The impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on mental health of undergraduate students in New Jersey, cross-sectional study.
ObjectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic has been a period of upheaval for college students. The objective of this study was to assess the factors associated with the increased levels of mental health burden among a sample of undergraduate college students in Northern New Jersey, the region of the U.S. severely impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19.MethodsCollege students (N = 162) enrolled in an introductory core curriculum course completed a cross-sectional survey. The survey collected information on demographics, knowledge levels and sources of COVID-19 information, behavior changes, academic and everyday difficulties, and mental health measurements (depression, anxiety, somatization, and stress). Multivariable regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with mental health outcomes.ResultsDescriptive findings indicate that students have a fundamental knowledge of COVID-19 transmission and common symptoms. Students tend to use and trust the official sources and have changed their behaviors in accordance with public health recommendations (i.e., increased hand washing, wearing mask). However, students reported a number of academic and everyday difficulties and high levels of mental health distress. High levels of depression were associated with difficulties in focusing on academic work and with employment losses, while higher levels of anxiety were more likely to be reported by students other than freshmen and those who spend more than one hour per day looking for information on COVID-19. Inability to focus on academic work and an elevated concern with COVID-19 were more likely to be associated with higher levels of somatization, while trusting news sources was associated with lower levels of somatization. Those with higher levels of perceived stress were more likely to be females, unable to focus on academic work, and report difficulties in obtaining medications and cleaning supplies.ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic is making a significant negative impact on mental health of college students. Proactive efforts to support the mental health and well-being of students are needed.
Aleksandar Kecojevic, Corey H Basch, Marianne Sullivan, Nicole K Davi
The Post-Coronavirus World in the International Tourism Industry: Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior to Safer Destination Choices in the Case of US Outbound Tourism
health belief, Perceived risk, theory of planned behavior (TPB), protection plan, monetary promotion, post-COVID-19
The tourism industry has been seriously suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis ever since its outbreak. Given this pandemic situation, the major aim of this study is to develop a conceptual framework that clearly explains the US international tourists’ post-pandemic travel behaviors by expanding the theory of planned behavior (TPB). By utilizing a quantitative process, the TPB was successfully broadened by incorporating the travelers’ perceived knowledge of COVID-19, and it has been deepened by integrating the psychological risk. Our theoretical framework sufficiently accounted for the US tourists’ post-pandemic travel intentions for safer international destinations. In addition, the perceived knowledge of COVID-19 contributed to boosting the prediction power for the intentions. The associations among the subjective norm, the attitude, and the intentions are under the significant influence of the tourists’ psychological risks regarding international traveling. The comparative criticality of the subjective norm is found. Overall, the findings of this study considerably enhanced our understanding of US overseas tourists’ post-pandemic travel decision-making processes and behaviors.
Aleksandar Radic, Heesup Han, Amr Al-Ansi, Bee-Lia Chua, Beenish Tariq, Su-hyun Park
Apocalypse Now or Overreaction to Coronavirus: The Global Cruise Tourism Industry Crisis
crisis management, coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19), Qualitative methods, cruise tourism crisis
The current COVID-19 cruise tourism crisis has evolved to epic proportions and placed some of the cruise lines on the verge of bankruptcy. This research aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the crisis. Using an inductive qualitative approach, interviews were conducted with eight frequent cruisers who were at home and eight cruise ship employees who were employed by various cruise companies and who were working on cruise ships during the COVID-19 cruise tourism crisis. The findings revealed a systematic failure within the cruise industry management to understand the COVID-19 pandemic. Results of this study highlight the importance of health-related perceived risks on the nature and impact of the COVID-19 cruise tourism crisis. This study supports the overall theory of cruise tourism and crisis management by extending the chaos theory and its principals on the COVID-19 cruise tourism crisis. The managerial implications for cruise lines are outlined.
Aleksandar Radic, Michael Lück, Rob Law, Antonio Ariza-Montes, Haesang Kang, Juan M. Arjona-Fuentes, Heesup Han
Environmental effects of industries and plants, Renewable energy sources, Environmental sciences
The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy.
covid-19, Pandemic, Stress, psychological status, CIDP
At a time of global health crisis, fear, anxiety, and stress levels increase. The effects of protracted social isolation, and media related misinformation's about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) resulting in increased fear/stress related to the insufficiently known illness. The aim was to assess the influence of the COVID-19 health crisis on patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP). A cross-sectional study on 29 adult CIDP patients was performed. The Medical Research Council scale was used to evaluate muscle strength. The degree of functional disability was measured using the Inflammatory Neuropathy Cause and Treatment disability scale. The overall quality of life (QoL) was self-estimated on a 0-100 numeric rating scale. We also used a specifically designed 22-question-survey about COVID-19. Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, 62% of CIDP patients were concerned. The daily activities of 55% of patients were negatively influenced by the pandemic. During the COVID-19 outbreak, 21% of patients reported their CIDP got worse. In 39% of CIDP patients, the influence of the pandemic on CIDP therapy was reported (reducing the dose or time interval or even discontinuation). The mean value of the self-estimated QoL was 64 ± 19. Independent predictors of worse QoL were age of patients (beta = -0.35, p < 0.05) and fear of the COVID-19 (beta = -0.34, p < 0.05). The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on CIDP patients. Besides the direct influence of the virus and fear of the virus, restrictive measures can indirectly harm the patients with CIDP.
Aleksandar Stojanov, Ivo Bozovic, Jelena Stojanov, Aleksa Palibrk, Gordana Djordjevic, Ivana Basta, Marina Malobabic, Ana Azanjac Arsic, Stojan Peric
The influence of preventive maintenance of the city water supply network on the safe performance of citizens work activities in the conditions of the COVID-19 virus pandemic - case study
IETI Transactions on Ergonomics and Safety
International Engineering and Technology Institute
Industrial safety. Industrial accident prevention, Engineering design
Preparing medical students for global challenges beyond COVID-19.
Aleksander Dawidziuk, Rishikesh Gandhewar
Distance Learning of Students: Problems and Prospects of Its Development After the Coronavirus Pandemic
distance learning, active teaching methods, information environment of the university, intensification of learning, methodological preparedness of teachers for distance learning, problems of distance learning
The article is devoted to generalization of the first experience of mass distance learning received in the conditions of the coronavirus pandemic. The author of the article points out that a lot of debates in domestic universities about organizing distance learning for students, when diametrically opposed points of view were expressed about its effectiveness and inefficiency, necessity and uselessness, etc. could be observed. It is noted that in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, domestic universities had to switch to using distance learning methods when teaching students. Research methods: reviews and articles of teachers and university specialists on the first results of the organization of distance learning for students in domestic universities in the conditions of the coronavirus pandemic as well as the method of participatory observation and conversations with university lecturers. Results of research. The majority of Russian universities were not ready for such a simultaneous and complete transition to distance learning. This is due to the fact that neither teachers nor students were prepared for such a critical situation, which had never been before and was not supposed to be. Nevertheless, teachers and students since the beginning of the crisis have established communications by their usual means using social networks and e-mail. The transition to information platforms, which were created at the university to control the learning process, led to new problems, as it was necessary to restructure the work of both teachers and students, increasing the tension of their work, often without the possibility of obtaining technical support for the transition to new platforms.
Special aspects of education, Education (General), Theory and practice of education
Potential Antiviral Options against SARS-CoV-2 Infection
antivirals, broad-spectrum antivirals, antiviral drug combinations
As of June 2020, the number of people infected with severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to skyrocket, with more than 6.7 million cases worldwide. Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations (UN) has highlighted the need for better control of SARS-CoV-2 infections. However, developing novel virus-specific vaccines, monoclonal antibodies and antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2 can be time-consuming and costly. Convalescent sera and safe-in-man broad-spectrum antivirals (BSAAs) are readily available treatment options. Here, we developed a neutralization assay using SARS-CoV-2 strain and Vero-E6 cells. We identified the most potent sera from recovered patients for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients. We also screened 136 safe-in-man broad-spectrum antivirals against the SARS-CoV-2 infection in Vero-E6 cells and identified nelfinavir, salinomycin, amodiaquine, obatoclax, emetine and homoharringtonine. We found that a combination of orally available virus-directed nelfinavir and host-directed amodiaquine exhibited the highest synergy. Finally, we developed a website to disseminate the knowledge on available and emerging treatments of COVID-19.
Aleksandr Ianevski, Magnar Bjoras, Denis E. Kainov, Eva Zusinaite, Tanel Tenson, Valentyn Oksenych, Hilde Lysvand, Rouan Yao, Mona Høysæter Fenstad, Svetlana Biza, Tuuli Reisberg, Kirsti Løseth, Veslemøy Malm Landsem, Janne Fossum Malmring, Sten Even Erlandsen, Per Arne Aas, Lars Hagen, Caroline H. Pettersen, Jan Egil Afset, Svein Arne Nordbø
The Territory Requires Coherent Work: The Role of Interregional Interactions in Economic Recovery (To the 100th Anniversary of I.G. Aleksandrov’s Work ‘Economic Regionalization of Russia’)
Russia, Strategic Planning, interregional trade, economic zoning, spatial development strategy, interregional interactions, economic macroregions, complex investment projects
The coronavirus pandemic has acted as a catalyst for discussions on the choice of economic policies for recovery from the crisis. This research focuses on one of the aspects of this problem, aiming to analyse interregional interactions, the activation of which can become a driver of growth. Based on the idea of ‘double circulation’ from the China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, we demonstrate that Russia also has the ability to shift the focus of economic policy towards expanding the domestic market and developing ties between regions. The paper draws parallels between the early 1920s and 2020s. It is noted that the need to overcome economic depression was determined by justifying close cooperation of individual regions in Russia. The article describes the use of interregional interactions as a tool for spatial development based on the existing federal strategic plans. The study demonstrates that that the task of strengthening interregional interactions is only briefly touched upon in the plans. However, it is important to note that this process balances the constraints and opportunities for the development of the whole country. The analysis of the spatial markets’ hierarchy in the context of economic macro-regions revealed their incomplete nature as complete economic systems. The obtained results show that in order for the idea of macro-regions to actually work, real interregional projects should appear inside of these macro-regions. It is determined that on the international level the demand for special tools for enhancing interregional interactions is gradually growing. The author proposes measures based on successful examples to support such interregional interactions in Russia. Finally, the author concludes that in the current situation the increase in interregional interactions can positively affect the economic development of Russia as well as create new spatially distributed value-added chains
Economic Research Institute of the Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Intrapulmonary shunt measured by bedside pulse oximetry predicts worse outcomes in severe COVID-19.
Aleksandra Kotwica, Harry Knights, Nikhil Mayor, Emma Russell-Jones, Theodore Dassios, David Russell-Jones