Social Work during the COVID-19 Crisis: Responding to Urgent Social Needs

Social Work Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Nepal: Current Practices and Future Considerations

This paper examines the findings of a small qualitative study focusing on two virtual discussions facilitated by the Social Workers' Association Nepal (SWAN) in May and June 2020 and follow-up interviews conducted with the participants during June 2020. The aim of these discussions and follow-up interviews was to examine the role of social workers in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal. Seven social work practitioners (including Master's of Social Work graduates (n = 3), PhD student (n = 1), and social work practitioners (n = 3)) from across the country participated as invited speakers in the sessions with approximately 500 Nepalese social workers engaged as voluntary participants. Based on these discussions, a process of thematic analysis was utilized, where a series of findings emerged that gave consideration to the role of social workers in assisting Nepalese civil society in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings centered upon nationwide action including: emergency responses, relief goods coordination and distribution, quarantine management, psychosocial support, and infodemic management administered by social work practitioners. A series of recommendations emerging from the study's findings serve to inform the central role of social workers in responding to the current pandemic in Nepal.

Descriptive analysis and a proposal for a predictive model of fatal occupational accidents in Spain

Accidents at work are a problem in today's economic structures, but if they result in the loss of human lives, the economic and social cost is even higher. The development of prevention policies, both at governmental and sectoral level, has led to a progressive reduction of occupational accidents, but number of fatal accidents remain high. The aim of this study is to explore the evolution of fatal accidents at work in Spain for the period 2009-2021, analyse the relationship between the main variables, and propose a predictive model of fatal occupational accidents in Spain. Data for this study are collected from occupational accident reports via the Delt@ (Electronic declaration of injured workers) IT system. The study variables were classified into five groups: temporal, personal, business, circumstances, and consequences. Fatal accidents at work are more common in males and in older workers, especially in workers between 40 and 59 years old. Companies with less than five workers have the highest percentage of fatal accidents, and the transport subsector and that the worker is carrying out his/her usual work have a strong correlation in the fatal accidents. Results can help to the agents involved in the health and safety management to develop preventive measures, and action plans.

How Can the Roma Deal with the Health and Social Crisis Generated by the COVID-19 Pandemic? Inequalities, Challenges, and Successful Actions in Catalonia (Spain)

The Roma is the most excluded non-migrant ethnic minority in Europe, facing prejudice, intolerance, discrimination, and social exclusion in their daily lives. This has led to a huge gap in several social domains between the Roma and non-Roma created for centuries. The COVID-19 pandemic has only increased the social and health inequalities that the Roma faced. In this context, it is important to identify actions that have been successful in mitigating the effects that the COVID-19 has had in increasing such inequalities. This paper presents the findings of a mixed-method study carried out in Catalonia (Spain) with the participation of more than 500 Roma, who reported their experience. The study results confirm the significant vulnerability and the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Roma communities. Our research also highlights several successful actions developed by the Integrated Plan for the Roma of the Catalan Government, such as health literacy and adult education, as having a positive impact on the quality of life of many Roma during the health and social crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper suggests that the lessons learned from Catalonia could be transferred to other contexts across Europe and guide decision makers to promote the social inclusion and quality of life of the Roma, protecting Roma communities during current and future pandemics.

Perception of Frontline Social Workers' Role in Healthcare Sector Combating COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu: A Phenomenological Study

COVID-19 emerged as a global pandemic of the twenty-first century. It has created a huge burden on society. More specifically, it has turned into one of the health risks that threaten to undermine societal order in general. The global effort to save humanity from this public health crisis is heavily reliant on professional social workers. According to the study's qualitative findings and perspectives on social workers' experiences in the health sector, the COVID-19 response is addressed. This study explores the function and difficulties faced by frontline social workers through an empirical phenomenological approach. Primary data for this study was gathered from 20 social workers from the leading healthcare institutions in Tamil Nadu using purposive and snowball sampling. The study focuses on three key conclusions, including the requirement for interdisciplinary expertise to address the multifaceted effects of pandemics, perceived difficulties in pandemic practice, and obstacles in service provision. The report offers recommendations for advancing social work initiatives as a conclusion. It also explains how modern social work may benefit healthcare facilities better in the fight against the pandemic.

COVID-19 stigma and depression across race, ethnicity and residence

Our cross-sectional study seeks to understand how COVID-19 stigma, race/ethnicity [Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latinx, white] and residency [New York City (NYC) resident vs. non-NYC resident] associated with depression. Our sample includes 568 participants: 260 (45.77%) were NYC residents and 308 (54.3%) were non-NYC residents. A series of multiple linear regression were run to examine the relationship between race/ethnicity, COVID-19 stigma, and depressive symptoms. Irrespective of residency, older age and ever being diagnosed with COVID-19 were negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Stigma and thinking less of oneself significantly associates with depressive symptoms across residency. Our study expects to benefit mental health care providers and public health professionals in designing best practices to mitigate stigma in ongoing or future pandemics.

Stress and Depression in Ohio Social Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Buffering Role of Social Connectedness

Although social workers have an elevated risk of infection with COVID-19, no previous studies have investigated the virus's impact on practitioners. Using survey data (N = 441), this study identified associations between stress, depression, and COVID-related factors and explored the role of social connectedness as a moderator for mental health among Ohio social workers. The results of the study showed that among social workers with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, 70 percent experienced moderate/high levels of stress, and 37 percent met the criteria for clinical depressive symptoms. Results from the multiple regression analyses showed that perceived stress was positively associated with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis for social workers, and depression was positively associated with working with a client with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. An interaction effect was also identified between social connectedness and social workers' mental health. These findings suggest that the provision of individual or organizational interventions that emphasize social connectedness can help to protect social workers' mental health.

Community responses to LGBT+ adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities during the COVID-19 confinement in Madrid

A group of 50 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) as well as diverse sexualities and gender identities in Madrid participated in a feminist community-based project, which supported them through the first wave of the pandemic. Facilitated by professionals, the project offered online meetings twice a month, helping them to articulate their needs and promote their agency over their choices and experiences. Based on their demands, participants chose the topics they wanted to discuss, proposed activities, and were the center of the program, while facilitators set up and maintained the online space, helping with participation and access to information and resources. Through this transformative experience, the members of the group developed friendship networks and started their activism, making public appearances in video campaigns and mainstream newspapers to make their needs visible to peers, families, social workers, policy makers, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). This research is part of a larger project that tackles the psychosocial factors that affected Spanish people with sexual and gender diversity during the first wave of the pandemic.

Ethical decision-making of social workers in Spain during COVID-19: Cases and responses

In this article we address the ethical decision-making processes of social work professionals in Spain during the first wave of COVID-19. We present some of the findings from a broader international research project led by professor Sarah Banks and carried out in collaboration with the International Federation of Social Workers. The first wave of COVID-19 had a major impact in Spain, hitting harder the most vulnerable groups. In this unprecedented and unexpected context, social workers had to make difficult ethical decisions on fundamental issues such as respecting service-user's autonomy, prioritizing wellbeing, maintaining confidentiality or deciding the fair distribution of the scarce resources. There were moments of uncertainty and difficult institutional responses. The broader international project was carried out using an online questionnaire addressed to social work professionals in several countries. In this article, through several specific cases, we examine the ethical decision-making processes of social work professionals in Spain, as well as the way to resolve that situations. We have used a qualitative content analysis with a deductive approach to analyze the responses and cases. Findings show many difficult situations concerning the prioritization of the wellbeing of users without limiting their autonomy, the invention of new organizational protocols to provide support and resources for vulnerable people… Social workers had to manage the bureaucracy and had to solve some emergency situations getting personally involved or developing other cooperation mechanisms. The pandemic forced them to look for new forms of social intervention.

"We are on the frontlines too": A qualitative content analysis of US social workers' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic

Social work has been a part of the essential workforce historically and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, yet lack recognition. This work explores the experiences and invisibility of social workers within the pandemic response. Data are drawn from a large cross-sectional survey of US-based social worker from June to August of 2020. A summative content analysis of responses to the question 'What do you wish people knew about social work during the COVID-19 pandemic' was undertaken. Participants (n = 515) were majority white (72.1%) and female (90.8%). Seven coding categories were subsequently collapsed into three domains: (1) meeting basic needs, (2) well-being (emotional distress and dual role) and (3) professional invisibility (workplace equals, physical safety, professional invisibility and organisational invisibility). Meeting social needs requires broad-based policies that strengthen the health and social safety net. Social workers have and will continue to play a critical role in the response, and recovery from COVID-19. Organisational and governmental policies must expand to increase the visibility and responsiveness to the needs of social care providers.

Fear of being infected with COVID-19 virus among the medical social workers and its relationship to their future orientation

COVID-19 has been studied extensively for its direct effects on healthcare workers. Despite this, very little is known about the effect of COVID-19 fear on future orientation. Studying medical social workers' fear of being infected with COVID-19 and their future orientation was the primary method used to examine this relationship. 204 Turkish medical social workers on the pandemic's front lines were included in the total sample. Social workers were found to be extremely concerned about contracting COVID-19. Although only gender is a significant predictor of the fear of contracting COVID-19 infection, the study also found that female social workers have a higher fear of infection than males. Also, no correlation exists between social workers' vaccination status and their fear of contracting COVID-19. There was a weak negative correlation between social workers' fear of contracting COVID-19 and their future orientation, but in general, social workers had a positive future orientation. Medical social workers and front-line health care providers can use these findings to develop effective and culturally appropriate intervention programs to reduce COVID-19 concerns and foster a forward-looking outlook.

Global Healthcare Needs Related to COVID-19: An Evidence Map of the First Year of the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed gaps and areas of need in health systems worldwide. This work aims to map the evidence on COVID-19-related healthcare needs of adult patients, their family members, and the professionals involved in their care during the first year of the pandemic. We searched the databases MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts and assessed full texts for eligibility. Disagreements were resolved by consensus. Descriptive data were extracted and inductive qualitative content analysis was used to generate codes and derive overarching themes. Thirty-six studies met inclusion criteria, with the majority reporting needs from the perspective of professionals (35/36). Professionals' needs were grouped into three main clusters (basic, occupational, and psycho-socio-emotional needs); patients' needs into four (basic, healthcare, psycho-socio-emotional, and other support needs); and family members' needs into two (psycho-socio-emotional and communication needs). Transversal needs across subgroups were also identified and grouped into three main clusters (public safety, information and communication, and coordination and support needs). This evidence map provides valuable insight on COVID-19-related healthcare needs. More research is needed to assess first-person perspectives of patients and their families, examine whether needs differ by country or region, and evaluate how needs have evolved over time.

Analysis of Sustainable Communication Patterns during the Telework Period in Western Romanian Corporations

The research was conducted in a particular context, the recent pandemic. It is a comparative study of the methods and quality of communication in global companies between 2021 and 2022. The corporations involved in the research are important providers of flexible production, quality, and logistics solutions that cover customers' real needs. They are active in the automotive industry and units involved in mass production in the electronics industry, household appliances, and cosmetics industries. In their case, it was noted that to achieve operational objectives such as developing employee skills, using advanced technologies, and exceeding customer expectations, it is important to use innovative methods and tools such as single platforms, which allow access to the most important information from a distance, anywhere, anytime. It is significant that, according to the research, the preferred method of communication by employees, regardless of the existing conditions, is face-to-face. Primarily, this method is chosen because it provides an open area of interpersonal interaction. The participants observe non-verbal attitudes or can perceive emotions and feelings. Their personality can be identified through unintentional contact to obtain constructive feedback through guidance and counseling. Moreover, it can be formed and develop productive, intentional connections. Stakeholders' efficient and effective open dialogs are encouraged in this sense.

A Scoping Review of the Health Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Persons Experiencing Homelessness in North America and Europe

Persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) are at heightened risk for infection, morbidity, and mortality from COVID-19. However, health consequences of the pandemic extend far beyond those directly caused by the virus. This scoping review aimed to explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and well-being of PEH in North America and Europe. A systematic search of academic and grey literature was conducted in September 2021. To be included, studies had to include primary data related to the impact of the pandemic on health or well-being of PEH and be written in English. All potentially relevant references were independently screened by two reviewers, and minor conflicts were settled with input of a third reviewer. A total of 96 articles met criteria for inclusion. Data extraction was completed for all included studies, and findings synthesised and presented thematically. Numerous health impacts of the pandemic on PEH were identified, including SARS-CoV-2 infection, morbidity, mortality, and hospitalisation, fear of infection, access to housing, hygiene, PPE, food, as well as mental health, substance use, other health-related outcomes and treatment services. Gaps in the literature relating to persons using alcohol, access to mental health support, and violence were also identified. Implications for future research are discussed.

A Vector Field Approach to Estimating Environmental Exposure Using Human Activity Data

Environmental exposure of people plays an important role in assessing the quality of human life. The most existing methods that estimate the environmental exposure either focus on the individual level or do not consider human mobility. This paper adopts a vector field generated from the observed locations of human activities to model the environmental exposure at the population level. An improved vector-field-generation method was developed by considering people’s decision-making factors, and we proposed two indicators, i.e., the total exposure indicator (TEI) and the average exposure indicator (AEI), to assess various social groups’ environmental exposure. A case study about the risky environmental exposure of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was conducted in Guangzhou, China. Over 900 participants with various socioeconomic backgrounds were involved in the questionnaire, and the survey-based activity locations were extracted to generate the vector field using the improved method. COVID-19 pandemic exposure (or risk) was estimated for different social groups. The findings show that people in the low-income group have an 8% to 10% higher risk than those in the high-income group. This new method of vector field may benefit geographers and urban researchers, as it provides opportunities to integrate human activities into the metrics of pandemic risk, spatial justice, and other environmental exposures.

Risk Factors Affecting Mental Health During The Early Stages Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In High-Risk 50+ Population In The Czech Republic

This study deals with key factors affecting mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results are based on the longitudinal representative 50+ population-based multi-country panel study Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) in which representative samples of individuals in European countries plus Israel were collected. The goal is to turn the challenges of aging into opportunities as well as provide valid and reliable data for evidence-based policies. A total of 2,631 participants were interviewed by telephone in the Czech Republic during the initial stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. After a descriptive analysis showed that participants complied well with most preventative and protective COVID-19 measures, subsequent modeling using logistic regression analysis and a decision tree algorithm identified key determinants that have contributed to an understanding of variation in declared feelings of depression. We found that nervousness, previously unexperienced trouble with sleep, and self-rated health status before the COVID-19 outbreak and gender remained significant predictors of depression, from which statistically significant different categories concerning the percentage of depression could be formed. These identified potential risk factors should be considered in planning further supportive strategies for high-risk 50+ population.

Responses to COVID-19 Social and Economic Impacts: A Comparative Analysis in Southern European Countries

The COVID-19 pandemic globally affected European societies. This new crisis arrived after a period of gradual recovery from the 2008 financial crisis that had jeopardized the achievement of Europe Strategy 2020 (ES2020) targets. The need to recover for the Southern European countries, which had austerity programs during the financial crisis, is crucial to ensure a continuum of economic and social development. This study aims to analyze the impact of the two last international crises on the accomplishment of ES2020 goals and how the ‘NextGenerationEU’ program presents a mechanism to recover from the pandemic’s socioeconomic impacts. We analyzed secondary statistical data from Eurostat and official European documents. Additionally, we carried out a systematic analysis of 162 measures of the recovery and resilience plan from Southern European countries (Greece, Spain, Italy, and Portugal). The results showed that ES2020 targets were at risk, particularly in the field of employment, combating poverty, and social exclusion. Currently, there is strong European investment in response to the socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic, with all countries defining measures adjusted to protect the most vulnerable groups. However, the implications of these responses require a political commitment for them to effectively contribute to sustainable recovery and development.

Utilizing a Matrix Approach to Analyze Qualitative Longitudinal Research: A Case Example During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Qualitative Longitudinal Research (QLR) is an evolving methodology used in understanding the rich and in-depth experiences of individuals over time. QLR is particularly conducive to pandemic or disaster-related studies, where unique and rapidly changing environments warrant fuller descriptions of the human condition. Despite QLR's usefulness, there are a limited number of articles that detail the methodology and analysis, especially in the social sciences, and specifically social work literature. As researchers adjust their focus to incorporate the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic, there is a growing need in understanding the progression and adaptation of the pandemic on individuals' lives. This article provides a process and strategy for implementing QLR and analyzing data in online diary entries. In the provided case example, we explore a phenomenological QLR conducted with graduate level students during the COVID-19 pandemic (Saltzman et al., 2021), and outline a matrix framework for QLR analysis. This paper provides an innovative way in which to engage in qualitative data collection and analysis for social science research.

Addressing Equity in Schools: Youth Participatory Action Research and Transformative Social and Emotional Learning during COVID-19

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and rise in racial injustices signaled the need to engage students in macro-level interventions to maximize their contributions to their schools, communities, and society. School social workers are uniquely positioned to elevate student voices, hone their critical thinking skills, and capitalize on their strengths and assets. Critical thinking skills can help students analyze the world around them by engaging them in addressing equity issues in their schools and communities. This article introduces the concept of transformative social and emotional learning (TSEL) within the context of youth-led participatory action research (YPAR) and a critical service learning (CSL) framework for school social workers to promote student empowerment. Through CSL, students cultivate advocacy skills by identifying, investigating, and taking action to address concerns. Authors include a case example demonstrating TSEL and YPAR, using CSL as a school social work intervention that recognizes and promotes students’ strengths and assets.

Bearing a Disproportionate Burden: Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Experiences of U.S.-Based Social Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

While social workers have served as frontline workers responding to the needs of vulnerable populations during COVID-19 pandemic, little is known about how social work professionals themselves have been impacted. This article explored the impact of COVID-19 on social work professionals' mental health, physical health, and access to personal protective equipment (PPE). This was a cross-sectional web-based survey of social workers practicing in the United States (N = 3,118); data on demographic and workplace characteristics, physical and mental health, and safety concerns were collected between June and August of 2020. Univariate statistics were used to characterize the sample. Ordinal logistic and multinomial regression were used to achieve the research aims. The majority of participants reported either moderate or severe concerns related to mental (55 percent) and physical (55 percent) health; 36 percent of respondents indicated concerns about PPE access. Respondents' concerns differed by demographic (e.g., race, age) and workplace characteristics (e.g., setting, role, region). Social workers of color are experiencing COVID-19-related concerns of significantly greater severity relative to their White counterparts. Findings highlight an immediate need to deepen understanding of the factors that contribute to these trends and identify mechanisms to support the frontline social work workforce most impacted.

Motivation for COVID-19 Vaccination in Priority Occupational Groups: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Due to the limited availability of COVID-19 vaccines, occupational groups with priority access were identified prior to vaccination. The study aimed to analyze motives for vaccination in these occupational groups. Methods: Members of occupational groups, who were vaccinated at the vaccination center of University Hospital Olomouc before 30 April 2021, were asked to fill in an online questionnaire. Results: A total of 3224 completed questionnaires were obtained from 1332 healthcare workers, 1257 school employees, 363 social service workers, 210 security force members, and 62 critical infrastructure workers. The most frequent motive for vaccination was the effort to protect family members (76.2%), the effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in one’s profession (72.3%), followed by concerns about COVID-19 itself (49.1%) and exemptions from anti-epidemic measures (36.8%). Only for social services, the motive focused on one’s profession was mentioned more often (75.2%) than the motive focused on the family (71.1%). At the level of detailed profession-oriented motives, a collegial effort of security force members to protect co-workers and not to endanger the workplace was dominant. Conclusions: The effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the professional environment is a strong motive for vaccination, and strongest among social service workers.

Vulnerabilities of the Rural Poor in India during pandemic COVID-19: Social Work perspective for designing sustainable emergency response

Poor are vulnerable, frail, battered, marginalized, voiceless, and victim of multiple social circumstances. The complex vulnerable existence always made them suffer and become double victims of any disaster, be it natural, human-made, or biological like pandemic COVID-19. Poverty in India is an outfall of a number of complex social realities, historical past, and present doldrums. Restrictions due to lockdown and a shrinking economy, the job market as the immediate impact caused a number of survival crises for the rural families. The situation of rural poor becomes even more aggravated, as the reverse migration and influx of population increased the consumption and demand for jobs that actually the rural livelihood sector can provide. While the pre-existing vulnerabilities of the poor are exposed in the pandemic, the government's response toward them showed its restricted efficiency. The pandemic COVID-19 has taken human-life hostage and effective sustainable strategies to manage the crisis of the poor vulnerable section were essential for long-term resolution. Thus, the professional challenge ahead is designing a sustainable strategy of working in such pandemic situations that social workers are professionally skilled to handle similar challenges.

Changes in Use of Communication Channels by Livestock Farmers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The study aims to identify any changes in the communication channels used by Slovenian livestock farmers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the main (dis)advantages of relying on them. An online survey was completed by 502 Slovenian farmers of various farm enterprises in winter 2020/2021. Most respondents generally used telephone, e-mail, and the internet to obtain agricultural information before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, farmers increasingly relied on online conferences and social networking sites. At the same time, younger farmers and farmers with a higher education level used digital channels the most frequently, with men doing so more often than women. Digital channels were primarily used by cattle and horse farmers, while cattle farmers showed the greatest online conference participation. Respondents reported having more time to spend with their families and animals as an advantage and the lack of face-to-face interaction with other farmers and advisers as a disadvantage of such communication patterns. As the study reveals differences in the use of communication channels during the COVID-19 pandemic by various farmers, a new communication strategy is needed that involves the use of appropriate communication channels to provide farmers with agricultural information both during the COVID-19 situation and later.

Self-Compassion in Irish Social Work Students: Relationships between Resilience, Engagement and Motivation

Self-compassion recognises a meaning of life’s suffering, aligning with existential positive psychology. Although this construct is known to protect our mental health, how to augment self-compassion remains to be evaluated. Social work students suffer from high rates of mental health problems; however, research into self-compassion in this population remains to be developed. This study aimed to evaluate (i) relationships between self-compassion and more traditional positive constructs—resilience, engagement and motivation, and (ii) differences of these constructs between the levels of studies to inform how self-compassion can be enhanced in social work students. A total of 129 Irish social work students completed self-report scales regarding self-compassion, resilience, engagement and motivation. Correlation, regression and one-way MANOVA were conducted. Self-compassion was associated with gender, age, resilience, engagement and intrinsic motivation. Resilience and intrinsic motivation were significant predictors of self-compassion. There was no significant difference in the levels of these constructs between the levels of studies. Findings suggest that social work educators across different levels can strengthen students’ resilience and intrinsic motivation to cultivate the students’ self-compassion. Moreover, the close relationships between self-compassion, resilience and intrinsic motivation indicate that orienting students to the meaning of the studies helps their mental health.

SARS-Cov-2 prevalence, transmission, health-related outcomes and control strategies in homeless shelters: Systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

People experiencing homelessness (PEH) may be at risk for COVID19. We synthesised evidence on SARS-Cov-2 infection, transmission, outcomes of disease, effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI), and the effectiveness of strategies for infection prevention and control (IPC).

METHODS

Systematic review of articles, indexed in electronic databases (EMBASE, WHO-Covid19, Web of Science), institutional websites and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health's live map of COVID-19 evidence, and published from December 1st, 2019, to March 3rd, 2021. Empirical papers of any study design addressing Covid-19 and health(-related) outcomes in PEH or shelters' staff were included. (PROSPERO-2020-CRD42020187033).

FINDINGS

Of 536 publications, 37 studies were included (two modelling, 31 observational, four qualitative studies). Random-effect meta-analysis yields a baseline SARS-Cov-2 prevalence of 2•32% (95% Confidence-Interval, 95%CI=1•30-3•34) in PEH and 1•55% (95%CI=0•79-2•31) in staff. In outbreaks, the pooled prevalence increases to 31•59% (95%CI=20•48-42•71) in PEH and 14•80% (95%CI=10•73-18•87) in staff. Main IPC strategies were universal rapid testing, expansion of non-congregate housing, and in-shelter measures (bed spacing, limited staff rotation, reduction in number of residents).

INTERPRETATION

32% of PEH and 15% staff are infected during outbreaks of SARS-Cov-2 in homeless shelters. Most studies were conducted in the USA. No studies were found quantifying health-related outcomes of NPI. Overview and evaluation of IPC strategies for PEH, a better understanding of disease transmission, and reliable data on PEH within Covid-19 notification systems are needed. Qualitative studies may serve to voice PEH and shelter staff experiences, and guide future evaluations and IPC strategies.

FUNDING

None.

Job Stress and Burnout among Social Workers in the VUCA World of COVID-19 Pandemic

This paper aimed to explore the changes posed by the new COVID-19 pandemic to the field of social work and its impact on social workers in terms of job stress and burnout in Romania. Two conceptual models were used to frame the discussion: the theoretical framework of VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) to discuss the challenges that the unprecedented context of the COVID-19 pandemic has created for social workers; and the Job Demands and Resources model (JD-R) to understand job demands perceived as stressors and burnout. Based on convergent mixed methods, the study sample consisted of 83 social workers employed in statutory and private social services in Romania, from different areas of intervention. Results showed that social workers perceived a high level of job stress related to work during the pandemic, which was associated with higher levels of burnout in the areas of personal burnout (average score 55.9) and work-related burnout (average score 52.5). Client-related burnout was lower (average score 38.4), indicating that stress was generated mainly by organisational factors and work-related factors (workload, aligning to new legislative rules and decisions, inconsistency, instability, ambiguity of managerial decisions, and lack of clarity of working procedures) and less by client-related stressors (lack of direct contact with clients, risk of contamination, managing beneficiaries’ fears, and difficulties related to technology). High job demands and limited job resources (managerial and supervisory support, financial resources, and recognition and reward) led to a high to very high level of work-related burnout for 15.7% and an upper-medium level for 44.2% of respondents. A group of 27.7% reported lower to medium levels of work-related burnout, while 14.5% had very low levels, managing to handle stress factors in a healthy manner. Study results pointed to the importance of organisational support and the development of a self-care plan that help to protect against job stress and burnout. Recommendations were made, putting forward the voice of fieldworkers and managers fostering initiatives and the application of sustainability-based measures and activities designed to deal with the challenges of the VUCA environment.

Vulnerabilities in 'local moral worlds': COVID-19 provincial social work interventions

Intending to contextualize vulnerabilities at the local level during COVID-19, this article reports an investigation of the social workers’ interventions done in a Philippine province. Social workers as frontliners report on (i) the shift of interventions before and during COVID-19, (ii) the most vulnerable sector in their assigned areas, (iii) the problems in working out their field interventions, (iv) the emergence of creative programs and (v) key information to better improve or to have a more sustainable set of interventions in the long run.

Beyond the School Walls: Keeping Interactive Learning Environments Alive in Confinement for Students in Special Education

The COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying safety measures, including confinement, has meant an unprecedented challenge for the world population today. However, it has entailed additional difficulties for specific populations, including children and people with disabilities. Being out of school for months has reduced the learning opportunities for many children, such as those with less academic resources at home or with poorer technological connectivity. For students with disabilities, it has entailed losing the quality of the special attention they often need, in addition to a more limited understanding of the situation. In this context, a case study was conducted in a special education classroom of a secondary education school. This class started implementing Dialogic Literary Gatherings with their special education students before the COVID-19 confinement and continued online during the confinement. Qualitative data was collected after a period of implementation of the gatherings showing positive impacts on the participants. The case study shows that interactive learning environments such as the Dialogic Literary Gatherings can provide quality distance learning for students with disabilities, contributing to overcome some of the barriers that the pandemic context creates for the education of these students.