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On the 2nd of March 2020, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia confirmed its first case of the coronavirus's newly emerging strain, causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Soon after, the number of confirmed cases started to increase nationally. In light of the emerging outbreak, all healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, began to function with maximum capacity and efforts. The Saudi Society of Clinical Pharmacy (SSCP) acknowledges the substantial impact pharmacists can play during outbreaks. Based on the existing scientific knowledge during this outbreak, the SSCP established an expert writing task force to conceptualize and draft the proposed recommendations that highlights the roles and responsibilities of pharmacists during epidemics and pandemics. The SSCP writing task force issued 28 recommendations. In addition to the national and institutional guidelines, these recommendations could serve as guidance for the impacted entities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world has been encountered with COVID-19 pandemic since at the beginning of 2020 and the number of infected people by COVID-19 is increasing every day. Despite various studies conducted by researchers and doctors, no treatment has been developed until now, therefore self-protection and isolation are strongly recommended to stop the spread of the virus. The elderly population and people with chronic diseases such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer are categorized as risk groups, however, we suggest that people with hemoglobinopathies or porphyria can be described as risk groups as well. Current in silico studies have revealed that the COVID-19 virus can attack heme and hemoglobin metabolisms which are responsible for the oxygen transport to the tissues, iron metabolism, elevated levels of oxidative stress, and tissue damage. Data of the in silico study have been supported with the biochemistry and hemogram results of the COVID-19 patients, for instance hemoglobin levels decreased and serum ferritin and C-reactive protein levels increased. Indicated biochemistry biomarkers are tightly associated with inflammation, iron overload, and oxidative stress. In conclusion, since people with hemoglobinopathies or porphyria have already impaired heme and hemoglobin metabolism, COVID-19 infection can enhance the adverse effects of impaired hemoglobin metabolism and accelerate the progression of severe symptoms in patients with hemoglobinopathies or porphyria compared to the normal individuals. Thus those people can be considered as a risk group and extra precautions should be applied for them to protect them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the investigation of diseases and other harmful environmental influences (e.g., chemicals) epidemiological studies rely on high quality human samples, among others. Collecting samples and data in the field can pose an enormous challenge to the study team with regard to health protection and occupational safety, especially in the context of a pandemic where there was great uncertainty about the biological risks associated with SARS-CoV-2. The German Environmental Specimen Bank (German ESB) is a key element of environmental and human biomonitoring in Germany with the aim to document and assess trends of human and environmental exposure to chemicals over time and to provide scientific data for policy decision makers. Starting with a pilot study in 1978 human samples are now collected at four sampling locations annually, while sampling is carried out with a highly standardized mobile laboratory since 2013. Due to the corona pandemic 3 of 4 ESB sampling campaigns had to be cancelled in 2020. However, a continuous sampling is crucial to generate current policy relevant data on chemical exposure. Hence, a protection and hygiene concept has been developed including COVID-19 testing with the goal to protect the health of participants and employees during sampling and to meet legal requirements, while sustaining the standardized procedures of sampling and sample preparation. The concept is based on a flexible approach to allow adjustments to changing government regulations and recommendations in the course of the pandemic. By implementing this concept, all samplings were successfully carried out in 2021 & 2022, with the pandemic still ongoing. This paper provides an example of good practice and valuable insights in how to collect human samples during a pandemic. • Conducting epidemiological sampling and data collection for the German Environmental Specimen Bank during a pandemic. • Risk Assessment & development of an infection protection & hygiene concept to conduct safe sampling in a mobile laboratory. • Rapid sample handling, Point-of-Care analytics, and on-site cryopreservation. • Lessons learned during Covid 19 epidemic for future pandemic situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has had serious, negative impacts on children's health and development. But the impacts have not been felt equally. Disabled children and their families have been hit particularly hard. In this paper we summarize UK legislation to limit the spread of the virus and describe how services to disabled children changed as a result. We discuss the long-term deleterious impacts of changes in service provision on the health and wellbeing of disabled children and the parent carers supporting them. We close with lessons learned for resetting services to support the ongoing recovery of children and their families and recommendations for delivering services better in future emergencies to ensure that disabled children's health and wellbeing is maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that the motif of illness runs through all of Crime and Punishment and accompanies key developments and themes to such an extent that the novel merits a reading as a plague, or pandemic, narrative. The paper examines imagery of illness and infection in Dostoevsky's novel and analyzes the way this imagery is used to underscore the danger and the infectiousness of the ideas that Dostoevsky is trying to debunk. This analysis of Crime and Punishment shows that Dostoevsky brilliantly mixes metaphors of biological and ideological infection, diagnosing ailments that still plague us to this day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public health emergencies, especially pandemics, need to be managed globally, and on several levels, emphasizing the importance of leadership, communication, and synchronization of measures, data, and management plans in contrast to the management of the Coronavirus-19 pandemic, which illustrated diverse strategies employed by various nations. This paper aims to review and discuss whether globalized diseases in a globalized world should be managed by globalized public health. Using a systematic literature search, followed by a non-systematic literature review, selected studies were grouped into topics, and analyzed, using content analysis to enhance the conclusive results. The results present a roadmap towards a re-envisioned framework highlighting key areas of focus: data-driven decision-making, robust technology infrastructure, global cooperation, and ongoing public health education, as part of a coordinated global response. This article reveals the weaknesses of current pandemic management systems and recommends new steps to further strengthen the management of future pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While Canada has had relatively high vaccination rates against COVID-19, specifically during earlier waves of the pandemic, vaccine hesitancy has continued to serve as a significant barrier to adequate protection against the virus and, more recently, booster vaccine uptake. This paper explores the processes underlying Canadians' perceptions of COVID-19 vaccines and their decisions to take or refuse them, as well as how public policy and health messaging about vaccination has influenced vaccination attitudes and behaviors. Our focus group interviews with 18 vaccinated and unvaccinated adult Canadians conducted during October 2021 reveal that, in some respects, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy conforms to prior knowledge about some of the factors that affect vaccine attitudes (e.g., the influence of known medical providers) but deviates from current theoretical frameworks regarding general vaccine hesitancy. Specifically, these frameworks emphasize a lack of scientific knowledge and literacy ("knowledge deficit" accounts) or individuals' inability to incorporate rational risk perceptions into initial emotional responses to vaccines ("emotionality/irrationality" accounts). In contrast to the knowledge deficit account, we find that expressions of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy were most frequently associated with an information surplus or inability to prioritize information from multiple and often contradictory sources. Furthermore, top-down pro-vaccination messaging often triggered significant pushback against what participants perceived as moral shaming of the unvaccinated. Our findings demonstrate the necessity for a new framework to understand and address vaccine hesitancy. A better theoretical account of vaccine hesitancy has important implications for future vaccination efforts, specifically within the context of new variants and low booster vaccination rates in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has endured constituting formidable economic, social, educational, and phycological challenges for the societies. Moreover, during pandemic outbreaks, the hospitals are overwhelmed with patients requiring more intensive care units and intubation equipment. Therein, to cope with these urgent healthcare demands, the state authorities seek ways to develop policies based on the estimated future casualties. These policies are mainly non-pharmacological policies including the restrictions, curfews, closures, and lockdowns. In this paper, we construct three model structures of the S p I n I t I b D-N (suspicious S p , infected I n , intensive care I t , intubated I b , and dead D together with the non-pharmacological policies N) holding two key targets. The first one is to predict the future COVID-19 casualties including the intensive care and intubated ones, which directly determine the need for urgent healthcare facilities, and the second one is to analyse the linear and non-linear dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic under the non-pharmacological policies. In this respect, we have modified the non-pharmacological policies and incorporated them within the models whose parameters are learned from the available data. The trained models with the data released by the Turkish Health Ministry confirmed that the linear S p I n I t I b D-N model yields more accurate results under the imposed non-pharmacological policies. It is important to note that the non-pharmacological policies have a damping effect on the pandemic casualties and this can dominate the non-linear dynamics. Herein, a model without pharmacological or non-pharmacological policies might have more dominant non-linear dynamics. In addition, the paper considers two machine learning approaches to optimize the unknown parameters of the constructed models. The results show that the recursive neural network has superior performance for learning nonlinear dynamics. However, the batch least squares outperforms in the presence of linear dynamics and stochastic data. The estimated future pandemic casualties with the linear S p I n I t I b D-N model confirm that the suspicious, infected, and dead casualties converge to zero from 200000, 1400, 200 casualties, respectively. The convergences occur in 120 days under the current conditions. • We construct three S p I n I t I b D-N model structures; namely, linear S p I n I t I b D-N model, non-linear S p I n I t I b D-N model, and strongly non-linear S p I n I t I b D-N model to reveal the linear and non-linear characters of the COVID-19 casualties. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper examining the linear and non-linear properties of a pandemic disease. • We modify the non-pharmacological policies based on their changing characters with the occurrence of the second peak in the COVID-19 casualties. Re-opening the schools partial-by-partial and imposed self-curfews, for instance, are modelled and incorporated into the S p I n I t I b D-N models. • We enrich the SpID-N model with the intensive care I t and intubated I b , which will greatly help to estimate the hospital requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper articulates a human rights-based approach to addressing cascading risks in the context of pandemic containment measures. It sets out to highlight how the principle that human rights are interdependent and interrelated, reflected in normative standards articulated by human rights treaty body mechanisms, can inform anticipatory action and work at the humanitarian-development nexus. Grounding a human rights-based approach in the political-ecological understanding of the progression of vulnerability, it considers how lockdown interfered with the right to freedom of movement and the right to work, which in turn had cascading effects on the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, the right to adequate housing and the right to water and sanitation, amongst others. Informed by Scott et al.'s (2023) Framework for Integrating Human Rights and Gender Equality (FIRE), the paper outlines specific entry points for integrating this approach at points along the humanitarian-development nexus continuum, grounded in an appreciation of root causes, dynamic pressures and unsafe conditions characteristic of the progression of vulnerability. The article calls for pilot studies to explore the impact of an integrated human rights-based approach to cascading pandemic risk. • The paper is the first to adopt a human rights-based approach to cascading risks in a pandemic preparedness for response context. • The paper argues that an appreciation of the interdependence of substantive human rights can help to guide decisions regarding pandemic containment measures, encouraging systematic consideration of cascading risks across multiple civil and political, and economic, social and cultural rights. • The article shows how normative human rights standards can inform anticipatory action and work at the wider humanitarian-development nexus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) in 2019 resulted in the suspension of all elective hospital procedures during the height of the pandemic in the UK. The Clinic in London is one of the first day-case hospitals to resume cosmetic surgery in a post-COVID-19 clinical environment, whilst also employing the use of virtual consultations. Details of the protocol implemented by the Clinic to allow the safe resumption of cosmetic surgery are stated in this paper. The volume of procedures at the Clinic saw a significant increase post-lockdown; reasons as to why this occurred are also explored in this paper. The disruption of cosmetic practice during lockdown can be said to have resulted in a backlog of procedures once lockdown restrictions began to ease. Whilst this may be true, we believe that there are other confounding factors regarding what may have influenced the rise in cosmetic surgery during the pandemic, including the privacy of working from home and the increased exposure to video conferencing software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Chinese economy hit hard by both the pandemic and city lockdown. • City lockdown explains 2.8 percentage points of the GDP loss. • Significant spatial spill-over effects of the pandemic but not lockdown. • Reduced labor mobility, land supply, and entrepreneurship are main mechanisms. • Significant heterogeneity across cities in post-pandemic economic recovery. As the first major developing country heavily struck by the COVID-19 pandemic, China adopted the world's most stringent lockdown interventions to contain the virus spread. Using macro- and micro-level data, this paper shows that both the pandemic and lockdown policies have had negative and significant impacts on the economy. Gross regional product (GRP) fell by 9.5 and 0.3 percentage points in cities with and without lockdown interventions, respectively. These impacts represent a dramatic recession from China's average growth of 6.74% before the pandemic. The results indicate that lockdown explains 2.8 percentage points of the GDP loss. We also document significant spill-over effects of the pandemic in adjacent areas but no such effects of lockdown. Reduced labor mobility, land supply, and entrepreneurship are among the most significant mechanisms underpinning the impacts of the pandemic and lockdown. Cities with higher share of secondary industry, higher traffic intensity, lower population density, lower internet access, and lower fiscal capacity suffered more. However, these cities seem to have recovered well from the recession and quickly closed the economic gap in the aftermath of the pandemic and city lockdown. Our findings have broader implications for the global interventions in pandemic containment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has taken the world by storm. The disease has spread very swiftly worldwide. A timely clue which includes the estimation of the incubation period among COVID-19 patients can allow governments and healthcare authorities to act accordingly. to undertake a review and critical appraisal of all published/preprint reports that offer an estimation of incubation periods for COVID-19. This research looked for all relevant published articles between the dates of December 1, 2019, and April 25, 2020, i.e. those that were related to the COVID-19 incubation period. Papers were included if they were written in English, and involved human participants. Papers were excluded if they were not original (e.g. reviews, editorials, letters, commentaries, or duplications). COVID-19 Open Research Dataset supplied by Georgetown's Centre for Security and Emerging Technology as well as PubMed and Embase via Arxiv, medRxiv, and bioRxiv. A data-charting form was jointly developed by the two reviewers (NZ and EA), to determine which variables to extract. The two reviewers independently charted the data, discussed the results, and updated the data-charting form. Screening was undertaken 44,000 articles with a final selection of 25 studies referring to 18 different experimental projects related to the estimation of the incubation period of COVID-19. The majority of extant published estimates offer empirical evidence showing that the incubation period for the virus is a mean of 7.8 days, with a median of 5.01 days, which falls into the ranges proposed by the WHO (0–14 days) and the ECDC (2–12 days). Nevertheless, a number of authors proposed that quarantine time should be a minimum of 14 days and that for estimates of mortality risks a median time delay of 13 days between illness and mortality should be under consideration. It is unclear as to whether any correlation exists between the age of patients and the length of time they incubate the virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the virus keeps spreading worldwide and mass vaccinations are yet to come, transport policy makers face a dilemma: how is mobility changing? The situation is not unprecedented. But, unlike in past times when medical science was at early stages and little technology was available, counteractions currently undertaken by national and supranational governments integrate highest medical knowledge and technological skills with new, fast-adaptive lifestyles and transport patterns. The paper moves from this to present some key issues, synthesized by the ARDUOUS acronym (Adjustment , Redesign, Domesticity, Unsharing, Organization, Unsustainability, Standardization), to cope with the present situation and give rise to a new approach in the future urban transport policies. The paper, after analyzing the contemporary situation and its implications, addresses each issue in terms of both current limitations and potential to improve the future transport policies. Some directions are proposed and commented, to advance and create a reference for further transport policies, within the general research goal to contribute to advance scientific knowledge in this new transportation study topic. • Individual mobility was severely impacted by the pandemic. • Safe transport systems are crucial in mitigating the spread risks. • A new policy approach is needed to provide safe mobility for all. • Domesticity, Unsharing, Unsustainability are the risks to face in the new normal. • Adjustment, Redesign, Organization and Standardization are needed to create preparedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being part of the integration grouping, Poland benefits from the geographic, cultural and cognitive proximity to the largest investors. Making reference to the vulnerability concept and the changing nature of globalisation, presenting stylised facts on foreign direct investment (FDI) and comparing FDI to other foreign capital flows – the paper aims to predict the role of foreign-owned entities (FOEs) in Poland in the process of the post-pandemic recovery. Referring to the performance of FOEs in the 2008 crisis and comparing the volatility of various foreign inflows, FDI shall be perceived as a factor stabilising Poland's economy in a current pandemic slowdown and stimulating the post-pandemic recovery. FOEs reveal a premium over the domestic entities, and therefore their activity in Poland is expected to be helpful in the post-pandemic recovery. The paper formulates recommendations to attract foreign investors to Poland at the post-pandemic time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine to what extent external factors (country and industry) and internal factors (capabilities of firms) explain firm resilience outcomes during the first and toughest months of a wild card crisis. Our study uses multivariable regressions on a sample of 1,180 firms. Using evidence from a survey of 58 countries and 17 industries, our results show that, contrary to the mainstream, external effects play a more significant role in explaining resilience outcomes than internal effects. They also highlight the important role of firms' adaptive capabilities in the initial phase of crises. The study contributes to the existing literature by shedding light on the importance of resilience and on the relative influence of internal and external factors in predicting resilience outcomes in the face of a global shock. The paper highlights the need for further research into performance variance in the very short run when firms face a wild card situation. It also discusses implications for governments and firms in improving their resilience capabilities and emphasizes the importance of ensuring that aid reaches small firms and that managers prepare firms with excess liquidity for times of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine the current crisis of regarding preparedness of healthcare industries in Pakistan, analyzing the causes, effects, and potential recommendations to this problem. Highlighting the efforts and issues surrounding this topic is necessary for developing and implementing research-based solutions that accurately reflect the current state of the healthcare industry. This short overview is prepared in accordance with accepted practices in published studies around the world. Our findings were based on a search of the literature databases PubMed, Google Scholar, Journals Online, and the Internet Library. Searching for "Healthcare Preparedness in Pakistan" yielded the expected results. Particularly of interest to the researchers was the question of why, despite efforts to boost vaccination rates and emergency immunization response capacities in the event of epidemics, progress on SDG3 immunization indicators has been minimal. Immunization is critically important because vaccine-preventable diseases pose a significant risk to the general population. Pakistan's authorities and government should take deliberate action to increase immunization rates. Particularly disadvantaged countries and regions are hit the worst by climate change. Pakistan continues to be hit hard by diseases like acute watery diarrhea, dengue fever, malaria, and COVID-19 are on the rise as a result of the flooding, especially in shelters and areas where water and sanitation systems have been affected. After devastating floods in KP, Sindh, and Punjab, over 70 suspected cases of diphtheria were reported. Diphtheria epidemics illustrate the precarious position of flood victims. It would be catastrophic if the newly found diphtheria strain or the covid-19 variation reached the underserved flood victims. Immunization protects against life-threatening illnesses so its government responsibility to improve immunization rates in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose; The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated profound adaptations in the delivery of healthcare to manage a rise in critically unwell patients. In an attempt to slow the spread of the virus nationwide lockdown restrictions were introduced. This review aims to scope the literature on the impact of the pandemic and subsequent lockdown on the presentation and management of trauma globally. Methods; A scoping review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A systematic search was carried out on the Medline, EMBASE and Cochrane databases to identify papers investigating presentation and management of trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic. All studies based on patients admitted with orthopaedic trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic were included. Exclusion criteria were opinion-based reports, reviews, studies that did not provide quantitative data and papers not in English. Results; 665 studies were screened, with 57 meeting the eligibility criteria. Studies reported on the footfall of trauma in the UK, Europe, Asia, USA, Australia and New Zealand. A total of 29,591 patients during the pandemic were considered. Mean age was 43.7 years (range <1–103); 54.8% were male. Reported reductions in trauma footfall ranged from 20.3% to 84.6%, with a higher proportion of trauma occurring secondary to interpersonal violence, deliberate self-harm and falls from a height. A decrease was seen in road traffic collisions, sports injuries and trauma occurring outdoors. There was no significant change in the proportion of patients managed operatively, and the number of trauma patients reported to be COVID-19 positive was low. Conclusion; Whilst the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has caused a reduction in the number of trauma patients; the services managing trauma have continued to function despite infrastructural, personnel and pathway changes in health systems. The substantial effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on elective orthopaedics is well described, however the contents of this review evidence minimal change in the delivery of effective trauma care despite resource constraints during this global COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has necessitated alterations to the delivery of healthcare services. Modifications include those made to improve patient and healthcare worker safety such as the use of personal protective equipment. Pharmacy services, specifically pharmacy transitions of care services have not been immune to change which have brought along their own set of unique challenges to consider. This paper discusses how COVID-19 has impacted the delivery of pharmacy transitions of care services with real world examples from Sharp Grossmont Hospital and Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian. Procedures implemented to minimize the spread and contraction of COVID-19 such as minimized patient contact and altered visitor policies have made it more challenging to obtain a best possible medication list the patient was taking prior to arrival to the hospital which has lead to an increased reliance on secondary sources to complete medication histories. Regarding discharge prescriptions, preference has shifted to the use of electronic vs. hard copy prescriptions, mail order, and utilization of med to bed programs and other hospital medication delivery services to limit patient contact in outpatient pharmacies. An improved effort to resolve medication acquisition issues prior to discharge utilizing patient assistance programs and other hospital programs to cover the cost of medications for COVID positive patients under certain circumstances has been seen. This paper highlights the important role pharmacists can play in providing effective communication, supporting continuity of care, and advocating for patient engagement and empowerment during transitions of care in the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic that emerged in December 2019 has rapidly evolved in recent months to become a worldwide and ongoing pandemic. Shortage of medical masks remains an unresolved problem. This study aims to investigate the filtration efficiency (FE) of home-made masks that could be used as alternatives for community mitigation of COVID-19. Experimental observational analytic study. The FE of home-made masks and medical masks (as the control) were tested under laminar flow within a scaled air duct system using nebulised NaCl aerosols sized 6–220 nm. The size-resolved NaCl aerosol count was measured using a scanning mobility particle-sizer spectrometer. Home-made masks with an external plastic face shield also underwent a splash test. In addition, the fibre structures of medical masks were studied under an electron microscope after treatment with either 75% alcohol or soap and water at 60 °C. The FE of the home-made masks at 6–200 nm were non-inferior to that of medical masks (84.54% vs 86.94%, P = 0.102). Both types of masks achieved an FE of 90% at 6–89 nm. A significantly higher FE was achieved when one piece of tissue paper was added adjacent to the inner surface of the medical mask than medical mask alone (6–200 nm: 91.64% vs 86.94%, P < 0.0001; 6–89 nm: 94.27% vs 90.54%, P < 0.0001; 90–200 nm: 82.69% vs 73.81%, P < 0.0001). The plastic face shield prevented the home-made mask from fluid splash. The fibre structures of the external surface of medical masks were damaged after treatment with either 75% alcohol or soap and water at 60 °C. The home-made masks in this study, which were made of one piece of tissue paper and two pieces of kitchen towels, layered from face to external, had an FE at 6–200 nm non-inferior to that of medical mask materials, which had a certified FE of ≥95% at 3 μm. In the current COVID-19 pandemic with the shortage of medical masks, these home-made masks combined with an external plastic shield could be used as an alternative to medical masks for community mitigation. In addition, one piece of tissue paper could be placed adjacent to the inner surface of a medical mask to prolong effective lifespan of the medical mask. These demand reduction strategies could be used to reserve medical masks for use in healthcare and certain high-risk community settings, such as symptomatic persons, caregivers and attendees to healthcare institutions. • Our home-made masks have filtration efficiency comparable to medical masks. • They may be used as alternatives in low-risk community settings. • Plastic face shields may be used in situations when social distancing and/or face masks are not feasible. • Decontamination of medical masks with 75% alcohol or soap and water damages the fibres and is not recommended. • Community mitigation measures are an important part of the global efforts in combating COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to shed new light on changes in counter-urbanisation over the past three decades. A specific focus will be placed on new features of domestic migration to non-metropolitan rural areas which have become apparent during the global coronavirus pandemic. We focus on the intensity, origins, and destinations of counter-urban moves, and on the individual characteristics of counter-urban movers. Based on a case study of Estonia, our main findings show, firstly, that urbanisation has been the predominant migration trend across the past thirty years, with the main destination of domestic migrants being the capital city and its urban region. Secondly, we find that counter-urban moves have gained importance over time and especially during the periods of economic bust. The most important new features of counter-urbanisation during the pandemic relate to the increased migration of families with children and people who have high-income occupations to non-metropolitan rural areas. These new features of domestic migration could serve to slow down or even reverse the long-term problem of population aging in the countryside and the loss of educated people there. • Analysis of counter-urbanisation between over the past three decades. • New features of counter-urban moves. • Pandemic has reinforced many long-term trends in counter-urban moves. • Counter-urban moves of families improve the demographic profile of rural areas. • Counter-urban moves of higher-income earners improve the social profile of rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic prompted widespread national shutdown, halting or dramatically reducing the delivery of non-essential outpatient services including cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Center-based CR services were closed for as few as two weeks to greater than one year and the uncertainty surrounding the duration of the lockdown phase prompted programs to consider programmatic adaptations that would allow for the safe and effective delivery of CR services. Among the actions taken to accommodate in person CR sessions included increasing the distance between exercise equipment and/or limiting the number of patients per session. Legislative approval of reimbursing telehealth or virtual services presented an opportunity to reach patients that may otherwise have not considered attending CR during or even before the pandemic. Additionally, the considerable range of symptoms and infection severity as well as the risk of developing long lasting, debilitating symptoms has complicated exercise recommendations. Important lessons from publications reporting findings from clinical settings have helped shape the way in which exercise is applied, with much more left to discover. The overarching aim of this paper is to review how programs adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic and identify lessons learned that have positively influenced the future of CR delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how a pandemic affects the distribution of traffic between public and private transport and the emissions from the transport sector. By assuming that there exists higher health risk of traveling in public transport than in private transport and using air transport and private cars as examples, we find the following results. First, the effects of a pandemic on the traffic volumes of airline services and private cars depend crucially on, for instance, the willingness-to-pay of travelers, the degree of substitution between transport modes, the demand-side network effect (via schedule delays), and the supply-side network effect (via the economies of traffic density). In particular, heterogeneous effects of the pandemic on the traffic volumes and flight frequencies of different airline services are found. Second, the total transport-related CO2 emissions decrease after the pandemic if the CO2 emissions per air traveler (or per flight) are sufficiently high, or the degree of substitution between airline services and private cars is sufficiently low. Third, numerical examples on the change in price of car travel and the introduction of high-speed rail show consistent insights. Finally, several policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document describes the behavior of the production of academic papers and high circulation newspapers, published under the terms "Coronavirus, Covid-19 or SARS-CoV-2". The purpose of this paper is to employ text mining techniques and qualitative data analysis for pattern identification (Dobrzyński, Dziekoński, Krzysztof, & Jurczuk, 2013; Westergaard, Staerfeldt, Tønsberg, Jensen, & Brunak, 2018). The interest of this study arises from the importance of this topic today and its relationship with the economy, business and society. As a result, the production of scientific papers has been led by the United States, China and Russia. In Latin America, Brazil is the country with the highest scientific output on this subject. The analysis of newspaper articles focusing on economic and business issues showed the work between large companies, the government and the community, as well as companies with businesses and the need to adapt to constant change in the face of the crisis of labor and production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since early 2020, life for students has changed tremendously. It has been a time of stress, turmoil, and trauma for students. Researchers from a large Midwestern university wanted to determine how student information use has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper examines the results of a mixed-methods study undertaken in 2021 using surveys and follow-up focus groups to determine if and how student information use has changed. To answer this, we explored student use of news sources, social media sources, political affiliations, and information responses, coupled with to what extent these factors demonstrate or impact potential changes in information use. We also addressed changes in the frequency of use, as well as the types of resources consulted, pertaining to information use of traditional and social media sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and remote course delivery recede in the rear-view mirror, academic librarians look to what the future holds for streaming video. During 2020 and 2021, library-funded streaming video requests soared while library budgets declined. Librarians are concerned that this trend will continue beyond budgetary limits. This paper describes an analysis of streaming video usage from 2019 through 2022 at California State University, Fresno. The results provide evidence that the elevated growth rate is tapering off at this institution, but the medium remains popular. The impact of streaming media on library budgets and collection development policies is also discussed. Our evaluation is distinguished by the inclusion of data from before, during, and after the pandemic lockdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous countries and jurisdictions have implemented differential COVID-19 public health restrictions based on individual vaccination status to mitigate the public health risks posed by unvaccinated individuals. Although it is scientifically and ethically justifiable to introduce such vaccination-based differentiated measures as a risk-based approach to resume high-risk activities in an ongoing pandemic, their justification is weakened by lack of clarity on their intended goals and the specific risks or potential harms they intend to mitigate. Furthermore, the criteria for the removal of differentiated measures may not be clear, which raises the possibility of shifting goalposts without clear justification and with potential for unfairly discriminatory consequences. This paper seeks to clarify the ethical justification of COVID-19 vaccination-based differentiated measures based on a public health risk-based approach, with focus on their deployment in domestic settings. We argue that such measures should be consistent with the principal goal of COVID-19 vaccination programmes, which is to reduce the incidence of severely ill patients and associated healthcare burdens so as to protect a health system. We provide some considerations for the removal of vaccination-based differentiated measures based on this goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic had profound global impacts on daily lives, economic stability, and healthcare systems. Diagnosis of COVID-19 infection via RT-PCR was crucial in reducing spread of disease and informing treatment management. While RT-PCR is a key diagnostic test, there is room for improvement in the development of diagnostic criteria. Identification of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath provides a fast, reliable, and economically favorable alternative for disease detection. This meta-analysis analyzed the diagnostic performance of VOC-based breath analysis in detection of COVID-19 infection. A systematic review of twenty-nine papers using the grading criteria from Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and PRISMA guidelines was conducted. The cumulative results showed a sensitivity of 0.92 (95 % CI, 90 %-95 %) and a specificity of 0.90 (95 % CI 87 %-93 %). Subgroup analysis by variant demonstrated strong sensitivity to the original strain compared to the Omicron and Delta variant in detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection. An additional subgroup analysis of detection methods showed eNose technology had the highest sensitivity when compared to GC-MS, GC-IMS, and high sensitivity-MS. Overall, these results support the use of breath analysis as a new detection method of COVID-19 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic, with its far-reaching influence on daily life, constituted a highly stressful experience for many people worldwide, jeopardizing individuals' mental health, particularly in vulnerable populations such as pregnant women. While a growing body of evidence links prenatal maternal stress to biological and developmental alterations in offspring, the specific impact of prenatal exposure to maternal pandemic-related stress (PRS) on infant development remains unclear. A comprehensive literature search was performed in October 2023 according to the PRISMA guidelines, which yielded a total of 28 records. The selected papers investigated a vast range of developmental and biological outcomes in the offspring with large methodological variations. The reviewed studies showed mixed results. Either direct associations between maternal PRS during pregnancy and infant temperament and socio-emotional development, or indirect links, mediated by maternal mental health, emerged in most studies. Furthermore, maternal PRS was associated with epigenetic and brain alterations in the offspring, although studies were limited in number. Collectively, the reviewed findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the role of early adverse exposures on infant development. • The COVID-19 pandemic constituted a critical period during which prenatal stressors may have been amplified. • Prenatal pandemic stress was linked to infant temperament/socio-emotional development. • Maternal mental health was often a critical mediator of the association. • Prenatal pandemic stress was related to epigenetic and brain alterations in offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disasters and crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, have created an uncertain and challenging environment, particularly for the hospitality and service-based industries, forcing managers to seek effective approaches in designing and staging delightful experiences in post-crisis conditions. This paper aims to advance research in delightful customer experiences in the hospitality and service-based industries in the post-crisis "new normal" conditions by (1) systematically and critically reviewing non-crisis and pre-pandemic findings on customer delight, (2) updating and structuring new findings in times of crisis and during the pandemic, and (3) thus suggesting new ways of conceptualising customer delight in the "new normal" conditions. Several conceptual gaps are identified based on this systematic critical review, which eventuates the development of a dual-pathway framework in the "new normal" context. Following this, several future research directions and practical implications for more effective delightful experience management are provided. • Systematically review relevant research on delightful experiences management. • Update and structure new findings in times of crisis, during and post-pandemic. • Clarify 6 relevant research gaps in the literature. • Offer a conceptual framework of delightful experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Securitization is the process of turning a financial asset, such as a loan or a mortgage, into a security that can be bought and sold on the market. Insurance-linked securities have been developed in order to foster the risk-transfer from insurers to capital market. In the context of pandemics or health crisis, securitization has been used to raise funds for crucial healthcare infrastructure and resources. However, securitization can also play a role in lowering infectious rates of pandemics as a part of risk mitigation strategies. Securitization can be engineered at higher standards and levels involving different actors. In the current paper, we propose an operational securitization mechanism based on the previous work by Di Lorenzo and Sibillo (2020) where a bond with coupon linked to the infection rate is introduced in order to reduce the risk exposure of an insurer offering health coverage. The combination of bond and health policies is structured in such a way to foster the economic operators (insureds, insurer, investors on capital market) to reduce the pandemic risk. It follows that companies might guarantee collective health for their workers if they subscribe insurance policies. Indeed, issuing such a bond on the market is challenging, due to poor market liquidity and, then, due to difficulties in pricing. In these regards, we value the pandemic-linked bond via an approach based on an inter-temporal CRRA utility function that, in its turn, determines a certain equivalent financial bond. The comparison values the pandemic-linked bond at varying with investors' risk-aversion and sustainable-projects desirability. This provides an estimation of the risk-transfer cost for the insurers. • A novel insurance method for mitigating the risk of health crisis • Approach of insurance as governance • The proposed insurance scheme includes securitization • Health spillovers on individuals who have not contributed to the whole welfare • Market-sustainability supported via a comparison with a certain bond [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current paper, we investigate how people with experience with volunteering in their lifetime intend to engage in hypothetical crisis volunteering in the future. We took into account two types of hypothetical social crises: a pandemic and a refugee crisis. We suggest that individual differences in considering the welfare of others (social value orientation) and consideration of future/immediate consequences play a role in the volunteer responses to crises. We also control for the willingness to volunteer in the proximal (a month) and distal (3 years) future, gender, age, and length of volunteer experience. We conducted two survey-based online studies in October 2023. We recruited N = 287 people for Study 1 (Poland) and N = 231 for Study 2 (Italy). Our results suggested that people who declare they want to remain volunteers intend to engage during social crises, but not necessarily in a proactive way. Furthermore, consideration of future consequences can result in proactivity, which was especially visible in the Italian sample. Consideration of immediate consequences can have twofold correlates – one might be the engagement in volunteering in case of a sudden emergency or refraining from the voluntary activity. These results can be used by people leading volunteer activities to predict what to expect from their volunteers and plan the volunteer recruitment and retention processes during crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted healthcare on an unprecedented scale, with healthcare resources being channeled into managing the devastating effects of the outbreak. Healthcare provision for vulnerable older adults has also been affected by lockdowns and suspension of selected medical services worldwide. In our tertiary cancer center, the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS), our Geriatric Oncology (GO) service for older adults with cancer was halted for five months. In this paper, we describe the adoption of a hybrid telemedicine model by our GO service to continue care provision for older adults in the midst of the pandemic. Comprehensive geriatric assessments (CGA) were done via telemedicine and virtual multidisciplinary discussions were held prior to the patients' clinic visits. A hybrid telemedicine consultation allowed geriatricians and oncologists, segregated in different sites during the pandemic, to provide a hybrid physical and video geriatric oncology consultation. Scheduled phone follow ups by GO nurses helped to monitor patients for treatment-related toxicities and geriatric syndromes. Two hundred fifty patients were enrolled in the program from July 2020 to August 2021. All were assessed with a CGA, with 240 receiving interventions in the one-stop clinic. The average amount of time spent per visit was shortened from four hours to two and a half hours with an average of three interventions on the same day, versus one previously. Of the patients who received interventions, 84.8% were satisfied with the hybrid telemedicine model and 80.8% of them had reported a maintained or improved quality of life after being enrolled in the program. Telemedicine has been widely adopted during the pandemic, but older adults with limited digital literacy may find it a challenge. Our hybrid telemedicine model has allowed us to continue to provide cancer care, identify issues brought about by social isolation, and render timely assistance. It has become imperative to adapt, prepare and plan for the challenges we may face amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and similar future outbreaks. Only by doing so can we remain agile and resilient, to continue providing quality care to our older patients with cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• What is currently known? Associate degree nursing programs must understand the regulation of nursing practice and education to support nursing workforce needs. • What the paper adds to existing knowledge: Most states have enacted changes to the regulation of practice and education in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. • How is the applied to practice? Associate degree nurse educators must continue to stay abreast of regulatory changes to support preparation of new nurse graduates who are ready to meet workforce needs to practice safely in today's healthcare environment. To adapt to the environment resulting from a worldwide pandemic, states across the country enacted regulation changes impacting nursing education, entry into practice, and licensure. In this manuscript, the authors collected state board of nursing data from sources including websites and letters from the State Boards to deans, directors, and chairs. Information obtained reflected changes to regulation of practice and regulation of education. As the pandemic continues, associate degree educators will need to continue to stay abreast of nursing regulation changes made to meet healthcare workforce needs while also ensuring public safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]