Background Gaming is a billion-dollar industry that is expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 9% to 14.3%, with the biggest market in Southeast Asian countries. The availability of low-cost smartphones and the ease at which the internet can be accessed have made gaming popular among youth, who enjoy it as a leisure activity. According to the World Health Organization, excessive indulgence in gaming can lead to gaming disorder. Medical students indulging in excessive gaming can succumb to gaming disorder, which can affect their scholastic performance. Objective This study aimed to assess the association between gaming practices and scholastic performance among medical students. Methods  This study used a case-control design, where 448 medical undergraduate students (first year to prefinal) were preliminarily surveyed using universal sampling on their gaming practices in the last 6 months. Out of this sample, the 91 participants who admitted to gaming in the past 6 months were recruited as cases, while participants who never engaged in gaming in the last 6 months were recruited as controls. Both the cases and controls were matched for age and gender in a 1:1 ratio. The internal assessment scores (based on 2 midterms completed in the last 6 months) of cases and controls were compared. The Snedecor F test was used to determine the association between the number of hours spent gaming and internal assessment scores (%), while the Student t test was used to determine significant differences between the internal assessment scores of cases and controls. Odds ratios were calculated to identify the risk of poor scholastic performance among cases compared to the controls. The prevalence of gaming disorder among cases was assessed using the Gaming Addiction Scale (GAS). Results The frequency of gaming (in hours) was not associated with mean internal assessment scores (P=.13). Male cases reported significantly lower internal assessment scores compared to male controls (P=.005 vs P=.01), whereas no significant differences were observed between the internal assessment scores of female cases and controls (P=.89 vs P=.59). A negative correlation was observed between GAS scores and internal assessment scores (r=–0.02). The prevalence of gaming disorder using the GAS was observed to be 6.3% (28/448) in the study population and 31% (28/91) among cases. The risk of low scores (<50%) among gamers was observed to be 1.9 (95% CI 1.04-3.44, P=.03) times higher in the first midterm and 1.80 (95% CI 0.97-3.36, P=.06) times higher in the second midterm compared to nongamers. Conclusions The findings suggest that excessive gaming adversely affects the scholastic performance of male participants more than female participants. Awareness about gaming disorder needs to be created among students, parents, and teachers. Treatment services should be made available to medical students with gaming disorders.

In December 2019, SARS COV-2 which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan achieved pandemic proportions and spread rapidly to countries through International air traffic causing acute respiratory infection and deaths. Presence of International airports, demography, health financing and human developments factors were assumed to influence COVID-19 cases burden and case fatality rate (CFR). So, this study was undertaken to find a association between these factors and COVID-19 cases and deaths. The study used 48 districts using purposive sampling as proxy for cities and used secondary data analysis. Data was obtained for various variables like demographic, Health Financing, Indices and Testing infrastructure, COVID cases burden and case fatality from trusted sources. Descriptive statistics correlational statistics using Pearsons coefficient students T was used to describe, correlate and find significant difference in the data. The analysis found a significant difference between COVID cases burden in districts with International Airports (p<0.039) and those without it. Positive correlation of population density (r=0.65) with COVID-19 case burden and negative correlation of case fatality rate with NITI Aayogs health index (r=-0.12), human development index (HDI) (r=-0.18), per-capita expenditure on health (r=-0.072) and a correlation of r=0.16 was observed for gross state domestic product. Decongestion of cities through perspective urban planning is the need of the hour. Stricter quarantine measures in those districts with international airports can help reduce the transmission. Negative correlation of HDI and NITI Aayogs health index with CFR emphasizes the importance of improvements in social determinants of health.

The importance of group testing, efficient utilization of the diagnostic tests and its applications are highlighted. Though it has advantages, the challenges and constraints and the need for the policy from the concerned authorities to implement group testing in a reliable manner with competent persons were brought out. Thus, with group testing and the use of digital technology “Aarogya Setu” in India, we are confident that we will be able to diagnose cases and implement surveillance activities successfully. Popularization of “Aarogya Setu” by all categories of healthcare workers, teachers, women self help groups and other users of android mobile phones in the interest of the Nation and community at large, towards disease containment were cited. However, the ethical aspects of deployment of such kind of approach as part of a multidimensional public health response, and its usefulness in infectious disease outbreaks have to be monitored.

Introduction: Gaming is a billion-dollar industry growing at a Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9 %- 14.3% with biggest market in South East Asian countries. Availability of Low-cost smart phones, ease of internet access has made gaming popular among youth who enjoy it as a leisure activity. According to the WHO excessive indulgence in Gaming can lead to Gaming disorder. Medical students indulging in excessive gaming can succumb to gaming disorder which can affect their scholastic performance. Hence this study was done to assess the gaming practices and its effect on scholastic performance. Objective: 1. To assess the various Gaming practices and the Prevalence of Gaming addiction among medical students. 2. To study the effect of Gaming practices on Scholastic performance of medical students. Methods: The present study used a case control design where the 448(N) study participants were recruited using non probability sampling technique. 91 (Nc) cases who were Gaming for past 6 months were identified using rapid preliminary survey .91 controls (Nco) who never played games were selected and matched for age and sex. Internal Assessment scores (%) of cases and controls were compared. Snedecor F test and Student t test were used to find out the association between the hours of gaming and internal assessment scores (%) and difference of Internal assessment scores between cases and controls respectively. Odds ratio was calculated to identify the risk of Poor scholastic performance. Prevalence of Gaming addiction was assessed using Lemmens Gaming addiction scale (GAS). Results: Frequency of gaming (hrs) was not associated with the Mean internal assessment scores (p>0.05). Male students (cases) showed significant reduction in both their internal assessment scores (p<0.001,<0.01) whereas no reduction was observed in Female cases. A negative correlation was observed between GAS and internal assessment scores (r=-0.02). Prevalence of Gaming addiction using GAS was found to be 6.2% among the study population(N=448) and 31% among Cases (Nc=91). The risk of low scores was (OR =1.80-1.89) times more in cases than controls. Conclusions: Excessive Gaming adversely affects scholastic performance in males than females. Awareness about Gaming addiction needs to be created among students, parents and teachers. Institutionalized De -addiction services should be made available to medical students

BACKGROUND Introduction: Gaming is a billion-dollar industry growing at a Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9 %- 14.3% with biggest market in South East Asian countries. Availability of Low-cost smart phones, ease of internet access has made gaming popular among youth who enjoy it as a leisure activity. According to the WHO excessive indulgence in Gaming can lead to Gaming disorder. Medical students indulging in excessive gaming can succumb to gaming disorder which can affect their scholastic performance. Hence this study was done to assess the gaming practices and its effect on scholastic performance. OBJECTIVE Objective: 1. To assess the various Gaming practices and the Prevalence of Gaming addiction among medical students. 2. To study the effect of Gaming practices on Scholastic performance of medical students. METHODS Methods: The present study used a case control design where the 448(N) study participants were recruited using non probability sampling technique.91 (Nc) cases who were Gaming for past 6 months were identified using rapid preliminary survey .91 controls (Nco) who never played games were selected and matched for age and sex. Internal Assessment scores (%) of cases and controls were compared. Snedecor F test and Student t test were used to find out the association between the hours of gaming and internal assessment scores (%) and difference of Internal assessment scores between cases and controls respectively. Odds ratio was calculated to identify the risk of Poor scholastic performance. Prevalence of Gaming addiction was assessed using Lemmen’s Gaming addiction scale (GAS). RESULTS Results: Frequency of gaming (hrs) was not associated with the Mean internal assessment scores (p>0.05). Male students (cases) showed significant reduction in both their internal assessment scores (p<0.001,<0.01) whereas no reduction was observed in Female cases. A negative correlation was observed between GAS and internal assessment scores (r=-0.02). Prevalence of Gaming addiction using GAS was found to be 6.2% among the study population(N=448) and 31% among Cases (Nc=91).The risk of low scores was (OR =1.80-1.89) times more in cases than controls. CONCLUSIONS Conclusions: Excessive Gaming adversely affects scholastic performance in males than females.Awareness about Gaming addiction needs to be created among students, parents and teachers. Institutionalized De-addiction services should be made available to medical students. CLINICALTRIAL No