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Background: The mental health of Black youth during the COVID-19 pandemic is potentially influenced by various systemic factors, including racism, socioeconomic disparities, and access to culturally sensitive mental health support. Understanding these influences is essential for developing effective interventions to mitigate mental health disparities. Methods: Our project used a community-based participatory (CBP) research design with an intersectional theoretical perspective. An advisory committee consisting of fourteen Black youth supported all aspects of our project. The research team consisted of experienced Black researchers who also trained six Black youths as research assistants and co-researchers. The co-researchers conducted individual interviews, contributed to data analysis, and mobilized knowledge. Participants were recruited through the advisory committee members and networks of Black youth co-researchers and sent an email invitation to Black community organizations. Forty-eight Black identified were interviewed between the ages of 16 and 30 in Canada. The data was analyzed thematically. We kept a reflexive note throughout all aspects of the project. Results: Participants reported significant challenges with online schooling, including a lack of support and access to resources. Lockdowns exacerbated stress, particularly for those living in toxic living/home environments. Financial burdens, such as food insecurity and precarious employment, were prevalent and exacerbated mental health challenges. Additionally, experiences of anti-Black racism and police brutality during the pandemic heightened stress and anxiety among participants. Conclusions: The findings underscore the complex interplay of systemic factors in shaping the mental health of Black youth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing these disparities requires targeted interventions that address structural inequities and provide culturally competent support to mitigate the impact on mental well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines stock market response (SMR) to the Japanese tourism industry (TI) after the government's announcement of travel subsidies (TRSs) during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, using a sample comprising 80 listed Japanese firms in the TI and an event study method (ESM) to determine the impact of government policy responses (GPRs) to the pandemic. This study found that investors in the TI reacted positively to the announcement of subsidies; this positive effect persisted for 50 trading days after the announcement but was weaker for transportation firms. The results suggest that TRSs are important for the TI, with a stronger link to travel-related firms, such as airlines and travel agencies, hotels, and amusement services. However, investors in the TI reacted negatively to policies that directly addressed the pandemic, such as social distance policies (SDPs). These results are robustly confirmed when we measure abnormal returns by using a three-factor model. The results offer useful insights for policymakers and practitioners aiming to mitigate economic loss from disasters such as the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work is a response to the appeal of various international health organizations and the Automatic Control Community for collaboration in addressing Coronavirus/COVID-19 challenges during the initial stages of the pandemic. Specifically, this study presents scientific evidence supporting the efficacy of three primary non-pharmacological strategies for pandemic mitigation. We propose a control system to aid in formulating a public decision policy aimed at managing the spread of COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, commonly known as coronavirus. The primary objective is to prevent overwhelming healthcare systems by averting the saturation of intensive care units (ICUs). In the context of COVID-19, understanding the peak infection rate and its time delay is crucial for preparing healthcare infrastructure and ensuring an adequate supply of intensive care units equipped with automatic ventilators. While it is widely recognized that public policies encompassing confinement and social distancing can flatten the epidemiological curve and provide time to bolster healthcare resources, there is a dearth of studies examining this pivotal issue from the perspective of control system theory. In this study, we introduce a control system founded on three prevailing non-pharmacological tools for epidemic and pandemic mitigation: social distancing, confinement, and population-wide testing and isolation in regions experiencing community transmission. Our analysis and control system design rely on the susceptible-exposed–infected–recovered–deceased (SEIRD) mathematical model, which describes the temporal dynamics of a pandemic, tailored in this research to account for the temporal and spatial characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 behavior. This model incorporates the influence of conducting tests with subsequent population isolation. An On–off control strategy is analyzed, and a proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller is proposed to generate a sequence of public policy decisions. The proposed control system employs the required number of critical beds and ICUs as feedback signals and compares these with the available bed capacity to generate an error signal, which is utilized as input for the PID controller. The control actions outlined involve five phases of "Social Distancing and Confinement" (SD&C) to be implemented by governmental authorities. Consequently, the control system generates a policy sequence for SD&C, with applications occurring on a weekly or biweekly basis. The simulation results underscore the favorable impact of these three mitigation strategies against the coronavirus, illustrating their efficacy in controlling the outbreak and thereby mitigating the risk of healthcare system collapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]