ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Introduction: The sports psychology of athletes and public service policies in various places have been adjusted under the influence of the epidemic of COVID-19. However, team sports also need adjustments, and the paucity of evidence prevents safe decision-making. Objective: Research the current model to outline optimizations to team sports public service during the epidemic of COVID-19. Methods: The mechanism of athletes' satisfaction was investigated, mainly involving organizing activities in sports venues, including geographical distribution, technical guidance, health services, etc. Results: According to the survey, the first concern was "organization of activities," with a score of 3.783; followed by "number of places," with a score of 3.252; and "health service," with a score of 3.142. In the athletes' satisfaction score relative to supply and demand, the first concern highlighted was "distribution of seats", with a score of 3.682; followed by "number of seats", with a score of 3.484; and "organization of activities", with a score of 3.112. Conclusion: In optimizing the public team sports service model, the actual needs of the facilities should be fully considered to achieve scientific optimization of supply and demand. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment outcomes.
RESUMO Introdução: Tanto a psicologia esportiva dos atletas quanto as políticas de serviço público em vários lugares foram ajustadas sob a influência da epidemia da COVID-19. Os esportes em equipe também necessitam de adaptações e a escassez de evidências impede tomadas de decisões seguras neste aspecto. Objetivo: Pesquisar o modelo atual para traçar otimizações ao serviço público esportivo de equipe durante a epidemia da COVID-19. Métodos: O mecanismo de satisfação dos atletas foi investigado, envolvendo principalmente a organização de atividades em locais esportivos, incluindo distribuição geográfica, orientação técnica, serviços de saúde, etc. Resultados: De acordo com a pesquisa levantada, a primeira preocupação foi "organização de atividades", com pontuação de 3.783; seguido de "número de vagas", com pontuação de 3.252; e "serviço de saúde", com pontuação de 3.142. Na pontuação de satisfação das atletas relativa à oferta e demanda, a primeira preocupação destacada foi "distribuição de lugares", com pontuação de 3,682; seguida de "número de lugares", com pontuação de 3,484; e "organização de atividades", com pontuação de 3,112. Conclusão: No processo de otimização do modelo de serviço público esportivo de equipes, as necessidades reais das instalações devem ser plenamente consideradas, a fim de alcançar a otimização científica da oferta e da demanda. Nível de evidência II; Estudos terapêuticos - investigação dos resultados do tratamento.
RESUMEN Introducción: Tanto la psicología deportiva de los atletas como las políticas de servicios públicos en diversos lugares se han ajustado bajo la influencia de la epidemia de COVID-19. Los deportes de equipo también necesitan ajustes y la escasez de pruebas impide tomar decisiones seguras al respecto. Objetivo: Investigar el modelo actual para delinear optimizaciones al servicio público de los deportes de equipo durante la epidemia de COVID-19. Métodos: Se investigó el mecanismo de satisfacción de los atletas, que involucra principalmente la organización de actividades en las instalaciones deportivas, incluyendo la distribución geográfica, la orientación técnica, los servicios de salud, etc. Resultados: Según la encuesta realizada, la primera preocupación era la "organización de las actividades", con una puntuación de 3,783; seguida del "número de plazas", con una puntuación de 3,252; y del "servicio sanitario", con una puntuación de 3,142. En la puntuación de satisfacción de los atletas en relación con la oferta y la demanda, la primera preocupación destacada fue la "distribución de los lugares", con una puntuación de 3,682; seguida del "número de lugares", con una puntuación de 3,484; y de la "organización de las actividades", con una puntuación de 3,112. Conclusión: En el proceso de optimización del modelo de servicio público de deportes de equipo, deben tenerse plenamente en cuenta las necesidades reales de las instalaciones para lograr una optimización científica de la oferta y la demanda. Nivel de evidencia II; Estudios terapéuticos - investigación de los resultados del tratamiento.
ABSTRACT
Presents a case report of a 45-year-old woman with a brief psychotic disorder, in which pathogeny was an effect of the pandemic, modulating a classic syndrome described more than one century ago by Ernst Kretschmer. During the mandatory screening before hospital admission, the patient tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Basic tests were performed, including blood alcohol concentration, urinary drug screening, and brain computerized tomography - all normal. Regarding her premorbid personality, she had cluster C personality traits. The discharge diagnosis was a Brief psychotic disorder. Other differential diagnoses were considered such as schizophreniform disorder, psychotic depression, bipolar disorder, late-onset schizophrenia, but the rapid onset of the picture, the brief resolution, the absence of dominant affective symptomatology, and the absence of negative symptomatology led to assume that it was more likely a brief reactive psychosis. antipsychotic medication was suspended gradually and she didn't present any recurrence of symptoms. In this case report, the author reviews a classic nosological entity, commonly forgotten, revived by a very current and particular social situation (the COVID-19 pandemic), whose social conditionings can affect mental health. The author emphasizes the importance of a thorough anamnesis with a complete evaluation of the premorbid character, which allowed an early intervention and subsequent better prognosis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Objective: Assess the impact of interventions introduced in Costa Rica during 2020 and 2021 to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A Bayesian Poisson regression model was used, incorporating control or intervention measures as independent variables in the changes in reported case numbers per epidemiological week. Results: The results showed the relative and combined impact of containment policies and measures on the reduction of cases: mainly vehicular traffic restrictions, use of masks, and implementation of health guidelines and protocols. Evidence of impact was optimized and made available for decision-making by the country's health and emergency authorities. Several iterations were generated for constant monitoring of variations in impact at four different moments in the pandemic's spread. Conclusion: The simultaneous implementation of different mitigation measures in Costa Rica has been a driving force in reducing the number of COVID-19 cases.
Objetivo: Avaliar o impacto das intervenções realizadas na Costa Rica durante 2020 e 2021 para o controle da pandemia de COVID-19. Método: Foi utilizado um modelo Bayesiano de regressão de Poisson que incorporou as medidas de controle ou intervenção como variáveis independentes sobre a variação do número de casos por semana epidemiológica. Resultados: Os resultados evidenciaram o efeito relativo e conjunto que as políticas ou medidas de contenção tiveram na redução de casos, principalmente as restrições a veículos, o uso de máscaras e a implementação de diretrizes e protocolos de saúde. As evidências dos efeitos foram otimizadas e disponibilizadas às autoridades sanitárias e de emergência do país para auxiliar na tomada de decisão. Diversas iterações foram geradas para o monitoramento constante da variação nos efeitos em quatro momentos distintos do avanço da pandemia. Conclusão: A aplicação simultânea de diferentes medidas de mitigação na Costa Rica tem sido um agente promotor da diminuição de casos de COVID-19.
ABSTRACT
Background: The correct use of face masks is one of the most effective ways to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections. Objectives: The present study aimed to develop a valid and reliable measure to assess attitudes and behaviors related to face mask use in social settings. Methods: This methodological study was conducted online between July 23, 2021, and September 24, 2021. The inclusion criteria entailed an age range of >= 18 years, literacy in Turkish, use of face masks, and willingness to participate in the study. The participants of the study included 489 cases who met the inclusion criteria. Data were collected using a sociodemographic information form and the Mask Use Scale. The data were evaluated using descriptive statistics, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, dependent-samples t-test, Pearson correlation analysis, and Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficients. Results: Based on the results, 36 items of the Mask Use Scale had positive and significant item-total correlation coefficients (P<0.001). Mean scores in the test and retest demonstrated no significant difference (P>0.05). Cronbach's alpha coefficients were .76 for the mask use subscale, .77 for the hygiene subscale, .78 for the cloth mask subscale, .77 for the requirement subscale, .80 for the mask selection subscale, and .93 for the entire scale. Conclusion: As evidenced by the obtained results, the Mask Use Scale is a valid and reliable tool and can be used to determine adults' attitudes and behavior related to the use of face masks in social settings.
ABSTRACT
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has mutated multiple times since the first report in December 2019 and is still spreading globally. A variant of SARS-CoV-2, Omicron, was prevalent in Shanghai from March to May 2022. Based on published data and the experience in the management of neonatal COVID-19 cases and infants of mothers with COVID-19 during the pandemic in Shanghai, it is suggested that neonates are infected with SARS-CoV-2 mainly through postnatal horizontal transmission, but rarely through vertical transmission. The risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in infants born to mothers with COVID-19 is low if quarantine measures are appropriately implemented. Even if they are infected, the risk of severe neonatal COVID-19 is low, but long-term neurological prognosis needs to be followed closely. Human milk feeding without contact is advocated for infants of infected mothers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, attention should also be paid to indirect effect on neonatal health due to possible inadequate medical resources. © 2022 Chinese Medical Journals Publishing House Co.Ltd. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: To investigate reasons, advantages, disadvantages and obstacles in the use of digital technology media for health learning during the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic. Method: The systematic review was conducted from January to February 2022 and comprised search on Google Scholar, ProQuest, PubMed, ScienceDirect and Scopus databases for articles published from 2020 to March 2022 related to the use of digital technology by medical students, teachers and academics. Key words used for the search included digital technology, health learning, health education, COVID-19, COVID-19 pandemic, and coronavirus disease 2019. Main themes were identified which were then grouped into components using Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines and tools. RESULTS: Of the 128 articles initially found, 10(7.8%) were subjected to detailed analysis. Reasons identified were lockdown and accessibility of flexible learning materials. Advantages were effective time, better effort, saving money, improving technical skills, health security, feasibility, e-learning standardising, dedicated teaching, interdisciplinary collaboration network, creativity, inclusivity and professional development. Disadvantages were inadequate tools, poor internet connection, lack of technical skills, practical in classes, unclear policies, examinations, distribution of grades and limited online exam time. Obstacles included virtual class etiquette disobedience, inadequate interactions, time limitations, infrastructure, distractions, lack of engagement, stress, technical and limited data plans. CONCLUSIONS: Many universities used digital technology in health learning during the pandemic-led lockdowns as it provided greater advantages.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Humans , COVID-19/epidemiology , Pandemics , Digital Technology , Communicable Disease Control , Health EducationABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic is unquestionably impacting on the mental health of the population worldwide. Fear of contamination can both increase levels of stress in healthy individuals and intensify psychiatric symptoms in patients with pre-existing conditions, especially obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). During the COVID-19 pandemic, the imminent risk of contamination creates a logical need for self-surveillance and hygiene habits. However, this kind of information can have drastic implications for subjects with OCD, since cognitive distortions and compensatory strategies (cleansing rituals) are no longer irrational or oversized-rather, these ideas become legitimate and socially accepted, generating plausible validation for the intensification of compulsive cleaning rituals. Patients who presented remission of OCD symptoms would be more likely to have a relapse, and subclinical patients may scale up and ultimately be diagnosed with OCD due to the reinforcement of their habits, emotions and thoughts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 has rampaged globally with devastating consequences on human lives and livelihoods. Taiwan, a democratic island-country with 23.5 million population, was predicted to have the second highest risk of imported cases at the outset and instead registered among the lowest COVID-19 prevalence and mortality rates during year one. This chapter describes Taiwan's emergency response policies, including the Communicable Disease Control Act (CDCA), pandemic measures in different segments of the population, the role of national health insurance and accessible healthcare, innovative integrations of information technology, and amendments to laws and regulations adapted to the evolving situation. Taiwan's CDCA was introduced in 1944. In addition to posting travel advisories, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) enhanced border control, as required by the CDCA. Taiwan CDC officers stationed at airports implemented health screening of passengers and provided healthcare advice. © 2023 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
ABSTRACT
Background and Aims: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19), discovered in December 2019, has now spread throughout the world. Studies have shown that patients with cancer have a higher risk of COVID-19 and are more likely to develop severe symptoms and progress to exacerbation. Head and neck tumors, as the major disease entities to be encountered in a cancer-specialized hospital, have a large number of cases of complex disorders, and some of them are highly malignant with rapid progress, for which the treatment cannot be delayed. Moreover, the operations involving the mouth, throat and airway are unavoidable during the diagnosis and treatment process of head and neck tumors, which may increase the risk of COVID-19 infection between doctors and patients. Therefore, this study was conducted to mainly investigate the appropriate diagnosis and treatment of head and neck tumors and prevention and control strategies of COVID-19 in a cancer-specialized hospital amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The clinical data of 38 patients with head and neck malignant tumors admitted for therapy by scheduled appointment in Zhejiang Cancer Hospital from February 1th, 2020 to February 22rd, 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. In our center, the time-phased appointments were implemented, patients were appropriately diverted based on the diagnosis and treatment guidelines and clinical practice, and the hospitalization indications were rigorously adhered to. All admitted patients received surgery or chemotherapy on the premise of exclusion of COVID-19 by detailed epidemiological investigation, nucleic acid detection and chest CT scan. During hospitalization, the epidemic prevention and control measures were strictly implemented, the treatment process was carefully observed, and the temperature monitoring and management were paid particular attention. After discharge, the outcomes of patients were followed up and the patients received medical advice and post-discharge treatment through internet-based hospitals or other online channels. Results: Among the 38 patients with head and neck tumors, 17 cases were males and 21 were females, with an average age of 49 years. There were 21 cases of thyroid cancer, 6 cases of oral malignancies, 3 cases of salivary gland cancer, 2 cases of laryngeal cancer, 2 cases of hypopharyngeal cancer, and 1 case each of cervical esophageal cancer, lymphoma, nasopharyngeal cancer and of angiosarcoma. COVID-19 was excluded in all 38 patients upon admission. Thirty-one patients underwent surgical treatment and the other 7 patients were subjected to chemotherapy. Fever occurred in 3 patients during the process of treatment, which included fever associated with agranulocytosis in 1 case, fever caused by tumor necrosis and infection in 1 case and fever caused by wound infection in 1 case. Patients generally had an uneventful treatment course and recovered well. No COVID-19 infection was found in patients and medical staff during hospitalization and at the end of 2 weeks after discharge from hospital. Conclusion: In the situation of COVID-19 pandemic, rational distribution of patients as well as scientific prevention and control based on the diagnosis and treatment guidelines and clinical practice, making full use of the advantages of "internet + medical service", to protect cancer patients from virus while engage in the fight against the epidemic, providing psychological support to the patients, and minimizing the impact of the epidemic on treatment and ensuring the continuity of treatment are feasible strategies for the clinical treatment of head and neck tumors. © 2020 by the Author(s).
ABSTRACT
Infection prevention and control measures are effective at protecting patients and healthcare workers from healthcare-acquired infections, averting onward transmission of the disease and mitigating the impact of the outbreak on the healthcare system. This study assessed the compliance of public hospitals and isolation facilities with a set of standards for COVID-19 infection prevention and control. A 35-point questionnaire was developed and utilized to collect data from selected facilities in 38 local government units across the country. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data, and differences between island groups were tested using Pearson's χ2 test for categorical variables. The results indicate that hospitals reported better infection prevention and control preparedness and compliance than temporary treatment and monitoring facilities in the domains of engineering and administrative controls. However, weak compliance was observed in a number of indicators for waste management in both types of facilities. These suggest that periodic monitoring and the augmentation of resources are necessary to sustain adherence to standards and to immediately address compliance gaps. In addition, systemic improvements through sufficient planning and long-term investments are required to sustain infection prevention and control practices over time. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of COVID is the property of MDPI 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.)
ABSTRACT
Novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) is a kind of highly infectious disease. To take the non-designated hospitals for novel coronavirus pneumonia as the example, based on the characteristics of novel coronavirus, the infection factors involved in nuclear medical imaging examinations were analyzed in this paper, and proposals were put forward to improve the protection and control in the following seven aspects, including the examinees, the staff, the workplace, the instruments, the disposal of medical waste, and the medical supply, and procedures. It is expected to prevent the patients and staff from the infection of COVID-19 during nuclear medicine imaging examinations.Copyright © 2020 by the Chinese Medical Association.
ABSTRACT
Objective: The pandemic 2019 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is the greatest concern globally. Here we analyzed the epidemiological features of China, South Korea, Italy and Spain to find out the relationship of major public health events and epidemiological curves. Study design: In this study we described and analyzed the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 in and outside China. We used GAM to generate the epidemiological curves and simulated infection curves with reported incubation period. Result(s): The epidemiological curves derived from the GAM suggested that the infection curve can reflect the public health measurements sensitively. Under the massive actions token in China, the infection curve flattened at 23rd of January. While surprisingly, even before Wuhan lockdown and first level response of public emergency in Guangdong and Shanghai, those infection curve came to the reflection point both at 21st of January, which indicated the mask wearing by the public before 21st Jan were the key measure to cut off the transmission. In the countries outside China, infection curves also changed in response to measures, but its rate of decline was much smaller than the curve of China's. Conclusion(s): The present analysis comparing the epidemiological curves in China, South Korea, Italy and Spain supports the importance of mask wearing by the public. Analysis of the infection curve helped to clarify the impact of important public health events, evaluate the efficiencies of prevention measures, and showed wearing masks in public resulted in significantly reduced daily infected cases.Copyright © 2020 The Author(s)
ABSTRACT
IMPACTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures taken to limit the spread of the virus have caused significant changes in the daily lives of the whole population including children and adolescents. School closure and physical distancing significantly interfere with their learning and social life deeply impacting their health and education. The most vulnerable children (personal history of mental health or neurodevelopmental disorders, chronic physical illness) were also those the most significantly affected by the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic. However, data remains scarce today, and it remains a major challenge to conduct longitudinal studies that will enable the development of primary prevention programs in the general population and secondary prevention programs in already affected children.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the incidence of many droplet-transmitted infections decreased due to increased mask-wearing and social distancing. Contrastingly, there has been concern that COVID-19 countermeasures, such as lockdowns, may increase legionellosis incidence via water stagnation. During the pandemic in Japan, four state of emergency declarations were imposed between 2020 and 2021, which makes it particularly suitable to test this hypothesis. Methods: We use country-level surveillance data from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases to track the relative incidence of legionellosis compared to invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, with a focus on the periods just after state of emergency declarations were lifted. Results: The absolute number of legionellosis and IPD cases decreased in 2020 and 2021 compared to previous years. The average relative incidence of legionellosis as well as the variance of the relative incidence significantly increased during the pandemic compared to previous years. There were no increases in the relative incidence of legionellosis during the periods immediately following emergency declaration liftings, but the relative incidence did increase considerably during the first two states of emergency. Conclusions: COVID-19 countermeasures appear more effective at decreasing the incidence of human-to-human transmitted infections, such as IPD, compared to environmentally-transmitted infections, such as legionellosis. Though no evidence was found to suggest that legionellosis cases increased after state of emergency declarations, public health efforts should continue to emphasize the importance of routine sanitation and water system maintenance to prevent water stagnation and Legionella spp. contamination. © 2022 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases
ABSTRACT
Atmospheric black carbon (BC) concentration over a nearly 5 year period (mid-2017–2021) was continuously monitored over a suburban area of Orléans city (France). Annual mean atmospheric BC concentration were 0.75 ± 0.65, 0.58 ± 0.44, 0.54 ± 0.64, 0.48 ± 0.46 and 0.50 ± 0.72 μg m−3, respectively, for the year of 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Seasonal pattern was also observed with maximum concentration (0.70 ± 0.18 μg m−3) in winter and minimum concentration (0.38 ± 0.04 μg m−3) in summer. We found a different diurnal pattern between cold (winter and fall) and warm (spring and summer) seasons. Further, fossil fuel burning contributed >90 % of atmospheric BC in the summer and biomass burning had a contribution equivalent to that of the fossil fuel in the winter. Significant week days effect on BC concentrations was observed, indicating the important role of local emissions such as car exhaust in BC level at this site. The behavior of atmospheric BC level with COVID-19 lockdown was also analyzed. We found that during the lockdown in warm season (first lockdown: 27 March–10 May 2020 and third lockdown 17 March–3 May 2021) BC concentration were lower than in cold season (second lockdown: 29 October–15 December 2020), which could be mainly related to the BC emission from biomass burning for heating. This study provides a long-term BC measurement database input for air quality and climate models. The analysis of especially weekend and lockdown effect showed implications on future policymaking toward improving local and regional air quality as well. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.
ABSTRACT
Recently, air pollution especially fine particulate matters (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) has become a severe issue in China. In this study, we first characterized the temporal trends of PM2.5 and O3 for Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Wuhan respectively during 2018-2020. The annual mean PM2.5 has decreased by 7.82%-33.92%, while O3 concentration showed insignificant variations by -6.77%-4.65% during 2018-2020. The generalized additive models (GAMs) were implemented to quantify the contribution of individual meteorological factors and their gas precursors on PM2.5 and O3. On a short-term perspective, GAMs modeling shows that the daily variability of PM2.5 concentration is largely related to the variation of precursor gases (R = 0.67-0.90), while meteorological conditions mainly affect the daily variability of O3 concentration (R = 0.65-0.80) during 2018-2020. The impact of COVID-19 lockdown on PM2.5 and O3 concentrations were also quantified by using GAMs. During the 2020 lockdown, PM2.5 decreased significantly for these megacities, yet the ozone concentration showed an increasing trend compared to 2019. The GAMs analysis indicated that the contribution of precursor gases to PM2.5 and O3 changes is 3-8 times higher than that of meteorological factors. In general, GAMs modeling on air quality is helpful to the understanding and control of PM2.5 and O3 pollution in China.
ABSTRACT
The temporal variation of greenhouse gas concentrations in China during the COVID-19 lockdown in China is analyzed in this work using high resolution measurements of near surface △CO2, △CH4 and △CO concentrations above the background conditions at Lin'an station (LAN), a regional background station in the Yangtze River Delta region. During the pre-lockdown observational period (IOP-1), both △CO2 and △CH4 exhibited a significant increasing trend relative to the 2011-2019 climatological mean. The reduction of △CO2, △CH4 and △CO during the lockdown observational period (IOP-2) (which also coincided with the Chinese New Year Holiday) reached up to 15.0 ppm, 14.2 ppb and 146.8 ppb, respectively, and a reduction of △CO2/△CO probably due to a dramatic reduction from industrial emissions. △CO2, △CH4 and △CO were observed to keep declining during the post-lockdown easing phase (IOP-3), which is the synthetic result of lower than normal CO2 emissions from rural regions around LAN coupled with strong uptake of the terrestrial ecosystem. Interestingly, the trend reversed to gradual increase for all species during the later easing phase (IOP-4), with △CO2/△CO constantly increasing from IOP-2 to IOP-3 and finally IOP-4, consistent with recovery in industrial emissions associated with the staged resumption of economic activity. On average, △CO2 declined sharply throughout the days during IOP-2 but increased gradually throughout the days during IOP-4. The findings showcase the significant role of emission reduction in accounting for the dramatic changes in measured atmospheric △CO2 and △CH4 associated with the COVID-19 lockdown and recovery.
ABSTRACT
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an unprecedented worldwide health crisis. Many previous research studies have found and investigated its links with one or some natural or human environmental factors. However, a review on the relationship between COVID-19 incidence and both the natural and human environment is still lacking. This review summarizes the inter-correlation between COVID-19 incidence and environmental factors. Based on keyword searching, we reviewed 100 relevant peer-reviewed articles and other research literature published since January 2020. This review is focused on three main findings. One, we found that individual environmental factors have impacts on COVID-19 incidence, but with spatial heterogeneity and uncertainty. Two, environmental factors exert interactive effects on COVID-19 incidence. In particular, the interactions of natural factors can affect COVID-19 transmission in micro- and macro- ways by impacting SARS-CoV-2 survival, as well as human mobility and behaviors. Three, the impact of COVID-19 incidence on the environment lies in the fact that COVID-19-induced lockdowns caused air quality improvement, wildlife shifts and socio-economic depression. The additional value of this review is that we recommend future research perspectives and adaptation strategies regarding the interactions of the environment and COVID-19. Future research should be extended to cover both the effects of the environment on the COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-19-induced impacts on the environment. Future adaptation strategies should focus on sustainable environmental and public policy responses.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: People experiencing homelessness (PEH) are at increased risk of respiratory infections and associated morbidity and mortality. To characterize optimal intervention strategies, we completed a systematic review of mitigation strategies for PEH to minimize the spread and impact of respiratory infectious disease outbreaks, including COVID-19. METHODS: The study protocol was registered in PROSPERO (#2020 CRD42020208964) and was consistent with the preferred reporting in systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines. A search algorithm containing keywords that were synonymous to the terms "Homeless" and "Respiratory Illness" was applied to the six databases. The search concluded on September 22, 2020. Quality assessment was performed at the study level. Steps were conducted by two independent team members. RESULTS: A total of 4468 unique titles were retrieved with 21 meeting criteria for inclusion. Interventions included testing, tracking, screening, infection prevention and control, isolation support, and education. Historically, there has been limited study of intervention strategies specifically for PEH across the world. CONCLUSIONS: Staff and organizations providing services for people experiencing homelessness face specific challenges in adhering to public health guidelines such as physical distancing, isolation, and routine hygiene practices. There is a discrepancy between the burden of infectious diseases among PEH and specific research characterizing optimal intervention strategies to mitigate transmission in the context of shelters. Improving health for people experiencing homelessness necessitates investment in programs scaling existing interventions and research to study new approaches.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to describe a statewide COVID-19 transmission involving places of worship (POWs) during the early phase of the pandemic. During the period of May 2020-December 2020, this analysis evaluated COVID-19 cases in Arkansas reported in REDCap for overall cases associated with POWs, cluster detection, and network analysis of one POW utilizing Microbetrace. A total of 9904 COVID-19 cases reported attending an in-person POW service during the early phase of the pandemic with 353 probable POW-associated clusters identified. Network analysis for 'POW A' showed at least 60 COVID-19 cases were traced to at least 4 different settings. The pandemic gave an opportunity to observe and stress the importance of public health and POWs working closely together with a shared goal of facilitating worship in a manner that optimizes congregational and community safety during a public health emergency.