The Benefits and Costs of Using Social Distancing to Flatten the Curve for COVID-19

We examine the net benefits of social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19 in USA. Social distancing saves lives but imposes large costs on society due to reduced economic activity. We use epidemiological and economic forecasting to perform a rapid benefit–cost analysis of controlling the COVID-19 outbreak. Assuming that social distancing measures can substantially reduce contacts among individuals, we find net benefits of about $5.2 trillion in our benchmark case. We examine the magnitude of the critical parameters that might imply negative net benefits, including the value of statistical life and the discount rate. A key unknown factor is the speed of economic recovery with and without social distancing measures in place. A series of robustness checks also highlight the key role of the value of mortality risk reductions and discounting in the analysis and point to a need for effective economic stimulus when the outbreak has passed.

The effect of COVID-19 on students' mental health during quarantine and isolation

The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in a global public health and mental health disaster and a massive negative psychosocial experience for students. The counteractive measures are mainly on epidemiology, prevention, and management of the COVID-19 infection, with little attention on mental health. From this background, this study sought to assess the effect of COVID-19 on students ' mental health during quarantine and isolation. An exploratory qualitative research design was applied to determine how COVID-19 affected students' mental health during quarantine and isolation. Purposive sampling was used to obtain cases deemed rich in information to ensure that saturation was reached. Thus, 12 students participated in the study. Data was collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed using Tesch's method of data analysis. The trustworthiness of data was ensured through credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability. The study revealed that participants experienced behavioural changes during quarantine and isolation. Irregular sleeping patterns, difficulty in sleeping, and decreased appetite were the behavioural changes that the participants reported. The study also highlighted the coping techniques used by the participants during their quarantine and isolation periods. Religion and support from healthcare workers, family, and friends were some coping strategies that most participants believed to be beneficial. It is concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic poses an unprecedented threat to students ' mental health during quarantine and isolation.

Smallpox Immunization in Colonial America: All Too Relevant Today

Smallpox Immunization in Colonial America: All Too Relevant Today The Contagion of Liberty: The Politics of Smallpox in the American Revolution By Andrew Wehrman Baltimore, MD:Johns Hopkins Press;2022 Hardcover: 401 pp;$32.00 ISBN-10: 1-4214-4466-6 ISBN-13: 978-1-4214-4466-6

A PRESCRIPTION FOR CALAMITY: WHY THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR'S PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FALLS SHORT AS A SINGULAR SOLUTION TO THE U.S. OPIOID CRISIS

The purpose of this Note is to create a holistic solution for the U.S. Department of Labor to apply amidst the United States ongoing opioid crisis, which will serve to both prevent addiction before it can develop and treat existing cases of addiction. To this aim, this Note examines and analyzes the connections between the opioid crisis and another co-existing public health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the procurement procedures taken to resolve them. The argument is developed throughout three sections. First, this Note provides background information demonstrating the detrimental impact of opioid misuse and addiction, as well as the impact that COVID-19 in particular has had on rates of misuse and addiction in the United States. ally, this section introduces efforts taken to resolve the crisis, including the Department of Labors Pharmacy Benefit Management program, which is the subject of this Note. Second, this Note examines the Department of Labors Pharmacy Benefit Program, addressing the singularly preventative nature of the program, which fails to support a holistic solution. Additionally, this Note addresses concerns relating to the use of pharmacy benefit management services in general, particularly the cost-increasing nature of such mechanisms. In the final section, following an examination of the procurement procedure used to acquire COVID-19 vaccines, this Note proposes the application of a similar pharmaceutical procurement approach to combatting the opioid crisis. To conclude, this Note argues that by contracting with pharmaceutical companies to develop a safer and less addictive treatment plan, the Department of Labor would be able to prevent, as well as treat, opioid addiction.

Can bigger health budgets cushion pandemics? An empirical test of COVID-19 deaths across the world

How has public healthcare spending prepared countries for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic? Arguably, spending is the primary policy tool of governments for providing effective health. We argue that the effectiveness of spending for reducing COVID deaths is conditional on the existence of healthcare equity and lower political corruption because the health sector is particularly susceptible to political spending. Our results, obtained using ordinary least squares and two-stage least squares estimations, suggest that higher spending targeted at reducing inequitable access to health has reduced COVID deaths. Consistent with the findings of others, our results indirectly suggest that health spending is necessary, but not sufficient unless accompanied by good governance and equitable access. Equitable health systems ease the effects of COVID presumably because they allow states to reach and treat people more effectively. Spending aimed at increasing health system capacity by increasing access thus seems a sound strategy for fighting the spread of disease, ultimately benefiting us all.

Disputing Epidemics, Public Health, and Alternative Therapies in Latin American History

Villella reviews The Gray Zones of Medicine: Healers and History in Latin America edited by Diego Armus and Pablo F. Gomez, Compound Remedies: Galenic Pharmacy from the Ancient Mediterranean to New Spain by Paula S. De Vos and For All of Humanity: Mesoamerican and Colonial Medicine in Enlightenment Guatemala by Martha Few.

What management history can tell us about the postpandemic workplace, and other useful things?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to show that histories of how past crises were managed can help us anticipate how today's public health challenges will permanently change the workplace and at least some aspects of management practice.Design/methodology/approachThis paper reviews prominent public health histories and leadership responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors interpret these accounts of past crises to anticipate the long-lasting effects of the COVID pandemic. This also can be seen as a case study of how public health crises are managed and the effects of that management.FindingsIt is likely that several changes will come to the workplace, similar to transformations that happened after past pandemics. Technologies incorporating virtuality will see adoption accelerated. Health behaviors may change, especially in certain cultures or industries. The psychological contract between employees and management may increasingly emphasize autonomy as a prized attribute, again in some cultures more than others.Originality/valueIn looking at past pandemics and public health crises, and the way leaders reacted, one can learn about the potential for current health- and conflict-related events to unfold and alter workplace practices and norms.

#CoronaVirus and public health: the role of social media in sharing health information

Purpose> The purpose of this study is to examine how factual information and misinformation are being shared on Twitter by identifying types of social media users who initiate the information diffusion process.Design/methodology/approach> This study used a mixed methodology approach to analyze tweets with COVID-19-related hashtags. First, a social network analysis was conducted to identify social media users who initiate the information diffusion process, followed by a quantitative content analysis of tweets by users with more than 5K retweets to identify what COVID-19 claims, factual information, misinformation and disinformation was shared on Twitter.Findings> Results found very little misinformation and disinformation distributed widely. While health experts and journalists shared factual COVID-19-related information, they were not receiving optimum engagement. Tweets by citizens focusing on personal experience or opinions received more retweets and likes compared to any other sender type. Similarly, celebrities received more replies than any other sender type.Practical implications> This study helps medical experts and government agencies understand the type of COVID-19 content and communication being shared on social media for population health purposes.Originality/value> This study offers insight into how social media users engage with COVID-19-related information on Twitter and offers a typology of categories of information shared about the pandemic.Peer review> The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-03-2021-0143/.

Science, policy and resilience: reflections on the role of scientific advice to government during pandemic crisis response

Purpose>The SARS epidemic in 2003 and the COVID-19 pandemic had a disruptive impact on countries around the world and highlight the importance of using scientific evidence to inform policy decisions and priorities during crises. The purpose of this article is to reflect upon the term “following the science” and examines the differences between SARS in 2003 and COVID-19.Design/methodology/approach>This study is exploratory, adopts a qualitative approach and reflects on the synthesis of scientific evidence into advice informing government decisions on health interventions. Random sampling of the literature was used to avoid bias and was guided by the keywords.Findings>It considers preparedness activities and the need for these to be integral in the design of future planning. It argues that simulation exercises be intrinsically linked to all aspects of crisis management and provide the opportunity to use the scientific evidence base as part of preparedness planning. The article concludes that more transparency in the use of scientific advice in strategic decision-making would support building more resilience into health emergency preparedness through an integrated systems approach.Originality/value>This article contributes to the literature on the evaluation of the “following the science” approach and its implementation. It also contributes to the limited literature on simulation exercising to deal with health crises, like pandemics and identifies potential areas for further research or work on developing an integrated systems approach to pandemic preparedness.

Connecting the Dots: Public Health, Clinical, and Community Connections to Improve Contraception Access

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials Increasing Access to Contraception Learning Community project, conducted in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Reproductive Health, implemented a series of learning communities with 27 multidisciplinary teams (from 26 states and one territory) between 2014 and 2018 to improve access to the full range of contraceptive methods. The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, the National Association for County and City Health Officials, and the National Association of Community Health Workers will partner to build the community health workforce through collaboration with community-based organizations.8 In this next phase of "life with COVID," the expanded community workforce has an opportunity to pivot to addressing other public health priorities such as contraception access with trusted frontline workers in communities serving as a link between health and social services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, public health, clinical, and community organizations have been leading data collection activities to better understand the digital literacy and telehealth experiences of patients and providers and have been working closely with providers to expand services and the capacity of communities to deliver them.9 Examples include public health efforts to accomplish digital inclusion and telehealth equity assessments, the creation of "heat maps" identifying barriers and access points for unavailable specialty services,10 and training and employment of community members in places such as libraries as digital navigators to support telehealth services.11 Early in 2020, the Office of Population Affairs of the US Department of Health and Human Services authorized telehealth as an option for Title X family planning clinics across the country and announced $35 million in grants for the Title X program to support telehealth as a means of sustaining access to contraceptive health services.12 Including contraception access within such endeavors can enhance access to services, support clinical reach, and build capacity within communities.

Recent Key Efforts to Improve HIV-Related Intersectional Stigma and Discrimination Research

[...]In 2020 the NIH Office of AIDS Research and the National Institute of Mental Health, Division of AIDS Research developed and Implemented a deliberative process to actively engage researchers, community members, and government officials In a rigorous review of the concepts, theories, measurements, and Interventions that address HIV-related Intersectional stigma and discrimination. The co-occurring amplification of the COVID-19 pandemic and persistent racial Injustices further exposed the Intersecting effects that racism, economic disenfranchisement, gender Inequity, heterosexism, and other forms of systemic discrimination have on people belonging to multiple socially oppressed groups and the reality that people experiencing multiple forms of oppression suffer the greatest harms to their health. Genuine community-based participatory approaches respect the Innate knowledge ofthe community with its inherent strengths and assets while engaging community members as partners to Inform the entire research process-from framing the research questions to designing, conducting, analyzing, and Interpreting findings- which benefits from research and community perspectives.

COVID-19 Vaccination: A Public and Private Partnership

This study evaluates the COVID-19 environment as well as the healthcare infrastructure necessary to provide timely immunization to the American public during a pandemic. The study will propose a public and private partnership for hospital and healthcare organizations comprised of government hospitals, not for profit hospitals and for-profit healthcare organizations to maximize vaccination efforts. Data was obtained from the 2019 American Hospital Association (AHA) annual survey. This data file provides essential information on individual United States hospitals in support of the communities they serve. The AHA data were evaluated to identify hospitals with the appropriate infrastructure to treat the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, other data bases were used to identify population demographics to develop national, state and local plans to provide COVID-19 vaccinations in local communities (AHA, 2019). The data show that the federal government operates 208 acute care hospitals and the Veterans Administration (VA) and Department of Defense (DOD) operate another thousand clinics. At the state level, there are 1,283 non-federal government hospitals and 2,800 local public health departments available to provide immunizations during a pandemic. These federal and state healthcare facilities, augmented by state National Guard medical personnel can provide the foundation upon which to build a robust vaccination plan during a pandemic. In support of a public and private partnership, there are 3,126 not for profit hospitals representing 75% of US hospitals, which have a responsibility to provide local communities with healthcare services. Additionally, there are another 1,162 for profit US hospitals operating within local communities. The American Hospital Association data show that many of these hospitals are larger and are located in metropolitan areas which have the greatest need for COVID-19 vaccinations. In rural communities there are 1,350 Critical Access Hospitals which can support vaccinations in rural America. The study has managerial implications associated with local planning for COVID-19 vaccinations and policy implications for future vaccine planning during a pandemic.

Introduction to Volume 16 Issue 2

[...]the authors conducted group interviews with caregivers of the adults with l/DD. [...]in this section, Norah Sinclair, Sheryl Ballenger, and Maureen Linden's article, Inclusive Design Thinking for Health Messaging in American Sign Language during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study Brief, provides a case study highlighting an inclusive design thinking framework that supported the development of accessible, culturally relevant COVID-19 materials for ASL speakers. [...]it identified additional gaps in COVID-19 information (e.g., adaptations to face masks for people with various disabilities), conducted a webinar series on these topics, and engaged in extensive dissemination of the products produced. [...]Johan Rempel discusses The Importance of Braille During a Pandemic and Beyond.

Minimizing the Complexity of Public Health Documents: Making COVID-19 Documents Accessible to Individuals Who Read Below the Third-Grade Level

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a trusted source for public health information, but people must be able to access and understand that information for it to be used. The CDC and the CDC Foundation recognized the need to ensure that its guidance documents related to COVID-19 were accessible to the full range of individuals with disabilities, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities who read or listen with comprehension at or below the third-grade level. In response to this need, they contracted with the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies (CLDS), Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation, Georgia Institute of Technology, to create easy to read versions of a collection of guidance documents related to COVID-19. The CLDS began the process by seeking existing guidelines or research to support the creation of these documents. When no such information was located, the CLDS conducted a systematic review of the literature and developed the Minimized Text Complexity Guidelines. The outcomes and benefit of this work include improved access to critical information regarding COVID-19 for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as other adults who read and listen with comprehension below a third-grade level.

Non-Traditional Security and China-US Relations

This essay discusses setbacks to societal level of interactions between the United States and China resulting from the Trump administration's turn to comprehensive confrontation. Bilateral cooperation in areas like public health, technology trade and development, law enforcement, and trade in food and energy has been severely curtailed. Future efforts to repair damage to bilateral relations will have to begin with these and related areas that indisputably have a direct impact on individual welfare in the two societies.

The Rise and Fall of the US-China Health Relationship

US-China health cooperation reaches back to the signing of the bilateral Science and Technology Umbrella Agreement, their first agreement after normalization of diplomatic relations in 1979. Bilateral cooperation has shaped the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) and produced some of the world's finest epidemiological research over the last thirty years. US-China research and technical cooperation has covered the full range of health-related topics, with no area given more attention than research and technical cooperation on emerging infectious diseases. In the wake of the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the United States ramped up the staff presence of its Center for Disease Control (CDC) in China. Although this changed in the Obama years, as China's epidemiological capacity developed rapidly, the dramatic shift occurred with the Trump administration, whose cuts, just as COVID-19 arose as the largest epidemiological threat to the world in a century, left only a skeleton staff in place, and the US government without eyes and ears on the ground. Nonetheless, there is a reservoir of mutual respect and willingness to cooperate among the health professionals in both countries. If there is political will, this could become the foundation for a next-phase bilateral health relationship.

Improving National Public Health Data Collection as an Act of Antiracism

In their study, Aliseda-Alonso et al. compared publicly available surveillance data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)to data on COVID-19 cases and deaths from state and territorial governmental sources;they found that the CDC consistently underreports the cases and deaths of Blacks and Latinos as well as people younger than 65 years. Standardizing data collection and reporting is necessary, but not sufficient, for interoperability-the ability of the US health system's many sectors to easily exchange information to benefit clinical, public health, and research efforts. A wide variety of data sources will be required, including, but not limited to, public health surveillance data, clinical data from public and private health systems, death certificates, claims, and administrative and survey data. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has created an Interoperability Standards Advisory process to provide information regarding standards needed for interoperability, although without the authority to require implementation or adoption.7 In a 2020 report, interoperability between health systems in the United States was reported to be improving, albeit slowly;it is concentrated in cities, is highly variable, and is associated with health system size.8 In Iran, Shanbehzadeh et al. consulted the literature and convened experts to create a COVID-19 minimum data set and interoperable reporting framework to support their nation's public health pandemic response.9 Following the implementation of a standardized, interoperable data collection system, states must be held accountable for data reporting.

A Rights-Based Approach to Youth Inclusion in Public Health Policy

YOUTHS' RIGHT TO HEALTH-AFFIRMING SOCIAL CONTEXTS People are embedded within neighborhoods, communities, political atmospheres, and economic systems;these contexts determine living conditions such as access to quality education, employment with living wages, adequate and appropriate health care, affordable healthy food and physical recreation, and community support. Yet youths have inherent rights to health, enumerated by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.2 Among these are the rights to "the highest attainable standard of health" (Article 24), and to "a standard of living adequate for the child's physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development" (Article 27). SOCIETY'S NEED FOR POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT Aligned with the social determinants of health framework, which situates individuals' health outcomes within social contexts, PYD regards human development as a product of youths' internal assets functioning in tandem with their environmental resources and supports.4 As a strengths-based perspective, PYD maintains that all youths have internal and external assets that make their individual development and their contributions to society unique.5 Aligned with the UN Convention on the Rights ofthe Child, PYD insists that society is responsible for fostering environments where youths have the resources they need to thrive and, importantly, for involving youths as partners in shaping their world, as contribution is both a means and an end to PYD.5 Although favorable environmental contexts are essential for positive development, Yeager identifies four internal drives that help youths develop through adolescence5: (1) to stand out: o develop a personal identity;(2) to fit in: to develop a sense of connectedness;(3) to measure up: to develop competence and find ways to achieve;and (4) to take hold: to make commitments to particular goals, activities, and beliefs. "10 In response, Maine's Department of Health and Human Services announced the establishment of the Office of Population Health Equity (OPHE) within the Maine Center for Disease Control (MCDC) to collaborate within and beyond the MCDC to achieve health justice.11 The MCDC prioritizes youth participation through its funding to the Maine Youth Action Network (MYAN), which is composed of community-based, PYDguided programs that engage youths on issues of public health education, research, and policy.

Not in Our Name: The Disingenuous Use of "Public Health" as Justification for Title 42 Expulsions in the Era of the Migrant Protection Protocols

Sadly, Celina's experience at the US border is not uncommon, although her ultimate admission to the United States is rare indeed. Because ofthe confluence of MPP and the 2020 invocation of 42 US Code 265 (hereafter "Title 42"), an obscure public health policy last updated in 1944, more than a million expulsions of migrants and asylum seekers occurred at the US border in fiscal year 2021 alone, contrary to international law.1 POLICY BACKGROUND The policy known today as Title 42 originated in a 1944 law called the Public Health Service Act, which (among other things) granted the federal government quarantine powers and the power to prevent the introduction of disease at the border. Robert Redfield, then director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), determined that introduction into congregate settings of persons from Canada or Mexico would increase the already serious danger to the public health of the United States to the point of requiring a temporary suspension of the introduction of covered aliens into the United States.3 The same order also noted the logistical challenges of preventing the transmission ofCOVID-19 at the border: Widespread, compulsory federal quarantines or isolations of such persons pending test results are impracticable due to the numbers of persons involved, logistical challenges, and CDC resource and personnel constraints.3 Although the US government did not have access to vaccines or rapid tests in March 2020, they need not have adopted such an extreme policy to protect the public's health. Given the barriers to effective implementation of PPE [personal protective equipment] and administrative controls to prevent the spread of [COVID-19] in immigration detention centers, an evidence-based public health approach suggests . . . the release of detainees from immigration detention centers, as this strategy will reduce the likelihood of person-to-person infection and enhance the possibility of engaging in meaningful social distancing and hygienic practices as directed by the CDC.4(p112) That the US government invoked Title 42 for those coming through land borders but instituted only temporary travel bans for other international travelers and did not institute interstate travel bans underscores how unnecessary these extreme measures truly were, even in the early days of COVID-19.5 In addition to the challenges posed by the use of Title 42 to prevent the entry of asylum seekers during COVID-19, MPP-often referred to as the Remain in Mexico program- creates additional barriers for migrants seeking to enter the United States.