Americans' COVID-19 risk perceptions and risk perception predictors changed over time

Identifying and understanding risk perceptions—"how bad are the harms” to humans or to what they value that people see as potentially or actually arising from entities or events—has been critical for risk analysis, both for its own sake, and for expected associations between risk perceptions and subsequent outcomes, such as risky or protective behavior, or support for hazard management policies. Cross-sectional surveys have been the dominant method for identifying and understanding risk perceptions, yielding valuable data. However, cross-sectional surveys are unable to probe the dynamics of risk perceptions over time, which is critical to do while living in a dynamically hazardous world and to build causal understandings. Building upon earlier longitudinal panel studies of Americans' Ebola and Zika risk perceptions using multi-level modeling to assess temporal changes in these views and inter-individual factors affecting them, we examined patterns in Americans' COVID-19 risk perceptions in six waves across 14 months. The findings suggest that, in general, risk perceptions increased from February 2020 to April 2021, but with varying trends across different risk perception measures (personal, collective, affective, affect, severity, and duration). Factors in baseline risk perceptions (Wave 1) and inter-individual differences across waves differed even more: baseline ratings were associated with how immediate the threat is (temporal distance) and how likely the threat would affect people like oneself (social distance), and following the United States news about the pandemic. Inter-individual trend differences were shaped most by temporal distance, whether local coronavirus infections were accelerating their upward trend, and subjective knowledge about viral transmission. Associations of subjective knowledge and risk trend with risk perceptions could change signs (e.g. from positive to negative) over time. These findings hold theoretical implications for risk perception dynamics and taxonomies, and research design implications for studying risk perception dynamics and their comparison across hazards. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Use of social networks in children and adolescents in Mexico

The use of the internet and in particular social networks have altered social interaction, even increased with COVID-19. In the case of children and adolescents, considered early users, they have remained exposed to negative virtual environments. The purpose of this study is to identify the knowledge that children and adolescents have about the implications in the use of social networks to reduce the risk of sexual harassment online, in the face of the pedophilic deception known as grooming. A survey was applied to 251 boys, girls and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 14, who are in the fifth and sixth year of primary school in four public educational centers in the municipality of Zapopan, Jalisco-Mexico. It is evident that the students are unaware of the term grooming;however, 8.76% have been exposed to a situation of online sexual harassment;boys 10.86%, while girls 6.19%. Girls show greater vigilance in the use of the Internet and social networks (26.79%), compared to boys with 15.94%. It is concluded that the prevalence of risk in the school zone analyzed is strictly linked to the plans of the educational centers and in the training of teachers, parents and the community © 2023, Revista de Ciencias Sociales.All Rights Reserved.

Could Earlier Availability of Boosters and Pediatric Vaccines Have Reduced Impact of COVID-19?

The objective is to evaluate the impact of the earlier availability of COVID-19 vaccinations to children and boosters to adults in the face of the Delta and Omicron variants. We employed an agent-based stochastic network simulation model with a modified SEIR compartment model populated with demographic and census data for North Carolina. We found that earlier availability of childhood vaccines and earlier availability of adult boosters could have reduced the peak hospitalizations of the Delta wave by 10% and the Omicron wave by 42%, and could have reduced cumulative deaths by 9% by July 2022. When studied separately, we found that earlier childhood vaccinations reduce cumulative deaths by 2,611 more than earlier adult boosters. Therefore, the results of our simulation model suggest that the timing of childhood vaccination and booster efforts could have resulted in a reduced disease burden and that prioritizing childhood vaccinations would most effectively reduce disease spread. © 2022 IEEE.

Evaluation of Measures for the Assessment of Covid-19 Signs and Symptoms in Children and Adolescents

Background. The Symptoms of Infection with Coronavirus-19 (SIC) is a 30-item patient-reported outcome (PRO) measure developed to assess the presence and severity of COVID-19 signs and symptoms in adults. To further facilitate the evaluation of new vaccines and treatments in development, similar tools are needed for use within pediatric populations. The objectives of this study were to support adolescent selfcompletion and create an adaptation of the measure for caregiver assessment of signs and symptoms in children aged < 12 years (henceforth, the Pediatric SIC [PedSIC]). Methods. After developing draft versions of the PedSIC and reference materials with definitions to facilitate accurate completion of both measures, iterative rounds of cognitive debriefing interviews were conducted from November 2020 through January 2021 to evaluate understanding of the SIC (in adolescents aged 12-17), and inform refinement of the PedSIC for caregivers of children aged < 12. Recruitment quotas were employed to support sample diversity. Results. Nine adolescents (mean [SD, range] age, 14 [1.76, 12-17] years, 56% female, 78% white;round 1, n=6;round 2, n=3) and 17 caregivers (mean [SD, range] age, 34 [6.28, 26-41] years, 59% female, 65% white;round 1, n=9;round 2, n=8) completed interviews. All adolescents understood and completed the adult version of the SIC without instrument modification. Ease and accuracy of self-completion was improved through the use of reference materials. Caregiver feedback resulted in modification of the PedSIC to include two sections: observable signs (ages < 12), and symptoms assessed with input from children (ages >= 5-< 12). Reference materials provided standardization of item intent. Conclusion. Results support using the SIC, PedSIC, and their associated reference materials to assess the presence and severity of COVID-19 signs/symptoms in adolescents and children aged < 12 years, respectively, who participate in vaccine and treatment clinical trials.

High-Quality Masks Reduce Covid-19 Infections and Death in the US

The objective is to evaluate the widespread adoption of masks on community transmission of SARS-CoV2. We employed an agent-based stochastic network simulation model and a variant of a SEIR disease model with one million agents in census tracts representing a population of 10.5 million. We evaluated scenarios with 25% to 90% mask-related reduction in viral transmission (mask efficacy). An individual wears a mask with a discrete probability values in [0-100%] (mask adherence). A mask order was initiated 3.5 months after the first confirmed case, with temporary state-wide distancing and voluntary quarantining of households. If 50% of the population wears masks that are 50% effective, this decreases the cumulative infection attack rate (CAR) by 27%, the peak prevalence by 54%, and the population mortality by 29%. If 90% wear masks that are 50% effective, this decreases the CAR by 38%, the peak prevalence by 75%, and the population mortality by 55%. © 2021 IEEE.