ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the conduct of clinical trials globally. Complications may arise from pandemic-related operational challenges such as site closures, travel limitations and interruptions to the supply chain for the investigational product, or from health-related challenges such as COVID-19 infections. Some of these complications lead to unforeseen intercurrent events in the sense that they affect either the interpretation or the existence of the measurements associated with the clinical question of interest. In this article, we demonstrate how the ICH E9(R1) Addendum on estimands and sensitivity analyses provides a rigorous basis to discuss potential pandemic-related trial disruptions and to embed these disruptions in the context of study objectives and design elements. We introduce several hypothetical estimand strategies and review various causal inference and missing data methods, as well as a statistical method that combines unbiased and possibly biased estimators for estimation. To illustrate, we describe the features of a stylized trial, and how it may have been impacted by the pandemic. This stylized trial will then be revisited by discussing the changes to the estimand and the estimator to account for pandemic disruptions. Finally, we outline considerations for designing future trials in the context of unforeseen disruptions.Copyright © 2022 American Statistical Association.
ABSTRACT
Fake news has led to a polarized society as evidenced by diametrically opposed perceptions of and reactions to global events such as the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and presidential campaigns. Popular press has linked individuals' political beliefs and cultural values to the extent to which they believe in false content shared on social networking sites (SNS). However, sweeping generalizations run the risk of helping exacerbate divisiveness in already polarized societies. This study examines the effects of individuals' political beliefs and espoused cultural values on fake news believability using a repeated-measures design (that exposes individuals to a variety of fake news scenarios). Results from online questionnaire-based survey data collected from participants in the US and India help confirm that conservative individuals tend to exhibit increasing fake news believability and show that collectivists tend to do the same. This study advances knowledge on characteristics that make individuals more susceptible to lending credence to fake news. In addition, this study explores the influence exerted by control variables (i.e., age, sex, and Internet usage). Findings are used to provide implications for theory as well as actionable insights. © 2022 The Author(s)
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this paper is to analyze and describe the use and role of ICTs during the pandemic generated by COVID-19, in vulnerable communities led by women from Bañado Sur in Asuncion, Paraguay. We focus mainly on the citizen initiative called "ollas populares", which emerged as a response to the lack of food security that was exacerbated by the pandemic in vulnerable territories. Based on two case studies, we explore how ICTs helped (or not) in the resolution of the food security problem through community collective action, led by women, identifying criteria for the use and design of ICTs for collective action in crisis contexts. The theoretical framework of social capital, understood as the set of interpersonal and trust networks that are built around individuals and groups in society, and that influence collective action and community resilience, serves as a framework for analyzing and discussing the case studies. In the two cases studied, we observe how the use of ICTs allowed the expansion of the support networks of the women who led the collective action of the soup kitchens in these communities. This article discusses these results and the main lessons learned from the case studies we analyzed. © 2022 Copyright for this paper by its authors.
ABSTRACT
In this study we present an autopoietic social systems model based on Collectively Prevalent Interpretants (CPIs). We adapt this model to represent and exemplify how Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) may enable the emergence of severe moral communities. In particular, we argue that ICTs may help severe moral communities promote increasingly polarized, radicalized and even extremist viewpoints. We also discuss our propositions in the context of the current pandemic (caused by Covid19) and warn about the possible emergence of new and related severe moral communities. In an effort to help understand and manage the enabling role of ICTs, the study also presents recommendations for theory and practice, which may prove useful in advancing digital resiliency (by empowering individuals and communities to recognize when this may be occurring). © 2020 The Authors
ABSTRACT
Objective: To analyse the clinic characteristics, risk factors and evolution of the first cohort of hospitalised patients with confirmed infection by COVID-19 in 5 Colombian institutions. Materials and methods: Is a retrospective observational study of consecutive hospitalized patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19 confirmed from March 01 to May 30, 2020 in Colombia. Results: A total of 44 patients were included. The median age was 62 years. 43.2% had a history of smoking, while 69.8% were overweight or obese. 88.6% had at least one comorbidity and 52.3% had three or more comorbidities. Hypertension and dyslipidaemia were the most frequent comorbidities (40.9% and 34.1%, respectively). The 30-day mortality rate was 47.7% with a median of 11 days. The composite outcome occurred in the 36.4%. The biomarkers associated with mortality risk included troponin higher than 14 ng/L (RR: 5.25;95% CI 1.37-20.1, p = 0.004) and D-dimer higher than 1000 ng/ml (RR: 3.0;95% CI 1.4-6.3, p = 0.008). Conclusions: The clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospitalized Colombian was characterised by a more advanced stage of the infection. © 2021 Asociacion Colombiana de Infectologia. All rights reserved.