Well-Being and General Anxiety Among University of Michigan Dental Students

BackgroundAnxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health conditions, affecting approximately 1 in 9 people worldwide. More specifically, dental students have been considered vulnerable to anxiety despite the fact that dental students have also reported high levels of well-being. Therefore, we hypothesize that University of Michigan School of Dentistry (UMSOD) dental students pose high levels of well-being but suffer from anxiety. Our objective is to measure anxiety and well-being levels among UMSOD dental students for 2 consecutive academic years.MethodsDental students (N = 609) were surveyed for well-being and general anxiety levels. To assess well-being and anxiety levels we used the World Health Organization–Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5) questionnaire and the General Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale, respectively. Surveys were sent through Qualtrics. For statistical analysis, chi-square and t test were used at p < 0.05.ResultsThe mean well-being score among dental students was 12.26 (SD = 1.14). In the first survey moment for anxiety, which coincided with the week before the spring break in 2017, approximately 39% of the respondents (n = 255) scored 10 or higher on the GAD-7, which means moderate anxiety. In the second survey moment, the week after the spring break week in 2017, we found a slight but not significant reduction in anxiety levels, with approximately 32% of the responses (n = 109) of the dental students scoring 10 or higher on the GAD-7. Incoming first-year dental students before starting the dental school program presented well-being mean of 18 (SD = 0.60). Only 13% of incoming first-year dental students scored 10 or higher on anxiety before starting the school program. By the fall term, the well-being mean among incoming first-year dental students dropped to 13.29 (SD = 1.32), and 22% of the incoming first-year dental students scored 10 or higher in the GAD-7.ConclusionsUniversity of Michigan School of Dentistry dental students posed poor well-being and moderate anxiety. Incoming first-year dental students posed higher well-being and lower anxiety levels before starting the dental education program. However, as the academic year developed, incoming first-year dental students suffered a decrease in well-being and an increase in anxiety levels. Our study indicates a trend of poor well-being and high anxiety among UMSOD dental students.

A small number of early introductions seeded widespread transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Québec, Canada

Background Québec was the Canadian province most impacted by COVID-19, with 401,462 cases as of September 24th, 2021, and 11,347 deaths due mostly to a very severe first pandemic wave. In April 2020, we assembled the Coronavirus Sequencing in Québec (CoVSeQ) consortium to sequence SARS-CoV-2 genomes in Québec to track viral introduction events and transmission within the province. Methods Using genomic epidemiology, we investigated the arrival of SARS-CoV-2 to Québec. We report 2921 high-quality SARS-CoV-2 genomes in the context of > 12,000 publicly available genomes sampled globally over the first pandemic wave (up to June 1st, 2020). By combining phylogenetic and phylodynamic analyses with epidemiological data, we quantify the number of introduction events into Québec, identify their origins, and characterize the spatiotemporal spread of the virus. Results Conservatively, we estimated approximately 600 independent introduction events, the majority of which happened from spring break until 2 weeks after the Canadian border closed for non-essential travel. Subsequent mass repatriations did not generate large transmission lineages (> 50 sequenced cases), likely due to mandatory quarantine measures in place at the time. Consistent with common spring break and “snowbird” destinations, most of the introductions were inferred to have originated from Europe via the Americas. Once introduced into Québec, viral lineage sizes were overdispersed, with a few lineages giving rise to most infections. Consistent with founder effects, the earliest lineages to arrive tended to spread most successfully. Fewer than 100 viral introductions arrived during spring break, of which 7–12 led to the largest transmission lineages of the first wave (accounting for 52–75% of all sequenced infections). These successful transmission lineages dispersed widely across the province. Transmission lineage size was greatly reduced after March 11th, when a quarantine order for returning travellers was enacted. While this suggests the effectiveness of early public health measures, the biggest transmission lineages had already been ignited prior to this order. Conclusions Combined, our results reinforce how, in the absence of tight travel restrictions or quarantine measures, fewer than 100 viral introductions in a week can ensure the establishment of extended transmission chains.

Flipped teaching eased the transition from face-to-face teaching to online instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rice University canceled classes for the week of March 9–13, 2020 and shifted all instruction to online only following spring break. For the second half of the semester, animal physiology was taught exclusively over Zoom. Here we describe how a flipped teaching format that was used before the pandemic eased the transition from face-to-face teaching to online instruction. The preclass preparation resources and the active learning materials that were already in place for flipped teaching were helpful in the transition to solely online teaching. Therefore, the focus during the transition was to reconfigure active learning and examinations from the face-to-face format to the online platform. Instead of small group discussions in the classroom, teams interacted in Zoom Breakout Rooms. Rather than taking exams in-person during scheduled class time, students submitted exams online. Additionally, students prerecorded their project presentations instead of presenting them “live” during the last week of classes. Overall, students felt that the class smoothly transitioned to a remote only format. These and other changes to the instructional methods will be implemented during the Spring 2021 semester when the course is taught fully online.

Balancing Grace

Before handing out my midterm exam the Thursday before Spring Break, the unease in the classroom was palpable. I questioned, is it the right thing to do to give a midterm exam now? Two days prior we learned online instruction would begin the week after spring break for the week and possibly longer. This was an unprecedented scenario. I never took a seminar titled, How to Continue Teaching During a Pandemic. I resolved myself with the attitude of we’ll get through this together; let’s get it done. Before passing out exams, I informally assessed students to see how many had taken an online course before, few hands raised. I then asked how everyone was feeling in regard to our inevitable online transition. Students expressed anxiety and worry because they had never taken a class titled, How to Continue to Learn During a Pandemic. As educators as we move ahead to an uncertain culture of learning, we must strive to listen and learn, grow in our pedagogies, and balance grace and flexibility with expectation.

A small number of early introductions seeded widespread transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Québec, Canada

Using genomic epidemiology, we investigated the arrival of SARS-CoV-2 to Québec, the Canadian province most impacted by COVID-19, with >280,000 positive cases and >10,000 deaths in a population of 8.5 million as of March 1st, 2021. We report 2,921 high-quality SARS-CoV-2 genomes in the context of >12,000 publicly available genomes sampled globally over the first pandemic wave (up to June 1st, 2020). By combining phylogenetic and phylodynamic analyses with epidemiological data, we quantify the number of introduction events into Québec, identify their origins, and characterize the spatio-temporal spread of the virus. Conservatively, we estimated at least 500 independent introduction events, the majority of which happened from spring break until two weeks after the Canadian border closed for non-essential travel. Subsequent mass repatriations did not generate large transmission lineages (>50 cases), likely due to mandatory quarantine measures in place at the time. Consistent with common spring break and ‘snowbird’ destinations, most of the introductions were inferred to have originated from Europe via the Americas. Fewer than 100 viral introductions arrived during spring break, of which 5-10 led to the largest transmission lineages of the first wave (accounting for 36-58% of all sequenced infections). These successful viral transmission lineages dispersed widely across the province, consistent with founder effects and superspreading dynamics. Transmission lineage size was greatly reduced after March 11th, when a quarantine order for returning travelers was enacted. While this suggests the effectiveness of early public health measures, the biggest transmission lineages had already been ignited prior to this order. Combined, our results reinforce how, in the absence of tight travel restrictions or quarantine measures, fewer than 100 viral introductions in a week can ensure the establishment of extended transmission chains.

Join me online: Supporting faculty and staff wellness in the Age of Zoom

At the beginning of March 2020, when everything in our world suddenly ground to a halt, I realized that we were not going to have an ordinary end to the semester. I did not imagine that we would still be in flux nearly a year later. Our faculty and staff were already heading for Spring Break when decisions were made to go online and to work from home. Over Spring Break, the administrative team prioritized creating the public facing messages and planned how we would continue to provide services to faculty and students in this unusual situation. These were the questions that libraries across the country were grappling with at the same time, and we were quickly learning from one another.