COVID-19 pandemic impacted internet use and anxiety among general public during COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan.

Objective: To determine the association between internet use and anxiety among people during the coronavirus disease- 2019 pandemic. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted across Pakistan from January 14 to February 21, 2021, which was the active phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic in Pakistan. The participants were aged at least 13 years having internet access regardless of gender or their location across Pakistan. The anonymous web-based survey was conducted using a questionnaire generated on Google Forms and disseminated through various social media platforms and WhatsApp groups. Anxiety symptoms were screened using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, while the Young Internet Addiction Test was used to evaluate symptoms of internet addiction. Data was analysed using STATA 16. RESULTS: Of the 1,145 subjects, 686(60%) were females and 459(40%) were males. A total of 257(22.5%) participants were found to have extremely severe anxiety and internet usage pattern was significantly associated with the level of anxiety (p<0.05). Age, gender, social class and marital status were not significantly different (p>0.05), while family income and area of living were significantly different (p<0.05) in terms of anxiety levels. The odd of addictive internet use was 10.2 (95% confidence interval: 5.7-18.5) times greater in extreme anxiety individuals compared to individuals having no anxiety after controlling for other sociodemographic, health-related, behavioural and environmental factors during the pandemic. Conclusion: A significant association of anxiety was found with internet addiction during the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic.

Surveillance of aetiologies, clinical presentation, and most common types of epilepsy among paediatric patients at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan.

Epilepsy is the third most common neurological disease in the world associated with a high frequency in the paediatric age group. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence, types and aetiologies of epilepsy within the Pakistani population. A retrospective review of the charts of all patients, below the age of 18 years, presenting with epilepsy to the Department of Neurology at The Children's Hospital and Institute of Child Health, Lahore, from January 2016 to December 2020, was carried out. Analysis was performed using SPSS Version 26. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 1,097 patients were studied, of which 644 (58.8%) were males and 451 (41.2%) females. a vast majority, i.e. 1,021 (96.1%), of the study participants, belonged to the province of Punjab. Afebrile seizures [n=798 (72.7%)] were more commonly reported than febrile seizures [n=299 (27.3%)]. Among seizure types, generalised seizures were the most common type of seizure reported in 520 (49.8%) patients. Refractory seizures were the least common type reported in 3 (0.3%) patients. Aetiology was mostly idiopathic [n=540 (49.2)], followed by congenital [n=228 (20.8%)]. The most frequently reported duration of seizure was between one and three minutes [n=116 (42.3%)]. The most common ictal features seen were a combination of up-rolling of eyes and frothing from the mouth [n=206 (34.9%)]. Results from this study can be used by health care providers to better formulate therapeutic interventions for a timely diagnosis and effective treatment of epilepsy.