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The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) threatens people’s health. During the COVID-19 outbreak, people are encouraged to wear masks to reduce the spread of the virus. With the strong demand for masks,...

The COVID-19 outbreak had a significant impact on social life and the education system, leading to the suspension of face-to-face classes and the adoption of online learning as a strategy to contin...

Objective: To described the periprocedural electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) management of a patient in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, the ECT complications, and their treatment. Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted of a 26-year-old parturient with bipolar I disorder with psychotic features during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Case Report: The patient was admitted and scheduled for ECT. Fifteen ECT sessions (eight on her first admission, and another seven on a second admission) were performed. General anesthesia with endotracheal intubation was conducted after sufficient preoxygenation. Complications were observed: prolonged seizure, decreased fetal heart rate, and hypersecretion. Nonetheless, good outcomes were achieved after treated with thiopental to terminate the seizure, intravenous crystalloid loading and left uterine displacement to stabilize the fetus, and suctioning and an antisialagogue for secretion clearance. Conclusion: In ECT during pregnancy, it can be challenging to apply electrical current, induce anesthesia and airway management to achieve safe patient care and ensure adequate seizure duration. Moreover, the ECT is conducted in a non-operating room setting where equipment may be deficient. A prerequisite is good periprocedural collaboration among members of the multidisciplinary team which include a psychiatrist, an anesthesiologist, and an obstetrics-gynecologist, as well as proper protective equipment to prevent the contamination to the environment. Keywords: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT); Multidisciplinary team; Periprocedural management; Pregnancy DOI: doi.org/10.35755/jmedassocthai.2021.08.12926 Received 24 May 2021 | Revised 27 July 2021 | Accepted 31 July 2021

The pandemic situation caused by coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has affected the global and Kosovo economy. Because of the restricted measures applied to prevent the spread of the virus, SMEs have faced worsening financial results. The article aims to assess the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on these businesses and provide policy recommendations to help reduce business losses and survive through the crisis. We have adopted an explanatory methodology for comprehensively reviewing the available literature, including policy documents, research papers, and reports in the relevant field. To add empirical evidence, we collected data from 70 Kosovo’ SMEs by administrating an online questionnaire. Based on the study findings, the financial results deteriorated, and the drop in output and liquidity obstacles are not statistically significant. We recommend different policies to ease the adverse effects, although our suggestions may not be sufficient to help SMEs go through the ongoing crisis.

Purpose To understand how COVID-19 pandemic has changed radiology research in Italy. Methods A questionnaire (n = 19 questions) was sent to all members of the Italian Society of Radiology two months after the first Italian national lockdown was lifted. Results A total of 327 Italian radiologists took part in the survey (mean age: 49 ± 12 years). After national lockdown, the working-flow came back to normal in the vast majority of cases (285/327, 87.2%). Participants reported that a total of 462 radiological trials were recruiting patients at their institutions prior to COVID-19 outbreak, of which 332 (71.9%) were stopped during the emergency. On the other hand, 252 radiological trials have been started during the pandemic, of which 156 were non-COVID-19 trials (61.9%) and 96 were focused on COVID-19 patients (38.2%). The majority of radiologists surveyed (61.5%) do not conduct research. Of the radiologists who carried on research activities, participants reported a significant increase of the number of hours per week spent for research purposes during national lockdown (mean 4.5 ± 8.9 h during lockdown vs. 3.3 ± 6.8 h before lockdown; p = .046), followed by a significant drop after the lockdown was lifted (3.2 ± 6.5 h per week, p = .035). During national lockdown, 15.6% of participants started new review articles and completed old papers, 14.1% completed old works, and 8.9% started new review articles. Ninety-six surveyed radiologists (29.3%) declared to have submitted at least one article during COVID-19 emergency. Conclusion This study shows the need to support radiology research in challenging scenarios like COVID-19 emergency.

The emergence of the novel 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a significant challenge to healthcare professionals. Among all the healthcare providers, dental clinical setup is exposed to the generation of potentially hazardous aerosols which could be a point of cross-contamination. Dentists catering to pediatric patients need to take special precautions, as they have milder symptoms or could be asymptomatic and hence potential vectors for the transfer of infection. One needs to change the perspective to manage the oral health of children as a child's oral health presents specific problems that could be time-bound and hence need to be treated accordingly. These problems can be managed on one hand by preventive methods, and on the other by implementing specific protocols relating to the conditions that represent an emergency, or those situations that fall into the category of elective dental procedures. This article highlights the routes of transmission in a dental practice and focuses on the categorization of treatment for children based on treatment needs. It proposes a restructuring of the treatment protocol and hence shifting to minimal invasive or non-aerosol-generating procedures (AGP). These techniques are also proposed to be used even after the end of the current emergency period to minimize the aerosol splatter. Clinical significance The article highlights the protocol that needs to be followed after treatment categorization during and after COVID-19 pandemic. How to cite this article Lamba G, Nagpal DI, Chowdhari P, et al. Oral Healthcare Management of Children after COVID-19 Outbreak. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(2):293–297.

Based on Aceh Qanun (sharia law) No.11 of 2018 concerning Islamic Financial Institutions, it is required to carry out financial activities based on sharia principles. The decline of the global economy during the Covid-19 outbreak did not dampen the Aceh Government, which declared itself a special province practicing sharia values. Apart from aiming to make a purely Sharia-based region, the conversion of conventional banks to sharia banks is also to stabilize the economy. This study aims to analyze (1) the growth conditions of Islamic banking in Indonesia, (2) the legalization of the Aceh Government Qanun in determining financial institutions operating in Aceh, and (3) the resilience of Islamic banking in facing the global economic downturn during the Covid-19 pandemic. The analysis method used is literature and regulation review. The conclusion that the decentralization system implemented by the Indonesian Government in Islamic banking has not been able to maximize the growth of Islamic banking in Indonesia. Aceh Province, the only province in Indonesia that implements Sharia Law through special autonomy, has its own economic system. The Aceh government issued a Qanun, which obliged economic activities based on sharia principles. Based on Qanun No. 11 of 2018, the operation of Banks in Aceh must be in accord with Sharia. Therefore, entering 2020, the Islamic economy has been running almost perfectly in Aceh by changing conventional banking operations into Islamic banking. Furthermore, Islamic banking in Indonesia can still maintain stable growth when the Indonesian economy slides sharply in the second quarter of 2020 to minus 5.32 percent. This fact proves that increasing the growth of Islamic banking is an important thing to do. The Government should be serious and more consistent in maintaining economic stability and achieving the purposes ( maqashid ) of Sharia in human life. ======================================================================================================== ABSTRAK – Konversi Bank Konvensional Menjadi Bank Syariah di Aceh: Upaya Menjaga Stabilitas Perekonomian dalam Wabah Covid-19. Qanun (undang-undang syariat (Islam)) Aceh No 11 Tahun 2018 tentang Lembaga Keuangan Syariah, secara tegas telah mewajibkan lembaga keuangan yang beroperasi di Aceh untuk melaksanakan kegiatannya berdasarkan prinsip syariah. Penurunan ekonomi global di masa pandemi covid-19 tidak menyurutkan langkah Pemerintah Aceh dalam mengimplementasikan kebijakan mensyariahkan seluruh lembaga dan institusi yang berada di Aceh. Walaupun berada di dalam sebuah negara yang tidak menganut paham syariah, Provinsi Aceh telah menyatakan dirinya sebagai sebuah wilayah berkedaulatan syariah Islam. Selain bertujuan untuk menjadikan wilayah yang murni berbasis syariah Islam, konversi bank konvesional menjadi syariah juga bertujuan untuk menstabilkan perekonomian. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis (1) kondisi pertumbuhan perbankan syariah di Indonesia, (2) legalisasi Qanun Pemerintah Aceh dalam menentukan lembaga keuangan yang beroperasi di Aceh, dan (3) ketahanan perbankan syariah dalam menghadapi penurunan perekonomian global di masa pandemi Covid-19. Studi ini menggunakan metode kajian literatur dan analisis regulasi yang menghasilkan kesimpulan yaitu sistem desentralisasi yang dilakukan Pemerintah Indonesia pada perbankan syariah belum dapat memaksimalkan pertumbuhan perbankan syariah di Indonesia. Provinsi Aceh sebagai satu-satunya provinsi di Indonesia yang menjalankan Syariat Islam melalui otonomi khusus mempunyai sistem perekonomian tersendiri. Pemerintah Aceh mengeluarkan qanun yang mewajibkan seluruh kegiatan perekonomian harus berlandaskan prinsip syariah. Berdasarkan Qanun No. 11 Tahun 2018, setiap perbankan yang beroperasi di Aceh haruslah berbentuk syariah. Oleh sebab itu memasuki tahun 2020, perekonomian Islam hampir sempurna telah berjalan di Aceh salah satunya dengan berubahnya operasional perbankan konvensional menjadi perbankan syariah di Provinsi Aceh. Selanjutnya, Perbankan syariah di Indonesia masih mampu menjaga kestabilan pertumbuhannya di saat perekonomian Indonesia meluncur tajam di kuartal II 2020 hingga minus 5,32 persen. Hal ini membuktikan bahwa meningkatkan pertumbuhan perbankan syariah merupakan hal yang penting dilaksanakan, memerlukan keseriusan dan konsistensi terus menerus dari pemerintah demi menjaga kestabilan ekonomi makro dan akan tercapai maqashid syariah pada semua lini kehidupan.

The World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic in early 2020. A comprehensive understanding of the epidemiological characteristics of this virus is crucial to limit its spreading. Therefore, this research applies artificial intelligence-based models to predict the prevalence of the COVID-19 outbreak in Egypt. These models are long short-term memory network (LSTM), convolutional neural network, and multilayer perceptron neural network. They are trained and validated using the dataset records from 14 February 2020 to 15 August 2020. The results of the models are evaluated using the determination coefficient and root mean square error. The LSTM model exhibits the best performance in forecasting the cumulative infections for one week and one month ahead. Finally, the LSTM model with the optimal parameter values is applied to forecast the spread of this epidemic for one month ahead using the data from 14 February 2020 to 30 June 2021. The total size of infections, recoveries, and deaths is estimated to be 285,939, 234,747, and 17,251 cases on 31 July 2021. This study could assist the decision-makers in developing and monitoring policies to confront this disease.

Background: In early December 2019, during the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which was first detected in Wuhan, COVID-19 was suspected, detected, and confirmed in an increasing number of patients every day. The clinical laboratory staff have always played an important role in the laboratory diagnosis of patients. Currently, there are many research studies on the mental health of the first-line doctors or nurses managing the COVID-19 outbreak, both domestically and overseas, but data of the mental health and associated factors among the clinical laboratory staff who handle the blood or biological samples of confirmed cases and are consequently exposed to COVID-19 are limited. Methods: This cross-sectional survey-based study was performed via an online survey in a single designated hospital from April 20 to April 23, 2020 in Yiwu,China. The online survey included questions on sociodemographic and clinical variables. Totally, 45 clinical laboratory staff and 20 nonmedical health workers participated. Mental health variables were assessed via 4 Chinese versions of validated measurement tools : Zungs Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), Zung's Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ). Results: Significant differences were observed in the SDS and SAS scores, between the clinical laboratory staff and the nonmedical health workers (P < .001, P < .003, respectively). The scores for exposure risk and neuroticism of participants were the main factors influencing both the SDS scores of the clinical laboratory staff (P = .002, P = .005, respectively), and also their SAS scores (P = .003 P = .006, respectively). Conclusions: The results showed that a significant proportion of clinical laboratory staff experienced anxiety and depression symptoms. Their scores for mental health problems, exposure risk, and neuroticism were associated with severe symptoms of depression and anxiety. Therefore, the high-risk group of the clinical laboratory staff and those individuals with higher neuroticism scores may need special attention.

In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in December 2019 in China, medical staff went to work across the country to combat widespread infection. When health workers are suddenly faced with such a serious event, it is important to assess their mental health in order to determine whether they can meet the challenge effectively. Herein, Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) was used to assess the psychological problems of 382 front-line medical staff in Chongqing. The average SCL-90 score was low, and no specific mental health problems were found. With the exception of the phobic-anxiety factor, the scores were close to normal values. A single-factor analysis of variance showed that the SCL-90 scores of male and older staff were higher than those of female and younger staff, implying that they were at greater psychological risk. We found that both gender and age have a significant impact on mental health, and our findings suggest that more attention should be given to the mental health of male and older front-line medical staff.

Background: The rapid spread of “Coronavirus Disease 2019’ (COVID-19) caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) significantly impacted health care facilities all across the globe. To assess impact on urology practice in our country, we developed a questionnaire based on relevant questions in current scenario for information regarding challenges and changes urologists were facing in their practices. Material and methods: We conducted an online survey to find out the impact of COVID-19 on urology practice in Indian scenario. The questionnaire comprised of total 18 questions, which were relevant to day to day practice. Results: Total 310 urologists across the India participated and consented to being part of the study. The majority admits change in their practice due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak. The majority admitted to attend fixed numbers of patients per day with prior appointment and to keep detailed records. The majority responded in positive that attendees will not be allowed, opted to wear N-95 mask in OPD, opted to take the relevant history, opted for thermal screening, opted for patients to wear a mask before entering OPD room, opted for using the new prescription at new visit and opted to avoid physical examination unless very necessary. The majority wanted to take consent from the patients that they may get infected by COVID-19 in the hospital and agreed on performing COVID-19 testing for every patient posted for surgery. The majority agreed to assign a separate operation theatre to operate patients with positive COVID-19 test and also preferred open surgery over minimal invasive surgery. Conclusion: Our survey revealed that the recent pandemic led to significant impacts on urology practice in our country. The urologists working in different setups are facing different challenges in this difficult condition. They have made certain changes in their practice to safely provide effective care to their patients.

The article explores how best agricultural extension and advisory services (AEAS) can contribute to communicative interventions in preventing the COVID-19 outbreak in rural and farming communities....

Background: Control measures during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak may have limited the spread of infectious diseases. This study aimed to analyse the impact of COVID-19 on the spread of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) in China. Methods: A mathematical model was established to fit the reported data of HFMD in six selected cities in mainland China from 2015 to 2020. The absolute difference (AD) and relative difference (RD) between the reported incidence in 2020, and simulated maximum, minimum, or median incidence of HFMD in 2015-2019 were calculated. Findings: The incidence and Reff of HFMD have decreased in six selected cities since the outbreak of COVID-19, and in the second half of 2020, the incidence and R eff of HFMD have rebounded. The results show that the total attack rate (TAR) in 2020 was lower than the maximum, minimum, and median TAR fitted in previous years in six selected cities (except Changsha city). For the maximum, median, minimum fitted TAR, the range of RD (%) is 42·20-99·20%, 36·35-98·41% 48·35-96·23% (except Changsha city) respectively. Interpretation: Based on the incidence data of six cities from 2015 to 2019, the SEIAR model demonstrated a significant effect on the incidence of HFMD. During the period of COVID-19, the incidence and R eff of HFMD decreased, the prevention and control measures taken during the period of COVID-19, such as school suspension, home quarantine, closing all kinds of leisure places, wearing masks, advocating frequent hand washing, etc., have not only effectively suppressed the spread of COVID-19 epidemic, but also have significantly contributed to the containment of HFMD transmission. Funding Statement: This study was partly supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (INV-005834). Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interests.

We examine how internet media outlets in key Anglo-American democracies differed under a similar external shock: the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. COVID-19 posed a special challenge to democracy, juxtaposing it with alternative forms of government, which may be better positioned to deal with such a crisis. The online media, as the watchdog of democracy, played a key role. As the pandemic started to spread worldwide, three democracies – the USA, Canada, and New Zealand – were of particular interest. The USA had the highest number of cases and deaths, considerably more than its neighbor to the north. NZ was the democracy that most effectively dealt with the pandemic. We comprehensively study the coverage of the outbreak on the internet website of a newspaper of record in each. Data were harvested for the universe of 27,089 articles published online between mid-February and early May on the websites of the New York Times, New Zealand Herald, and the Globe and Mail. Natural learning processing and dependency parsing are the methods used to analyze the data. We find meaningful differences between the outlets in timing, structure, and content. Compared with their US counterpart, the online watchdogs of democracy in Canada and NZ – where COVID-19 politics were far more effective – barked louder, clearer and 2 weeks earlier. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Information Technology & Politics is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: The Radiology department played a crucial role in detecting and following up with the COVID-19 disease during the pandemic. The purpose of this review was to highlight and discuss the role of each imaging modality, in the radiology department, that can help in the current pandemic and to determine the challenges faced by staff and how to overcome them. Materials and Methods: A literature search was performed using different databases, including PubMed, Google scholar, and the college electronic library to access 2020 published related articles. Results: A chest computed tomogram (CT) was found to be superior to a chest radiograph, with regards to the early detection of COVID-19. Utilizing lung point of care ultrasound (POCUS) with pediatric patients, demonstrated excellent sensitivity and specificity, compared to a chest radiography. In addition, lung ultrasound (LUS) showed a high correlation with the disease severity assessed with CT. However, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has some limiting factors with regard to its clinical utilization, due to signal loss. The reported challenges that the radiology department faced were mainly related to infection control, staff workload, and the training of students. Conclusion: The choice of an imaging modality to provide a COVID-19 diagnosis is debatable. It depends on several factors that should be carefully considered, such as disease stage, mobility of the patient, and ease of applying infection control procedures. The pros and cons of each imaging modality were highlighted, as part of this review. To control the spread of the infection, precautionary measures such as the use of portable radiographic equipment and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) must be implemented.

This study aims to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on active mobility of men and women of Shiraz, Iran, and examine the relationship between perceived built environment factors and men’s and women’s active travel before and during the outbreak. The data were obtained during the pandemic from 747 men and 518 women living in Shiraz. Data collection was conducted using a questionnaire-based survey. The multivariate regression was utilized for determining the effective factors on active travel. The results indicate that the amount of time men spend walking and cycling before and during the outbreak is more than that of women. Meanwhile, the amount of time men and women spend cycling has increased during the pandemic, which can indicate the resiliency of bikes in the crisis. A built environment with mixed, diverse, dense and accessible land uses, as well as safe and secure cycling and walking routes have major effects on citizens’ active mobility in this crisis. Also, for women who have a low rate of bicycle ownership, improving bike-sharing infrastructure is essential. Therefore, it is suggested that urban planners and policymakers take action to make the environment more people-friendly to maintain citizens’ mobility, especially women, during the pandemic. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Urbanism is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper dwells upon COVID-19-related efforts of the Center for Sports Medicine, Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia. The Agency has the following precautions in place: regular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of athletes and staff; double PCR testing before going to training camps or medical examinations; isolating athletes and their traceable contacts when COVID is suspected; observation and isolation wards set up at training camp venues. Athlete vaccination has begun. Athletes are provided online advice on health, diet, and exercising plus special care for chronically ill athletes and remote psychological counseling. Athletes recovering from COVID-19 are offered rehabilitation programs and doctor-supervised return to training. Specialists of the Research Department at FMBA’s Center for Sports Medicine carried out a research dedicated to the prevalence of COVID-19 and different variants of its course in Russian athletes. The study period lasted from March to December 2020. A total of 27,438 records were analyzed. In May, June, July and August 2020, the percentage of positive PCR tests for athletes was significantly lower than the nationwide percentage at p

India was at the center of the attention of global media for the outbreak of COVID-19 infection in May 2021, because of the large total number of daily new cases and fatalities not expressed as a fraction of the total population. In addition to the alleged more infective and fatal variant delta, the emergence of particularly lethal fungal infections in between those that have been infected was also reported. Here we comment as while the specific numbers for India, for both new cases and fatalities, were everything but dramatic, with other countries such as the United Kingdom has experienced much worse outcomes, the incidence of black fungus minimally affected the COVID-19 fatalities. First better care, and the use of intravenous antifungals, and then the use of better therapies in the early stages of infection to prevent more serious outcomes, reduced the burden of this fungal infection.

Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a rich environment for ageist attitudes towards both older and younger people. However, publications on ageism during the outbreak have been mostly non-empirical and have concentrated on ageist beliefs directed towards older people. To overcome these limitations, we examined empirically the prevalence and the determinants of ageism towards older and younger people in the wake of COVID-19. Study design A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted with 503 Israeli adults (51.9% male, 79.5% Jews, mean age 47 years). Main measures We used a structured questionnaire that measured the following: COVID-19 ageism towards older people, COVID-19 ageism towards younger people, stereotyping, the experience of discrimination, perceived fears about contracting COVID-19, subjective knowledge about COVID-19, and sociodemographic characteristics. Results Overall, participants reported a relatively low level of COVID-19 ageism towards older people but a significantly higher level of COVID-19 ageism towards younger people. Hierarchical regressions revealed that negative age stereotypes were the most important determinants of both types of ageism. Sociodemographic variables (including age and majority/minority) were significant determinants only for COVID-19 ageism towards older people. That is, older and Jewish participants reported lower levels of this type of ageism. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that negative age-related stereotypes have played a central role in ageist beliefs towards both older and younger people during the COVID-19 crisis. It is recommended that the public and scientific media start disseminating messages aimed at reducing rather than increasing negative stereotypes directed towards younger and older people.

Aim: Since severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection rapidly spread around the world, Italy has quickly become one of the most affected countries. Healthcare systems introduced strict infection control measures to ensure optimal care, especially in frail groups such as cancer patients (pts). This study investigated the efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 pre-procedure screening and whether coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) influenced timely diagnosis and therapy. Methods: Data of oncological procedures of pts with confirmed or suspected cancer diagnosis, treated at Oncology Department or coming from Emergency Department of San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital between June 2020 and March 2021 were retrospectively collected. A nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) was performed in outpatients 24/48 h before procedures. Inpatients were tested by NPS before and after hospitalization. Results: Two hundred and twenty-one pts were included in this analysis. Median age was 73 years, males were 58%. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status was 0 or 1 in 88% of pts. The most frequent cancer type was lung cancer (57%). Stages IV were 77%. Two hundred and forty three scheduled procedures were performed with diagnostic (n: 142; 58%), therapeutic (n: 55; 23%), and palliative (n: 46; 19%) intent. One hundred and four and 139 procedures were performed in out- and in-pts, respectively. Of the 234 NPS performed, 10 (4%) were positive. Two pts were infected during hospitalization, 8 in community. Most of them were asymptomatic, while only 2 had mild symptoms. Eight procedures (3%) were postponed, 1 cancelled, while 2 were performed in positive pts. Median time to resolution of the infection was 17 days (11-36). Median delay in the procedures was 25 days (14-55). Five pts started systemic treatment, after a median time of 37.5 days (13-57). Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 infection led to the postponement of a small, but not negligible percentage of oncological procedures. However, the low infection rate observed suggests that structured screening for COVID-19 is critical for the best management of scheduled procedures during pandemic.

Background & objectives: Immunocompromised cancer patients are venerable for the infection and so the professionals involved in radiotherapy too. The objective of this online survey was to assess the impact of Covid-19 on radiotherapy practices, safety measures taken by the radiotherapy professionals during the peak of Covid-19 infection in India. Methods: Structured questionnaire was shared online to assess the awareness and knowledge pertaining to safety of protective items, importance and method of screening, QA of the instruments, safety measures taken in radiotherapy department, methods of the sanitization, use of mask and methods of Covid-19 waste managements. Results: Survey results indicated that almost all participants (97.4%) were aware of the severity of Covid-19 virus. In safety at the individual level, 51.3% of the staff reported changing hand gloves before handling new patients and 41% did not follow the same. In this survey, regarding working days (in a week), employees were working for six days in 56.4% centres, 28.2 % centres for three days of a week and remaining 15.4% centres were operational with five days of week. At 38.5% centres, radiotherapy personals found infected with the virus however large number of centres (53.8%) revealed that so far, no radiotherapy professionals got infected. Interpretation & conclusions: The current survey comprised 31 questions pertaining to various aspects of radiotherapy practices and radiotherapy professional safety from Covid infections and changes followed due to Covid-19 epidemic. The individual professional’s inputs could help to deal with such epidemic in even better way.

Outbreaks of COVID-19 on inpatient forensic units present a unique challenge as early release is not possible and some facilities were not designed to achieve sustained social distancing [1]. The enforcement of droplet and contact (D&C) precautions required during an outbreak creates further confines and restrictions for patients that are typically subject to considerable constraint during their care. From December 2020 to January 2021 43 clinicians and 12 patients on inpatient forensic units under unit-wide D&C precautions during COVID-19 outbreaks completed a cross-sectional survey regarding their experience. Virtual focus groups were also conducted to triangulate the qualitative feedback from clinicians. The survey and focus groups found the themes of enablers, barriers, and desired changes to care provision during an outbreak. Findings are discussed within the broader context of outbreak interventions and the provision of services to those living and working on forensic inpatient units experiencing outbreaks requiring the unit-wide implementation of D&C precautions.

This study examines the volatility transmission effects between stock returns and the growth rate of total confirmed COVID-19 cases by using daily data of the hospitality and tourism industry taken from the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) index. Augmented Dicky–Fuller (ADF), Phillips–Perron (PP), Kwiatkowski–Phillips–Schmidt–Shin (KPSS), Elliott–Rothenberg–Stock (ERS) and Ng–Perron (NP) unit root tests were used to test, for both series are stationary. The BEKK-GARCH methodology was employed to formulate conditional variance-covariance equations. The results reveal that the pandemic interacts negatively with stock returns from the hospitality and tourism industry. Stock market returns are significantly negatively associated with daily growth in total confirmed COVID-19 cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Anatolia: An International Journal of Tourism & Hospitality Research is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background This study aims to compare emergency trauma visits' severity, emergency surgical needs, and characteristics between the pandemic and pre-pandemic periods. Methods This retrospective observational study was conducted in a tertiary training and research hospital between 1 and 30 April 2020 (pandemic group) and compared with the previous year's same dates (pre-pandemic group). Trauma patients aged 18 and over were included in the study. Emergency Severity Index (ESI) levels, trauma surgery needs, and injury characteristics were compared. Results A total of 2097 patients (592 pandemic and 1505 pre-pandemic) were included. There was an approximately 60% reduction in total and daily visits. ESI levels 1 (0.2% vs. 1.4%) and 2 (0.8% vs. 1.9%) patients increased during pandemic period. Trauma surgery needs (1.6% vs. 2.2%), intensive care unit (ICU) admission (0.4% vs. 0.2%), and ward admission (6.3% vs. 7.9%) did not change during pandemic period. Conclusion Despite the decrease in the visit frequency of adult trauma patients during the pandemic period, the needs for trauma surgery, ICU, and ward admission did not change. Trauma teams should continue their duties during the pandemic period.

International audience; BackgroundThe outbreak of chilblain-like lesions (CLL) during the COVID-19 pandemic has been reported extensively, potentially related to SARS-CoV-2 infection, yet its underlying pathophysiology is unclear.ObjectivesTo study skin and blood endothelial and immune system activation in CLL in comparison with healthy controls and seasonal chilblains (SC), defined as cold-induced sporadic chilblains occurring during 2015 and 2019 with exclusion of chilblain lupus.MethodsThis observational study was conducted during 9–16 April 2020 at Saint-Louis Hospital, Paris, France. All patients referred with CLL seen during this period of the COVID-19 pandemic were included in this study. We excluded patients with a history of chilblains or chilblain lupus. Fifty patients were included.ResultsHistological patterns were similar and transcriptomic signatures overlapped in both the CLL and SC groups, with type I interferon polarization and a cytotoxic–natural killer gene signature. CLL were characterized by higher IgA tissue deposition and more significant transcriptomic activation of complement and angiogenesis factors compared with SC. We observed in CLL a systemic immune response associated with IgA antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in 73% of patients, and elevated type I interferon blood signature in comparison with healthy controls. Finally, using blood biomarkers related to endothelial dysfunction and activation, and to angiogenesis or endothelial progenitor cell mobilization, we confirmed endothelial dysfunction in CLL.ConclusionsOur findings support an activation loop in the skin in CLL associated with endothelial alteration and immune infiltration of cytotoxic and type I IFN-polarized cells leading to clinical manifestations.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases were first reported in December 2019, in China, and an increasing number of cases have since been detected all over the world. The purpose of this study was to collect significant news media reports on food services during the COVID-19 crisis and identify public communication and significant concerns regarding COVID-19 for suggesting future directions for the food industry and services. SUBJECTS/METHODS News articles pertaining to food services were extracted from the home pages of major news media websites such as BBC, CNN, and Fox News between March 2020 and February 2021. The retrieved data was sorted and analyzed using Python software. RESULTS The results of text analytics were presented in the format of the topic label and category for individual topics. The food and health category presented the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on food and health, such as an increase in delivery services. The policy category was indicative of a change in government policy. The lifestyle change category addressed topics such as an increase in social media usage. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to analyze major news media (i.e., BBC, CNN, and Fox News) data related to food services in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Text analytics research on the food services domain revealed different categories such as food and health, policy, and lifestyle change. Therefore, this study contributes to the body of knowledge on food services research, through the use of text analytics to elicit findings from media sources.

The Disease Control Section in the Public Health Directorate is responsible for contact tracing amid the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The Section recruited volunteers to strengthen their contact tracing team. Moreover, a nationwide call for volunteers was ignited in order to support the groups with vigilant case investigation and tracing in order to limit the spread of the infection in the community. This viewpoint report shares the experience of the disease control section with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, shedding light on the use of non-healthcare background volunteers and their roles in contact tracing. The utilization of volunteers during outbreaks and emergencies helped multiple entities to continue their operations and thrived through expanding themselves into teams and units. Regardless of the skills and backgrounds of the volunteers, they were allocated efficiently according to their area of interest. This experience indicates that a sustainable volunteer pool is valuable to have, even in non-emergency occasions.

Aim To evaluate missed nursing care and patient safety during the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic at in‐patient cardiology wards. Design A cross‐sectional design with a comparative approach. Method Registered nurses and nurse assistants at a cardiology department were invited to answer the MISSCARE Survey‐Swedish version, and questions on patient safety and quality of care during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The data were compared with a reference sample. Results A total of 43 registered nurses and nurse assistants in the COVID‐19 sample and 59 in the reference sample participated. The COVID‐19 sample reported significantly more overtime hours and more absence from work due to illness in comparison with the reference sample. The patient safety and quality of care were perceived significantly worse, 76.7% (N = 33) versus 94.7% (N = 54), and 85.7% (N = 36) versus 98.3% (N = 58, respectively. The COVID‐19 sample reported more missed nursing care in wound care and in basic nursing.

Objective: Healthcare workers (HCW), who actively participate in combating the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, may experience rage and anxiety due to the high performance expected from them. This study aimed to reveal how working in a pandemic hospital affects the psychological status of healthcare professionals. Methods: 446 HCW, working frontline in a pandemic hospital, were included the study. Questions including basic demographic data and exposure risks to COVID-19 and depression anxiety stress scale (DASS-21) were used as data collection tools. The forms were delivered online, and the responses were similarly collected. Results: DASS-21 scores of 384 (86.1%) HCW, who had contact with patients diagnosed with COVID-19, were found to be higher than HCW who did not have contact with the patients. When we evaluated the scores of DASS-21, the scores were higher in women (p

PurposeSocial media have become famous platform to search and share the COVID-19-related information. The objective of this research is to bridge the gap by proposing the effects of network cluster and transmitter activity on information sharing process.Design/methodology/approachData were collected by using Facebook application, which was available for 14 days (May 1–14) in 2020. These data were analyzed to determine the influence of the network cluster and transmitter activity.FindingsThe results showed that network cluster is positively related to transmitter activity on social media. In addition, transmitter activity partially mediated the effect of network cluster on the extent of information liked and shared. That is, transmitter activity can affect COVID-19-related information sharing on Facebook, and the activity effect is plausible and should become stronger as social network become denser.Originality/valueThis study has contributed to the knowledge of health information sharing in social media and has generated new opportunities for research into the role of network cluster. As social media is firmly entrenched in society, researches that improve the experience or quality for users is potentially impactful.

The Arabic language has peculiarity and differentiating characteristics that distinguish it from other foreign languages. This study investigates the existence of Arabic language learning during the pandemic period by conducting a thorough review of the Arabic language learning process from both an internal and an external standpoint. The method of writing this article is based on a study of literature comparison. The author conducts an online search for primary literature using valid criteria, and a reputable source—data analysis is performed using the content analysis paradigm. This study demonstrated the positive impact on the internal environment: 1) Lecturers and students gained greater proficiency in using applications that can be integrated into the learning process. 2) The assignment method changes from academic to project-based assignments, 3) Students become more proficient in using social media as tools for learning. 4) Arabic learning occurs from any location and at any time of day. The internal negative consequences are as follows: 1) memorizing qawaid or tashrif, in which case it is not easy to assess students' abilities through online instruction without face-to-face interaction; 2) Explanation of the material when face to face is considered more straightforward; 3) Unstable networks cause the inability to concentrate and focus. The external consequences are as follows: 1) a large number of linguistic webinars about Arabic, 2) The number of research references, research articles, and scientific journals are growing; 3) It is becoming easier to hold memorandums of understanding between collages from different regions.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a massive health crisis that has exerted enormous physical and psychological pressure. Mental healthcare for healthcare workers (HCWs) should receive serious consideration. This study served to determine the mental-health outcomes of 1,556 HCWs from 45 countries who participated in the COVID-19 IMPACT project, and to examine the predictors of the outcomes during the first pandemic wave. Methods: Outcomes assessed were self-reported perceived stress, depression symptom, and sleep changes. The predictors examined included sociodemographic factors and perceived social support. Results: The results demonstrated that half of the HCWs had moderate levels of perceived stress and symptoms of depression. Half of the HCWs (n = 800, 51.4%) had similar sleeping patterns since the pandemic started, and one in four slept more or slept less. HCWs reported less perceived stress and depression symptoms and higher levels of perceived social support than the general population who participated in the same project. Predictors associated with higher perceived stress and symptoms of depression among HCWs included female sex, not having children, living with parents, lower educational level, and lower social support. Discussion: The need for establishing ways to mitigate mental-health risks and adjusting psychological interventions and support for HCWs seems to be significant as the pandemic continues.

An acute respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus, namely, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), began spreading across China in late December 2019. The disease gained global attention as it spread worldwide. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, many studies have focused on the impact of the disease on conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disorders, and renal malfunction. However, few studies have focused on musculoskeletal disorders related to COVID-19 infection. In this review, we update the current knowledge on the coronavirus with special reference to its effects during and after the pandemic on musculoskeletal aliments, which may inform clinical practice.

INTRODUCTION: The outbreak of COVID-19 disrupted lives across the United States. Evidence shows that such a climate is deleterious to mental health and may increase demand for mental health services in emergency departments. The purpose of this study was to determine the difference in emergency department utilization for mental health diagnoses before and after the COVID-19 surge. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study between January-August 2019 and January-August 2020 with emergency department encounter as the sampling unit. The primary outcome was the proportion of all emergency department encounters attributed to mental health. We performed chi-square analyses to evaluate the differences between 2019 and 2020. RESULTS: We found that overall emergency department volume declined between 2019 and 2020, while the proportion attributable to mental health conditions increased (p < 0.01). Substance abuse, anxiety, and mood disorders accounted for nearly 90% of mental health diagnoses during both periods. When stratified by sex, substance abuse was the leading mental health diagnosis for males and anxiety and substance abuse disorders combined accounted for the largest proportion for females. DISCUSSION: The emergency department is an important community resource for the identification and triage of mental health emergencies. This role is even more important during disasters and extended crises, making it imperative that emergency departments employ experienced mental health staff. This study provides a comparison of emergency department utilization for mental health diagnoses before the pandemic and during the spring 2020 surge and may serve as a useful guide for hospitals, health systems and communities in future planning.

Studies investigating the impact of coronavirus outbreak at the sector (industry) level are scant and focus on the USA market. We examine this issue for the US, UK, and the European stock markets, using endogenous structural break models and factor-augmented event study methodology by identifying the critical events. We find that the impact of coronavirus outbreak to the extent of black swan events is visible in March and, till the end of March 2020, the investors had limited opportunities for investment except for a few sectors in the US, UK, and Europe due to black swan events. Specifically, we find some stocks in consumer staples, healthcare, telecommunications, utilities, and financials were the attention-seekers and different sectors in our sample countries had different reactions to the outbreak. Overall, the analysis provides the reasons for panic buy and sell.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) brought about a huge change in the behaviour and mobility of citizens in all parts of the world. This change was mainly a consequence of the strong measures of isolation and social distancing taken by the different governments in most countries through the world. The specific measures adopted in each country, in combination with the particular characteristics of the spread of the virus, generated differentiated, although similar, behavioural changes. This article presents the analysis of a survey carried out in Spain in March 2020, where citizens were asked about their mobility preferences before, during and after the lockdown due to the virus. In turn, questions were asked about the preferred modes of transport in each of the situations and the perception of safety on public transport in their current conditions. The mobility questions were differentiated between commuting to work or studies, shopping and leisure. The results show that public transport was the most affected transport mode, with a considerable increase in the use of the bicycle and walking trips. At the same time, changes were observed in the behaviour of shopping trips, including a considerable decrease on the use of large supermarkets. Citizens perceived great uncertainty in planning leisure trips, the consequence of which could be that a higher proportion of people not being able to carry out their planned trips.

Background: This study aims to evaluate patients who tested positive for COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) in the preoperative period while they were scheduled for surgery in a pandemic hospital and patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 in the postoperative period as well.Materials and Method: A retrospective analysis was made on 420 patients who were planned to undergo surgery on March 11, 2020 (the beginning of the pandemic in our country) with a compulsory COVID-19 test in the preoperative evaluation. Among the patients examined, about 26 of them were found positive by the COVID PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test preoperative evaluation. 18 patients had a positive COVID PCR test after the operation. The recorded data included patient demographics, pre-op and post-op symptoms, laboratory and radiological findings, and a history of exposure to COVID-19.Results: We detected the additional disease in 88.6% of 44 evaluated patients, 25 men and 19 women. Symptoms were present in 50% of the patients. The most common symptoms were fever and cough. When postoperative and preoperative patients were compared, only fever symptoms were found to be statistically higher in patients with postoperative PCR positive. In terms of laboratory findings, lymphocyte level was statistically low and CRP (c- reactive protein) level was higher in postoperative patients.Conclusion: In the pre-op evaluation, there is no test or finding that ensures that the patient has not contracted COVID-19 for certain. It required a multidisciplinary assessment to minimize false-negative results. In the postoperative period, patients with positive COVID PCR test may have in-hospital contamination or transmission from patients’ relatives. Unnecessary hospital visits should be limited as much as possible.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major global changes both in the areas of healthcare and economics. This pandemic has led, mainly due to conditions related to confinement, to major changes in consumer habits and behaviors. Although there have been several studies on the analysis of customers’ satisfaction through survey-based and online customers’ reviews, the impact of COVID-19 on customers' satisfaction has not been investigated so far. It is important to investigate dimensions of satisfaction from the online customers’ reviews to reveal their preferences on the hotels' services during the COVID-19 outbreak. This study aims to reveal the travelers’ satisfaction in Malaysian hotels during the COVID-19 outbreak through online customers’ reviews. In addition, this study investigates whether service quality during COVID-19 has an impact on hotel performance criteria and consequently customers' satisfaction. Accordingly, we develop a new method through machine learning approaches. The method is developed using text mining, clustering, and prediction learning techniques. We use Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) for big data analysis to identify the voice-of-the-customer, Expectation-Maximization (EM) for clustering, and ANFIS for satisfaction level prediction. In addition, we use Higher-Order Singular Value Decomposition (HOSVD) for missing value imputation. The data was collected from TripAdvisor regarding the travelers’ concerns in the form of online reviews on the COVID-19 outbreak and numerical ratings on hotel services from different perspectives. The results from the analysis of online customers’ reviews revealed that service quality during COVID-19 has an impact on hotel performance criteria and consequently customers' satisfaction. In addition, the results showed that although the customers are always seeking hotels with better performance, they are also concerned with the quality of related services in the COVID-19 outbreak.

Objectives The aim of this study was to estimate how well the excess mortality reflected the burden of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related deaths during the March–May 2020 COVID-19 outbreak in Stockholm, Sweden, and whether the excess mortality during the outbreak might have resulted in a compensatory reduced mortality after the outbreak. Methods Using previous 10-year or 5-year average mortality rates as a baseline, the excess mortality estimates before, during, and after the COVID-19 outbreak in March–May 2020 in Stockholm were compared. Results Weekly death estimates revealed that the immediate pre-outbreak and post-outbreak all-cause mortality did not exceed to excess mortality regardless of whether previous 10-year or 5-year average mortality was used. Forty-three days after the start of the outbreak, 74.4% of the total excess mortality was reportedly explained by known COVID-19-related deaths, and the present study reports an update, showing that 15 weeks after the start of the outbreak, the reported COVID-19-related deaths explained >99% of the total excess mortality. Conclusions An exceptional outbreak feature of rapid excess mortality was observed. However, no excess but similarly low mortality was observed immediately prior to the outbreak and post-outbreak, thus emphasizing the severity of the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in Stockholm.

Background Electronic health (e-health) approaches such as telemedicine, mobile health, virtual healthcare and electronic health records are considered to be effective in increasing access to healthcare services, reducing operational costs and improving the quality of healthcare services during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, a pandemic resulting from the spread of a novel coronavirus discovered in December 2019. In this context, the aim of this study was to identify the most important factors influencing decision making on the implementation of e-health in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates), which are in the process of digitizing healthcare services. Methods This study reviewed the literature to identify the important factors influencing decision making on e-health. In addition, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted in order to identify the most important criteria to be considered in decision making on e-health. The survey link was forwarded to 978 healthcare practitioners and 42 experts (purposive sampling), from which a final sample of 892 (864 practitioners and 28 experts) was achieved, reflecting a response rate of 87.45%. Results Of the 44 factors identified under seven themes (strategic, quality, management, technology, function characteristics, economic, sociocultural and demographic factors), 22 factors were identified to be the most important criteria. Conclusions Findings from this study suggest that decision making in relation to e-health is a complex process that requires consideration of various factors. It was also found that attention should be paid to sociocultural and demographic factors, which may need to be considered in increasing healthcare access during the COVID-19 outbreak.

To date, researchers have not yet incorporated some prominent motivation theories to scrutinize and dissect learners’ motivations of online learning, especially in this period of time under the influence of COVID-19. This study aimed to explore 558 Taiwanese university students’ various online learning motivations, and to compare the salient differences before and after the COVID-19 outbreak. A survey named “COVID-19 Online Learning Motivation (COLM)” questionnaire was developed to thoughtfully evaluate the students’ online learning task value, goal orientation, and self-efficacy. The results indicate that, first, the COLM questionnaire was valid and reliable for adequately probing the students’ various online learning motivations. In general, the students expressed substantial increase in agreement for Attainment value, Utility value, Mastery-approach goal, Mastery-avoidance goal, Performance-avoidance goal, and Functional self-efficacy after the COVID-19 outbreak. This study further compared the two groups of students’ scores on the COLM scales based on whether they had actual online learning experiences during the pandemic. The findings suggest that the students who had experienced comprehensive online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic may have held lower expectations regarding the personal relevance and anticipated future practicality of adopting online learning before the pandemic. Interestingly, these preexisting differences on the two scales seemed to diminish after the outbreak of COVID-19, implying that this distressing pandemic which occurred worldwide did indeed have some impacts on how the Taiwanese university students valued the personal relevance and the future expected returns of adopting online learning in higher education.

Driven by the current circumstances of the COVID-19 outbreak, this study investigates the rise of online teaching in higher education (HE). It collects feedback from the teaching professionals regarding their opinion on E-learning experience to answer the following question: in the distinctive rise of e-learning during the covid-19 outbreak, what are the main challenges and opportunities in conducting your online teaching? This study has numerous implications related to E-learning in higher education. It provides recommendations to governments and university policy-makers in designing the policies and programs on E-learning. Furthermore, the university’s top management (i.e. president, VP, dean of college and HOD) need to concentrate on the importance of enhancing education quality in their institutions during this exceptional time.

Background and purpose There are concerns that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak negatively affects the quality of care for acute cardiovascular conditions. We assessed the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on trends in hospital admissions and workflow parameters of acute stroke care in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Methods We used data from the three hospitals that provide acute stroke care for the Amsterdam region. We compared two 7-week periods: one during the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak (March 16th–May 3th 2020) and one prior to the outbreak (October 21st–December 8th 2019). We included consecutive patients who presented to the emergency departments with a suspected stroke and assessed the change in number of patients as an incidence-rate ratio (IRR) using a Poisson regression analysis. Other outcomes were the IRR for stroke subtypes, change in use of reperfusion therapy, treatment times, and in-hospital complications. Results During the COVID-19 period, 309 patients presented with a suspected stroke compared to 407 patients in the pre-COVID-19 period (IRR 0.76 95%CI 0.65–0.88). The proportion of men was higher during the COVID-19 period (59% vs. 47%, p p = 0.58) or endovascular thrombectomy (11% vs 12%, p = 0.82) or associated treatment times. Seven patients (all ischemic strokes) were diagnosed with COVID-19. Conclusion We observed a 24% decrease in suspected stroke presentations during the COVID-19 outbreak, but no evidence for a decrease in quality of acute stroke care.

Objective To explore the utility of deep brain stimulation (DBS) telemedicine in the management of patients with movement disorders from January 2019 to March 2020, covering the main period of the COVID‐19 outbreak in China. Materials and Methods We obtained data from 40 hospitals around China that employed DBS tele‐programming for their outpatients with Parkinson's disease or dystonia from January 2019 to March 2020. Data were obtained on the number and nature of patients' DBS health care service requests, reasons for their requests, the number of DBS telemedicine sessions subsequently completed, safety issues, and the patients' satisfaction with the DBS tele‐programing parameter adjustments made. Results There were 909 DBS tele‐programming health service requests (from 196 patients) completed during the study period. The results showed: 1) the number of DBS telemedicine sessions requested and the number of patients examined increased during the COVID‐19 outbreak in February and March 2020 when compared with the monthly numbers in 2019; 2) the most common reason for the patients' health service requests was poor symptom control; 3) the most common DBS tele‐programming adjustment made was voltage change; 4) overall, most (89%) DBS tele‐programming adjustment sessions were experienced by the patients as satisfactory; and 5) significant adverse events and unexpected treatment interruptions caused by connection failure or other hardware‐ or software‐related problems did not occur. Conclusions DBS telemedicine could have a unique role to play in maintaining the delivery of DBS treatment and medical care to outpatients with movement disorders during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Background According to the recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic experience, many emergency departments experience difficulties in responding to emerging infectious diseases and this has led to a public health crisis. Our emergency department (ED) is designed to respond to mass outbreaks of infection. Three major preparations were taken to respond to infectious disease; first, to improve the emergency department facilities; second, to created programs to respond to each phase of an epidemic of COVID-19; lastly, to implemented education and training to promote the safety of medical staff. We would like to share the actual responses and statistics of patients visiting emergency department during COVID-19 periods of pandemic. Materials and methods This research was conducted through a retrospective chart analysis provided by a public medical center with 502 beds since the first report of a COVID-19 confirmed case on January 19, 2020 to June 15, 2020 in Seoul, the capital of Korea. Our emergency department was designed based on Korean Regional Emergency Center Facility Standards, and modified throughout each phases of COVID-19 outbreak. Patients suspected to be infectious are screened in the triage, separating them from general patients, and then receive isolation treatment in isolated wards. Results A total of 4,352 patients visited the ED. 3,202 screenings were conducted with 5 confirmed cases. Another 1,150 patients were treated with general emergent symptoms. There were no problems such as closure of the emergency department or isolation of medical staff while managing COVID-19 confirmed patients. Conclusion Improving emergency department facilities, create an operational program to respond to each phase of COVID-19 outbreak and implement educational programs enabled large number of screening tests and hospitalization for COVID-19 suspected patients while maintaining general medical services. Research in emergency department designs and operational programs should increase to combine research data with better ideas to respond not only during regular periods but also during periods of pandemic.

Objectives: This study aims to assess the change in internet searches terms related to smell and taste disorders STDs during the novel coronavirus-2019 COVID-19 outbreak and to investigate the relationship between the changes and the daily number of COVID-19 cases and deaths reported in Turkey. Patients and Methods: Between March 1st, 2019 and April 30th, 2020, the average number of internet searches of the most common 10 key terms related to STDs during the COVID-19 outbreak was compared to the average number of internet searches of those terms in previous months in Turkey. The daily average number of most common 10 key terms based on Google AdWords GA and the relative search volume RSV of most searched two terms “inability to smell” and “inability to taste” related to STDs based on Google trends GT were compared with the change in the daily number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Turkey. Results: The average number of internet searches of 10 key terms between March and April 2020 increased approximately six times from both the average number of the same terms in the previous 10 months and between March and April 2019 months period p

The primary objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of burnout among paediatric residents during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in France. The secondary objective was to identify risk factors associated with burnout in this population. In a nationwide, cross-sectional survey, a questionnaire was e-mailed to all paediatric residents in France in the first week of May 2020. The prevalence of burnout was assessed with the validated French-language version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Human Services Survey. The questionnaire also contained items on the residents’ sociodemographic characteristics and professional situation. Three hundred and forty paediatric residents completed the questionnaire. The median age was 27 (interquartile range 25–28) and 285 (83.8%, 95% confidence interval (CI) [79.5–87.6]) of the residents were women. The prevalence of burnout was 37.4%, 95%CI [32.2–42.7]. There was no association between burnout and exposure to the consequences of COVID-19, which may be related to the low incidence of severe COVID-19 among children. In contrast, the hours worked per week and the anxiety scores were significantly associated with burnout. Conclusion: The level of burnout among French paediatric residents is a matter of concern for residents, and cannot be ascribed to the COVID-19 outbreak. Preventive actions should be implemented, with a reduction in working hours and support programs to help manage work-related anxiety.What is Known:• Burnout is a concern for both residents and the patients they care for.• Natural disasters disrupt the health care organizations and increase the burnout rate.What is New:• The prevalence of burnout among paediatric residents in France is 37.4%, 95%CI [32.2–42.7].• COVID-19 outbreak is not associated with burnout in this population but anxiety and working hours per week might be modifiable risk factors. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00431-020-03907-x.