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2. The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Need for an Integrated and Equitable Approach: An International Expert Consensus Paper
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Sergio Pillon, Mariella Catalano, Benjamin Brenner, Zsolt Pecsvarady, Ismail Elalamy, Joseph Lewis, Jean-Claude Wautrecht, D. Olinic, Vincent Maréchal, Mouna Sassi, Isabelle Mahé, Anna Falanga, Nusrat Jabeen, Charles A. Carter, Mary-Paula Colgan, Alexander Makatsariya, Alfonso Tafur, Kasse Aa, Tazi Mezalek Zoubida, Meletios-Athanasios Dimopoulos, Michèle Sabbah, Darko Antic, Yiannis Theodorou, Alex C. Spyropoulos, Vladimir Chekhonin, Meganathan Kannan, Katalin Farkas, Peter Klein-Wegel, Job Harenberg, P Massamba Mbaye, Joseph Gligorov, Manuel Monreal Bosch, Grigoris T. Gerotziafas, Pier Luigi Antignani, Hikmat Abdel-Razeq, James D. Douketis, Gerit Schernthaner, Petros Agathaggelou, Ali T. Taher, Jawed Fareed, Essam Abo Elnazar, Irina Panovska-Stavridis, Patrick Van Dreden, Fabio Leivano, Gerry Fowkes, Fakiha Siddiqui, Mark A. Ligocki, Tishya Indran, Kostantinos Konstantinidis, Bulent Kantarcioglu, Jin Shiomura, Bahare Fazeli, Chryssa Papageorgiou, Yongquan Gu, Anny Slama-Schwok, Eduardo Ramacciotti, Zenguo Zhai, Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine (CRSA), Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Sorbonne Université (SU), CHU Tenon [AP-HP], Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP)-Sorbonne Université (SU), Università degli Studi di Milano = University of Milan (UNIMI), Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses (CIMI), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Campbell University [Buies Creek, NC, USA] (CU), University of Karachi, Heidelberg University, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca = University of Milano-Bicocca (UNIMIB), Loyola University [Chicago], Cyprus Institute (CyI), University of Belgrade [Belgrade], Nuova Villa Claudia [Rome, Italy] (NVC), Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM), Rambam Health Care Campus [Haifa, Israel], Technion - Israel Institute of Technology [Haifa], Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (MHRF), St James's University Hospital, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Trinity College Dublin, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), McMaster University [Hamilton, Ontario], Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health [Hamilton, ON, Canada] (FIRH), Ministry of Health [Saudi Arabia], Szent Imre Hospital [Budapest, Hungary] (SIH), Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Capital University of Medical Sciences [Beijing] (CUMS), Hôpitaux Universitaires de l'Est Parisien [Paris] (HUEP), Monash Medical Centre [Clayton, Australia], Central University of Tamil Nadu [Thiruvarur, India] (CUTN), Central University of Tamil Nadu (CUTN), Okmeydani Training and Research Hospital [Istanbul, Turkey] (OTRH), Centre International de Cancérologie de Dakar [Dakar, Senegal] (CICD), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Université Virtuelle du Sénégal [Dakar, Senegal] (UVS), Innovations thérapeutiques en hémostase (IThEM - U1140), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité), University Clinic of Hematology [Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia] (UCH), University of Medicine and Pharmacy [Cluj-Napoca, Romania] (UMP), Service d'Anesthésie réanimation [CHU Tenon], Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP)-Sorbonne Université (SU), Flor Ferenc Teaching Hospital [Kistarcsa, Hungary] (2FTH), San Camillo Forlanini Hospital [Rome], Loyola University Medical Center (LUMC), Science Valley Research Institute [São Paulo, Brazil] (SVRI), King Hussein Cancer Center [Amman, Jordan] (KH2C), CHU Fattouma Bourguiba [Monastir] (HFB), Medizinische Universität Wien = Medical University of Vienna, Nobelpharma Co. Ltd. [Tokyo, Japan], Hôpital Erasme [Bruxelles] (ULB), Faculté de Médecine [Bruxelles] (ULB), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB)-Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), North Shore University Cardiologists [Skokie, Illinois, USA] (NSUC), American University of Beirut Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center (AUB), Klinikum Ernst von Bergmann [Potsdam, Germany] (KEVB), Peking University [Beijing], Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences [Beijing, China] (CAMS), Peking Union Medical College [Beijing, China], Université Mohammed V de Rabat [Agdal] (UM5), Scientific Reviewer Committee: Gregory Y H Lip, Michael Makris, Sam Schulman, Wolfgang Siess, Christian Weber, Sabbah, Michèle, Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine (CR Saint-Antoine), Sorbonne Université (SU)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-CHU Saint-Antoine [AP-HP], Sorbonne Université (SU)-Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP), University of Milan, Centre d'Immunologie et de Maladies Infectieuses (CIMI), Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca [Milano] (UNIMIB), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Université de Paris (UP), Sorbonne Université (SU)-Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP), and University of Mohammed V
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Telemedicine ,Economic growth ,COVID-19 Vaccines ,Population ,Psychological intervention ,Disease ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,Risk Assessment ,Herd immunity ,03 medical and health sciences ,COVID-19 Testing ,0302 clinical medicine ,Consensus Paper ,Pandemic ,medicine ,[SDV.BBM] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biochemistry, Molecular Biology ,Humans ,[SDV.BBM]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biochemistry, Molecular Biology ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Disease management (health) ,education ,Pandemics ,thrombosis ,education.field_of_study ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Immunization Programs ,pandemic ,Public health ,COVID-19 ,Disease Management ,health care systems ,Hematology ,3. Good health ,Public Health ,Business - Abstract
Background One year after the declaration of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) and despite the implementation of mandatory physical barriers and social distancing, humanity remains challenged by a long-lasting and devastating public health crisis. Management Non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) are efficient mitigation strategies. The success of these NPIs is dependent on the approval and commitment of the population. The launch of a mass vaccination program in many countries in late December 2020 with mRNA vaccines, adenovirus-based vaccines, and inactivated virus vaccines has generated hope for the end of the pandemic. Current Issues The continuous appearance of new pathogenic viral strains and the ability of vaccines to prevent infection and transmission raise important concerns as we try to achieve community immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its variants. The need of a second and even third generation of vaccines has already been acknowledged by the WHO and governments. Perspectives There is a critical and urgent need for a balanced and integrated strategy for the management of the COVID-19 outbreaks organized on three axes: (1) Prevention of the SARS-CoV-2 infection, (2) Detection and early diagnosis of patients at risk of disease worsening, and (3) Anticipation of medical care (PDA). Conclusion The “PDA strategy” integrated into state policy for the support and expansion of health systems and introduction of digital organizations (i.e., telemedicine, e-Health, artificial intelligence, and machine-learning technology) is of major importance for the preservation of citizens' health and life world-wide.
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- 2021
3. Preventing the Next Pandemic: The Case for Investing in Circulatory Health - A Global Coalition for Circulatory Health Position Paper
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The Global Coalition for Circulatory Health, Leslie Rae Ferat, Ryan Forrest, Kawaldip Sehmi, Raul D. Santos, David Stewart, Andrew J. M. Boulton, Beatriz Yáñez Jiménez, Phil Riley, Dylan Burger, Erika S. W. Jones, Maciej Tomaszewski, Maria Rita Milanese, Paul Laffin, Vivekanand Jha, Bettina Borisch, Michael Moore, Fausto J. Pinto, Daniel Piñeiro, Jean-Luc Eiselé, Daniel T. Lackland, Paul K. Whelton, Xin-Hua Zhang, Anna Stavdal, Donald Li, Richard Hobbs, Jeyaraj Durai Pandian, Michael Brainin, and Valery Feigin
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circulatory health ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Economic growth ,health emergency preparedness ,hypertension ,Health Emergency Preparedness ,COVID-19 ,Noncommunicable Disease ,NCD ,Circulatory Health ,Cardiovascular Disease ,CVD ,Stroke ,Diabetes ,Kidney Disease ,Hypertension ,Syndemic ,Public Health ,Policy ,ncd ,Epidemiology ,kidney disease ,Disease ,Global Health ,cvd ,cardiovascular disease ,Pandemic ,Global health ,medicine ,Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system ,Humans ,Social determinants of health ,Noncommunicable Diseases ,noncommunicable disease ,Pandemics ,Aged ,Community and Home Care ,Equity (economics) ,diabetes ,business.industry ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Public health ,public health ,Digital health ,stroke ,RC666-701 ,syndemic ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,business ,policy - Abstract
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a continuous and robust impact on world health. The resulting COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating physical, mental and fiscal impact on the millions of people living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). In addition to older age, people living with CVD, stroke, obesity, diabetes, kidney disease, and hypertension are at a particularly greater risk for severe forms of COVID-19 and its consequences. Meta-analysis indicates that hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and thrombotic complications have been observed as both the most prevalent and most dangerous co-morbidities in COVID-19 patients. And despite the nearly incalculable physical, mental, emotional, and economic toll of this pandemic, forthcoming public health figures continue to place cardiovascular disease as the number one cause of death across the globe in the year 2020. The world simply cannot wait for the next pandemic to invest in NCDs. Social determinants of health cannot be addressed only through the healthcare system, but a more holistic multisectoral approach with at its basis the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is needed to truly address social and economic inequalities and build more resilient systems. Yet there is reason for hope: the 2019 UN Political Declaration on UHC provides a strong framework for building more resilient health systems, with explicit calls for investment in NCDs and references to fiscal policies that put such investment firmly within reach. By further cementing the importance of addressing circulatory health in a future Framework Convention on Emergency Preparedness, WHO Member States can take concrete steps towards a pandemic-free future. As the chief representatives of the global circulatory health community and patients, the Global Coalition for Circulatory Health calls for increased support for the healthcare workforce, global vaccine equity, embracing new models of care and digital health solutions, as well as fiscal policies on unhealthy commodities to support these investments.
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- 2021
4. Enrique Ubieta Gomez. Red Zone: Cuba and the Battle against Ebola in West Africa. New York: Pathfinder, 2019. Translated from Spanish by Catriona Goss. 250 pp. Maps. Photos. References. Index. $17.00. Paper. ISBN: 978-1-60488-114-1
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Richard O. Djukpen
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Cultural Studies ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Battle ,History ,business.industry ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Public health ,Sierra leone ,Pathfinder ,Index (publishing) ,Anthropology ,Humanity ,Health care ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Ethnology ,business ,media_common - Abstract
Infectious diseases at pandemic level have had a devastating impact on humanity for many centuries. [...]understanding and managing the vectors and factors that propagate these diseases is paramount to human survival. The author examines a plethora of factors that exacerbated the Ebola crisis, that future students of public health and policy making could study with reference to combatting pandemics. In addition to the individual experiences of these healthcare workers, the book also catalogs the relationship between the West African governments (Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea) and Cuba as well as the developed world and the rest of the world.
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- 2021
5. The World Health Organization Reforms in the Time of COVID-19
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Velásquez, Germán and Velásquez, Germán
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- 2022
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6. Bioethics of pandemics and disasters within the context of public health ethics and ethics of social consequences.
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Novotný, Rudolf, Novotná, Zuzana, Andraščíková, Štefánia, and Smatana, Juraj
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BIOETHICS ,COVID-19 pandemic ,PUBLIC health ,MEDICAL care ,NATURAL disasters - Abstract
Introduction: Public health ethics addresses moral dilemmas arising from balancing individual healthcare needs with societal interests. Ethical considerations in public health during pandemics and disasters aim to reduce mortality rates and minimize social injustice through fair principles. Objective: This paper analyzes public health ethics and ethical values in allocating resources during mass casualty incidents. The intersection of public health ethics, applied bioethics, and ethics of social consequences (through non-utilitarian consequentialism) guides addressing serious public health challenges in catastrophic scenarios. The application of the given interaction is significant for professional medical ethics. Methodology: The paper employs inductive, deductive, and normative methods of bioethics and the methodology of ethics of social consequences. Conclusion: The paradigmatic disparity between the bioethics of pandemics and disaster bioethics lies in the fluid application of bioethical principles and the accentuation of utilitarian demands depending on the severity and scale of mass casualty incidents. Applied bioethics in crisis situations respects the approaches of public health ethics and attempts to increase positive social outcomes. The application of (scarce) resource allocation criteria and triage of patients is derived from ethical decisions beneficial to public health and lege artis approaches of medical bioethics. The paper presents professional and ethical criteria for medically inappropriate treatment within the framework of patient triage; we approach crisis ethics from the perspective of maximization of benefit. Age is not an exclusion criterion of acute healthcare provision in crisis situations. Ethics of social consequences as a form of non-utilitarian consequentialism allowing for social consequences bridges public health ethics and applied bioethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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7. The Mental Health of Refugees during a Pandemic: Striving toward Social Justice through Social Determinants of Health and Human Rights
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Daniel Yozwiak, Julie M. Aultman, and Tanner McGuire
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Original Paper ,medicine.medical_specialty ,education.field_of_study ,Refugee ,Health (social science) ,Pandemic ,Social stigma ,Cultural humility ,Health Policy ,Public health ,Population ,Justice ,COVID-19 ,Criminology ,Mental health ,Economic Justice ,Philosophy ,medicine ,Sociology ,Social determinants of health ,Social determinants ,education - Abstract
This paper is the second of two in a series. In our first paper, we presented a social justice framework emerging from an extensive literature review and incorporating core social determinants specific to mental health in the age of COVID-19 and illustrated specific social determinants impacting mental health (SDIMH) of our resettled Bhutanese refugee population during the pandemic. This second paper details specific barriers to the SDIMH detrimental to the basic human rights and social justice of this population during this pandemic. The SDIMH, as described, further informs the need for social justice measures and cultural humility in mental healthcare, public health, law, and community engagement. This work concludes with a proposed call to action toward mental health improvement and fair treatment for refugee populations in three core areas: communication and education, social stigma and discrimination, and accessibility and availability of resources.
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- 2021
8. Islam and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Between Religious Practice and Health Protection
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Piwko, Aldona Maria
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Economic growth ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,COVID-19 pandemic ,050109 social psychology ,Health protection ,0603 philosophy, ethics and religion ,Islam ,Middle East ,Politics ,Political science ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,0501 psychology and cognitive sciences ,Pandemics ,General Nursing ,Muslim world ,Original Paper ,060303 religions & theology ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Public health ,05 social sciences ,Religious studies ,COVID-19 ,06 humanities and the arts ,General Medicine ,Religion ,Policy - Abstract
This paper concerns a problem, the global pandemic COVID-19, which has influenced religious practices with respect to health protection across the Muslim world. Rapid transmission of the virus between people has become a serious challenge and a threat to the health protection of many countries. The increase in the incidence of COVID-19 in the Muslim community took place during and after the pilgrimages to Iran's Qom and as a result of the Jamaat Tabligh movement meetings. However, restrictions on religious practices have become a platform for political discussions, especially among Muslim clergy. This paper is an analysis of the religious and political situation in Muslim countries, showing the use of Islam to achieve specific goals by the authorities, even at the price of the health and life of citizens.
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- 2021
9. Role of Religious Leaders in COVID-19 Prevention: A Community-Level Prevention Model in Sri Lanka
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Praveen Gomez, Millawage Supun Dilara Wijesinghe, Balangoda Muhamdiramlage Indika Gunawardana, Sahani Chandraratna, R. M. Nayani Umesha Rajapaksha, W. M. Prasad Chathuranga Weerasinghe, Vinya S. Ariyaratne, Thirupathy Suveendran, and R. P. Palitha Karunapema
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Religious leaders ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Stigma (botany) ,Community networks ,Political science ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,Pandemics ,General Nursing ,Sri Lanka ,media_common ,Original Paper ,Public health ,Community resilience ,Community health planning ,Community engagement ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,Community-level prevention model ,Community Participation ,Religious studies ,COVID-19 ,General Medicine ,Public relations ,Health promotion ,business ,Welfare ,Traditional society - Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all countries irrespective of their state of development. In countries with traditional societies, religious leaders have been acknowledged as key stakeholders in community engagement activities, including disease prevention. A community-level prevention model was established in 2020 by the Health Promotion Bureau (HPB), Sri Lanka, which incorporated mobilisation of the clergy to support the prevention and response schemes to COVID-19 with non-governmental stakeholders. This model was part of a more extensive community engagement network established by the HPB in cooperation with the country offices for WHO and UNICEF. Building trust, empowering behavioural traits applicable to minimise risks from COVID-19, leadership and coordination, message dissemination, addressing stigma and discrimination, supporting testing procedures, contact tracing activities and vaccination, building community resilience, spiritual and psychosocial support, and welfare provision are some of the useful factors that were identified in the model. Furthermore, a much broader and holistic approach is needed to focus on health behaviours and social and cultural aspects in a multi-faceted nature. This paper highlights a novel COVID-19 prevention model with active involvement of religious leaders that can be implemented in low resource settings. Our experience from Sri Lanka demonstrates the feasibility of implementing this model to mitigate the disastrous situation following the COVID-19 outbreak.
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- 2021
10. A State-of-the-Art Scoping Review on SARS-CoV-2 in Sewage Focusing on the Potential of Wastewater Surveillance for the Monitoring of the COVID-19 Pandemic
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G. Bonanno Ferraro, Cyprien Kengne-Nde, Sebastien Kenmoe, Lucia Bonadonna, Elisabetta Suffredini, Gadji Mahamat, Luca Lucentini, Marcello Iaconelli, J T Ebogo-Belobo, Carolina Veneri, G. La Rosa, Hervé Raoul Tazokong, Pamela Mancini, Richard Njouom, Arnol Bowo-Ngandji, and Donatien Serge Mbaga
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Monitoring ,Epidemiology ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Population ,Sewage ,Wastewater ,Communicable Diseases ,Virology ,Environmental health ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,education ,Pandemics ,education.field_of_study ,Review Paper ,Surveillance ,business.industry ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Public health ,Outbreak ,COVID-19 ,Geography ,Early warning system ,Sewage treatment ,business ,Food Science - Abstract
The outbreak of coronavirus infectious disease-2019 (COVID-19), caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has rapidly spread throughout the world. Several studies have shown that detecting SARS-CoV-2 in untreated wastewater can be a useful tool to identify new outbreaks, establish outbreak trends, and assess the prevalence of infections. On 06 May 2021, over a year into the pandemic, we conducted a scoping review aiming to summarize research data on SARS-CoV-2 in sewage. Papers dealing with raw sewage collected at wastewater treatment plants, sewer networks, septic tanks, and sludge treatment facilities were included in this review. We also reviewed studies on sewage collected in community settings such as private or municipal hospitals, healthcare facilities, nursing homes, dormitories, campuses, airports, aircraft, and cruise ships. The literature search was conducted using the electronic databases PubMed, EMBASE, and Web Science Core Collection. This comprehensive research yielded 1090 results, 66 of which met the inclusion criteria and are discussed in this review. Studies from 26 countries worldwide have investigated the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage of different origin. The percentage of positive samples in sewage ranged from 11.6 to 100%, with viral concentrations ranging from ˂LOD to 4.6 × 108 genome copies/L. This review outlines the evidence currently available on wastewater surveillance: (i) as an early warning system capable of predicting COVID-19 outbreaks days or weeks before clinical cases; (ii) as a tool capable of establishing trends in current outbreaks; (iii) estimating the prevalence of infections; and (iv) studying SARS-CoV-2 genetic diversity. In conclusion, as a cost-effective, rapid, and reliable source of information on the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants in the population, wastewater surveillance can enhance genomic and epidemiological surveillance with independent and complementary data to inform public health decision-making during the ongoing pandemic. Graphic Abstract Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12560-021-09498-6.
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- 2021
11. Migrants on the Move and Food (In)security: A Call for Research
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Ietza Bojorquez, Veronica Mundo, Yolice Quero, C Deschak, Leslie Hoyos, Alberto Xicotencatl, C A Aragon Gama, Silvia Bhatt Carreño, Manuela Orjuela-Grimm, César Infante, and Karen Carpio
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Epidemiology ,Overland migration ,Migrant psychosocial wellbeing ,Vulnerability ,Context (language use) ,Political science ,Development economics ,Pandemic ,Prevalence ,medicine ,Humans ,Active mobility ,Pandemics ,Anecdotal evidence ,Transients and Migrants ,Review Paper ,Food security ,Public health ,digestive, oral, and skin physiology ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,COVID-19 ,Migrant food security ,Migrant health ,Right to food ,Migrants on the move - Abstract
Food insecurity contributes to negative outcomes for health and wellbeing, and its impact may be exacerbated during periods of vulnerability. While food insecurity is both a driver and a consequence of migration, anecdotal evidence indicates that it is also common during migration when people are ‘on the move’, although its prevalence and severity during these periods are largely undocumented. Food security monitoring is critical to ensuring the universal right to food for migrants, and instruments must be designed which capture the unique challenges faced during these ‘extra-ordinary’ periods of mobility, including in the context of emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper reviews knowledge on food security in migrants on the move and examines how active mobility intersects with food security and its measurement. Considering the potential consequences on health and wellbeing, we call for interdisciplinary research using standard instruments to document food insecurity in migrants on the move. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10903-021-01276-7.
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- 2021
12. Did the COVID-19 pandemic change the willingness to pay for an early warning system for infectious diseases in Europe?
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Job van Exel, Sebastian Himmler, Werner B. F. Brouwer, Health Economics (HE), Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, and Applied Economics
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Economics, Econometrics and Finance (miscellaneous) ,Communicable Diseases ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Willingness to pay ,SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being ,Infectious disease outbreaks ,Early warning system ,Environmental health ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Pandemics ,Original Paper ,Contingent valuation ,Health economics ,I18 ,SARS-CoV-2 ,030503 health policy & services ,Health Policy ,Public health ,COVID-19 ,Outbreak ,Multi-country study ,3. Good health ,Europe ,Infectious disease (medical specialty) ,H41 ,Business ,0305 other medical science - Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need for effective infectious disease outbreak prevention. This could entail installing an integrated, international early warning system, aiming to contain and mitigate infectious diseases outbreaks. The amount of resources governments should spend on such preventive measures can be informed by the value citizens attach to such a system. This was already recognized in 2018, when a contingent valuation willingness to pay (WTP) experiment was fielded, eliciting the WTP for such a system in six European countries. We replicated that experiment in the spring of 2020 to test whether and how WTP had changed during an actual pandemic (COVID-19), taking into account differences in infection rates and stringency of measures by government between countries. Overall, we found significant increases in WTP between the two time points, with mean WTP for an early warning system increasing by about 50% (median 30%), from around €20 to €30 per month. However, there were marked differences between countries and subpopulations, and changes were only partially explained by COVID-19 burden. We discuss possible explanations for and implication of our findings. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10198-021-01353-6.
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- 2022
13. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on insurance demand: the case of China
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Xianhang Qian
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medicine.medical_specialty ,China ,Economics, Econometrics and Finance (miscellaneous) ,Medical treatment conditions ,Life insurance ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Per capita ,Revenue ,Humans ,Endogeneity ,I10 ,Pandemics ,Original Paper ,Medical burden ,Health economics ,Insurance, Health ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Health Policy ,Public health ,I12 ,COVID-19 ,Demographic economics ,Business ,G22 ,Confirmed cases ,Insurance demand ,Public finance - Abstract
The COVID-19 has been a worldwide pandemic and it needs for studies related to effect on people's demand for insurance during the pandemic which is an important way to transfer risk. However, there is a lack of research linking COVID-19 and people's demand for insurance. The objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on issuance demand, using data covering 241 cities on confirmed COVID-19 cases and insurance company revenue in China. The empirical results show that more confirmed COVID-19 cases are associated with greater per capita insurance revenue and the results are robust when considering endogeneity concern. Economically, the per capita insurance revenue increases by 0.896 Yuan for each more confirmed case. In terms of insurance type, the greatest increased insurance revenue is for life insurance, followed by health insurance. We further consider the heterogeneity of regions and find that the impact of COVID-19 on insurance revenue only exists in regions with worse medical treatment conditions or higher medical burden.
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- 2021
14. Online News Coverage of COVID-19 Long Haul Symptoms
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Nasia Quinones, Eunsun Park, Betty Kollia, and Corey H. Basch
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Health (social science) ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,education ,computer.software_genre ,News aggregator ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,Mass Media ,Pandemics ,News media ,Service (business) ,Original Paper ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,Public health ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,COVID-19 ,Advertising ,Long haul symptoms ,Health information seeking ,Online news ,Television ,The Internet ,business ,Psychology ,Healthcare providers ,computer - Abstract
A number of the people who have recovered from the acute effects of COVID-19 are facing long term sequelae from the infection. As the COVID-19 pandemic is still evolving, so is knowledge of the long-term effects of the virus on patients who still experience symptoms. Clearly, news media play a crucial role in distributing information and this distribution of information can, in turn, influence the actions of the public. The purpose of this study was to describe the content of news coverage of COVID-19 long haul symptoms currently posted on the internet. This study utilized Google News, a news aggregator service, and included the first 100 English language pieces of news. Video content and news article content were coded in depth for information on COVID-19 long haul symptoms. A total of 41% of news reports mentioned the length of time that the COVID-19 related symptoms persist. The length of time was reported to range from 1 month to more than 1 year. The symptom most commonly mentioned was tiredness or fatigue (74%), followed by difficulty breathing or shortness of breath (62 cases; 62%), and difficulty thinking or concentrating (50 cases; 50%). Other symptoms were mentioned less frequently. There were no statistically significant differences in any of the content including having video, written news reports, or both video and written news reports by source of the news reports based on consumer, professional, or television or internet-based news (p = .14). More complete coverage by online news media of the long-term effects of COVID-19 enhances public awareness of the post-acute syndromes, augments health providers' awareness of the range of chronic COVID-19 effects and the possibility of a second infection, increases the probability of patients' seeking and obtaining the proper care for their symptoms, and contributes to preventive actions for enhancing public health.
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- 2021
15. Impact of second wave of COVID-19 pandemic on the hesitancy and refusal of COVID-19 vaccination in Puducherry, India: a longitudinal study
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Jeyanthi Anandraj, Yuvaraj Krishnamoorthy, Parthibane Sivanantham, Jilisha Gnanadas, and Sitanshu Sekhar Kar
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Adult ,Pharmacology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Longitudinal study ,COVID-19 Vaccines ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,Public health ,Vaccination ,Immunology ,High mortality ,COVID-19 ,Vaccination Refusal ,Environmental health ,Pandemic ,Humans ,Immunology and Allergy ,Medicine ,Longitudinal Studies ,sense organs ,business ,Pandemics ,Research Paper - Abstract
The second wave of COVID-19 pandemic has spread rampantly throughout India between April and May 2021, leading to high mortality rates. Identifying any change in the rate of vaccine hesitancy or refusal due to such mass casualty events will provide further insights on developing appropriate risk communication strategy. Hence, this study was undertaken to identify the vaccine hesitancy and refusal before and during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a longitudinal study among 900 adults to know about their vaccine hesitancy and refusal pattern before (March 2021 - round-1) and during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic (May 2021 - round-2). Telephonic interview was conducted using the pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. There was an increase in the vaccine hesitancy (27.8% in round-1 to 32.7% in round-2) and refusal (25.6% in round-1 to 35.6% in round-2) during the second wave of pandemic in Puducherry. In adjusted analysis, vaccine hesitancy was found to increase by 1.19 times during the round-2 survey compared to round-1 survey (aIRR = 1.19; 95%CI: 1.03-1.37). We also found that the vaccine refusal increased by 1.40 times during the round-2 survey compared to round-1 survey (aIRR = 1.40; 95%CI: 1.22-1.62) after adjusting for age, place of residence, and occupation. We found that the confidence in COVID-19 vaccine efficacy and safety has declined over time leading to increase in the vaccine hesitancy and refusal in our study cohort, with more than one-third refusing to get themselves vaccinated during the second wave of pandemic.
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- 2021
16. COVID-19 Vaccination Dynamics in the US: Coverage Velocity and Carrying Capacity Based on Socio-demographic Vulnerability Indices in California
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Matthew Lai, Aidin Abedi, Yujia Zhang, Trevor A. Pickering, Dominique Duncan, Sana Salehi, Aubrey Martinez, Alexander Bruckhaus, and Rachael Garner
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Conservation of Natural Resources ,medicine.medical_specialty ,COVID-19 Vaccines ,Social Vulnerability ,Sociodemographic Factors ,Epidemiology ,Population ,Vulnerability ,Booster dose ,California ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,Resource allocation ,education ,Health equity ,Minorities ,Demography ,Original Paper ,education.field_of_study ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,Public health ,Vaccination ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,COVID-19 ,business ,Social vulnerability - Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disparities among vulnerable populations are of paramount concern that extend to vaccine administration. With recent uptick in infection rates, dominance of the delta variant, and authorization of a third booster shot, understanding the population-level vaccine coverage dynamics and underlying sociodemographic factors is critical for achieving equity in public health outcomes. This study aimed to characterize the scope of vaccine inequity in California counties through modeling the trends of vaccination using the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). Overall SVI, its four themes, and 9228 data points of daily vaccination numbers from December 15, 2020, to May 23, 2021, across all 58 California counties were used to model the growth velocity and anticipated maximum proportion of population vaccinated, defined as having received at least one dose of vaccine. Based on the overall SVI, the vaccination coverage velocity was lower in counties in the high vulnerability category (v = 0.0346, 95% CI 0.0334, 0.0358) compared to moderate (v = 0.0396, 95% CI 0.0385, 0.0408) and low (v = 0.0414, 95% CI 0.0403, 0.0425) vulnerability categories. SVI Theme 3 (minority status and language) yielded the largest disparity in coverage velocity between low and high-vulnerable counties (v = 0.0423 versus v = 0.035, P
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- 2021
17. Changes in Utilization of Birth Control and PrEP During COVID-19 in the USA: A Mixed-Method Analysis
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Alison J. Goldberg, Elissia T. Franklin, Omaima Pervez, Devon M Price, Olivia Ahn, Mora A. Reinka, Rachel A Fikslin, and Amanda N. Gesselman
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Adult ,medicine.medical_specialty ,media_common.quotation_subject ,HIV Infections ,Qualitative property ,Birth control ,Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous) ,Pregnancy ,Pandemic ,Health care ,medicine ,Humans ,Pandemics ,General Psychology ,Reproductive health ,media_common ,Original Paper ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,Public health ,COVID-19 ,Abstinence ,PrEP ,Discontinuation ,Preventative sexual health care ,Contraception ,Family medicine ,Female ,Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis ,Psychology ,business - Abstract
In the USA, the COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges beyond the direct consequences of the infection. Because of shifting resources in response to need, many domains within the healthcare sector unrelated to COVID-19 have had interrupted abilities to provide care. In the current study, we focus on preventative sexual health care during the pandemic. In a sample of 511 (mean age = 27.7) people, we examined quantitative data regarding continuation and discontinuation of birth control and PrEP during the pandemic, along with qualitative data illustrating the underlying reasons for participants' (dis)continuation. Results showed that most (92.5%) of birth control users reported continuation of their birth control, with the predominant reasons reported being use for health reasons, long-acting reversible contraceptive use, access to remote healthcare services, and increased vigilance over pregnancy prevention. Conversely, around half (52.6%) of PrEP-using participants reported already discontinuing or planning to discontinue their PrEP regimen. Temporary abstinence and concerns about accessing in-person health care were the predominant reasons for PrEP discontinuation. These results have implications for both researchers and sexual healthcare providers. Disruptions to preventative sexual health care should be considered in ongoing research about patient needs, and healthcare providers may wish to consider particular challenges faced by PrEP users concerning re-start and continuation.
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- 2021
18. Reducing the impact of the coronavirus on disadvantaged migrants and ethnic minorities
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Rosemary James, Karl Blanchet, Laurence Gruer, Bernadette N. Kumar, Charles Agyemang, Sally Hargreaves, Public and occupational health, APH - Personalized Medicine, APH - Global Health, ACS - Diabetes & metabolism, and ACS - Atherosclerosis & ischemic syndromes
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Economic growth ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Ethnic group ,Vulnerable Populations ,Racism ,Political science ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,AcademicSubjects/MED00860 ,AcademicSubjects/SOC01210 ,Pandemics ,media_common ,Transients and Migrants ,Right to health ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Public health ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,COVID-19 ,Disadvantaged ,Outreach ,Supplement Papers ,Xenophobia ,Communicable Disease Control ,AcademicSubjects/SOC02610 - Abstract
Studies from several countries have shown that the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionally affected migrants. Many have numerous risk factors making them vulnerable to infection and poor clinical outcome. Policies to mitigate this effect need to take into account public health principles of inclusion, universal health coverage and the right to health. In addition, the migrant health agenda has been compromised by the suspension of asylum processes and resettlement, border closures, increased deportations and lockdown of camps and excessively restrictive public health measures. International organizations including the World Health Organization and the World Bank have recommended measures to actively counter racism, xenophobia and discrimination by systemically including migrants in the COVID-19 pandemic response. Such recommendations include issuing additional support, targeted communication and reducing barriers to accessing health services and information. Some countries have had specific policies and outreach to migrant groups, including facilitating vaccination. Measures and policies targeting migrants should be evaluated, and good models disseminated widely.
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- 2021
19. Early warning indicators of COVID-19 burden for a prosilient European pandemic response
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Neville Calleja and Farrugia Beatrice
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medicine.medical_specialty ,law.invention ,symbols.namesake ,COVID-19 Testing ,law ,Pandemic ,medicine ,media_common.cataloged_instance ,Humans ,AcademicSubjects/MED00860 ,AcademicSubjects/SOC01210 ,Poisson regression ,European union ,Pandemics ,Disease burden ,media_common ,Warning system ,business.industry ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Public health ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,COVID-19 ,Intensive care unit ,Preparedness ,Supplement Papers ,Emergency medicine ,symbols ,Public Health ,business ,AcademicSubjects/SOC02610 - Abstract
Background The European Union has been criticized for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in a reactive, rather than prosilient manner. For the EU bloc to be prosilient, it needs to have the right early warning indicators to allow short-term healthcare system preparedness and agile planning of the public health response. Method The association of COVID-19 disease burden, as measured by mortality (COVID-19 and all-cause), hospital and ICU occupancy, with incidence rate (IR), total positivity rate (TPR) and adjusted TPR as proposed by Vong and Kakkar, was investigated using Poisson regression analysis. This was carried out using both real-time data and time lags of up to 8 weeks to identify potential for early warning of spikes in disease burden. ECDC weekly figures for these indicators were used, and the analysis was repeated for the subset of data after Week 42 of 2020, when the EU Council introduced minimum COVID-19 testing rates. Results TPR and IR were noted to be the most predictive of COVID-19 disease burden whilst adjusted TPR applied on weekly data was not associated. TPR behaved better at predicting all-cause mortality in both analyses. The TPR and IR were both best associated with hospital and ICU occupancy and COVID-19 mortality with a short time lag (2–3 weeks in the case of TPR with hospital occupancy and COVID-19 mortality). Conclusions Monitoring TPR can provide a 2–3-week warning of a spike in hospital occupancy and COVID-19 mortality. This time, if well utilized, could help health systems save countless lives by mobilising resources.
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- 2021
20. COVID Induced Functional Exhaustion and Persistently Reduced Lymphocytes as Vital Contributing Factors for Post-COVID Rhino-orbital and Cerebral Mucormycosis in Patients with Diabetes: Report from the Indian Sub-continent
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Rajkumar Ahirwal, Ganesh Koneru, Ankit Pandey, Suyash Dubey, Preeti Gurjar, Sivakumar Beena, and Darpan Bhargava
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Pathology ,Lymphocyte ,T cell ,T cells ,Pathology and Forensic Medicine ,Internal medicine ,Diabetes mellitus ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Diabetes Mellitus ,Mucormycosis ,Humans ,Lymphocytes ,Respiratory system ,COVID ,Retrospective Studies ,Original Paper ,business.industry ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Public health ,COVID-19 ,Retrospective cohort study ,medicine.disease ,CD4 ,Coronavirus ,Oxygen ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Fungal ,Oncology ,Otorhinolaryngology ,Mycoses ,business ,Infection - Abstract
The current pandemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a global, unanticipated public health crisis. Another emerging challenge is the prevalence of "black fungus", or mucormycosis, among patients who recovered from COVID-19 infection. A retrospective study was conducted on 12 patients in a post-COVID recovery phase who developed mucormycosis. The study parameters evaluated lymphocyte count, CD4+ T cell status, and associated systemic co-morbidities for the patient, namely diabetes. The interventions during the treatment for COVID were also recorded to include administration of oxygen, ventilator assistance (invasive and non-invasive)/oxygen support, and steroid use. The possible relationship between low lymphocyte and CD4+ counts with diabetes and fungal growth was evaluated. It was observed that the majority of the patients who had a positive history for diabetes with low lymphocyte and CD4+ counts were more susceptible to opportunistic fungal infections. Most of the patients, but not all, had a history of receiving oxygen or assisted ventilation, as well as steroids, during the treatment for COVID infection. These interventions may be considered as accessory contributing factors for fungal infection. Post-exposure to SARS-CoV-2, therapies should be targeted at prevention of functional exhaustion of lymphocytes and maintaining optimal lymphocyte and subset counts in susceptible hosts for the prevention of opportunistic fungal infections. The relationship between functional exhaustion of the lymphocyte, diabetes, and COVID mandates further research.
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- 2021
21. Research into policy: lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic
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May C I van Schalkwyk and Martin McKee
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Context (language use) ,Political science ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,AcademicSubjects/MED00860 ,AcademicSubjects/SOC01210 ,Economic impact analysis ,Pandemics ,Health policy ,media_common ,Distrust ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,Health Policy ,Public health ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,COVID-19 ,Public relations ,Livelihood ,Supplement Papers ,Public Health ,business ,AcademicSubjects/SOC02610 - Abstract
There has been an unprecedented global effort by researchers from many disciplines to obtain and synthesize knowledge to inform policy responses to SARS-CoV-2. While many major advances have been made in generating and applying knowledge on a pandemic caused by a novel pathogen, some things could have been done better, as revealed by the devastating loss of life and economic impact on livelihoods and communities. We reflect on the context in which the pandemic emerged, characterized by underinvestment in public health and growing distrust in institutions, followed by an overview of three broad areas: generation of new knowledge, synthesis of existing knowledge, both what was known prior to the pandemic and what emerged during it, and the challenges of translating knowledge into policy. We also consider areas that were largely overlooked in the research effort. Across all areas, we aim to draw out relevant lessons for future research and public health practice.
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- 2021
22. What Are the Implications of COVID-19 on Breastfeeding? A Synthesis of Qualitative Evidence Studies.
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Antoniou, Evangelia, Tzitiridou-Chatzopoulou, Maria, Voyatzaki, Chrysa, Iliadou, Maria, Eskitzis, Panagiotis, Dagla, Maria, Palaska, Ermioni, and Orovou, Eirini
- Subjects
ONLINE information services ,PSYCHOLOGY information storage & retrieval systems ,SOCIAL support ,SYSTEMATIC reviews ,PUBLIC health ,BREASTFEEDING ,MEDLINE ,COVID-19 pandemic ,WOMEN'S health - Abstract
Introduction: Exclusive breastfeeding until six months of life is the ideal way to feed infants. However, there is a significant number of infants who have never breastfed, despite the beneficial properties of breastfeeding. On the other hand, the coronavirus outbreak had significant effects on people's health, both mentally and physically, and has also impacted the breastfeeding process. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the implication of COVID-19 on breastfeeding through qualitative data from databases. Methods: We searched online databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, PsycINFO) for studies published from 2019 to 2023. 'Out of the 2598 papers we found, only 12 were included in the review'. More specifically, from the 1558 papers remaining from the title and abstract evaluation as well as duplicates, a further 1546 papers belonging to our exclusion criteria were removed (all types of reviews, letters to editors, and quantitative articles). Results: Our results covered three subjects: breastfeeding support during the pandemic, effects of social containment measures on breastfeeding, and additional outcomes regarding breastfeeding. Most voices found the effects of the pandemic on breastfeeding beneficial, with reduced professional support and a high degree of support from the environment. Additional negative factors were observed, as well as consequences of the pandemic in women's lives. Conclusions: COVID-19 was the occasion to understand the power of the supportive environment of the woman, especially the partner, in establishing and maintaining breastfeeding. Therefore, policy makers and health professionals, especially midwives, should implement family-centered breastfeeding strategies that are more supportive of the partner role, providing problem counseling when and where deemed necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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23. Factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination acceptance among industrial workers in the post-vaccination era: a large-scale cross-sectional survey in China
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Hongbiao Chen, Di Yin, Ziyu Wen, He Cao, Wei Zhang, Jingwei Luo, Zihao Gu, Musha Chen, Caijun Sun, Zhaomin Deng, Xiaofeng Zhou, and Yue Yuan
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Male ,China ,medicine.medical_specialty ,COVID-19 Vaccines ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,Cross-sectional study ,animal diseases ,Immunology ,Mass Vaccination ,Herd immunity ,Environmental health ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,Immunology and Allergy ,Pandemics ,Aged ,Pharmacology ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,Public health ,Vaccination ,COVID-19 ,Middle Aged ,biochemical phenomena, metabolism, and nutrition ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Scale (social sciences) ,business ,Research Paper - Abstract
BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose a huge threat to public health. Mass vaccination is needed to achieve herd immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Currently, several vaccines are being inoculated on a large-scale. The willingness of COVID-19 vaccination had been well investigated in the pre-vaccination era, but no reported data in the post-vaccination era yet. METHODS: We conducted a large-scale survey among industrial workers during the vaccination campaign in China. Chi-square test and rank sum test were used to identify differences for various intentions regarding COVID-19 vaccination. Univariate analysis and multivariate regression models were utilized to analyze the relationship among demographic factors, related influencing factors and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination. RESULTS: A total of 23,940 industrial workers were included, 66.0% were willing to take COVID-19 vaccine, 16.6% were unwilling, and 17.4% were unsure. Participants were more likely to get vaccinated if they were male, aged 45–65, being good educated, married, or being recommended by doctors or nurses. Participants with strong risk perception of COVID-19 infection, strong confidence in COVID-19 vaccine, high attention to COVID-19 vaccine, good health status, bad health habit, and a history of vaccination within three months were also more likely to be vaccinated. CONCLUSIONS: This study calls for more attention and health-related education among industrial workers to improve their acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination.
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- 2021
24. COVID-19 Related Racial Discrimination in Small Asian Communities: A Cross Sectional Study
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Mariano Kanamori, Seiya Liu, Cho Hee Shrader, Yonghoon Lee, and Minji Kim
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Adult ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Sociodemographic Factors ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,Epidemiology ,Cross-sectional study ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Stigma (botany) ,Logistic regression ,Racism ,Asian People ,Discrimination ,Humans ,Medicine ,media_common ,Original Paper ,Asian ,Pandemic ,Health consequences ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,Public health ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,COVID-19 ,Hypervigilance ,Stigma ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Demography - Abstract
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, there has been a surge of discrimination against Asians across the globe. However, there is a knowledge gap of COVID-19 related racial discrimination against Asians in smaller Asian populations. A total of 221 adults living in Florida completed an online survey between June-July 2020. Adjusted logistic regression assessed associations between sociodemographic factors and experienced discrimination, hypervigilance of safety, nervousness in public, and anticipated discrimination. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS. Asian respondents were more likely than non-Asians to experience discrimination during COVID-19 (AOR = 12.58; 95% CI 4.74, 33.38; p ≤ 0.001). Asians were more likely to anticipate discrimination after the pandemic ends (AOR = 4.35, 95% CI 1.33, 14.17; p
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- 2021
25. The Efficacy of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention for College Students Under Extremely Stressful Conditions
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Euthemia Stavrulaki and Brandon W. Smit
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Health (social science) ,Mindfulness ,Social Psychology ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Experimental and Cognitive Psychology ,Stress ,Koru mindfulness intervention ,Treatment and control groups ,Intervention (counseling) ,Developmental and Educational Psychology ,medicine ,Personality ,College students ,Curriculum ,Applied Psychology ,media_common ,Original Paper ,Pandemic ,Public health ,Mental health ,Coronavirus ,Worry ,Sleep ,Psychology ,Clinical psychology - Abstract
Objectives This study evaluates the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI), called Koru mindfulness, among college students. Methods Undergraduate students (N = 34) participated in a 4-week mindfulness curriculum embedded within a college course, while a control group (N = 35) taking a different course did not. Notably, the intervention coincided with the start of a state-wide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results Despite the additional external stress, there was a significant main effect and a significant interaction between the intervention and time for state mindfulness, (the treatment group experienced increased state mindfulness). There was a significant main effect (higher for the control group) on coronavirus worry and a significant interaction between the intervention and time for perceived stress, with the treatment/control group experiencing decreased/increased stress over time. There was also a significant interaction between the intervention and time for sleep problems with the intervention group experiencing declines in sleep problems over time and also being more likely to experience optimal amounts of sleep over time. Conclusions The Koru intervention effectively increased state mindfulness, decreased stress, and improved sleep, suggesting that it is robust even under extremely stressful conditions. This study adds to the growing evidence that MBIs can play an important role in addressing rising concerns regarding the mental health of college students.
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- 2021
26. The Psychiatric Burden on Medical Students in New York City Entering Clinical Clerkships During the COVID-19 Pandemic
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Alexandra Saali, Chi Chan, Dennis S. Charney, Vedika Kumar, Alicia Hurtado, Emma Stanislawski, Craig L. Katz, Jonathan Ripp, and Robert H. Pietrzak
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Medical education ,Coping (psychology) ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Students, Medical ,Generalized anxiety disorder ,Ptsd ,education ,Anxiety ,Social support ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,Prospective Studies ,Psychiatry ,Pandemics ,Original Paper ,Psychological resilience ,Depressive Disorder, Major ,Depression ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,Public health ,Clinical Clerkship ,COVID-19 ,medicine.disease ,Mental health ,Coronavirus ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Major depressive disorder ,New York City ,medicine.symptom ,business - Abstract
For medical students first entering the clinical space in July 2020, the unique challenges related to the coronavirus pandemic threatened to amplify the psychological distress associated with clerkship rotations. This study aimed to characterize the mental health of third-year medical students starting clinical clerkships in the midst of a pandemic by assessing symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as risk, coping, and protective factors associated with psychological outcomes. Of 147 third-year medical students at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, 110 (75%) participated in this prospective survey-based study with 108 included in the final analysis. 43 (39.8%) respondents screened positive for symptoms of either MDD, GAD, or PTSD. Multiple regression analyses revealed that greater overall symptom severity was associated with more avoidant coping, more traumatic events witnessed, poorer student and leisure functioning, lower trait emotional stability, and lower social support. Worries related to COVID-19 did not significantly influence outcome variables. To better understand the role of the pandemic on psychological outcomes in third-year medical students, additional research should focus on the trajectory of these outcomes over the year during the coronavirus pandemic. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11126-021-09955-2.
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- 2021
27. Tracking the progress in COVID-19 and vaccine safety research – a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of publications indexed in Scopus database
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Angwi Enow Tassang, Idriss H. Musa, Tosin Yinka Akintunde, Felix Oluseyi Amoo, Taha Hussein Musa, Adekunle Adedeji, Hassan Hussein Musa, Shaojun Chen, and Elhakim Ibrahim
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Pharmacology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Disease Eradication ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Public health ,Immunology ,Information Dissemination ,Scopus ,COVID-19 ,Library science ,Bibliometrics ,Infectious disease (medical specialty) ,Political science ,Vaccine Development ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,Immunology and Allergy ,Pandemics ,Developed country ,Research Paper - Abstract
Introduction COVID-19 pandemic public health emergency is one of the worse disease outbreaks in the history of infectious disease. The consequence has resulted in over 4 million deaths globally. Therefore, a more in-depth understanding of the dynamics of the disease, vaccine development, and safety has become crucial for the disease eradication. Objective The study adopted bibliometric analysis to identify the global contribution in COVID-19 and Vaccine Safety and analyzed the current status, development, and research hotspots to reference for future research directions. Methods Studies published between January 1, 2019 and July 11, 2021 were retrieved from the Scopus database. Data analysis and visualization were conducted using VOSviewer ver 1.6.6, Bibliometrix app. (Using R). Results A total of 1827 publications with 12.14 average citations per document were identified. These publications were published in 796 journals by 10,243 authors (with 5.61 authors per document) from 80 countries/regions. About 33.75% of the researches were from the developed countries. The USA, China, and India were top contributors for scientific research on COVID-19 and vaccine safety. The "Vaccine" is the most productive journal with 58 articles. Li Y, NA NA, and Liu X were the top three prolific authors. Furthermore, "Human," "Coronavirus disease 2019," and "Drug safety," were the most common frontier topics. Conclusions Our analysis highlights the characteristics of the most influential articles on COVID-19 related to vaccine safety. The findings provided valuable insight into the scientific research progress in this domain and suggest scaling-up research and information dissemination on COVID-19 and vaccine safety.
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- 2021
28. HIV Service Interruptions During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China: The Role of COVID-19 Challenges and Institutional Response from Healthcare Professional’s Perspective
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Zhiyong Shen, Xueying Yang, Yuejiao Zhou, Xiaoming Li, Chengbo Zeng, Cheuk Chi Tam, and Shan Qiao
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medicine.medical_specialty ,China ,Social Psychology ,HIV Infections ,Institutional responses ,Environmental health ,Health care ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,Pandemics ,HIV service disruptions ,Service (business) ,COVID-19 challenges ,Original Paper ,business.industry ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Public health ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,COVID-19 ,Latent class model ,Health psychology ,Infectious Diseases ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Preparedness ,Business ,Delivery of Health Care - Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, HIV-related services have been unavoidably disrupted and impacted. However, the nature and scope of HIV service disruptions due to COVID-19 has rarely been characterized in China. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 1029 HIV healthcare providers in Guangxi, China, from April to May 2020. Latent class analysis (LCA) was first used to identify HIV service disruption levels, then hierarchical multilevel logistic regression was conducted to analyze the relationships of COVID-19 challenges, institutional responses, and HIV service disruption levels adjusting for the clustering effect of institutional ownership levels. Four classes of HIV service disruption were identified, with 22.0% complete disruption, 15.4% moderate disruption, 21.9% minor disruption, and 40.7% almost no disruption. COVID-19 challenges were positively associated with the probabilities of service disruption levels. Institutional responses were negatively associated with the probabilities of being classified as "minor disruption" and moderated the association of COVID-19 challenges with complete and moderate disruptions compared with no disruption group. To maintain continuity of core HIV services in face of a pandemic, building a resilient health care system with adequate preparedness is necessary.
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- 2021
29. COVID-19 and Agricultural Workers: A Descriptive Study
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Jeff M. Sands, Vicki S. Hertzberg, Nezahualcoyotl Xiuhtecutli, Lisa Elon, Linda McCauley, Madelyn C. Houser, Sanne Glastra, and Roxana Chicas
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medicine.medical_specialty ,COVID-19 Vaccines ,Epidemiology ,Safety net ,Health Personnel ,Occupational safety and health ,Agricultural workers ,Environmental health ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,Health behavior ,Pandemics ,Original Paper ,Farmers ,business.industry ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Social distance ,Public health ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,COVID-19 ,Vaccination ,Prevention and control ,Work (electrical) ,Agriculture ,business - Abstract
Agricultural workers, designated as "essential" at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, work in harsh labor conditions, and now have the added challenge of continuing to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to assess agricultural workers' COVID-19 related history, employer-based safety measures, individual preventive practices, and COVID-19 vaccination uptake. A questionnaire study was conducted among agricultural workers in Central Florida about COVID-19 during the month of June 2020 and again in July 2021. Among 92 agricultural workers in June 2020, 47% were obese; 11% had had a COVID-19 nasal test; 87% were able to social distance at work and 34% reported employer provided face masks; 15% reported not willing to get the COVID-19 vaccine and 25% were unsure. 40% could self-isolate if they contracted COVID-19. In a follow-up visit in July 2021, 53% of participants reported receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Agricultural workers are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 due to existing health risk factors and lack of essential protective resources. Occupational health protections social safety net programs are urgently needed to prevent infections in vulnerable workers, and reduce community spread, and increase COVID-19 vaccination rates.
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- 2021
30. Prevalence of Depression Symptoms Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Two Asian American Ethnic Groups
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Alia Southworth, Yicklun Mo, Naomi Louie, Karen Kim, Fornessa Randal, Chieko Maene, Sandra Yu Rueger, Paula Lozano, and Helen Lam
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Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Epidemiology ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Ethnic group ,Racism ,Pandemic ,Discrimination ,medicine ,Ethnicity ,Prevalence ,Humans ,Depression symptoms ,Pandemics ,Depression (differential diagnoses) ,media_common ,Original Paper ,Asian ,business.industry ,Depression ,Public health ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,COVID-19 ,Mental health ,United States ,Asian Americans ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Cohort ,Harassment ,business ,Demography - Abstract
Asian Americans have experienced compounding stressors during the pandemic as a result of racial discrimination. We aim of to investigate the prevalence of depression symptoms among Asian Americans before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and examine differences based on socio-demographic factors. Data are from a cross-sectional study (N = 636) among Chinese and South Asian adults in Chicago collected between February and May 2020. One cohort of participants were surveyed from each ethnic group before the pandemic and a second cohort of participants were surveyed during the pandemic. Depression symptoms increased more than two-fold, from 9% pre-pandemic to 21% during the COVID-19 pandemic. We found an increase in depression symptoms during the pandemic for South Asians, men and adults older than 30 years. These findings call for public health education that effectively addresses anti-Asian harassment and violence and ensure that culturally competent mental health services are provided to Asian Americans from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
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- 2021
31. The Impact of Wearing a Face Mask on the Psychiatric Interview: a National Survey During the COVID-19 Pandemic
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Clément Dondé, Albane Pelluet, Arnaud Pouchon, Thierry Bougerol, and Mircea Polosan
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Psychiatry ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Original Paper ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Public health ,Telepsychiatry ,Masks ,Face (sociological concept) ,COVID-19 ,Telemedicine ,Face masks ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Face mask ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,In patient ,Psychiatric interview ,Interview ,Psychology ,Survey ,Pandemics - Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced to rapidly encourage the use of face masks during medical consultations, with significant implication for psychiatry. This study examined the opinions and attitudes of psychiatrists toward the impact of wearing a face mask on the psychiatric interview. 513 psychiatrists and trainee psychiatrists completed an electronic survey about the impact of wearing a face mask on the psychiatric interview. Less efficiency in capturing clinical signs/symptoms, emergence of false inferences in patients and altered patient-clinician interactions were commonly reported negative impacts of face mask (66-96%). The quality of the therapeutic alliance was reported as affected by the mask by 47% of the sample. Results were mixed on the use of telepsychiatry as a potential solution to mask-related inconvenience. The use of face masks has significant negative effects on the psychiatric interview. Providing specific training to clinicians could be a potential solution for masks-induced biases. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11126-021-09962-3.
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- 2021
32. Cardiovascular tissue banking activity during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: evolution of national protocols and Lombardy experience
- Author
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Giuseppe Piccolo, Barbara Micheli, Giorgio Mastroiacovo, Alice Bonomi, Francesca Capriuoli, Luca Dainese, Anna Guarino, Marco Gennari, Gianluca Polvani, and Sergio Pirola
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ,Donor tissue ,Biomedical Engineering ,Tissue Banks ,Biomaterials ,Internal medicine ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,Respiratory system ,Pandemics ,Aged ,Retrospective Studies ,Aged, 80 and over ,Transplantation ,Cardiovascular tissue harvesting ,Cardiovascular tissues donation ,Full Length Paper ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,Public health ,COVID-19 ,Outbreak ,Cell Biology ,Middle Aged ,United States ,Northern italy ,Italy ,Child, Preschool ,SARS-CoV-2 pandemic ,business ,Tissue Banking - Abstract
The worldwide pandemic outbreak due to severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has created unprecedented challenges for public health services. Lombardy, region of the Northern Italy, has been the first area in the Western world whose organs and tissues procurement programs have had to face the virus pandemic emergency. We retrospectively collected and analyzed data about cardiovascular tissues (CT) in 2019 and in 2020. We aimed to describe the rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 regulation laws for tissue donor’s selection and harvesting from February 2020 until January 2021. As expected the number of CT donors in 2020 was significantly lower than those of 2019 (66 vs. 99, p value 0.02). The total number of CT collected from donors have been 254 in 2019 and 206 in 2020 (p 0.28). Femoral arteries were the most required vascular tissues (55.5% in 2019 and 40% in 2020). Fifty-five and forty-eight pulmonary valves were implanted in 2019 and 2020, respectively. No differences were found for the types of CT requests between the 2 years. The median age of receivers of vascular tissues was 69.6 ± 14.6 years in the 2019 and 63.3 ± 14.9 years in 2020 (p
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- 2021
33. A Proposed Functional Analysis of Transmission Prevention Behaviors for a Respiratory Virus (SARS-CoV-2)
- Author
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Shawler, Lesley A. and Blair, Bryan J.
- Subjects
Original Paper ,2019-20 coronavirus outbreak ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,applied behavior analysis ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,Transmission (medicine) ,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ,medicine.medical_treatment ,disease prevention ,public health ,Internet privacy ,COVID-19 ,Pandemic ,medicine ,General Earth and Planetary Sciences ,Respiratory virus ,business ,Psychology ,Applied behavior analysis ,Functional analysis (psychology) ,General Environmental Science - Abstract
The coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has had a global impact on lives everywhere and has led to the disruption of, and interference with, virtually every aspect of life. In response, leading experts, political leaders, doctors, and scientists have released guidelines that attempt to prevent and mitigate the exponential rate of infection. The response to these safety recommendations has produced tremendous behavior variability as a society. Although a plethora of factors are likely relevant, a more complete analysis of human behavior during this time might help explain this disparity. The principles of applied behavior analysis allow for a functional analysis of an individual’s use of transmission prevention behaviors (TPBs) during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Thus, the purpose of this discussion is to provide a conceptual analysis for some possible explanations for why individuals might or might not engage in virus TPBs, as well as some recommendations to help combat the current pandemic, as well as those in the future.
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- 2021
34. What can internet users' behaviours reveal about the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic? A systematic review
- Author
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Sandro Provenzano, Vincenza Gianfredi, and Omar Enzo Santangelo
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Google trends ,DISORDERS ,Twitter ,Context (language use) ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,METAANALYSES ,Psychiatry ,Pandemics ,Depression (differential diagnoses) ,Novel data stream ,Review Paper ,Internet ,business.industry ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Public health ,YouTube ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Outbreak ,COVID-19 ,General Medicine ,Mental health ,Baidu ,INDIVIDUALS ,Systematic review ,Anxiety ,Weibo ,The Internet ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Psychology - Abstract
Objectives At the end of 2019, an acute infectious pneumonia (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) began in Wuhan, China, and subsequently spread around the world starting a pandemic. Globally, to date, there have been >118 million confirmed cases, including >2 million deaths. In this context, it has been shown that the psychological impact of the pandemic is important and that it can be associated with an increase in internet searches related to fear, anxiety, depression, as well as protective behaviours, health knowledge and even maladaptive behaviours. Study design This is a systematic review. Methods This review aims to collect, analyse and synthesise available evidence on novel data streams for surveillance purposes and/or their potential for capturing the public reaction to epidemic outbreaks, particularly focusing on mental health effects and emotions. Results At the end of the screening process, 19 articles were included in this systematic review. Our results show that the COVID-19 pandemic had a great impact on internet searches for mental health of entire populations, which manifests itself in a significant increase of depressed, anxious and stressed internet users’ emotions. Conclusions Novel data streams can support public health experts and policymakers in establishing priorities and setting up long-term strategies to mitigate symptoms and tackle mental health disorders., Graphical abstract Image 1
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- 2021
35. Relationship of Depression, Anxiety and Stress Levels with Religious Coping Strategies Among Turkish Pregnant Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Author
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Nazife Bakir, Pinar Vural, and Cuma Demir
- Subjects
Coping (psychology) ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Religious Coping ,Cross-sectional study ,Turkish ,Anxiety ,Pregnant ,Pregnancy ,Adaptation, Psychological ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,Pandemics ,General Nursing ,Depression (differential diagnoses) ,Original Paper ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Depression ,business.industry ,Public health ,Religious studies ,COVID-19 ,General Medicine ,medicine.disease ,language.human_language ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,language ,Female ,Pregnant Women ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Stress, Psychological ,Clinical psychology - Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the depression, anxiety, stress levels, and religious coping strategies of Turkish pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the pregnant women involved in this study (N = 327), 74.6% were concerned about their health, whereas 85.9% had concerns about the health of the fetus during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was found that 19.9% had extremely severe depression, 97.9% had extremely severe anxiety, and 52.3% had severe stress symptoms. Religious coping scores of the pregnant women included in the study were found to be high. There was a weak positive correlation between positive religious coping and depression and a very weak negative correlation between negative religious coping and depression.
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- 2021
36. Attitudes of Married Muslim Women Regarding Family Planning Methods During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Western Turkey
- Author
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Kerime Derya Beydağ and Nursel Alp Dal
- Subjects
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Turkey ,Cross-sectional study ,Islam ,Pregnancy ,Pandemic ,Health care ,medicine ,Humans ,Outpatient clinic ,Family planning ,Child ,Pandemics ,General Nursing ,Original Paper ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,Public health ,Religious studies ,COVID-19 ,General Medicine ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Attitude ,Family Planning Services ,Family medicine ,Public hospital ,Female ,Psychology ,business - Abstract
COVID-19 had negative effects upon family planning. Women cannot visit healthcare facilities because of a fear of curfew-related sanctions or exposure to COVID-19. It is seen that religious beliefs are influential especially in terms of family planning method preference and having abortions. This study was conducted to determine the attitudes of married Muslim women regarding family planning methods during the COVID-19 pandemic period. The descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 611 married Muslim women who presented to the family planning outpatient clinic of a public hospital in Western Turkey between 1 September 2020 and 1 March 2021. The mean Family Planning Attitude Scale score of the women was found to be 137.53 ± 27.11. It was observed that, as the mean age of the women increased, their family planning attitudes were more positive, and as their number of pregnancies, abortions and living children increased, their attitudes were more negative (p
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- 2021
37. 'A Divine Infection': A Systematic Review on the Roles of Religious Communities During the Early Stage of COVID-19
- Author
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Merin Shobhana Xavier, Heejun Lim, Eun-Young Lee, and Mi Kyung Lee
- Subjects
Original Paper ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Government ,History ,Pandemic ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Public health ,Religious studies ,COVID-19 ,Context (language use) ,General Medicine ,Criminology ,Faith communities ,Religion ,Social determinants of health ,Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 ,medicine ,Humans ,SWORD ,Pandemics ,General Nursing ,Evidence synthesis - Abstract
The objective of this systematic review was to summarize the roles that religious communities played during the early stage of COVID-19 pandemic. Seven databases were searched and a total of 58 articles in English published between February 2020 and July 2020 were included in evidence synthesis. The findings of the literature showed diverse influences of religion as a double-edged sword in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. Religious communities have played detrimental and/or beneficial roles as a response to COVID-19 pandemic. A collaborative approach among religious communities, health science, and government is critical to combat COVID-19 crisis and future pandemics/epidemics.
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- 2021
38. PrEP Use and Persistence Among Young Sexual Minority Men 17–24 Years Old During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Author
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Keith J. Horvath, Jennifer L. Walsh, Rob Stephenson, Chenglin Hong, Kimberly M. Nelson, Steven A. John, and Andrew E. Petroll
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Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Social Psychology ,Sexual Behavior ,Sexually Transmitted Diseases ,HIV Infections ,Men who have sex with men ,Sexual and Gender Minorities ,Young Adult ,Pre-exposure prophylaxis ,Health care ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,Homosexuality, Male ,Pandemics ,Reproductive health ,Original Paper ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,Public health ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,COVID-19 ,HIV ,Sexual minority ,Health psychology ,Infectious Diseases ,Family medicine ,Sexual minority men ,business - Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptions to health care access for sexual and gender minorities in the U.S. We sought to explore the impact of COVID-19 on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use and sexual health services by assessing PrEP eligibility and use, changes in sexual behaviors, and HIV/STI testing during the COVID-19 pandemic. We surveyed 239 young sexual minority men (YSMM) 17-24 years old between April and September 2020 in the U.S. One-in-seven YSMM PrEP users discontinued use during the pandemic, and all those who discontinued PrEP reported a decrease in sexual activity. Twenty percent reported difficulty getting prescriptions and medications from their doctors or pharmacies, and more than 10% reported challenges accessing HIV/STI testing. Among those who met Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for PrEP (n = 104), 86.5% were not currently using PrEP. Among those surveyed 3 months or later after the start of major COVID-19 stay-at-home measures (n = 165), 35.8% reported CAS with a causal partner within the past 3 months during the COVID-19 pandemic. Seeking HIV testing was associated with reporting condomless anal sex in the previous 3 months, indicating the necessity for ensuring continuity of basic sexual health services for YSMM. Failure to adequately adjust HIV prevention services and intervention in the face of pandemic-related adversity undermines efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S.La pandemia de COVID-19 ha causado interrupciones en el acceso a la atención médica para las minorías sexuales y de género en los EE. UU. Buscamos explorar el impacto de COVID-19 en el uso de la profilaxis de preexposición al VIH (PrEP) y los servicios de salud sexual mediante la evaluación de la elegibilidad y el uso de PrEP, los cambios en los comportamientos sexuales y las pruebas de VIH/ITS durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Encuestamos a 239 hombres jóvenes de minorías sexuales (YSMM) de 17 a 24 años entre abril y septiembre de 2020 en los EE. UU. Uno de cada siete usuarios de PrEP YSMM interrumpió su uso durante la pandemia, y todos los que interrumpieron la PrEP informaron una disminución en la actividad sexual. El veinte por ciento informó tener dificultades para obtener recetas y medicamentos de sus médicos o farmacias, y más del 10% informó tener dificultades para acceder a las pruebas de VIH/ITS. Entre los que cumplieron con los criterios de los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades para la PrEP (n = 104), el 86,5% no estaba usando PrEP actualmente. Entre los encuestados 3 meses o más después del inicio de las principales medidas de COVID-19 para quedarse en casa (n = 165), el 35,8% informó CAS con una pareja causal en los últimos 3 meses durante la pandemia de COVID-19. La búsqueda de la prueba del VIH se asoció con la notificación de sexo anal sin condón en los 3 meses anteriores, lo que indica la necesidad de garantizar la continuidad de los servicios básicos de salud sexual para YSMM. No ajustar adecuadamente los servicios de prevención del VIH y la intervención frente a la adversidad relacionada con la pandemia socava los esfuerzos para poner fin a la epidemia del VIH en los EE. UU.
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- 2021
39. An Introduction to a Novel Intervention, 'This is My Story', to Support Interdisciplinary Medical Teams Delivering Care to Non-Communicative Patients
- Author
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Paula Teague, John Ponnala, Joshua Rodriguez-Hobbs, Thomas Y. Crowe, Elizabeth Tracey, and Jason Wilson
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Response to isolation ,As is ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Chaplain interview ,Loved one’s absence ,This is my story ,Nursing ,Intervention (counseling) ,medicine ,Humans ,Conversation ,Moral injury ,Pandemics ,General Nursing ,media_common ,Original Paper ,Pandemic ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Communication ,Telephone call ,Public health ,Religious studies ,COVID-19 ,General Medicine ,Hyperlink ,Comprehension ,Moral distress ,Clergy ,Psychology ,COVID-19 interventions ,Visitor restrictions ,Telechaplaincy - Abstract
This set of three case studies portrays a unique intervention undertaken at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in response to the COVID-19 pandemic with a goal to reduce the impact of absentee visitors during patient care on physicians, nurses, and the patient's loved ones. The intervention, known by the acronym TIMS, "This is My Story", involves a chaplain-initiated telephone call to a loved one, someone who has been identified by the patient as part of their care discussions, of hospitalized patients who have difficulty with communicating to the medical team. The call is recorded then edited for conciseness, and attached to the electronic health record for the entire medical care team to hear. The focus of the chaplain lead conversation with a loved one centers around gathering and presenting information about the patient as a person. Medical team members listen to the edited audio file either on rounds or by utilizing a hyperlink in the electronic health record (EHR). The audio file is two minutes or less in length, as this is the optimal size for comprehension without overburdening the care provider. While conducting the interview, there is an opportunity for chaplains to provide spiritual and emotional support to loved ones and medical staff, contributing substantively to patient care, as is illustrated in the case studies.
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- 2021
40. The COVID-19 Pandemic and Adolescents’ Experience in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Cross-Country Study Using a Telephone Survey
- Author
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Firehiwot Workneh, Ayoade M.J. Oduola, Nega Assefa, Josiemer Mattei, Yemane Berhane, Angela Chukwu, Bruno Lankoande, Dongqing Wang, Abdramane Bassiahi Soura, Michelle L Korte, Wafaie W. Fawzi, Ali Sié, Elena C Hemler, Ourohiré Millogo, Christabel James, and Tara Young
- Subjects
Male ,Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,Psychology, Adolescent ,law.invention ,Food group ,Young Adult ,law ,Virology ,Environmental health ,parasitic diseases ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,Longitudinal Studies ,Child ,Consumption (economics) ,Schools ,Data collection ,Cross country ,Public health ,COVID-19 ,Telephone ,Original Research Paper ,Infectious Diseases ,Geography ,Transmission (mechanics) ,Female ,Parasitology ,Public Health - Abstract
The public health measures instituted by governments to combat the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may cause developmental and educational losses to adolescents. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and its mitigation strategies on adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa are unclear. This study aimed to examine adolescents’ knowledge, perceptions, and practices related to COVID-19 and the impacts of the pandemic on the daily lives of adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. The survey was conducted in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and Nigeria using computer-assisted telephone interviews to enable rapid and remote data collection. Two sites were included in each country, with approximately 300 adolescents per site and 1,795 adolescents in total. Variations across the six sites were noted for the proportions of the adolescents who could correctly identify all key COVID-19 symptoms (4–25%), transmission methods (16–59%), and prevention approaches (33–79%). Most (> 72%) of the adolescents were no longer going to school due to school closures. Many adolescents (23–81%) were not receiving any education during the pandemic. A considerable proportion of the adolescents (44–83%) self-assessed as having less ability to learn during the pandemic; many expected it to be very difficult to catch up on education after the pandemic. Decreases in the consumption of major food groups were common across sites. Urgent actions are needed in sub-Saharan Africa to address the inadequate knowledge of COVID-19 among adolescents and the impacts of the pandemic on adolescent education and nutrition.
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- 2021
41. Knowledge and Practice Related to COVID-19 and Mental Health among Adults in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Author
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Wafaie W. Fawzi, Nega Assefa, Yemane Berhane, Elena C Hemler, Alemayehu Worku, Michelle L Korte, Ourohiré Millogo, Angela Chukwu, Bruno Lankoande, Ali Sié, Firehiwot Workneh, Dongqing Wang, Abdramane Bassiahi Soura, and Ayoade M.J. Oduola
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,Psychological intervention ,MEDLINE ,Nigeria ,Interviews as Topic ,Young Adult ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Virology ,Environmental health ,parasitic diseases ,Burkina Faso ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,Aged ,Aged, 80 and over ,Transmission (medicine) ,business.industry ,Public health ,COVID-19 ,Middle Aged ,Mental health ,Original Research Paper ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Mental Health ,Infectious Diseases ,Female ,Parasitology ,Residence ,Ethiopia ,business - Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health emergency affecting the lives of millions of people globally. Different measures and extraordinary steps are being taken to contain the transmission of the virus. The levels of knowledge and implementation of preventive practices related to COVID-19 in sub-Saharan African countries are unclear. Additionally, there is a lack of evidence regarding the impacts of the pandemic on mental health. This study aimed to describe knowledge and practices related to COVID-19 and to assess mental health status among adults in three sub-Saharan African countries: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. A total of 1,797 adults were included in the survey, and data were collected using computer-assisted telephone interviews. The proportions of adults who identified more than 80% of COVID-19 symptoms, transmission methods, and prevention mechanisms were 69.9%, 79.2%, and 90.7%, respectively. The practice of preventive measures was relatively lower for avoiding social gatherings and disinfecting contaminated surfaces. Better education, urban residence, and believing the pandemic is real were factors associated with good knowledge on COVID-19 symptoms, transmission methods, and preventive actions. Additionally, being male was associated with good knowledge on symptoms and transmission methods, whereas being in an older age group was associated with knowledge of transmission methods. Mild, moderate, and severe psychological distress was reported by 20.6%, 5.9%, and 1.1% of the participants, respectively. Although this study found high levels of knowledge regarding COVID-19, interventions are needed to increase the uptake of recommended preventive practices among adults in sub-Saharan Africa.
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- 2021
42. Determining the nutritional immunity information-seeking behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic in India: a Google Trends data analysis
- Author
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Rachita Jain, Savitesh Kushwaha, Poonam Khanna, and Rachana Srivastava
- Subjects
Data Analysis ,medicine.medical_specialty ,2019-20 coronavirus outbreak ,Joinpoint regression ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ,Information Seeking Behavior ,Google Trends ,Medicine (miscellaneous) ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,Behaviour ,Pandemics ,Nutrition ,Internet ,Nutrition and Dietetics ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Information seeking ,Public health ,Immunity ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,COVID-19 ,Search Engine ,Outreach ,Geography ,Research Paper ,Demography - Abstract
Objective:During COVID-19, the Internet was a prime source for getting relevant updates on guidelines and desirable information. The objective of the present study was to determine the nutritional immunity information-seeking behaviour during COVID-19 in India.Design:Google Trends (GTs) data on relevant COVID-19 and nutritional topics were systematically selected and retrieved. Data on newly reported COVID-19 cases were also examined on a daily basis. The cross-correlation method was used to determine the correlation coefficient between the selected terms and daily new COVID-19 cases, and the joinpoint regression models were utilised to measure monthly percent change (MPC) in relative search volumes (RSV).Setting:Online.Participants:People using Google search during the period 1 January 2020–31 August 2020 in India.Results:The date of peak searches can be attributed to the COVID-19 guidelines announcement dates. All the nutritional terms showed a significant increase in average monthly percentage change. The higher than the average daily rise in COVID-19 cases leads to a higher than average increase in RSV of nutritional terms with the greatest association after 14–27 d. The highest mean relative search volume for nutritional terms was from Southern India (49·34 ± 7·43), and the lowest was from Western India (31·10 ± 6·30).Conclusion:There was a significant rise in the Google searches of nutritional immunity topics during COVID-19 in India. The local/regional terms can be considered for better outreach of public health guidelines or recommendations. Further automation of Google Trends using programming languages can help in real-time monitoring and planning various health/nutritional events.
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- 2021
43. The hindrances to perform the COVID-19 vaccination in Brazil
- Author
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Camila Vantini Capasso Palamim, Fernando Augusto Lima Marson, and Matheus Negri Boschiero
- Subjects
Pharmacology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,2019-20 coronavirus outbreak ,COVID-19 Vaccines ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,Public health ,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ,Vaccination ,Immunology ,COVID-19 ,Viral infection ,Virology ,Immunization ,ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 ,Pandemic ,Humans ,Immunology and Allergy ,Medicine ,business ,Pandemics ,Brazil ,Research Paper - Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Brazil is one of the epicenters of COVID-19 pandemic and faces several hindrances to make his COVID-19 vaccination plan efficient. METHODS: The Brazilian COVID-19 vaccination plan was evaluated and the hindrances to make the COVID-19 vaccination plan efficient were described and discussed. RESULTS: High territorial extension might contribute to a delay on the COVID-19 vaccination, due to difficulty in delivering vaccines to furthest Brazilian states and to all the interior cities. The choice among the vaccines should be done based on the type of storage and must consider the transport conditions necessary to maintain its effectiveness. The indigenous individuals were included with health-care workers as the first group to be vaccinated, inflaming the number of vaccines doses distributed in states where the indigenous population have higher prevalence. The antivaccine movement and the politicization of the vaccine are also hindrances to be overcome in Brazil. The COVID-19 incidence or mortality rate and the distribution of intensive care units (ICUs) are not a criterion to distribute the vaccines, as we did not identify a correlation between these markers and the number of vaccines. However, a strong or very strong correlation occurred between the number of COVID-19 vaccines and the number of COVID-19 cases, deaths by COVID-19, gross domestic product, as well as populational density. A total of 83,280,475 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were distributed in Brazil. In the first dose, the Coronavac (Sinovac™), AZD1222 (AstraZeneca/Oxford™), and BNT162b (Pfizer/BioNTech™) vaccines were responsible to vaccinate, respectively, 9.61%, 6.69%, and 0.35% of the Brazilian population. In the second dose, the Coronavac, AZD1222, and BNT162b vaccines were responsible to vaccinate, respectively, 7.52%, 0.53%, and
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- 2021
44. Religion in the US during the time of a Pandemic: A Medical Perspective
- Author
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William P. Cheshire, Daniel V. Dudenkov, and Dacre Knight
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Opposition (planets) ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Faith ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,Pandemics ,General Nursing ,media_common ,Original Paper ,Public health ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Religious studies ,COVID-19 ,General Medicine ,Worship ,Mental health ,United States ,Social relation ,Religion ,Coronavirus ,Mental Health ,Psychology ,Social psychology ,Medical literature - Abstract
Approximately 80% of Americans identify as religious. As physicians caring for patients with COVID-19, we have seen both positive and negative effects of religious activity during the pandemic. Religious worship generally supports close social interaction, which provides many benefits, especially in mental health, but it can also contradict infection control measures. These forces do not necessarily have to be in opposition to each other. Herein, we present three case vignettes of religious patients who were infected with and recovered from COVID-19. We review the potential benefits and risks of religious activity in the current pandemic, as supported by the medical literature. Finally, we offer some thoughts on how to engage with patients so that the benefits of both religious activity and public health measures are optimized.
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- 2021
45. African American Clergy Recommendations to Enhance the Federal Plan to End the HIV Epidemic: A Qualitative Study
- Author
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Mauda Monger, Pamela Payne Foster, Trisha Arnold, Cassie Sutten Coats, Leandro Mena, Michelle Smith, Yelena Malyuta, Othor Cain, Lynne Klasko-Foster, Tiffany Haynes, Thomas Dobbs, Latunja Sockwell, Drew Galipeau, Amy Nunn, Gladys Thomas, Matthew Murphy, and Sharon Parker
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Social Psychology ,HIV prevention ,Psychological intervention ,HIV Infections ,Church ,Political science ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,African American ,Pandemics ,Original Paper ,business.industry ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Public health ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,COVID-19 ,Public relations ,Focus group ,Social marketing ,United States ,Local community ,South ,Black or African American ,Health psychology ,Infectious Diseases ,business ,Clergy ,Qualitative research - Abstract
African Americans in the southern United States continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV. Although faith-based organizations (FBOs) play important roles in the social fabric of African American communities, few HIV screening, care, and PrEP promotion efforts harness the power of FBOs. We conducted 11 focus groups among 57 prominent African American clergy from Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama. We explored clergy knowledge about the Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (EHE); normative recommendations for how clergy can contribute to EHE; and how clergy can enhance the HIV care continua and PrEP. We explored how clergy have responded to the COVID-19 crisis, and lessons learned from pandemic experiences that are relevant for HIV programs. Clergy reported a moral obligation to participate in the response to the HIV epidemic and were willing to support efforts to expand HIV screening, treatment, PrEP and HIV care. Few clergy were familiar with EHE, U = U and TasP. Many suggested developing culturally tailored messages and were willing to lend their voices to social marketing efforts to destigmatize HIV and promote uptake of biomedical interventions. Nearly all clergy believed technical assistance with biomedical HIV prevention and care interventions would enhance their ability to create partnerships with local community health centers. Partnering with FBOs presents important and unique opportunities to reduce HIV disparities. Clergy want to participate in the EHE movement and need federal resources and technical assistance to support their efforts to bridge community activities with biomedical prevention and care programs related to HIV. The COVID-19 pandemic presents opportunities to build important infrastructure related to these goals.
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- 2021
46. Social Distancing as a Recontextualization of Filipino Values and Catholic Religious Practices: A Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Author
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Joseph Renus F Galang, Philip Joseph D Sarmiento, Ivan Efreaim A Gozum, and Jose Ma W Gopez
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Social distancing ,Physical Distancing ,Filipino values ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,Sociology ,Pandemics ,General Nursing ,Original Paper ,Catholic religious practice ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Social distance ,Public health ,Religious studies ,Catholicism ,Rhetorical modes ,COVID-19 ,Gender studies ,General Medicine ,Social relation ,Content analysis ,Qualitative research - Abstract
This paper investigates Catholic religious practices and Filipino values in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. It aims to show that religious practices conducted with proper social distancing help in the development of a renewed understanding of Filipino values without contributing to the spread of the virus. This qualitative study makes use of expository writing and content analysis. First, religious practices before the pandemic marked by maximum social interaction are presented. Then, the paper shows religious practices during the pandemic marked by social distancing. Thirdly, the paper looks into how Filipino values are recontextualized in relation to religious practices despite the need for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, the researchers claim that those who participate in religious practices with social distancing do not contribute to the transmission of the virus while still developing a renewed understanding of Filipino values.
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- 2021
47. Guidance plans for solid waste management during COVID-19 in Makkah, Saudi Arabia
- Author
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Faisal A. Osra, Essam A. Morsy, and Ibrahim H.A. Abd El-Rahim
- Subjects
Solid waste management ,2019-20 coronavirus outbreak ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Original Paper ,Makkah ,Municipal solid waste ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,Guidance plan ,Public health ,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ,Saudi Arabia ,COVID-19 ,Human health ,Pandemic ,medicine ,General Earth and Planetary Sciences ,Business ,Environmental planning ,General Environmental Science - Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized disasters related to environmental topics, human health, social lifestyles, and economic systems around the world. COVID-19 may further spread through municipal solid waste (MSW), if it is collected, handled, transported, or disposed in an improper way. The current paper provides an overview of the multiple challenges that COVID-19 has introduced to the various tasks of MSW management including the impact of the implemented precautionary measures on MSW management, priorities and hierarchy of MSW, direct impact on the constitution, and characterization of MSW in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, based on waste management characterization guidance. In addition, specific and alternative guidance plans for the potential critical points of the infection were suggested to protect public health during the pandemic. The results of the current study revealed that the hierarchical system of MSW was modified under pandemic conditions. Implementation of control measures in Makkah has led to a change of lifestyle, which resulted in a physical change of the MSW constitution in Makkah, with the following average rates: organic matter, 57%; plastics, 31%; paper and cardboard, 9%; metals, 1%; glass, 1%; and wood, 1%. In conclusion, a specific guidance plan for MSW management during the COVID-19 pandemic was developed, aimed at handlers, pickers, collection, transportation, transfer stations, and MSW disposal. Such a guidance plan may play a vital role in controlling the pandemic, especially in the outdoor environment. The suggested guidance plan describes and specifies structured and ordered practices of MSW management in Makkah during COVID-19 and other pandemics.
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- 2021
48. Redeployment Among Primary Care Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.
- Author
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Lukewich, Julia, Bulman, Donna, Mathews, Maria, Hedden, Lindsay, Marshall, Emily, Vaughan, Crystal, Ryan, Dana, Dufour, Emilie, Meredith, Leslie, Spencer, Sarah, Renaud, Lauren R., Asghari, Shabnam, Cusack, Cheryl, Elliott Rose, Annette, Marchuk, Stan, Young, Gillian, and Wong, Eric
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NURSES ,QUALITATIVE research ,RESEARCH funding ,HOSPITAL nursing staff ,INTERVIEWING ,PRIMARY nursing ,NURSE practitioners ,WORKING hours ,THEMATIC analysis ,NURSES' attitudes ,RESEARCH methodology ,NURSING practice ,COMMUNICATION ,PUBLIC health ,DATA analysis software ,COVID-19 pandemic ,LABOR supply - Abstract
Introduction: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, primary care nurses were often redeployed to areas outside of primary care to mitigate staffing shortages. Despite this, there is a scarcity of literature describing their perceptions of and experiences with redeployment during the pandemic. Objectives: This paper aims to: 1) describe the perspectives of primary care nurses with respect to redeployment, 2) discuss the opportunities/challenges associated with redeployment of primary care nurses, and 3) examine the nature (e.g., settings, activities) of redeployment by primary care nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with primary care nurses (i.e., Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurses, and Licensed/Registered Practical Nurses), from four regions in Canada. These include the Interior, Island, and Vancouver Coastal Health regions in British Columbia; Ontario Health West region in Ontario; the province of Nova Scotia; and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Data related to redeployment were analyzed thematically. Results: Three overarching themes related to redeployment during the COVID-19 pandemic were identified: (1) Call to redeployment, (2) Redeployment as an opportunity/challenge, and (3) Scope of practice during redeployment. Primary care nurses across all regulatory designations reported variation in the process of redeployment within their jurisdiction (e.g., communication, policies/legislation), different opportunities and challenges that resulted from redeployment (e.g., scheduling flexibility, workload implications), and scope of practice implications (e.g., perceived threat to nursing license). The majority of nurses discussed experiences with redeployment being voluntary in nature, rather than mandated. Conclusions: Redeployment is a useful workforce strategy during public health emergencies; however, it requires a structured process and a decision-making approach that explicitly involves healthcare providers affected by redeployment. Primary care nurses ought only to be redeployed after other options are considered and arrangements made for the care of patients in their original practice area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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49. The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Elite Swimmers and Water Polo Players: Lessons for the Future.
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Marinos, Georgios, Lamprinos, Dimitrios, Papapanou, Michail, Sofroni, Anastasia, Papaioannou, Anastasia, Miletis, Dionysios-Nikolaos, Deligiorgi, Paraskevi, Papavassiliou, Kostas A., Siasos, Gerasimos, Oikonomou, Evangelos, Rachiotis, George, Tsamakis, Konstantinos, and Schizas, Dimitrios
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ELITE athletes ,WATER polo ,COVID-19 pandemic ,PUBLIC health ,PSYCHOLOGICAL well-being ,PSYCHOLOGICAL distress ,SLEEP interruptions - Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted global daily life, including the world of elite athletes. This paper examines the multifaceted impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on elite swimmers and water polo athletes, specifically their mental health, their concerns over the virus, their intentions of getting vaccinated, and sleep disturbances that they may have faced. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on elite swimmers and water polo players, using an anonymous questionnaire. Results: A total of 200 elite athletes participated. The majority of the participants reported a negative impact on their mental health, screened positive for insomnia (n = 107 (53.5%), with females (n = 101; 57.7%), swimmers (n = 100, 66.7%), and university students (n = 71, 71.7%) being more vulnerable (p < 0.001). Concerns about contracting the disease especially during important training or tournament periods and potential career disruption also affected their psychological well-being. While the majority (75%) had the intention of getting vaccinated, an alarming percentage was yet uncertain over its decision. Conclusions: This study highlights the significant psychological distress faced by elite aquatic athletes during the pandemic. It emphasizes the difficulties faced by elite swimmers and water polo athletes and determines not only the importance of addressing the vaccination intentions of athletes, but also how critical it is to confront the challenges they face both for their personal health and for the restoration of world sports to their pre-pandemic state. More large-scale studies are required to inform policies targeted at minimizing disruption to the athletes' career, provision of information on preventive measures and vaccination, and improvement in psychological well-being in case of similar major public health issues in the future. Additionally, this study calls for further research to explore the unique challenges faced by aquatic athletes, such as those related to their training environments and fear of contagion, to better support them in future public health crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
50. Perceptions of Spiritual Dryness in Iran During the COVID-19 Pandemic
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Maryam Rassouli, Sara Hamideh Kerdar, Mohammad Esmaeil Akbari, and Arndt Büssing
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medicine.medical_specialty ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Spiritual crisis ,Spiritual dryness scale ,COVID-19 pandemic ,050109 social psychology ,Iran ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Perception ,Spirituality ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,0501 psychology and cognitive sciences ,Social isolation ,Pandemics ,General Nursing ,media_common ,Original Paper ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Muslims ,Public health ,05 social sciences ,Religious studies ,COVID-19 ,Loneliness ,General Medicine ,Spiritual dryness ,humanities ,Validatio ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Dryness ,medicine.symptom ,Psychology ,Clinical psychology - Abstract
This study addresses perceptions of spiritual dryness (a specific form of spiritual struggle) during the COVID-19 pandemic among Iranian Muslims (n = 362), and how these perceptions can be predicted. Spiritual dryness was perceived often to regularly by 27% and occasionally by 35%. Regression models revealed that the best predictors of spiritual dryness (SDS-7) were usage of mood-enhancing medications, loneliness/social isolation and praying as positive predictors, and being restricted in daily life concerns as negative predictor. The pandemic challenges mental stability of people worldwide and may also challenge trust in God. Reliable and humble support of people experiencing these phases is required.
- Published
- 2021
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