The impact of COVID-19 prevention and control measures on residential burglary hotspots: A case study of the core urban areas of Beijing

In order to analyze the impact of COVID-19 prevention and control measures on the hotspots of residential burglary, the data of crimes that occurred during the First Level Response period of Major Public Health Emergencies in Beijing in 2020 and the same period in 2019 were collected, and the changes of hotspots during the two periods were compared by using kernel density estimation and predictive accuracy index. Consequently, the environmental features such as street network, point of interest (POI) diversity, crime locations, and repeat victimization in significantly varied hotspot areas were investigated. The results show that: 1) After the outbreak of the pandemic, the occurrence of residential burglary in the core urban areas of Beijing dropped significantly, and daily occurrence of crimes during the First Level Response period in 2020 decreased by 66.8% compared with the same days in 2019. 2) The eight major hotspots that existed in 2019 apparently declined during the corresponding days in 2020, five of them basically disappeared, and three hotspots weakened. 3) The declined hotspots were generally clustered around traffic hubs, areas with high diversity of POIs, clustered crimes, and repeat victimizations. 4) Home isolation and social restriction strategies implemented during the First Level Response period reduced the opportunities of offenders, and the real-name inspection adopted in public places increased the exposure risk of offenders, which are the main reasons for the hotspots decline during the pandemic. This work has some implications for crime prevention and police resources optimization during the pandemic. © 2023, Editorial office of PROGRESS IN GEOGRAPHY. All rights reserved.

Analyzing the research trends of COVID-19 using topic modeling approach

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has impacted 222 countries across the globe, with millions of people losing their lives. The threat from the virus may be assessed from the fact that most countries across the world have been forced to order partial or complete shutdown of their economies for a period of time to contain the spread of the virus. The fallout of this action manifested in loss of livelihood, migration of the labor force and severe impact on mental health due to the long duration of confinement to homes or residences.Design/methodology/approachThe current study identifies the focus areas of the research conducted on the COVID-19 pandemic. s of papers on the subject were collated from the SCOPUS database for the period December 2019 to June 2020. The collected sample data (after preprocessing) was analyzed using Topic Modeling with Latent Dirichlet Allocation.FindingsBased on the research papers published within the mentioned timeframe, the study identifies the 10 most prominent topics that formed the area of interest for the COVID-19 pandemic research.Originality/valueWhile similar studies exist, no other work has used topic modeling to comprehensively analyze the COVID-19 literature by considering diverse fields and domains.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and working conditions of nurses and its implications for policies: a cross-sectional study in Slovakia.

BACKGROUND: Increased workload and of the health workforce (HW) strained the capacity to maintain essential health services (EHS) during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, while putting them at increased risk of COVID-19 and other consequences to their health. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the health, wellbeing, and working conditions of nurses in Slovakia and to identify gaps in policies to be addressed to increase preparedness of the HW for future emergencies. METHODS: A nation-wide cross-sectional study was conducted among nurses during November-December 2021, referring to the period of January 2021 to November 2021. To assess the differences between impact on HW on various levels of care, respondents were grouped by type of facility: hospital-COVID-19 wards; Hospital-non-covid ward; Outpatient or ER; Other care facilities. RESULTS: 1170 nurses participated, about 1/3 of them tested positive for COVID-19 by November 2021, mostly developing mild disease. Almost 2/3 reported long-covid symptoms and about 13% reported that they do not plan to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The median of the score of the impact of workload on health was 2.8 (56% of the maximum 5), the median score of mental health-wellbeing was 1.9 (63% of a maximum of 3). The studied impacts in all domains were highest in nurses working in COVID-19 hospital wards. Significant disruptions of health care were reported, with relatively high use of telemedicine to mitigate them. Overall, about 70% of the respondents thought of leaving their job, mostly due to working stress or inadequate pay. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic poses a substantial burden on the health, wellbeing and working conditions of nurses in Slovakia and that a large proportion of nurses considered leaving their jobs because of work overload or low salaries. Human resource strategies should be adopted to attract, retain and continuously invest in HW development including in emergency preparedness and response. Such an approach may improve the resilience and preparedness of the health system in Slovakia for future emergencies.

Machine learning model to predict vehicle electrification impacts on urban air quality and related human health effects.

Air pollution is a prevailing environmental problem in cities worldwide. The future vehicle electrification (VE), which in Europe will be importantly fostered by the ban of thermal engines from 2035, is expected to have an important effect on urban air quality. Machine learning models represent an optimal tool for predicting changes in air pollutants concentrations in the context of future VE. For the city of Valencia (Spain), a XGBoost (eXtreme Gradient Boosting package) model was used in combination with SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) analysis, both to investigate the importance of different factors explaining air pollution concentrations and predicting the effect of different levels of VE. The model was trained with 5 years of data including the COVID-19 lockdown period in 2020, in which mobility was strongly reduced resulting in unprecedent changes in air pollution concentrations. The interannual meteorological variability of 10 years was also considered in the analyses. For a 70% VE, the model predicted: 1) improvements in nitrogen dioxide pollution (-34% to -55% change in annual mean concentrations, for the different air quality stations), 2) a very limited effect on particulate matter concentrations (-1 to -4% change in annual means of PM2.5 and PM10), 3) heterogeneous responses in ground-level ozone concentrations (-2% to +12% change in the annual means of the daily maximum 8-h average concentrations). Even at a high VE increase of 70%, the 2021 World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines will be exceeded for all pollutants in some stations. VE has a potentially important impact in terms of reducing NO2-associated premature mortality, but complementary strategies for reducing traffic and controlling all different air pollution sources should also be implemented to protect human health.

Advancing the prevention and control of zoonoses supported by One Health approach.

With the acceleration of globalization, the sustained increase of mobility, the intensification of global warming and environmental changes, the transmission of diseases has become more diverse. In recent years, the corona virus disease 2019(COVID-19) has caused huge economic losses and social unrest around the world. A single-discipline has been unable to solve such complex public health problems effectively. The proposal and development of the One Health approach is closely related to the issues on veterinary medicine and zoonoses. One Health focuses on intradisciplinary, multi-sectoral, and cross-fields collaboration at three levels, including local, regional and global levels, to explore the humans-animals-environment interface complexity. In this review, the development process of One Health approach was introduced. The relationship between the One Health and zoonoses, the role of the One Health in the prevention and control of zoonoses, and how to effectively implement the One Health approach in the real world were explored, providing references for research on zoonoses prevention and control, anti-microbial resistance, food safety, and the impact of climate change on health.Copyright © 2022, National Institute of Parasitic Diseases. All rights reserved.

Key Levers to Reform Non-Motorized Transport: Lessons From the COVID-19 Pandemic

The objective of this research was to understand key levers that enabled city, regional, and national governments to improve non-motorized transport (NMT) infrastructure during the lockdowns necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The research focused primarily on cycling and adopted a case study approach focusing on three cities: Bengaluru (India), Bogota (Colombia), and London (UK). The selected cities were chosen for diversity across geographies, country income levels, and the scale of interventions. Eight key levers were identified to understand how cycling interventions can be supported, implemented, sustained, and scaled up. These included institutional and organizational arrangements;technical capacity;financing;leadership;policy and regulatory framework;plans, strategies, and technical resources;role of civil society;and communications, messaging, and outreach. The research used secondary literature reviews and key informant interviews, which were validated through an online round table. Research revealed that certain levers were necessary in initiating and continuing successful NMT interventions. These included supportive leadership, participative civil society, and adequate financial and technical capacity. Communications and outreach helped bring behavioral change amongst residents while a coordinated institutional framework and plans and strategies were necessary to sustain momentum. This research contributes to urban mobility and public administration literature in understanding processes and enablers of sustainable mobility interventions. It is relevant for cities in low-and middle-income countries beginning to focus on NMT interventions to combat climate change and public health challenges. © National Academy of Sciences: Transportation Research Board 2021.

Health and financial impacts of COVID-19 and the relationship on the mental well-being of adults in eight English speaking countries in 2020

The extent to which the pandemic impacted human life has been repeatedly highlighted in various scientific literature. COVID-19 reminded all that human well-being as related to mental health is not just about the clinical diagnosis of mental disorders. Mental well-being encompasses Mood and Outlook, Drive and Motivation, Social Self, Mind-Body connection, Core Cognition, and Complex Cognition. Mental well-being is neither mere life satisfaction nor happiness. It is beneficial to examine how COVID-19 is related to individuals' feelings about handling life challenges. The aim of this quantitative correlational study was to measure COVID-19 related health and financial impacts on individuals and to calculate if there were associated effects on any of the person's six different domains of mental well-being using a retrospective, non-experimental correlational study design. Data collected by Sapien Labs, Inc, from over 45,000 Mental Health Million Project participants in 2020, from age 18 through 85+ across eight English-speaking countries was used. Descriptive, bivariate, and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine hypothesized COVID-19 health and finance relationships on the six domains of mental health well-being while controlling for covariates. The results of this study showed significant positive correlations between COVID-19 health or finance adversities and the six domains of mental well-being. The linear regression model between COVID-19 health adversities and overall mental-wellbeing were statistically significant, F(74,9937) = 6.97, p < .001, R2 = .05, CI = 95%. The linear regression model between COVID-19 finance adversities and overall mental-wellbeing were statistically significant, F(72,9939) = 7.20, p < .001, R2 = .05, CI = 95%. The results indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic might not have affected mental health globally, as much as reported in the media. Subsequently, the outcome of this study will aid effective management of mental well-being as related to similar disease outbreaks in the future. This study remained an essential first step in measuring how the objective indicators of mental well-being in the human feeling context are related to individual direct life experiences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

[Impact of COVID-19 on mortality in Peru using triangulation of multiple data sourcesImpacto da COVID-19 na mortalidade no Peru por meio da triangulação de várias fontes de dados]. / Impacto de la COVID-19 en la mortalidad en Perú mediante la triangulación de múltiples fuentes de datos.

An analytic cross-sectional study was conducted to quantify the impact of COVID-19 on mortality in Peru. Total excess mortality due to natural and external causes was calculated. The direct and indirect impact of COVID-19 was estimated at two points: when COVID-19 deaths were confirmed by a laboratory test and when they were confirmed by broader criteria (reclassified deaths). This comparison was made in general and by sex, age, and geographical location. The sensitivity of laboratory testing and of death certificates as criteria for confirmation of a COVID-19 death was calculated using reclassified deaths as the gold standard.From epidemiological week (EW) 10 of 2020 to EW 23 of 2021, 349 756 deaths occurred, for an excess of 183 237 deaths, mainly due to natural causes. A total of 100 955 deaths corresponded to deaths confirmed by laboratory tests; however, the reclassification criterion brought this figure to 188 708. Laboratory tests had 53.3% sensitivity; this was lower at the onset of the pandemic (10.6%) and during the first wave (37.8%). The sensitivity of death certificates was higher than laboratory tests (41.7% vs 23.9%) only during the months when little testing was available. These data showed that the impact of COVID-19 on mortality in Peru was mainly direct. Also, in periods with limited access to laboratory testing, death certificates were a useful source for determining deaths directly caused by COVID-19.

Um estudo transversal analítico foi realizado com o objetivo de quantificar o impacto da COVID-19 na mortalidade no Peru. Foi calculada a sobremortalidade total, por causas naturais e externas. O impacto direto e indireto da COVID-19 foi estimado em dois momentos: quando as mortes por COVID-19 foram confirmadas por teste laboratorial e quando foram confirmadas por critérios mais amplos (óbitos reclassificados). Essa comparação foi feita na população geral, por sexo, idade e geografia. Calculou-se a sensibilidade dos critérios laboratoriais e dos atestados de óbito para a confirmação de morte por COVID-19, utilizando os óbitos reclassificados como padrão-ouro.Da semana epidemiológica 10 de 2020 até a 23 de 2021, ocorreram 349.756 óbitos, o que configura um excesso de 183.237 óbitos, principalmente por causas naturais. Considerando os óbitos confirmados por exames laboratoriais, foram encontrados 100.955 óbitos; no entanto, com os critérios de reclassificação, esse número subiu para 188.708. Os exames laboratoriais tiveram uma sensibilidade de 53,3%, sendo menor no início da pandemia (10,6%) e durante a primeira onda (37,8%). A sensibilidade do atestado de óbito foi maior que a do exame laboratorial (41,7% vs 23,9%) apenas nos meses de baixa disponibilidade de exames. Esses dados evidenciaram que, no Peru, o impacto da COVID-19 na mortalidade foi principalmente direto. Além disso, em períodos com acesso limitado a exames laboratoriais, as declarações de óbito foram uma fonte de informação útil para determinar as mortes causadas diretamente pela COVID-19.

Perceived Health Impacts, Sources of Information and Individual Actions to Address Air Quality in Two Cities in Nigeria

Poor air quality (PAQ) has serious effects on the environment, climate change, and human health. This study investigated the perceived health impacts of PAQ in two cities in Nigeria (Abuja and Enugu), including whether PAQ may have an interaction with COVID-19 infection and intensity. A recent report published in the Lancet has pointed to the complexity of the health care system in Nigeria and a lack of data on disease burden, so the research in this paper took a self-reporting (perceptual) approach to exploring the health impacts of PAQ. The research also sought to explore the main sources of information used by people to inform them about air quality (AQ) and the actions they are likely to take to address PAQ. The results imply that many of the respondents in the two cities perceived their health to be adversely affected by PAQ and that PAQ worsens both the chances of infection and the intensity of COVID-19. Unsurprisingly, older people were found to be more vulnerable to the health impacts of PAQ. Most respondents, especially younger ones, obtained their information on AQ via electronic media (internet, social media) rather than printed media. Respondents considered that the primary action to address PAQ is proper waste management. Paying the government to address PAQ was regarded as the least likely action, although the government was acknowledged as having a key responsibility. © 2023 by the authors.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Mental Health Problems among Essential and Nonessential Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic, June 2021, in an Unstable and Developing Country: A Cross-Sectional Study

The two main goals of this research were to assess workers' mental health (anxiety, depression, and job burnout syndrome) and examine factors related to mental health burdens in two groups of workers. The study was conducted as an online cross-sectional study. The target population consists of workers in essential activities who worked during the pandemic (health, defense, trade, finance, and media), as well as a group of workers who were particularly impacted by the protection measures and either worked under a different regime or were unable to work (caterers, musicians). A questionnaire was constructed for the needs of this research and the scales for anxiety, depression, and burnout syndrome were used. In total, 42.2% of non-essential workers and 39.5% of essential workers reported anxiety symptoms, circa 20% of non-essential activity workers and essential activity workers reported depression, and 28.9% of non-essential activity workers and 33.7% of essential activity workers reported burnout. A significant association has been found between certain sociodemographic and health characteristics of respondents, as well as financial stress (worry about losing a job), social stress, media stress, and respondents' trust in competent authorities and COVID-19 prevention measures, and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and burnout syndrome. The findings of this study pointed to mental health issues in other activities and highlighted the need for and importance of examining mental health in the population of non-essential activities. It is indicative of significant points that can be investigated in the future for prevention. © 2023 by the authors.

Assessing the impact of an urgent dental care centre on the oral health-related quality of life of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: An urgent dental care centre (UDCC) was set up at Queen Mary's Hospital in Sidcup, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside the reporting of clinical outcomes, it is important to determine the success of a service from a patient's perspective. The aim of this study was to ascertain patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) and patient reported experienced measures (PREMs) of our service. Method(s): The Oral Health Impact Profile 14 (OHIP-14) tool was used to assess the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) of patients, and completed before and after attending our UDCC for treatment. Patients were also asked to complete a patient satisfaction questionnaire. Result(s): 146 patients were recruited for our study, with 95 patients completing the OHIP-14 questionnaires pre- and post intervention at our UDCC and 136 patients completing a patient satisfaction questionnaire. A statistically significant reduction in OHIP score when comparing pre- and post-intervention was found across all OHIP-14 domains. The mean positive response rate (strongly agree or agree) for the patient satisfaction questionnaire was 97.1%. Conclusion(s): A significant improvement in OHRQoL was found after treatment at our UDCC, with the majority of patients reporting a positive experience. We conclude that PROMs and PREMs are vital tools to assess service efficacy, help with the planning of service provision and should remain at the forefront even during a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.Copyright © 2021

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri-Jan Arogya Yojana And Its Crucial Impact On Human Health During The Time Of Covid-19 In India

Covid-19-a heinous event that had left an eternally unforgettable scar of troubles, setbacks and distress on the entire human population across the globe. No country could evade from the unfavorable consequences of it. All countries across the world found themselves engulfed in the hands of Covid-19. It had taken a serious toll on the healthcare system of every country across the world. In the context of India, which is a nation with a poor coverage of public healthcare facilities and annually 3.2% Indians falling below poverty line, made the country and its population the most vulnerable. During that time, the biggest question arose was the survival of the marginalized and disadvantaged section of the society. However, fortunately a tiny hope of survival for the population of India was ensured and extended by the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). Thus, the authors of this research paper have attempted to figure out and critically examine the role played by AB PM-JAY in not only managing but also mitigating the outbreak of the virus in India and how it helped Indians sail through the storm of Covid-19. Besides, this paper tries to put views forward through analysis for the policy makers and healthcare stakeholders to become well-prepared for any such troublesome crisis in future. Moreover, secondary data is used to collect necessary information and critical descriptive analysis has been used to interpret the results of the study.Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Systems of Care for Children and Youth With Special Health Care Needs

Introduction: This article describes the challenges and opportunities that the COVID-19 pandemic presented for providing and coordinating care for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) who rely on a diverse array of systems to promote their health, education, and well-being. Method(s): Peer-reviewed published literature and reports from the national government and nonprofit organizations that advocate for CYSHCN were examined, particularly concerning systems that impacted CYSHCN during COVID-19. Result(s): Pre-COVID-19, CYSHCN and their families faced challenges accessing and coordinating care across diverse systems. COVID-19 exacerbated these challenges because of disruptions in care and services that negatively impacted CYSHCN. COVID-19 also highlighted opportunities for positive change and care innovations. Discussion(s): Understanding the systems of care that CYSHCN rely on and the effects of COVID-19 on these systems can enhance access to and quality of care. Recommendations are made for practice, leadership, research, and policy.Copyright © 2022 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners

TECHNICAL BRIEFING:ANTIMICROBIAL FINISHES Protecting against pathogens, viruses and bacteria

The Covid-19 pandemic has sparked global fretfulness. The concern is that the virus is spreading too far, too fast and medical scientists can't seem to find a way to contain it. Juan Dumois, a pediatric infectious-diseases physician at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida reported that "coronavirus in general will last a lot longer on a solid, nonporous surface compared to porous fabrics". He also suggested they would survive for longer on artificial fibres such as polyester rather than cotton, which is one of the mediums for spreading infection. In concurrence with an increasing public awareness of infectious diseases, the textile industry, including Sarex, would like to re-introduce two of its effective antimicrobial agents which are effective against a broad spectrum of microbes, pathogens and viruses. In this study, Sarex have treated various textile substrates - cotton, polyester and polyamide fabrics - with these anti-microbial agents and have tested them for durability using the AATCC100 test method. The results are very encouraging and can help in controlling the spread of the infections, thus contributing to the well-being of humankind. © 2020 World Textile Information Network. All rights reserved.

Impact assessment culture in the European Union. Time for something new?

Current approaches and cultures for the economic evaluations of environmental and health policies may suffer from excessive reliance on a standard neoclassic economic toolbox that neglects alternative perspectives. This may prematurely limit the spectrum of available policy options. Here we show how the inclusion of neglected currents of thought such as non-Ricardian economics, bioeconomics and a set of qualitative-quantitative methods from post-normal science leads to richer perspectives for a more inclusive uses of quantitative evidence, and opens the analysis to more possible futures. We also present some case studies in the energy, water, health and climate domains that highlight the point in a practical context for a more policy-oriented audience. We situate our analysis in the context of recent calls in the EU for the inclusion of more perspectives from the social sciences and the humanities in environmental assessment works.Copyright © 2023 The Authors

Evidence-Based Policymaking during the COVID-19 Crisis: Regulatory Impact Assessments and the Polish COVID-19 Restrictions

The COVID-19 pandemic transformed our understanding of the state's role during a public health crisis and introduced an array of unprecedented policy tools: ever-stricter travel restrictions, lockdowns and closures of whole branches of the economy. Evidence-based policymaking seems to be the gold standard of such high-stakes policy interventions. This article presents an empirical investigation into the regulatory impact assessments accompanying sixty-four executive acts (regulations) introducing anti-pandemic restrictions in Poland over the first year of the pandemic. To this end, the study utilises the so-called scorecard methodology, which is popular in regulatory impact assessment research. This methodology highlights the shallowness of these documents and the accompanying processes, with an absence not only of a sound evidence base behind specific anti-pandemic measures or estimates of their economic impacts, but even of the comparative data on restrictions introduced in other European Union/Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Overall, the collected data support the hypothesis that the ad hoc pandemic management process crowded out the law-making process through tools such as regulatory impact assessments and consultations. In other words, the genuine decision-making occurred elsewhere (with the exact process being largely invisible to public opinion and scholars) and drafting legal texts simply codified these decisions, with the law-making process becoming mere window-dressing.

‘Creativity Is Good for You': Responding to the needs of our communities after COVID-19

This article explores how the pandemic has caused Arts Well, a small United Kingdom arts and health organization, to reflect on its future activities in order to be most useful in the space where arts and creativity meets health and well-being. It highlights the need for training, professional development and support for creative practitioners delivering participatory creative opportunities, recognizing the precarious work environment and emotionally demanding contexts in which they often work. Arts Well is also developing a campaign to raise awareness of the value of engaging in the arts and well-making to protect and improve health and well-being. © 2022 Intellect Ltd Notes from the Field. English language.

A Path to Establishing Delay and Disruption Claims for Contracts Entered into Prior to the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Since early 2020, COVID-19 has had devastating and ongoing health and economic impacts worldwide. The construction industry has not been immune to these impacts. Although construction was generally deemed essential, in some jurisdictions only certain sectors of the construction industry were deemed essential and therefore allowed to continue with work. Any construction that took place was subject to additional precautions that may have resulted in delay and disruption claims. The methodology of the paper involves a review of primary and secondary legal resources in the United States that are used to derive applicable rules of law. Those rules of law are then applied to force majeure contract language from the American Institute of Architects to outline the criteria for successful delay and disruption claims. For construction contracts entered into prior to the onset of the pandemic, delay claims will likely result only in an extension of the contract time, whereas disruption claims may result in additional time and/or money depending on how the contract addresses unforeseen costs. In the absence of express contract terms addressing unforeseen costs in a situation such as COVID-19, principles of equity will dictate whether additional compensation is granted. © 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.

Effects of a Multi-Professional Intervention on Mental Health of Middle-Aged Overweight Survivors of COVID-19: A Clinical Trial.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of a multi-professional intervention model on the mental health of middle-aged, overweight survivors of COVID-19. A clinical trial study with parallel groups and repeated measures was conducted. For eight weeks, multi-professional interventions were conducted (psychoeducation, nutritional intervention, and physical exercises). One hundred and thirty-five overweight or obese patients aged 46.46 ± 12.77 years were distributed into four experimental groups: mild, moderate, severe COVID, and control group. The instruments were used: mental health continuum-MHC, revised impact scale-IES-r, generalized anxiety disorder-GAD-7, and Patient health questionnaire PHQ-9, before and after eight weeks. The main results indicated only a time effect, with a significant increase in global MHC scores, emotional well-being, social well-being, and psychological well-being, as well as detected a significant reduction in global IES-R scores, intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal, in addition to a reduction in GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores (p < 0.05). In conclusion, it was possible to identify those psychoeducational interventions that effectively reduced anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms in post-COVID-19 patients, regardless of symptomatology, in addition to the control group. However, moderate and severe post-COVID-19 patients need to be monitored continuously since the results of these groups did not follow the response pattern of the mild and control groups.

Protecting Older Adult Residents in Care Facilities Against Influenza and COVID-19 Using the Influenza Communication, Advice and Reporting (FluCARE) App: Prospective Cohort Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Early detection and response to influenza and COVID-19 outbreaks in aged care facilities (ACFs) are critical to minimizing health impacts. The Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) Public Health Unit (PHU) has developed and implemented a novel web-based app with integrated functions for online line listings, detection algorithms, and automatic notifications to responders, to assist ACFs in outbreak response. The goal of the Influenza Outbreak Communication, Advice and Reporting (FluCARE) app is to reduce time delays to notifications, which we hope will reduce the spread, duration, and health impacts of an influenza or COVID-19 outbreak, as well as ease workload burdens on ACF staff. OBJECTIVE: The specific aims of the study were to (1) evaluate the acceptability and user satisfaction of the implementation and use of FluCARE in helping ACFs recognize, notify, and manage influenza and COVID-19 outbreaks in their facility; (2) identify the safety of FluCARE and any potential adverse outcomes of using the app; and (3) identify any perceived barriers or facilitators to the implementation and use of FluCARE from the ACF user perspective. METHODS: The FluCARE app was piloted from September 2019 to December 2020 in the SLHD. Associated implementation included promotion and engagement, user training, and operational policies. Participating ACF staff were invited to complete a posttraining survey. Staff were also invited to complete a postpilot evaluation survey that included the user Mobile Application Rating Scale (uMARS) measuring app acceptance, utility, and barriers and facilitators to use. An issues log was also prospectively maintained to assess safety. Survey data were analyzed descriptively or via content analysis where appropriate. RESULTS: Surveys were completed by 31 consenting users from 27 ACFs. FluCARE was rated 3.91 of 5 overall on the uMARS. Of the 31 users, 25 (80%) would definitely use FluCARE for future outbreaks, and all users agreed that the app was useful for identifying influenza and COVID-19 outbreaks at their facilities. There were no reported critical issues with incorrect or missed outbreak detection. User training, particularly online training modules, and technical support were identified as key facilitators to FluCARE use. CONCLUSIONS: FluCARE is an acceptable, useful, and safe app to assist ACF staff with early detection and response to influenza and COVID-19 outbreaks. This study supports feasibility for ongoing implementation and efficacy evaluation, followed by scale-up into other health districts in New South Wales.