UWI researchers: Virus taking mental toll on TT

UWI is researching how the covid19 pandemic is affecting different facets of society.

The Faculty of Medical Sciences and its Caribbean Centre for Health Systems Research and Development at UWI, St Augustine presented preliminary results for some of the research projects in a virtual symposium last Thursday.

Psychologist Dr Katija Khan examined public agreement with the public health prevention measures during the first wave of covid19 in TT.

Analysis showed that men were less likely to agree with public health measures than women. She said the results highlighted the need for consistent and gender-specific targeted messaging for improving agreement and subsequently compliance with the measures, especially given higher covid19 complication rates and mortality among men.

Special-needs dentistry lecturer Dr Ramaa Balkaran did research on the stressors of dental academics at the dental schools at UWI Mona Campus in Jamaica and UWI St Augustine.

She found that many of the professionals surveyed were worried about the covid19 pandemic in general, and the possiblilty they could contract covid19 from an asymptomatic patient owing to the nature of their work.

She said a main concern was the fear they could infect their families, but a little more than half thought they were in control of their lives.

Med students comfortable learning online

Psychiatrist Dr Sandra Reid investigated the clinical student experience of emergency remote teaching at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, St Augustine. She said after schools were closed, the faculty faced the challenge of delivering the curriculum while keeping students and staff safe.

Almost 300 students from six disciplines completed an online survey of their perception of the learning environment, ease of teaching, challenges experienced and effectiveness of strategies used.

She said students were mostly satisfied with the ease of teaching, since it was self-paced and in their own space, as well as the formative feedback received, effective communication by teachers, ease of learning and decreased intensity of workdays. They said the main challenge was unstable internet connectivity.

Medical students underscored the advantages of student exposure to a wider range of teachers, and students in all programmes were concerned about decreased social interactions, as they suggested an important role for social connectedness in medical education.

Students would not recommend online teaching strategies for clinical instruction but recommended online strategies to reduce physical demands on students and to allow more equitable exposure to all teachers.

Reid also studied covid19 concerns and coping among people with chronic medical illnesses. She said most people who reported having a chronic medical illness (CMI) were older women. The most common concern was for the overall health and wellbeing of family and loved ones.

More people with a CMI were concerned about personal health and well-being, catching covid19, availability of food and medicines, access to appropriate medical care, and the need to wear masks.

Rates of moderate/severe depression were higher amongst people with CMIs, though anxiety did not differ.

Ganja use up post-lockdown

Nicotine use did not significantly change during the early stage of the pandemic but among those with CMI, marijuana use increased post-lockdown.

She said the nature of the relationship between chronic medical illness, depression, and marijuana use needs to be explored, as nicotine has been described as a risk factor for severe covid19 illness, and the effect of marijuana on covid19 should similarly be a focus of attention.

Pharmacy lecturer Dr Sandeep Maharaj assessed the preparedness for covid19 of 77 primary health care facilities in TT. He found over 70 per cent of facilities found that the assessment criteria of human resources; information, education and communication; surveillance; and triage and early recognition had been fully operational.

Facilities reported a sufficient supply of oxygen cylinders, pulse oximeters and oxygen systems, medical masks, surgical scrubs, and long cuffed gloves.

A laboratory where samples should be sent was identified by 68 per cent of facilities.

Areas which were less than adequate included availability in sufficient supply of equipment and supplies for sample collection and storage and fully operational procedures for visitor restriction and the maintenance of records of people entering isolation rooms.

Public worried about economy

Student statistician and engineer Dr Lori Selby explored the knowledge, attitude and practice of the population towards covid19. She distributed a questionnaire to 530 people aged 18 and over.

Selby said although many people were confident that TT could win the battle against covid19, a large majority acknowledged that it threatens the nation’s economic stability. She said measures toward continued public education, particularly for those aged 18-24, and those earning $3,200 a month or less, should seek to reduce the gap between knowledge and desirable practices.

She said negative disease-related stigmas should also be addressed and debunked.

Public health specialist Dr Nyla Lyons explored using telehealth to address the psychological and health needs for people with HIV during the covid19 pandemic at the Medical Research Foundation of TT.

The foundation is the largest HIV treatment facility in the country, accounting for approximately 75 per cent of patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) nationally. She found that between March and June 2020, the foundation successfully reached 80 per cent of patients scheduled for their routine clinical visits, via telehealth assisting to refer stable patients, those virally unsuppressed and others for appropriate care.

Another 30 per cent of patients were further referred for teletherapy with a psychologist. Telehealth improved access for patients with transport difficulties, those with challenges accessing in-person care, and vulnerable patients experiencing stigma.

Economist Dr Diedron Lewis looked at a sustainable development approach to stabilisation and recovery from the covid19 pandemic. His research explored the impacts of the pandemic on food security and the environment, regional growth, health, poverty and social protection systems among Caricom countries.

It highlighted the economic, social and environmental impacts of the pandemic, and identified linkages among these factors to form strategies for stabilisation and sustainable development.

Some of the key indicators included GDP growth, unemployment rate, balance of payments, food import bill, number of people accessing social grants and carbon dioxide emissions.

He said the pandemic has underscored the need for greater economic, social and environmental resilience through continuous adaptation and re-imagination of regional sustainable development.

Lewis said the response for stabilisation and recovery requires a cohesive approach from all disciplines with the recognition that challenges can be addressed simultaneously without necessarily competing.