scholarly journals Hydroxychloroquine availability during COVID-19 crisis and its effect on patient anxiety

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e000496
Author(s):  
Alain Cornet ◽  
Jeanette Andersen ◽  
Chiara Tani ◽  
Marta Mosca

ObjectiveTo report the results of a survey exploring the experience of patients with SLE facing hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) shortage that occurred during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA survey was designed by Lupus Europe’s patient advisory network and distributed through its social media, newsflash and members' network. People with lupus were asked about their last HCQ purchases and their level of anxiety (on a 0–10 scale) with regard to not being able to have access to HCQ, once in April 2020 (first wave) and after 11 August (second wave). The results were compared.Results2075 patients responded during the first wave; 1001 (48.2%) could get HCQ from the first place they asked, 230 (11.1%) could get the drug by going to more than one pharmacy, 498 (24.0%) obtained HCQ later from their usual pharmacy and 126 (6.1%) from other sources. 188 (9.1%) could not get any; 32 (1.5%) did not respond to this question. All countries showed significant improvement in HCQ availability during the second wave. 562 (27.4%) patients reported an extremely high level of anxiety in wave 1 and 162 (10.3%) patients in wave 2; 589 (28.7%) and 268 (17.1%) patients reported a high level of anxiety in wave 1 and wave 2, respectively.ConclusionsThe HCQ shortage had a significant impact on patients with SLE and has been responsible for psychological consequences including anxiety. Indeed, despite an objective improvement in drug availability, the event is leaving significant traces in patients’ mind and behaviours.

Author(s):  
Kathy McKay ◽  
Sarah Wayland ◽  
David Ferguson ◽  
Jane Petty ◽  
Eilis Kennedy

In the UK, tweets around COVID-19 and health care have primarily focused on the NHS. Recent research has identified that the psychological well-being of NHS staff has been adversely impacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to investigate narratives relating to the NHS and COVID-19 during the first lockdown (26 March–4 July 2020). A total of 123,880 tweets were collated and downloaded bound to the time period of the first lockdown in order to analyse the real-time discourse around COVID-19 and the NHS. Content analysis was undertaken and tweets were coded to positive and negative sentiments. Five main themes were identified: (1) the dichotomies of ‘clap for carers’; (2) problems with PPE and testing; (3) peaks of anger; (4) issues around hero worship; and (5) hints of a normality. Further research exploring and documenting social media narratives around COVID-19 and the NHS, in this and subsequent lockdowns, should help in tailoring suitable support for staff in the future and acknowledging the profound impact that the pandemic has had.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-45
Author(s):  
Margarita Jaitner

The increased adoption of social media has presented security and law enforcement authorities with significant new challenges. For example, the Swedish Security Service (SÄPO) asserts that a large proportion of radicalization takes place in open fora online. Still, approaches to contain social media-driven challenges to security, particularly in democratic societies, remain little explored. Nonetheless, this type of knowledge may become relevant in European countries in the near future: Amongst other factors, the challenging economic situation has resulted in increased public discontent leading to emergence or manifestation of groups that seek to challenge the existing policies by almost any means. Use of social media multiplies the number of vectors that need law enforcement attention. First, a high level of social media adaption allows groups to reach and attract a wider audience. Unlike previously, many groups today consist of a large but very loosely connected network. This lack of cohesion can present a challenge for authorities, to identify emerging key actors and assess threat levels. Second, a high level of mobile web penetration has allowed groups to ad-hoc organize, amend plans and redirect physical activities. Third, the tool social media is as not exclusive to potential perpetrators of unlawful action, but is as well available to law enforcement authorities. Yet, efficient utilization of social media requires a deep understanding of its nature and a well-crafted, comprehensive approach. Acknowledging the broad functionality of social media, as well as its current status in the society, this article describes a model process for security authorities and law enforcement work with social media in general and security services work in particular. The process is cyclic and largely modular. It provides a set of goals and tasks for each stage of a potential event, rather than fixed activities. This allows authorities to adapt the process to individual legal frameworks and organization setups. The approach behind the process is holistic where social media is regarded as both source and destination of information. Ultimately, the process aims at efficiently and effectively mitigating the risk of virtual and physical violence.


2022 ◽  
pp. 026540752110669
Author(s):  
Peter J. Helm ◽  
Tyler Jimenez ◽  
Madhwa S. Galgali ◽  
Megan E. Edwards ◽  
Kenneth E. Vail ◽  
...  

Stay-at-home orders issued to combat the growing number of infections during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 had many psychological consequences for people including elevated stress, anxiety, and difficulty maintaining meaning in their lives. The present studies utilized cross-sectional designs and were conducted to better understand how social media usage related to people’s subjective isolation (i.e., social loneliness, emotional loneliness, and existential isolation) and meaning in life (MIL) during the early months of the pandemic within the United States. Study 1 found that general social media use indirectly predicted higher MIL via lower existential isolation and social isolation. Study 2 replicated these patterns and found that social media use also predicted lower MIL via higher emotional loneliness, and that the aforementioned effects occurred with active, but not passive, social media use. Findings suggest social media use may be a viable means to validate one’s experiences (i.e., reduce existential isolation) during the pandemic but may also lead to intensified feelings concerning missing others (i.e., increased emotional loneliness). This research also helps to identify potential divergent effects of social media on MIL and helps to clarify the relationships among varying types of subjective isolation.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolin Siepmann ◽  
Lisa Carola Holthoff ◽  
Pascal Kowalczuk

Purpose As luxury goods are losing their importance for demonstrating status, wealth or power to others, individuals are searching for alternative status symbols. Recently, individuals have increasingly used conspicuous consumption and displays of experiences on social media to obtain affirmation. This study aims to analyze the effects of luxury and nonluxury experiences, as well as traditional luxury goods on status- and nonstatus-related dimensions. Design/methodology/approach After presenting the theoretical foundation, the authors conduct a study with 599 participants to compare status perceptions elicited by the conspicuous consumption of luxury goods, luxury experiences and nonluxury experiences. The authors investigate whether experiences that are visibly consumed on Instagram are replacing traditional luxury goods as the most important status symbols. Furthermore, the authors examine the effects of the content shown on nonstatus-related dimensions and analyze whether status perceptions differ between female and male social media communicators. Finally, the authors analyze how personal characteristics (self-esteem, self-actualization and materialism) influence the status perceptions of others on social media. Findings The results show that luxury goods are still the most important means of displaying status. However, especially for women, luxury experiences are also associated with a high level of social status. Thus, the results imply important gender differences in the perceptions of status- and nonstatus-related dimensions. Furthermore, the findings indicate that, in particular, the individual characteristics of self-actualization and materialism affect status perceptions depending on the posted content. Originality/value While the research has already considered some alternative forms of conspicuous consumption, little attention has been given to experiences as status symbols. However, with their growing importance as substitutes for luxury goods and the rise of social media, the desire to conspicuously consume experiences is increasing. The authors address this gap in the literature by focusing on the conspicuous display of luxury and nonluxury experiences on social media.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clémence Brun ◽  
Alexis Akinyemi ◽  
Laurène Houtin ◽  
Claire Mizzi ◽  
Thierry Cardoso ◽  
...  

Objectives: Providing quality care requires compassion, and encouraging caregivers to develop a patient-centred care relationship could be beneficial for both patients and caregivers. Such a goal can be achieved through mindfulness-based programmes, which can improve caregivers’ compassion and self-compassion. They are particularly relevant for caregivers, as they have a high risk of experiencing work-related burnout due to the high level of involvement required in their work. We hypothesised that a mindfulness training programme specifically focused on situations that are relevant for caregivers could improve patient–caregiver relationships and the care provided by the latter. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study with 10 interviews designed to explore the perceived psychological consequences of such training programmes amongst caregivers who experienced a mindfulness training programme specifically elaborated for the medical staff at APHP Sorbonne University (i.e., the Mindfulness Based (MB) CARE programme). Results: Content analysis results showed that the training had an overall positive impact on the caregivers’ ability to feel compassion toward their patients and themselves. The caregivers were more attentive to their patients and their needs, without being able to articulate how well they were paying attention to them. The programme also helped them develop kindness towards themselves and their patients. The participants were better able to accept more sympathetically the difficult experiences they might encounter in the workplace or those reported by their patients. Conclusions: We conclude that professional mindfulness training programmes could be operational levers for institutions aiming at fostering a more compassionate caregiver–patient relationship, which in turn, can improve the efficiency of care provision.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 119
Author(s):  
Anita Akhirruddin

high growth of online shopping in Indonesia gave rise to many onlien websites and platforms in Indonesia. Facebook, which is one of the social networks that many people use around the world, is one of the online selling media that is in great demand because it can reach more people. Shopping online on Facebook in addition to providing benefits for sellers and buyers. Online shopping on Facebook requires a high level of trust from buyers regarding the quality of products and serv ices, and ease in obtaining product information and payments because there are no guarantees such as online shop platforms such as shoope, tokopedia, lazada and others which before the goods are received by the customer, then the money from the buyer can not be disbursed. So researchers are interested in researching online shopping interests on the social media site facebook. The results obtained are variable trust, ease of transaction and quality of information positively affect the interest in buying online on facebook.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramy Magdy ◽  
Maries Mikhael ◽  
Yassmine G. Hussein

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the discourse of Arab feminism social media pages as a form of real-time new media. This is to be conducted culturally to understand the Westernized character these pages tend to propagate and the politico-cultural significations of such a propagation. Design/methodology/approach Using visual and content analysis the paper analyzes both the written and visual contents of two popular Arab feminist Facebook pages, “Thory” and “Feminist doodles” to explore its culture relevance/Westernization via the categories of “re-employing the binary second wave feminism, the historical relevance and the Westernized tone of both pages. Findings The pages showed a tendency toward second wave, Westernized, anti-orient feminism. Such importation of feminism made the pages’ message not only a bit irrelevant but also conceptually violent to a large extent. Starting from alien contexts, the two pages dislocate the Arab women experiences of their situation for the sake of comprehending and adapting to heavily Westernized images. Originality/value The paper contributes to the ongoing debate over the gender issue in the Arab context after 2011, what it originally offers is discussing the cultural relevance of popular feminist Facebook pages claiming to represent the everyday struggles of the Arab women. In addition, it shows the impact of real-time media on identity formulation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 10-22
Author(s):  
Katie Steckles ◽  
Peter Rowlett ◽  
Angharad Ugonna

A survey was created to investigate the experiences of mathematics undergraduates with informal mathematical activity prior to starting university, and links these with the decision to study mathematics. A questionnaire was completed by a small sample of first-year undergraduates at two UK universities. Generally, incoming undergraduates are shown to have a high level of enjoyment of mathematics and engagement with informal mathematical activity. Popular activities included mathematical puzzles and games, and online videos about maths. Students were often engaged with family or via social media, playing computer, tablet or phone games, watching TV game shows with mathematical aspects and participating in organised competitions. Only around half engaged via talks or workshops organised through school and watching more structured documentaries or videos of lectures. Few participated in organised clubs. It seems there was greater engagement with ‘fun’ aspects of mathematics than with activities which demonstrate mathematics linked to career choice. The link to goals of outreach and similar initiatives is discussed, with further research indicated.


Author(s):  
Yanchun Sun ◽  
Hang Yin ◽  
Jiu Wen ◽  
Zhiyu Sun

Urban region functions are the types of potential activities in an urban region, such as residence, commerce, transportation, entertainment, etc. A service which mines urban region functions is of great value for various applications, including urban planning and transportation management, etc. Many studies have been carried out to dig out different regions’ functions, but few studies are based on social media text analysis. Considering that the semantic information embedded in social media texts is very useful to infer an urban region’s main functions, we design a service which extracts human activities using Sina Weibo ( www.weibo.com ; the largest microblog system in Chinese, similar to Twitter) with location information and further describes a region’s main functions with a function vector based on the human activities. First, we predefine a variety of human activities to get the related activities corresponding to each Weibo post using an urban function classification model. Second, urban regions’ function vectors are generated, with which we can easily do some high-level work such as similar place recommendation. At last, with the function vectors generated, we develop a Web application for urban region function querying. We also conduct a case study among the urban regions in Beijing, and the experiment results demonstrate the feasibility of our method.


Author(s):  
Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar

Despite having one of the highest per-capita incomes of the world, social and political changes in Qatar have not kept pace with the country’s economic development. The expatriate and national population of the small emirate have access to luxury brands and a variety of Western goods including food as well as hotels. The high level of commercialization, however, does not mean that cultural differences between the various nationalities have been erased. Online forums and social media have provided neutral public spaces where debate and dialogue about identity and values can take place in a way they do not occur in public. This chapter examines a variety of examples through comments by expats and nationals on a number of media sites as well as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.


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