Full-text resources of CEJSH and other databases are now available in the new Library of Science.
Visit https://bibliotekanauki.pl

Results found: 16

first rewind previous Page / 1 next fast forward last

Search results

Search:
in the keywords:  pandemics
help Sort By:

help Limit search:
first rewind previous Page / 1 next fast forward last
EN
Introduction and aim. This study aimed to compare the hospitalization rate, mortality rate and morbidity status of patients hospitalized with stroke and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods. The data of 2522 patients who applied to the emergency department (ED) before and during the pandemic were evaluated. A Poisson regression analysis was used to examine the number of presentations between two different periods. Results. Stroke cases during the pandemic era were compared to those during the pre-pandemic period, and it was shown that the mortality rate for stroke patients during the pandemic period was much higher. Treatment-related ED presentations decreased significantly during the pandemic period, particularly among patients aged 75–84 years. Rates of ED presentation decreased by 84 percent (IRR: 0.14, 95 percent CI: 0.03-0.59) in those with DKA and by 37 percent (IRR: 0.67, 95 percent CI: 0.53- 0.75) in those with stroke during the pandemic period. Conclusion. Conclusion: Stroke and DKA admissions decreased during the pandemic, but the rate of stroke mortality increased statistically 3.375 times. Getting emergency medical care increases their chances of survival. Even in a COVID-19 outbreak, treatment is critical.
EN
The article focuses on the general principles regarding personal protection of people during a pandemic. The author indicates the difference between the concepts of an epidemic and a pandemic, characterizes civil protection, and specifies classification and possibilities of incorporating personal means of protection against biological infection. The text also highlights measures that contribute to protection of health and life of civilians as well as personal means of protection in the armed forces.The publication is based on the analysis of available literature on the subject. In the research process, the author used his many years of experience in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland (the chemical troops), including data gathered from simulation of conduct in CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) contaminated environment.
Ethics in Progress
|
2021
|
vol. 12
|
issue 1
84-94
EN
Often we have to decide on difficult problems and conflicts. For this, a certain level of moral competence is needed, in order to solve them as quickly and adequately as possible. Otherwise these problems and conflicts can overwhelm us, triggering a feeling of fear and panic, and making us react too slowly or inadequately, or both. Fear and panic can make us ignore problems and conflicts, attempt to “solve” them through brute force or deceit, or declare them to be beyond our responsibility and let an authority decide what to do. Often such makeshift solutions seem to work, but, more often, they have damaging effects. Therefore, society tries to curb criminal and anti-democratic activities through coercion, that is, through laws, law-enforcing institutions, and correction facilities – at high costs, and often with little efficacy. In this article I show that such coercion would not be needed if we gave all citizens an opportunity to develop their ability to solve conflicts and problems through thinking and discus-sion. Moral competence would immunize us against fear and panic, and thus also against immoral practices. Moral competence is not inborn in us, and it does not develop unless it is fostered through proper learning opportunities. Therefore, if we want to live together peace¬fully in a democratic society, we need to provide proper learning opportunities for everyone, not only of a few people. If the masses are infected by panic, a few rational people cannot stop this pandemic.
EN
Theoretical background: The sovereign creditworthiness and solvency in the context of the pandemic and war crises is one of the biggest challenges that the modern world and the financial market face. It has a key impact on the basic economic indicators, including the price of debt incurred by individual countries and, thus, the profitability of debt securities. The COVID-19 pandemic, which began at the turn of 2019 and 2020, and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine which started on 24 February 2022, have strongly impacted the level of debt of European states and other countries of the world. The energy crisis, which is currently growing, is also taking its toll on the main economic indicators. International credit rating agencies are institutions that have been analysing the sovereign creditworthiness and solvency and individual business entities for many decades. At times, their activities have been the subject of criticism, but their place in the global financial market seems unthreatened and the results of their work still constitute the basic indicator of creditworthiness and solvency evaluation. Purpose of the article: The purpose of this article is to present issues related to the impact of war and pandemic crises on the sovereign creditworthiness and solvency and also the position, role and decisions of international rating agencies. Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic, these are very important issues that have a real impact on the economic condition of individual countries as well as the standard of living of citizens. This article focuses on these elements of the contemporary reality. Research methods: The subject matter and purpose of the article have been illustrated against the background of current theoretical knowledge, historical research and the latest analyses of key economic indicators, such as inflation or bond yields. The study of the impact of wars on sovereign ratings was empirical. To visualise the historical scale of the wars and pandemics destruction, in the analytical part of the study, statistical data has been re-scaled to the current global population. Main findings: The research conducted in this article has indicated that crises related to a pandemic and war have a negative impact on the sovereign creditworthiness and solvency. Historical studies of armed conflicts and pandemics have shown that the former had a significantly greater impact on inflation and bond yields. For example, the level of inflation started to drop within one year after the end of the wars and almost immediately after the end of the pandemic. The same applied to bond yields. Of course, this was directly reflected in the evaluations of international rating agencies. The issues discussed in the article are of practical application, because the on-going war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic have had a very large impact on the global economy and the financial condition of individual countries. Our research also shows that the war hit the ratings of sovereign countries directly involved in the war, while other countries’ ratings (possibly threatened by aggression from Russia in the future – e.g. EU countries) remain stable.
5
75%
EN
Hereby article can be perceived as an attempt to analyze the consequences of pandemics for the society in general and education in particular. It gives an overview of pandemics throughout centuries with special emphasis on education, schools and universities. Attention has been drawn onto the measures having been taken to mitigate the negative consequences pandemics brought about. Special consideration has been devoted to current situation in Poland with the emphasis on negative effects and deep analysis of the reasons which caused chaos and deficiencies in actions undertaken by the authorities, has been put forward. Authors focus on the individual approach of both teachers and students towards distant learning, Reasons and potential consequences of the failure of on-line education. In this article, the authors argue that epidemics are pushing education sideways. The quality of education decreases and the desire to acquire knowledge decreases. The main goal of the article was to show the education process in the past and present under pandemic conditions. The authors made an attempt to show what can be kept in the education process and what must be abandoned. The discussions in this text show education as a victim of a pandemic, about this problem relatively little is said, although value of the education in the development of civilization is unquestionable.
EN
Objectives The COVID-19 outbreak is an example of a crisis that triggered an increase in generalized anxiety disorder. The study aims to validate the Polish version of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) by Spitzer et al. among a non-clinical sample of employees and examine the invariance depending on the gender and age of working adults. Material and Methods For assessing factor structure of the Polish version of the GAD-7, the data were collected from a sample of 821 adults employed in 4 economic sectors (health care, education, IT, public administration) during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland (April 10–May 24, 2020). Due to differences in the severity of GAD symptoms across gender and age groups, the measurement invariance in these groups was tested. Results The results of a series of confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the unidimensionality of the GAD-7. The values of the composite reliability index and Cronbach’s α showed that it is a reliable tool. The GAD levels demonstrated strong relationships with professional burnout, psychological distress, and psychological complaints. These relationships were stronger than the relationships between these factors and job satisfaction. Construct, metric and scalar invariance across gender and age groups were documented. Women experienced more severe symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder than men. Generalized anxiety disorder affected 28% of respondents. Conclusions This study contributes evidence of the validation of the GAD among employees and also confirms the invariance depending on gender and age. The Polish version of the GAD-7 has good psychometric properties in a group of professionals and can be recommended for research and to be used in an occupational medicine practice, especially during crisis periods associated with the risk of developing a generalized anxiety disorder.
EN
Objectives A significant proportion of healthcare workers (HCWs) had been infected with SARS-CoV-2, which complicated the organization of patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the exact scale of infection prevalence among the group of HCWs is not known, therefore this study aimed to assess the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among HCWs in the Silesian voivodeship, Poland, and to define its determinants. Material and Methods The cross-sectional study was conducted in 2 multidisciplinary hospitals in the Silesian voivodeship during the period October 2021–February 2022. The standardized WHO questionnaire Surveillance protocol for SARS-CoV-2 infection among health workers was completed by 242 HCWs. To assess the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and its determinants, such as personal, occupational, and work environment-related conditions and preventive behaviors, the collected data were subjected to statistical analysis. For this purpose, descriptive and analytical statistics (significance of differences in χ² test) were used. Results Almost half (42.6%) of subjects were infected with coronavirus, most frequently care assistants (57.1%) and paramedics (50%). People suffering from chronic diseases were infected significantly more often (p < 0.001). The majority of the infected HCWs declared previous contact with COVID-19 patients (56.3%). Unfortunately, 10.3% of respondents refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19, most often care assistants (38.1%) and nurses (10.6%). The determinants such as sex, age, occupation, place of work (ward), participation in occupational safety and health training, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), or preventive behaviors did not significantly affect the risk of infection (p > 0.05). Conclusions Even though the PPE was used and the percentage of fully vaccinated HCWs against COVID-19 was high (89.7%), the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 infected HCWs remains high at 42.6% (95% CI: 40.7–44.5%). The main determinants of SARS-CoV-2 infection risk among HCWs were previous contact with infected individuals and the presence of chronic disease.
EN
Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic has globally affected healthcare workers’ (HCWs) health and wellbeing. Most studies on COVID-19 have focused on tertiary healthcare. The aim of this study was to increase the knowledge on the effects of the pandemic on working conditions in tertiary and primary healthcare. Material and Methods The comparative cross-sectional study consisted of an online questionnaire sent to HCWs of the City of Helsinki (primary healthcare) and Helsinki University Hospital (tertiary healthcare). Altogether 1580 HCWs with direct patient contact participated in the study: 895 from tertiary and 685 from primary healthcare. Statistical analysis used SPSS 25 from IBM. The tests used were the χ² test, Fisher’s exact test, and binary logistic regression analysis. Results Primary HCWs were less likely to treat COVID-19 patients (OR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.37–0.56). However, both groups reported a similar number of COVID-19 infections, primary HCWs 4.9% and tertiary HCWs 5.0%, and workrelated quarantine was significantly more prevalent (OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.38–2.79) among primary HCWs. In addition, work-related wellbeing was poorer among primary HCWs than tertiary HCWs in terms of feeling more stressed at work (OR = 3.20, 95% CI: 2.55–4.02), not recovering from work (OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.39–0.62), reported mental wellbeing below normal levels (OR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.26–2.00), and increased working hours (OR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.25–2.12). Conclusions The study demonstrates how the pandemic has affected the wellbeing and working conditions of not only tertiary but also less studied primary HCWs. The authors’ findings suggest that the challenges identified during the COVID-19 pandemic in the health and wellbeing of healthcare workers are even greater in primary care than in tertiary care. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2023;36(1):139–50
EN
This article has investigated the considerations of healthcare facilities to utilize reusable respirators as an alternative to disposable respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision to choose specific equipment should be based on the protection factors and also on the overall analysis of given conditions. International scientific databases, such as Web of Science, PubMed and MedLine, were searched on May 5, 2020, with the following key words: COVID-19, respiratory protection, surgical masks, filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) and disposable respirators. The differences between various respiratory protective equipment, i.e., surgical masks, respirators such as FFRs, elastomeric half-facepiece respirators, elastomeric full-facepiece respirators and powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs), were compared. Reusable elastomeric respirators (RERs) may provide a better adaptation to the face and may be more stable when used by healthcare providers (HCPs). Protection factors were found to be higher in FFRs compared to surgical masks. While FFRs provide a one-tenth decrease in the inhaled aerosol concentration, PAPRs diminish the inhaled aerosol up to one-twenty-fifth. Even with some full-face PAPRs and helmets, the protection factor assigned by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration can reach a value up to 1000. For HCPs, the evidence shown in this article provides an additional support for the utilization of RERs. Such equipment might be less prone to leakages, can provide a better fit, and indicates a better stability compared to disposable FFRs (N95 and similar). By providing higher protection factors, reusable elastomeric respirators are recommended to be used by HCPs under controlled cleaning and disinfection protocols.
EN
Introduction and aim. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant changes in human life. As a result of these changes, it is important to determine the effects on the child and family life. This study was conducted to determine the challenges experienced by children and their families while home quarantine in the pandemic. Material and methods. The study was conducted with parents who had children aged 6-18, use social media, and willing to participate in the study. A total of 450 parents participated in the study. Online survey was used. Results. It was determined that some of parental daily activities decreased (doing sports, communicating with friends, engaging in hobbies) and some of them increased (personal hygiene, internet, and playing games with their children). The decreased daily activities of children (doing sports and communicating with friends) and increased activities (eating, personal hygiene, internet, and social media use, playing with toys and technological devices) were detected. There was an increase in some of the family activities (watching movies, playing games, and studying). Conclusion. It was determined that the home quarantine in the pandemic led to some negative changes in the daily living habits, lifestyles, and feelings of the family.
PL
W artykule zaprezentowane zostaną najważniejsze wyzwania o charakterze organizacyjnym, metodologicznym i etycznym w projekcie „Pamiętniki Pandemii”. Działając w swoistym „laboratorium badawczym”, którym stała się pandemia koronawirusa, stanęłyśmy przed różnorodnymi pytaniami. Pierwsze z nich dotyczyło tego, jak oddzielić konkurs od projektu badawczego. W artykule opiszemy, w jaki sposób konkurs pamiętnikarski różni się od badania metodą dokumentów osobistych. Omówimy również proces wyboru najlepszych pamiętników i przyjęte przez nas kryteria oceny. Druga interesująca nas kwestia dotyczy wyzwań wiążących się z realizacją konkursu pamiętnikarskiego w okresie twardego lockdownu. Później wyzwaniem stała się analiza pamiętników zawierających trudne, osobiste relacje i opisujących indywidualne dramaty. W artykule zaprezentujemy szereg rozwiązań, które przyjęłyśmy podczas przeprowadzania projektu, takich jak koleżeńskie wsparcie, szczególna dbałość o anonimizację czy zabezpieczenie materiału przed dostępem osób trzecich.
EN
The article focuses on the main challenges of an organisational, methodological and ethical nature in the ‘Pandemic Diaries’ project. Operating in a peculiar ‘research laboratory’ of the coronavirus pandemic, we faced a number of issues. First, we wondered how to set a competition apart from a research project. In the article, we present the distinguishing features of the diary competition, which make it different from the method of personal document study. We also discuss the process of selecting the best diaries and the evaluation criteria we adopted. Second, we look at the challenges of carrying out a diary competition during the ‘hard’ lockdown period as well as at the challenge of analysing the diaries that contain troubled personal accounts and describe individuals’ dramas. In the article, we propose several solutions that we tested when implementing the project, such as collegial support, special care for anonymisation, and securing the material from third party access.
12
Content available remote

“Black swans” in administrative law

63%
EN
“Black swans” represent major adverse events having tremendous consequences that are prospectively (though not retrospectively) unpredictable. Fact is that the existing law may provide for certain measures that will be able to cope with some of the consequences of a “black swan”. However, due to the unpredictable nature of “black swans”, their ex ante regulation by the means of law seems to be not entirely possible. This article aims to address – in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic – mutual relations between the features of “black swans” and administrative law.
PL
W artykule przeanalizowano dane liczbowe pochodzące z 116 111 – telefonu zaufania dla dzieci i młodzieży zebrane przez Fundację Dajemy Dzieciom Siłę (FDDS) w latach 2019 i 2020. Uzyskane wyniki wskazują na pogorszenie ogólnego stanu zdrowia psychicznego dzieci i młodzieży w wyniku pandemii COVID-19 oraz wprowadzanych restrykcji mających na celu ograniczenia jej rozprzestrzeniania się. Pandemia spowodowała u dzieci i nastolatków wzrost częstości stanów lęku, niepokoju, napięcia, stresu i samotności, co przełożyło się na częstsze występowanie myśli i prób samobójczych, a co za tym idzie zwiększyło liczbę interwencji podejmowanych przez pracowników FDDS. Izolacja i zamknięcie ograniczyły dostęp do podstawowej opieki psychologicznej zapewnianej przez placówki edukacyjne, a także wpłynęła na zmianę paradygmatu komunikacyjnego między dziećmi a telefonem zaufania.
EN
The article analyses statistical data gathered by 116 111 Helpline for Children and Youth (116111) by Empowering Children Foundation in 2020. Analyzed data indicate that state of psychiatric health amongst children and youth has deteriorated, which can be attributed to COVID-19 pandemics, as well as restrictions imposed by government to combat its spread. The pandemics has increased states of fear, anxiety, tension, stress and loneliness that translated to higher percent of suicidal thoughts and attempts, which in result increased the number of interventions carried out by employees of Empowering Children Foundation. Isolation and lockdown have limited access to basic psychological healthcare provided by schools. Those factors also changed the paradigm of communication between kids and Helpline.
PL
The article is combined of six chapters authored by these who voiced their experiences with social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemics in various contexts, but mostly centered on psychological, sociological, and ethical aspects. Authors, mostly psychologists and philosophers, were invited to describe their perspectives on the sense and practice of social distancing in times of pandemics. Their reflections seek to demonstrate various perspectives related to subjects’ novel self-experience, social situatedness, and their dealing with conventions and habits altered through the pandemics. As “the owl of Minerva takes its flight only when the shades of night are gathering” (Hegel), there is no conclusion in this article. It rather encourages other authors to reflect on the nearly global, still lasting phenomenon.
15
51%
EN
This article was written as a preface to a thematic issue of „Tematy i Konteksty” entitled „Literature in the face of epidemic crisis„. It is the essay addressing the impact, which COVID-19 virus has had on contemporary man and the reality surrounding him. The author, in his deliberations, focused on many aspects of the pandemic: medical, sociological, philosophical, psychological and cultural. A very important element of the essay is an attempt of capture universal social-cultural mechanisms, which are distinctive to a time of pandemic. Another crucial issue addressed in this essay is tracing the cultural and literary paradigms, which are followed in both social and individual aspects of time of pandemic. The other essential matter which was looked into are people’s attitudes taken towards virus itself, other people and themselves.
PL
Artykuł napisany został jako wstęp do numeru tematycznego „Tematów i Kontekstów” pt. Literatura wobec kryzysu epidemii. Jest to esej omawiający wpływ wirusa Covid-19 na współczesnego człowieka i otaczającą go rzeczywistość. W rozważaniach autor skupił się na wielu aspektach pandemii: medycznych, socjologicznych, filozoficznych, psychologicznych i kulturowych. Ważnym składnikiem rozważań jest  próba uchwycenia uniwersalnych mechanizmów społeczno-kulturowych towarzyszących czasom epidemii, prześledzenie paradygmatów kulturowych i literackich, które realizowane są w aspekcie społecznym i jednostkowym w czasach zarazy, postaw wobec wirusa, drugiego człowieka i samego siebie.
EN
This essay is divided into two parts. The first part is an account of my own very personal impressions and memories of my encounter with Janusz Kuczynski’s vision of a “new form of universalism.” I focus on Kuczynski’s attempt to interpret “the meaning of recent history” in his day and times. This account does not aim at a definitive account of Kuczynski’s thinking but rather at my interpretation of what I consider to be the most promising and defensible version of his ideas. This is an account of my impressions as I remember them filtered through personal experiences over the past three decades. Other interpretations are possible and perhaps even necessary for a more complete account. The second part attempts to articulate what I consider to be the lasting relevance of those ideas. I attempt to say something about the meaning of “this moment in history,” unfolding in my place and in my times. I hope to point toward the lasting relevance of Kuczynski’s thinking by relying on those ideas to say something insightful about the ecological, social, and political events occurring as I write this essay, events that are shaped by a historical pandemic as my country erupts into massive political demonstrations seeking social and racial justice in my country.
first rewind previous Page / 1 next fast forward last
JavaScript is turned off in your web browser. Turn it on to take full advantage of this site, then refresh the page.