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Covid-19: An Exposition, with a Focus on Social Isolation in the Elderly (UK) (Draft)
Preprints and early-stage research may not have been peer reviewed yet.
Abstract
This expository essay looks into emergence of the novel coronavirus, its impact and severity and the measures that government bodies are taking to contain and mitigate it. The essay then focuses on the lockdown in the UK and looks into what isolation can mean to a vulnerable subgroup to the covid-19 pandemic: the elderly.
... A pandemic is an epidemic (the extremely fast spread of a particular highly infectious disease to a populace in a short time) that crosses international boundaries [1]. It is an epidemic occurring over a very wide area affecting large number of people. ...
... COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, with over 294,000 cases as of March 22, 2020 [6]. Symptoms include fever, dry cough, fatigue, anosmia (loss of smell), shortness of breath, muscle/ joint pain, excessive sputum production, sore throat, headache, chills, nausea/ vomiting, nasal congestion, diarrhea, haemoptysis and conjunctival congestion [1]. ...
... Incubation period is between 2 to 14 days, averaging at 5 days. Particularly vulnerable are those with low immune defences [1]. ...
In December 2019, an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) infection occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China and spread across China and beyond. On February 12, 2020, WHO officially named the disease caused by the novel coronavirus as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). On January 30, 2020, WHO declared COVID-19 as the sixth public health emergency of international concern. An outbreak has posed significant threats to international health and the economy. It has raised intense attention not only within China but internationally. It has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. WHO calls for social distancing with several measures such as Isolation, Quarantine, Closing schools, working from home instead of at the office, Restricting movement of people and the cancellation of mass gatherings, Cancelling or postponing conferences and large meetings, and not taking public transportation, including buses, subways, taxis, and rideshares. This leads to lockdown. Smartphone installed with relevant app brings people together even when this coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic forces us apart. Life has to go on. Students need education, people need food and medication, and economy has to be stable. Social distancing should not be complicated. These apps make your loved ones, team members and favorites accessible. It makes people not feeling as if they are jailed, but take social distancing as a social responsibility. The apps are categorized into video conferencing, social video chats, medical, entertainment, health & fitness, food & drinks, and apps for visual & hearing impairments.
... The rest of the participants were from different countries. Due to COVID-19, 58 percent of them returned home in fear, and quarantine, isolation, and social distance were violated for a Page: 278 economic capacity, and capital, each country's response is distinct (Jones, 2020). The government formed one Ag. ...
The fatal COVID-19 has engulfed 220 countries globally. Up to 26 May 2021, 7,93,693 confirmed cases and 12458 deaths were reported in Bangladesh, whereas globally it counted 16,74,92,769 cases and 34,82,907 deaths. The beleaguered healthcare system has conducted 58,71,353PCR tests since 8 March 2020 and ranked Bangladesh as 33rd position in world. This paper sketched out overall scenario as a narrative including the impact on health system, economics and response from government to tackle the pandemic. It gathered secondary data from sources including journals, newspapers, and government info site to retrieve current information. Although the government took measures such as lockdown, social distancing, quarantine, and isolation from initial stage, misconceptions on vaccination, personal health hygiene, and lack of public responses are retributive to the robust COVID-19 surge. To mitigate the lethal impact of COVID-19, the government needs to expand its vaccination programs and improve health care system.
The study aim was to assess the effects of the health emergency and the stay-at-home restrictions on loneliness variables in the Spanish population during the initial stage of COVID-19. A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online survey of 3480 people. From March 14, 2020, screening tests were used to evaluate sociodemographic and COVID-19-related data on loneliness, social support, the presence of mental health symptoms, discrimination, and spiritual well-being. Descriptive analyses were conducted and linear regression models were constructed. A negative association was found between loneliness and being older, being partnered, having children, being a university graduate, being retired or still working, having stronger religious beliefs, believing that information provided about the pandemic was adequate, having social support, and having self-compassion. Actions that promote social support and further studies on loneliness in groups of older people are needed to prevent the pandemic having a stronger impact on mental health and well-being.
The present world is passing a great pandemic where Bangladesh facing an unavoidable challenge to cope up with COVID-19. The government and other health organizations have announced some health warnings to prevent COVID-19 and make people aware. The study aims to explore the health warnings status (knowledge and practices of health warnings) among low socioeconomic people in Bangladesh. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 400 participants (low socioeconomic people) by using the purposive sampling and semi-structured questionnaire survey over six months. This study illustrates that 60% of respondents noticed they and their family members are very aware and knowledgeable about COVID-19where 36.5% are conscious to make their family aware about corona virus. About 32% of respondents use mask when they go to outside during corona period where 25% use hand sanitizer. It is found that there is a significant association between occupation, age and perception on people's awareness about COVID-19 at 1% level of significance where (p<0.002), (p<0.001) respectively. Along with, educational qualification is also significantly associated at 10% level of significance where (p<0.08).Most of the respondents have moderate level of knowledge and awareness about COVID-19 health warnings.
The present world is passing a great pandemic where Bangladesh facing an unavoidable challenge to cope up with COVID-19. The government and other health organizations have announced some health warnings to prevent COVID-19 and make people aware. The study aims to explore the health warnings status (knowledge and practices of health warnings) among low socioeconomic people in Bangladesh. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 400 participants (low socioeconomic people) by using the purposive sampling and semi-structured questionnaire survey over six months. This study illustrates that 60% of respondents noticed they and their family members are very aware and knowledgeable about COVID-19where 36.5% are conscious to make their family aware about corona virus. About 32% of respondents use mask when they go to outside during corona period where 25% use hand sanitizer. It is found that there is a significant association between occupation, age and perception on people's awareness about COVID-19 at 1% level of significance where (p<0.002), (p<0.001) respectively. Along with, educational qualification is also significantly associated at 10% level of significance where (p<0.08).Most of the respondents have moderate level of knowledge and awareness about COVID-19 health warnings.
El objetivo del estudio es analizar longitudinalmente los efectos del confinamiento derivados de la Covid-19 en la soledad de la población general española. Se evaluó mediante una encuesta online en tres momentos: dos semanas después del inicio del confinamiento (N = 3480), un mes después (N = 1041) y dos meses después con la vuelta al a nueva normalidad (N = 569). Se tomaron medidas de variables sociodemográficas, soledad, apoyo social, sintomatología depresiva y ansiosa. Para analizar el efecto de las medidas longitudinales se calculó un modelo lineal mixto (GLMM) para la variable soledad, con comparaciones posthoc mediante medias marginales estimadas con la corrección de Tuckey. La tendencia en las puntuaciones de soledad es descendente a lo largo del estudio longitudinal, disminuyendo las puntuaciones en la tercera evaluación de forma significativa (Z(T1-T2) = 0.13, p = 0.045). Los principales predictores para la soledad son la sintomatología depresiva y el apoyo social. Es necesario prestar una mayor atención a la soledad en la situación derivada por la pandemia, además de presentar atención a la sintomatología depresiva asociada y a las medidas de fortalecimiento de las redes de apoyo social.
Pessoas a partir dos 60 anos estão mais propensas ao agravamento da sua condição de saúde em função da COVID-19, principalmente, quando apresentam comorbidades, tais como diabetes, hipertensão e cardiopatia, que acabam por exacerbar os riscos da infecção pelo novo coronavírus, uma vez que podem dificultar o enfrentamento e a recuperação da doença. Isso tem implicações importantes para o desenvolvimento de ações de prevenção e tratamento da doença. Além do contexto biológico, devem ser considerados no planejamento e na execução dos cuidados aos idosos durante a pandemia aspectos emocionais, sociais e relacionais ligados ao envelhecimento, bem como características dos serviços de saúde. A COVID-19 tende a impactar a saúde e o bem-estar dos idosos, ainda que eles não sejam infectados pelo novo coronavírus. Nesse sentido, um primeiro desafio envolve as repercussões psicológicas da pandemia ou das medidas adotadas para contê-la, com destaque para o medo (por exemplo, de ser infectado, transmitir a doença, vir a falecer ou mesmo perder pessoas queridas), bem como à frustração e à solidão que podem ser provocadas em decorrência da mudança da rotina e do distanciamento social. Vale salientar que, antes mesmo da COVID-19, muitos idosos referiam se sentir isolados, de forma que as implicações das medidas adotadas para conter a doença têm potencial para amplificar o sofrimento nesses casos. Além disso, o avanço progressivo do tempo pode culminar em diversas perdas físicas, sociais e cognitivas para a pessoa idosa. Por isso, o contexto de pandemia de COVID-19 pode significar além de outras situações de estresse, mais perdas em potencial, o que vai exigir intensa elaboração emocional do sujeito que envelhece.
Objectives:
We explored the relationship between social isolation and mortality in a nationally representative US sample and compared the predictive power of social isolation with that of traditional clinical risk factors.
Methods:
We used data on 16,849 adults from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the National Death Index. Predictor variables were 4 social isolation factors and a composite index. Comparison predictors included smoking, obesity, elevated blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Unadjusted Kaplan-Meier tables and Cox proportional hazards regression models controlling for sociodemographic characteristics were used to predict mortality.
Results:
Socially isolated men and women had worse unadjusted survival curves than less socially isolated individuals. Cox models revealed that social isolation predicted mortality for both genders, as did smoking and high blood pressure. Among men, individual social predictors included being unmarried, participating infrequently in religious activities, and lacking club or organization affiliations; among women, significant predictors were being unmarried, infrequent social contact, and participating infrequently in religious activities.
Conclusions:
The strength of social isolation as a predictor of mortality is similar to that of well-documented clinical risk factors. Our results suggest the importance of assessing patients' level of social isolation.
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