Background Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) pandemic is recognized as a major threat to human health in 2020. As the disease is new and spreading quickly, the scientific community is reporting new information daily to address this issue. The public is well informed and is ready to adopt the protective and preventive measures suggested by the authorities. Aim & objective This study is aimed at understanding the perception towards the pandemic using the Health Belief Model (HBM) approach, preparedness measures adopted, opinion and confidence towards various Governmental activities and control measures. Methods and material A Cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults across the Kerala state using modified WHO Cosmo protocol and questionnaires implemented through google forms in late April during the preparedness phase of the disease. Statistical analysis The results were explained using descriptive and Binary Logistic Regression analysis using SPSS version 22. Results Among the 680 participants, 675 (99.3%) were aware about COVID-19 and 598 (88%) had good knowledge. Behavioural change was observed in 638 (93.8%) and variables in Health Belief Model showed a significant association with behavioural change. Conclusions Most people living across Kerala approached the COVID-19 pandemic in a similar manner, irrespective of age, education, or relation to the healthcare field. Perceptions of the community as explained by Health Belief Model was greatly influenced by the primary health care approach by the government and for the subsequent behavioural change.

Medical training is full of stress and this has been a topic of concern for nearly half a century. 1 Various stressors in the life of a medical student include homesickness, heavy workload, sleep deprivation, difficult patients, financial concerns, information overload and career planning. 2 These stressors often have a negative impact on the students' academic performance, physical health, and psychological well-being, making them more susceptible to depression. 3,4 This is harmful not only for the students but may also have adverse effect on patient care. 5 Many studies support the fact that medical students experience depression at higher rates than graduate students or young adults in the general public. 6 Studies from other parts of world have shown a high prevalence of depression in medical students but studies on Indian medical students are lacking. 7,8 The present study was therefore undertaken to determine the prevalence of depression, its severity and some of the factors associated with it.

Background: Adolescence is a transitional stage extending from 10-19 years characterized by rapid physical, mental and sexual changes. It is also characterized by hormonal changes. As girls attain puberty at this age, they have various problems associated with menstruation. Menstruation is a natural phenomenon and an important indicator of women's health reflecting their reproductive function. However data on experiences of menstruation and it's impact on the health status, quality of life and social integration among women in developing countries is scanty. 75% of girls have one or more problems associated with menstruation.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of menstrual problems among school going students in the age group of 12-17 years. 510 adolescent girls of randomly selected government schools in Thiruvananthapuram district were studied by a pretested semi structured questionnaire.Results: Mean age of menarche is 12.2. Out of 510 students 352 have normal menstrual cycles (50.1%). 10% have scanty menstruation, 31% have menorrhagia. Majority of girls (84.8%) has one or other menstrual problems. 33% of girls suffer from dysmenorrhea. Among 510 participants 31.6% reported that menstrual problems affects their daily life activities. 14.7% could not attend the class and 12.8% attend the class without taking medication but not participating in any outdoor activities.Conclusions: Menstrual problems are present in majority of girls in the study group which has some effect on the academic performance and other extracurricular activities in school.

Magnesium (Mg) deficiency and oxidative stress are independently implicated in the etiopathogenesis of various cardiovascular disorders. This study was undertaken to examine the hypothesis that Mg deficiency augments the myocardial response to oxidative stress. Electrically stimulated rat papillary muscle was used for recording the contractile variation. Biochemical variables of energy metabolism (adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and creatine phosphate) and markers of tissue injury (lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and lipidperoxidation), which can affect myocardial contractility, were assayed in Langendorff-perfused rat hearts. Hydrogen peroxide (100 micromol/L) was used as the source of reactive oxygen species. The negative inotropic response to H2O2 was significantly higher in Mg deficiency (0.48 mmol Mg/L) than in Mg sufficiency (1.2 mmol Mg/L). Low Mg levels did not affect ATP levels or tissue lipid peroxidation. However, H2O2 induced a decrease in ATP; enhanced lipid peroxidation and the release of LDH were augmented by Mg deficiency. Increased lipid peroxidation associated with a decrease in available energy might be responsible for the augmentation of the negative inotropic response to H2O2 in Mg deficiency. The observations from this study validate the hypothesis that myocardial response to oxidative stress is augmented by Mg deficiency. This observation has significance in ischemia-reperfusion injury, where Mg deficiency can have an additive effect on the debilitating consequences.

Even though pregnant women are more prone to have severe COVID 19, few studies have been conducted on their protective behaviours against this disease in our country during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fear of getting COVID infection may prevent antenatal women from visiting hospitals for routine antenatal checkups and utilization of telemedicine may be an alternative to get connected with their health care providers during the pandemic. Aims: To evaluate the protective behaviour adopted by pregnant women during the COVID pandemic and their utilization of teleconsultation for antenatal care. Methods: A cross- sectional study was conducted among pregnant women attending three selected hospitals in Trivandrum District in Kerala during May to August 2020. The data was collected from a random sample of 252 pregnant women registered in these hospitals using a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire. Results: Around 89% of pregnant women had adopted good practice to protect themselves against the COVID 19. About 94% wore a mask whenever they went outside. About 72% completely avoided crowded place. About 72% had rated themselves to have good or very good knowledge regarding protective measures of COVID 19. Among the pregnant women, 61(24.2%) missed their scheduled antenatal visit once, 32(12.7%) missed twice and 8(3.2% missed three or more times during the pandemic period. Half of the pregnant women utilized telemedicine facility during the pandemic to stay connected with their doctors. But 31% were not aware of telemedicine facility in hospitals, while 1.6% does not have an internet access. Higher age group, current employment status and area of residence was found to be associated with poor practice. Conclusions: Nearly 89% pregnant women adopted good protective measures against COVID19. Measures need to be taken to improve the availability of telemedicine facility in hospitals for antenatal women and to improve awareness about it among public which may help the antenatal women to stay connected with their health care providers during this pandemic.