COVID-19 Lockdown and its Impact on Animal, Human Health and Veterinary Medical Education, Iraq
COVID-19 Lockdown and its Impact on Animal, Human Health and Veterinary Medical Education, Iraq
Karima Akool Al-Salihi1*, Luay Jumaah Jihad2, Abbas Najm Aldin Saleh3
ABSTRACT
During COVID-19, lockdown was applied worldwide to reduce pandemic circulating. This study intended to investigate the influence of the COVID-19 lockdown on the distribution of animal and zoonotic diseases and its effects on Veterinary Medical Education (VME) in Iraq. A cross-sectional analysis was designed and the participants were invited to answer an online questionnaire on veterinary medical online education. Data of reported diseases were collected from veterinary hospital and ministry of health authorities. This study showed aggressive distribution of external parasites particularly ticks, and other diseases such as Theileria, Anaplasmosis, FMD, three-days sickness, contagious ecthyma, sheep pox, clostridium diseases, brucellosis, mastitis, and respiratory diseases. The study also showed reemerging of Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever and rabies in humans. The participants (187) responded at a rate of 98.1%. The undergraduate students and graduated veterinarian percentages were 79.67% and 20.32%, respectively. Online study materials were accessed via Google Classrooms, University platforms, You Tube, and Slide Share. Moreover, Google Classroom, Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber, Zoom, and FCC were the tools for lectures and communication with lecturers. A variation appeared in the assessment of the online education Theoretical and Practical Veterinary subjects evaluations, including 6.40%, 13.40%, 19.77%, 25.67%, 34.76%, and 3.30%, 5.30%,18.70%, 25.60%, and 47.10% respectively for scores 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (poorly, slightly, reasonably, noticeably, significantly affected). In conclusion, this study approved that COVID-19 lockdown adversely affected animal and human health. Online education appeared as an alternative mode of veterinary education during COVID-19 lockdown with various challenges in practical lessons and clinical subjects.
Keywords | Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever, COVID-19 lockdown, Education, Google classroom, Smartphone, Veterinary
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May 2024
Vol. 12, Iss. 5, pp. 802-993
