Modelling Impact of High-Rise, High-Density Built Environment on COVID-19 Risks: Empirical Results from a Case Study of Two Chinese Cities.

Characteristics of the urban environment (e.g., building density and road network) can influence the spread and transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) within cities, especially in high-density high-rise built environments. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the key attributes of high-density high-rise built environments to enhance modelling of the spread of COVID-19. To this end, case studies for testing attributes for modelling development were performed in two densely populated Chinese cities with high-rise, high-density built environments (Hong Kong and Shanghai).The investigated urban environmental features included 2D and 3D urban morphological indices (e.g., sky view factor, floor area ratio, frontal area density, height to width ratio, and building coverage ratio), socioeconomic and demographic attributes (e.g., population), and public service points-of-interest (e.g., bus stations and clinics). The modelling effects of 3D urban morphological features on the infection rate are notable in urban communities. As the spatial scale becomes larger, the modelling effect of 2D built environment factors (e.g., building coverage ratio) on the infection rate becomes more notable. The influence of several key factors (e.g., the building coverage ratio and population density) at different scales can be considered when modelling the infection risk in urban communities. The findings of this study clarify how attributes of built environments can be applied to predict the spread of infectious diseases. This knowledge can be used to develop effective planning strategies to prevent and control epidemics and ensure healthy cities.

Long-term effects of disaster exposure on health care workers’ resilience: A comparison of the Wenchuan earthquake-exposed and unexposed groups

Background Resilience is an important trait of health care workers (HCWs), especially those who are exposed to disasters and disaster rescue efforts. However, few studies have examined the long-term impact of disaster exposure on HCWs’ resilience. Objectives This study aimed to compare the resilience of HCWs exposed to the Wenchuan earthquake to those who were not exposed 11 years after the earthquake. Additionally, it aimed to examine the effect of HCWs’ workplaces, individual sociodemographic factors and post-trauma growth on their resilience. Methods A cross-sectional self-administrated survey was used. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC25) was used to measure resilience. Sociodemographic factors were evaluated using descriptive statistical analyses and the relationship between resilience and exposure to the Wenchuan earthquake was assessed using multilevel regression analysis. Results Both exposed and unexposed HCWs reported low levels of resilience. Disaster exposure was not significantly associated with their resilience 11 years post-earthquake. Participants who worked in larger hospitals reported a higher level of resilience. Females and those with higher educational levels, longer service length or higher post-trauma growth scores had significantly increased resilience across different regression models. Conclusions The findings suggest the need for resilience interventions for all HCWs in disaster-prone areas, especially in the case of junior HCWs with lower educational levels working in small hospitals. Further research is warranted to identify optimal strategies to build and advance HCWs’ resilience and sustain their mental health when responding to disasters.

An illumination of the ICN's core competencies in disaster nursing version 2.0: Advanced nursing response to COVID-19 outbreak in China.

AIM: This study aims to report on the actions and incident management of the advanced practice nurses of a disaster operation team who were deployed in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and to explore how it illustrated the Core Competencies in Disaster Nursing Version 2.0 delineated by the International Council of Nurses in 2019. METHODS: This is a descriptive study. The participants (responders) communicated and reported their actions in the operation with headquarter on a popular social media platform in China (WeChat), established specifically for the three-rescue teams. RESULTS: The response approach of advanced nurses to COVID-19 encompassed six of the eight domains of the competencies outlined in ICN CCDN V2.0, namely on preparation and planning, communication, incident management systems, safety and security, assessment and intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The response teams of advanced practice nurses in this study clearly demonstrated their competencies in disaster rescue, which fulfilled most of the core competencies set forth by the ICN. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The findings of this study contributed to understand the roles played by advanced practice nurses and nurse managers in disaster management and how these relate to the competencies set forth by the ICN.