Analysis of the Mexican communication plan to control the Covid-19 epidemic

This chapter uses discourse analysis to study the statements made by two main players of the Mexican government: President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Hugo López-Gatell, the Undersecretary for Health Prevention and Promotion. This analysis also discusses the ¡Quédate en casa! audiovisual advertisement campaign and its main character: the heroine SuSana Distancia. It suggests that the government's advertisement campaigns failed to promote the importance of health care and joint responsibility among the community;this is reflected in the number of people infected and deaths in Mexico. This study is made up of six parts: the first introduces the importance of a strategic communication plan;the second discusses the frame of reference;the third describes the analysis method and the corpus study configuration;the fourth includes the results;the fifth ponders the analysis;and the sixth includes the conclusions. The main findings are that the Mexican government never had the intention of promoting the use of masks as an essential measure. Two spots taught the population how to wear a mask;however, the discourse of both the Undersecretary and the President was that wearing a mask was not an essential measure to control infections. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023. All rights reserved.

Invited discussant comments during the UCL-Penn Global COVID Study webinar 'Alone Together: Loneliness Research and Social Health Innovation in Lockdown and Beyond'.

The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has influenced people's social relationships around the world in surprising ways. It has also underscored the importance of and accelerated innovation in solutions for social isolation and loneliness. This commentary offers takeaways from emerging research findings and a wide lens on the societal movement underway to create more socially connected communities.

Investigating the Effects of COVID-19 Prevalence on Demographic Variables and Its Relationship With Social Participation

Background: Because COVID-19 has become a pandemic, public health measures to cut off human-to-human transmission may include quarantine and social isolation. This study aims to demonstrate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on demographic variables and their relationship to the level of social participation during the pandemic. Materials and Methods: In June 2020, the community integration questionnaire (CIQ) was transcribed along with the required demographic information on a web-based platform. A total of 461 people (Mean±SD age: 36.86±5.8 years) completed the questionnaire in a cross-sectional study. The effects of COVID-19 on social interaction were then calculated by analyzing the community integration questionnaire scores before and after the outbreak of COVID-19 and the data were analyzed using the SPSS software, version 26. Results: Quarantine measures had the most damage in the reference group (participants under 24 years old) (P<0.001) compared to before the COVID-19 outbreak. Except for participation in productive activities (compared to the elderly) (P<0.001), in all cases and among all age groups, integration and the total score of the questionnaire decreased. Conclusion: Psychosocial stress and reduced participation in social and life spheres are the results of quarantine measures and social distancing. Meanwhile, the participation rate of the under 24 years old age group significantly decreased in all areas. Following that, the older age group had a significant decrease in social participation. The results of this study can be used to prioritize the vaccination of different people in the community according to the amount of damage caused by COVID-19. © 2023, Negah Institute for Scientific Communication. All rights reserved.

A sketch of the problem

In 2019, the world changed in significant ways. The emergence and spread of the virus SARS-CoV-2, more commonly known as COVID-19 to note the year of its development into a pandemic, altered social and economic conditions everywhere. All nations of the world had to contend with the virus and its effects. This chapter draws on ecological systems theory to highlight the ways in which various systems were able to/unable to address children and adolescents' social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs during the pandemic. It lays out the assumptions that underlie ecological systems theory, a developmental theory that explores human development as the result of interacting and intertwined ecological contexts. The chapter provides an illustration of how the social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs of children and adolescents have been and continue to be shaped by interactions across these various ecological contexts. It considers next steps and outlines how research, policy, and practice might take up ecological systems theory in seeking to address the persistent and pervasive problems of children and adolescents' well-being in the context of intertwined and overlapping systems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Lessons from COVID-19: Improving Social Health to Build Community Resilience

Research from the pandemic and previous emergency situations has demonstrated the value of strong social ties for community resilience. Yet social isolation and loneliness are common among older adults, who may be especially vulnerable when disaster strikes. This article recommends ways to improve social health proactively and preventively so that communities are better prepared for climate change. Specific suggestions for federal policymakers, city officials, community-based organizations, and individual citizens are provided.

Focus on Liability of Residences for Elderly and Sick People: A Case Series and Medico-Legal Issues.

Residences for elderly and sick people, self-sufficient or dependent, are varied. To date, the liability profiles of these structures are not clearly delineated, and increasingly often, their operating and organization criteria are entrusted to subnational, regional, or local regulations. Among the various deficits, there is the keeping of a complete and detailed documentation/diary of the patient, the lack of which can generate medico-legal problems. In this paper, we present three cases of guests in residences for a dependent person brought to the attention of the Institute of Forensic Medicine of the University Hospital of Palermo due to criminal proceedings, where the lack of existing documentation in the structure and, in some cases, the behavior of the professionals working there, led the evaluator to deduce the organization's culpability.

Hygieia model: development of a three-dimensional model for the standardized analysis of infection control protocols.

Aim: Until now, there have been no standardized guidelines for the content of infection control protocols. The aim of this research project is therefore to develop a standardized model for the evaluation and analysis of three dimensions: setting, protection targets, and precautions. Subject and methods: Events are part of social life and, as such, have a direct or indirect impact on the physical, mental, and social health of all involved groups (employees, artists, subcontractors, visitors, etc.). Valid infection control protocols for events must reduce the risk of infection in general, not only in a pandemic. A range of handouts and recommendations are available, mostly focusing on the visitors.For the present study, a total of 46 infection control protocols for events, hosted in the period between 2020 and 2021 in Germany, were analyzed from June to December 2021. The infection control protocols provide what was needed to realize events. Results: For the first time, a standardized model, called the Hygieia model, is presented for the evaluation and analysis of three dimensions: setting, protection targets of the involved groups, and precautions. Taking all three dimensions into account enables the assessment of existing pandemic safety protocols as well as the development of valid protocols in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. Conclusion: The Hygieia model can be used for risk assessment of events from conferences to concerts, especially for infection prevention under pandemic conditions.

Why healthcare managers should understand and apply the world of VUCA?

Today, amid a global pandemic, the world is changing rapidly. This bought a sense of urgency to adopt this change for the sustainability of both individual and corporate existence. The name given to the future world on the brink of this change and transformation is VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity). COVID-19 pandemic exposed leadership teams to novel challenges that required many changes to their practices. This has been the most volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) times in healthcare. VUCA software technologies that connect different geographies of the world over the Internet have provided institutions with standardization, harmonization, and acceleration. Understanding the VUCA world, adapting to it, focusing on the opportunities rather than the challenges it brings are the basis of sustainability. In order to increase or maintain the level of development of the countries, it is possible with the health institutions to provide a quality service and the development of standardization based on the VUCA approach. This global pandemic has clearly affected healthcare systems and workers throughout the world, with many worse affected than others. This chapter aimed to give information about the importance of why health managers should provide services based on the VUCA approach. © 2022 by Sema Ustgorul. All rights reserved.

Understanding the Relationship Between Social Risk Factors and COVID-19 Contacts.

Introduction Social risks are associated with increased risk of COVID-19 transmission by limiting patients' ability to practice precautions and access care. Researchers need to understand the prevalence of patients' social risk factors during the pandemic and recognize how social risks may exacerbate COVID-19. Methods The authors conducted a national survey among Kaiser Permanente members between January and September 2020 and restricted analyses to those who responded to a set of COVID-19 items. The survey asked if they experienced social risks, knew of people with COVID-19, and if COVID-19 affected their emotional and mental health, and their preferred type of assistance. Results Social risks were reported by 62% of respondents, with 38% reporting having 2 or more social risks. Respondents most commonly reported financial strain (45%). One or more contact types with COVID-19 were reported by one-third of the respondents. Those with 2 or more COVID-19 contact types reported higher housing instability, financial strain, food insecurity, and social isolation than those with fewer contacts. Overall, 50% of respondents reported that COVID-19 negatively affected their emotional, mental health, and 19% noted that it affected their ability to maintain a job. Discussion People with any COVID-19 contacts reported more social risks compared to those who did not know anyone with COVID-19. This suggests that those with higher social risks during this time may have faced higher risk for COVID-19, or the converse may be true. Conclusion These findings highlight patients' social health during the pandemic and suggest that health systems develop interventions to assess social health and link patients to appropriate resources.

Social Risks, Social Needs, and Attitudes Toward Social Health Screening 1 Year Into the COVID-19 Pandemic: Survey of Adults in an Integrated Health Care Delivery System.

Introduction Information about demographic differences in social risks, needs, and attitudes toward social health screening in non-highly vulnerable adult populations is lacking. Methods The authors analyzed data for 2869 Kaiser Permanente Northern California non-Medicaid-covered members aged 35 to 85 who responded to a 2021 English-only mailed/online survey. The survey covered 7 social risk and 11 social needs domains and attitudes toward social health screening. The authors used data weighted to the Kaiser Permanente Northern California membership to estimate prevalence of risks, needs, and screening receptivity in the overall population, by race/ethnicity (White, Black, Latinx, Asian American/Pacific Islander) and age (35-65 years old, 66-85 years old). Multivariable regression was used to evaluate differences between groups. Results Overall, 26% of adults were financially strained, 12% food insecure, 12% housing insecure, and 5% transportation insecure. Additionally, 7%, 8%, and 17% had difficulty paying for utilities, medical expenses, and dental care, respectively. Over 40% of adults wanted help with ≥ 1 social need. Dental care, vision/hearing care, paying for medical expenses and utilities, and managing debt/credit card repayment surpassed food, housing, and transportation needs. Prevalence of social risks and needs was generally higher among middle-aged versus older and Black and Latinx versus White adults. Among the 70% of adults receptive to screening, 85% were willing to complete a questionnaire and 40% were willing to have staff ask questions; 18% did not want to be screened. Conclusion When implementing social health screening in diverse patient populations, the prevalence of social risks and needs, as well as the acceptability of social health screening and screening modalities, will vary among demographic subgroups.

The Frontlines and Margins: Gendered Care and Covid‐19 in the Indian Media

Among the many stories that emerged out of India during the pandemic, one was somewhat buried under the media discourse around the migrant crisis, lockdown regulations, and economic fallout. This was the story of striking accredited social health activist workers asking for fair wages, improved benefits, and better working conditions. The Covid‐19 crisis highlighted the poor health infrastructure and the precarious, and often, stigmatized nature of frontline work, managed at the community level by paramedical workers, a significant proportion of whom are women. There has been considerable attention paid by feminist groups as well as health‐related civil society organizations on the gender‐based inequities that have emerged during the pandemic, particularly in relation to care work. This study explores how care work performed by the accredited social health activists was framed in the mainstream media, through an examination of articles in three selected English daily newspapers over one year of the pandemic. Drawing on theoretical work deriving from similar health crises in other regions of the world, we explore how the public health infrastructure depends on the invisible care‐giving labor of women in official and unofficial capacities to respond to the situation. The systemic reliance on women's unpaid or ill‐paid labor at the grassroots level is belied by the fact that women's concerns and contributions are rarely visible in issues of policy and public administration. Our study found that this invisibility extended to media coverage as well. Our analysis offers a "political economy of caregiving” that reiterates the need for women's work to be recognized at all levels of functioning. © 2023 by the author(s);licensee Cogitatio (Lisbon, Portugal).

Identifying Optimal Locations for Potential Temporary Community Clinics During Public Health Emergencies.

OBJECTIVES: This article argues that community healthcare clinics managed by dedicated medical professionals who are familiar with the special needs of the local community may serve as effective alternatives to centralized hospitals and medical facilities, which may be disconnected from these local communities. BACKGROUND: The literature indicates that socioeconomic factors that affect an individual's ability to seek medical help when needed can cause vulnerability to public health emergencies. These factors include belonging to lower income populations, being African American, being dependent due to age (below 18 or above 65) or disability, being an immigrant, English-language ability, access to transportation means, and the strength of an individual's social network. METHOD: This study aims at developing a multifaceted methodology to identify optimal locations for deployment of temporary healthcare clinics to address health disparity issues among socially vulnerable populations, especially during pandemics and public health crises. This case study looks at the Health Enterprise Zone (HEZ) in Baltimore and ranks Census tracts based on their vulnerability, using two novel health vulnerability indices and considering their locations. RESULTS: Using the proposed methodology, the optimal tracts within the HEZ are identified as potential locations for deploying temporary healthcare clinics. CONCLUSION: The analysis of vulnerabilities to public health emergencies based on socioeconomic factors can assist in identifying potential locations for setting up temporary healthcare clinics with the goal of assisting socially vulnerable populations during outbreaks and pandemics.

Impact Of The Covid 19 Pandemic On Pregnant Women And The Fetus

The Covid-19 pandemic affects maternal health both directly and indirectly, and direct and indirect effects are intertwined. To provide a comprehensive overview on this broad topic in a rapid format behooving an emergent pandemic we conducted a scoping review. Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved.

Expanding Roles of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) in the 2019 Hepatitis E Outbreak in a Peri-urban Slum, Nagpur, India.

OBJECTIVE: Due to constraints in the dedicated health work force, outbreaks in peri-urban slums are often reported late. This study explores the feasibility of deploying Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) in outbreak investigation and understand the extent to which this activity gives a balanced platform to fulfil their roles during public health emergencies to reduce its impact and improve mitigation measures. METHODS: Activities of ASHAs involved in the hepatitis E outbreak were reviewed from various registers maintained at the subcenter. Also, various challenges perceived by ASHAs were explored through focus group discussion (FGD). During March to May 2019, 13 ASHAs involved in the hepatitis outbreak investigation and control efforts in a peri-urban slum of Nagpur with population of around 9000. In total, 192 suspected hepatitis E cases reported. RESULTS: During the outbreak, ASHAs performed multiple roles comprising house-to-house search of suspected cases, escorting suspects to confirm diagnosis and referral, community mobilization for out-reach investigation camps, risk communication to vulnerable, etc. During the activity, ASHAs faced challenges such as constraints in the logistics, compromise in other health-related activities, and challenges in sustaining behavior of the community. CONCLUSIONS: It is feasible to implement the investigation of outbreaks through ASHAs. Despite challenges, they are willing to participate in these activities as it gave them an opportunity to fulfil the role as an activist, link worker, as well as a community interface.

Impact Of The Covid 19 Pandemic On Pregnant Women And The Fetus

The Covid-19 pandemic affects maternal health both directly and indirectly, and direct and indirect effects are intertwined. To provide a comprehensive overview on this broad topic in a rapid format behooving an emergent pandemic we conducted a scoping review. Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved.

Urban park use and self-reported physical, mental, and social health during the COVID-19 pandemic: An on-site survey in Beijing, China.

The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges for people's health. Studies have demonstrated the positive impact of urban green spaces, particularly urban parks, on physical and mental health. However, few studies have evaluated social health, which is a component of human health, and more understanding of the relationship between urban parks and human health during the COVID-19 pandemic is required. This study examined the effects of urban parks on people's health using a canonical correlation model. Physical, mental, and social health were the dependent health variables, and five factors related to urban parks were the independent variables. This study investigated 22 urban parks inside the Forth Ring Road in Beijing, China using a questionnaire survey. The results demonstrated a positive association between urban parks and human health during the pandemic. Distance to the parks, park area, and park size were positively correlated with physical, mental, and social health. Furthermore, frequency and duration of visits to urban parks were positively associated with mental health and contact with neighbors. The health effects of urban park use varied with park types and locations' urbanization background. These findings can provide insights for health-oriented urban park planning and construction.

We are (not) in the same boat: Sociodemographic differences in mental and social health during the first year of coronavirus pandemic

The study explores changes in mental and social health over two time points during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as differences in mental and social health among five sociodemographic groups determined by gender, age, socioeconomic status, education and employment status. The online survey was conducted during August and September 2020, and again during January 2021 on a probabilistic sample of adults in Croatia. A total of 958 adults participated in both time points. Our results indicate that, when there are any, changes in mental health are small, while changes in social health are slightly larger. Moreover, the coronavirus pandemic seems to disproportionately affect different socioeconomic groups. Women, young adults, people with low socioeconomic status, with primary education and unemployed generally had worse mental health in the first year of the coronavirus pandemic. Also, some social health indicators deteriorated more among older participants, people with low socioeconomic status, primary education and unemployed. Future studies should continue to monitor changes in mental and social health and appropriate interventions for the most vulnerable should be planned and introduced. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Estimate People’s Willingness to Pay for the Use of Information and Communication Technology in Tackling with the Social Consequences of the Corona Pandemic

Aims: The spread of the Corona pandemic has affected the status of companies involved in information and communication technology. The need to use information technology tools to optimally manage the spread of the disease by identifying and controlling carriers and reducing physical contact has been highlighted. Information and communication technology offers a number of opportunities in emergencies for optimizing resource use, remote sensing, and reducing physical contact, which were also used in the Covid-19 virus outbreak crisis. Materials & Methods: In this study, a conditional logit model was used. The required information was collected through a field survey by completing a questionnaire from 384 respondents of Tehran citizens in 2021. Findings: Based on the information from the questionnaires filled out by individuals in the sample community in Tehran province in 2021, more than 75% of the respondents rated the use of cyberspace capabilities for encountering Corona disease as moderate and high. The result of estimating people’s willingness to pay for the feature of “use of information and communication technology” in the present study was five million and six hundred thousand Rial. Conclusion: Considering the capabilities of this technology and its position among the people, it is necessary to put on the agenda ICT penetration expansion and planning to make maximum use of its capabilities in similar pandemics and crises. © 2022, Tarbiat Modares University. All rights reserved.

Stronger association of perceived health with socio-economic inequality during COVID-19 pandemic than pre-pandemic era.

OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed peoples' routine of daily living and posed major risks to global health and economy. Few studies have examined differential impacts of economic factors on health during pandemic compared to pre-pandemic. We aimed to compare the strength of associations between perceived health and socioeconomic position (household income, educational attainment, and employment) estimated before and during the pandemic. METHODS: Two waves of nationwide survey [on 2018(T1;n = 1200) and 2021(T2;n = 1000)] were done for 2200 community adults. A balanced distribution of confounders (demographics and socioeconomic position) were achieved across the T2 and T1 by use of the inverse probability of treatment weighting. Distributions of perceived health [= (excellent or very good)/(bad, fair, or good)] for physical-mental-social-spiritual subdomains were compared between T1 and T2. Odds of bad/fair/good health for demographics and socioeconomic position were obtained by univariate logistic regression. Adjusted odds (aOR) of bad/fair/good health in lower household income(< 3000 U.S. dollars/month) were retrieved using the multiple hierarchical logistic regression models of T1 and T2. RESULTS: Perceived health of excellent/very good at T2 was higher than T1 for physical(T1 = 36.05%, T2 = 39.13%; P = 0.04), but were lower for mental(T1 = 38.71%, T2 = 35.17%; P = 0.01) and social(T1 = 42.48%, T2 = 35.17%; P < 0.001) subdomains. Odds of bad/fair/good health were significantly increased at T2 than T1 for household income (physical-mental-social; all Ps < 0.001) and educational attainment (social; P = 0.04) but not for employment (all Ps > 0.05). AORs of bad/fair/good health in lower household income were stronger in T2 than T1, for mental [aOR (95% CI) = 2.15(1.68-2.77) in T2, 1.33(1.06-1.68) in T1; aOR difference = 0.82(P < 0.001)], physical [aOR (95% CI) = 2.64(2.05-3.41) in T2, 1.50(1.18-1.90) in T1; aOR difference = 1.14(P < 0.001)] and social [aOR (95% CI) = 2.15(1.68-2.77) in T2, 1.33(1.06-1.68) in T1; aOR difference = 0.35(P = 0.049)] subdomains. CONCLUSIONS: Risks of perceived health worsening for mental and social subdomains in people with lower monthly household income or lower educational attainment became stronger during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to pre-pandemic era. In consideration of the prolonged pandemic as of mid-2022, policies aiming not only to sustain the monthly household income and compulsory education but also to actively enhance the perceived mental-social health status have to be executed and maintained.

Burnout and sleep quality among community health workers during the pandemic in selected city of Andhra Pradesh.

Background: This pandemic has resulted in physical and emotional exhaustion among everyone, especially among community healthcare workers (CHWs), resulting in increased burnout and poor sleep quality. This pandemic has increased responsibilities for Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers and Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) at the grassroots. Previous studies have shown that infectious diseases like SARS and MERS directly affect sleep. With the COVID-19 pandemic, burnout and poor sleep among healthcare workers are expected to increase. Aim: To determine the prevalence of burnout and sleep quality among community health workers. Settings: and Design: This Cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April 2020 in Urban Primary Health care centres of Guntur city, Andhra Pradesh. Methods and material: Copenhagen Burnout Inventory scale (CBI) with a 5-point Likert scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Questionnaire were used among four hundred and ten study participants. Descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test were used; a p-value of ≤0.05 is considered significant. Results: The prevalence of personal burnout was 16.8%, while work-related and pandemic-related burnouts were 10.5% and 25.4%, respectively. The prevalence of poor sleep quality was 35.09%. Fear of contracting the virus was present among 38.3%. Fear of infecting the family members because of their exposure was reported by 36.6% of the respondents; 71.7% and 79.3% reported receiving support from the organisation and colleagues, respectively. Conclusions: The provision of necessary equipment, regular check-ups and timely interventions will minimise the risk of stress and burnout.