Medical capacity investment for epidemic disease: The effects of policymaker's confidence and public trust.

Due to the server bed shortage, which has raised ethical dilemmas in the earliest days of the COVID-19 crisis, medical capacity investment has become a vital decision-making issue in the attempt to contain the epidemic. Furthermore, economic strength has failed to explain the significant performance difference across countries in combatting COVID-19. Unlike common diseases, epidemic diseases add substantial unpredictability, complexity, and uncertainty to decision-making. Knowledge miscalibration on epidemiological uncertainties by policymaker's over- and underconfidence can seriously impact policymaking. Ineffective risk communication may lead to conflicting and incoherent information transmission. As a result, public reactions and attitudes could be influenced by policymakers' confidence due to the level of public trust, which eventually affects the degree to which an epidemic spreads. To uncover the impacts of policymakers' confidence and public trust on the medical capacity investment, we establish epidemic diffusion models to characterize how transmission evolves with (and without) vaccination and frame the capacity investment problem as a newsvendor problem. Our results show that if the public fully trusts the public health experts, the policymaker's behavioral bias is always harmful, but its effect on cost increment is marginal. If a policymaker's behavior induces public reactions due to public trust, both the spread of the epidemic and the overall performance will be significantly affected, but such impacts are not always harmful. Decision bias may be beneficial when policymakers are pessimistic or highly overconfident. Having an opportunity to amend initially biased decisions can debias a particular topic but has a limited cost-saving effect.

Compliance with Home Confinement to M itigate the Spread of SARS-CoV-2: Analysisfor Latin American Countries

This research evaluated some factors that could affect compliance with home confinement during the covid-19 pandemic by citizens of Latin American countries. Data from 229 days was used counted from the first confirmed infection in the region related to mobility, the interest of people in learning about issues related to the new coronavirus, the rigor of the policies that restricted the movement of people, the trust of citizens towards their governments, unemployment and deaths from covid-19. He estimated a model with panel data for twelve Latin American countries from them. The main results suggest that a greater rigor of governments, a good level of trust towards them, and an increase in unemployment were associated with greater compliance with home confinement to mitigate the pandemic's effects.

Zimbabwe's Covid-19 response: Insights for post-pandemic responsible management and reinvigorating public trust

One of the critical challenges confronting the Government of Zimbabwe in disaster management is the dearth of public trust. Public trust is an indispensable governance component as it promotes public participation and support. It is even more important in times of crises where cooperative, collaborative and comprehensive approaches are required. The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 30 January 2020, is a classic example of a wicked problem that requires public trust in containing it. In Zimbabwe, the government declared the pandemic a national disaster on 17 March 2020;thereafter, it adopted and administered different policy instruments ranging from sermons to sticks to contain the pandemic. Using desktop and secondary data, this chapter argues that the lack of public trust significantly hampered the Government of Zimbabwe's response to the pandemic. Rather than building back the lost public trust, factors such as lack of transparency and accountability, incapacitation, unethical conduct, a heavy-handed approach and lack of meaningful government support further broke the already fragile social contract and public trust. The chapter recommends the need for the strengthening of transparency, accountability, public engagement and effective communication as important strategies for rebuilding public trust. © 2022 Kemi Ogunyemi and Adaora I. Onaga. All rights reserved.

Misinformation and the Paradox of Trust during the covid-19 pandemic in the U.S.: pathways to Risk perception and compliance behaviors

As declared "infodemic” by the World Health Organization, the proliferation of Covid-19 misinformation has posed a significant challenge to public health efforts to tackle the pandemic. Despite initial evidence on the association between misinformation and behavior, researchers have yet to fully identify intervening variables to account for the behavioral effects of Covid-19 misinformation. To address this question, this study aims to examine whether and how consuming misinformation would predict public trust in health and political institutions, and in turn, shape risk perception and adherence to preventive behaviors. We conducted a web-based survey using a nationally representative sample of 1,400 U.S. adults in October 2020. We found that Covid-19 misinformation exposure was linked to lower trust in public health experts but higher trust in government, which led to a decrease in the perceived severity of Covid-19 and less compliance with public health guidance. Our findings uncover the complex social and psychological processes by which misinformation consumption undermines public health efforts during the pandemic crisis. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Understanding and addressing populations whose prior experience has led to mistrust in healthcare.

BACKGROUND: Policy makers need to maintain public trust in healthcare systems in order to foster citizen engagement in recommended behaviors and treatments. The importance of such commitment has been highlighted by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Central to public trust is the extent of the accountability of health authorities held responsible for long-term effects of past treatments. This paper addresses the topic of manifestations of trust among patients damaged by radiation treatments for ringworm. METHODS: For this mixed-methods case study (quan/qual), we sampled 600 files of Israeli patients submitting claims to the National Center for Compensation of Scalp Ringworm Victims in the years 1995-2014, following damage from radiation treatments received between 1946 and 1960 in Israel and/or abroad. Qualitative data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, and correlations were analyzed with chi-square tests. Verbal data were analyzed by the use of systematic content analysis. RESULTS: Among 527 patients whose files were included in the final analysis, 42% held authorities responsible. Assigning responsibility to authorities was more prevalent among claimants born in Israel than among those born and treated abroad (χ2 = 6.613, df = 1, p = 0.01), claimants reporting trauma (χ2 = 4.864, df = 1, p = 0.027), and claimants living in central cities compared with those in suburban areas (χ2 = 18.859, df = 6, p < 0.01). Men, younger claimants, patients with a psychiatric diagnosis, and patients from minority populations expressed mistrust in health regulators. CONCLUSIONS: Examining populations' perceived trust in healthcare institutions and tailoring health messages to vulnerable populations can promote public trust in healthcare systems.

Rational Discourse on Virology and Pandemics.

A group of 156 virologists, including American Society of Microbiology journal editors-in-chief, has recently published across three ASM journals a "call for rational discourse" on such important topics as the origin of SARS-CoV-2 and gain of function research (e.g., F. Goodrum et al., mBio 14:e0018823, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.00188-23). Here, I answer the call, arguing that the origin of SARS-CoV-2 is unknown; that continued premature downplaying of a possible laboratory origin, now accompanied by a denial that this was ever so dismissed, undermines public trust in science; and that the benefits from risky gain-of-function research-of-concern are fewer than Goodrum et al. imply.

Governing the pandemic: The politics of navigating a mega-crisis

This open access book offers unique insights into how governments and governing systems, particularly in advanced economies, have responded to the immense challenges of managing the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing disease COVID-19. Written by three eminent scholars in the field of the politics and policy of crisis management, it offers a unique 'bird's eye' view of the immense logistical and political challenges of addressing a worst-case scenario that would prove the ultimate stress test for societies, governments, governing institutions and political leaders. It examines how governments and governing systems have (i) made sense of emerging transboundary threats that have spilled across health, economic, political and social systems (ii) mobilised systems of governance and often fearful and sceptical citizens (iii) crafted narratives amid high uncertainty about the virus and its impact and (iv) are working towards closure and a return to 'normal' when things can never quite be the same again. The book also offers the building blocks of pathways to future resilience. Succeeding and failing in all these realms is tied in with governance structures, experts, trust, leadership capabilities and political ideologies. The book appeals to anyone seeking to understand 'what's going on?', but particularly academics and students across multiple disciplines, journalists, public officials, politicians, non-governmental organisations and citizen groups. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2021. All rights reserved.

Trust and Regulation: Assuring Scientific Independence in the FDA's Emergency Use Authorization Process.

Since 2004, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has had the authority to allow access to unapproved medical products via the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) pathway during times of emergency. It was rarely used until the COVID-19 pandemic, when concerns arose regarding the role of political pressure in the FDA's issuance of some EUAs, such as for hydroxychloroquine. Although US government officials should be responsive to the public, democratic accountability must be balanced against the need for thoughtful science-based decisionmaking. Inadequate agency independence can diminish public confidence in government leaders and the FDA. To consider whether reform of the EUA process might be appropriate, we considered three possible sources of inspiration for balancing independence and accountability in government scientific decisionmaking: models in other countries, in other U.S. agencies, and within the FDA itself. Strategies used in these settings include: (1) expanding the role of advisory committees, (2) increasing transparency of the agency's decisionmaking process and supporting rationale, and (3) improving management of internal agency disagreement. Such reforms could improve public trust in public health regulation both related to and separate from future emergencies.

A Game-Theory-Based Approach to Promoting Health Policy among Minorities.

The importance of designing policy measures that government and other public bodies apply to different populations has been escalating in recent decades. This study seeks the best way to induce conservative minority groups to cooperate with healthcare policy. The case study focuses on the Bedouin population of Israel and its willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccination. The study is based on vaccination data from the Israel Ministry of Health for the country's entire Bedouin population, twenty-four semi-structured in-depth interviews with relevant key stakeholders, and the use of game-theory tools to profile the players, the utility functions, and various equilibrium combinations. By comparing the groups and integrating game-theory tools into the process, we reveal variables that may affect healthcare processes among conservative minority communities. Finally, cross-tabulating the results with the interview findings strengthens the insights and allows a culturally adjusted policy to be adopted. The different starting points of different minority populations have implications for the design of requisite policies in both the short and the long terms. The analysis of the game allowed us to indicate the strategy that policymakers should adopt in consideration of variables that should be taken into account in order to improve cooperation and the ability to apply policy. To increase vaccination rates among conservative minority communities in general and the Bedouin population in particular, trust in the government must be increased in the long term. In the short term, trust in the medical profession must be increased, and also health literacy.

Science communication and public trust in science

There are many ways that trust plays a crucial role in science, both between researchers and between researchers and various communities impacted by their research. Scientific practices can operate in ways that either facilitate, or undermine, trust in science. This contribution will examine the role of science communication in facilitating (or undermining) public trust in science and science-based policy recommendations. This will be done by looking at some potential failures in the public communication of science during the COVID-19 pandemic that have the potential to undermine trust in scientists. Finally, I draw out lessons that this case has for how we might improve science communication practices. © 2022 Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining Published by Taylor & Francis on behalf of the Institute.

'We were the Guinea pigs': Police uncertainty enforcing coronavirus regulations in the UK

The regulations introduced under the UK's Coronavirus Act 2020 to help curb the spread of COVID-19 caused considerable confusion due to conflation between what was regarded as 'guidance' and what was 'law'. The fast-paced nature of the pandemic meant that restrictions on public liberty and increased police powers to enforce the new 'rules' led to accusations of over-zealous enforcement behaviour of some officers, including a record number of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) issued. This paper explores the experiences of police officers in a range of English police forces, using 28 h of qualitative interview data at two research points in time (2020 and 2022). The extracts presented here illustrate some of the challenges that officers faced enforcing the frequently changing rules and regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.

COVID-19 Vaccination: Willingness and practice in Bangladesh.

Motivation: Mass adult immunization for COVID-19, coupled with the urgency, is a challenge for any lower-middle-income country (LMIC) like Bangladesh. Our analysis focuses on demand-side constraints early in the vaccination campaign to help gauge vaccine acceptability and potential contributing factors. Identifying registration and compliance challenges early on will help ensure a seamless immunization programme. Purpose: We seek to identify subgroups who may need specific interventions by comparing willingness to be vaccinated and registration behaviour, and to understand how actual registration and take-up decisions compare between rural and urban slum regions. Approach and Methods: We use data from three surveys conducted between late January and early September 2021. The article includes a nationally representative survey on vaccine acceptability and a study on vaccination rollout behaviour in rural and urban slums. Findings: Willingness was not an issue in Bangladesh, but the weak link was getting individuals to register. Once they did, compliance was very high. When the information gap regarding registration was addressed by campaigning, registration and take-up increased. Confidence in public service delivery influenced favourable responses to mass immunization efforts. Women were falling behind initially in terms of both registration knowledge and completion. Online registration needed to be complemented with alternatives. Social networking was a vital source of information and encouragement. Policy implications: Communication strategies are necessary to inform the public at an early stage, which should provide information about registration eligibility and detailed registration instructions. Ensuring and sustaining service quality will also be beneficial. In LMICs like Bangladesh, low-tech intensive registration methods are required. Information campaigns about the registration procedure should specifically target rural communities and women. Community-based mechanisms may reduce transaction costs and increase confidence.

Public conformism with health regulation is crumbling as COVID-19 becomes a chronic threat: Repeated Cross-sectional Studies.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to analyze the long terms trends in public attitudes toward the COVID-19 pandemic and compliance with self-quarantine regulations. METHODS: Repeated cross-sectional studies looking into data collected from nationally representative samples (N = 2568) of the adult population in Israel at five points in time representing the five morbidity waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined public trust in Israeli health regulations, levels of public panic, feelings of personal worry, and compliance with health regulations, specifically self-quarantine. RESULTS: Public trust in health regulations in January 2022 is at an all-time low (25%) compared to the maximum value of nearly 75% measured in March 2020. While reported worry is steadily reducing, the perception of public panic is increasing. In earlier rounds, public compliance with self-quarantine was reported close to 100%; however, it has dropped to 38% by January 2022 when compensation is not assumed. Regression analysis suggests that trust is a major predictor of compliance with health regulations. CONCLUSIONS: The "fifth wave" of the COVID-19 pandemic brought about an all-time low in public trust in health regulations. The Israeli public, normally a highly compliant one, is showing signs of crumbling conformity.

Americans' Trust in Government and Health Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The importance of trust in government amid health emergencies has become apparent, especially given its impact on health behavior. Yet scholars often treat trust simplistically, measuring it at one point in time and in a unidimensional way. We use a unique series of surveys carried out during the first year of the pandemic to examine changing trust in different government actors over time and then link relative trust to compliance with expert-recommended health behaviors. We find that trust in government declined during this period, with especially large declines for federal and state relative to local government. We find somewhat steeper declines among women, Black Americans, the less educated, and Republicans. Finally, we find that trust in state governments and local health officials was positively associated with protective health behaviors, especially among Republicans, and that trust in the federal government was associated with a lower likelihood of such behaviors.

Public trust, preparedness, and the influencing factors regarding COVID-19 pandemic situation in Iran: A population-based cross-sectional study

Introduction: Preparedness a social behavior with public trust the prerequisite for proper social functioning can reduce disaster sufferings. The aim of this study was to determine the public trust, preparedness, and the influencing factors regarding the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Iran. Methods: This online cross-sectional study conducted on Tehran residents (>= 18 years) during the fifth epidemic wave. The tool designed to assess the intention to prepare, public trust, and the subscales. T-test used to compare the means and linear regression to determine the factors influencing on the outcomes. Results: About 26.5% of 407 participants (mean age standard deviation: 40.8 (12.8) years) showed low trust. The mean levels of total trust (P = 0.011), general trust (P = 0.048), and trust to managing authorities (P = 0.018) were significantly lower in men. Adjusted to confounding variables, total trust was lower in men (ss = -3.8, P = 0.01) and less educated (ss = -6.48, P = 0.02) but higher in high-income (ss = 5.7, P = 0.02) people. Only 20% of people were highly prepared. Intention to prepare was higher in families having the elderly (ss = 5.72.8, P = 0.048). Conclusion: Low trust in the managing authorities and their provided information tend to less considering health and preparedness measures in society.

Public trust of physicians in China improved since the COVID-19 pandemic Began.

RATIONALE: Public trust in physicians had declined in China for decades before the COVID-19 pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, frontline physicians have experienced high work volume despite a high risk of COVID-19 infection. The willingness of physicians to treat COVID patients with a high risk of exposure to the infection may have improved public trust in physicians. OBJECTIVE: This study analyzes how public trust in physicians has changed since the pandemic started using a nationally representative survey. METHODS: We used the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), with 179,123 respondents 10 years or older who were eligible to answer the question on public trust in physicians from 2012 to 2020. Public trust has been measured by an 11-point Likert scale. A quasi pre-post study design using a segmented regression impact model was used to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public trust in physicians. RESULTS: At the start of the observation period, the average public trust score was 6.86 out of 10.00. The immediate unadjusted change of mean score for public trust during COVID-19 was significantly higher (Coef. = 0.361; 95% CI = 0.359, 0.364). Moreover, a significant increase in the unadjusted trend during the COVID-19 pandemic was observed in the mean score for public trust (Coef. = 0.005; 95% CI = 0.004, 0.006). The results were similar to the estimates obtained when we adjusted for demographic characteristics and health status. CONCLUSIONS: The mean score for public trust increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study provides a new perspective on restoring public trust in physicians, a significant concern of the Chinese healthcare system. During the COVID-19 pandemic, social and mainstream media helped to establish the "good doctor" image, which may have improved patients' trust in physicians. Improving health literacy through effective communication and education may help increase public trust in physicians.

Growing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: The interplay among transformational leadership in government, public trust, and posttraumatic growth

Individuals may experience positive changes or gain growths after struggling with traumas or challenging circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess potential levels of posttraumatic growth (PTG) of the general public during the COVID-19 pandemic and PTG's associations with perceptions of transformational leadership in local government and public trust. The data of a probability sample of 1011 community-dwelling adults (61.2% females;Mean age = 41.2 years, SD = 15.8) in Macao, China, were collected via a telephone poll survey. Multiple regression analyses were conducted and a bootstrapping approach was utilized to test the hypothesized moderating effects and mediating effects of trust in local government on the association between perceived transformational leadership and PTG, respectively. Results showed that about half of the respondents reported at least a medium level of PTG. Whereas perceived transformational leadership in the Macao local government was positively associated with four individual aspects of PTG (i.e., appreciation of life, new possibilities, personal strength, and relating to others) as well as the overall PTG, while controlling for the demographic variables, trust in the local government showed no moderating or mediating effects in these associations. Our findings suggest the value of governments' transformational leadership in promoting people's PTG in the face of public crises such as COVID-19. More transformational leadership behaviors, such as attending to citizens' personal needs and conveying an inspirational vision, in government are called for to bring about greater positive responses from individuals and ensure social vitality and resilience during this long-term public health battle. © The Author(s) 2023.

Science communication and public trust in science

There are many ways that trust plays a crucial role in science, both between researchers and between researchers and various communities impacted by their research. Scientific practices can operate in ways that either facilitate, or undermine, trust in science. This contribution will examine the role of science communication in facilitating (or undermining) public trust in science and science-based policy recommendations. This will be done by looking at some potential failures in the public communication of science during the COVID-19 pandemic that have the potential to undermine trust in scientists. Finally, I draw out lessons that this case has for how we might improve science communication practices. [ FROM AUTHOR]