COVID-19 lockdown has given us an opportunity to investigate the pollutant concentrations in response to the restricted anthropogenic activities. The atmospheric concentration levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O) have been analysed for the periods during the first wave of COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 (25th March-31st May 2020) and during the partial lockdowns due to second wave in 2021 (25th March-15th June 2021) across India. The trace gas measurements from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and Atmosphere InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) satellites have been used. An overall decrease in the concentration of O (5-10%) and NO (20-40%) have been observed during the 2020 lockdown when compared with business as usual (BAU) period in 2019, 2018 and 2017. However, the CO concentration increased up to 10-25% especially in the central-west region. O and NO slightly increased or had no change in 2021 lockdown when compared with the BAU period, but CO showed a mixed variation prominently influenced by the biomass burning/forest fire activities. The changes in trace gas levels during 2020 lockdown have been predominantly due to the reduction in the anthropogenic activities, whereas in 2021, the changes have been mostly due to natural factors like meteorology and long-range transport, as the emission levels have been similar to that of BAU. Later phases of 2021 lockdown saw the dominant effect of rainfall events resulting in washout of pollutants. This study reveals that partial or local lockdowns have very less impact on reducing pollution levels on a regional scale as natural factors like atmospheric long-range transport and meteorology play deciding roles on their concentration levels.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-11318-2 | DOI Listing |
Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord
January 2025
Teikoku Seiyaku, Higashikagawa, Japan.
Background: We previously reported that social restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic led to a decline in cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD). Here, we assessed the effects of COVID-19 restrictions on the activities of daily living (ADL) and disease severity in patients by comparing them to a control group.
Methods: We examined the impact on ADL, evaluated using disability assessment for dementia (DAD), and disease severity, evaluated using the ABC dementia scale, in patients with mild-to-moderate AD.
J Glob Health
January 2025
SAMRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the provision and utilisation of health care services with varying magnitude across settings due to spatial temporal variation in the burden of COVID-19 cases and the roll-out of local COVID-19 response policies. This study assesses changes in the provision and utilisation of health care services for three major chronic health conditions (HIV/AIDS, hypertension, and diabetes) over the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 pandemic periods in a rural South African sub-district of Agincourt.
Methods: Segmented interrupted time series regression models are applied to assess changes in the number of medication collection visits and new diagnoses for HIV/AIDS, hypertension, and diabetes from 1 January 2018 to 30 September 2021 covering the pre- COVID-19 period and the first three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth
January 2025
Department of Public Health Science, Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar (IIPHG), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.
Background: Access to essential healthcare services is pertinent to the achievement of universal health coverage in any nation. The COVID-19 lockdown was used to mitigate the spread of the pandemic. Consequently, there was a reduction in the Utilisation of Basic Healthcare Services (UBHS) in diverse dimensions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Pharm Policy Pract
January 2025
Department of Community Health and Behavioral Sciences, Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda.
Background: The medicines retail sector (MRS) enables access to life-saving health commodities. Despite efforts to harness this market for public health goals, in low- and middle-income countries it is rarely incorporated into pandemic preparedness. This paper analyses the role of the MRS in the response to COVID-19 in Uganda, the extent to which it was incorporated into national planning and in the continuity of essential services.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSoc Work Public Health
January 2025
Department of International Health, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, Netherlands.
The COVID-19 pandemic, and particularly the associated conditions of isolation, has detrimental effects on the mental health of the population that are not yet fully understood. Variables such as individual stress, anxiety, and tolerance to uncertainty may play a role in the ability of individuals to adapt to the isolation situation. In this context, it is necessary to pay attention to population groups that present difficulties in adapting to this situation of uncertainty, such as people with autism.
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