Learning about COVID-19: sources of information, public trust, and contact tracing during the pandemic

Factors associated with dental clinic use by clients in Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

Nigeria, like many other countries, faced challenges in dental care provision during the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitating limited care to emergencies only. However, the impact of restricted access to dental services on oral health remains a concern, particularly with preventive maintenance care. This study aims to identify the factors associated with dental service utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic among patients attending dental clinics in Nigeria, and their sources of information about COVID-19.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study recruited 500 participants who had visited dental clinics before and during the pandemic. Data were collected through telephone interviews and online questionnaires between September and December 2021. Inferential analyses were conducted using ordered logistic regression models to assess the association between the independent (awareness of emergency dental treatments, knowledge of COVID-19 transmission routes in dentistry, awareness of required preparations in dental practice settings, fear of COVID-19 infection in dental settings), and dependent (utilization of dental services during the pandemic) variables after adjusting for confounding variables (age, sex, educational status, COVID-19 vaccinations status and COVID-19 status of live-in residents). The sources of COVID-19 information by dental patients was also identified. Statistical significance was established at 95% confidence level with a p value < 0.05.

RESULTS

Many participants were males (51.2%) and had tertiary education (61.6%). Fear of COVID-19 infection in dental settings was significantly associated with lower odds of utilizing dental care services during the pandemic (Adjusted Odds Ratio: -0.06, 95% Confidence Interval: -0.08, -0.01). The main sources of COVID-19 information were mass media and social networks, with only 42% receiving information from dental professionals.

CONCLUSION

Fear of COVID-19 infection in dental settings significantly influenced dental service utilization during the pandemic. Strategies to address fear and improve communication channels between dental professionals and patients are essential for promoting oral health during similar crises.

General practitioners' well-being in Belgium: results from the cross-sectional PRICOV-19 study

BACKGROUND

The mental health and well-being of GPs is a critical issue as they play a vital role in providing healthcare services to individuals and communities. Research has shown that GPs often face high levels of stress, burnout, and mental health problems due to their demanding work environment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, GPs faced additional challenges which further impacted their mental health and well-being. This study aims to investigate the impact of systemic work-related stressors on the level of well-being of GPs in Belgium during the pandemic, with a particular emphasis on identifying regional variations between Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels-Capital.

METHODS

Data were collected with a self-reported online questionnaire from 479 GPs Belgian practices between December 2020 and August 2021 as part of the international PRICOV-19 study that explored the organization of general practices during COVID-19 in 38 countries to guarantee safe, effective, patient-centered, and equitable care. Well-being was evaluated by the Mayo Clinic's expanded 9-item well-being index.

RESULTS

The findings of this study reveal notable regional discrepancies in the degree of well-being experienced by Belgian GPs, with the Walloon region displaying the lowest level of well-being (37%) in a population highly susceptible to professional distress (57%). Among the key stressors contributing to such distress, financial difficulties among patients (p < 0.011), the fee-for-service payment system (p = 0.013), a lack of work-related purpose (p = 0.047), and inadequate work-life balance (p < 0.001) were identified as significant factors. When examining the influence of regional disparities, it was found that the sole significant interaction between work-related stressors and region regarding the probability of experiencing distress was related to the possibility of workload sharing among practice personnel.

CONCLUSION

The findings from this study underscore the imperative for more comprehensive research aimed at scrutinizing the differences in well-being across the three regions in Belgium and identifying the systemic factors that influence the practice environment, as opposed to exclusively concentrating on enhancing individual resilience.

Mandatory COVID Vaccination: Perspectives from Graduate Allied Health Students at a Mid-size University in the United States

Because many students enrolled in Allied Health programs are on track to becoming health practitioners or clinicians and frontline workers who would become critical sources of information for patients it is critical to understand their perspectives about mandatory COVID-19 vaccination. Results: COVID-19 Risk Perception. A significant majority of the respondents had high or strongly high-risk perception of COVID-19, 82(56.6%) strongly agreed and 29(20%) agreed with the statement, COVID-19 is a public health issue (P-value < 0.0001), Comparing by demographic characteristics: African American/Black compared with other races (P-Value = 0.0462), Master of Public Health program, compared with all other graduate programs (P-Value = 0.0140) and fully vaccinated and fully vaccinated and boosted compared with incomplete or not-vaccinated for COVID-19 (P-value = 0.0059) had higher COVID-19 risk perceptions. strongly high-risk perception of COVID-19, 82(56.6%) strongly agreed and 29(20%) agreed with the statement, COVID-19 is a public health issue (P-value < 0.0001), Comparing by demographic characteristics: African American/Black compared with other races (P-Value = 0.0462), Master of Public Health program, compared with all other graduate programs (P-Value = 0.0140) and fully vaccinated and fully vaccinated and boosted compared with incomplete or not-vaccinated for COVID-19 (P-value = 0.0059) had higher COVID-19 risk perceptions.

Looking under the lamp-post: quantifying the performance of contact tracing in the United States during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Contact tracing forms a crucial part of the public-health toolbox in mitigating and understanding emergent pathogens and nascent disease outbreaks. Contact tracing in the United States was conducted during the pre-Omicron phase of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This tracing relied on voluntary reporting and responses, often using rapid antigen tests due to lack of accessibility to PCR tests. These limitations, combined with SARS-CoV-2's propensity for asymptomatic transmission, raise the question "how reliable was contact tracing for COVID-19 in the United States"? We answered this question using a Markov model to examine the efficiency with which transmission could be detected based on the design and response rates of contact tracing studies in the United States. Our results suggest that contact tracing protocols in the U.S. are unlikely to have identified more than 1.65% (95% uncertainty interval: 1.62-1.68%) of transmission events with PCR testing and 1.00% (95% uncertainty interval 0.98-1.02%) with rapid antigen testing. When considering a more robust contact tracing scenario, based on compliance rates in East Asia with PCR testing, this increases to 62.7% (95% uncertainty interval: 62.6-62.8%). We did not assume presence of asymptomatic transmission or superspreading, making our estimates upper bounds on the actual percentages traced. These findings highlight the limitations in interpretability for studies of SARS-CoV-2 disease spread based on U.S. contact tracing and underscore the vulnerability of the population to future disease outbreaks, for SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens.

Seroprevalence survey of SARS-CoV-2, community behaviors, and practices in Kansanshi and Kalumbila mining towns

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (SARS-CoV-2) was declared a global pandemic by WHO after it spreads quickly around the world from its source city in Wuhan. Africa has some of the lowest documented SARS-CoV-2 incidences globally, with over 9 million confirmed cases as of December 2022. This may be due to efficient mitigation, outbreak response, or demographic traits. Surveillance capability may have suffered as nations changed funding, regulations, and testing plans. Therefore, this study was to document the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2, its characteristics, and the socio-economic characteristics in the two mining districts of Solwezi and Kalumbila of Zambia.

Methods

Between 28 March and 26 April 2021, a cross-sectional cluster-sample survey of households in two mining districts of Zambia was conducted. Twenty standard enumeration areas (SEAs) were randomly selected in Kansanshi (17 SEA) and Kalumbila (3 SEA) from a total of 67 SEA that encompass the two mines. Members of households aged <5 years were not eligible to participate in the survey. All participants that consented to participate in the interview were also asked to consent to test for SARS-CoV-2 infection using a rapid diagnostic test (RDT), which tested for recent infection and past exposure to the virus (IgM and IgG, respectively).

Result

Out of the total sample of 3,047 that were present for the interview, 622 of them agreed to test for COVID-19. Of the total that tested for SARS-CoV-2, 2.6% were IgM positive while 9.0% were IgG positive. Despite the above results, 1,586 participants that agreed to the interview indicated a low self-risk assessment of getting COVID-19 (46.5%) or someone (45.5%). On the public health measures, participants who did handwashing more than usual (65.0%), not hand sanitizing more than usual (69.0%), not disinfecting surfaces in their households than usual (87.5%), not avoiding drinking from bars or nightclubs (90.6%), and not wearing a mask when out in public places (71.1%). In the logistic multivariable model, participants with age 24 years and above (AOR = 2.94; 95% CI = 1.10, 7.81) and having experienced symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 (AOR = 2.60; 95% CI: 1.33, 5.05) had a significant effect on testing positive for SARS-CoV-2.

Conclusion

Although the results showed that active COVID-19 prevalence in Solwezi and Kalumbila communities surrounding the two mines was low, exposure to infection was five times high. Government and mining firms should continue to sensitize the community members on the preventive measures of COVID-19 and continue with community testing so that all those positive but without symptoms can self-isolate and those with symptoms and sick can be admitted to the hospital.

Looking under the lamp-post: quantifying the performance of contact tracing in the United States during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Contact tracing forms a crucial part of the public-health toolbox in mitigating and understanding emergent pathogens and nascent disease outbreaks. Contact tracing in the United States was conducted during the pre-Omicron phase of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This tracing relied on voluntary reporting and responses, often using rapid antigen tests (with a high false negative rate) due to lack of accessibility to PCR tests. These limitations, combined with SARS-CoV-2's propensity for asymptomatic transmission, raise the question "how reliable was contact tracing for COVID-19 in the United States"? We answered this question using a Markov model to examine the efficiency with which transmission could be detected based on the design and response rates of contact tracing studies in the United States. Our results suggest that contact tracing protocols in the U.S. are unlikely to have identified more than 1.65% (95% uncertainty interval: 1.62%-1.68%) of transmission events with PCR testing and 0.88% (95% uncertainty interval 0.86%-0.89%) with rapid antigen testing. When considering an optimal scenario, based on compliance rates in East Asia with PCR testing, this increases to 62.7% (95% uncertainty interval: 62.6%-62.8%). These findings highlight the limitations in interpretability for studies of SARS-CoV-2 disease spread based on U.S. contact tracing and underscore the vulnerability of the population to future disease outbreaks, for SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens.

Health Sciences students' experience of COVID-19 case management and contact tracing in Cape Town, South Africa

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 has challenged health and higher education systems globally. Managing the epidemic in Cape Town, South Africa (SA), required partnerships with universities and setting up of de novo systems for mass case and contact tracing (C&CT). Health sciences, predominantly medical students, as well as social work and psychology students formed the core of this telephone-based work over the 18 months when SARS-CoV-2 caused severe disease.

METHODS

This qualitative study aimed to elicit students' motivations for becoming involved in C&CT, their experiences, and recommendations for C&CT and curricula. After Cape Town's first COVID-19 wave, six on-line focus groups comprising 23 students were conducted, and a further four were conducted with 13 students after the second wave. As the researchers were predominantly educators previously involved in undergraduate health sciences education, the study's purpose was to reflect on students' experiences to make educational and health system recommendations.

RESULTS

Students were largely motivated to mitigate the impact of the epidemic on society and support people affected by COVID-19, as well as hone their professional skills. While these motivations were realised, students also needed to learn new skills - to autonomously work remotely, using novel communication strategies to engage those affected and use virtual groups to connect with colleagues. They managed responsibilities within the healthcare systems that did not always work smoothly, distressed cases who were financially insecure, difficult employers, and language barriers. They were prepared through training, and supported by virtual, yet effective teamwork and debriefing opportunities. Although the work was sometimes physically and emotionally exhausting, students found the work personally meaningful. They embraced public health's role to protect population and individuals' health.

CONCLUSION

New teaching and learning practices adopted due to Covid-19 lockdowns enabled this digital C&CT project. It facilitated students to become confident, work autonomously and navigate challenges they will encounter as young professionals. The programme demonstrated that novel opportunities for rich student learning, such as in telehealth, can be embedded into public health and clinical functions of health services in contexts such as in SA, deepening partnerships between the health services and universities, to mutual benefit.

Perception and Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccine Among Healthcare Workers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant hospitalizations and deaths, particularly among healthcare workers (HCWs). Various therapeutic and preventive measures have been introduced, with vaccination considered the primary preventive measure. This study aims to assess the perceptions and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination among HCWs. Methods We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study on HCWs in hospitals located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The study included physicians, nurses, pharmacists, lab technicians, and radiologists who work in the Ministry of Health's general hospitals. A total of 394 participants were included in the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS v26, and a p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results A majority of the participants (72.6%) were female, aged between 31-40 years (55.3%), and married (59.6%). More than half of the participants (55.6%) had received training on dealing with COVID-19. The mean scores for COVID-19 vaccine refusal, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and perceived effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination were 18.36 ± 7.02, 14.48 ± 3.62, 11.51 ± 2.99, 12.39 ± 3.5, 8.25 ± 2.35, and 8.40 ± 2.46, respectively. Age was found to be correlated with the perceived severity of COVID-19 in non-vaccination (p=0.048), while gender was associated with the perceived severity of COVID-19 (p=0.015). Marital status (p=0.001), years of experience (p=0.009), profession (p=0.019), and education (p=0.028) were found to be correlated with perceived susceptibility. Education levels were found to be correlated with the perceived benefits of vaccination (p=0.007), perceived barriers to vaccines (p=0.002), and vaccine views (p=0.002). Years of experience (p=0.017) were found to be correlated with perceived severity of COVID-19, while profession type was significantly associated with perceived severity of COVID-19 (p=0.016) and vaccine view (p=0.008) Conclusion The study found that participants had a positive perception and high acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination. The results also indicated that various sociodemographic factors were associated with the perception and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines among HCWs. These findings could help in formulating effective strategies to improve vaccination uptake rates among HCWs, thereby reducing transmission and mortality among Health Care Workers due to COVID-19.

Communicating COVID-19 Risk on Instagram: A Content Analysis of Official Public Health Messaging During the First Year of the Pandemic

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, social media platform Instagram surged in popularity as a source of health information. Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) leveraged Instagram accounts to publicly distribute COVID-related information. The current study investigated whether WHO and CDC messaging strategies on Instagram adhered to best practices defined by two theoretical frameworks: the extended parallel process model and crisis and emergency risk communication. We conducted a quantitative content analysis of COVID-related posts (n = 726) published between January-December 2020 to determine how both agencies (1) communicated the threat of the pandemic (e.g. susceptibility and severity of negative COVID-19 consequences); (2) appealed to self-, response, and collective efficacy; (3) incorporated cues to action (e.g. preventive behaviors, information seeking); and (4) leveraged credibility cues (e.g. scientific evidence, experts). Results showed threat information was limited, whereas efficacy appeals and cues to action were abundant. The CDC relied more heavily on depictions of self- and response efficacy, whereas the WHO appealed more frequently than the CDC to collective efficacy. Neither visually modeled behaviors nor leveraged scientific evidence or experts with great frequency. Implications for future research and official communication efforts via social media are discussed.