Overcoming Adversity:The Severe COVID-19 Illness Experience

This viral outbreak of the novel SARS-CoV-2 has profoundly disrupted lives globally and has placed unparalleled burdens on individual physical and psychological health.It is imperative to comprehend the psychological journey of COVID-19 patients to provide them with effective care.This study aimed to explore the psychological illness experience of severe COVID-19 survivors from the first symptoms,to hospitalization,recovery,and post-discharge adjustment.Semi-structured interviews were conducted from November 2022 to April 2023,with 30 Romanian former COVID-19 patients.Thematic analysis of transcribed interviews identified four major themes:(1)a distant threat;(2)the tipping point;(3)the turning point;and(4)readjustment and growth.Some participants faced denial or uncertainty early on,misattributing symptoms and delaying seeking care.Hospitalization as a last resort brought anxiety,isolation,and closer confrontations with mortality perception.As symptoms improved,and participants received supportive care from both healthcare professionals and family members,hope and optimism appeared.Despite health improvements and feelings of safety,lingering anxiety persisted.Post-discharge adjustment involved managing lasting effects and selectively resuming activities.For some of the participants,reflection afterward prompted greater self-understanding,empathy and connection,and motivation for self-care.The results have implications for healthcare practitioners,policymakers,and researchers.

Liver transplantation amidst the COVID-19 era:Our center's experience

Coronavirus disease 2019 significantly impacted the liver transplant process worldwide.Consequently,it brought significant challenges and limitations to transplant policies and organ allocation forcing liver transplant centers to adjust their protocols to ensure maximum benefit and avoid harm to their patients.Our center,like many others,was obliged to adapt to the challenges.This paper provided an overview of the effects of coronavirus disease 2019 on liver transplantations and detailed our center’s experience and efforts during this unprecedented pandemic to serve as a guide for future public health crises.

Experiences of Counselors Who Provided Psychological Support during COVID-19 Disaster: A Qualitative Study

Background:In crisis intervention sites such as infectious disease disasters,counselors are repeatedly exposed,directly or indirectly,to the traumatic experiences of victims.Disaster counseling has a negative effect on coun-selors,which can eventually interfere with the counseling process for disaster victims.Therefore,exploring and understanding the experiences of counselors is necessary to ensure that qualitative counseling for disaster victims can be continuously and efficiently conducted.Objectives:This study investigated the experiences of counselors who participated in mental health counseling as psychological support for victims of the COVID-19 disaster in Korea.Design:This is a qualitative study.Participants:The study participants comprised 18 counselors who had mental health professional qualifications of level 2 or higher and who had provided mental health counseling for COVID-19 confirmed cases and quarantined persons.Methods:Data were collected using focus group interviews from February 21 to May 29,2021.The duration of each interview was 60–90 min,and the data were analyzed using content analysis.Results:Thefinal theme was“Continuing to walk this road anytime,anywhere.”The par-ticipants’experiences were identified in four sub-themes:“being deployed to unprepared counseling,”“encoun-tering various difficulties,”“feeling full of meaning and value,”and“hoping to become a better counselor.”Conclusions:In order to continuously provide qualitative counseling in case of an infectious disease disaster such as COVID-19,it is important to develop a qualification and competency strengthening program through educa-tion and training to secure the crisis intervention expertise of counselors according to the characteristics of the disaster.In addition,a psychological support manual for each disaster should be prepared at the national level according to the type of disaster.

Front Line Health Workers’ COVID-19 Lived Experiences: A Case of Levy Mwanawasa Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia

Introduction: Frontline health workers who work in COVID-19 isolation treatment centers are susceptible to developing mental health issues due to the overwhelming workload and stress associated with their job. Thus understanding their lived experiences provides insights that helps alleviate health worker burnout and improving their quality of life thereby leading to an efficient delivery of health care services during a pandemic. Aim: To understand the lived experiences of front line health workers during the COVID-19 pandemics at Levy Mwanawasa Teaching University Hospital. Design and Methods: A qualitative interpretative phenomenological study design was used. Purposive sampling method was adopted to select the 14 participants who took part in the study. The data were collected through face-to-face, audio-taped interviews using an in-depth interview guide, after which the responses were transcribed verbatim before using NVIVO to generate codes. The data were analyzed using thematic method. Results: The lived experiences of the participants were found to be mainly negative with few positive experiences. Their lived experiences were mainly negative emotional and psychological experiences including fear, anger, depression, frustration, anxiety and sadness. The thoughts that were identified included thoughts of surviving through the pandemic, thoughts of getting infected, and dying. The frontline health workers also experienced some personal and professional changes as they offered health services in the COVID-19 wards. The personal changes reported included;social limitations and collapse of extra income business while the professional changes included a change in the way health services were delivered, a gain in knowledge and skills and shaping of a career path. The main challenges experienced were limited resources (man power, resuscitation equipment, drugs, personal protective equipment), limited literature on the disease and limited social interactions. Conclusion and Recommendations: Relevant stakeholders should come on board in order to offer support during a pandemic or a similar situation so as to better the experience of frontline health workers with particular attention directed towards the provision of adequate resources to enable them deliver their services effectively. Frontline health workers perspectives and opinions should be taken into account by the institution’s administrators and policymakers when planning for and managing a pandemic.

Impacts of information about COVID-19 on pig farmers'production willingness and behavior:Evidence from China

This paper examines the impacts of information about COVID-19 on pig farmers'production willingness by using endorsement experiments and follow-up surveys conducted in 2020 and 2021 in China.Our results show that,first,farmers were less willing to scale up production when they received information about COVID-19.The information in 2020 that the second wave of COVID-19 might occur without a vaccine reduced farmers'willingness to scale up by 13.4%,while the information in 2021 that COVID-19 might continue to spread despite the introduction of vaccine reduced farmers'willingness by 4.4%.Second,farmers whose production was affected by COVID-19 were considerably less willing to scale up,given the access to COVID-19 information.Third,farmers'production willingness can predict their actual production behavior.

Problems-Based Learning during COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences by Nursing Students

Introduction: Problems-based learning (PBL) methodology seeks challenges in the daily life context, where students protagonise their own learning using new technologies as the ideal means to find updated and adequate information, for its processing and dissemination towards a better active and participative role. The aim was to analyze the usefulness and importance of PBL, as a strategy of significant learning in daily experiences of nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: The study was qualitative and phenomenological, with 15 informant students of the Module “Attention to addictions in the health area” aged 20 - 25 years, enrolled in the sixth semester of nursing from a public university. Data were collected through oral testimonies, texts, and semi-structured interviews of relevant aspects to them in their everyday life facing the COVID-19 pandemic, telling their experiences. Students signed an informed consent, and the qualitative analysis followed De Souza Minayo. Results: Four categories emerged: Category 1. Students’ experiences along pandemic;1.1, Positive experiences;1.2, Negative experiences. Category 2. Students’ knowledge and abilities for self-care along pandemic. Category 3. Abilities to promote problem solving. Category 4. Impact and usefulness of PBL in students’ experiences for health education;4.1, Positive impact of PBL;4.2 Negative impact of PBL. Conclusion: PBL is very useful for significant learning. It opens knowledge, developing skills to face, support, debate, evaluate and make decisions;it does incorporate critical thinking and problem solving. PBL does encourage collaborative work.

COVID-19 pandemic,as experienced in the surgical service of a district hospital in Spain

The coronavirus disease 2019,which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2,was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan,China,and has since spread rapidly,evolving into a full-blown pandemic.We would like to report our experience after 1 year of this pandemic in the surgical service of a district hospital in Spain.There have been many changes(including new protocols)that our service and the hospital have undergone,to adapt to the new situation.We believe that this experience can be useful for other professionals who have lived and are living a similar situation.

The psychological experience of Chinese nurses in support of COVID-19 frontline:A qualitative study

Objective: The objective of the study is to explore the real psychological experience of the frontline support nurses in fight against COVID-19,so as to provide a reference basis for targeted intervention and ensure the mental health of the frontline support nurses.Methods: The objective sampling method was used to conduct semi‑structured interviews with 9 frontline support nurses fighting COVID‑19,and the interview contents were analyzed using Colaizzi’s 7‑step method.Results: The psychological experience of frontline support nurses in fight against COVID-19 can be summarized into four themes: Thecoexistence of negative psychological experience and positive psychological experience (tension, anxiety, fear, and depression);psychologicalpressure;many factors that affect the negative psychological experience (the stimulation of the external environment, the care of family members,the guidance of network public opinion);and solid support system (good family support and rich social support).Conclusion: Although frontline support nurses have negative emotions and bear great psychological pressure, they all have a high sense ofprofessional responsibility. Therefore, managers should pay attention to their psychological experience and provide targeted assistance to them.

Mixed Expectations in the Recruitment Settlement during COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences of Newly Employed Nurses in Oman

Introduction: Hospital nurses’ recruitment during the COVID-19 pandemic is a major challenge for the hospital, the staff themselves and for their families & relatives. Although the world has undergone different pandemics and disasters, the literature has shown that the new nurses still face uncertainty in dealing with health emergencies and disasters that impose significant stress on their performance at work. The situation in Oman is not different and little is known about the newly employed nurses’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: The qualitative study was designed to include face to face interviews of the newly employed nurses between May and December 2020 at the biggest tertiary hospital in Muscat, the capital of Oman to explore their experiences and how they confronted the COVID-19 pandemic challenges during their internship period. Result: The data was analyzed through qualitative manifest content analysis and disclosed different experiences which were framed into four contexts: Introductory Nurses Plan, Hospital Environment, Nurses Characters and Nurses Families & Relatives. The negative experiences were mainly related to the intense internship requirements, non-availability of the preceptors, hospital environment and COVID-19 circumstances. On the other hand, the positive experiences were mainly related to their self-motivation, recruitment satisfaction, and family encouragement and support. Conclusion: Clear nurses’ lack of knowledge towards COVID-19 pandemic was disclosed and associated with mixed emotional insights towards themselves, their families and relatives, their preceptors and towards the hospital environment including their preparatory plan. The study identified the nurses’ stressors and motivators that could be addressed with a clear need for preparatory adjustments to support newly employed nurses in future appointments with a lot of involvements shared responsibilities and implications.

Nurses’ Experiences in Service Provision a COVID-19 Dedicated Tertiary Public Hospital

Objectives: To assess the nurses’ experiences in service provision a COVID-19 dedicated tertiary public hospital. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in one tertiary level public hospital namely Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), Dhaka, Bangladesh from January to December 2021. Data were collected through face-to-face interview using a structured questionnaire containing demographic details and experiences faced by the nurses in service provision during COVID-19. Data was analysed by using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) software version 23. Results: The findings revealed that the mean age of the respondents was 32.35 ± 7.248 years, the minimum age was 23 years and maximum age was 58 years. About half of the respondents 52.1% were in 21 - 30 years. The majorities 89% were female. More than half of the respondents 72.6% were Muslim and 63.83% of respondents have completed Diploma in nursing. About 32.2% respondents were living with senior citizen, 33% respondents were infected by COVID-19, 24.23% respondent mentioned nurse-Patient ratio in general ward was 1:7 and 71.08% mentioned nurse-patient ratio in I.C.U/C.C.U. was 1:3 (December 2021). PPE were available among 88.0% respondents and N95 mask were available among 84.0% respondent. About 34.8% respondents got COVID-19 guideline training and 32.4% got donning and doffing training. More than half of the respondents 76% stated that equipment is adequate, 56.38% respondents mention that insufficient of nurses and 53.7% were mentioned insufficient of subordinate staff. About 22.6% respondents faced social stigma and majorities 96.5% respondents mentioned they got proper family support. There was a significant association found between Professional educational qualification and satisfaction of current designation (p value = 0.001 Conclusion: The most important findings of this study was lack of training, insufficient of manpower especially nurses and subordinate staff, high nurse-patient ratio and fear about personal and family safety. The findings of the study will be helpful for the authority in planning for future course of action.

Perceptions and Experiences of Adult Learners of Online Learning in the Era of COVID-19 in Ghana

The COVID-19 Pandemic has undoubtedly affected learners,and as such,adjustments need to be made for successful teaching and learning through online learning.However,in Ghana,the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic did not spare adult learners who are compelled by educational reforms to upgrade themselves academically using online learning platforms.Using a descriptive design,the study explored the perceptions and experiences of 166(online data collection)adult learners as they pursue their academic programs through online learning.An adapted questionnaire on perceptions and online learning experiences developed by Khan,Nabi,Khojah,and Tahir(2021)was used for the data collection.The Confirmatory Factor Analysis technique was used to analyse the data.The study revealed that respondents felt confident while using online learning content but refuted that those technologies permit them to take tests and submit assignments electronically.Furthermore,the study revealed that online learning service was making the learning process very simplified.The revelation means that adult learners possess positive experiences and perceptions about online learning.Therefore,online teaching and learning in higher education institutions should be made a routine activity in Ghana even after the COVID-19 Pandemic because the world is approaching a technological world.

Impacts of COVID-19 on tourism and management response from Banff National Park,Canada

The COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges to the tourism sector globally.We investigated changes in visitor demographics,satisfaction level,and its determinants pre-and peri-COVID-19.Data were collected using questionnaire surveys in 2019 and 2021 within Banff National Park(BNP).The data analyses were based on a sample size of 1183 respondents by conducting factor analysis,correlation analysis and stepwise regression analysis.Results highlight that there were fewer international visitors and more local and domestic visitors during the pandemic.Park attributes were evaluated at a higher satisfaction level peri-COVID-19.The quality of the Park facilities and services were the most important satisfaction determinants pre-and peri-COVID-19,and all the Park COVID-19 measures and actions received positive experience from visitors.This research fills this knowledge gap by developing a better understanding in the change of visitor demographics and satisfaction level in BNP under the context of the pandemic.It also provides implication for both scholars and practitioners to understand the impacts of the pandemic on Park visitation.The study can provide insights for utilizing the pandemic as a transformative strength and for mitigating its negative impact on tourism industry.

Graduating Nurses in the Time of COVID-19

Nursing has been a leader in online education for more than two decades. Nursing students have taken advantage of the flexible scheduling and variety of online nursing programs to pursue their education due to distance, family, or work demands;however, since the outbreak of COVID-19, nursing schools in the United States have adapted by implementing an online alternative to assess students’ clinical skills required to graduate. Nursing faculty have been forced into this new learning culture, navigating the online landscape, learning new technologies and teaching methods, and adapting to clinical social distance education. Nursing is a performance-based profession in which the clinical learning environment plays an important role in developing skills and professional abilities. The purpose of this evidence-based teaching project is to, based on National League for Nursing (NLN), not only contribute to improvement but ensure educational quality for undergraduate nursing students by examining how online simulation compared to clinical experience with an actual patient, affects nurses’ clinical competence. Therefore, after reviewing 14 peer-reviewed articles, evidence shows benefits for undergraduate nursing students to retain better clinical competence when virtual simulation and clinical sites are combined;however, further research is recommended. Articles were selected as the evidence base for this project, following specific inclusion criteria. Inclusion criteria for evidence were articles within six years, including undergraduate nurse students with online clinical education;the exclusion criteria were studies including graduate nurse students and articles older than six years. Based on the project’s outcome, it is suggested that a nurse residency should follow online simulations to complete clinical hours. .

Successful Treatment of White Lung in Elderly Patients with COVID-19

Novel coronavirus(SARS-CoV-2,hereby known as COVID-19)has the characteristics of rapid variation and multiple variants,which has caused a huge impact on human health worldwide.At the end of 2022,the Omicron variant was widely spread in China,and the patients infected with COVID-19 were mainly concentrated in the elderly over 80 years old and people with serious basic diseases.Pathologically,diffuse lung injury can be seen in the advanced stage of severe and critical diseases,with a large number of inflammatory cells and fibrous mucus exudation,alveolar epithelial cells shedding and necrosis,severe pulmonary edema,hyaline membrane formation,and diffuse ground-glass shadow or consolidation on imaging,which is manifested as“white lung”[1],and its mortality rate has significantly increased.This study reported two cases of elderly patients admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University for the treatment of COVID-19.

Remote Learning in Higher Education During the Pandemic: A Study of the Experiences of Chinese International Students at United Kingdom and United States Universities in 2020/21

During the COVID-19 pandemic crisis,many universities around the world made a drastic change by transferring most of their offline classes to emergency remote learning(ERL).The aim of this study was to explore how Chinese students,who studied in United Kingdom(UK)and United States(US)universities during the 2020/21 academic year,perceive their experiences of remote learning.As the UK and the US have two relatively advanced education systems,the arrangements of their universities for ERL and their support for international students are worth exploring.Moreover,during the ERL,a portion of Chinese students had online classes in their home countries instead of the country in which their universities are located.Therefore,semi-structured interviews were carried out to explore the academic experiences and social interaction of students who studied in UK and US universities,while remaining in China.The data were analyzed using the thematic analysis method.The findings showed that ERL was perceived negatively by students despite its flexibility in areas of academic learning experiences and social interaction.

International Cooperation and Human Rights Protection in the Fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic

The protection of human rights through international cooperation has a long history.Core human rights conventions,regional human rights treaties and other human rights instruments have continuously developed the meaning and scope of international human rights cooperation.The modern risk-laden society with a high degree of complexity and uncertainty has changed the world pattern,which calls for the building of a community with a shared future for human beings with cooperation as the starting point.Under the constant threat of the novel coronavirus,we must continue to deepen the concept of a community with a shared future for human beings,adhere to a“human rights-oriented”approach,and pay particular attention to the current supply and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine as an important global public good.Only through solidarity and cooperation can mankind finally win the battle against this pandemic and protect human rights.

Problem-Based Learning of Drug Use and Abuse during COVID-19 Contingency

Introduction: Nursing students’ experiences during the pandemic provoked social isolation, the way to learn and every context increasing their stress and anxiety leading to drug use and abuse, among others. Problem-based learning (PBL) is a pedagogic strategy to strengthen significant learning;then the objective was to establish PBL influence in nursing students’ experiences on drug use and abuse during COVID-19 contingency. Methods: Qualitative, phenomenological and descriptive paradigm, 12 female and male nursing students aged 20 - 24 years old from the 5th and 6th semesters participated. Information collection was through semi-structured interview and a deep one in four cases. A guide of questions about: How the pandemic impacted your life? How did you face it? And what did you learn during this process? Those questions were used. Qualitative data analysis was based on De Souza Minayo, and signed informed consent was obtained from participants. Results: Students’ experiences allowed four categories to emerge, with six sub-categories. Category I. Students’ experiences on drug use and abuse facing the sanitary contingency;Category II. Students’ skills development to identify a problem and design of appropriate solutions;Category III. Developing skills to favor interpersonal relationships;Category IV. Influence of PBL in nursing students’ experiences on drug use and abuse during the COVID-19 contingency. Conclusion: PBL favored analysis and thoughts in nursing students’ experiences on drug use and abuse during the COVID-19 contingency, they worked collaboratively, developed resilience to daily life situations, and implemented stress coping strategies with their significant learning, which diminished their risk behavior.

Computation Analysis of Brand Experience Dimensions: Indian Online Food Delivery Platforms

Online Food Delivery Platforms(OFDPs)has witnessed phenomenal growth in the past few years,especially this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.This Pandemic has forced many governments across the world to give momentum to OFD services and make their presence among the customers.The Presence of several multinational and national companies in this sector has enhanced the competition and companies are trying to adapt various marketing strategies and exploring the brand experience(BEX)dimension that helps in enhancing the brand equity(BE)of OFDPs.BEXs are critical for building brand loyalty(BL)and making companies profitable.Customers can experience different kinds of brand experiences through feeling,emotions,affection,behavior,and intellect.The present research work is taken up to analyze the factors affecting BEX and its impact on BL and BE of the OFDPs and analyze the mediating role of BL in the relationship between BEX and BE of the OFDPs in the Indian context.A survey of 457 Indian customers was carried out.A questionnaire was used for data collection and a mediation study was used to test hypothesized relationships.Our computational analysis reveals that BEX influences the BL and BE of OFDPs.The study further indicates that BL mediates the relationship between BEX and BE of OFDPs.The effective marketing and relationship management practices will help company to enhance BEX that will enable in enhancing BL and raising BE of their product.It therefore provides a more thorough analysis of BEX constructs and their consequences than previous research.Some of the managerial implication,limitations,and scope of future research are also presented in the study.

Psychological experience of infected individuals during the pandemic: A qualitative meta-synthesis

The purpose of this review is to integrate the psychological experience of infected individuals during the pandemic.The spread of the pandemic has led to psychological and emotional impacts on patients.A qualitative synthesis is needed to identify,appraise,and integrate the available qualitative findings to provide an evidence for the development of interventions.A meta-aggregation approach was used to analyze studies published in English from January 2020 to August 2021.The JBI Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument was used to assess the methodological quality of included studies.The ConQual system was used to establish the dependability and credibility in the synthesized findings.Six phenomenological studies and one narrative inquiry with an overall quality score of 70%-100% were included.The research findings from 87 participants in eligible studies were aggregated into three categories based on similarity of meaning.Two synthesized findings were generated and rated as moderate based on the ConQual score.The synthesized findings suggested that participants had psychological distress such as fear,anxiety,loneliness,and uncertainty,but they accepted the fact of being infected and tried to adjust themselves using some self-coping strategies,such as diverting attention from disease,seeking help from professional counselors,relying on religious beliefs,and participating in religious activities.They would like to learn more about infections and diseases and needed more informational support from health-care professionals.They were looking forward to recovery from the disease.

Undergraduate nursing students’experiences of online learning:gaining access in resource-limited circumstances

Background:In response to the need to mitigate the increase in Coronavirus Disease 2019(COVID-19)cases,nursing students undertake online learning in almost all nursing education institutions in Indonesia.These students face distinctive learning experiences,which have not yet been identified in the Indonesian context.This study aimed to explore students’experiences of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods:We used a descriptive exploratory design.Eleven students from three nursing education institutions in Indonesia were interviewed through telephone calls or video conference applications.Results:One main theme,Gaining access in resource-limited circumstances,was developed to describe students’experience of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.This theme was supported by five subthemes:struggling for internet connection;becoming familiar with the applications;flexibility;supported by others;and dealing with limitations.Conclusions:This current study provides insights into what support should be provided for nursing students to manage limitations in the online learning process.