scholarly journals The fear of COVID-19 outbreak among health care professionals in Gaza Strip, Palestine

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 205031212110229
Author(s):  
Ameer Khalil Shehada ◽  
Ahmed Hassan Albelbeisi ◽  
Ali Albelbeisi ◽  
Abdel Hamid El Bilbeisi ◽  
Amany El Afifi

Introduction: The emergence of the COVID-19 and its consequences has led to fears, worries, and anxiety among individuals, particularly among healthcare professionals. The present study aimed to assess the fear of COVID-19 among different healthcare professionals in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. Methods: A cross-sectional, snowball sampling technique and an online questionnaire were employed among healthcare professionals. A total of 300 participants completed the questionnaire. The validated fear of COVID-19 Scale Arabic version was used. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 22. Results: The sample fear mean score was 17.53 ± 5.78; more than half of the study participants (54.3%) consider it as low levels of fear and 45.7% of the participants consider it as high levels of fear. Statistically significant differences were found between males and females, and different healthcare professional’s disciplines. Females have a higher mean score compared to males. The highest fear mean scores were found among Lab-Technicians (20.19 ± 7.42), followed by X-ray-Technicians (17.95 ± 3.96), Nurses (17.1 ± 5.55), and Physicians (16.25 ± 4.66). Conclusion: The fear of COVID-19 was high among female healthcare professionals compared to males, as well as, among Lab-Technicians compared to Physicians and Nurses. There is a need to establish a strategy to continues measuring the psychological effect of COVID-19 among healthcare professionals especially females.

2021 ◽  
pp. 263183182110274
Author(s):  
Deblina Roy ◽  
Sujita Kumar Kar ◽  
SM Yasir Arafat ◽  
Pawan Sharma ◽  
Russell Kabir

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures have affected the sexuality and emotional bonding among the couple across the world. Objectives: We aimed to assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on the married people’s emotional bonding and sexual relationships in 3 south Asian counties (Bangladesh, India, and Nepal). Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among Bangladesh, India, and Nepal residents from April 3 to April 15, 2020. The survey was designed in English. The participants were selected through convenience sampling technique, the link of the online questionnaire was shared with the participants. Only participants older than 18 years and above, married, and living with their spouses were included in the study. Results: A total number of 120 respondents were included finally for analysis from the participating countries (India, Nepal, and Bangladesh). The mean age of the participants was 35.42 (±5.73) years; the majority were males under the age of 40 years and had completed postgraduation as their qualification. Among the study participants, more than half (53.8%) of the women reported being sexually active during the lockdown, whereas 41% of the men reported being sexually active. Among the sexually active participants, most women (57.7%) reported that they perceived positive emotional bonding with their partners. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference observed when compared with men. There are variations in responses. However, no significant association was identified. Conclusion: There are a few insights from the study, that is, there was no significant difference found in almost 3 countries in emotional intimacy. There had been a trend that there is improved emotional bonding with their partners, although no significant difference was observed.


2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110152
Author(s):  
Margaret Isioma Ojeahere ◽  
Sahmicit Kankemwa Kumswa ◽  
Frances Adiukwu ◽  
Janet Punyit Plang ◽  
Yetunde Folake Taiwo

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been identified as a global health problem with increasing mental health consequences. During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Nigeria, couples were compelled to spend more time together, regardless of their pre-existing challenges. Our study aims to determine the prevalence of IPV, its forms, and mental health implications among Nigerian households amid the COVID-19 lockdown. A cross-sectional study was implemented which used the snowball sampling technique to recruit 474 participants across 31 states in Nigeria. A semi-structured online questionnaire was distributed using the WhatsApp platform. The relationship between IPV, its forms, and associated factors were analyzed using descriptive analysis and logistic regression with significant value at p ≤ .05 and confidence interval of 95%. Majority (98.1%) of the participants had at least a college degree and 90.1% were employed. Overall prevalence of IPV ranged from 7.2% to 13.5%. Using the lockdown as the landmark, higher prevalence was found before than during the lockdown across physical, emotional, financial, and sexual forms of IPV. Emotional form had the highest prevalence both before and during the lockdown with 11.4% and 3.8% respectively. Furthermore, 22.6% of participants reported that the lockdown affected their mental health. Hopelessness, feelings of failure, being irritable, and constantly under strain were psychological symptoms significantly associated with IPV amid the lockdown. Decreased prevalence of IPV were found in the early phase of the pandemic, suggesting that couples can experience less partner violence during periods of confinement. Our study supports existing evidence that forms of IPV have negative mental health consequences on abused partners.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-94
Author(s):  
Marina Vaidya Shrestha ◽  
Naresh Manandhar ◽  
Sunil Kumar Joshi

Introduction: The greater risk of burnout among healthcare professionals is likely to develop an adverse effect on their personal life and the patients’ care. The main aim of this study was to assess the levels of burnout experienced by healthcare workers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2020 to March 2021 among healthcare professionals working in different institutions. A convenient sampling technique was applied. An online questionnaire was developed using Google Forms. Results: The total burnout score among health professionals ranged from low (9.5%), moderate (89.5%) to high (1%). The burnout scores reported were of moderate level among doctors (89%) and nurses (92.2%). There was a negative correlation between burnout and compassion satisfaction (r = - 0.207: p<0.003). Healthcare professionals perceived burnout from time pressure (22.2%), followed by administrative work (20.1%) and dealing with patient’s relatives (13.5%). The identified effective way to minimize burnout was family support (29.1%), friends (21.2%), and their interest/hobbies (15.4%). Conclusion: Healthcare professionals in Nepal bear a moderate level of burnout. The main sources of burnout experienced by health workers were time pressure, administrative work, and dealing with patients’ relatives.


BioMedica ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2S) ◽  
pp. 265-269
Author(s):  
Shamaila Hassnain ◽  
Naureen Omar

<p><strong>Background and Objective:</strong> Coronavirus induced disease (COVID-19) is affecting people all around the world. The rising number of deaths due to COVID-19 is not only harassing people but also causing strong emotions in adults as well as in children due to anxiety, fear and stress. The objective of this study was to assess the fears, anxiety and stress due to COVID-19 pandemic and related issues among the apprentices at various levels in different parts of world. <strong>Methods: </strong>It was a cross sectional survey design to assess the students/trainee&rsquo;s immediate psychological response during COVID-19 outbreak by using an anonymous online questionnaire. A snowball sampling technique was conducted focusing general public all around the world from 3rd April 2020 till 7th April 2020. A total of N=354 participants filled the form completely. The structured questionnaire collected information on demographic data and psychological aspect of this outbreak, including extreme fear and uncertainty. <strong>Results:</strong> A total of N = 354 participants completed the questionnaire; majority were from the age group of 21&ndash;30 years. Approximately 66.4% were females and 33.6% males. Participants from Asia were 83.6% while 9.9%, 3.4%, 2.8% and 1% from America/Canada, Europe, Africa and Australia respectively. Out of n = 354 participants 59.3% were relying on health professionals for authentic source of information regarding COVID-19 while 16.4%, 15% and 5.4% considered social media, television and World Health Organization (WHO) website respectively as their authentic guide. Out of the (n = 354) participants 80.5% were afraid about health status during COVID-19 most predominantly females (66.3%) (P = 0.000). A total of 65.8% participants felt agitated or irritated in this outbreak. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> COVID-19 lockdowns are affecting both physical and mental health of students and apprentices enrolled at different levels of education. Females are more affected and concerned to their loved ones and themselves. Working norms are being maintained and responsibilities are being fulfilled despite this grave situation.</p>


Author(s):  
Kartikey Yadav ◽  
Ananya Ray Laskar ◽  
S. K. Rasania

Background: Public health emergencies during pandemics of communicable diseases, may cause fear leading to social isolation and stigma. Cases have been reported of healthcare professionals (HCPs), facing discrimination on account of heightened fear and misinformation. However, there is dearth of literature with regards to the nature and magnitude of this stigma. Hence, this study was conducted to assess perceived and experienced stigma related to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among HCPs and also assess their apprehensions about testing, quarantine/isolation and consuming Hydroxy-chloroquine as prophylaxis (HCQ).Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken among the HCPs working in Delhi during the period May to July 2020. The study was conducted using a semi-structured online questionnaire which was circulated on official contact numbers and email IDs of HCPs in the Google.doc format.Result: Seventy percent of the participants in the current study perceived some kind of stigma, 50% of study participants perceived some form of stigma in their residential colony, 46% observed change in behaviour of their neighbours. Around 20% of participants experienced stigma, most commonly being rude behaviour or harassment from neighbour/landlord. A statistically significant association was observed between marital status (p=0.038), designation (p=0.021) and place of stay (p=0.013) of the study participants and perceived stigma among them. The level of awareness regarding HCQ was high (94.3%), but more than 60% didn’t consume it due to apprehension about side effects.Conclusion: In view of the substantial stigma faced by the HCP, necessary measures to curb the fear and dispel misinformation related to COVID-19 must be undertaken. the rural population.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaharior Rahman Razu ◽  
Tasnuva Yasmin ◽  
Taimia Binte Arif ◽  
Md. Shahin Islam ◽  
Sheikh Mohammed Shariful Islam ◽  
...  

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused increasing challenges for healthcare professionals globally. However, there is a dearth of information about these challenges in many developing countries, including Bangladesh. This study aims to explore the challenges faced by healthcare professionals (doctors and nurses) during COVID-19 in Bangladesh.Methods: We conducted qualitative research among healthcare professionals of different hospitals and clinics in Khulna and Dhaka city of Bangladesh from May 2020 to August 2020. We conducted 15 in-depth telephone interviews using a snowball sampling technique. We used an in-depth interview guide as data were collected, audiotaped, and transcribed. The data were analyzed both manually and using QDA Miner software as we used thematic analysis for this study.Results: Seven themes emerged from the study. Participants experienced higher workload, psychological distress, shortage of quality personal protective equipment (PPE), social exclusion/stigmatization, lack of incentives, absence of coordination, and proper management during their service. These healthcare professionals faced difficulty coping with these challenges due to situational and organizational factors. They reported of faith in God and mutual support to be the keys to adapt to adversities. Adequate support to address the difficulties faced by healthcare professionals is necessary for an overall improved health outcome during the pandemic.Conclusion: The findings highlight the common challenges faced by healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 outbreak. This implies the need to support adequate safety kits, protocols, and support for both physical and mental health of the healthcare professionals.


Author(s):  
Zohra Saleem ◽  
Muhammad Mansoor Majeed ◽  
Sara Rafique ◽  
Zarah Siqqiqui ◽  
Dinaz Ghandhi ◽  
...  

Abstract During the current pandemic, Pakistan is badly affected. It has exerted great pressure on vigor as well as the psychology of the healthcare professionals. Limited resources, illiteracy, myths, and not following the proper protocol by the general population may have increased the risk for everyone, and anxiety and fear among the frontline healthcare professionals. Anxiety is a common response to any stressful situation and its the fear of the unknown and it may have multiple consequences.In the current study, we attempted to analyze the fear and anxiety among the healthcare professionals of Pakistan.Methodology: An online questionnaire-based survey was performed using a non-probability snowball sampling technique. The questionnaire was validated and comprised of demographics and 10 questions regarding fear and anxiety as per fear of coronavirus-19 scale (FCV-19S). SPSS 21 was used for data analysis.Data of 404 participants analyzed. A significant difference between gender, age group, and the profession was found (p<0.05). Out of 404 participants, 322 (79.70%) were considered to have high and severe anxiety (p=0.020). Based on the results anxiety was reported higher among the nurses and in females. A significant relationship was observed between fear and anxiety score and the different healthcare professionals with p value< 0.001 (Multilinear regression).Concerning the high occurrence of anxiety and fear among healthcare professionals appropriate psychological/psychiatric intervention necessitates and emphasizes the need to implement urgent measures.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lovely Jain ◽  
Jatina Vij ◽  
Prakasini Satapathy ◽  
Venkatesan Chakrapani ◽  
Binod Patro ◽  
...  

Background: Students act as messengers in delivering effective messages for better uptake of health-promoting behavior. Understanding their knowledge about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), intentions to use the COVID-19 vaccine, and its associated factors will help develop promising strategies in vaccine promotion concerning the current COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was carried out among students in the healthcare and non-healthcare sectors to assess their intentions to get vaccinated against the COVID-19. A non-probability snowball sampling technique was used to recruit study participants (N = 655) through social media platforms and emails. Study participants were recruited across the country, including six major geographical regions (Eastern, Western, Northern, Southern, North-east, and Central) in India between November 2020 and January 2021 before the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine. Descriptive statistics were used to present the sociodemographic, and vaccine-related behaviors of the study participants. Key determinants that likely predict vaccine acceptance among students were modeled using logistic regression analysis. For each analysis, p &lt; 0.05 was considered significant.Results: A total of 655 students were recruited, 323 from healthcare and 332 from non-healthcare sectors, to assess their intentions to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Of the 655 students, 63.8% expressed intentions to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The acceptance was higher among non-healthcare students (54.07 vs. 45.93%). At the time of the study, 27.8% of the students indicated that they had been exposed to a confirmed COVID-19 patient. A vast majority (93.4%) of the students knew about the COVID-19 virus, and most (89.3%) of them were aware of the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. The history of vaccine hesitancy was found to be low (17.1%). Only one-third (33.4%) of the students showed concern about contracting COVID-19. Trust in the healthcare system [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 4.13; (95% CI: 2.83–6.04), p &lt; 0.00] and trust in domestic vaccines [aOR: 1.46; (95% CI: 1.02–2.08), p &lt; 0.05] emerged as the significant predictors of student's intention to get vaccinated. Higher acceptance for vaccine was observed among students in the non-healthcare [aOR: 1.982; 95% CI: 1.334–2.946, p &lt; 0.00].Conclusion: This study shows that the Indian college students had relatively high levels of positive intentions to receive COVID-19 vaccines, although about one-third were not sure or unwilling to receive the vaccine, highlighting possible vaccine hesitancy. Informational campaigns and other strategies to address vaccine hesitancy are needed to promote uptake of COVID-19 vaccines.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (03) ◽  
pp. 621-628
Author(s):  
Sandeep Garg ◽  
◽  
S.R. Gajendra Singh ◽  
Sunil Kumar Tailor ◽  
Amar C. Yadav ◽  
...  

The Covid-19 pandemic is expected to continue to impose enormous burdens of morbidity and mortality while severely disrupting societies and economies worldwide.A vaccine provides the best hope for a permanent solution to controlling the pandemic. However, to be effective, a vaccine must be accepted and used by a large majority of the population. Aim:The aim of this study was to understand the acceptence and attitudes towards Covid-19 vaccination. Methodology: The current study used a cross-sectional design based on an online questionnaire. 944 responses were selected by non-probability snowball sampling technique The samples were including public of Udaipur district residents during the rapid rise period of the Covid-19 outbreak.An online structured questionnaire was developed by using Google forms, with a consent form appended to it. Three point likert scale (Agree, Not sure, and Disagree) consist of total 16 statements were prepared to assess attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination. Frequency and percentage distribution was used to present the data. Results:Resultsindicated that overall acceptance of Covid-19 vaccine in that majority of participant (N=750, Percentage=80.5%) would accept Covid-19 vaccine, whereas 3.4% particepant(N=32) would not accept Covid-19 vaccine and remaining 16.1% participants (N=152)were neutral to get vaccine.In addition, Male particepants(N=580) were more likely to accept Covid-19vaccines compared tofemalesparticepant (N=180).Majority of the participants (N=660, Precentage=69.9%) were agreed that the covid-19 vaccine is safe to receive, 64.4% respondents (N=608) were agreed that Covid-19 Vaccine undergoes enough safety and efficacy trial. Conclusion:It is concluded that acceptence towards covid-19 vaccination is high. They beleived that vaccine is safe and they will recommended to their family members also.Government effort should be made to fast distribute Covid-19 Vaccination.


2022 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Venita Eng ◽  
Victoria Hewitt ◽  
Aria Kekalih

Abstract Background Initiating discussion about death and dying is often considered a difficult topic for healthcare providers, thus there is a need for further research to understand this area, particularly in developing countries. The aim of this study was to describe preferences for the initiation of end-of-life care discussions in Indonesia, comparing the general population and health care professionals. Methods This cross-sectional, descriptive study analysed quantitative data from 368 respondents to an online questionnaire (255 general population (69%); 113 healthcare professionals (31%)) utilizing consecutive sampling and snowball sampling methods. Results Overall, most respondents (80%) stated that they would like to discuss end-of-life issues with a healthcare professional in the case of terminal illness. This was more marked amongst healthcare professionals compared with the general population (94% vs. 75%, respectively, p < 0,001). The preferred time for discussion was at first diagnosis (68% general population, 52% healthcare professionals, p = 0.017) and the preferred person to start the discussion was the doctor (59% general population, 71% healthcare professionals, p = 0.036). Fewer respondents wanted to know about prognosis compared to diagnosis (overall 76% v 93% respectively). Conclusion Doctors have vital role in end-of-life care discussion, and attempts should be made to encourage physicians to initiate these conversations and respond to patient’s requests when needed. These findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge in this area of practice, with focus on a developing country. The role of socio-cultural influences on these conversations warrants further research, in order to develop practical resources to support clinicians to appropriately conduct end-of-life care discussions with their patients and to provide data for policymakers to develop services.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document