Top 10 Most Read in October 2021: adherence to non-pharmaceutical COVID-19 interventions, intellectual disabilities and COVID-19 outcomes, and pandemic-related community mental health

In October we welcomed three new papers into the top ten most read, all of which relate to different aspects of COVID-19.

Facemask, gloves and sanitiser

Adherence to non-pharmaceutical measures against COVID-19

The highest new entry in October is a study of factors that influence adherence to non-pharmaceutical measures against COVID-19 such as social distancing, working from home and wearing a mask or other face covering. Ding and colleagues used data from over 100,000 individuals, representing over 70,000 UK households to understand the impact of individual adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions on the levels of COVID-19 infections. The researchers examined factors that affect whether people are able to comply with guidance, such as not being able to work from home or maintain a two-metre distance in the workplace. For those who were most unable to comply, wearing a face covering or mask was the most protective intervention against COVID-19. They also found that masks led to lower levels of infections in women ahead of the Christmas 2020 UK lockdown.

This paper makes interesting reading alongside last month’s highest new entry (this month’s number seven), which is a study of vaccine acceptance.

 

COVID-19 outcome inequality for people with intellectual disability

Baksh and colleagues studied the hospital experiences of people who have intellectual disabilities compared with those of the general population after being admitted for COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic in the UK. People with intellectual disabilities were less likely to report symptoms such as loss of taste or smell but were more likely to need oxygen support. They were also less likely to receive either invasive or non-invasive oxygen therapy, or be admitted to an intensive care unit, and had a higher risk of COVID-19 related death. The authors comment that these disparities have contributed to excess mortality for people with intellectual disabilities during the pandemic.

 

Community mental health and well-being during the pandemic

Many researchers are studying the impact of measures to limit the COVID-19 pandemic. Feroz and colleagues have published a protocol for a qualitative study that seeks to understand more about the community perceptions of the pandemic in Pakistan. They are investigating how misinformation about the pandemic on social media may affect levels of anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders in the community. They will also study how fear and stigma could be driving people to conceal infections and delay seeking treatment.

 

Here is the full list of most read papers in BMJ Open during October 2021:

Rank Author(s) Title
1 Gadermann et al. Examining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on family mental health in Canada: findings from a national cross-sectional study
2 Li et al. Impact of COVID-19 on female fertility: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol
3 Espiritu et al. The Philippine COVID-19 Outcomes: a Retrospective study Of Neurological manifestations and Associated symptoms (The Philippine CORONA study): a protocol study
4 Dost et al. Perceptions of medical students towards online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic: a national cross-sectional survey of 2721 UK medical students
5 Dahlen et al. Intrapartum interventions and outcomes for women and children following induction of labour at term in uncomplicated pregnancies: a 16-year population-based linked data study
6 Ding et al. Factors affecting adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions for COVID-19 infections in the first year of the pandemic in the UK
7 Lindholt et al. Public acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines: cross-national evidence on levels and individual-level predictors using observational data
8 King et al. Mobility study of young women who exchange sex for money or commodities using Google Maps and qualitative methods in Kampala, Uganda
9 Baksh et al. Understanding inequalities in COVID-19 outcomes following hospital admission for people with intellectual disability compared to the general population: a matched cohort study in the UK
10 Feroz et al. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and well-being of communities: an exploratory qualitative study protocol

 

Most read figures are based on pdf downloads and full text views. Abstract views are excluded.

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