Lower class people suffered more (but perceived fewer risk disadvantages) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Does COVID-19 affect people of all classes equally? In the current research, we focus on the social issue of risk inequality during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a nationwide survey conducted in China (N = 1,137), we predicted and found that compared to higher-class individuals, lower-class participants reported a stronger decline in self-rated health as well as economic well-being due to the COVID-19 outbreak. At the same time, we examined participants' beliefs regarding the distribution of risks. The results demonstrated that although lower-class individuals were facing higher risks, they expressed lesser belief in such a risk inequality than their higher-class counterparts. This tendency was partly mediated by their stronger endorsement of system-justifying beliefs. The findings provide novel evidence of the misperception of risk inequality among the disadvantaged in the context of COVID-19. Implications for science and policy are discussed.

A qualitative inquiry in understanding trusted media sources to reduce vaccine hesitancy among Kenyans

COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Kenya has been challenged by both the supply of and demand for vaccines. With a third of the adult population classifying as vaccine hesitant, reaching vaccination targets requires an understanding of how people make decisions regarding vaccines. Globally, pregnant and lactating women have especially low uptake rates, which could be attributed to the "infodemic,” or constant rush of new information, as this group is vulnerable to misinformation and uncertainty. While presentation of COVID-19 vaccines in the media allows for easy access, these sources are also susceptible to misinformation. Negative and unfounded claims surrounding SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccines contribute to vaccine hesitancy. Given the influence that the media may have on people's attitudes toward vaccines, this study examines the relationship between the media and the vaccine decision-making process among pregnant and lactating women, healthcare workers, community members (male relatives, male neighbors, and gatekeepers), and policymakers in Kenya. Data were collected through in-depth interviews in urban and rural counties in Kenya to understand how media information was utilized and consumed. While healthcare workers were the most frequently cited information source for pregnant and lactating women, other healthcare workers, and community members, findings also show that the media (traditional, social, and Internet) is an important source for obtaining COVID-19 information for these groups. Policymakers obtained their information most frequently from traditional media. Ensuring that information circulating throughout these media channels is accurate and accessible is vital to reduce vaccine hesitancy and ultimately, meet COVID-19 vaccination goals in Kenya. Copyright © 2023 Fesshaye, Lee, Paul, Zavala, Singh, Karron and Limaye.

A typology of vaccine hesitancies: Results from a study of community pharmacists administering COVID-19 vaccinations during the pandemic.

Pharmacists were integral to the vaccine administration process during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, they encountered a variety of different forms of vaccine resistance. This qualitative study explored 33 community pharmacists (from varying geographical and practice types) responses to vaccine resistance and tactics utilized to support vaccination amongst diverse community members. A typology of 8 different variants of vaccine hesitancy emerged, each with its own root cause and potential opportunities for intervention. Pharmacists in this study described techniques to support adherence to public health guidance based on their assessment of root causes for resistance demonstrated by patients. Importantly, all pharmacists in this study described feelings of anger towards truly anti-vax patients and unwillingness to actually engage or even try to address this group in their practice.

Trends in Lipid-Lowering Prescriptions by Statin Intensity - United States, 2017-202

Introduction: Almost 30% of US adults have elevated low-density lipid cholesterol (LDL-C) increasing their risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). The 2018 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Multisociety Cholesterol Guideline recommends maximally tolerated statin for those at increased ASCVD risk and add-on therapies (ezetimibe and PCSK9 inhibitors) for those at very high risk with LDL-C>=70 mg/dl, but prescription fill trends are unknown. Method(s): Using the IQVIA Total Patient Tracker database (covering ~93% of outpatient retail prescriptions in the US) from Q1 2017-Q1 2022, we determined counts of patients who filled low-, moderate-, or high-intensity statins alone and with ezetimibe or PCSK9 inhibitors. Overall percent change and joinpoint regression were used to assess trends. Result(s): From Q1 2017-Q1 2022, patients filling any statin intensity increased 25% with the greatest increase in high-intensity statins (64.1%). Concurrent fills of high-intensity statin and ezetimibe rose 210%, with an increase in slope by Q2 2019 for all statin intensities (p<0.001, Figure A). Patients filling a PCSK9 inhibitor and all statin intensities increased over the study period (2124% for high-intensity), with increases in slope in Q2 2019 and continued increase in fills but less sharp rise in Q1 2020 (p<0.001, Figure B). Conclusion(s): Increasing prescription fills of high-intensity statins and add-on ezetimibe and PCSK9 inhibitors indicate uptake of guideline-concordant lipid-lowering therapies for cardiovascular disease prevention. There is need for continuity of PCSK9 inhibitor therapy which may have been disrupted during COVID-19. (Figure Presented).

Predicting attitudinal and behavioral responses to COVID-19 pandemic using machine learning

At the beginning of 2020, COVID-19 became a global problem. Despite all the efforts to emphasize the relevance of preventive measures, not everyone adhered to them. Thus, learning more about the characteristics determining attitudinal and behavioral responses to the pandemic is crucial to improving future interventions. In this study, we applied machine learning on the multinational data collected by the International Collaboration on the Social and Moral Psychology of COVID-19 (N = 51,404) to test the predictive efficacy of constructs from social, moral, cognitive, and personality psychology, as well as socio-demographic factors, in the attitudinal and behavioral responses to the pandemic. The results point to several valuable insights. Internalized moral identity provided the most consistent predictive contribution—individuals perceiving moral traits as central to their self-concept reported higher adherence to preventive measures. Similar results were found for morality as cooperation, symbolized moral identity, self-control, open-mindedness, and collective narcissism, while the inverse relationship was evident for the endorsement of conspiracy theories. However, we also found a non-neglible variability in the explained variance and predictive contributions with respect to macro-level factors such as the pandemic stage or cultural region. Overall, the results underscore the importance of morality-related and contextual factors in understanding adherence to public health recommendations during the pandemic.

COVID-19 disrupts vaccination efforts, putting 80 million kids at risk

According to the release, the funding also will support mass vaccination campaigns and the rebuilding of health systems to help address damage done by the pandemic. According to the release, as of March, routine childhood immunization services decreased in 53% of the 129 countries for which data were available. According to the release, dozens of countries have postponed vaccination campaigns against polio, meningitis, yellow fever, typhoid, cholera, tetanus and measles, mumps and rubella.

Vitamin S: Why Is Social Contact, Even With Strangers, So Important to Well-Being?

Even before COVID-19, it was well known in psychological science that people’s well-being is strongly served by the quality of their close relationships. But is well-being also served by social contact with people who are known less well? In this article, we discuss three propositions that support the conclusion that the benefits of social contact also derive from interactions with acquaintances and even strangers. The propositions state that most interaction situations with strangers are benign (Proposition 1), that most strangers are benign (Proposition 2), and that most interactions with strangers enhance well-being (Proposition 3). These propositions are supported, first, by recent research designed to illuminate the primary features of interaction situations. This research shows that situations with strangers often represent low conflict of interest. Also, in interactions with strangers, most people exhibit high levels of low-cost cooperation (social mindfulness) and, if the need is urgent, high levels of high-cost helping. We close by sharing research examples showing that even very subtle interactions with strangers yield short-term happiness. Broader implications for COVID-19 and urbanization are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Current Directions in Psychological Science is the property of Sage Publications Inc. 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.)

The relationship between cultural tightness-looseness and COVID-19 cases and deaths: a global analysis.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis, yet certain countries have had far more success in limiting COVID-19 cases and deaths. We suggest that collective threats require a tremendous amount of coordination, and that strict adherence to social norms is a key mechanism that enables groups to do so. Here we examine how the strength of social norms-or cultural tightness-looseness-was associated with countries' success in limiting cases and deaths by October, 2020. We expected that tight cultures, which have strict norms and punishments for deviance, would have fewer cases and deaths per million as compared with loose cultures, which have weaker norms and are more permissive. METHODS: We estimated the relationship between cultural tightness-looseness and COVID-19 case and mortality rates as of Oct 16, 2020, using ordinary least squares regression. We fit a series of stepwise models to capture whether cultural tightness-looseness explained variation in case and death rates controlling for under-reporting, demographics, geopolitical factors, other cultural dimensions, and climate. FINDINGS: The results indicated that, compared with nations with high levels of cultural tightness, nations with high levels of cultural looseness are estimated to have had 4·99 times the number of cases (7132 per million vs 1428 per million, respectively) and 8·71 times the number of deaths (183 per million vs 21 per million, respectively), taking into account a number of controls. A formal evolutionary game theoretic model suggested that tight groups cooperate much faster under threat and have higher survival rates than loose groups. The results suggest that tightening social norms might confer an evolutionary advantage in times of collective threat. INTERPRETATION: Nations that are tight and abide by strict norms have had more success than those that are looser as of the October, 2020. New interventions are needed to help countries tighten social norms as they continue to battle COVID-19 and other collective threats. FUNDING: Office of Naval Research, US Navy.

Could fever improve COVID-19 outcomes?

Here's how we might do that: O Respectthe known benefits of fevers. * Understandthatthe human body has a thermostat in the hypothalamus that keeps the fever in the optimal range for fighting infections. * Do nottreatallfeverswith antipyretics (acetaminophen or ibuprofen). * Nevertreatwith combination (dual) antipyretics. Teach that reducing fevers may make you feel better but delay your recovery. * Teach the public that every time we give an antipyretic, we dampen the body's natural immune response. The human body has a thermostat in the hypothalamus that keeps the fever in the optimal range for fighting infections.

COVID-19: How did community pharmacies get through the first wave?

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic of early 2020 was one of the most impactful events in living memory. As an essential service, community pharmacies remained open to provide care and service. The unprecedented nature and scale of the pandemic triggered considerable change in daily practice. In anticipation of future pandemic waves and similar mass-scale civil disruptions, it is important to understand how community pharmacies adapted and responded in the early weeks of COVID-19. METHODS: A combination of convenience, snowball and purposive sampling methods was used to recruit staff from community pharmacies across Ontario, from a variety of different practice locations and types. A semistructured focus group interview protocol was used to elicit experiences. Data gathering was undertaken until the point of saturation. Thematic analysis was used to surface common experiences and to describe how community pharmacies adapted and responded. RESULTS: A total of 39 participants (pharmacists, registered technicians and assistants) from 11 different pharmacies participated in this study. Data were coded based on 1) what happened, 2) how community pharmacies responded, and 3) what worked and did not work to support pharmacy staff in continued provision of service and care. Key findings included the collapse of provision of nondispensing remunerated services, the central role of managerial decisions in supporting resilience (e.g., change to 8-hour shifts from 12-hour shifts) and the central role of technology in supporting continuity of quality pharmacy services. DISCUSSION: With anticipated future pandemic waves, preparedness of community pharmacy will be essential. This study provides important insights based on participants' own experiences regarding ways employers can better support staff in provision of care and service to patients during times of mass-scale civil disruption. Can Pharm J (Ott) 2020;153:xx-xx.