The mental health field experiences high levels of stress, resulting in a greater risk of poor professional quality of life, likely exacerbated by the additional stress associated with COVID-19. The present study examined the effect COVID-19 stress had on the professional quality of life of the infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) workforce and whether coping strategies and self-compassion acted as protective factors. Results indicated that higher COVID-19 stress was associated with higher burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS) and lower compassion satisfaction (CS). The results also showed that the pathway from COVID-19 stress to burnout was moderated by support-seeking and approach coping. Furthermore, the pathway from COVID-19 stress to CS was moderated by avoidant coping. The link between COVID-19 stress, coping, and professional quality of life suggests increasing adaptive coping is likely to improve the professional quality of life of the IECMH workforce during times of substantial stress.

Background: In the healthcare sector, many workers are believed to be “double duty carers” (DDCs) - individuals providing care both at work and home. DDCs often work in paid care work while providing unpaid care to family/friends outside of work. The COVID-19 pandemic places additional stressors on these vulnerable carers. Caring is an emerging global health issue involving the straining of roles due to the pandemic. Informal or unpaid caring is globally known to be a women's health issue given the gendered nature of caring, resulting in women shouldering greater physical, social, and emotional costs. Purpose: The aim of this study was to understand the impact of COVID-19 on DDCs through the perspective of employers and DDCs. The knowledge generated illuminates how the paid and unpaid caring has been affected by the pandemic, what supports, or coping strategies are being utilized by DDCs. Methods: This mixed-methods study comprises two phases; a quantitative survey for employers and qualitative interview for DDCs. The survey investigates how workplace supports have been impacted by the pandemic, while the interview investigates DDCs’ experiences/coping strategies during the pandemic. Finally, triangulation of the data from the two phases will be used to create evidence-based policy recommendations to enhance DDC supports. Results: Healthcare employers were observed to be cognizant of DDCs’ diminishing wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic; yet, less than half supported their carer-employees. DDCs had increased care demands both at work and at home and experienced a lack of access to their usual support system and support services. The data from both phases helped elucidate recommendations and areas of concern for DDC support that can serve as important implications for carer-friendly workplace policies (CFWP). Conclusion: By exploring the intersection of perspectives from employers and DDCs, this study will contribute to evidence-informed guidelines for CFWP during a pandemic. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / The term ‘double duty carer’ (DDC) refers to individuals, often women, that are provide care both at home and at work. DDCs are an important workforce that are vulnerable to negative physical and mental health consequences which are exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the pandemic on DDCs’ caring responsibilities and supports from the perspectives of healthcare employers and DDCs. Findings showed that the COVID-19 pandemic made paid and unpaid caring much more demanding, inflicted poor health consequences upon DDCs and made supports difficult to access. DDCs are experiencing increased role strain and having to invest more hours in paid and unpaid care. The findings of this study can be used to improve DDC support and strengthen the collaborative relationships among healthcare employers and DDCs.

<p>  </p> <p>While evidence suggests that the mental health consequences of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can persist for several months following infection, little is known about the longer-term mental health consequences and whether certain sociodemographic groups may be particularly impacted. The study objectives were to characterize the longer-term mental health consequences of COVID-19 infection and examine whether such consequences are more pronounced in Black people and people with lower socioeconomic status. 277 Black and White adults (age ≥ 30 years) with a history of COVID-19 (cases; tested positive ≥ 6 months prior to participation) or no history of COVID-19 infection (controls) completed a 45-minute online questionnaire battery. Unadjusted <em>t</em>-tests revealed that cases had greater depressive (<em>d</em> = 0.24), anxiety (<em>d</em> = 0.34), PTSD (<em>d</em> = 0.32), and insomnia (<em>d</em> = 0.31) symptoms than controls. These differences remained significant for symptoms of anxiety, PTSD, and insomnia after adjusting for age, sex, race, education, income, and smoking status. No case-control differences were detected for perceived stress and general psychopathology. Cases had more than double the odds of clinically significant symptoms of anxiety (<em>OR</em> = 2.22) and PTSD (<em>OR</em> = 2.40). Case-control status was more strongly and positively associated with depressive, anxiety, PTSD, perceived stress, and general psychopathology symptoms at lower education levels. Race and income were not moderators of the relationships. The mental health consequences of COVID-19 may be significant, widespread, and persist for at least 6 months after infection, and people with lower education levels may face a greater burden of these consequences.</p>

Förändring är något som verksamheter måste förhålla sig till kontinuerligt och är under konstant tryck att utforma sig efter de förväntningar som ställs på dem från det externa samhället såväl som de interna intressenterna. I och med teknikens framfart så har organisationer allt mer börjat ställa om för att arbeta utifrån en mer digitaliserad kontext, detta har dock inte alltid varit fallet för den enskilde medarbetaren. I och med Covid-19 pandemin så har dock acceptansen av distansarbete accelererats markant. Detta i relation till organisationers ökade tro på medarbetaren och dennes förmåga att kunna leda sig själv har skapat en miljö inom vilken organisationer och chefer nu måste kunna jobba med medarbetarnas självledarskap. De olika områdena runtomkring dessa förändringar så som självledarskap, digitalisering, motivation och ledarskap har under en längre tid blivit studerade och har således legat till grund för att kunna utföra denna studie. Genom att sammanslå dessa större områden till ett fokuserat område har de gett förutsättningar för att kunna etablera en grund för hur arbetet i framtiden kan utformas och vilka faktorer som kan ligga till grund för att facilitera ett självledarskap. Syftet med studien var således att öka förståelsen för hur organisation och ledning hjälper individen att använda sig av ett självledarskap samtidigt som vi går mot en allt mer digitaliserad miljö. Totalt genomfördes tio stycken semistrukturerade intervjuer med både chefer och medarbetare som ämnade att besvara hur organisationer samt ledning möjliggör självledarskap i och med distansarbete samt hur det påverkar individen. Det var även av intresse att undersöka vad individen bedömer som viktiga delar för att kunna ha ett självledarskap i samband med den digitala miljön. Den insamlade datan från intervjuerna jämfördes med tidigare forskning och har således syftat till att besvara följande frågeställning; Hur kan organisationer hjälpa individen till självledarskap i en allt mer digital miljö? Med utgångspunkt i studiens syfte och frågeställning har resultatet från denna studie visat att det finns många delar som kan förbättras när det kommer till självledarskap och distansarbete. Utifrån den empirin som inhämtats från de olika respondenterna så har studien funnit att faktorer såsom feedback, sammanhållning, kommunikation, intern och extern motivation som viktiga i arbetet för att kunna jobba med ett självledarskap i en kontext av digitalisering. Dessa utmaningar har ställts emot de litterära verken för att kunna utmynna olika teoretiska såväl som praktiska bidrag för att fylla det forskningsgap som vi identifierat, men även för att organisationer ska kunna ta beslut utifrån dessa faktorer.

This study aimed to explore and understand the University of Cape Town student perceptions and lived experiences of Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning (ERTL) during COVID-19. COVID-19 is a communicable disease instigated by a novel virus (SARS CoV-2 virus). After the inevitable subsequent national lockdown of South Africa, the university placed ERTL measures in place for the second quarter of the first semester to curb the impact of the virus on its students while also enabling learning and teaching activities to continue remotely. ERTL meant that learning and teaching activities were ‘rapidly' shifted from face-to-face learning to remote learning. This study reports on the 707 students who responded to an online survey while engaged in their online courses. The Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR) and Andersons' Online Learning Model were used to engage with students on the use of technology that enabled their interaction with lecturers, each other, learning and teaching activities, and other remote learning resources. Understanding the student experiences was achieved through a mixed-method study approach that involved undergraduate and postgraduate students. The Google form online surveys, with both open and closed ended questions with some using the 5-point Likert scale ratings, were distributed using social media platforms and university email system to students in order to collect the data. MAXQDA and Excel software were later utilised to analyse and code the data. Findings for this study indicate that the ERTL experience of the participants during the COVID-19 pandemic presented both opportunities and barriers. Some of the perceived opportunities by students were flexibility and convenience, pedagogical improvements, time saving, self-directed learning (working anytime they want and creating and managing their working schedule), and spending time with family. Interestingly enough, some of these benefits turned out to be challenges for some of the students. Hence, some of the barriers students perceived were distractions, internet connectivity and technical issues, inequitable living and environment conditions, lack of hands-on experience and how this made their degree feel incomplete and difficult, mental health issues, and many other barriers. The disciplinary faculties that experienced most of the obstacles and difficulties associated with ERTL were those whose academic experience depended on practical work in labs and studios or needed software that can only be accessed through labs and would need a specific operating system. The carrying out of this research will help ensure the effectiveness, investment, and continual integration of technology in future programs that involve learning and teaching.

Emerging infectious diseases remain persistent threats that are challenging to predict. Humanity has faced many terrible pandemics and will face more, but to pinpoint the specific time and place of an outbreak, the type of pathogen, and the consequences is effectively impossible. This point was recently highlighted by the SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) viral pandemic, which led to global clinical and socioeconomic damage. When confronted by such a viral threat, the biomedical research community fervently responded with unprecedented haste to reveal SARS-CoV-2 clinical information, genome sequences, spike fusion protein structures, antigenic properties, antiviral therapeutics, and new vaccine platforms all within a year. As a small part of the tremendous collaborative research response, I used structural methods to study the SARS-CoV-2 spike fusion protein, specifically mechanisms of antibody-mediated viral neutralization. Viral fusion proteins are key components of virus particles that enable a virus to enter an animal host cell. Fusion proteins are the most common targets for neutralizing antibodies and serve a vital role as vaccine immunogens to elicit a protective immune response. To develop an understanding of SARS-CoV-2 antibody-mediated neutralization, one of my primary research interests was solving antibody structures in complex with the spike fusion protein using cryo-EM (cryogenic electron microscopy). With antibody structures I helped characterize spike epitopes, rationalize antigenic properties of emerging variants, and hypothesize viral neutralization mechanisms. I discovered antibody structures with multiple neutralization mechanisms including receptor blocking, conformational “locking” of the RBD (receptor binding domain), and spike disassembly. Viruses are evolving pathogens, and the Omicron sub-lineages are some of the most antibody-resistant SARS-CoV-2 variants to date. I studied mechanisms of Omicron antibody neutralization, which included traditional mechanism such as receptor blocking, as well as new mechanisms involving spike disassembly and conformational locking at SD1 (subdomain 1) epitopes. I also investigated broad antibody recognition at a conserved RBD epitope which neutralized not only SARS-CoV-2 but also SARS-CoV and other sarbecoviruses. Lastly, I had the opportunity to study other classes of viral fusion proteins, including those of alphaviruses and rabies virus, which serve as representative class members of the other varieties of viral fusion proteins, broadening my research for any type of known viral pathogen. Structural studies of antibodies highlight vulnerabilities of the spike protein when targeting SARS-CoV-2 and other fusion proteins in future vaccine design. The trials and tribulations of SARS-CoV-2 and the wealth of new research on coronaviruses offer hope of future pandemic preparedness. Understanding the structural mechanisms of viral fusion proteins and antibody neutralization gives hope of developing further therapeutic interventions. The work described in this thesis on fusion proteins SARS-CoV-2 spike (S), alphavirus envelope (E), and rabies virus glycoprotein (G) have prepared me to combat other infectious viral agents, including those already infecting humans and those at risk of spilling over into humans. When posed with such unpredictable emerging threats, we can learn from the past and position ourselves to be ready for the future.

The purpose of this study is to analyse friendship and the making of friendships. This will be done by analysing students at an upper secondaryschool in Sweden. Then in regards of the Covid-19 pandemic and how the restrictions that follows affected friendships. Qualitative interviews with four students are conducted with the aim to answer this study’s purpose. The research questions and the theory in this study is based on previous research of friendship and the research question is following: How have friendship relations been affected in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic? The aim of this analysis is to acquire a deeper understanding of the concept of friendship. The results in this study shows how the students defines friendship, how they did friendship before, under and at the end of Covid-19. The consequences can be seen in some cases where friendships ended and in other cases where the friendships grew stronger because of the pandemic. The main theories used are of relation theories and theories about friendships and time. Key words used in this study are; Friendship, The making of friendships, The Covid-19pandemic and Relations

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) is the seventh member of the coronavirus family distinct from MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome). At the end of December 2019, the virus first emerged in Wuhan, China, The disease which   was named the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) by the World Health Organization. The disease has led to considerable healthcare burden, mortality and affected the world economy. The combination of cytokine release syndrome, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multiorgan failure can result in high mortality in COVID-19 patients. The inflammatory process and viral activity can cause pneumonia and eventually cause ARDS, which is a serious inflammatory condition. Glucocorticoids may help with COVID-19 due to their anti-inflammatory effects. Methylprednisolone (MP) and dexamethasone are  glucocorticoids suggested to reduce mortality in COVID-19 patients. Tocilizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody against the IL-6 receptor. It acts as an immunosuppressant and interleukin inhibitor.  Aim: The study was performed to investigate whether methylprednisolone can reduce the risk of mortality in COVID -19 patients.  Material &amp; Metod: Relevant scientific clinical randomized trials were searched using the Pubmed medical database and the searches were performed with the search term "Methylprednisolone AND COVID -19" with the article type filter "Randomized Controlled Trial". The studies that were selected were between 2020- 2022. The search gave 14 articles and 4 articles were selected.  Results: The effect of methylprednisolone to reduce the risk of mortality in COVID -19 patients was investigated in the four clinical studies and the results showed a reduction in mortality at day 45 in patients treated with MP alone compared to the control group and MP plus tocilizumab. Study II also showed reduced mortality indicated in the per protocol analysis with a risk reduction of 0.42. In study III investigating the effect of 250 mg MP versus 6 mg dexamethasone, no statistically significant reduction in mortality was shown. In contrast, in study IV, less mortality (18.6%) was reported in the MP group compared to the control group receiving dexamethasone (37.5%), but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.076). Discussion: The selected articles reported varying results regarding the effect of methylprednisolone on mortality. The majority showed that methylprednisolone can reduce the risk of mortality in COVID-19 patients, in addition, however, further clinical studies with a larger study population and a longer treatment course are needed.

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Byggnadslogistik handlar om hur man förser byggprojekt med rätt material och utrustning till rätt tid. Då byggprojekt anses som temporära fabriker så är byggnadslogistiken en stor grund till att projekten fungerar så bra som möjligt. Men idag har byggbranschen drabbats drastiskt av de krislägena som har uppkommit under de senaste åren som tas upp i denna studie. Dessa krislägen medför brister i kommunikation, materialtillförsel samt ökade kostnader av material vilket har skadat många delar av branschen. Under december 2019 i staden Wuhan i Kina rapporterades en spridning av lunginflammationen som identifieras idag som coronaviruset eller "SARS-CoV-2". Från ett krisläge till ett annat, som också har påverkat byggbranschen drastiskt, där Ryssland 2022 inledde en fullskalig invasion av Ukraina och därmed startade ett nytt krig. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka hur de olika krislägena har påverkat byggbranschen samt byggbranschens logistik. Att utforska de olika ledens- och företags utmaningar i krislägen samt utreda hur man inom ett företaget kan vara "förberedd" för sådana scenarion. Några slutsatser som dras av denna studie är att vi människor har blivit mycket bättre på att planera i förtid för att minska problematiken av olika skäl. Covid-19 har medfört svårigheter med smittspridningen vilket har ledat till att restriktioner har suttits på olika länder medan många företag i byggbranschen har lärt sig av kriget hur mycket material och produktion som kommer från Ukraina. Studien belyser till slut betydelsen att ha en välplanerad och riskfri försörjningskedja vilket minimerar drastiska påverkningar på byggnadslogistiken i en regional företagskontext. Åtgärder som leverantörs- och materialbyte har varit, bunkring av material, har implementerats under krislägena för att säkerställa nöjda kunder samt kontinuitet i projekten. / <p>Examensarbetet är utfört vid Institutionen för teknik och naturvetenskap (ITN) vid Tekniska fakulteten, Linköpings universitet</p>