet connection, lack of knowledge about the use of information and communication technologies to teach and learn, low motivation of students, were significant challenges to students' and teachers' use of the digital tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we aim to estimate and predict the situation of the new coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) in countries under quarantine measures. First, we present a new discrete-time mathematical model describing the evolution of the COVID-19 in a population under quarantine. We are motivated by the growing numbers of infections and deaths in countries under quarantine to investigate potential causes. We consider two new classes of people, those who respect the quarantine and stay at home, and those who do not respect the quarantine and leave their homes for one or another reason. Second, we use real published data to estimate the parameters of the model, and then, we estimate these populations in Morocco. We investigate the impact of people who underestimate the quarantine by considering an optimal control strategy to reduce this category and then reducing the number of the population at risk in Morocco. We provide several simulations to support our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the topological properties of the dynamics of the industry indices network at the Moroccan stock exchange by using network theory. The Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) was constructed from the metric distances which had been calculated for the different pairs of industrial indices. The dynamics of the MST were analysed over the period 2013 to 2020 using the sliding window technique. The period studied was divided into the pre-pandemic Covid-19 period and the pandemic Covid-19 period. Connectivity and centrality indicators were calculated to track the connectivity structure over time and to identify the positioning and the importance of the industry indices studied. The result of this study indicates that the network of industry indices was relatively stable during the pre-pandemic Covid-19 period before observing a sudden rapprochement between industries when the Covid-19 pandemic was officially announced. The formation of star-shaped networks was also observed. These networks were centred on the banking industry, essentially during the pandemic Covid-19 period. The banking industry was also positioned at the centre of the Moroccan industry indices network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: During neoadjuvant therapy (NAT), patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) experience psychological distress (PD) and adopt appropriate coping strategies. Objective: This systematic review aimed to examine the prevalence and changes in PD and coping strategies in patients with LABC during NAT and to evaluate effective interventions to reduce their PD. Design: Quantitative (cross-sectional, longitudinal, and interventional) and qualitative studies reporting PD and coping strategies related to NAT during LABC were included. Data sources and methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Wiley Online Library, and Web of Science databases were consulted to gather relevant literature from the first publications until July 25, 2023. Selection was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Results: A total of 41 articles were included, of which four were qualitative. The main results showed that the prevalence of depression before NAT ranged from 0% to 46% and that of anxiety from 5.5% to 54%. After NAT, the prevalence of depression ranged from 40% to 78.5% and anxiety accounted for 27%. Additionally, PD decreased during NAT. The main determinants of PD were perceived social support, living in joint families, being affected by COVID-19 infection, delays in diagnosis, and starting neoadjuvant treatment. For coping strategies, after NAT, "resigned coping" decreased, whereas "social support" increased, and active coping strategies were correlated with better PD. Some interventions found a reduction in PD, such as a mobile health application, fasting-mimicking diet, relaxation training, and guided imaging. Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of considering PD and coping strategies in patients with LABC from diagnosis to the end of NAT. The results suggest that effective psychological interventions should be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: although much research has highlighted the mental health challenges faced by patients in hospital isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, data from low–middle-income countries, including Morocco, are lacking. The main objective of this study was to assess the psychological distress of patients undergoing enforced hospital isolation during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco. (2) Methods: we conducted a cross-sectional study between 1 April and 1 May 2020, among patients hospitalized in isolation for suspected or confirmed COVID-19 at the Ibn Sina University Hospital of Rabat, Morocco. Anxiety and depression were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Binary logistic regression was performed to identify variables associated with anxiety and depression, with a cutoff of ≥8 used for both scales to create dichotomous variables. (3) Results: among 200 patients, 42.5% and 43% scored above the cut-off points for anxiety and depression, respectively. Multiple logistic regression identified female gender, a higher education level, a longer duration of isolation, and a poor understanding of the reasons for isolation as significant factors associated with anxiety. Conversely, female gender, chronic disease, a longer duration of isolation, and a poor understanding of the reasons for isolation were factors significantly associated with depression. (4) Conclusions: our study underscores high rates of anxiety and depression among patients forced into hospital isolation during the initial phase of COVID-19 in Morocco. We identified several factors associated with patients experiencing psychological distress that may inform future discussions on mental health and psychiatric crisis management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we study the possibility of using a new non-homogeneous stochastic diffusion process based on the Rayleigh density function to model the evolution of the active cases of COVID-19 in Morocco. First, the main probabilistic characteristics and analytic expression of the proposed process are obtained. Next, the parameters of the model are estimated by the maximum likelihood methodology. This estimation and the subsequent statistical inference are based on the discrete observation of the variable x (t) "number of active cases of COVID-19 in Morocco" by using the data for the period of 28 January to 4 March 2022. Then, we analyze the mean functions by using simulated data for fit and forecast purposes. Finally, we explore the illustration of using this new process to fit and forecast the active cases of COVID-19 data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: One of the challenges facing the countries to contain the COVID-19 is to trace people that were in contact with an infected person. Failing to identify the possible infected people leads to unreported cases of the COVID-19, which results in massive infection among the population and even superinfection events. In this work, we study the impact of the lockdown implemented by three North African countries on reducing the infections in the pandemic's first wave. Then, we investigate the effect of the unreported cases in the increase of the number of infected people when each country relaxed the population's mobility in the "Eid" period, resulting in the second wave of the COVID-19. In this paper, we study a mathematical model investigating the impact of unreported cases of the COVID-19 in three North African countries: Algeria, Egypt, and Morocco. To understand how the population respects the restriction of population mobility implemented in each country, we use Google and Apple's mobility reports. These mobility reports help to quantify the effect of the population movement restrictions on the evolution of the active infection cases. We also approximate the number of the population infected unreported, the proportion of those that need hospitalization, and estimate the end of the epidemic wave. Moreover, we use our model to estimate the second wave of the COVID-19 Algeria and Morocco and to project the end of the second wave. Finally, we suggest some additional measures that can be considered to reduce the burden of the COVID-19 and would lead to a second wave of the spread of the virus in these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating technology into teaching practices often changes teachers' work patterns. Thus, several studies have insisted on supporting such change by understanding teachers' concerns. The present study adopts the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) as a conceptual framework to examine Moroccan teachers' concerns about integrating information and communications technology (ICT). To this end, we relied on a self-reporting instrument for a sample of teachers (n = 382) from two Regional Academies of Education. Our findings suggest that the overall profile of teachers' stages of concern (SoC) is that of "reluctant" non-users. This profile showed high percentiles for the first three SoC, a low consequence stage percentile, medium percentiles for the management and collaboration stages, and a tailing up at the refocusing stage. Furthermore, the results highlighted a positive relationship between teachers' concerns about integrating ICT and previous continuous training on the one hand and the pandemic's impact on their attitudes toward self-training on the other. In addition, significant differences in teachers' concerns regarding teaching experience and age were found. Our study provides change leaders insight into teachers' concerns about integrating technology which will help the field design appropriate interventions to reduce their limiting concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the coronavirus COVID-19 was identified as an international public health emergency in 2020, many studies on the perceptions of students in higher education have been published concerning it. Although young students' perceptions also influence decision making and actions, their perceptions of COVID-19 have, so far, been little studied. Therefore, to increase knowledge about their understanding of COVID-19, a cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted as a drawing survey in two schools in the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region, Morocco. The participants were 94 high school students (aged 14–19). The drawings were analyzed by inductive and deductive content analysis. The findings show that the majority of the students knew the archetypal representation of COVID-19. They had a good grasp of the COVID-19, how it spreads, and how to stop it from spreading. Some students were aware of the potential dangers associated with COVID-19. Admittedly, misrepresentations related to fear and unfamiliarity with COVID-19 lead to mental health issues that undermine the key factors in students' academic success. Younger children's representations were dominated by magical thinking that reduces COVID-19 to preventive measures. Overall, the results made it possible to deduce that COVID-19 is strongly associated with terms that are both characteristic and socially valued (disease, prevention, barrier measures, etc.) and, conversely, with rather negative terms (fear of dying, anxiety, sadness, helplessness, etc.). The identification of these representations is very useful because they make it possible to apprehend and understand the attitudes and behaviors of these students, which, therefore, implies the need to define the appropriate teaching methods to try to align these behaviors with the behaviors desired. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the coronavirus pandemic started, many people have died due to the disease. The epidemic has been challenging to predict, as it progresses and spreads throughout the world. We used Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models to predict the outbreak of COVID-19 in the upcoming months in Morocco. In this work, we measured the effective reproduction number using the real data and the forecasted data produced by the two commonly used approaches, to reveal how effective the measures taken by the Moroccan government have been in controlling the COVID-19 outbreak. The prediction results for the next few months show a strong evolution in the number of confirmed and death cases in Morocco. We study the spread of COVID-19 in Morocco to see how many cases are discovered, recovered, and dead, and the forecasting of further cases is used as a basic novel method. It is based on time series models. We used coronavirus outbreak data from March 02, 2020, to August 04, 2021. ARIMA (Autoregressive integrated moving average) and Prophet time-series models are used to forecast the development of COVID-19, which is not a novel method. The mean absolute error, root mean square error, and coefficient of determination R2 were computed to assess the model's performance. Our study aims to provide a better understanding of the infectious disease outbreak that affected Morocco. It also provides information on the disease outbreak's epidemiology. Our study shows that the FBProphet model is more accurate in predicting the prevalence of COVID-19. It can help guide the government's efforts to prevent the virus' spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Immigrants and ethnic minorities have been shown to be at increased risk of hospitalization from COVID-19. Our aim was to analyse the contribution of socioeconomic and demographic risk factors on hospital admissions for COVID-19 among immigrants and ethnic minorities compared to the majority population. Methods We used nationwide register data on all hospitalized COVID-19 cases between February and June 2020 (N  = 2232) and random controls from the general population (N  = 498 117). We performed logistic regression analyses and adjusted for age, sex, comorbidity, and socioeconomic and demographic factors. The main outcome measure was hospitalization with COVID-19 and was estimated using odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results Among 2232 COVID-19 cases, the OR of hospitalization with COVID-19 among immigrants and descendants of non-Western origin was 2.5 times higher (95% CI: 2.23–2.89) compared with individuals of Danish origin with most pronounced results among individuals from Iraq, Morocco, Pakistan and Somalia. The OR was largely attributed to comorbidity and socioeconomic factors, especially household size, occupation, and population density. Conclusion There is a significantly higher OR of hospitalization with COVID-19 among non-Western immigrants and ethnic minorities compared with ethnic Danes. This knowledge is crucial for health policymakers and practitioners in both the current and future pandemics to identify more vulnerable groups and target prevention initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low pathogenic H9N2 avian influenza (LPAI H9N2) is considered one of the most important diseases found in poultry (broiler, laying hens, breeding chickens, and turkeys). This infection causes considerable economic losses. The objective of this work was to monitor and assess the presence of avian influenza virus (AIV) H9N2 in eight different regions of Morocco using real-time RT-PCR, and to assess the phylogenetic and molecular evolution of the H9N2 viruses between 2016 and 2019. Field samples were collected from 108 farms suspected of being infected with LPAI H9N2 virus. Samples were analyzed using H9N2-specific real-time RT-PCR. Highly positive samples were subjected to virus isolation and seven isolates were fully sequenced. Low pathogenic H9N2 avian influenza virus was introduced in Morocco in 2016. We show that in 2018–2019, the virus was still present irrespective of vaccination status. Phylogenetic and molecular analyses showed mutations related to virulence, although our viruses were related to 2016 Moroccan viruses and grouped in the G1 lineage. Specific amino acid substitutions were identified in Moroccan H9N2 viruses that are believed to lead to increased resistance to antiviral drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conceptual metaphors have received much attention in research on discourse about infectious diseases in recent years. Most studies found that conceptual metaphors of war dominate media discourse about disease. Similarly, a great deal of research has been undertaken on the new coronavirus, i.e., COVID-19, especially in the English news discourse as opposed to other languages. The present study, in contrast, analyses the conceptual metaphors used in COVID-19 discourse in French-language newspapers. The study explored the linguistic metaphors used in COVID-19 discourse in these newspapers and conceptual metaphors that underlie and motivate them, using a conceptual metaphor theory framework (CMT). Therefore, two North African French-language newspapers, namely Libération, published in Morocco, and La Presse de Tunisie, published in Tunisia, formed the corpus of the current study. The results showed that the most frequent framing of COVID-19 was in terms of WAR, followed by DISASTER and KILLER, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Context: On 30 January, 2020, WHO stated that the global COVID-19 epidemic is a public health emergency. Facing this critical situation, health-care workers were at risk of developing psychological distress and other mental health problems. Aims: This study seeks to explore the feelings, attitudes and perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic among physicians in pre-graduate and post-graduate training from Marrakesh University Hospital Centre. Methods and Material:We conducted a cross-sectional study with internal and resident-physicians in May 2020. Data collection was based on a self-administered electronic questionnaire. The sociodemographic informations, pandemic impact on the occupational and social fields and stress factors were evaluated. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The number of participants was 74. The sex ratio was 1.4 with an average age of 26.1 ± 3.6 years. Two-thirds were directly involved in the management of patients with SARS-CoV2. The majority reported that their work puts them at high-risk of exposure to SARS-CoV2 and 66% felt stressed at work, female physicians were more stressed than men (p = 0.028). Not knowing when the pandemic will be under control and the risk of developing an infection with SARS-CoV2 were the main sources of stress. About motivators for similar situations, respondents emphasized family support (91.9%) and recognition by management and supervisors for the additional efforts they provide (83.8%). Conclusions: The protection of health-care workers is an important component of public health measures to combat this pandemic. Special interventions to promote health-care workers mental well-being must be implemented immediately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aims to investigate students' attitudes towards the use of distance education during COVID-19 in Morocco. The first cases of COVID-19 starting from the first weeks of March 2020 has obliged educational authorities to suspend face-to-face education. Immediately, distance education was declared the alternative means to complete the academic year. Moroccan TV channels started broadcasting lessons for different levels at different times. Moreover, teachers and students started using social media and university platforms to share lessons. However, not all students agree with distance education in the adopted format. Accordingly, the current study investigates the attitudes of Moroccan English Department students at Moulay Ismail University. A mixed-method design was adopted by triangulating data from five-point Likert scale questionnaires and a focus group. The results showed that students generally prefer face-to-face education rather than distance education. However, part-time students reported positive attitudes towards distance education. It is recommended that both distance education and face-to-face education should be planned by teachers, coordinators, and administrators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered fear and distress among the public, thus potentiating the incidence rate of anxiety and depression. This study aims to investigate the psychological effect of quarantine on persons living in Morocco when the first COVID-19 cases were identified. The associations between anxiety, depression symptoms, and their predictors (sociodemographics, fatigue, and religious coping) were examined. Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey, with a total of 1435 participants (≥18 years) recruited anonymously, was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic (from 3 to 30 April 2020). A structured questionnaire was used to assess psychosocial factors, COVID-19 epidemic-related factors, and religious coping. Religious coping, fatigue, and depression, and anxiety were measured by Brief Religious Coping Scale (Brief RCOPE), Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), respectively. A generalized linear model (logistic regression) was used to determine the predictive factors of depression and anxiety. Results: The prevalence of anxiety and depression was 43.0% (n = 621) and 53.0% (n = 766), respectively. Both were associated with female gender, household income decline, tracking COVID-19 news, and fear to contract COVID-19 (aOR = 1.36 to 2.85). Additionally, 32.0% (n = 453) and 26.0% (n = 372) reported severe physical fatigue, and mental fatigue, respectively. Both latter factors were significantly and positively associated with depression as well as with anxiety. Depressive and anxious patients used more negative religious coping, while positive religious coping was slightly associated with depression. Conclusion: In this online survey of the general population in Morocco, anxiety and depressive symptoms are prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pandemic and psychosocial factors, such as female gender, income decline, infection fears, massive COVID-19 news exposure, negative religious coping, and fatigue were associated with increased risk of depression and anxiety symptoms. Psychosocial and financial support should be provided to the quarantined population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. On the announcement of the COVID-19 health emergency, the Marrakesh School of Medicine accelerated the digitization and the establishment of courses available to students through the faculty platform. We aimed to describe the students' perspectives toward the online educational approach implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and to investigate the factors that might affect the implementation of online teaching in the future. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study among medical students in Marrakesh during June-July 2020. Data collection was based on a self-administered electronic questionnaire distributed via the student platform. We studied the knowledge and previous practices of virtual technologies and students' appreciation of distance learning during the lockdown. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using SPSS16.0 software. Results. A total of 111 students participated. The female-to-male sex ratio was 2.2 with an average age of 20.6 ± 1.8. The majority of students felt that they had a good knowledge of virtual technologies (on a scale of 1 to 10, 81% ≥ 5/10), and two-thirds reported using them in medical studies. Before the COVID-19 lockdown, 16.2% of the students used the platform and 39.6% did not attend in-person courses (16.0% in 1st cycle versus 49.2% in 2nd cycle, p = 0.01). During the pandemic, 79% of the students appreciated the virtual learning (54.0% in 1st cycle versus 89.0% in 2nd cycle, p < 0.001) and 80.2% thought that the online courses were understandable. Regarding to student's preferences, 41.4% preferred blended education and 68.5% of the students would recommend continuing distance learning after the pandemic. Regarding satisfaction, previous use of the educational platform (OR = 66.3, CI 95% [1.9; 2.2 ∗ 103]), improvement of learning during distance learning (OR = 22.6, IC 95% [4.1, 123.7]), and professor support (OR = 7, IC95% [1.3, 38]) seemed to be the most powerful factors in the multivariate analysis. Conclusion. Our results will contribute to the implementation of actions by taking advantage of the experience during the health crisis. The institutionalization of virtual learning with more interaction in addition to the in-person courses is the main recommendation of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the optimal control of the second phase of the COVID-19 lockdown in Morocco. The model consists of susceptible, exposed, infected, recovered, and quarantine compartments (SEIRQD model), where we take into account contact tracing, social distancing, quarantine, and treatment measures during the nationwide lockdown in Morocco. First, we present different components of the model and their interactions. Second, to validate our model, the nonlinear least-squares method is used to estimate the model's parameters by fitting the model outcomes to real data of the COVID-19 in Morocco. Next, to investigate the impact of optimal control strategies on this pandemic in the country. We also give numerical simulations to illustrate and compare the obtained results with the actual situation in Morocco. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many challenges prevail in cropland mapping over large areas, including dealing with massive volumes of datasets and computing capabilities. Accordingly, new opportunities have been opened at a breakneck pace with the launch of new satellites, the continuous improvements in data retrieval technology, and the upsurge of cloud computing solutions such as Google Earth Engine (GEE). Therefore, the present work is an attempt to automate the extraction of multi-year (2016–2020) cropland phenological metrics on GEE and use them as inputs with environmental covariates in a trained machine-learning model to generate high-resolution cropland and crop field-probabilities maps in Morocco. The comparison of our phenological retrievals against the MODIS phenology product shows very close agreement, implying that the suggested approach accurately captures crop phenology dynamics, which allows better cropland classification. The entire country is mapped using a large volume of reference samples collected and labelled with a visual interpretation of high-resolution imagery on Collect-Earth-Online, an online platform for systematically collecting geospatial data. The cropland classification product for the nominal year 2019–2020 showed an overall accuracy of 97.86% with a Kappa of 0.95. When compared to Morocco's utilized agricultural land (SAU) areas, the cropland probabilities maps demonstrated the ability to accurately estimate sub-national SAU areas with an R-value of 0.9. Furthermore, analyzing cropland dynamics reveals a dramatic decrease in the 2019–2020 season by 2% since the 2018–2019 season and by 5% between 2016 and 2020, which is partly driven by climate conditions, but even more so by the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that impacted the planting and managing of crops due to government measures taken at the national level, like complete lockdown. Such a result proves how much these methods and associated maps are critical for scientific studies and decision-making related to food security and agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the suspension of classes in Morocco due to the health crisis related to COVID-19, an adaptation of the pedagogical intervention of teaching is required. Distance learning is an essential lever contributing to ensuring the educational continuity of students. In this sense, our contribution is to ensure the educational continuity of students during the period of containment through the use of a digital manual. The digital textbook is made available to students of the 1st year of the qualifying secondary education. Through a tracking grid, we measured the student engagement during two different periods without and with the use of the digital textbook. The results show that the digital textbook was able to elicit student engagement in the completion of learning activities with a remarkable improvement of 57.1% in student engagement rate over the two periods (t (273) = 11.059, p < 0.001). Student engagement while using a digital textbook can lead to better academic performance (r = 0.743, p = 0.000 < 0.01). No one can deny the importance of distance learning as a powerful tool that allows teachers to improve their professional practices in the presence of solid, quality instruction in the classroom that promotes the acquisition of skills and the development of competencies in students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pneumonia has posed a great threat to the world recent months by causing many deaths and enormous economic damage worldwide. The first case of COVID-19 in Morocco was reported on 2 March 2020, and the number of reported cases has increased day by day. In this work, we extend the well-known SIR compartmental model to deterministic and stochastic time-delayed models in order to predict the epidemiological trend of COVID-19 in Morocco and to assess the potential role of multiple preventive measures and strategies imposed by Moroccan authorities. The main features of the work include the well-posedness of the models and conditions under which the COVID-19 may become extinct or persist in the population. Parameter values have been estimated from real data and numerical simulations are presented for forecasting the COVID-19 spreading as well as verification of theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]