An agent-based model of COVID-19 dynamics during enhanced community quarantine: Exploring the role of food relief system in the presence of two SARS-CoV-2 variants

Introduction: The onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic alerted the Philippine government to impose the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) as a means to hamper human mobility and interaction and eventually diminish transmission. Due to severe limitations in accessibility to basic needs due to ECQ, the government devised amelioration programs. A year after the declaration of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, variants of concern were detected locally. Consequently, there is a necessity to prepare reinstatement of strict non-pharmaceutical interventions while meeting the food-related basic needs of the population. Studies related to food distribution during a strict community quarantine have been lacking. The importance of allocating provisions during extreme pandemic measures should be properly analyzed, especially when attempts had been made by local government units. Methods: This study devised an agent-based model (ABM) to observe the effects of the food relief system in mitigating the disease during Davao City ECQ when two variants are present in two adjacent villages. These relief distribution types are as follows: "regular and sufficient,” "regular but insufficient,” and "irregular” relief type. In total, three barangay scenarios were considered. Results and discussion: For the worst-case scenario, wherein a lot of infections are anticipated, the results show that the "irregular” relief type peaked at the highest number of cases, while the "regular and sufficient” relief type showed little to almost no new cases. The compromise-case scenario showed almost no difference between "regular but insufficient” and "regular and sufficient.” For the best-case scenario, the three relief types showed low average infected cases with almost small variance. The model was then compared, situationally, with Davao City barangays during ECQ and recommended which food relief type applies to the barangays. This could serve as a baseline on how food reliefs could be optimally distributed in cases where barangay conditions differently affect and transmit the SARS-CoV-2 virus of different variants with varying transmission rates within a community. Further development of the model should potentially be useful for decision support not only during pandemics but also in contexts where resource allocation to a community is involved. Copyright © 2023 Yap, Lachica, Paras, Panogalinog, Tubay and Mata.

A Foucauldian discourse analysis of president Duterte's constructions of community quarantine during COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) first hit the Philippines in January 2020 and by March, more suspected cases were reported, compelling the national government to create measures to secure public health and fight the pandemic. In order to mitigate the spread of the virus, a community quarantine in the Philippine's National Capital Region began on March 15, 2020. This study utilized Foucauldian Discourse Analysis in understanding President Rodrigo Roa–Duterte's discourses about community quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. Two of his press conferences served as texts for discourse analysis: (1) on March 12, 2020 when he announced measures against COVID-19 threat, and (2) on March 16, 2020 when enhanced community quarantine was imposed. Results showed four wider discourses: (1) Community Quarantine as a Political Device, (2) Community Quarantine as a Protection of Public Health, (3) Community Quarantine as an Act against Resistance, and (4) Community Quarantine as an Opportunity for Bayanihan (spirit of Communal Unity) and an Expression of Damayan (Giving Compassion and Support). Results showed how the discourses transitioned from community quarantine to enhanced community quarantine. The results are discussed in relation to power and social change. © 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Socioeconomic and Political Dimensions of Covid-19 Dispersion

This study aims to provide an understanding of how certain factors lead to the formation of clusters of areas of COVID-19 dispersion to guide policy decisions and government actions. It utilized an ecological study design that analyzes data at the population or group level. The units of observation are the barangays in Cebu City. These barangays are the nodes in the network and the edge considered is the presence of areas of convergence. In order to identify the nodes for this study, data mining was done to get the number of reported COVID-19 cases in Cebu City from the Cebu City Health Office as of May23, 2020. Only thirty-nine (39) barangays with COVID-19 cases were included in the study. Results revealed that although public and private transportation is controlled during the implementation of Enhanced Community Quarantine, it is assumed that the spread started prior to the implementation of strict prohibitions which led to the rise of cases later on. Even at the time of the strict community quarantine restrictions, economic activities related to basic necessities were still allowed. For instance, public markets were open with prohibitions related to schedules only. This implies that people are still mobile at certain times despite the presence of restrictions. People still converge in areas where economic activities are present.

Education sector risk assessment in the time of pandemic

The study explored school teachers, school administrators, and staff exposure to the COVID-19 virus in the workplace, the risk reduction practices of their organizations, organization response to those workers who were found positive of Coronavirus, and lastly the respondents’ suggestions to help their organization protect their employees. The study used a researcher-made risk assessment questionnaire, through Google Forms. The questionnaire was used in 25 selected respondent schools in the Philippines. The study revealed that the majority of the respondents were adopting the work from home, the rest of the respondents are reporting to school 1 up to 6 days a week. There are three major categories in handling the COVID-19 positive person such as implementation of health protocols, support to dimension of wellness, quick and immediate response. Moreover, the top three suggestions of the respondents are: i) Embrace new normal (appointments, enrolment, admission, and other transactions should be online);ii) Regularly provide vitamins, health kits, face masks, face shields, alcohol, and other medical supplies;iii) Provide training and webinars on health, safety training, mental health awareness, and online teaching. © 2022, Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science. All rights reserved.

Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Health States of University Students During the First Wave of COVID-19 Community Quarantine in the Philippines

This study examined the impact of the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic community quarantine on university students’ physical activity (PA) levels, sedentary behaviors, and health states in the Philippines. A total of 1,042 university students completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) short version and rated their health states using an online survey. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient were used for statistical analyses to compare changes in PA and sedentary behaviors (prior to and during COVID-19) and determine the relationship between changes in the total volume of PA and various health states of male and female students respectively. Overall, the total PA of students significantly declined during COVID-19 compared to before the pandemic. Total PA of male students did not significantly change during COVID-19 but did for females. Female students’ sitting time significantly reduced during weekdays. Changes in PA was associated with different aspects of health, particularly for female students, during the COVID-19 community quarantine. The finding extends the literature about the impact of COVID-19 on students’ PA and health and underscores the importance of PA as a way in alleviating negative perceptions related to health in university students despite the implemented community quarantine regulations. Copyright © 2022 Cruz, Cando and Kim.

A Foucauldian discourse analysis of president Duterte’s constructions of community quarantine during COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) first hit the Philippines in January 2020 and by March, more suspected cases were reported, compelling the national government to create measures to secure public health and fight the pandemic. In order to mitigate the spread of the virus, a community quarantine in the Philippine’s National Capital Region began on March 15, 2020. This study utilized Foucauldian Discourse Analysis in understanding President Rodrigo Roa–Duterte’s discourses about community quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. Two of his press conferences served as texts for discourse analysis: (1) on March 12, 2020 when he announced measures against COVID-19 threat, and (2) on March 16, 2020 when enhanced community quarantine was imposed. Results showed four wider discourses: (1) Community Quarantine as a Political Device, (2) Community Quarantine as a Protection of Public Health, (3) Community Quarantine as an Act against Resistance, and (4) Community Quarantine as an Opportunity for Bayanihan (spirit of Communal Unity) and an Expression of Damayan (Giving Compassion and Support). Results showed how the discourses transitioned from community quarantine to enhanced community quarantine. The results are discussed in relation to power and social change. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Constructivist Psychology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd 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 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 . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Impact of shelter-in-place orders on TB case notifications and mortality in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Policies implemented to slow transmission of COVID-19 are expected to have disrupted delivery of routine health services, including tuberculosis (TB) care. METHODS: We analyzed daily counts of drug-susceptible (DS)-TB case notifications from all health facilities affiliated with the Philippines National TB Program (NTP) before and after implementation of community quarantine (January 1-December 31, 2020). Using an interrupted time series design, we assessed the immediate and sustained effects of community quarantine on TB case reporting. Using 2019 WHO estimates of national TB incidence, treatment, and mortality rates for the Philippines, we modeled excess mortality from TB, assuming a national decline in TB case reporting were extended for 12 months, followed by a return to pre-community quarantine trends. RESULTS: The analysis included 192,918 DS-TB case notifications from 2,986 facilities located in 113 provinces and highly urbanized cities across 17 regions and covered 49 observations days before and 174 days after community quarantine implementation. We found an significant drop and steeper decline in daily TB case notifications after the implementation of community quarantine, resulting in 44.6% (95% CI 38.3-50.1) fewer daily TB case notifications 60 days after implementation of community quarantine. During 2020, DS-TB case notifications never returned to pre-quarantine levels. Assuming a 12-month disruption of TB case reporting, we estimate there will be 56.3% increase in TB-related deaths in the Philippines. CONCLUSION: Modified delivery of TB prevention and care should be prioritized alongside efforts to combat COVID-19.

Psychological distress among Greater Jakarta area residents during the COVID-19 pandemic and community containment.

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging pandemic affecting the global population. Community-based quarantine can slow down the pandemic growth while adversely affecting population-wide psychological well-being. Affected psychological well-being could potentially influence population compliance in following stipulated community quarantine procedures. AIM: The aim was to quantify psychological distress among Greater Jakarta area residents during the community containment period. OBJECTIVES: The objective was to measure depression, anxiety, and stress levels using the Indonesian version of the DASS-21. Demographic data on sex, education strata, and working/productive-age group were also collected. METHODS: This cross-sectional observational analytic study employed an online questionnaire involving participants acquired through snowball sampling. The questionnaire comprises two parts: demographic data and psychological distress indicators. Linear regression evaluated psychological distress as a response variable. RESULTS: Among 1,205 women and 824 men, our findings suggested male sex, age in the range of 15-24 years, and having a bachelor's degree or professional qualification have a strong association with psychological distress. CONCLUSION: By addressing the population at risk, policymakers can identify better countermeasures for preventing psychological distress.

Community quarantine strategy against coronavirus disease 2019 in Anhui: An evaluation based on trauma center patients.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to introduce community quarantine strategy against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Anhui and evaluate the effectiveness of community quarantine based on trauma center (TC) patients. METHOD: The structure of community quarantine strategy was illustrated. Distribution of injuries among patients in two TCs between January 24, 2020 and February 24, 2020 was described. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the correlation between the distribution of Injuries in TCs and the number of COVID-19-associated cases. RESULTS: A total of 757 TC patients in the two hospitals were enrolled. The number of traffic injuries and outdoor injuries showed a significant decrease in the early stage and began to increase on February 17. The number of indoor injuries neither decreased nor increased. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed a significant correlation between COVID-19-associated cases and traffic and outdoor injuries. CONCLUSION: From the perspective of the injuries in TCs, community quarantine strategy was effectively implemented and significantly slowed the outbreak of COVID-19 in Anhui. However, the implementation and maintenance of the strategy is costly and requires the participation of the entire population.