Human factors analysis and risk assessment during the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic: a case study of the 2019 Wuhan outbreak in China

Since the discovery of novel coronavirus pneumonia (Covid-19) in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, it has spread to other Chinese provinces and continents in just one month, becoming a "public health emergency of international concern". The undesired behaviors of the public and patients during the Covid-19 epidemic cannot be ignored, but few scholars have studied them. In this study, we firstly adopted a qualitative analysis method based on a theoretical paradigm to to summarize the human factors in the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, and defined the concept of "human factors of the epidemic". Then, we analyzed the distribution characteristics of "human factors of epidemic" at each stage by using statistical analysis, and constructed a human factors model of epidemic evolution. Finally, a multi-subject risk assessment model was constructed using a fuzzy Bayesian network analysis method to quantify the human factors risk in the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. The results of the study are as follows. (1) The human factors of the COVID-19 epidemic mainly focused on five aspects, including cognitive bias, defective design, management bias, environmental defects, and intentional violations. (2) There were differences in the human factors at different stages of the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. In the outbreak stage, human factors of the COVID-19 epidemic showed complex trends, with factors such as lack of knowledge and low awareness still prevailing on the one hand, and factors such as lack of capacity, overtly agree but covertly oppose, dereliction of duty, concealment and misreporting, lack of resources, protection defects, design defects, escape/fleeing, and public gathering on the other hand also being more prominent. (3) The risk of the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic due to undesired human factors in the subjects involved was high (p=0.641) under conventional intervention scenarios. Risk factors such as low awareness, poor decision making, lack of resources, lack of awareness, system deficiencies, public agglomeration, inadequate protection, misreporting, and dereliction of duty had relatively large sensitivity factors and were key human factors for the spread of the epidemic in Wuhan. Finally, targeted recommendations are proposed based on the evolutionary pattern and risk level of the human factors of the COVID-19 epidemic.

COVID-19 burnout, resilience, and psychological distress among Chinese college students.

Background: Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Chinese college students have spent 3 years dealing with infection prevention. Some students have undergone quarantine due to the detection of new variants of COVID-19 and the rise in cases. This study examines pandemic-related isolation and its psychological impact on Chinese college students and explores the relationships among COVID-19 burnout, resilience, and psychological distress in Chinese college students during the pandemic. Methods: The COVID-19 Burnout Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Brief Symptom Inventory were used to investigate 388 college students from Nanjing City, China. All participants were enrolled in university after 2019, and they participated in the survey voluntarily via the Internet. Participants were divided into two groups (isolated group vs. non-isolated group) based on whether or not they had been isolated. Results: (1) Significantly lower scores were found for all factors in the isolated group; (2) COVID-19 burnout significantly negatively predicted resilience and significantly positively predicted psychological distress (anxiety, depression, and somatization symptoms), while resilience significantly negatively predicted psychological distress; and (3) Resilience mediated the relationship between COVID-19 burnout and psychological distress. Conclusion: Isolation is a risk factor for psychological distress related to COVID-19. Resilience can buffer psychological distress and help improve Chinese college students' wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Global spreading of Omicron variant of COVID-19.

Although two years have passed since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, various variants are still rampant across the globe. The Omicron variant, in particular, is rapidly gained dominance through its ability to spread. In this study, we elucidated the spatial distribution pattern of Omicron from a global perspective. We used the cumulative number of notified COVID-19 cases per country spanning four weeks up to February 10, 2022, and the proportion of the Omicron variant genomic sequences from the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID). The global spatial distribution of Omicron was investigated by analyzing Global & Local Moran's I and Getis- Ord General G. The spatial weight matrix was defined by combining K-Nearest neighbour and flight connectivity between countries. The results showed that the epidemic is relatively severe in Europe, countries with a high number of Omicron cases and incidence tended to be clustered spatially. In contrast, there are relatively fewer Omicron cases in Asia and Africa, with few hotspots identified. Furthermore, some noted spatial outliers, such as a lowvalue area surrounded by high-value areas, deserve special attention. This study has improved our awareness of the global distribution of Omicron. The findings can provide helpful information for deploying targeted epidemic preparedness for the subsequent COVID-19 variant and future epidemics.

Teaching explorations in medical immunology online education during COVID-19 pandemic

As a compulsory course for medical undergraduates, "Medical Immunology" is regarded with strong systematic and theoretical features. Under the circumstances of "classes suspended but learning continues" during COVID-19 pandemic, the teaching team of "Medical Immunology" has organized a team integrated with teachers of basic and clinical medicine, based on the similarities and differences of online and offline teaching. We mainly adopted with PPT recording mode, supplemented with MOOC online. Besides, the education of ideological and political elements has been merged to the course teaching and we evaluated the teaching efficiency by questionnaire investigation. This program which treats students as the center, is of great help to the future blended learning mode of medical immunology.