Irish journal of medical science
-
Pneumococcal diseases (PN) and herpes zoster (HZ) are preventable infections in the adult population. ⋯ The public obtain information on vaccines from friends and family members, which may result in misinformation and inappropriate behaviour in vaccination. Although educational sessions provided by pharmacists did not increase the actual vaccination rates for PN and HZ, public willingness to vaccination has increased.
-
The Irish people were put on lockdown in mid-March 2020 due to concern of the spread of coronavirus. With these societal changes came a notable reduction in emergency department attendance. Our aim was to analyse emergency urological procedures performed during the COVID-19 era versus the previous year. ⋯ Whilst patients with ureteric colic continue to present, those with acute testis pain requiring exploration attended less frequently, raising the possibility of undiagnosed testicular torsion in the community.
-
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults have been prioritized in public health campaigns to limit social interactions and 'cocoon' in their homes. This limits the autonomy of older people and may have unintended adverse consequences. ⋯ Adverse consequences of 'cocooning' were commonly expressed amongst older adults. Public health policy should take into account the heterogeneity of this population and be sensitive to their self-expressed wishes and priorities.
-
Surgical masks have become an important accessory of physical activity in daily life due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ The surgical mask use affected the maximal exercise capacity of middle-aged participants more than young participants. Although males performed better than females in tests without masks, the decrease in exercise capacity with mask use was greater than in females. Advanced age and male gender may be factors that need more attention during exercise with mask use.
-
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how maternity care services are provided worldwide. To contain the virus, many providers reduced the number of face-to-face visits for women. In addition, partner attendance was prohibited in many circumstances to protect staff, and other service users, from potential infection. ⋯ The pandemic caused additional anxiety for pregnant women. This was exacerbated by uncertainty about the effects of COVID-19 on pregnancy and unclear messaging about restrictions. More interactive and personalized communication is required to support women to cope with uncertainty during a pandemic. The birth partner plays an important role as an advocate for women and excluding them from pregnancy care caused additional anxiety for pregnant women. Containment strategies for a pandemic should be developed with this in mind, to view the family as a unit rather than the woman in isolation.