Articles: pandemics.
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Frontiers in psychiatry · Jan 2020
The Impact of Quarantine and Physical Distancing Following COVID-19 on Mental Health: Study Protocol of a Multicentric Italian Population Trial.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its related containment measures-mainly physical distancing and isolation-are having detrimental consequences on the mental health of the general population worldwide. In particular, frustration, loneliness, and worries about the future are common reactions and represent well-known risk factors for several mental disorders, including anxiety, affective, and post-traumatic stress disorders. The vast majority of available studies have been conducted in China, where the pandemic started. ⋯ This group includes the general population which are quarantined but not isolated, i.e., those not directly exposed to contagion nor in contact with COVID-19+ individuals; b) Group 2-COVID-19+ group, which includes isolated people directly/indirectly exposed to the virus; c) Group 3-COVID-19 healthcare staff group, which includes first- and second-line healthcare professionals; d) Group 4-COVID-19 mental health, which includes users of mental health services and all those who had already been diagnosed with a mental disorder. Mental health services worldwide are not prepared yet to manage the short- and long-term consequences of the pandemic. It is necessary to have a clear picture of the impact that this new stressor will have on mental health and well-being in order to develop and disseminate appropriate interventions for the general population and for the other at-risk groups.
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J Prim Care Community Health · Jan 2020
Comparative StudyChanges in Primary Care Visits in the 24 Weeks After COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Orders Relative to the Comparable Time Period in 2019 in Metropolitan Chicago and Northern Illinois.
In this brief report, we characterize pediatric primary care service utilization in metropolitan Chicago over the first 24 weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic response in relation to the comparable time period in 2019. ⋯ Recovery of well child and immunization visits suggests that practice-level efforts and policy change can ensure children receive recommended care as the pandemic evolves.
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J Prim Care Community Health · Jan 2020
Addressing the COVID-19 Nutrition Crisis in Vulnerable Communities: Applying a Primary Care Perspective.
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and subsequent public health interventions have disrupted food systems all over the world. In the Philippines, where stringent lockdown rules have been implemented, households living in poverty have had to rely largely on food aid in the form of food packs distributed by local governments and private donors. ⋯ The negative health impact of commonly distributed food packs on food aid-dependent households shine a light on how the COVID-19 pandemic and public health policies exacerbate health inequities. A primary care perspective is essential in creating food security policies that can effectively address acute hunger and malnutrition without contributing to the long-term deleterious effects of inadequate nutrition on the health of indigent communities.
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Acute medicine & surgery · Jan 2020
Influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on an emergency medical service system: a population-based, descriptive study in Osaka, Japan.
Novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) was confirmed in Wuhan, China in December 2019, and the COVID-19 pandemic has spread around the world. However, no clinical studies on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency medical service (EMS) systems have been carried out. ⋯ We assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the EMS system in Osaka City, Japan and found that, since April 2020, the EMS system in Osaka City has been facing difficulty in terms of hospital acceptance of patients transported to hospital for acute diseases.
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Frontiers in psychology · Jan 2020
Parents and Children During the COVID-19 Lockdown: The Influence of Parenting Distress and Parenting Self-Efficacy on Children's Emotional Well-Being.
On March 10, 2020, Italy went into lockdown due to the Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. The World Health Organization highlighted how the lockdown had negative consequences on psychological well-being, especially for children. The present study aimed to investigate parental correlates of children's emotion regulation during the COVID-19 lockdown. ⋯ The mediation model was invariant across children's biological sex and age, and geographical residence area (high risk vs. low risk for COVID-19). Results suggested how parents' beliefs to be competent in managing parental tasks might be a protective factor for their children's emotional well-being. Implications for intervention programs are discussed.