**Preface to "COVID-19: Impact on Public Health and Healthcare (Volume 2)"**

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) started in December 2019 and remains a global threat to this day. All dimensions of health, including physical, mental, social, and economic, were severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the early course of the pandemic, social and physical distancing mandates, including the lockdowns of business, social life, and schools, were critical in limiting the spread. Instituting such non-pharmacologic and public health measures was the only resort, when no or very limited information was available about COVID-19 contagion. The impact of COVID-19 has not been felt uniformly across society; in fact, it has widened pre-existing structural and social inequalities. Youths, older adults, minority groups, persons with disabilities, and essential workers bear a disproportionate burden of the devastating effects of COVID-19. These effects are not short-term; instead, these effects have a far-ranging direct or indirect impact on people lives and well-being. For instance, the disruption in education and sudden transition to online instruction posed significant challenges to students' learning and quality of education. With the economic recession induced by COVID-19, many workers were laid off and faced financial hardships. There were limited job opportunities available in the market. The burden of psychological distress, anxiety, depression, and stress amidst the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly high, which caused young people to adopt negative coping strategies such as substance use, alcohol abuse, underage drinking, and suicidal ideation. During these times, research plays a vital role in shaping each step of the public health response to the pandemic. If the current state is known and understood, preventive strategies can be planned effectively with the aid of collaborative thinking and long-term horizons, with a view to solving one of the world's greatest challenges—the COVID-19 pandemic.

This compendium of studies conducted from around the world focuses on the assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This book begins with a comprehensive meta-analysis of studies from 15 countries assessing the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among college students. This is followed by a cross-sectional study performed in Wuhan, China to assess the mental status of students during the lockdown period in the COVID-19 pandemic. The behavioral changes among Middle School students are also reported in one of the studies included in this collection. The next study is an assessment of perceptions and preventive practices pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic and oral health care during the lockdown in Saudi Arabia. This is followed by another China-based study, which assesses the impact of school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic and deciphers association of virtual learning, outdoor exercise, and Myopia. The next two studies measure the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare services, including dental visits and manual therapy utilization in private health care settings. One study from Saudi Arabia summarizes the results of a cross-sectional survey assessing the impact on the mental health of women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Next, a multigroup path analysis approach focuses on coping strategies for frontline as well as non-frontline healthcare workers. Lastly, work-related stressors among healthcare professionals in the fever clinic centers are also included in this book, which also recommends targeted interventions to foster post traumatic growth in this group.

> **Kavita Batra, Manoj Sharma** *Editors*
