Sick on the Frontlines:A Cross Sectional Study on COVID-19 Infection, Symptom Severity Amongst Emergency Medicine Residents and Fellows in Urban Academic Hospital Settings (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacey Frisch ◽  
Sarah Jones ◽  
James Willis ◽  
Richard Sinert

BACKGROUND COVID-19, an illness caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, affected many aspects of healthcare worldwide in 2020. From March to May of 2020, New York City (NYC) experienced a large surge of cases. OBJECTIVE The authors aimed to characterize the amount of illness experienced by residents and fellows in 2 NYC hospitals during this time period. METHODS This was a cross-sectional observational study. An IRB-exempt survey was distributed to emergency medicine housestaff in May 2020 and submissions were accepted through August 2020. RESULTS 64 residents and fellows responded to our survey (a 62% response rate). 42% of responders tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Most residents experienced symptoms that could be consistent with COVID-19 however few received PCR testing. Fevers and/or chills along with loss of smell and/or taste were the most specific symptoms for COVID-19, with p-values <0.05. All 13 housestaff who reported no symptoms during the study period tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated that the rate of COVID-19 illness among emergency department housestaff is much higher than previously reported. Further studies are needed to characterize illness among medical staff in emergency departments across the nation. The high infection rate among emergency medicine trainees stresses the importance of supplying adequate PPE for healthcare professionals.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacey Frisch ◽  
Sarah Jones ◽  
James Willis ◽  
Richard Sinert

BACKGROUND COVID-19, an illness caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, affected many aspects of healthcare worldwide in 2020. From March to May of 2020, New York City (NYC) experienced a large surge of cases. OBJECTIVE The authors aimed to characterize the amount of illness experienced by residents and fellows in 2 NYC hospitals during this time period. METHODS This was a cross-sectional observational study. An IRB-exempt survey was distributed to emergency medicine housestaff in May 2020 and submissions were accepted through August 2020. RESULTS 64 residents and fellows responded to our survey (a 62% response rate). 42% of responders tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Most residents experienced symptoms that could be consistent with COVID-19 however few received PCR testing. Fevers and/or chills along with loss of smell and/or taste were the most specific symptoms for COVID-19, with p-values <0.05. All 13 housestaff who reported no symptoms during the study period tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated that the rate of COVID-19 illness among emergency department housestaff is much higher than previously reported. Further studies are needed to characterize illness among medical staff in emergency departments across the nation. The high infection rate among emergency medicine trainees stresses the importance of supplying adequate PPE for healthcare professionals.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0260399
Author(s):  
Perla Werner ◽  
Aviad Tur-Sinai

Efforts to control the spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic include drastic measures such as isolation, social distancing, and lockdown. These restrictions are accompanied by serious adverse consequences such as forgoing of healthcare. The study aimed to assess the prevalence and correlates of forgone care for a variety of healthcare services during a two-month COVID-19 lockdown, using Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Healthcare Utilization. A cross-sectional study using computerized phone interviews was conducted with 302 Israeli Jewish participants aged 40 and above. Almost half of the participants (49%) reported a delay in seeking help for at least one needed healthcare service during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Among the predisposing factors, we found that participants aged 60+, being more religious, and reporting higher levels of COVID-19 fear were more likely to report forgone care than younger, less religious and less concerned participants. Among need factors, a statistically significant association was found with a reported diagnosis of diabetes, with participants with the disease having a considerably higher likelihood of forgone care. The findings stress the importance of developing interventions aimed at mitigating the phenomenon of forgoing care while creating nonconventional ways of consuming healthcare services. In the short term, healthcare services need to adapt to the social distancing and isolation measures required to stanch the epidemic. In the long term, policymakers should consider alternative ways of delivering healthcare services to the public regularly and during crisis without losing sight of their budgetary consequences. They must recognize the possibility of having to align medical staff to the changing demand for healthcare services under conditions of health uncertainty.


2020 ◽  
Vol 97 ◽  
pp. 386-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomasz Szmuda ◽  
Shan Ali ◽  
Tarjei Vevang Hetzger ◽  
Philip Rosvall ◽  
Paweł Słoniewski

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pengfei Qu ◽  
Doudou Zhao ◽  
Peng Jia ◽  
Shaonong Dang ◽  
Wenhao Shi ◽  
...  

Objective: To investigate the mental health of women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment during the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak in Xi'an, China.Methods: A repeated cross-sectional study was administered to women undergoing ART treatment during the outbreak period (599 women in February 2020) and the control period (892 women in May 2020) at the Northwest Women's and Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China.Results: Both the ART-treated women surveyed during the outbreak period and those surveyed during the control period had high scores on the fear dimension (0.88, 0.51). The total scores for mental health among the participants during the control period were lower than those during the outbreak period (difference = −0.22; 95% CI = −0.25, −0.18). Lower scores were also seen during the control period, compared to those in the outbreak period, for depression (difference = −0.18; 95% CI = −0.23, −0.13), neurasthenia (difference = −0.31; 95% CI = −0.36, −0.25), fear (difference = −0.37; 95% CI = −0.43, −0.31), compulsion anxiety (difference = −0.13; 95% CI = −0.16, −0.09), and hypochondriasis (difference = −0.09; 95% CI = −0.12, −0.06).Conclusions: During the COVID-19 global pandemic, the mental health of women undergoing ART treatment in Xi'an, China, was primarily manifested as fear. As the pandemic was brought under control, the mental health of ART-treated women improved. As evidenced by these results, the COVID-19 pandemic influences the mental health of women undergoing ART treatment, and clinicians should be aware of this for similar future situations.


Author(s):  
Mehran Alijanzadeh ◽  
Daniel Kwasi Ahorsu ◽  
Zainab Alimoradi ◽  
Narges Mahmoudi ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths ◽  
...  

Problems caused by the novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and its mutations have brought challenges in pandemic control for all countries worldwide. The present study examines the mediating roles of fear of COVID-19 and trust in the healthcare system in the association between individual’s risk perception and performing preventive COVID-19 behaviours among Iranians. A cross-sectional study design was used to collect data from 3652 residents of Qazvin province in Iran from 3 February to 15 April 2021 using a multistage stratified cluster sampling method. Participants responded to an online questionnaire concerning their fear of COVID-19, risk perception, trust in the healthcare system, and preventive COVID-19 behaviours. Small to medium positive interrelationships were observed between the variables of the study. Fear of COVID-19, trust in the healthcare system or both (fear of COVID-19 and trust in the healthcare system) mediated the association between an individual’s risk perception and performing preventive COVID-19 behaviours. The study demonstrated there are at least four ways through which an individual’s risk perception can influence preventive COVID-19 behaviours. Therefore, clinicians, health communicators, and researchers may capitalize on these findings to enhance preventive COVID-19 behaviours to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 infection.


2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (7) ◽  
pp. 666-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirna Fawaz ◽  
Ali Samaha

Background: In the light of the global spread of the novel Coronavirus known as COVID-19 and in the absence of an approved treatment and vaccination, Lebanon has taken national measures, among which was home quarantine of the general public in an attempt to flatten the epidemic curve and avoid flooding the health care system. Aim: This study aimed at evaluating the prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS) during the times of COVID-19 quarantine among Lebanese citizens. Method: This quantitative cross-sectional study recruited 950 civilians and is aimed at measuring the prevalence of PTSS among the Lebanese citizens at an interval of 2 weeks and 1 month of COVID-19 quarantine. Results: The results have shown that quarantine in Lebanon has started to give rise to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder symptomatology during the second week which was worsened in the fourth week of COVID-19 quarantine. Conclusion: COVID-19 quarantine has influenced the psychology of Lebanese citizens and might have persistent effects after the end of this phase which is recommended to be explored.


2021 ◽  
Vol Volume 13 ◽  
pp. 351-358
Author(s):  
Hao Zhang ◽  
Jianhao Yin ◽  
Xin Wang ◽  
Dawei Yuan ◽  
Kun Zhu ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. 1498
Author(s):  
Dhairya P. Nanavaty ◽  
Ankushi A. Sanghvi ◽  
Manav S. Mehta ◽  
Sarbari Gupta ◽  
Gurusharan Dumra

Background: The World Health Organisation declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak as a global pandemic on March 11, 2020.  The consumption of vitamins, especially C, D, and zinc, hydroxychloroquine, and Arsenicum album 30 (homeopathy), has increased tremendously. However, the clinical trial showing the benefits of these agents is still underway though there have been a lot of discussion about these in print, electronic, and social media.Method: A questionnaire-based observational study was conducted. The participants were inquired about the use of any type of immunity booster by them and the source of information regarding the same. The data was analysed using Excel and Python.Results: Our study included 1147 participants. A dramatic increase of 21.97% in the consumption of immunity-boosting agents after the COVID-19 outbreak was observed, maximally in Ayurveda. The major source of information for immunity-boosters was provided by friends/family/relatives (50.4%). 52.7% of the respondents selected Ayurveda as their preferred choice of immunity booster (prophylaxis). If the respondents were to develop any of the COVID-19 symptoms, the majority (45.1%) decided to contact their family doctor, and 53.7% chose Allopathy as their preferred system for treatment. 91.5% of the respondents agreed to take a vaccine if it develops.Conclusion: There has been a boom in the immunity booster drug market because people are selecting immunity boosters despite no scientific background. It is imperative to educate people regarding the same and also conduct research studies to find benefits, if any.


Author(s):  
Daniel Bekele ◽  
Tadesse Tolossa ◽  
Reta Tsegaye ◽  
Wondesen Teshome

AbstractBackgroundThe Novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is now the international concerns and a pandemic, since the World Health Organization declared as the outbreaks. The objective of this study to assess the prevention knowledge and practices towards the COVID-19 among the residents of Ethiopia.MethodsAn online cross-sectional study was conducted among the sample of Ethiopian residents via social platforms of the author’s network with the popular media such as Facebook, in Ethiopia from the April 15-22, 2020 and successfully recruited 341 responses. The snowball sampling was employed to recruit the participants. The data were analyzed using STATA version 14. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the level of knowledge and practices.ResultsThe majority of the respondents (80.35%) were male. The overall prevention knowledge of the participants towards the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was high. About 91.2% of the participant was heard about the novel coronavirus disease and Social Medias’ were the main source of the information. About 90% of the participants had a good prevention knowledge of maintaining social distance and frequent hand washing. The practices of the participants towards the COVID-19 prevention were very low. Out of 341 participants, only 61% and 84% of the participants were practicing social distance and frequent hand washing, respectively.ConclusionsMajority of the participants had knew the ways of protecting themselves from the novel coronavirus. But, there was deficiencies of changing these prevention knowledge to practice. This indicates that there was gap between knowledge and implementation of prevention strategies in the community. The concerned body should focus on providing education for the community regarding the implementation of the prevention knowledge to practice.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sirwan Ahmed ◽  
Rawand Essa ◽  
Paiman Ahmad ◽  
Omed Qadir ◽  
Issa A Issa

BACKGROUND In close touch with communication networks, telemedicine has often developed. The COVID-19 outbreak has changed how client care is delivered in the hospitals. In recent years, Telemedicine is more acceptable and more widely available in more than 100 countries. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness telemedicine services to reduce psychological problems, reduce infection spread with screening and management patients both those with and those without COVID-19 METHODS This was cross-sectional (descriptive study) was conducted in Raparin district Kurdistan region-iraq, From 11 March 2020 to 11 April 2020 RESULTS Nine hundred people participated in this study, mean age 39 years old. Hundred percent of them had heard about the word of quarantine for the first time. And 85% of populations have asked about the threats of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Approximately 75% of calls were questions about COVID-19; 72% of them had symptoms of cough and flu, 28% had fever. Above 98% participants have been reassured psychologically and 92% of them have gotten benefit from our team CONCLUSIONS Using telemedicine is more tolerable during health crisis particularly in developing countries.


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