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Introduction: The impact of excessive screen time and social media use on mental health, particularly among adolescents and young adults, has raised concerns. Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the mental health effects of excessive screen time and social media use among adolescents (13–19 years) and young adults (20–25 years) in India. Methods: This cross-sectional online survey study recruited 1392 participants (672 adolescents and 720 young adults) from India. Validated scales assessed mental health outcomes, screen time, social media use, mediating factors, and coping strategies. Descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, regression models, and thematic analysis were employed. Results: The prevalence of depression symptom was 37.9%, anxiety symptom was 33.3%, high stress 43.7%, and low self-esteem 25.3%, respectively. Significant positive correlations were found between screen time, social media use, and symptoms of depression (r = 0.32, r = 0.25), anxiety (r = 0.28, r = 0.22), and stress (r = 0.36, r = 0.29), while negative correlations existed with self-esteem (r = −0.25, r = −0.18). Poor sleep quality and cyberbullying exacerbated mental health issues, while physical activity and social support had protective effects. Common coping strategies included physical activity, hobbies, social support, digital detox, and mindfulness. Conclusions: The study provides compelling evidence linking excessive screen time and social media use with adverse mental health outcomes such as depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, stress, and low self-esteem among Indian adolescents and young adults. Key mediating factors were poor sleep quality exacerbating mental health issues, while physical activity, social support, and reduced cyberbullying were protective. While recognizing technology’s benefits, the study highlights promoting balanced digital habits, addressing underlying factors, and equipping youth with coping skills to foster a healthier relationship with technology and safeguard mental well-being.

Regenerative AI is transforming breast cancer diagnosis and treatment through enhanced imaging analysis, personalized medicine, drug discovery, and remote patient monitoring. AI algorithms can detect subtle patterns in mammograms and other imaging modalities with high accuracy, potentially leading to earlier diagnoses. In treatment planning, AI integrates patient-specific data to predict individual responses and optimize therapies. For drug discovery, generative AI models rapidly design and screen novel molecules targeting breast cancer pathways. Remote monitoring tools powered by AI provide real-time insights to guide care. Examples include Google's LYNA for analyzing pathology slides, Kheiron's Mia for mammogram interpretation, and Tempus's platform for integrating clinical and genomic data. While promising, challenges remain, including limited high-quality training data, integration into clinical workflows, interpretability of AI decisions, and regulatory/ethical concerns. Strategies to address these include collaborative data-sharing initiatives, user-centered design, explainable AI techniques, and robust oversight frameworks. In developing countries, AI tools like MammoAssist and Niramai's thermal imaging system are improving access to screening. Overall, regenerative AI offers significant potential to enhance breast cancer care, but judicious implementation with awareness of limitations is crucial. Coordinated efforts across the healthcare ecosystem are needed to fully realize AI's benefits while addressing challenges.

Background: Anxiety and depression often exacerbate multimorbidity conditions, leading to increased disability rates among affected individuals. Objective: The study aimed to assess the mental health status of individuals with multimorbidity belonging to the marginalized population of Karachi, Pakistan. Specifically, the prevalence of anxiety and depression was investigated. Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted between July 2022 and June 2023 in 10 primary healthcare clinics located in 4 peri-urban areas of Karachi. A total of 9331 participants were included in the study. The Patient Health Questionnaire 4 (PHQ-4), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) were used to assess symptoms of anxiety and depression. The data collected were analyzed using the statistical analysis system (SAS) version 9.4. Results: Among the study participants, 2894 (31%) were men and 5534 (59.3%) were women. The prevalence of moderate to severe anxiety was 31% among men and 59.3% among women. The age group between 41 and 60 years exhibited the highest rates of moderate to severe anxiety, 19.3% as evaluated by GAD-7 and 34.6% by PHQ-9. The Pathan ethnic group had the highest prevalence of anxiety (11%) and depression (28.3%) in the neighborhoods. Unemployed participants showed moderate to severe anxiety in 21.3% of the cases and moderate to severe depression in 25.5% of the cases. Conclusion: The study revealed a significant cooccurrence of anxiety and depression among individuals with multimorbidity in the marginalized population of Karachi, Pakistan. Furthermore, the presence of anxiety symptoms in multimorbidity patients with depression indicates a more unfavorable health state. It is essential to explore the implementation of screening measures and therapeutic interventions for comorbid anxiety and depression in this population to improve clinical outcomes.

The COVID-19 pandemic, with its vast impact illustrated by 770 million confirmed cases and 6.9 million deaths as of September 21, 2023, has exposed a critical challenge: the infodemic. Effective communication and health literacy are pivotal in addressing this crisis. This article emphasizes the urgency of combating health misinformation, highlighting its tangible impact on public health and social well-being. Trustworthy sources, especially government agencies and public health officials, played a central role in shaping public behavior. Clear, accurate, and consistent messaging became vital. Health literacy, a fundamental determinant of pandemic response, empowered individuals to understand and act upon health information. Approximately 36% of adults exhibited basic or below-basic health literacy skills, emphasizing its crucial role. Improving health literacy emerged as a strategic imperative, enabling informed choices and proactive health protection. The pandemic underscores the vital role of effective communication and health literacy in combating health misinformation, fostering informed decision-making, and safeguarding public health.

Background: The kneecap, also called the patella, is located in front of the knee joint and protects it from injury. It is the most prominent sesamoid bone of the body and is embedded in the quadriceps tendon. The purpose of this study is to perform a detailed morphometric examination of the patella and compare it to specimens from the right and left sides of the patella. Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, 40 dried patellae were collected from the Department of Anatomy, Government Medical College, Srinagar, of which 21 were right-sided and 19 were left-sided specimens. Height, width, and thickness of the patella; length and width of the articular facets on the medial and lateral sides; and length of the central ridge were among the parameters examined in the study. Results: The mean height, width, and thickness of the patella specimens were 4.10 cm, 2.01 cm, and 4.10 cm, respectively, according to morphometric analysis. The dimensions of the articular facet on the lateral side were found to be statistically different from the dimensions of the articular facet on the medial side, with P = 0.05 considered statistically significant. According to Koyunco's classification, 87.5% of the patella specimens belonged to type B. Conclusion: The morphometric analysis of the patella in this study may help to design implants for reconstruction and guide orthopedic surgeons in reconstructive and fixation surgery of the patella.

Background: Anthropometric data for a specific population is always required for identification, product design, ear reconstruction, and manufacture of ear-related instruments. This study aimed to determine the anthropometric measures of the external ear and compare them on both the sides and in either sex among the ethnic Kashmiri population. Methods: The study sample had 98 boys and 102 females aged 18–25. Subjects with a history of craniofacial trauma, ear diseases, congenital defects, or ear surgery were excluded from the study after racial confirmation. A single investigator took all measurements on both the ears using a standard digital Vernier's caliper capable of measuring to the nearest 0.1 mm. Results: It is observed that the total ear width (EW) in the right ear ranged from 2.92 ± 0.19 to 3.12 ± 0.22 in cm. The mean EW on the left ear was found more significant than on the right side in the studied population. The mean TEH among the males in the right ear was found to be 6.02 ± 0.34, while in the left, it was 5.78 ± 0.33. Furthermore, the mean EW among the females on the right side was 2.88 ± 0.21 compared to 2.85 ± 1.25 for the left and right ears respectively. The association was found to be significant (P ≤ 0.001). Conclusion: Identifying landmark variations in distinct ethnic groups could help establish morphological assessment and morphometric variations of human ears.

Summary: Hypertension is an important modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Among normotensives, excessive dietary salt elevates the blood pressure and thereby increases the risk of CVD events. Despite such solid evidence, there is no effective approach to address excessive salt intake in India. Instead of just encouraging patients to lower their salt intake, we must provide an alternative technique by fostering an environment that facilitates this behaviour change. In this Viewpoint, we propose ‘Taste Modification’ strategy, i.e., a salt-reduction technique in which individuals are informed that adding spices/herbs to meals will reduce their salt intake. We hypothesise that a gradual reduction in salt intake can aid in the treatment of hypertension over time. The goal is to progressively substitute salt with spices for effective salt reduction. However, the ‘Taste Modification’ strategy must be first validated using multicentric clinical trials.

Islam arose from the same Semitic soil that gave rise to Judaism and Christianity. As stated in the Declaration of Faith, its most fundamental idea is monotheism. For Muslims, holy law is an all-encompassing entity that concerns every aspect of human life. Many Ulema has concluded that the concept of a “consensus decree” is preferable in the circumstances needing specialist understanding. These consensus panels for medical choices often include a broad and diversified representation. The decision-making process is frequently transparent, allowing members of the greater community to scrutinize the arguments presented. Before providing culturally sensitive treatment, a fundamental level of cultural awareness is essential. We simplified and highlighted key themes in Islamic medical ethics in this study. Despite the fact that this is a preliminary study, we believe the findings will assist physicians in better understanding their Muslim patients.

Chronic illnesses linked to diet, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes, have become a serious concern for the current health-care system. Approximately 39.5 million people worldwide died of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in 2016, including 17.6 million from cardiovascular disease and 8.9 million from cancer. Over the past decade, worldwide mortality rates for cardiovascular diseases and cancer have increased by 14.5% and 17.8%, respectively. In France, cardiovascular disease and cancer are the leading causes of death, accounting for more than 30% of all deaths. Chronic illnesses are associated with poor nutritional quality in many countries. Considering the high burden of chronic diseases linked to poor diet, health-care authorities have adopted community-based public health strategies to improve diet and to minimize the risk of nutrition-related disorders. Front-of-pack nutrition labels (FoPLs) are gaining popularity in this arena. FoPLs aim to guide customers toward healthier choices by delivering simple, salient, and readily accessible nutritional information about food products at the time of purchase. It will be wise if we introduce FoPL by empowering public to make their informed choice during purchasing packaged food items. We hope in the future, food industry will make food policy in similar lines with healthy public health policy to prevent the future burden of NCD in India and the globe.

Background: The fourth round of National Family Health Survey (2015–2016) measured blood pressure for the first time and provided a unique opportunity of exploring trends in hypertension prevalence across states and districts for the first time. Aim: This study will be the first in India to estimate the geospatial variation of hypertension among those in the 15–49 years age group in India. Materials and Methods: Out of a total of 616,346 selected occupied households, 601,509 were successfully interviewed, giving a response rate of 98%. We adjusted the proportion of hypertension obtained by using national sample weights. We built a multivariable logistic regression model to assess the determinants of hypertension. Results: The overall weighted prevalence of hypertension was 11.7%, and the prevalence was 11.1% in females and 11.0% in males. Urban areas had a higher prevalence (13.0%) compared to rural areas (11.0%). Those with no education (14.4%) and those who reported smoking (16.5%) had hypertension. Consumption of alcohol, fruits, and eggs was also found to be significantly related to hypertension. Conclusion: Hypertension epidemic is spreading alarmingly in India across rural and urban populations. Disturbingly, the hypertension prevalence is now becoming more concentrated among the poor. This phenomenon has serious implications for the country's social and economic well-being. Urgent preventive measures need to be taken at a multidisciplinary level.

Background: The circle of Willis (CW) encircles the pituitary stalk and is considered an anastomotic vascular system that links the forebrain and hindbrain. Because morphology varies between races, it was reasonable to do research on the anatomy of the CW. The purpose of this study was to determine the anatomical variations in the arteries composing the CW on computed tomography (CT angiography) in the adult Kashmiri population. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted to assess the structural characteristics of CW and to estimate the prevalence of anatomical variations of CW in the adult Kashmiri population among those who were permanent residents of Kashmir Valley, aged 20 years or older, and who were referred for CT angiography from the Department of Medicine or Surgery with the diagnosis of CW. Results: A total of 50 (23.1%) studied CT angiography were having the presence of any anatomical variations, while 166 (76.9%) had normal anatomical origins. Arteries forming the CW (polygon) were found to be absent among 9 (4.16%) and 5 (2.3%) had fetal origin of arteries forming the CW. Trifurcation of arteries was found among only 2 (0.9%), hypoplastic arteries were found among 34 (15.7%), and complete circles were present in 207 (95.8%) CT angiographs. Right and left internal carotid artery, right and left anterior cerebral artery, the right middle and left middle cerebral artery, and the anterior communicating artery were all present. Conclusion: Hypoplasia was more prevalent in a posterior circle, absent arteries in the anterior circulation, while accessory vessels were common in the anterior portion of the circle.

Abstract Background Schizophrenia is one of the worst diseases with its ubiquitous challenges due to its unique psychopathology and life events. Patients with schizophrenia use various coping strategies to overcome distress. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between perceived stress, quality of life, and coping skills in patients with schizophrenia in remission. A total of 48 consecutive patients of schizophrenia, in remission, attending outpatient department of psychiatry at Academic hospital, South India, who satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited for the present study. The participants were assessed on Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale, Ways of Coping Checklist – Revised and Perceived Stress Scale and WHO Quality of Life. Results were analyzed using appropriate statistical package software v 16.0. Result Highest medial was found in self-controlling and positive reappraisal coping skills. Distancing is associated with high physical domain of quality of life whereas patients with good social support score more in social and physical domain of quality of life. Conclusion Patients with history of schizophrenia even though in remission dwell a stressful life. They often need different kind of social support or cognitive aids. In that view, studying their stress level, ability to cope with it, and quality of life will help us to manage them in better way.

IntroductionDigital eye strain, which is often ignored by the public, has emerged as a “Shadow Pandemic” in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic.AimThe current paper is aimed at discussing the ill effect of digital screens on eyes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodologyA literature search was done using “PubMed,” “Google scholar”, and “Scopus” using key terms like “Digital Eye Strain,” “Eyestrain,” or “Computer Vision Syndrome.” Relevant articles were identified and included to support the argument for this narrative review.ResultsStudies conducted in the UK reported that 68% of children extensively use computers, while 54% undertake online activities after the age of 3. Similar studies estimated 4 h and 45 min per day of screen exposure time among adults in the UK. Indian studies reveal that the prevalence of DES is 69% in adults and 50% in children respectively. Indian ophthalmologists found that computer-using and specialized ophthalmologists were more informed of symptoms and diagnostic signs but were misinformed about treatment modalities. The use of social media and multitasking is particularly prominent among younger adults, with 87% of individuals aged 20–29 years reporting the use of two or more digital devices simultaneously. It has been observed that the use of computer glasses corrects refractive errors and helps in the reduction of symptoms, while precision spectral filters help in reducing symptoms of micro-fluctuation of accommodation.ConclusionWe concluded that DES is emerging globally as a “Shadow Pandemic” and it is high time to respond. Community ophthalmologists, public health authorities, and educational sectors especially should be involved to prevent this.

The burden of vaccine-preventable diseases is increasing day by day across all age groups. However as per the universal immunization programme, we vaccinate only under-fives and antenatal mothers, a large portion of the vulnerable population remain unvaccinated and the concept of “life course approach” regarding vaccination is missing. It increases the overall burden to the already constrained Indian health care system. As India, now has become the largest manufacturer of multiple vaccines, we have continuous chain healthcare points (primary-tertiary level), with dedicated manpower in the public health sector that is why in this paper we are proposing to expand the horizon of the vaccination process using a “life course approach”. It will not only directly benefit the vulnerable populations (individual level), but also it can benefit the nation, indirectly. Although we may face challenges at multiple phases (conception to implementation), they can be overcome by multisectoral and multipronged innovations.

Patients with neurocysticercosis, a common infection of the central nervous system caused by Taenia solium , have been reported to develop neuropsychiatric complications. We report a unique case of recurrent psychosis caused by neurocysticercosis in a 37-year-old El Salvador immigrant woman and discuss the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of the complications. We reviewed published case reports of neurocysticercosis that presented with psychotic features and compared their diagnostic evaluation, the underlying pathophysiology of complications and treatment regimen with our case. This review concludes that neurocysticercosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with psychosis with a history of residence in an endemic area.

Non-communicable diseases are already acknowledged as a double burden, and now childhood obesity is putting extra strain on our health system. The current paper aimed to analyze the ongoing health and related programmes/policies in India, and we discussed the existing opportunities in the programmes to address the issue of childhood obesity in India. We searched the “MEDLINE,” “PsycINFO,” “Scopus,” “Web of Science,” and “Google Scholar” databases using the following keywords: (”overweight”) and (”obesity”), (”childhood obesity”), (”nutritional programmes in India”), (”Health policies in India”), (”malnourished children in India”) in combination with each other and in truncated form. All the relevant articles and policy documents (MOHFW, INDIA) available in the public domain were included to support the argument for this narrative review. We found that we have programme gaps like guidelines issues by Food Safety Standards Authority of India to tackle childhood obesity and it has not been strictly implemented due to multiple reasons. School health programme has an opportunity to address the issue of childhood obesity, but at the ground level the outcomes are not very promising. The National Nutrition Mission have only focussed on undernutrition and anemia problem, ignoring the overweight/childhood obesity. Primary care physicians are key players in the treatment of childhood obesity, yet rates of obesity management in the primary care setting are low. National Programme for prevention & Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases & stroke is dealing with health promotion and prevention, early diagnosis, and management of all ages, except children. Diet provided in Integrated Child Development Scheme is calculated based on calories, not by the quality which is a concern to us. The breastfeeding promotion programme named Mothers Absolute Affection programme has not been implemented with letter and spirit. Other than health programmes, we assume that Ministry of Urban Planning, Foreign Direct Investment policy, Advertisement Council of India and many more sector/policy/programme are indirectly responsible for the increasing burden of childhood obesity in India. Lack of awareness and wrong perception also responsible for the development of childhood obesity. We have multiple National Health Programmes and Policies to address the childhood malnutrition, but are focussing the undernutrition component only, ignoring overnutrition problem in the children, which is emerging as quadruple burden to our health system. Appropriate actions and inclusion of suggestions provided in this study for the improvement of the programmes at the practical level needs to be considered by the policy makers to halt the ever-rising trend of childhood obesity and primary care physicians should play a leadership role.

The meaning of “vaccine diplomacy (VD)” is defined as “the use of vaccines to increase a country's diplomatic relations and influence over other nations.” The golden era of vaccine science diplomacy started during the time of Cold War between the United States (US) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) with the development of a prototype of oral polio vaccine by the US Scientist Dr Albert Sabin working along with his Soviet counterparts. The foundation stone was already laid down by Edward Jenner when he shared his technique of the smallpox vaccine with other major countries to curb the spread of smallpox. Eventually, such a step led to the eradication of such a deadly disease. Only time has changed, not the tide. Even today, vaccines continue to remain as one of the important tools for achieving Millennium Developmental Goals (MDGs) and other targets in developing countries like India. During the wake of the Corona Virus Diseases-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, India's role in developing its vaccine science diplomacy has been a point of attraction. The phase-3 trial of Covaxin being developed by Bharat Biotech started in Lucknow and Gorakhpur in October 2020, and it is widely considered as the forerunner for the Indian vaccine market. As per the Union Health Ministry of India- “The Union Government is working on at least five distinct ways, ranging from free vaccines to guaranteed supply, in which it can help its immediate neighbours and countries in West Asia, Africa and even Latin America—officials familiar with the plan said on conditions of anonymity. The idea is to leverage the country's standing as the world's vaccine factory to merge diplomatic ties. Historically, it is observed that by the development and introduction of newer vaccines from time to time, many dismaying hurdles to vaccine science diplomacy (VSD) arise from ongoing wars and political instability. The current scenario is that both VSD and VD are at crossroads, and there is a possibility of getting a good direction if we make a piggyback policy approach of vaccine diplomacy along with the foreign policy. The lessons learned from the past must be followed now and, in the future, to make a better world for all. We acknowledge that the COVID-19 episode has again highlighted the dire need for VSD, and we assume that not only COVID-19 but in future, emerging and re-emerging diseases will occur so we have to prepare ourselves for combatting those future emerging and re-emerging diseases.

Background: Pregnancy is a positive, fulfilling experience for many, but it can put the mother at the risk of suffering ill-health, disability, or even maternal death. The common causes of maternal death include pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) or gestational hypertension or hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP), post-partum hemorrhage, and pulmonary embolism. Modifications in lifestyle and diet have been widely advocated as a cost-effective strategy to prevent PIH. Objectives: To assess the role of dietary factors in PIH attending antenatal care services at a teaching hospital. Materials and Methods: Pregnant women who were attending the antenatal clinic who were diagnosed with hypertension in pregnancy and normotensive before the pregnancy were included in the study. As per the protocol, informed written consent, demographic details with clinical data were obtained from the patients. A total of 225 antenatal cases having hypertension in pregnancy were included in our study. Results: Majority of the study subjects (81.8%) were taking mixed diets, 50.2% consumed additional salt in their diet, the intake history of visible fat was given by 25.3% and 96.4% consumed tea while 52.9% had a history of consuming junk food. Among the 41 vegetarian study subjects with hypertension in pregnancy, the maximum subjects (73.1%) had preeclampsia followed by gestational hypertension in 23.6% the subjects. The relation between the type of diet and hypertension in pregnancy was found to be statistically insignificant. The relation between visible fat consumption and hypertension in pregnancy was found to be statistically significant. Discussion: The association of dietary factors with HDP could be explained by several factors. One being the high-calorie intake by women with known HDP and those without HDP. The imbalance between the energy intake and expenditure is a potential risk factor and leads to overweight or obesity. Conclusion: The consumption of additional salt in the diet, visible fat, and obesity was found to be associated with HDP in our study.

Objectives of the Study: The objectives of the present study which was conducted in four districts of Kashmir valley (Anantnag, Baramulla, Budgam, and Srinagar) were to (1) estimate the “total goitre rate” (TGR) among schoolchildren in the age group of 6–12 years, (2) estimate the proportion of households with adequately iodized salt, and (3) to assess the dietary iodine intake by measuring urinary iodine levels. Study Design: Prospective, cross-sectional study. Methodology: The present study was conducted in the four districts of Kashmir Valley, namely Anantnag, Baramulla, Budgam, and Srinagar in March 2017. This was a school-based study among children in the age group of 6–12 years. For each district, 30 schools were randomly selected using Probability Proportionate to Size sampling. A total of 90 students (45 boys and 45 girls) were randomly selected from each school. Selected children were examined by trained doctors for the presence of goitre. Every 5th child in the school was selected for the collection of the salt sample from the child's house. Every 10th child in the school was selected for the collection of the urine sample for iodine estimation. Results: A total of 10,800 children in the age group of 6–12 years were examined in the four districts. The overall TGR for the four districts combined was 14.8%. The TGR was the highest in district Budgam (16.4%) and lowest in district Anantnag (13.8%). Across all districts, ≤1% of the examined children had a goitre of Grade II. In districts Baramulla, Budgam, and Srinagar, an increasing trend in TGR was observed with age. The median urinary iodine ranged from a minimum of 46.14 μg/L in district Baramulla to a maximum of 56.06 μg/L in district Anantnag. Conclusion: The TGR was high in all the four districts, way beyond the 10% iodine deficiency disorder control goal that was to be achieved by the year 2012. Moreover, the population level median urinary iodine was less than the recommended ≥100 μg/L in all the four districts. Except for district Anantnag, all three districts had median urinary iodine levels of

The pandemic caused by novel corona virus resulted in 81,839,654 cases and 1,784,850 deaths globally till 29th December, 2020. China responded a little bit delayed by sharing information to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO responded at its level best by multi-pronged approaches like, rapid diagnostics development; issuing various guidelines on patient monitoring, specimen collection, and treatment; and till date providing up-to-date information by media briefing about the outbreak. Several countries adopt containment measures like travel restriction, screening of the travellers, contact tracing and many more to break the chain of transmission. During this crisis, there are many ethical issues that have emerged across the globe, we have tried to seek few of the answers in this paper.

Background: A series of measures have been suggested to reduce Covid-19 infection, including knowledge training for prevention and control, isolation, disinfection, classified protections at different degrees in infection areas, and protection of confirmed cases. Objectives: We conducted this study with an aim to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice among the general population regarding COVID-19. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out by the Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Srinagar in the month of April 2020. The questionnaire had four segments to collect data regarding social-demographic details, knowledge regarding Covid-19, attitude and practice based questions. The questionnaire was shared via social media applications like face book and Whatsapp to reach the target population. Continuous variables were summarized as frequency and percentage. All the analysis was done using Microsoft Excel 2016. Among participants who responded, 1252 (82%) were in the age group of 18–40 years and 912 (60%) from urban areas. Results: A total of 934 (61%) respondents had heard details on COVID-19 from the social media, 1358 (89%) knew all ways of coronavirus transmission, 602 (40%) felt that COVID-19 is a serious disease, 1184 (78%) responded that they totally agree with the lockdown decision, and 1296 (85%) responded that lockdown is helping in reducing the number of cases. The majority, i.e. 1318 (87%), followed advisories and reported washing hands with soap and water regularly, 1108 (73%) reported regularly wearing masks, 1344 (89%) reported following lockdown guidelines, and 1306 (87%) reported maintaining social distancing. The respondents exhibited good knowledge, positive attitude, and sensible practices regarding COVID-19. Conclusion: Our study showed that the respondents have exhibited good knowledge, positive attitude and sensible practices regarding covid-19 during the pandemic.

Background: Aggression among the dogs has been stated as the most common cause of their biting nature by many dog experts. Most of the dog experts' opinion that many of the dog's bites are preventable. Objectives of the Study: Explore the victim's perception regarding dog bite, its circumstances and events that led to the bite and prevention of future bites by dogs. Methodology: This study involved one-to-one detailed interviews of dog bite victims to tell their tale and allowed the interviewer to ask questions related to all the circumstances that led to the bite. We included adults aged >20 years living in the Srinagar city who had been bitten by the street dog within last 24 h. Qualitative research protocol was adapted to conduct the study. Results: The perception of the victims vary from person to person which makes it difficult for public health practitioners to formulate standardized prevention tools. In our study, the participants had different perceptions regarding what constitute a dog bite. Some discussed a skin contact with piercing and oozing of blood as a dog bite while other perceived a simple jumping of dog over them. Some blamed the society; some blamed the dog; whereas some blamed themselves for the incident. Most of the participants never perceived that they will be bitten by the dog, so they did not use any strategies to prevent themselves. Reaction to the bite and the perception of responsibility and preventability appeared to be more related to the individual experiences of the victim and their belief about dogs in particular, than the actual circumstances which led to the bite and how preventable a bite could have been. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the apparent instantaneous nature of bites and recognized psychological barriers to being receptive to educational intervention may mean bites are not as easily preventable as previously assumed.

Background: In the era of new normal life (after Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)), our children are experiencing the double threat of COVID-19 and Childhood Obesity (CO-BESITY). The rate of childhood obesity has been rapidly increasing in developed as well as low middle-income countries during the pandemic. Design and Methods: The current paper aims to identify the probable reasons of increase in childhood obesity during this pandemic and offers suggestions to reduce the burden of it. Literature search was done using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases for the key terms “childhood obesity,” “obesity,” “pandemic,” and/or childhood obesity. All the relevant articles were included to support the argument for this viewpoint. Results: Childhood obesity is a complicated disorder having diverse outcomes. The incidence of childhood obesity is clearly analysed from Bronfenbrenner's model of child development. The model examines an overabundance of bio-psycho-social backgrounds, risks, and probable outcomes on the development of a child. COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the ecosystem of this dynamic model and has created an economic and social-cultural crisis that has ignited a chain reaction of stressors upon children and their families. In this paper, we have described how this Bronfenbrenner's model of child development also known as the Bioecological Model can be effective for the estimation and prevention of childhood obesity. Conclusion: We propose that this Bioecological Model will help the children and their families further to understand and manage the problem of childhood obesity during this pandemic on their own.

SARS CoV 2 virus is detected in the respiratory tract by using nasal/oropharyngeal and nasal mid-turbinate swabs, nasopharyngeal wash and aspirate, and an oral aspirate. The anterior nares are the most common place to collect samples due to its ease and little invasiveness. Sample collection requires experienced hands, and if the appropriate technique isn't followed, it might lead to false negative results and alter the final conclusion. Because of its size and robustness, India's healthcare system has over 700 districts each running National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP) and experts in India have proposed modifying the CBNAAT machines used in NTEP program for COVID 19 testing by utilizing a new cartridge. After a second wave of COVID-19 cases, the number of cases in India is on the rise again. When dealing with a highly contagious disease, healthcare professionals are constrained by a lack of personal protective equipment, logistics, and infrastructure. The nasopharyngeal specimen and the procedure involved, make it a more difficult and riskier affair for healthcare practitioners to perform. If COVID-19 is combated with the NTEP's current infrastructure, human resources, and logistics, we believe that early detection of cases and overall containment will be maximized. Sputum samples can be self-collected in small plastic containers and sent to the nearest tuberculosis unit for CBNAAT analysis instead of using the professional technique of collecting nasopharyngeal swabs in Viral Transport Media. Sputum sample collection is a simple operation. Be it in urban tertiary care facilities or a rural subcentre. To collect sputum, healthcare staff can simply assist. In the current phase of the pandemic in India, where the majority of COVID-19 infections are asymptomatic, mass screening at the community level using effective testing specimens and methodologies becomes critical and the only choice. It would make sense to collect COVID-19 samples at the community level based on the scientific evidence in such a scenario, especially for a country with a population of over 1.3 billion people.

“Texting neck” or “iNeck pain” syndrome is emerging as a public health threat globally because of our adjustment to a NEW NORMAL existence (work-from-home culture) because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This term coined by Dr. Dean L. Fishman, “text neck,” refers to overuse syndrome or a repetitive stress injury, in which we have our head hung forward and down looking at our cellular electronic device for prolonged durations. In our normal anatomical position, neck muscle groups are designed to endure the load of our head, which is about 10–12 pounds and when we bend our head ahead for an inch, we double the weight on these neck muscle groups. The signs and symptoms vary from continual nagging ache to muscle fatigue and limited variety of neck movements. For handling “Texting neck” or “iNeck ache” syndrome, nonpharmacological and pharmacological treatment alternatives are available. The burden of neck pain is already high in countries such as Norway, Finland, and Denmark. It is emerging as a public health problem in other countries also, thanks to work-from-home culture in the COVID-19 era. Few studies have revealed that the awareness for texting neck is poor among poor countries, and increasing population awareness about the risk factors and preventive measures for neck pain is the only way to tackle this emerging threat.

In December 2019, an unusual form of pneumonia of unknown origin was identified in Wuhan and soon expanded into an intercontinental pandemic that affected nations all over the world. The unusual pneumonia was subsequently named COVID-19. The management of COVID-19 disease has been highly dependent on the early identification of patients who are positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. For detecting the SARS-CoV-2 virus in upper or lower respiratory tracts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend strategic sampling approaches. Most countries collect nasopharyngeal swabs and oropharyngeal swabs for rapid viral testing by experienced healthcare workers. Due to the increase in single-day cases, the high cost of RT-PCR, and the requirement for greater coverage in order to detect COVID-19 infections, the screening method has been changed to the Rapid Antigen Test during this phase of the pandemic in India. Considering the limited sensitivity of the fast antigen test compared to the sputum test, and the benefit of having additional resources available from an already established TB network, policymakers should consider implementing COVID-19 with sputum testing. For India, which has 1.3 billion people and limited resources, contemplating a community level sample collection of COVID-19 samples will be an effective decision if scientific data is used for this purpose will be an effective choice for the country with more than 1.3 billion population and limited resources.