J Mukhopadhyay

Background: Tobacco use is one of the important causes of preventable morbidity & mortality. Worldwide there are 1.1 billion tobacco users with 182 million living in India. College students are highly vulnerable because of their young age, curious mind and adventurous behaviour. Considering potential risk, it was decided to ascertain trend, social risks and correlates of tobacco use among under-graduates in a north Indian town. Materials and Methods: 228 under-graduate students of a college were selected by stratified random sampling and studied during May – July 2018. Institutional approval and individual consent were taken. A pre-tested, structured proforma was introduced to students in small batches to obtain information on demographic traits, smoking habits and smoking related attributing factors. Data obtained was tabulated and statistically analysed. Result: Majority of the students (67.1%) belonged to 21-25 years age. 65.7% were male and 15.79% of them were using tobacco. Girls didn’t indulge in tobacco. Significantly higher proportions of smokers were hostellers, belonged to lower middle class families from rural linage. Smoker’s son indulged in smoking significantly more than son of non-smokers. Imitating smoker father or brother found significantly contributory. 37-60% knew about ill effects of smoking through media or warning on packs. Conclusion: Study showed relatively petite trend with significant cognizance of adverse effects of smoking among collegiate portraying a favourable prospect anew from past observations. Identification of at-risk students is a felt-need and is advocated to be addressed among collegiate through periodic campaign.   Keywords: Smoking, College students, Son of smokers, Hosteller.

Background: Professional organizations play indispensible role among medical practitioners ensuring gold standard medical care and treatment. Organisational membership effectuates expression of clinical work, scientific understanding and ardour for distinction. Considering ever-exceeding scientific unfurling in clinical horizon and organisations’ role in upholding therapeutic excellence, it was decided to construe membership status among certain doctors inter-alia, reckoning allied benefits, if any. Materials and Methods: Study was conducted among 72 doctors selected semi-purposively from certain consenting medicos connected to scholar through various links during August’ 19 - October’ 19 incorporating medicos from diverse age-groups, specialities and functional domains. Sample size was calculated on basis of membership percentage observed in pilot study. Structured pre-tested questionnaire was formulated including participants’ personal attributes and parameters related to their membership in professional organisations with benefits ensued there-by. Questionnaires were circulated online, collected, analysed and tabulated. Result: Majority (44.4%) belonged to 41-50 years and overall 59.7% availed organizational membership. Most were male (66.7%), post-graduate (52.7%), private practitioner (30.6%) with 47.2% harbouring 21-30 years expertise. Many benefitted by ‘relevant information’ (74.4%), ‘professional acquaintance’ (55.8%) and publication (51.1%). Personal reason (27.9%), scarce time, routine commitments (23.2% each) represented common pretexts for missing membership errands. Post-graduate, middle aged, experienced, male, private practitioners found significantly endowed with wealth of clinical information, publications, clinical acquaintances, professional knowledge and interactive confidence being associative. Conclusion: Study elicited precious information about elite professionals elucidating orientation towards model clinical society. Further research is recommended to explore factors that could play important role in professional lives to achieve excellence.   Keywords: Medical practitioners, Organisational membership, Professional excellence.

Background: The calamitous apocalyptic COVID-19 pandemic has vitiated global life inscrutably in the recent era. The vicious contagion ravaged life not only with disease & death but even precipitated psychological dysphoria among many. Considering this alarming consternation, it was decided to ascertain the deleterious effect of COVID-19 pandemic on psyche and mind-set of educated residents of a housing society in south Kolkata in the background of their knowledge and preventive behaviour against COVID-19. Materials and Methods: 360 adults of a gated housing society in south Kolkata were studied during 3rd - 4th week of May 2020. Approval from authority and informed consent of the residents were obtained. A pretested structured questionnaire was introduced including demographic attributes, knowledge-awarenesspractice (KAP) traits of COVID-19 prevention amid psychological projections of mind-state of residents emerging from COVID-19 issues. The data obtained was tabulated and statistically validated. Result: The adult contingent had 52.2% male and 47.8% female with mean age of 37.8±12.5 and 35.9 ±11.6 years respectively. All were literate with majority (63.9%) being graduates belonging to high income group (78.6%). All members were aware about COVID-19 & its prevention and followed preventive measures unfailingly aside embracing the Govt. policies & restrictions responsively. Anxiety was experienced significantly by ladies exhibited as frequent hand washing(84.4%), repeated use of sanitizer & gloves(70%), avoiding shopping(84.4%), discussing current spate with family members(82%), fear of contracting COVID-19(40%), skipping TV news & media(40%) and sleep disturbances(8.6%). Significantly many ladies disclosed need for psychological comfort like more time with working spouse (56.7%), palliation from anxiety (50%), counselling for stressful feelings (62.8%) and restricting media portraying looming grim (100%). In spite of heightened anxiety, the well-aware elites displayed infinite impetus and futuristic attitude to overcome the crisis convincingly. Conclusion: Sincere revelation of reality relating to psychological adversities emanating from pandemic would add fundamental clues to COVID-19 preventive strategies in future. Keywords: COVID-19, Pandemic, Anxiety, Psychometric impact.

The viro-cloud that mushroomed from Wuhan, China smocked the world like an infectious umbrella looming an iniquitous grim in medical-social-economical and national-international affairs. COVID-19 pandemic underscored every other epidemic of recent past creating unique fracas and furore. WHO in 2018 prioritized zoonotic viral illnesses and anticipated Disease-X in its Epidemic Blue-Print that may initiate an outbreak with high virulence, infectivity without definitive treatment. Avian influenza, SARS, MERS, Ebola & NiV were deemed threat, however progenitor of COVID-19 that’s SARS-CoV-2, was not expected to mutate to novel-corona-virus with so much aggression. As epidemic prediction is tricky and uncertain; global scientists proposed Pan-viral drugs and Pan-viral vaccines effective against most of influenza and corona viruses, but such initiative couldn’t be fructified in want of financial support and visionary among world leaders. In absence of precise medicine and vaccine, WHO enunciated that people need to live with COVID-19 for days to come espousing mass preventive-protective measures to sub-due the contagion. To adapt to this wicked situate, we need to be flexible, humane, tolerant, resilient and creative in all fronts of life to contain COVID-19. Keywords: COVID19, Wicked Game, PREDICT, Global virome project.

Background: The scourge of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is a matter of public health concern. COVID- 19 spreads via aerosolised respiratory droplets ejected during coughing, sneezing and even loud speaking. Transmission through contaminated hand or personal objects is also possible. In absence of explicit antiviral medicines and vaccine, humans needed to resort to preventive life-style like use of mask, repeated hand washing, social distancing and hygienic way of coughing-sneezing. Considering a possible upsurge of COVID-19 in India, it was decided to study the knowledge and awareness on COVID-19 prevention and its practice among the residents in a settlement colony in Kolkata. Methods: 277 adult residents of a settlement colony in Kolkata were studied during 2nd-3rd week of March 2020. Approval from local authority and consent of head of the family were obtained. A pretested structured questionnaire was introduced including demographic attributes and knowledge-awareness-practice (KAP) traits of COVID-19 prevention. The data obtained was tabulated and statistically analysed. Result: The community had 380 members including 125 children having sex ratio 948.7 and 1.3 children per family. All adult members were literate and majority (47.3%) belonged to lower socio-economic group. Awareness of respondents on COVID-19 was remarkable. More than 93% subjects knew about COVID- 19 illness besides 85% and above about common preventive measures. Around 93-95% subjects knew the value of hand washing, wearing mask and social distancing. However, there was mixed response to acceptance of preventive behaviour. While daily bath (100%), avoidance of public spitting (77.6%), cough hygiene (92.4%) and shunning hand-shake/hugging (92.7%) were followed by higher proportion of residents; hand washing (55.2%), wearing mask (52.3%) and social distancing (52.3%) got limited no. of acceptors. Significantly high proportion of matriculates belonging to lower middle socio-economic class displayed desirable practices of hand washing 2-3 times a day, using mask amid avoiding spitting in public. Conclusion: Further research is recommended to enrich this effort to explore facts that may play vital role in COVID-19 prevention in future. Keywords: COVID-19, Social distancing, Physical contact greetings, Cough hygiene.

Background: The crux of catastrophic COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented public health challenge of the recent years. The infection has ravaged the global economy, individual savings as well as human life. Lock-down in many parts of the world, which are adding unequivocally to the global economy, has led to the tumbling of services and merchandise disquieting the world economy viciously. Many have lost jobs and been denied salary suffering the anguish of loss of livelihood with uncertain future. Considering this alarming trend, it was decided to ascertain the extent of certain adversities experienced aside the psyche of the commons to fight the odd in the background of their knowledge and preventive behaviour to avert COVID-19 in a Kolkata slum. Materials and Methods: 282 adult residents of a slum area in Kolkata were studied during 1st -2nd week of May 2020. Approval from local authority and informed consent of the residents were obtained. A pretested structured questionnaire was introduced including demographic attributes, employment status and knowledge-awareness-practice (KAP) traits of COVID-19 prevention amid their projected mind-frame towards the COVID-19 issues. The data obtained was tabulated and statistically validated. Result: The adult assemblage had 51% male and 49% female with mean age of 38.04+12.78 and 34.95+10.39 year respectively. 98% were literate and majority (46%) belonged to lower socio-economic group. 68% males worked in different organisations as against 61.6% females prior to lock-down. Around 63% lost job and denied salary after April 20. Awareness of respondents on COVID-19 was noteworthy. More than 93-95% subjects knew about COVID-19 illness besides common preventive measures. More than 95% used masks, followed hand washing and other preventative behaviours. However, use of hand sanitizers (68%) and gloves (36.8%) were inadequate. 93-95% demonstrated positive outlook towards all social issues related to COVID-19 including Govt. actions, directives, future job prospects and possibilities of new job. In spite of many hardships experienced, the community displayed enduring motivation and futuristic mind-set to overcome the crisis undoubtedly. Conclusion: Honest exploration of truth relating to socio-economic adversities emanating from pandemic would add vital intelligence to COVID-19 preventive strategies. Keywords: COVID-19, Pandemic, Optimism, Job loss.

Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) which existed around the world has shown a decline both in developed and developing countries in the current decade due to improvement in sanitary conditions and availability of specific treatment along with proton pump inhibitors. PUD has been linked to H. pylori infection and rampant use of NSAIDs. Gastric Carcinoma is a fatal outcome of PUD which takes long time to develop providing a valuable window for prevention. Gastric Carcinoma is the fifth most common malignancy and third leading cause of cancer fatality. 80% of gastric carcinoma has been incriminated to H. pylori infection. Chronic H. pylori induced gastritis is preventable through observance of domestic, food and personal hygiene thereby averting faecal-oral and oral-oral transmission of the organism among family and community members. Informative awareness program supported with screening, surveillance, treatment and community outreach schedule has been recommended to reduce the morbidity and mortality burden of PUD. Keywords: PUD, Gastric CA, H. pylori, PPI.