COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Sri Lanka: A national level survey

Objective: It is important to understand the factors associated with vaccination hesitancy for a given population for successful coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) immunization program. This survey aimed to examine the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy and associated sociodemographic factors. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was undertaken by circulating through social media platforms. Survey questions included sociodemographics and vaccination acquisition-related questions. Results: The study comprised a total of 3621 respondents. Over one-fifth of the unvaccinated population were identified as vaccine hesitancy group. Ethnicity and district indicated significant associations with vaccine hesitancy (P < 0.05). Indian Tamils (Odds Radio [OR] 2.222;95%Confidence interval [CI], 1.150-4.294;P = 0.018), Sri Lankan Tamils (OR 1.714;95% CI, 1.181-2.488;P = 0.005), and Sri Lankan Moors (OR 1.913;95% CI, 1.316-2.781;P = 0.001) had significantly higher odds of vaccine hesitancy when compared to the Sinhalese. People in rural areas also had greater odds of vaccine hesitancy (OR 1.339;95% CI, 1.000-1.793;P = 0.05) compared to municipal council areas. Conclusion: Vaccine hesitancy was considerably high in this survey population. Our results emphasize the need of the Sri Lankan government taking appropriate efforts to establish a targeted COVID-19 vaccination campaign plan for rural and Colombo district residents. Attention should also be given to ethnic minority groups.

Implementation of the 7-1-7 target for detection, notification, and response to public health threats in five countries: a retrospective, observational study.

BACKGROUND: Suboptimal detection and response to recent outbreaks, including COVID-19 and mpox (formerly known as monkeypox), have shown that the world is insufficiently prepared for public health threats. Routine monitoring of detection and response performance of health emergency systems through timeliness metrics has been proposed to evaluate and improve outbreak preparedness and contain health threats early. We implemented 7-1-7 to measure the timeliness of detection (target of ≤7 days from emergence), notification (target of ≤1 day from detection), and completion of seven early response actions (target of ≤7 days from notification), and we identified bottlenecks to and enablers of system performance. METHODS: In this retrospective, observational study, we conducted reviews of public health events in Brazil, Ethiopia, Liberia, Nigeria, and Uganda with staff from ministries of health and national public health institutes. For selected public health events occurring from Jan 1, 2018, to Dec 31, 2022, we calculated timeliness intervals for detection, notification, and early response actions, and synthesised identified bottlenecks and enablers. We mapped bottlenecks and enablers to Joint External Evaluation (second edition) indicators. FINDINGS: Of 41 public health events assessed, 22 (54%) met a target of 7 days to detect (median 6 days [range 0-157]), 29 (71%) met a target of 1 day to notify (0 days [0-24]), and 20 (49%) met a target of 7 days to complete all early response actions (8 days [0-72]). 11 (27%) events met the complete 7-1-7 target, with variation among event types. 25 (61%) of 41 bottlenecks to and 27 (51%) of 53 enablers of detection were at the health facility level, with delays to notification (14 [44%] of 32 bottlenecks) and response (22 [39%] of 56 bottlenecks) most often at an intermediate public health (ie, municipal, district, county, state, or province) level. Rapid resource mobilisation for responses (six [9%] of 65 enablers) from the national level enabled faster responses. INTERPRETATION: The 7-1-7 target is feasible to measure and to achieve, and assessment with this framework can identify areas for performance improvement and help prioritise national planning. Increased investments must be made at the health facility and intermediate public health levels for improved systems to detect, notify, and rapidly respond to emerging public health threats. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Assimilation of aircraft observations over the Indian monsoon region: Investigation of the effects of COVID-19 on a reanalysis

Since March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly reduced the availability of global aircraft-based observations (ABOs), which has been restored later in 2021. This study focuses on the impact of ABOs on a regional reanalysis. Indian Monsoon Data Assimilation and Analysis (IMDAA) is a regional reanalysis for a period from 1979 to 2020 (originally up to 2018) over India and surrounding regions produced at the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), India, in collaboration with the UK Met Office. A comparison of the impact of ABOs on other conventional and satellite observations assimilated in the NCMRWF global model and IMDAA during 2019 and 2020 revealed the importance of ABOs, particularly in IMDAA, since it did not assimilate the latest satellite data as the IMDAA system was frozen in October 2016. A data denial experiment that removes all the ABOs from the IMDAA assimilation system for a period from March to November 2019 is designed. The results from the IMDAA reanalysis run, which assimilates ABOs during the same period, are compared with the data denial experiment. Assimilation of ABOs strengthened the upper tropospheric circulation, the Tropical Easterly Jet (TEJ), during the Indian summer monsoon compared to the data denial experiment. Analysis of the features of two cyclones that developed over the North Indian Ocean during the study period revealed that ABO assimilation played a key role in simulating the track and intensity of these cyclones when they were in the ‘severe' category. Since the sample is small, more cyclone cases need to be analysed to consolidate the result. © 2023 Royal Meteorological Society.

Faith in Trump and the willingness to punish white-collar crime: Chinese Americans as an out-group

Objectives The first goal of the study was to investigate the willingness of former President Trump’s supporters to punish a particular form of white-collar crime (i.e., bank fraud). The second objective was to test whether the race of the person who committed the bank fraud influenced Trump supporters’ willingness to punish. Methods This study used data from factorial vignettes that were administered to a national sample of adults in 2021 (N = 1509). A 2 (race of the individual who committed bank fraud) × 2 (prior criminal record) × 2 (COVID-19 related fraud) between-subject experimental design was used. Multivariate techniques were used to regress the dependent variables (e.g., length of prison sentence) onto the faith in Trump scale, the experimental conditions, and other variables. Results Participants who expressed a strong faith in Trump were less likely to support sending an adult male who committed bank fraud to prison, but they were more supportive of deporting the individual to another country. The effect of faith in Trump changed when the race of the person who committed bank fraud was manipulated. Specifically, participants who expressed greater faith in Trump were more likely to view bank fraud as harmful and wrong, more likely to support the use of prison and recommend longer prison sentences, and expressed greater support for deporting the individual when he was depicted as Chinese American. Conclusions Allegiance to the former president likely increased the targeting of Chinese Americans as out-group members in need of greater social control. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11292-022-09528-8.

STROKE SUBTYPE PRESENTATION DURING THE FIRST WAVE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Background and aims: It is unknown whether the covid-19 pandemic and public health measures impact stroke subtypes. We aimed to evaluate if the distribution of stroke subtypes during the pandemic's first wave was different from pre-pandemic. Methods: For this retrospective cohort study, patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke presenting at two comprehensive stroke-centers between March-May 2019 (pre-pandemic cohort) and March-May 2020 (pandemic cohort) were included. All patients had vascular and brain parenchymal imaging. We compared stroke subtypes and etiologies between cohorts. Results: The pre-pandemic cohort consisted of 234 patients and the pandemic cohort of 207 patients. There were no differences in age, sex, stroke severity, nor vascular risk factor profiles between cohorts. Proportions of patients presenting with ischemic versus hemorrhagic stroke were similar in both cohorts (77% vs 75% ischemic stroke, 12% vs 14% intraparenchymal hemorrhage, 11% vs 10% subarachnoid hemorrhage;p>0.6). There were no differences in ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke etiologies, except for a decreased proportion of ischemic stroke patients with large artery atherosclerosis in the pandemic cohort (15% vs 26%;OR: 0.5;95%CI: 0.3-0.9). Notably, during the pandemic, ischemic stroke etiology was more often unknown due to incomplete work-up (28% vs 13%;OR: 2.6;95%CI: 1.5-4.5). Conclusions: Stay-at-home orders and the pandemic's first wave seemed not to have largely influenced stroke triggers and subsequently stroke subtypes. However, a lower incidence of large artery atherosclerosis during the pandemic may suggest a higher incidence of ischemic strokes caused by an undetected cardio-embolic source or hypercoagulable state due to incomplete work-up.

Factors influencing job satisfaction among dentists during the new normal of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia: A structural equation modeling approach.

BACKGROUND: Dentistry is one of the highest risk occupations that face COVID-19, especially in countries that are severely affected by the pandemic, such as Indonesia. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to determine factors influencing job satisfaction among dentists during the new normal of COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia by utilizing the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach. METHODS: A total of 310 Indonesian dentists voluntary completed an online questionnaire, which contained 58 questions. Several latent variables such as perceived severity of COVID-19, staff cooperation and management commitment, personal protective equipment, job stress, working hours, income, and overall job satisfaction were analyzed simultaneously. RESULTS: SEM revealed perceived severity of COVID-19 had significant effects on job stress (ß:0.394, p = 0.025) and the utilization of personal protective equipment (ß:0.757, p = 0.001). Subsequently, job stress (ß:-0.286, p = 0.001), working hours (ß:0.278, p = 0.018), income (ß:0.273, p = 0.003), personal protective equipment (ß:0.145, p = 0.038), and staff cooperation & management commitment (ß:0.091, p = 0.002) were found to have significant effects on overall job satisfaction. In addition, management & staff cooperation was found to have a significant association with job stress reduction (ß:-0.319, p = 0.003) which subsequently led to higher satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The current study is one of the first that analyzed job satisfaction among dentists in Indonesia during the global COVID-19 pandemic. The integrated latent variables can be applied and extended to evaluate job satisfaction among dentists during the COVID-19 pandemic in other countries. Finally, this study contributed as a theoretical foundation for policymakers to enhance the job satisfaction of dentists during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Consumer Behavior in Clothing Industry and Its Relationship with Open Innovation Dynamics during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The fashion industry has been continuously growing over the years, yet it is an industry that was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the study was to determine the factors affecting buying behavior of Filipinos towards clothing apparel during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were 457 respondents who voluntarily participated and answered an online questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that marketing mix was found to have significant effects on attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control, which subsequently led to purchase intention. In addition, the COVID-19 latent variable was found to have significant effects on self-perceived severity and self-efficacy, which subsequently led to attitude and purchase intention. Interestingly, marketing mix was found to have the highest effect on actual purchase, which indicated that innovation dynamics are the keys for the buying behavior. The SEM construct can be applied to determine the clothing apparel buying behaviors of consumers in other countries, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, advertisements, promotions, sales, and health safety should be considered as innovation dynamics during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Evaluation of Preference and Perceived Quality of Health Communication Icons Associated with COVID-19 Prevention Measures.

Icons have been widely utilized to describe and promote COVID-19 prevention measures. The purpose of this study was to analyze the preference and subjective design features of 133 existing icons associated with COVID-19 prevention measures published by the health and medical organizations of different countries. The 133 icons represent nineteen different function names, such as "Wash Hands" and "Wear Face Mask". A total of 57 participants were recruited to perform two different tests: ranking test and subjective rating test. The ranking test was conducted to elicit the preference ranking of seven icon designs representing each function name. It was followed by a subjective rating test using 13 semantic scales on the two most preferred icons to analyze their perceived quality. Spearmen correlation was applied to derive the possible correlations between users' rankings and the semantic scales, and Friedman's test was also performed to determine the true difference between ranking in terms of each semantic scale to provide a fully meaningful interpretation of the data. Generally, findings from the current study showed that the image presented in the icon is the key point that affects the icons' perceived quality. Interestingly, Spearman's correlation analysis between preference ranking and semantic scales showed that vague-clear, weak-strong, incompatible-compatible, and ineffective-effective were the four strongest semantic scales that highly correlated with the preference ranking. Considering the significant relationships between the semantic distances and the functions, images depicted in an icon should be realistic and as close as possible to its respected function to cater to users' preferences. In addition, the results of Spearman's correlation and Friedman's test also inferred that compatibility and clarity of icon elements are the main factors determining a particular icon's preferability. This study is the first comprehensive study to evaluate the icons associated with the COVID-19 prevention measures. The findings of this study can be utilized as the basis for redesigning icons, particularly for icons related to COVID-19 prevention measures. Furthermore, the approach can also be applied and extended for evaluating other medical icons.

The Denier in Chief: Faith in Trump and Techniques of Neutralization in a Pandemic

Based on a March 28–29, 2020 MTurk survey (N = 1,000), the current study examined how faith in President Donald Trump’s statements downplaying the risks and his responsibility for the COVID-19 pandemic affected endorsement of social distancing techniques of neutralization. Controlling for a host of variables, the analysis revealed that faith in Trump’s denials was robustly associated with neutralization beliefs. Support for techniques of neutralization also was affected by, among other variables, low self-control and binding foundations, a construct drawn from Haidt’s Moral Foundation Theory. These results suggest that in the early stages of the pandemic, President Trump’s denials served as a likely source of cognitions justifying noncompliance with social distancing health norms. More generally, the data indicate that in his assumed role of the “Denier in Chief,” Trump may have been influential in prompting faithful followers to engage in conduct (e.g., be maskless, associate indoors) that exposed them to coronavirus infection as the pandemic unfolded throughout 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Deviant Behavior is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Determining Factors Affecting Acceptance of E-Learning Platforms during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Integrating Extended Technology Acceptance Model and DeLone And McLean IS Success Model

Online meeting platforms have been widely utilized during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the current shift from traditional learning. However, the acceptance of the different online meeting platforms for e-learning has been underexplored. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors for acceptance of an online learning platform among students during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 500 senior high school students voluntarily participated to answer constructs under the Extended Technology Acceptance Model (ETAM) and Delone and McLean IS Success Model. Several latent including user interface (UI), perceived ease of use (PEU), perceived usefulness (PU), information quality (IQ), system quality (SQ), behavioral intentions (BI), and actual use were analyzed by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results indicated that PEU was found to have the greatest on actual use (AU), followed by UI and SQ towards PEU, which subsequently led to BI and AU. Finally, IQ was found to have a significant effect on PU, which led to BI and AU. The level of student acceptability considers the ease of use, user interface, system quality, information quality, leading to a positive behavioral intention for actual use. With that, it would be of best interest to consider the factors that would lead students towards accepting the platforms utilized and therefore the current education system. Moreover, this will lead to their acceptance and promote learning even with the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the model construct can be applied and utilized to analyze the online learning platforms in other countries.

Students’ Preference Analysis on Online Learning Attributes in Industrial Engineering Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Conjoint Analysis Approach for Sustainable Industrial Engineers

The decline of enrollees for industrial engineering during the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing demand for professional industrial engineers should be explored. The purpose of this study was to determine the preference of industrial engineering students of different educational levels on online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, this study utilized conjoint analysis with orthogonal design considering seven attributes: delivery type, layout, term style, final requirements, Coursera requirements, seatwork and practice sets, and platforms. Among the attributes, 20 stimuli were created through SPSS and were answered voluntarily by 126 respondents utilizing a 7-point Likert Scale. The respondents were comprised of 79 undergraduate, 30 fully online master’s degree, and 17 master’s and doctorate degree students collected through purposive sampling. One university from the two available universities that offer all educational levels of IE in the Philippines was considered. The results showed that undergraduate students considered the final requirements with multiple-choice as the highest preference, followed by non-modular term style, and no seatwork and practice sets. In addition, fully online master’s degree students considered delivery type with the mix as the highest preference, followed by layout, and no seatwork and practice sets. Finally, master’s and doctorate degree students considered final requirements with publication as the highest preference, followed by no seatwork and practice sets, and mix delivery type. The students are technologically inclined, want to learn at their own pace, know where and how to get additional online learning materials, but still need the guidance of teachers/professors. The results would help contribute to the theoretical foundation for further students’ preference segmentation, specifically on online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide. Moreover, the design created could be utilized for other courses in measuring students’ preference for online learning even after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Determining Factors Affecting the Acceptance of Medical Education eLearning Platforms during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Philippines: UTAUT2 Approach.

eLearning has been the medium of delivery of medical educational institutions to address the scarcity of medical professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) was extended to determine the factors affecting the acceptance of eLearning platforms to medical education in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 360 medical students voluntary participated and answered an online questionnaire that consisted of 40 questions. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) indicated that performance expectancy was found to have the highest effect on behavioral intention, which was followed by learning value and instructor characteristics. A high behavioral intention was found to affect the actual use of eLearning platforms. Interestingly, social influence and habit were found not to be significant to behavioral intentions. This study is the first study that has explored the acceptance of eLearning platforms among medical students in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings can be a theoretical guideline of the Commission on Higher Education of the Philippines for eLearning platforms. Finally, the framework would be very valuable for enhancing the open innovation in eLearning platforms in medical fields worldwide.

Improving the communication of hand hygiene procedures: Controlled observation, redesign, and randomized group comparisons.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clarity and efficacy of the World Health Organization (WHO) hand-rub diagram, develop a modified version, and compare the 2 diagrams. DESIGN: Randomized group design preceded by controlled observation and iterative product redesigns. SETTING: The Cognitive Ergonomics Lab in the School of Psychology at the Georgia Institute of Technology. PARTICIPANTS: We included participants who were unfamiliar with the WHO hand-rub diagram (convenience sampling) to ensure that performance was based on the diagram and not, for example, on prior experience. METHODS: We iterated through the steps of a human factors design procedure: (1) Participants simulated hand hygiene using ultraviolet (UV) absorbent lotion and a hand-rub technique diagram (ie, WHO or a redesign). (2) Coverage, confusion judgments, and behavioral videos informed potentially improved diagrams. And (3) the redesigned diagrams were compared with the WHO version in a randomized group design. Coverage was assessed across 72 hand areas from multiple UV photographs. RESULTS: The WHO diagram led to multiple omissions in hand-surface coverage, including inadequate coverage by up to 75% of participants for the ulnar edge. The redesigns improved coverage significantly overall and often substantially. CONCLUSIONS: Human factors modification to the WHO diagram reduced inadequate coverage for naïve users. Implementation of an improved diagram should help in the prevention of healthcare-associated infections.

Pandemic emotions: the extent, correlates, and mental health consequences of fear of COVID-19

COVID-19 has had unprecedented effects on populations around the world. Given the political context of the pandemic and the nation’s response to it, this study sought to assess the extent of Americans’ personal fear about the virus as well as their fear for others (altruistic fear), identify potential predictors of these fears, and examine the mental health impact of heightened COVID-19 fears. Overall, a majority of respondents worried about various aspects of the virus, from being exposed to dying, and reported often worrying about others, including family, the elderly, and healthcare professionals. Building on the fear of crime literature, we find that certain individuals, including those who believe they are at a high risk of dying from the virus, non-Whites, and those who closely follow news coverage of the pandemic, are likely to experience elevated fear and, possibly, its consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Sociological Spectrum is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Spread and incubation period of coronavirus: A review

The Novel CoronaVirus (2019 – n COV) has been causing an upsurge of pneumonia which is of viral origin that began in Wuhan, China. Covid-19 is a highly transmittable disease and a viral infection caused by a strain SARS-CoV-2 which has now spread around the world. COVID-19 contains a single-stranded (positive-sense) RNA associated with a nucleoprotein within a capsid containing matrix protein. The virus is a spherical, pleomorphic enveloped particle bearing club-shaped glycoprotein projections. Intermediate source of origin is not known, therefore, bats could be responsible as the primary reservoir. Transmission can also occur through families in their immediate environment around that particular infected person. Several healthcare workers and the patients who are admitted in the hospital are at higher risk of acquiring the infection. Most patients have a lack of access to Healthcare and preventive measures such as masks and sanitizers. This article discusses the various modes of spread and incubation period of the virus as well as approaches for containing the virus to cope with this viral outbreak. © 2021, Universitatea de Vest Vasile Goldis din Arad. All rights reserved.

Spread and incubation period of coronavirus: A review

The Novel Corona Virus (2019 — n COV) has been causing an upsurge of pneumonia which is of viral origin that began in Wuhan, China. Covid-19 is a highly transmittable disease and a viral infection caused by a strain SARS-CoV-2 which has now spread around the world. COVID-19 contains a single-stranded (positive-sense) RNA associated with a nucleoprotein within a cap-sid containing matrix protein. The virus is a spherical, pleomorphic enveloped particle bearing club-shaped glycoprotein projections. Intermediate source of origin is not known, therefore, bats could be responsible as the primary reser-voir. Transmission can also occur through families in their immediate envi-ronment around that particular infected person. Several healthcare workers and the patients who are admitted in the hospital are at higher risk of acquir-ing the infection. Most patients have a lack of access to Healthcare and preven-tive measures such as masks and sanitizers. This article discusses the various modes of spread and incubation period of the virus as well as approaches for containing the virus to cope with this viral outbreak.

Targeted Release in the COVID-19 Correctional Crisis: Using the RNR Model to Save Lives.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected the lives of people around the world, select populations (e.g., elderly, immune-compromised, and incarcerated individuals) are among the most likely to contract the virus and among the least likely to overcome the illness and regain full health. This paper focuses on the incarcerated individuals and how the coronavirus has added a new and unprecedented threat to correctional facilities that are already overcrowded and ill-equipped to identify and address the medical needs of the inmate population. The risk-need-responsivity model (RNR) should be used to make empirically-informed decisions about the targeted release. The identification and release of inmates who pose the least threat to society will help alleviate some of the burdens associated with prison crowding. Specifically, with fewer inmates, correctional facilities can comply with social distancing guidelines, introduce enhanced cleaning measures, and make necessary institutional adjustments. In so doing they will limit the transmission of COVI-19 within correctional institutions, ensure the safety of staff and their charges, and enable prisons and jails to better accommodate the needs of the inmate population.