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| EDITORIAL |
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| Year : 2021 | Volume
: 18
| Issue : 2 | Page : 67 |
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Greetings from ISPN India
Sandhya Gupta
Editor-in-Chief, Indian Journal of Psychiatric Nursing, India
| Date of Submission | 16-Dec-2021 |
| Date of Decision | 18-Dec-2021 |
| Date of Acceptance | 19-Dec-2021 |
| Date of Web Publication | 21-Dec-2021 |
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Sandhya Gupta
Formerly-Associate Professor, College of Nursing, AIIMS, New Delhi
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
DOI: 10.4103/iopn.iopn_98_21
How to cite this article:
Gupta S. Greetings from ISPN India. Indian J Psy Nsg 2021;18:67 |
After lock down due to COVID-19 Pandemic the life was emerging to become new normal but the second wave has taken the life to take again back seat. After the vaccination drive was initiated for adolescents and the schools have started functioning whereas the risk of getting infected with SARS-CoV-2 is still around. When more adolescents are fully vaccinated, it means they are at a lower risk of getting severely sick from COVID-19. It is very important to make sure that all eligible adolescents and adults get the COVID-19 vaccine is one part of it. In order to help everyone stay healthy, the whole school community should keep maintain Covid appropriate behaviour and WMD-washing hands, masking, distancing, and stay at home when they are sick. These steps are even better when combined with good ventilation, screening, and contact tracing in a school community.
Fully vaccinated people can still become infected with COVID-19 and spread the virus to others; Students including those who are fully vaccinated should remain at least 3 feet apart within classrooms and if not vaccinated then 6 feet apart.
Various measures need to be taken such as testing: the screening has to be done and Rapid antigen test should be repeated as and when required. If school going children get exposure they will have mostly mild symptoms and rarely severe illness from COVID-19.
The new variant of concern is making everyone worrisome therefore if a student or staff member has close contact with someone known to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, they should quarantine as per the protocol.
Other considerations: In addition to safety plans, there are other factors that school communities need to address that if those who are at higher risk such as having any chronic, high-risk medical conditions may need extra accommodations to stay safe e.g. to explore options for safe in-person, blended, or online learning.
The teachers also need extra counselling as they also might have gone through lots of stress and strain due to illness of kith and kin including financial crisis therefore behavioural health and emotional support has to be given special attention by adding Yoga sessions and breakout sessions for staff and students both to support a wide range of mental health needs. This includes recognizing signs of anxiety or distress. Students may be grieving loved ones lost to COVID-19. There is also need to help students with suicidal thoughts. School health nurses and counsellors must be involved in all activities. Extracurricular activities may be limited in many areas but sports must be done with the special safety steps.
Why safe, in-person school is so important as it provides socialization, physical activities, emotional skills, get exercise, not just academics along with access to mental health and other support services. Schools are safe, stimulating, and enriching places to be while parents or guardians are working.
Remember: Families, schools, and communities can work together maintaining CAB, includes ensuring vaccinations, when everyone does their part, the whole community wins.
All mental health professionals have to assist parents, teachers and adolescents and children to remain stress-free so that they can function effectively in coping with the situation created by Pandemic.
Dear readers, continuous efforts are done by reviewers and the editorial team to bring out this 23rd issue of ISPN journal, which is presented to you are the focus of the articles in this issue in practice of psychiatric-mental health nursing during covid-19 pandemic.
Enjoy reading it.
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