ABSTRACT
Background: Respiratory management of cystic fibrosis (CF) relies on accurate monitoring of trends in lung function. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated uptake of home spirometers at our paediatric & adult CF centres. Objectives: To establish the reliability and consistency of home-measured spirometry compared to clinic spirometry in children with CF. Methods: A single centre retrospective study. A timeline was constructed for each individual consisting of 3 pre-pandemic hospital clinic sessions and 3 subsequent virtual sessions. The acceptable period between sessions was 3–12weeks. Remote deviceswere Nuvoair® Next or Spirobank® Smart. Control data from CF adults with concurrent clinic and home Nuvoair® data in 2019. Accepted FVC & FEV1session values were used to calculate coefficient of variance (CoV). Sessions graded as ‘F’ (ATS guidelines) were noted but excluded. GLI percent predicted values were used, with height values interpolated from growth charts if necessary. Results: Sequential spirometry data and baseline demographics are shown in table 1 (n = 139). The proportion of acceptable and unacceptable spirometry (ATS) did not differ between Nuvoair® and hospital measurements. There were more A grades and fewer F grades with hospital spirometry. (Table Presented) Conclusions: Routine home spirometry had acceptable variability and quality compared to hospital measures. The step-up in home spirometry measurements for children using Nuvoair® was not seen in pre-pandemic adult data. The differences between home and hospital measures in children suggest an influence of isolation above that of equipment differences.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the functioning of education systems in a multitude of ways. In Ireland schools closed on March 12th and remained closed for the remainder of the academic year. During this time educators engaged with students, families and colleagues in new and diverse ways. The purpose of this study was to explore educators' experiences during the closures, particularly regarding the impact of the pandemic on the wellbeing of students, school staff and wider school communities. Design/methodology/approach: A series of one-to-one interviews, lasting approximately one hour, were conducted in July 2020 with 15 education professionals online via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Participants occupied various roles (classroom teacher, school leader, special educational needs coordinator, etc.) and worked in a diverse range of communities in Ireland. Qualitative data from interviews were transcribed and emergent themes identified through an inductive followed by deductive analytic approach. Findings: The interviews highlighted the central role that schools play in supporting their local communities and the value teachers place on their relationships with students and families. Many teachers and school leaders found themselves grappling with new identities and professional boundaries as they worked to support, care for and connect with the students and families they serve. There was considerable concern expressed regarding the plight of vulnerable or marginalised students for whom the school ordinarily offered a place of safety and security. Originality/value: The findings reveal how COVID-19 has exacerbated pre-existing inequalities and the central role of schools in promoting the health and wellbeing of all its members.
ABSTRACT
Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the functioning of education systems in a multitude of ways. In Ireland schools closed on March 12th and remained closed for the remainder of the academic year. During this time educators engaged with students, families and colleagues in new and diverse ways. The purpose of this study was to explore educators' experiences during the closures, particularly regarding the impact of the pandemic on the wellbeing of students, school staff and wider school communities. Design/methodology/approach A series of one-to-one interviews, lasting approximately one hour, were conducted in July 2020 with 15 education professionals online via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Participants occupied various roles (classroom teacher, school leader, special educational needs coordinator, etc.) and worked in a diverse range of communities in Ireland. Qualitative data from interviews were transcribed and emergent themes identified through an inductive followed by deductive analytic approach. Findings The interviews highlighted the central role that schools play in supporting their local communities and the value teachers place on their relationships with students and families. Many teachers and school leaders found themselves grappling with new identities and professional boundaries as they worked to support, care for and connect with the students and families they serve. There was considerable concern expressed regarding the plight of vulnerable or marginalised students for whom the school ordinarily offered a place of safety and security. Originality/value The findings reveal how COVID-19 has exacerbated pre-existing inequalities and the central role of schools in promoting the health and wellbeing of all its members.
ABSTRACT
In this paper, we use new survey data on the Irish SME population to trace out the impact of the pandemic on revenues, firms' capacity to adjust their cost base and their usage of policy supports. Over 70 per cent of firms experienced some fall in turnover with a median fall of 25 per cent. The impact of the shock appears uncorrelated with past firm performance which highlights its exogenous nature. Expenditure fell by 8.5 per cent on average with 40 per cent of firms cutting spending. Losses were incurred in over 30 per cent of enterprises with a further 30 per cent just breaking even. We find that about 61 per cent of SMEs received wage subsidies, 20 per cent of firms used tax warehousing while fewer than 6 per cent of firms used lending initiatives. Policy support take-up is more likely among those more affected by the downturn, while the smallest firms appear less likely to use support than larger firms.