Yes / Women and the adolescents girls in low-middle income countries continue to be the most vulnerable individuals in times of disasters such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic with emphasis on their Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH); yet hardly many studies choose to identify gaps that could improve and bring about well-informed interventions during crisis that do not affect other essential services. Hence, this study aimed to identify the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic mitigation measures on access and utilization of sexual reproductive health services and its related SRH outcomes among women and female adolescents in Kenya. Methods: A systematic literature review was performed to collate findings on the given study using 8 databases. Total of 1352 presumably pertinent publication were retrieved of which 20 studies met the study’s inclusion criteria which included studies with quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods study designs in full text and in English without duplicates. Using a data extraction table, thematic analysis was carried out to yield the study findings. Results: Two themes were identified including; service access related outcomes with the sub-themes of maternal health services and HIV/AIDS services and pandemic specific stressors with the sub-themes of Covid-19 mitigation stressors and socio-economic stressors. The findings implied that, women of reproductive age SRH access and utilization was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic’s mitigation responses with adverse SRH health outcomes. Conclusion: In conclusion, the Covid-19 pandemic adversely affected sexual reproductive health services among women and female adolescents in Kenya. The given main findings indicated and recognized the existence of improper set policies and mitigative measures during crisis management, affecting essential services such as SRH.

Yes / Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) has had significant impact on dentistry in Fiji. Due to lack of previous study, this study aims to explore the perspective of Dental Officers (DOs) and Dental Managers (DMs) on the effects of COVID-19 on dental service delivery in Fiji Islands. This qualitative study was conducted amongst 30 DOs and 17 DMs between 9th August to 12th September, 2021. It was conducted in the government dental clinics, private dental clinics and the School of Dentistry and Oral Health clinic (SDOH), in the Central Division, Fiji. The study settings were randomly selected. Purposive sampling method was used for the selection of participants who met the study criteria. Semi-structure open ended questionnaires were used for data collection through in-depth interviews via zoom. Manual thematic analysis of the data was conducted to derive themes and codes. The participants interviewed for the study included more female DOs (66.7%) and male DMs (58.8%). Seven themes emerged from data analysis: range of services delivered, appointment versus walk-in patients for aerosol generating procedures (AGPs), impact of pandemic on clinic opening hours, impact of COVID-19 on patient numbers, quality of services delivered, resources and infrastructure, perceptions about the burden of disease. COVID-19 has significantly affected dental service delivery. Mostly emergency dental services were delivered. AGPs were delivered on appointment basis. Most participants stated the quality of services had improved. Participants stated that they were not given adequate resources and the infrastructure was not up to standard to provide dental services during the pandemic. The dental disease burden had increased during the pandemic as per the participants. Future research can be conducted amongst other dental professionals in other divisions of the country.

Yes / The COVID-19 pandemic, whose origin was established to be in China, wreaked havoc across the world infecting and killing huge numbers of people. Healthcare workers (HCWs) were affected in many ways especially mentally. The study aims at establishing how anxiety affected HCWs in Europe. Methodology: A systematic review study was carried out based on the Prefrred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) using five databases. The search period was from September 27th to December 7, 2021, and 2326 articles were yielded. Of these, 22 met the inclusion criteria. All the data was inputted onto a data extraction sheet and thematic analysis was carried out on the study outcomes to identify themes. Results: It was established that there was a significant increase in anxiety among HCWs in Europe. It was likewise found that there were non-modifiable (sex and age) and modifiable (nature of work, vulnerability, comorbidities, workload, social factors and geographical location) risk factors for anxiety among the workers. Young female HCWs were found to have a higher prevalence of anxiety compared to male health workers. Anxiety is also associated with other mental health issues as well as suicidal thoughts. Conclusion: There was a marked increase in anxiety among HCWs in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health during disease emergencies should be a priority in terms of policy among healthcare employers. There is a need for further research in this area of mental health to build more evidence that informs policy.

Yes / Healthcare system resilience is a conceptual approach that seeks to explore how health services adapt and respond to variability in demand and resources. As has been witnessed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare services have undergone many reconfigurations. One understudied aspect of how the 'system' is able to adapt and respond is the contribution of key stakeholders-patients and families, and in the context of the pandemic, the general public as a whole. This study aimed to understand what people were doing during the first wave of the pandemic to protect the safety of their health, and the health of others from COVID-19, and the resilience of the healthcare system. Social media (Twitter) was used as a method of recruitment due to its ability for social reach. Twenty-one participants took part in 57 semistructured interviews over three time points from June to September 2020. The included an initial interview and invitation to two follow-up interviews after 3 and 6 weeks. Interviews were conducted virtually using Zoom-an encrypted secure video conferencing software. A reflexive thematic analysis approach to analysis was used. Three themes, each with its own subthemes were identified in the analysis: (1) A 'new safety normal'; (2) Existing vulnerabilities and heightened safety and (3) Are we all in this together? This study found that the public had a role in supporting the resilience of healthcare services and systems during the first wave of the pandemic by adapting their behaviour to protect themselves and others, and to avoid overwhelming the National Health Service. People who had existing vulnerabilities were more likely to experience safety gaps in their care, and be required to step in to support their safety, despite it being more difficult for them to do so. It may be that the most vulnerable were previously required to do this extra work to support the safety of their care and that the pandemic has just illuminated this issue. Future research should explore existing vulnerabilities and inequalities, and the heightened safety consequences created by the pandemic. The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Yorkshire and Humber Patient Safety Translational Research Centre (NIHR Yorkshire and Humber PSTRC), Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Research Fellow and NIHR Yorkshire and Humber PSTRC Patient Involvement in Patient Safety theme lay leader are involved in the preparation of a lay version of the findings within this manuscript.

Bakgrund: Covid-19 pandemin drabbade världen globalt i början av 2020. Det drabbade hela världen negativt på olika sätt. Sjuksköterskor som arbetade på akutmottagningar var de som stod i frontlinjen och mötte virusinfekterade människor dagligen. Syfte: Att beskriva sjuksköterskors erfarenheter av att arbetat på en akutmottagning under covid-19 pandemin. Metod: Avgränsande litteraturöversikt med sökning i olika databaser. Artiklarna analyserades med integrativ dataanalys. De valda artiklarna sammanställdes till fyra teman och sex subteman. Resultat: Sjuksköterskors erfarenheter av att ha arbetat på en akutmottagning har varit blandade. De ställdes inför situationer som de aldrig tidigare varit med om. Riktlinjer, skyddsutrustning och begränsningar gjorde arbetet kring vårdandet av sjuka patienter svårt och etiska dilemman uppstod. Men tillsammans med teamarbete och stöd från anhöriga fick sjuksköterskor kraft att arbeta mot pandemin. Slutsats: Covid-19 har inneburit fysiska och psykiska påfrestningar för sjuksköterskor. Rädsla för att bli smittade, arbetsrelaterad stress, skyddsutrustning och ständig förnyelse av riktlinjer var några aspekter som påverkade sjuksköterskors hälsa och arbetsmiljö. Kompetensutveckling och ny kunskap har gett framtiden bättre förutsättningar.

Denna studie undersöker arbetet mot resiliensen i globala försörjningskedjor under särskilda globala kriser, med fokus på större svenska producerande företag. Forskningen motiverades av de betydande störningar som orsakats av Covid-19-pandemin,Halvledarbristen och blockaden av Suezkanalen, som avslöjat sårbarheter i globala försörjningskedjor. Det övergripande målet med studien är att undersöka hur företag anpassar sina strategier gentemot sina försörjningskedjor i syfte att öka dess resiliens mot störningar. Forskningsmetoden har bestått av en genomgång av befintlig litteratur som vi sedan kombinerat med empiriska data som samlats in genom en flerfallstudie. Flerfallstudien bestod av semi-strukturerade intervjuer med chefer från fem större svenska producerande företag, som alla besitter en god förståelse kring hur dessa företag strategiskt arbetar med sina försörjningskedjor. Vår metod utformades för att fånga kvalitativa insikter i hur dessa företag blivit påverkade av nämnda globala kriser under perioden 2020–2022 och hur de arbetar strategiskt med resiliens inom sina försörjningskedjor. Genom vår analys av insamlade data och tidigare forskning har vi dragit slutsatsen att traditionella förhållningssätt till hanteringen av försörjningskedjor genom exempelvis JIT, som främst syftar till effektivitet och kostnadsbesparingar, kan minskaförsörjningskedjans robusthet och motståndskraft. Vidare har fynden legat till grund för utformningen av ett övergripande ramverk för strategier som företag kan använda för att öka denna resiliens. Detta ramverk presenterar strategier inom fyra huvudområden: Leverantörer, Produktion & lager, Teknologi och Transport. Ramverket betonar ett strategiskt arbete med leverantörsval, SRM, leverantörsutveckling, buffertlager, Inhouse-produktion, cellulär tillverkning, inbyggd resiliens i produkter, Dataanalysverktyg och AI för kommunikation, spårbarhet och prognostisering och slutligen multimodal transport. Ramverket syftar till att ge övergripande vägledning till hur producerande företag kan öka resiliens i sina försörjningskedjor. Det är däremot viktigt att påpeka att detta föreslagna ramverk inte är tillämpbart för alla producerande företag. Varje företag bör bedöma sina egna situationer och överväga relevansen och tillämpligheten av dessa strategier baserat på sin unika verksamhet, branschtillhörighet, position iförsörjningskedjan, tillgång till resurser och de specifika risker företaget identifierar. För framtida forskning vore det intressant att genomföra en liknande studie i andra internationella kontexter än just Sverige i syfte att identifiera likheter och olikheter i hur större globala producerande företag bemöter arbetet med resiliens i sinaförsörjningskedjor. Ett vidare förslag till framtida forskning är att utföra en likadan studie som vi har genomfört, fast mer djupgående där tid- och resursbrist inte vara en lika stor faktor.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines were developed in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). While RCT data informed decision-making, it may not apply to all populations. It is recommended that health equity stratifiers (HES) be used in RCT reporting, but their use in COVID-19 vaccine trials remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: To review the importance of HES reporting in primary research, examine the use of HES in COVID-19 vaccine trials, and discuss areas for improvements of health equity reporting. METHODS: This paper consists of three chapters. First, a literature review on social determinants of health, health equity during COVID-19, and research reporting practices was conducted. Second, COVID-19 vaccine trials consolidated in the COVID-NMA systematic review database from January 1, 2020, to February 8, 2023, were assessed for HES usage based on three criteria: 1) describing participants, 2) reporting equity-relevant results, and 3) discussing equity-relevant implications. Third, our findings are linked to literature on strategies to enhance health equity reporting. Results: Chapter One highlighted how reported data influenced vaccine prioritization with subsequent effects on health inequities. In Chapter Two, 144 RCTs were reviewed, where age (100%), place of residence (100%), and gender/sex (99%) were the most used HES to describe participants. Age was most often used to disaggregate or adjust results (67%), followed by gender or sex (35%). Discussions of equity implications typically described generalizability concerning age (40% of studies). Nearly half (47%) considered at least one HES for all three criteria. No trials reported on religion, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, or features of relationships. Chapter Three identified ways authors, journals, and other groups can improve reporting. CONCLUSIONS: Effective reporting in primary research has an impact on health equity. Our review identified the state of health equity reporting in COVID-19 vaccine RCTs and proposed approaches to improve the reporting of HES. / Thesis / Master of Public Health (MPH) / During the COVID-19 pandemic, data from vaccine trials helped inform public health decisions. Some of these decisions were unfair towards different groups of people. This may have been due to poor data reporting in the vaccine trials. This data could include personal characteristics like sex, race, occupation, or where one lives. Thus, we examined data reporting in 144 COVID-19 vaccine trials. Most trials reported data on trial participants' age. There was much less reported use of other characteristics. Our results inform the discussion of how we can improve data reporting in research to reduce unfair health gaps.

This qualitative descriptive case study examines the pedagogical teaching and instructional practices of fifth, sixth and eighth grade Texas public school English/reading teachers. This study shares the description of each teachers' English and Reading pedagogy, instructional practices, and their successes and/or challenges prior to and during the pandemic. The participants of the study were from two different school districts in Texas. The study utilized surveys and semi-structured interviews as sources of data that revealed reading pedagogy and a self-assessment of reading pedagogy practices prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three conclusive themes emerged after analysis of the data: importance of social emotional wellness of students, teaching and learning became a one size fits all approach, and varied levels of student engagement. Recommendations from this study for educational practitioners include a need to value the importance of the teacher-student relationship and the powerful role it plays in each student's emotional wellness and learning. Practitioners will need to reflect on what the COVID-19 pandemic taught the educational system about digital platforms and learning. Practitioners in the field should consider how the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will impact instructional design, teaching, content pedagogy, student academic gaps and academic progress or lack thereof for years to come. Implications for future research include more descriptive reading pedagogy studies that replicate this study and are inclusive of a larger sampling population of teachers, inclusive of students' and parents' experiences throughout more districts in the state of Texas post the COVID-19 pandemic.

I extended and adapted the current technology acceptance models and privacy research to the peculiar context of the COVID-19 pandemic to ascertain the effective "power" of IT in fighting such a pandemic. The research models developed for the purpose of this study contain peculiar modifications to the technological-personal-environmental (TPE) framework and privacy calculus model because of the unique technologies implemented and the peculiar pandemic scenario. I developed three studies that investigate the interaction between social, legal, and technical factors that affect the adoption of IoT devices and blockchain systems implemented to fight the spread of COVID-19. Essay 1 systematically reviews existing literature on the analysis of the social, legal, and technical components in addressing phenomena related to IoT architecture and blockchain technology. The employment of a comparable coding method allows finding which of the above components is prominent in relation to the study of IoT and blockchain. Essay 2 develops a technological acceptance model by integrating the TPE framework with new constructs, i.e., regulatory environment, epidemic ecosystem, pre-epidemic ecosystem, perceived social usefulness, and technical characteristics. Essay 3 further explores the interplay between social, legal, and technical factors toward the adoption of smart contracts in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Essay 3 integrates the privacy calculus model by introducing new constructs, i.e., technical characteristics, regulatory environment, and perceived social benefits. For both Essays 2 and 3, research surveys were developed and distributed to undergraduate and graduate students in a major university located in the US. The research hypotheses were tested using partial least square modeling.

This study sought to better understand the experiences of individuals with a chronic health condition utilizing telemedicine during the first twelve months of the COVID-19 pandemic. To do this, an online survey was advertised in two private Facebook support groups for individuals with adrenal insufficiency; a chronic health condition that requires frequent communication with healthcare providers. The survey consisted primarily of closed-response questions which examined the demographic data of respondents, their access to healthcare providers, their comfort levels accessing healthcare providers, and the number of times individuals sought healthcare during the first twelve months of the COVID-19 pandemic to try and predict their preference for telemedicine and in-person healthcare visits going forward. Additionally, the survey included open-response questions which allowed for respondents to describe their experience utilizing telemedicine during the first twelve months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most respondents described their use of telemedicine as being positive but have indicated there are some health circumstances in which telemedicine may not be the best option for them. Additionally, findings indicate that individual's comfort level in visiting their healthcare providers in-person during that first year of the COVID-19 pandemic is a significant predictor of an individual's preference for telehealth. This gives future studies a starting point to investigate the driving social and health factors that shape an individual's perception of risk influencing their level of comfort and predicting their preference of telemedicine or in-person visits for their non-emergency healthcare needs.