ABSTRACT
India is one of the world's worst affected countries due to COVID-19 pandemic. The world is struglling to fight agaisnt centuries pandmemic. Globally goverments have been imposed lockdown and restrictions to control situation and minimise spread of infection. Social media was found the most practical and efficiant mediam to share information and opnions about pandmemic. At time of social distancing, social media helped people to share their feelings and find support. Same time overuse of social media palteform created panic and misinformation across countries. People sharing unconfirmed information about covid pandmemic and goverments were found it difficult to handle.
ABSTRACT
Most U.S. states issued stay-at-home orders (SAHOs) to limit the spread of COVID-19 in 2020. These orders required people to remain in their residences except when undertaking essential activities. While SAHOs are a powerful public health tool against infectious diseases, they can have significant social and economic consequences. Grounded in general strain and routine activities theories and using interrupted time series analyses, this study assesses the effects of SAHOs on homicide rates in 10 U.S. cities. Substantive results suggest SAHOs were associated with changes in homicide rates in theoretically identifiable ways. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was recognized as a pandemic on 11 March 2020. However, the median age of laboratory-confirmed cases is about 45 years and age is not a sole potential risk for catching COVID-19;unfortunately, some social media pretend that elderly people are more likely to be infected by COVID-19. Providing such information about the COVID-19 can increase the stress and anxiety among the elderly that may weaken their immune system. It is suggested that social media provide appropriate information to reduce public stress.Copyright © 2020 Bentham Science Publishers.
ABSTRACT
Due to COVID-19 disease, children of all ages seem susceptible to COVID-19;thus, preventing children from COVID-19 disease is a serious duty. One of the preventive strategies in children is the behavior of mask-wearing. Recently, many parents have stated concerns to doctors and social media about whether masks may be harmful for their children. Incorrect news about the negative effects of face masks has also been increasing. Therefore, this letter aims at answering the most common and most important parents' worries about children's wearing face masks.
ABSTRACT
The use of social media, low literacy, fast information sharing and preprint services are identified as the main causes of the infodemic [4] and among its consequences we find that it can promote public health risk behaviors globally. The results of Fake news represents a threat to societies in the context of the pandemic. The aim of this article is to review existing research on fake news in the last 2 years, discussing the characteristics of infodemics, media/digital literacy and its impact on society, as well as highlighting mechanisms to detect and curb fake news on covid-19 in social networks. Thirty articles were analyzed and selected from 1354 open access articles on this subject. The conclusion was that knowledge of fake news should be taken note of due to the harmful effects on society, considering the informational contexts (epistemic, normative and emotional), together with media literacy to increase trust and emphasize public health messages with emotionally relevant and scientifically based content, in order to continue conducting research that allows a 100% effective recognition and elimination of untruthful information on social networks. © 2022 Copyright for this paper by its authors. Use permitted under Creative Commons License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
ABSTRACT
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to alter daily life and its long-term impact remains unknown, research is needed to examine the effects of this unprecedented pandemic on public health and well-being. Leisure has the potential to facilitate personal growth and to serve as a vehicle for personal transformation under stressful circumstances. The purpose of the study is two-fold: (1) to explore leisure experiences and participation during the COVID-19 global pandemic;and (2) to examine how leisure experiences and participation contribute to stress-related growth during this public health crisis. A total of 470 U.S. residents completed an online survey in July 2020. The results indicated a decline in participation for all types of leisure activities. Changes in leisure activities varied by age and income but social activities had the most substantial decline, followed by outdoor and physical activities. Leisure needs, satisfaction, and social activities were statistically significant predictors of stress-related growth during the pandemic. These findings provide further understanding of how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted engagement in leisure activities, and additional evidence that participating in leisure can facilitate personal growth during periods of adversity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Canada's federal and provincial governments have taken unprecedented measures to promote social distancing in the wake of the World Health Organization's categorization of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak as a global pandemic. Closing schools, banning large public gatherings and team events, and advising against travel are all intended to help Canada "flatten the curve" of the outbreak. Here, Laupacis asserts that we must work hard to ensure good communication and continuity of care. Furthermore, certain groups of patients who do not have COVID-19 will also need continuing care, although their regular clinics may be working below usual capacity. Clinicians will need to conduct more virtual consultations than before while uncertain about how to do so effectively;others may have to provide care that is outside their usual practice.
ABSTRACT
Social distancing measures are typically recommended to contain the spread of infectious diseases. To improve the public's voluntary compliance, governments and health authorities seek to publicize timely information about the pandemic. Yet social planners may exaggerate or downplay their private information about the disease's severity to elicit their preferred level of social distancing. This is because the relative weight they assign to the costs of isolation over public health may be unbalanced, and people may not fully consider how their social distancing may influence others' infection risk. Consequently, messages and claims about the pandemic may be distrusted. The author investigates whether and when communication can be fully or partially credible despite apparent incentives for misrepresentation. The author finds that a government would communicate truthfully in equilibrium if and only if the disease severity levels are not too close to each other in the public's prior belief. Nevertheless, an increasing difference between the severity levels need not enhance the credibility of communication. Greater communication credibility may hurt social welfare. Moreover, as the government becomes more concerned about the costs of social distancing, its equilibrium messages may become more or less trustworthy. The article's results can benefit social planners and users of their messages (e.g., analysts, researchers, investors). © American Marketing Association 2023.
ABSTRACT
Based on ethnographic research carried out during the 2022 Covid-19 surge in southern China, this paper examines the roll-out of a contact-tracing tool called the Time-Space Companion project. The project exemplifies a state effort to incorporate data-driven surveillance technology into the public health apparatus during the coronavirus outbreak. By exploring the definition, identification, and management of Time-Space Companions, the paper shows that the project was used to discipline Chinese citizens and shift public health responsibilities onto them by transforming daily life into sites of public health regulation, discipline, and criminalization. The project also exemplified an on-going state effort to leverage surveillance technologies for the purposes of social management. The paper draws attention to the social repercussions that resulted when technology offered a tempting tool to enhance the infrastructural and despotic powers of mundane state actors. © 2023 BCAS, Inc.
ABSTRACT
During COVID-19, misinformation on social media has affected people's adoption of appropriate prevention behaviors. Although an array of approaches have been proposed to suppress misinformation, few have investigated the role of disseminating factual information during crises. None has examined its effect on suppressing misinformation quantitatively using longitudinal social media data. Therefore, this study investigates the temporal correlations between factual information and misinformation, and intends to answer whether previously predominant factual information can suppress misinformation. It focuses on two prevention measures, that is, wearing masks and social distancing, using tweets collected from April 3 to June 30, 2020, in the United States. We trained support vector machine classifiers to retrieve relevant tweets and classify tweets containing factual information and misinformation for each topic concerning the prevention measures' effects. Based on cross-correlation analyses of factual and misinformation time series for both topics, we find that the previously predominant factual information leads the decrease of misinformation (i.e., suppression) with a time lag. The research findings provide empirical understandings of dynamic relations between misinformation and factual information in complex online environments and suggest practical strategies for future misinformation management during crises and emergencies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Objective:This study seeks to examine the planning, implementation, and assessment of Telemedicine Services in Public HealthEducation in the city of Bitung. Method(s): This study is qualitative in nature. This research was conducted at the Bitung City Health Office. This study's data source comprises of two types of sources: primary and secondary data sources. Result(s):The results indicated that the Planning of Telemedicine Services in Public Health Education in Bitung City begins with the preparation of human resources, including both resource individuals (Medical/Paramedic) and IT personnel, facilities, infrastructure, and equipment. In addition to developing health materials that will be distributed to the community, planning includes the creation of budget postings that will be utilized in telemedicine services. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the installation of telemedicine services in the form of teleconsultation went smoothly in the city of Bitung via the PSC 119 hotline number, which grew in popularity. In addition, the Bitung Digital Medical application includes a telemedicine service. In addition to utilizing existing social media such as websites, Facebook, and Instagram, the delivery of products and healthcare services also makes use of these platforms. Conclusion(s): The planning of telemedicine services as a health education attempt at the Bitung City Health Office has been carried out well, but the implementation is still not well programmed, as well as the evaluation which has not been comprehensive. The implementation of good telemedicine management can improve public health education. Hence, cross-sectoral cooperation is needed such as cooperation with the information and telecommunications service, education office and other sectors and there is a need for government regulations that can regulate the mechanism of this telemedicine service so that this telemedicine service can improve public health education.Copyright © 2023, Anka Publishers. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Over two million Indonesians have been exposed to COVID-19. Every day, thousands of new confirmed cases continue to infect people and form local transmission, even though the guidelines for implementing health protocols in efforts against this pandemic have been rolled out. This study aims to reveal how COVID-19 health protocols are being implemented in Indonesia. We collected information from 289 students to observe the surrounding environment by distributing online questionnaires that include parameters for wearing masks and physical distancing. This study used a mix-method approach, in which the statistical and descriptive analysis were carried out sequentially. This study showed that the presence of positive cases does not affect the implementation of health protocols. Mann-Whitney's test also confirmed that there were no significant differences between the COVID-19 transmitted area and the green zone. This condition was caused by a lack of socialization, social exemplarity, mutual reprimand, and enforcement of the rules. The experience of people telling others to wear a mask has a low, significant, and positive correlation with the intensity of reprimanding others. This phenomenon shows that social awareness of implementing health protocols can continue to increase if they are accustomed to self-awareness. The implementation of the health protocol requires assessment to avoid inconsistencies that reduce the compliance of people.
ABSTRACT
In March 2020, the World Health Organization announced the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. Most previous social media related research has been on English tweets and COVID-19. In this study, we collect approximately 1 million Arabic tweets from the Twitter streaming API related to COVID-19. Focussing on outcomes that we believe will be useful for Public Health Organizations, we analyse them in three different ways: identifying the topics discussed during the period, detecting rumours, and predicting the source of the tweets. We use the k-means algorithm for the first goal with k=5. The topics discussed can be grouped as follows: COVID-19 statistics, prayers for God, COVID-19 locations, advise and education for prevention, and advertising. We sample 2000 tweets and label them manually for false information, correct information, and unrelated. Then, we apply three different machine learning algorithms, Logistic Regression, Support Vector Classification, and Naïve Bayes with two sets of features, word frequency approach and word embeddings. We find that Machine Learning classifiers are able to correctly identify the rumour related tweets with 84% accuracy. We also try to predict the source of the rumour related tweets depending on our previous model which is about classifying tweets into five categories: academic, media, government, health professional, and public. Around (60%) of the rumour related tweets are classified as written by health professionals and academics. © ACL 2020.All right reserved.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to elicit the views of medical faculty students regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. This descriptive study was performed with Ondokuz Mayıs University Medical Faculty students on 24–27 March, 2020. The Medical Faculty currently has 2051 students. A questionnaire was used as a data collection tool. For that purpose, the authors designed a questionnaire specifically for this research via the "Google Forms” web. This consisted of 40 open- and close-ended questions. The questionnaire was completed by 1375 (67.1%) students. Accordingly, 52.4% of medical students reported feeling mentally unwell. Although 50.8% of medical students reported generally/usually obtaining information about COVID-19 through the social media, 82.0% did not trust information/messages arriving through the social media and WhatsApp. We found that 86.7% of students regarded frequent hand washing as the most important means of protection against COVID-19, and 19.3% of students did not regard the COVID-19 pandemic as a severe public health problem for Turkey at that moment. In addition, 61.6% of students stated that a suppression strategy involving tight restrictions need to be applied to being the pandemic under control in Turkey. Use can be made of medical students in the transmission of accurate information during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students can be excellent activists on these subjects in countries in which medical education is suspended. Measures therefore need to be taken concerning the transmission of up to date and accurate information to medical students.
ABSTRACT
It is highlighted in some parts of the world that several professionals, including social workers, are involved in interventions against COVID-19. This, however, appears not to be so in Nigeria, as social workers are said to be suboptimally involved. Through telephone interviews, the views of six healthcare workers and six social workers were sought on the inclusion and efforts of Nigerian social workers in contributing to COVID-19 interventions. After a thematic analysis of data, results show that social workers are missing in the intervention process, especially at the front line. Hence, this article recommends the need for active involvement of social workers in public health concerns in Nigeria, as their roles will be relevant to complementing the efforts of mainstream health workers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (French) Il est mis en evidence que dans certaines parties du monde plusieurs professionnels, dont des travailleurs sociaux, sont impliques dans des interventions contre le COVID-19. Cependant, cela ne semble pas etre le cas au Nigeria, ou les travailleurs sociaux seraient impliques de maniere negligeable. Au moyen d'entretiens telephoniques, les points de vue de six travailleurs de la sante et de six travailleurs sociaux ont ete sollicites a propos de l'inclusion et des efforts des travailleurs sociaux nigerians pour contribuer aux interventions de lutte contre le COVID-19. Apres une analyse thematique des donnees, les resultats montrent que les travailleurs sociaux sont absents du processus d>intervention, notamment en premiere ligne. Par consequent, cet article prone la necessite d'une implication active des travailleurs sociaux dans les problemes de sante publique au Nigeria, car leurs roles seront pertinents pour completer les efforts des agents de sante traditionnels. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Spanish) Se destaca en algunas partes del mundo que varios profesionales, incluidos trabajadores sociales, estan involucrados en intervenciones contra COVID-19. Sin embargo, esto no parece ser asi en Nigeria, ya que se dice que los trabajadores sociales estan involucrados de manera suboptima. A traves de entrevistas telefonicas, se recabaron las opiniones de seis trabajadores de la salud y seis trabajadores sociales sobre la inclusion y los esfuerzos de los trabajadores sociales nigerianos para contribuir a las intervenciones de COVID-19. Despues de un analisis tematico de datos, los resultados muestran que los trabajadores sociales estan ausentes en el proceso de intervencion, especial- mente en la primera linea. Por lo tanto, este articulo recomienda la necesidad de una participacion activa de los trabajadores sociales en los problemas de salud publica en Nigeria, ya que sus funciones seran relevantes para complementar los esfuerzos de los trabajadores de la salud en general. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
In their response to the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in China, Chinese social workers were able to take their place on the international stage and share their experiences and knowledge with the rest of the world. Thus, we aim to examine the experiences of social workers during the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in China to promote public health. Based on a quasi-scoping review of articles on social work practice during the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in China, this reflective article elucidates how social workers contributed in different roles and focuses over three stages. Three suggestions are also made in terms of confronting the challenges arising in each stage: increase the independence and visibility of social work in the system, prioritise practice and flexibility over rigid procedures and increase professional collaborations and do away with disputes around the provision of community and public health social work services. Social workers contributed significantly to the promotion of public and community health during the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in China. Based on a quasi-scoping review of articles on social work practice during that outbreak, this reflective article elucidates how social workers contributed in three chronological stages. In the early stage (late January and February 2020), social workers provided community services offered as part of the governmental structure (moderate information and resource provision);in the middle stage (March 2020), social workers provided services to vulnerable groups alongside supporting the quarantine strategy;and in the late stage (April 2020 onwards), their services were focused on recuperation and recovery after the national lockdown was lifted. In the meanwhile, several issues for public and community health social work as a profession in terms of how it was able to support anti-COVID-19 practices became clear, including a lack of independence and stability, the need for better flexibility and greater ability to act pragmatically and lack of professional agreement. This article aims to enlighten the development of a (re)emerging field-public health and community health social work in China in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
ABSTRACT
In low-income countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)—where data is scarce and national statistics offices often under-resourced—aggregated and anonymised mobile operators’ data can provide vital insights for decision-makers to promptly respond to both prevailing and new pandemics, such as COVID-19. Yet, while research on possible applications of mobile big data (MBD) analytics for COVID-19 is growing, there is still little evidence on how such use cases are actually being adopted by governmental authorities and how MBD insights can effectively be turned into informed public health actions in times of crises. This four-part commentary paper aims to bridge such literature gaps, by sharing lessons learnt from the DRC, whereby Congolese public health authorities, through a steep learning curve, have initiated a public–private sector dialogue with local mobile network operators (MNOs) and their ecosystem partners to leverage population mobility insights for COVID-19 policy-making. After having set the scene on the policy relevance of MBD analytics in the context of the DRC in the first section, the paper will then detail four key enablers that contributed, since March 2020, to accelerate Congolese authorities’ uptake of MBD, thus effectively increasing preparedness for future pandemics. Thirdly, we showcase concreate use-cases where “readiness-to-use” has actually translated into actual “usage” and “adoption” for decision-making, while introducing other use cases currently under development. Finally, we explore challenges when harnessing telco big data for decision-making with the ultimate aim to share lessons to replicate the successes and steer the development of MBD for social good in other low-income countries.
ABSTRACT
One of the social groups particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic is people experiencing homelessness, as they are especially vulnerable to infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Still, the pandemic also drastically affected their livelihoods, as parts of municipal emergency assistance services have broken away. This article aims to highlight emergency responses of the Berlin Senate to people experiencing homelessness regarding COVID-19. The Senate is responding to the issue, among other things, by expanding and refiguring the existing contingent of shelters run by municipal emergency assistance services, preventing transmission of COVID-19 and treating those infected, and establishing mechanisms of tenant protection. The paper discusses to what extent Senate measures and interventions at the onset of the pandemic can address the emergent need for homeless assistance services in Berlin. © 2021, Insitute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.