Exploration of sex-specific and age-dependent COVID-19 fatality rate in Bangladesh population

Difference in presentation, outcomes, and hospital epidemiologic trend of COVID-19 among first, second, and third waves: a review of hospital records and prospective cohort study

This study aimed to examine the differences in epidemiologic and disease aspects among patients with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19).

METHODS

The authors reviewed the hospital records between April 2020 and September 2021 and followed up on the patients for post-COVID complications.

FINDINGS

Older adult patients were predominantly affected during the third wave, and middle-aged patients were predominantly affected during the first and second waves. Men were predominantly admitted, considering the three waves, although more women were admitted in the second wave. Cough was more common in the second and third waves than in the first wave 522 (59.7%). Respiratory distress was the most common in the third wave, 251(67.1%), and least common in the first wave, 403 (46.1%). Anosmia was more common in the third wave 116 (31.2%). In the third wave, patients presenting in a critical state 23 (6.2%) and with severe disease 152 (40.8%) were more common. The hospital admission median (IQR) was longer in the first wave, 12 (8-20), than in other waves. More patients were admitted in the first wave (52%) than in the other waves, and patients received more oxygen in the third wave (75%) than in the other waves. Death occurred more commonly in the first wave (51%) than in the other waves. The positivity rate was higher in the third wave (22.8%) than in the other waves. In the third wave, the positivity rate was higher in women (24.3%) than in men. Post-COVID cough increased in the second wave, and fatigue was higher in the third wave than in the other waves. Tiredness and memory loss were greater during the second wave than in other waves.

CONCLUSION

The authors found differences in the presentation, outcomes, and hospital epidemiologic trend of COVID-19 among the three waves.

Systems thinking on the gendered impacts of COVID-19 in Bangladesh: A systematic review

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected women and threatens to overturn four decades of progress in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5: Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment. To better grasp the key areas of concern that gender inequality exists, gender studies and sex-disaggregated evidence are required. Using the PRISMA technique, this review paper is the first attempt to present a comprehensive and current picture of the gendered dimensions of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh regarding economic well-being, resource endowments, and agency. This study found that women were more likely to face hardship as widows, mothers, or sole breadwinners after the loss of husbands and male household members because of the pandemic. The evidence suggests that the advancement of women during this pandemic was hampered by poor reproductive health outcomes; girls' dropping out of school; job loss; less income; a comparable wage gap; a lack of social security; unpaid work burnout; increased emotional, physical, and sexual abuse; an increase in child marriages; and less participation in leadership and decision-making. Our study found inadequate sex-disaggregated data and gender studies on COVID-19 in Bangladesh. However, our research concludes that policies must account for gender disparities and male and female vulnerability across multiple dimensions to achieve inclusive and effective pandemic prevention and recovery.

Masculinity, Perceived Vulnerability to COVID-19, and Adoption of Protective Behaviors

Epidemiological data show that men and women have similar probabilities of contracting COVID-19. However, men with COVID-19 tend to have more severe outcomes than women. We performed two studies to analyze the associations between gender, adherence to traditional masculinity ideology, perceived vulnerability to COVID-19, and the adoption of protective behaviors against COVID-19. In Study 1 (quota sample of the Italian adult population, N = 1,142), we found no differences between men and women in terms of the perceived probability of contracting COVID-19. However, compared to women, men perceived themselves to be less likely to suffer severe consequences if falling ill. In Study 2 (Italian community sample, N = 305), a moderated mediation model showed that adherence to traditional masculinity ideology moderated the association between being man and the perceived severity of the consequences of COVID-19, which, in turn, showed negative associations with three protective behaviors against COVID-19. The article ends with a discussion of the strengths and limitations of this research.

Mental Health Status of Teachers During the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Web-Based Study in Bangladesh

Background

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Bangladesh implemented strict non-therapeutic measures, i.e., "social distancing," "lockdown," "work from home," in the first quarter of 2020. Like other professionals, teachers at schools, colleges and universities were confined within households. However, the introduction of online education imposed an additional burden on teachers along with growing household responsibilities, thus, affecting their psychological state.

Aims

This study was aimed to explore the prevalence of mental health problems among teachers in Bangladesh and to identify the associated risk factors.

Methods

This web-based cross-sectional study was conducted during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. Data were collected from 381 teachers working at schools, colleges, and universities between 01 August and 29 August 2021 by administering a self-reported e-questionnaire using Google Form, where the mental health of teachers was assessed by depression, anxiety, and stress scale. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics (Version 26) and STATA Version 16, and multiple linear regression was executed to predict mental health problems among teachers.

Results

The findings indicate that the overall prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among teachers was 35.4%, 43.7%, and 6.6%, respectively. The prevalence was higher among male and older teachers than among their female and younger colleagues. The findings further showed that place of residence, institution, self-reported health, usage of social and electronic media, and fear of COVID-19 significantly influenced the mental health status of teachers.

Conclusion

It is strongly recommended that the government and policymakers provide proper mental health services to teachers in order to reduce mental health problems and thus sustain the quality of education during and after the pandemic.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Toward the Prevention of COVID-19 in Bangladesh: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

Numerous studies on knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) about the prevention of COVID-19 infections are available in Bangladeshi contexts, with results that vary significantly. However, no earlier attempt has been made to analyze the available COVID-19 KAP studies in Bangladesh, which is incorporated in this meta-analysis for the first time.

Methods

Following the PRISMA guidelines, articles relevant to COVID-19 KAP that were conducted among the Bangladeshi population were found in databases such as PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate. Random-effect meta-analysis was used to generate a pooled prevalence of knowledge, attitude, and practice level toward the prevention of COVID-19 infection.

Results

This review included 18 articles that were published between March 2020 and November 2021. Overall, 89.87% (95% CI: 67.71-97.40) understood about COVID-19 symptoms, 92.09% (95% CI: 84.32-96.18) knew about how it spreads, and 79.51% (95% CI: 59.38-91.15) knew about how to treat it. The public's perception of controlling COVID-19 is mixed, with only 44.16% (95% CI: 35.74-52.93) and 60.28% (95% CI: 49.22-70.38) believing the country would win the struggle against the pandemic and the infection will be successfully controlled, respectively. Although overall COVID-19 preventative practice was good, subgroup analysis found that men had a poor practice toward controlling the infection. The practice of avoiding crowded places (70.15%) and maintaining social distance (77.17%) was found to be satisfactory in institution-based studies.

Conclusion

The findings of this study revealed that the Bangladeshi population had a good awareness of COVID-19 symptoms, treatment, attitudes, and behaviors. The findings of this study are likely to aid Bangladeshi governments and policymakers in putting evidence into action by identifying gaps and emphasizing the importance of educating the less informed public about COVID-19 transmission.

Factors associated with differential COVID-19 mortality rates in the SEAR nations: a narrative review

Objectives

Since December 2019, the world has been grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused severe loss of lives, the breakdown of health infrastructure, and disruption of the global economy. There is growing evidence on mortality patterns in high-income countries. However, similar evidence from low/middle-income nations is lacking. Our review aimed to describe COVID-19 mortality patterns in the WHO-SEAR nations, and explore the associated factors in order to explain such trends.

Methods

A systematic and comprehensive search was undertaken in PubMed and Google Scholar to obtain maximum hits on COVID-19 mortality and its determinants in the SEAR, using a combination of MeSH terms and Boolean operators. The data were narratively synthesized in detail under appropriate themes.

Results

Our search identified 6411 unique records. Mortality patterns were described in terms of important demographical and epidemiological indicators. Gaps in available evidence and paucity of adequate research in this area were also highlighted.

Conclusions

This review examined significant contributors to COVID-19 mortality across SEAR nations, while emphasizing issues relating to insufficient studies and data quality, and reporting challenges and other concerns in resource-constrained settings. There is a compelling need for more work in this area, to help inform decision making and improve public-health response.

A cross-sectional study of COVID-19-related knowledge, risk perceptions, and preventive practices among pharmacy students in Bangladesh

OBJECTIVES

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic is a threat to public health that impacts the life of frontline pharmacists as they are more susceptible to getting infected by the coronavirus. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, risk perceptions, and preventive practices associated with coronavirus disease 2019 among pharmacy students of Bangladesh to evaluate their preparedness as future frontline workers against the ongoing pandemic.

METHODS

An online-based cross-sectional study was conducted among pharmacy undergraduate students of Bangladesh during the early months of the pandemic in April 2020. Respondents voluntarily submitted an online questionnaire regarding sociodemographics, knowledge, risk perceptions, and preventive practices related to coronavirus disease 2019.

RESULTS

A total of 418 participants submitted their responses, and we included 395 responses for final analysis. The mean age of the participants was 20.65 years. The study revealed that out of 395 pharmacy students, 68 (17.2%) had high levels of knowledge, 210 (53.2%) possessed high risk perceptions regarding coronavirus disease 2019, and 165 (41.7%) were adopting high levels of preventive practices. Average scores for knowledge, risk perceptions, and preventive practices were 5.7, 8.4, and 8.2 out of 10. Chi-square test and logistic regression analyses showed that having high knowledge levels was associated with high risk perceptions regarding coronavirus disease 2019. Similarly, higher risk perceptions were associated with having high knowledge and preventive measures, while higher preventive measures were associated with female gender, low monthly family income, and having high risk perceptions.

CONCLUSION

We found moderate knowledge, risk perceptions, and preventive practices related to coronavirus disease 2019 among the undergraduate pharmacy students. We recommend awareness-building discussions or seminars focusing on pharmacy students. In addition, the upgradation of the existing curriculum may help future pharmacists.

COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among Bangladeshi adults: Understanding predictors of vaccine intention to inform vaccine policy

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of COVID-19 vaccine intention among Bangladeshi adults.

METHODS

Secondary data from the COVID-19 Beliefs, Behaviors & Norms Survey conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Facebook were analyzed. Data were collected from 2,669 adult Facebook users in Bangladesh and was collected between February 15 and February 28, 2021. Binomial logistic regression examined the relationship between COVID-19 vaccination intent and demographic variables, risk perception, preventive behaviors, COVID-19 knowledge, and likelihood of future actions.

RESULTS

Seventy-nine percent of respondents reported intent to get the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available. Intent to get vaccinated was highest among females, adults aged 71-80, individuals with college or graduate-level degrees, city dwellers, and individuals who perceived that they were in excellent health. Results of the binomial logistic regression indicated that predictors of vaccination intent include age (OR = 1.39), high risk perception of COVID-19 (OR = 1.47), and intent to practice social distancing (OR = 1.22).

DISCUSSION

Findings suggest that age, perceived COVID-19 risk, and non-pharmaceutical COVID-19 interventions may predict COVID-19 vaccination intent among Bangladeshi adults. Findings can be used to create targeted messaging to increase demand for and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in Bangladesh.