Background: Internet gaming disorder is the public health concern globally due to its detrimental effects on the youth to an extreme of provoking them to suicide. As we lack studies in India highlighting this issue we have taken up a study to assess internet gaming disorder among medical graduates and validate the Internet gaming disorder-20 (IGD-20) scale.Methods: A cross-sectional study done on 200 first and second year medical students of Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool during February and March, 2019 using self-administered questionnaire containing IGD-20 which satisfies Griffith’s biopsychosocial component model and questions to assess socio behaviour changes. Data entered and analysed using SPSS version 23. Descriptive analysis, reliability tests, correlation and other appropriate significant tests used.Results: Prevalence of internet gaming disorder was 10%, more in male and who spend more than 30 hours per week on gaming which was statistically significant. Internal consistency of the IGD-20 was 0.91 Cronbach’s alpha. Socio-behavioural changes like aggressiveness, irritability and change in food patterns were significantly associated with excessive disordered gaming habit.Conclusions: Advanced technology as electronic gadgets, easily accessible networks are attracting the generation and making them addicted to it. Stress of the competitive world, loneliness is triggering this behaviour. Timely detection and management of the disordered gamers, scrutiny of parents on the internet gaming usage pattern of their kids, self-realisation and motivation towards physical games could help the youth to succumb the internet gaming disorder.

Background: Occupational health is a neglected public health issue among healthcare workers in developing countries leading to health care associated infections both to patients and medical students unless infection prevention and control (IPC) measures followed. This study was conducted with an aim to assess the degree of knowledge regarding infection in health care professionals and infection control measures among medical students.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 1 to July 31, 2017 on 95 students in the MBBS final year Part I at Kurnool Medical College Kurnool by simple random sampling technique after taking informed consent. A semi structured questionnaire with information regarding their knowledge on risk of infection and infection prevention practices was used. Using SPSS ver. 20, data analysed in proportions and means.Results: Mean age of the study participants was 20.29±0.756 years, 83.2% (n=79) students expressed tuberculosis followed by Hepatitis B infection as the most common infection the medical students are exposed to. 97.9% definitely knew that they contact infections if standard precautions are not followed. Only 51.6% students were aware of all steps of hand wash. 83.2% were already vaccinated to hepatitis B and among vaccinated 73.4% had completed the course fully.Conclusions: Effective infection prevention measures are pivotal in providing high quality health care for patients and a safe working environment for those that work in healthcare settings. Hence infection prevention and control guidelines particularly standard precautions should be incorporated into the curriculum before entering clinical postings.

Background: Swine flu is an acute highly contagious respiratory disease caused by influenza A (H1N1) virus. After 2009 pandemic, seasonal epidemics occurred in 2015 and 2017 usually in rainy season in India. Educational institutes are the centres of high transmission and creating awareness only can arrest the spread. Hence this study was carried out to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding Swine flu and improve their knowledge.Methods: A health educational interventional study done on 202 eighth and ninth standard school students of Zilla Parishad High School, Kallur, Kurnool district during October and November, 2018 on obtaining informed consent, using a self administered questionnaire. Data entered in Microsoft excel version 2007, analysed and presented in proportions and chi square test of significance using SPSS version 23.Results: 66.8 percent and 68.8 percent of the students heard and knew about viral swine flu respectively. Good knowledge of mode of spread, symptoms and availability of treatment, vaccination and preventive measures regarding swine flu was seen. The gaps in their knowledge levels were successfully filled by health educational intervention. More than 70 percent of students were using hand kerchief and masks in crowded places, willing to approach government facilities for treatment.Conclusions: Extensive mass educational campaigns should be conducted as containment of the spread of the disease can solely be done by making people knowledgeable. Government authorities should train health workers, assistants and teachers and utilise mass and social media to create awareness, thus declining the incidence of the seasonal epidemics.

Background: Nurses and paramedical staff face a high risk of infection due to excessive COVID-19 exposure. In this study, SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were measured among nurses and paramedical staff, with an aim to determine the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and the characteristics associated with it.Methods: After obtaining IEC Clearance and informed consent from the study subjects, a cross sectional study was conducted from August to September, 2020. Data was collected from 127 nurses and paramedical staff, Government general hospital, Kurnool, selected by simple random sampling, using a semi-structured questionnaire and chemiluminescence immunoassay test for which IgM antibodies cut off value was 10 AU/ml. Test results and participant characteristics were recorded and data was analysed by MS Excel 13. Results: Among the study participants, seroprevalence was found to be 2.4%. Majority were females (66.9%). Most of them were aged 20-29 (24.4%) followed by 40-49 (19.7%) and 50-59 (10.2%) years. 56.7% were working in COVID wards. 42.5% worked in 3-6 hour shifts.Conclusions: The present study did show a low prevalence of IgM among nurses and paramedical staff. This might be an indicator that the personal protection measures were effective. Further it can provide an overview of the current seroprevalence of the health care workers.

Background: WHO declared corona virus disease as a pandemic on March 11th 2020. Health care workers are at a greater risk of infection as they come into contact with the patients. Consistent use of personal protective equipment is important to reduce nosocomial transmission and stops further spread of the disease. The main aim of the study was to assess the awareness of personal protective measures among undergraduate students.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among Final MBBS part-1students of Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool from August to September, 2020, after obtaining IEC clearance. Assuming an awareness of 50%, allowing 20% error, a sample size of 100 was obtained using the formula 4pq/l2. The study subjects were selected by simple random sampling. Questionnaire is based on “Center for Disease Prevention and Control” of health care personnel and sent to the participants through Google forms.Results: Overall, 51% were males, 85% were aware of  source of infection, close contact (87%), hand hygiene practices(84%), usage of masks (82%), sequence of donning (58%) and doffing (42%) of PPE.Conclusions: 83% (>10/15 responses) were aware about personal protection and prevent the spread of the disease but very few of them knew in depth about the same, hence a need to reiterate these facts.