COVID-19 in Singapore and Malaysia: Rising to the Challenges of Orthopaedic Practice in an Evolving Pandemic

The impact of third-person effect on social networking sites privacy risks and protective measures adoption among Yemeni students in Malaysia

This investigation utilized the Third-Person Effect (TPE) theory to comprehend how individuals perceive the impact of Social Networking Sites (SNS) privacy risks on themselves versus others. The TPE theory posits that individuals tend to believe that media messages, particularly negative ones, exert a diminished or negligible influence on themselves but wield a substantial impact on others. First introduced by Davison in 1983, this theory has historically been employed to examine perceived negative influences in media content, such as stereotyping and pornography. The current study focuses on the perceptions of individuals regarding the influence of SNS privacy risks, specifically among Yemeni students in Malaysia. The study aimed to achieve three primary objectives: Firstly, to investigate whether individuals perceive SNS privacy risks as affecting others more than themselves. Secondly, to examine the connection between the difference in perceived risk between oneself and others and the likelihood of recommending SNS privacy protective measures to others, and Thirdly, to evaluate the relationship between the difference in perceived risk between oneself and others and the likelihood of adopting SNS privacy protective measures for oneself. Through judgmental sampling, a total of 387 participants took part in the study, involving the distribution of an online questionnaire as the primary data collection instrument. The results of the study indicate a pronounced Third-Person Effect concerning SNS privacy risks among Yemeni students. Additionally, the study revealed that these students not only recommended privacy-protective measures to others but did not adopt the same measures for themselves. In summary, the findings support the validity of the Third-Person Effect (TPE) theory in the context of SNS privacy risks, suggesting that individuals tend to perceive the impact more on others than on themselves when experiencing fear.

Orthopaedic and trauma surgery in the time of COVID-19 in France: A nationwide survey

INTRODUCTION

The year 2020 was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. The entire French health system was mobilized. Surgical services were asked to reschedule all elective procedures. We wondered about the impact of this pandemic on French orthopaedic surgeons. The main objective of this survey was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on emergency and non-emergency orthopaedic surgical activities. The secondary objectives were: to report how orthopaedic surgeons had mobilized and reorganized, and to assess the physical and psychological consequences on their state of health.

HYPOTHESIS

The COVID-19 epidemic has led to the suspension of all elective orthopaedic surgeries and has also led to changes in the management of urgent surgeries and traumatology.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This descriptive epidemiological study was conducted in France. A 40-question survey was sent to all French orthopaedic surgeons (senior surgeons and residents) via the mailing lists of the French Society of Orthopaedic and Traumatological Surgery (SoFCOT), the French Society of Pediatric Orthopaedics (SoFOP) and the College of Young Orthopedists (CJO).

RESULTS

Over a period of one month, 1098 surgeons; 852 senior surgeons and 246 residents, answered the questionnaire. The complete cessation of all elective interventions was effective in 80% of cases. Urgent and semi-urgent interventions were maintained. Three hundred and twenty-six surgeons (30%) modified their trauma management, among them 55% came from the regions most affected by the pandemic. Sixty percent of surgeons did not receive training to take care of COVID+ patients and 40% took care of these patients. Among the orthopaedic surgeons surveyed, 28% were redeployed to medical services. Teleconsultation was used by 41% of surgeons. Twenty-six (2%) surgeons tested positive for COVID-19 and 54% showed at least one sign of psychological suffering.

CONCLUSION

French orthopaedic surgeons reorganized and changed their practices quickly and efficiently to deal with the pandemic. However, progress remains to be seen with training of orthopaedic surgeons in the care of COVID+patients, as well as to democratize the use of telemedicine.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.

Impact of Covid-19 on the global orthopaedic research output

The pandemic led to a significant change in the clinical routine of many orthopaedic surgeons. To observe the impact of the pandemic on scientific output all studies published in the fields of orthopaedics listed in the Web of Science databases were analysed regarding the scientific merit of the years 2019, 2020, and 2021. Subsequently, correlation analyses were performed with parameters of regional pandemic situation (obtained from WHO) and economic strength (obtained from the World Bank). The investigations revealed that the Covid-19 pandemic led to a decrease in the annual publication rate for the first time in 20 years (2020 to 2021: –5.69%). There were regional differences in the publication rate, which correlated significantly with the respective Covid-19 case count (r = –.77, p < 0.01), associated death count (r = –.63, p < 0.01), and the gross domestic product per capita (r = –.40, p < 0.01) but not with the number of vaccinations (r = .09, p = 0.30). Furthermore, there was a drastic decrease in funding from private agencies (relative share: 2019: 36.43%, 2020: 22.66%, 2021: 19.22%), and a balanced decrease in publication output for research areas of acute and elective patient care. The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in a decline in orthopaedic annual publication rates for the first time in 20 years. This reduction was subject to marked regional differences and correlated directly with the pandemic load and was associated with decreased research funding from the private sector.

An evaluation of community satisfaction with the government's COVID-19 pandemic response in Aceh, Indonesia

Countries around the world are still struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. No exception with Indonesia, a developing country with the highest mortality rate and the lowest number of tests in Asia. Located in the northernmost, Aceh is one of the poorest provinces with a history of long-term conflict is not in the best condition to face a pandemic. This study's objective is to assess the local government's performance in responding to this pandemic according to the Acehnese community's level of satisfaction. Additionally, this study proposes a priority list for the local government to follow up on. A total of 529 respondents were collected within a week by the criteria of having internet access, being literate, and using WhatsApp messenger. The results show that the Acehnese are dissatisfied with the local government's performance in all districts or cities and at all stages, which include: anticipation, early detection, containment, control and mitigation, and elimination. Meanwhile, the top five priority recommendations are: conducting more rapid test and COVID-19 test; providing more test tools; performing detection; and inhibiting spread. These findings lead to many interpretations: lower trust towards the government, a poor health system, and potential influence on the political output. While vaccines are now being distributed in Aceh, the main focus is still to minimize spread and heal the sick. Looking at these results, the Aceh provincial government needs to work harder to improve both its performance and reputation with the Acehnese people.

The impacts of COVID-19 on the environmental sustainability: a perspective from the Southeast Asian region

This study examined the impacts of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the environment in the Southeast Asia region using qualitative content analysis to analyze the textual data of published studies and other online references such as the organizational reports. Besides, the materiality assessment particularly the Global Reporting Initiative was conducted by analyzing short- and long-term impacts from the stakeholders' (local and regional policymakers) perspective. The positive effects of COVID-19 lockdown and movement restriction on the regional environment identified in this study included a reduction in air pollution, improvement of air and water quality, lower noise levels, and reduced land surface temperature. In contrast, the negative effects encompassed a rise in the use of plastics and the generation of medical waste in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Materiality assessment findings have offered insights on the need of stakeholders' importance for further to deal with huge amount of waste, inadequate waste management facilities and system, explore the effectiveness of such sustainable work and lifestyle changes, utilize real-time monitoring air quality data and future prediction responses for climate change mitigation and adaptation policies as well as consideration towards new green technologies for clean energy in each Southeast Asian country and at regional level. It is anticipated that this study will contribute towards a better understanding of the impacts of COVID-19 on environmental sustainability in the Southeast Asia region, particularly from the perspective of the stakeholders.

COVID-19 and social wellbeing in Malaysia: A case study

The world has witnessed the largest single disruption to social wellbeing since the first known case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was reported in China in December 2019. In Malaysia, the government implemented the Movement Control Order (MCO) on 18 March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this paper highlights how the Malaysian government responded to COVID-19 in comparison with some Asian countries; and what has and has not worked for the MCO imposed by the government. The paper adopts a review approach that is supported by findings from both grey and academic literature. The findings reveal that the COVID-19 pandemic has significant impacts on the society’s wellbeing in Malaysia, the most severe of which are negative mental health and job unemployment. On the other hand, COVID-19 has sparked a surge of volunteering in society. This paper presumably and hopefully represents a frontier review with more empirical research to be conducted to investigate the extent of the social impact of COVID-19, the outcomes of which are a call for re-envisioning of social policies in Malaysia. To the best knowledge of the authors, little empirical research has been conducted to explore the social-wellbeing implications of COVID-19 in Malaysia. By reflecting on the various scenarios—both detrimental and beneficial in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the paper identifies potential avenues for relevant research in the social wellbeing realm.

Lessons learnt from the impact of COVID-19 on arthroplasty services in Hong Kong: how to prepare for the next pandemic?

BACKGROUND

Arthroplasty services worldwide have been significantly disrupted by the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This retrospective comparative study aimed to characterize its impact on arthroplasty services in Hong Kong.

METHODS

From January 1 to June 30, 2020, the patients of "COVID-19 cohort" underwent elective total hip or knee replacement in Hong Kong public hospitals. The cohort was compared to the "control cohort" during the same period in 2019. Data analysis was performed to compare the two cohorts' numbers of operations, hospital admission, orthopaedic clinic attendances, and waiting time.

RESULTS

A total of 33,111 patient episodes were analyzed. During the study period, the elective arthroplasty operations and hospitalizations decreased by 53 and 54%, respectively (P < 0.05). Reductions were most drastic from February to April, with surgical volume declining by 86% (P < 0.05). The primary arthroplasty operations decreased by 91% (P < 0.05), while the revision operations remained similar. Nevertheless, 14 public hospitals continued performing elective arthroplasty for patients with semi-urgent indications, including infection, progressive bone loss, prosthesis loosening, dislocation or mechanical failure of arthroplasty, and tumor. At the institution with the highest arthroplasty surgical volume, infection (28%) was the primary reason for surgery, followed by prosthesis loosening (22%) and progressive bone loss (17%). The orthopaedic clinic attendances also decreased by 20% (P < 0.05). Increases were observed in waiting time and the total number of patients on the waiting list for elective arthroplasty.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the challenges, public hospitals in Hong Kong managed to continue providing elective arthroplasty services for high-priority patients. Arthroplasty prioritization, infection control measures, and post-pandemic service planning can enhance hospital preparedness to mitigate the impact of current and future pandemics.

One Year on: An Overview of Singapore's Response to COVID-19-What We Did, How We Fared, How We Can Move Forward

Background—One year has passed since the first COVID-19 case in Singapore. This scoping review commemorates Singaporean researchers that have expanded the knowledge on this novel virus. We aim to provide an overview of healthcare-related articles published in peer-reviewed journals, authored by the Singapore research community about COVID-19 during the first year of the pandemic. Methods—This was reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) protocol. It included healthcare-related articles about COVID-19 published between 23 January 2020 and 22 January 2021 with a Singapore-affiliated author. MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, and local journals were searched. The articles were screened independently by two reviewers. Results—The review included 504 articles. Most of the articles narrated the changes to hospital practice (210), while articles on COVID-19 pathology (94) formed most of the non-narrative papers. Publications on public health (61) and the indirect impacts to clinical outcomes (45) were other major themes explored by the research community. The remaining articles detailed the psychological impact of the pandemic (35), adaptations of medical education (30), and narratives of events (14). Conclusion—Amidst a resurgence of community cases involving variant COVID-19 strains, the resources from the research community will provide valuable guidance to navigate these uncertain times.

Challenges and Adaptation in Otorhinolaryngology Practice During Pandemic Lockdown: Experience from a Malaysian COVID-19 Hospital

COVID-19 has taken the world by storm: since the first few cases appeared in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and by June 2020 there were more than 10 million cases of COVID-19 cases worldwide. Malaysia had its first case in January 2020 and acted promptly by implementing several drastic measures to contain the disease. Subsequently, the Ministry of Health Malaysia has implemented guidelines and recommendations on the management of COVID-19. The Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (ORL-HNS) provides services for patients with ear, nose, throat, head and neck diseases and provides audiology, speech and language therapy, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate training. As the department’s staff is heavily involved in examinations and interventions of upper aerodigestive tract problems, the challenges are distinctly different from other specialties. This article discusses how COVID-19 affected ORL-HNS services and what measures were taken in Hospital Melaka, Malaysia.

The orthopaedic experience of COVID-19: A literature review

This literature review aims to provide an account of the changes to orthopaedics in the era of COVID-19. Herein, the authors explored the use of telemedicine in orthopaedics as well as changes in surgical protocols, screening methods, work priorities and orthopaedic education. There was increased utilisation of telemedicine in orthopaedic training and outpatient cases as a means to provide continuity in education and care. The need to implement social distancing measures, coupled with the reduced availability of staff, has dictated that the practice of orthopaedics shifts to focus on acute care whilst redistributing resources to front-line specialities. This was facilitated by the cancellation of electives and the reduction of outpatient clinics. Thus, it is demonstrated that major changes have been implemented in many aspects of orthopaedic practice in order to address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Review of Guidelines to Resuming Elective Orthopaedic Surgeries Amid COVID-19 Pandemic: Deriving a Simple Traffic Light Model

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected most healthcare systems around the world. Routine care operations such as outpatient clinics and elective surgery remain badly hit. This situation cannot continue for long as it puts patients at a higher risk for complications due to delayed management. Hence, it is essential to resume routine, especially elective surgery. Regarding orthopaedic practice, various authors and organisations have come out with guidelines to resume elective surgeries. However, clear consensus and common strategies need be derived. With this motive, we conducted a review of the literature for guidelines to resume elective orthopaedic surgery amid COVID-19 pandemic and shortlisted scholarly publications and information from regional organisations. We have summarised the information and derived an organised algorithm considering the guidelines provided by various sources. In this extraordinary time, guidelines come in as a relief for every surgeon who is in a dilemma whether to resume electives or not. Putting safety first, these guidelines or suitable versions should be followed at all levels wherever possible to avoid the lack of trained manpower in the event of staff morbidity.

The psychological impact on an orthopaedic outpatient setting in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

World Health Organization declared coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) a global pandemic on 11 March 2020, after the coronavirus claimed 4628 lives worldwide. Mental health challenges such as making impossible decisions and working under extreme pressures are expected to be faced by frontline healthcare workers who are directly involved in the care of COVID-19 patients. However, we question if significant stress levels might also be observed in a subspecialty musculoskeletal outpatient department, where staff are not first-line care providers of COVID-19 patients. We hypothesize that these healthcare workers also face significant psychological strain, and we aim to objectively determine the prevalence using a validated caregiver strain index.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in outpatient musculoskeletal clinics in a tertiary hospital in Singapore. We collected basic demographic data and used a 13-question tool adapted from the validated Caregiver Strain Index (CSI) to measure psychological strain in these healthcare workers. Participants were divided into 2 groups depending on the level of strain experienced.

RESULTS

A total of 62 healthcare workers volunteered for this study. There were 32 participants (51.6%) who had 7 or more positive responses (group 1) and the remaining 30 participants (48.4%) were allocated to group 2. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of demographic data. "Work adjustments" (74.2%), "changes in personal plans" (72.6%), and finding it "confining" (72.6%) garnered the most positive responses in the questionnaire. On the other hand, "financial concerns" garnered the least positive responses (21.0%).

CONCLUSION

The protracted duration of the COVID-19 outbreak and its resultant prolonged adjustments can have unintended consequences of wearing down healthcare resources otherwise allocated to chronic and elective conditions. Countries should ensure that measures are put in place to safeguard the mental well-being of our healthcare workers to avoid needing another reactive strategy in this battle against COVID-19.

Orthopedic healthcare in the time of COVID-19: Experience of the orthopedic surgery department at Mustapha Bacha Hospital, Algeria

In response to the global health emergency, which has been raised to its highest level as a consequence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), urgent and aggressive actions were taken by health institutions across the world to stop the spread of the disease while ensuring continuity of vital care. This article outlines the urgent measures put in place by the orthopedic surgery department at Mustapha Bacha Hospital in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.