Evaluating Efficiency of a Provincial Telerehabilitation Service in Improving Access to Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Scope: Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, community rehabilitation stakeholders from a provincial health system designed a novel telerehabilitation service. The service provided wayfinding and self-management advice to individuals with musculoskeletal concerns, neurological conditions, or post-COVID-19 recovery needs. This study evaluated the efficiency of the service in improving access to care. Methodology: We used multiple methods including secondary data analyses of call metrics, narrative analyses of clinical notes using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), and qualitative interviews. Conclusions: Interviews revealed that the telerehabilitation service had the potential to positively impact access to rehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic, for individuals living rurally, and for individuals on wait lists. Call metric analyses revealed that efficiency may be enhanced if call handling time was reduced. AI/ML analyses found that pain was the most frequently-mentioned keyword in clinical notes, suggesting an area for additional telerehabilitation resources to ensure efficiency. © 2023, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh. All rights reserved.

Are companies with high absorptive capacity more likely to survive in harsh environments? From the perspective of innovation spillovers

This study examines whether companies with high absorptive capacity are more likely to survive adversity. With the financial component stocks of the S&P 500 taken as the research subjects, the industrial innovation spillover effects of individual stocks were extracted and then put into panel data regression for analysis. The results reveal that, following the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), companies with high absorptive capacity rapidly adjusted their organizational strategies to increase their absorption of innovation spillovers, particularly active in absorbing those from the financial technology (Fin-Tech) industry. Policy-wise, the study recommends that the government examine regulatory flexibility during major economic events and encourage industry players to proactively develop endogenous institution innovations.

Trends Analysis of Virtual Reality Research between 1987 and 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered the way how we communicate with others. From ZOOM to Meta-verse, an increasing number of people are shifting to the virtual world for work and personal life. However, as a technology, virtual reality is still considered merely a device for immersive gaming for the young generation. Thus, despite itspotential, virtual reality is hardly discussed as acore technology enabling Metaverse, which provides a virtual world for everyone. Therefore, it is necessary to examine prior studies for an understanding full spectrum of virtual reality research. There are three primary aims of this study: 1. To trace the history of virtual reality research for providing a holisticview oftheresearch trajectory. 2. Todiscover prevalent topics during the last 34 years as well as highly cited papers and authors. 3. To find hub topics for identifying the direction of interdisciplinary research. © 2022, Tamkang University. All rights reserved.

Confronting Intellectual Property Nationalism

Stories about nations engaging in vaccine (and medical) nationalism by hoarding limited COVID-19 vaccines and treatments are widespread, but there is a hidden phenomenon that has exacerbated vaccine nationalism and prolonged the pandemic: intellectual property nationalism or "IP nationalism." This Article coins and explains this term and highlights its negative impacts. Essentially, some nations, primarily of the Global North, are hoarding essential knowledge protected by intellectual property (IP). This Article argues that IP nationalism has contributed to millions of un-necessary deaths and limited the growth of the global economy. Mean-while, countries and pharmaceutical companies obscure the role of IP nationalism by highlighting red herrings as the alleged main barriers to vaccine access.This Article advocates that countries jettison IP nationalism in favor of a polar-opposite framework-a "global public goods" approach, where IP on essential medical treatments is freely available to all. The global public goods approach goes beyond the (original) waiver of international IP obligations proposed by India and South Africa that simply removes liability. Instead, a global public goods approach would involve actively sharing knowledge on COVID-19 treatments. In most instances, the pro-posed waiver alone would not facilitate creation of COVID-19 vaccines by new manufacturers. Especially for effective mRNA vaccines, manufac-turing involves trade secret processes that are, by definition, secret;a waiver of liability for stealing trade secrets does not grant other companies access to trade secrets. On the other hand, if the trade secrets were consid-ered global public goods and policy makers enacted laws accordingly, then companies would be forced to share them. This approach is consistent with historical policy underlying IP norms, which recognizes that IP exclusivity sometimes needs to yield to other interests such as public health.Recognizing the existence and influence of IP nationalism is an essential first step to better address IP constraints and distortions in the con-text of public health. This is a timely issue now that the World Health Organization has begun negotiations for a global pandemic treaty, with the goal of being better prepared for inevitable future pandemics. Hopefully, by considering IP on pandemic treatments as global public goods, this treaty could help prevent another global vaccine apartheid. This Article provides concrete suggestions to meet this goal while still ensuring ade-quate incentives for innovation. Moreover, the Article also recommends complementary modifications to domestic law to similarly promote af-fordable essential treatments while preserving innovation even in non -pan-demic situations.

The COVID-19 pandemic: How important is face-to-face interaction for information dissemination?

Does face-to-face interaction still facilitate information transfer despite proliferating communication technologies? We use the COVID-19 collapse in such interactions to examine their influence on information flow in the stock market around earnings announcements. Using daily, county-level abnormal mobility of U.S. residents to proxy for face-to-face interaction, we find that firms located in counties with lower abnormal mobility experience a weaker immediate price reaction to earnings announcements and a larger post-announcement drift. Our findings suggest that lower face-to-face interactions dampen price discovery in financial markets, and that investor attention is a potential mechanism of this effect.

Neutralising antibody titers and COVID outcomes in cancer patients

Background: Cancer patients are at high risk of severe COVID infection and recommended at least three doses of SARS-CoV2 mRNA vaccines. Various anti-neoplastic treatments may affect long-term vaccine immunogenicity. Methods: Patients with solid or haematological cancer were recruited from two Singapore hospitals between July 2021 and March 2022. GenScript cPASS surrogate virus neutralisation assays measured antibody responses, which were correlated with clinical outcomes obtained from medical records and national mandatory-reporting databases. Results: In total, 273 patients were recruited (40 with haematological malignancies and the rest solid tumours). Two-hundred and four patients (74.7%) were receiving active cancer therapy: 98 (35.9%) receiving systemic chemotherapy and the rest targeted or immunotherapy. All patients were seronegative at baseline. After receiving one, two and three doses of SARS-CoV-2-mRNA vaccination, seroconversion rate was 35.2%, 79.4% and 92.4% respectively. After three doses, patients on active treatment for haematological malignancies had lower antibodies (57.3%±46.2) as compared to patients on immunotherapy (94.1%±9.56, p<0.05) and chemotherapy (92.8%±18.1, p<0.05). SARS-CoV-2 infection was reported in 77 (28.2%) patients of which 18 were severe. Conclusion: This study demonstrates high immunogenicity of three doses of vaccines and protection against severe infection in cancer patients.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on referral processes to a regional Occupational lung disease service – a single centre experience

P76 Figure 1ConclusionDuring the Covid-19 pandemic, we identified a 40% drop in referrals between 2019 and 2021, including a substantial reduction in referrals from workplace based occupational healthcare providers and primary care. Similarly, we diagnosed half as many patients with airway diseases, including occupational asthma.Our observations are in line with the experience of other regional OLD services, and are most likely explained by: workers being furloughed or working from home, thereby removing harmful workplace exposures;or the cessation of routine workplace surveillance and community spirometry. British Thoracic Society has recently published a clinical statement on occupational asthma which reiterates that delayed diagnosis of occupational asthma has a poorer prognosis, so it is crucial that we ensure patients with suspected occupational asthma are referred early.

Factors Affecting Undergraduate Medical Science Students’ Motivation to Study during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In the current study, we investigated the motivational status and underlying factors of the motivational changes among Japanese medical science students brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Two groups of second-year undergraduate medical science students (training to become medical technologists and/or medical science researchers) participated in this study in the summers of 2020 and 2021 by writing essays describing how the pandemic had affected their motivation to study. A content analysis of the motivation status and underlying factors (both motivating and demotivating factors) was conducted before statistical analysis was used to investigate possible differences between the sexes and the two groups. In total, 73 essays were included in the analysis. The students had increased motivation to study in both groups (89% and 62%, respectively);however, in Group 2021, 19% of the students (all women) had decreased motivation. Among the underlying reasons behind the increased motivation, students showed a desire to help/save others, contribute to the development of medical science, increase knowledge, and disseminate correct information. The demotivating factors were largely linked to online learning and the negative emotions associated with lockdown. Our findings suggest that, for Japanese medical science students, the COVID-19 pandemic has been an overall motivating experience for our students. However, the prolonged pandemic and lockdown measures could attenuate this and be particularly disruptive for women. © 2022 by the authors.

Medication Safety Training: An Opportunity for Virtual Interactive Case System Innovation

Background: Current literature on virtual cases illustrates increased student self-directed learning and satisfaction. Yet, the use of virtual cases has not been explored in the context of patient or medication safety. Description: The Virtual Interactive Case (VIC) System allows educators to create online clinical reasoning scenarios with a bridge between theory and practice. We aimed to share our experience in the development and evaluation of 3 VIC teaching modules on patient or medication safety. Action: We created VIC training modules on medication incident disclosure, root cause analysis (RCA), and failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA). We piloted tested them during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evaluation: We administered a 16-item online questionnaire from May 22, 2020, to June 8, 2020 and obtained feedback from pharmacy students and practitioners in Ontario, Canada. Most of our 18 respondents had 1-5 years of practice experience. Their practice settings ranged from associations, academia, to community pharmacies and hospitals. Respondents found the VIC platform easy to navigate. They perceived the content to be relevant and easy to implement in patient care settings. Majority of them indicated that they were confident in carrying out incident disclosure, RCA, and FMEA at their practice settings. Implications: The VIC System can be used to educate students and practitioners on patient or medication safety. It is a safe and user-friendly platform to support patient safety in virtual pharmacy care.

Patient-reported toxicity and quality of life following Sars-CoV-2 vaccination in adults and children with cancer

Background: There is limited published data regarding safety and toxicity of Sars-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with cancer. This may contribute to vaccine hesitancy amongst some members of this vulnerable cohort (Nguyen 2022). Methods: SerOzNET (ACTRN12621001004853) is a large prospective cohort study of adults and children with cancer undergoing Sars-CoV-2 vaccination. Participants undertake surveys by text message link sent to their mobile phone, or on an iPad provided in clinic. A validated hesitancy survey is undertaken at enrolment (Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence and Complacency Scale), and prior to the 3rd vaccine dose. For children, a parental survey is also collected. Quality of life is assessed with serial EORTC QLQ-C30 (adults) or PedsQL (children, self- and parentreport) at baseline and serially throughout the study. Patient- reported vaccine toxicity is assessed by patient-reported CTCAE items for common vaccine related AEs and patient-reported impact of vaccination on cancer treatment (delays, hospitalisations). Medically ascertained vaccine toxicity is assessed by study investigators one month after the 3rd vaccination dose. Results: Five hundred and four participants have been enrolled (403 adults (80%) and 101 children (20%)). Hesitancy: At baseline, 351 adults (88%) and 56 children (55%) responded. The adult cohort was predominantly female (67.2%) with an average age of 53.8 years. Preliminary analysis showed similar levels of vaccination concerns between baseline (mean score = 18.4, SD = 5.1) and follow-up pre-3rd dose (mean score = 17.9, SD = 5.7) in adults. We will present results regarding whether self-reported COVID-19 vaccine toxicity after the first dose was related to change in hesitancy scores at follow-up, which may have implications for COVID-19 vaccine booster willingness. Patient toxicity surveys have been returned post dose 1 for 445/497 (91%), post dose 2 for 417/457 (91%) and post dose 3 for 280/334 (84%). Incidence of any AEs was high (77-100% depending on age and dose), however the incidence of severe AEs (patient reported) was low (0-10% depending on age and dose). Interruptions to cancer treatment after vaccination were uncommon (2-12%). Pain at the injection site was the most commonly reported AE for all ages and doses. Hospital admissions (any reason) were reported post dose 1 in 4/15 children aged 5-12, but were uncommon in older adolescents and adults. The most common systemic adverse effect was rigors in children 5-12, while adolescents and adults reported fatigue most frequently. Quality of life analysis is ongoing and will be presented at the meeting. Conclusions: It is feasible to collect detailed toxicity and quality of life data in a large cohort of cancer patients receiving COVID-19 vaccinations. Data to date are reassuring that severe adverse events and interruptions to cancer therapy are uncommon.

Malay Version of Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II): A Reliability and Validity Analysis in Non- Clinical Samples

INTRODUCTION: Experiential avoidance is a key psychological process variable that measures the level of neglect or avoidance of unpleasant personal psychological experiences. It is highly correlated with the psychological flexibility construct, and both of these are important components in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) has been used to measure both constructs and the Malay version of AAQ-II has been translated and validated in the clinical sample. Hence, this study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Malay version of AAQ-II in a non-clinical sample. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The participants were recruited from 3 campuses of Universiti Malaysia Sabah namely UMSLabuan International Campus (UMSKAL), Sandakan campus, and the main campus in Kota Kinabalu. Convenience sampling was employed and the snowball method was used to recruit participants. All participants answered online questionnaires, which consist of sociodemographic information as well as the Malay version of AAQ-II, Mindfulness Awareness and Attention Scale (MAAS), General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), and Balanced Index of Psychological Mindedness (BIPM). Both classical test theory and Rasch measurement theory were used to check the reliability and validity. RESULTS: There were 370 participants in this study. Malay version of AAQ-II demonstrated good psychometric properties with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.932, parallel reliability of 0.844, and satisfactory Rasch analysis. Exploratory factor analysis supported a one-factor model with 7-items. AAQ-II scores were positively correlated with depressive and anxiety scores, and lower levels of mindfulness and psychological mindedness, supporting the concurrent and convergent validity. CONCLUSION: Malay version of the AAQ-II has adequate reliability and validity in assessing psychological inflexibility in the non-clinical sample and hence could be a useful psychological instrument in assessing COVID-19 mental health effect. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia is the property of International Islamic University Malaysia, Faculty of Medicine 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 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 . (Copyright applies to all s.)

PATIENT REPORTED OUTCOMES FOLLOWING SARS-COV-2 VACCINATION IN PATIENTS WITH CANCER

Introduction Limited data exist regarding safety of COVID19 vaccinations for patients with cancer. Methods SerOzNET (ACTRN12621001004853) is a large prospective study of adults and children with cancer undergoing Sars-CoV-2 vaccination. Participants undertake a validated hesitancy survey at enrolment (Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence and Complacency Scale) and prior to the 3rd vaccine dose. Quality of life is assessed with serial EORTC QLQ-C30 (adults) or PedsQL (children). Patient- reported vaccine toxicity is assessed by patient-reported CTCAE items for common vaccine related AEs and patient-reported impact of vaccination on cancer treatment . Medically ascertained vaccine toxicity is assessed by study investigators one month after the 3rd vaccination dose. Results Five hundred and four participants have been enrolled (403 adults (80%) and 101 children (20%)). Baseline hesitancy surveys have been completed by 349 adults (87%), 58 parents (57%) and 51/86 eligible children (59%). Patient toxicity surveys have been returned post dose 1 for 445 (88%), post dose 2 for 417 (83%) and post dose 3 for 280 (56%). Incidence of any AEs was high (77-100% depending on age and dose), however the incidence of severe AEs (patient reported) was low (0-10% depending on age and dose). Interruptions to cancer treatment after vaccination were uncommon (2-12%). Conclusions Data to date are reassuring that severe adverse events and interruptions to cancer therapy post COVID19 vaccination are uncommon.

Analysis of travel mobility under Covid-19: application of network science

COVID-19 is substantially reshaping the tourism and hospitality industries but studies on the changes in travel behaviour in response to the pandemic are limited. Using tourism big data, this research applies network science analytics to determine behavioural changes in travel mobility of domestic travellers who visited Jeju Island, Korea, from June 2019 to December 2020. The findings reveal significant reductions in the number of trips to a destination but also limited spatial connectivity and diversity in travel flow during the pandemic. A higher intensity of travel mobility to outdoor and coastal areas and shorter travel distances are evident during COVID-19. © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Raising Equity Capital during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Australia: The Efficacy of Regulatory Interventions

Australian regulators acted early at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to grant companies temporary capital raising relief, in order to facilitate capital raisings and strengthen balance sheets. One important change to regulations was to allow (without shareholder approval) companies to increase the existing 15% placement capacity to 25% of base capital. We first document current regulations governing the issuance of equity capital for public companies in Australia, and then describe the changes made to regulations in response to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysing the effect of the regulatory changes on company equity issuance choices, both qualitatively and quantitatively, we conclude that the changes introduced by ASIC and the ASX had both a direct and an indirect impact on company choices during 2020.

Safety and Efficacy of Sars-Cov-2 Vaccines in Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients Receiving PD-1 Inhibitors

Background: Patients (pts) with cancer are at higher risk for complications and mortality related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Although mRNA vaccines have been granted Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization (EUA) for prevention of COVID-19, the pivotal trials largely excluded pts with active cancer. Emerging data suggests suboptimal efficacy of these vaccines in pts with hematologic malignancies. There are also theoretical concerns that programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitors (PD-1i) could potentiate vaccine-related adverse events (AEs);conversely, these vaccines could activate the immune system, increasing the risk for immune-related reactions (IRRs) after PD-1i treatment. Pts with classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) receiving PD-1i represent a unique cohort and should be investigated for safety and efficacy issues with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of pts with cHL who were treated with PD-1i within the past 12 months. Our primary objective was to determine the frequency of vaccine-related AEs and also subsequent IRRs to PD-1i after vaccination as reported in the medical records. Our secondary objective was to determine efficacy based on post-vaccine COVID-19 infection rates and by presence of adequate receptor binding domain (RBD) IgG antibody level to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. This assay was a clinically available institutional assay developed under EUA. While the level of antibody that is associated with immune protection has not yet been defined, we used RBD IgG > 0.700 AU as positive since it was previously correlated with virus neutralization titer in vitro. Results: From July 1, 2020 through June 31, 2021, we identified 27 pts who received PD-1i for cHL and were seen at the University of Pennsylvania. Seventeen (63%) pts received nivolumab and 10 (37%) received pembrolizumab. The median age was 42 years (23-86), median number of therapies was 4 (2-15), and 7 (26%) had prior history of COVID-19 infection (none required hospitalization). Twenty-three pts (85% of total) were vaccinated: 17 (74%) received Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 and 6 (26%) had Moderna mRNA-1273 formulations. Of 19 (83%) pts who received at least one dose of PD-1i prior vaccine, the median time between last PD-1i infusion and first vaccine administration was 20 days (2-157). Of 19 (83%) pts who received any PD-1i after vaccine, the median time to infusion was 18 days (4-89). In pts who had prior COVID-19 infection, the median time between the prior infection and vaccine was 91 days (range 78-350). There were no unexpected toxicities noted and no severe adverse events or hospitalizations directly related to vaccination. No patient discontinued the vaccination series due to side effects. In 12 vaccinated pts who had vaccine-related AEs solicited by the medical provider, 7 (58%) developed injection site reaction/pain: grade 1 (6/12) and grade 2 (1/12). Six (50%) pts had systemic AEs: grade 1 fatigue (4/12), grade 2 fatigue (1/12), transient generalized lymphadenopathy (1/12), fever (1/12). No new IRRs occurred in pts receiving subsequent PD-1i after vaccination. Two weeks after second vaccination, 1 patient developed worsening cough with imaging suggestive of pneumonitis but improved with antibiotics. There were no post-vaccine COVID-19 infections noted. RBD IgG antibody levels were available in 12/23 (52%) of all vaccinated pts;11/12 (92%) pts had positive antibody titers. The only patient who did not mount positive RBD IgG antibody titers received brentuximab vedotin concurrently with PD-1i prior to vaccination. There were insufficient events to correlate pre-vaccine factors with AEs or efficacy. Conclusion: Pts with relapsed/refractory cHL on PD-1i who received SARS-CoV-2 vaccines had no unexpected toxicities and tolerated subsequent PD-1i without new IRRs. The efficacy based on post-vaccination COVID-19 rates and RBD IgG levels is encouraging in these heavily pretreated pts. We plan an additional prospective component of this study using atient reported outcomes and long-term safety and efficacy follow-up. Disclosures: Svoboda: Incyte: Research Funding;Genmab: Consultancy;Merck: Research Funding;Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Research Funding;BMS: Consultancy, Research Funding;TG: Research Funding;Imbrium: Consultancy;Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Research Funding;Astra Zeneca: Consultancy, Research Funding;Atara: Consultancy;Adaptive: Consultancy, Research Funding. Dwivedy Nasta: Roche: Research Funding;Merck: Other: Data safety monitoring board;Incyte: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;AstraZeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Pharmacyclics: Research Funding;ATARA: Research Funding;Millenium: Research Funding;Rafael: Research Funding;Debiopharm: Research Funding. Ruella: AbClon: Consultancy, Research Funding;BMS, BAYER, GSK: Consultancy;Novartis: Patents & Royalties;Tmunity: Patents & Royalties;viTToria biotherapeutics: Research Funding. Landsburg: Triphase: Research Funding;Takeda: Research Funding;Curis: Research Funding;ADCT: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Incyte: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Karyopharm: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: DSMB member;Morphosys: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Barta: Seagen: Honoraria;Daiichi Sankyo: Honoraria;Acrotech: Honoraria;Kyowa Kirin: Honoraria. Gerson: TG Therapeutics: Consultancy;Kite: Consultancy;Abbvie: Consultancy;Pharmacyclics: Consultancy. Schuster: Loxo Oncology: Consultancy;Nordic Nanovector: Consultancy;Genentech/Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding;Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding;Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding;Acerta Pharma/AstraZeneca: Consultancy;BeiGene: Consultancy;Juno Theraputics: Consultancy, Research Funding;Tessa Theraputics: Consultancy;Pharmaclyclics: Research Funding;Abbvie: Consultancy, Research Funding;Alimera Sciences: Consultancy;Adaptive Biotechnologies: Research Funding;Merck: Research Funding;Incyte: Research Funding;TG Theraputics: Research Funding;DTRM: Research Funding.

Modeling and mitigating airborne pathogen risk factors in school buses

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models were developed to simulate the impact of different ventilation scenarios on airborne exposure risks in a 72-passenger school bus. Scenarios and factors that were investigated included a moving vs. stationary bus, impacts of a heating unit within the bus, and impacts of alternative ventilation scenarios with different combinations of openings (e.g., windows, door, emergency hatch). Results of the simulations showed that when the bus was stationary, use of the heater increased receptor concentrations unless there was another opening. When the bus was moving, simulations with at least two sets of openings separated from each other in the forward and aft directions produced a through-flow condition that reduced concentrations via dilution from outside air by a factor of ten or more. A single opening in a moving bus generally increased concentrations throughout the cabin due to increased mixing with minimal ventilation. The cumulative exposure risk (time-averaged concentrations) was found to be inversely correlated to the air exchange rate. Stationary and moving-bus scenarios that yielded above ~20 air changes per hour resulted in the lowest cumulative exposures. Recommendations from this study were implemented in new safety and operating procedures by the Albuquerque Public Schools Transportation Center. © 2021

Analyses of the effectiveness of movement control order (Mco) in reducing the covid-19 confirmed cases in Malaysia

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in 5 consecutive Movement Control Orders (MCOs) in Malaysia in an attempt to flatten the epidemiological curve, with a reduction of cases. This study aims to use statistical analysis to assess whether the decisive public health interventions in the MCO were efficacious. Three statistical tests were employed: Mann-Kendall trend analysis;one way between groups ANOVA;and Pearson correlation test. Results demonstrated significant differences between the second block, MCO 3-5, compared to MCO 1-2. Johor and Selangor states experienced significant increase in early MCO, whereas Sarawak and Selangor states experienced significant decrease by MCO 3-5. The northern border states of Kedah, Perlis and Kelantan, had caseloads stabilised to zero by MCO 4/MCO 5. This study demonstrates that the MCO was effective within the target of twice the two-week incubation period of COVID-19, with cases from community transmission and importation through the air and southern land borders. Selangor and Sarawak had higher cases in early MCO due to situational factors. In conclusion, MCO has been efficacious, with different states attaining different levels of case reduction due to individualised reasons.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on physical and mental health of Asians: a study of seven middle-income countries in Asia

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted the economy, livelihood, and physical and mental well-being of people worldwide. This study aimed to compare the mental health status during the pandemic in the general population of seven middle income countries (MICs) in Asia (China, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam). All the countries used the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to measure mental health. There were 4479 Asians completed the questionnaire with demographic characteristics, physical symptoms and health service utilization, contact history, knowledge and concern, precautionary measure, and rated their mental health with the IES-R and DASS-21. Descriptive statistics, One-Way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and linear regression were used to identify protective and risk factors associated with mental health parameters. There were significant differences in IES-R and DASS-21 scores between 7 MICs (p<0.05). Thailand had all the highest scores of IES-R, DASS-21 stress, anxiety, and depression scores whereas Vietnam had all the lowest scores. The risk factors for adverse mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic include age <30 years, high education background, single and separated status, discrimination by other countries and contact with people with COVID-19 (p<0.05). The protective factors for mental health include male gender, staying with children or more than 6 people in the same household, employment, confidence in doctors, high perceived likelihood of survival, and spending less time on health information (p<0.05). This comparative study among 7 MICs enhanced the understanding of metal health in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Studies of novel Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic: a global analysis of literature

Novel coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is a global threat to millions of lives. Enormous efforts in knowledge production have been made in the last few months, requiring a comprehensive analysis to examine the research gaps and to help guide an agenda for further studies. This study aims to explore the current research foci and their country variations regarding levels of income and COVID-19 transmission features. This textual analysis of 5780 publications extracted from the Web of Science, Medline, and Scopus databases was performed to explore the current research foci and propose further research agenda. The Latent Dirichlet allocation was used for topic modeling. Regression analysis was conducted to examine country variations in the research foci. Results indicate that publications are mainly contributed by the United States, China, and European countries. Guidelines for emergency care and surgical, viral pathogenesis, and global responses in the COVID-19 pandemic are the most common topics. There is variation in the research approaches to mitigate COVID-19 problems in countries with different income and transmission levels. Findings highlighted the need for global research collaborations among high- and low/middle-income countries in the different stages of pandemic prevention and control.

Hong Kong: The healthcare professions and the outbreak

This chapter studies Hong Kong’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Hong Kong’s experience with the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2003 helped to prepare the health system for a pandemic, allowing it to avoid a complete lockdown of the city. Social-distancing measures, aggressive testing, and contact tracing have also been critical in controlling the local transmission of the disease. However, when historians and health policy researchers look back at the early days of the outbreak, they are likely to cite the impact of the five-day strike of healthcare professionals in February 2020 as a critical turning point in Hong Kong’s initially hesitant response. The chapter then focuses on this strike and the role of the healthcare profession in shaping public health policy. It argues that the striking healthcare professionals used their standing in Hong Kong to revive the city’s collective memory of the SARS outbreak, mobilizing public action, and possibly triggering a stronger public health intervention by the government. © the several contributors 2021.