Quantifying the economic impacts of COVID-19 policy responses on Canada's provinces in (almost) real time.

We develop a methodology to track and quantify the economic impacts of lockdown and reopening policies by Canadian provinces in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, using data that is available with a relatively short time lag. To do so, we adapt, calibrate and implement a dynamic, seasonally adjusted, input-output model with supply constraints. Our framework allows us to quantify potential scenarios that allow for dynamic complementarities between industries, seasonal fluctuations and changes in demand composition. Taking account of the observed variation in reopening strategies across provinces, we estimate the costs of the policy response in terms of lost hours of employment and production. Among other results, we show how a more aggressive response, even though it imposes higher economic costs in the short run, can lead to lower economic costs in the long run if it means avoiding future waves of lockdowns.

Quantification des impacts économiques des politiques associées à la COVID­19dans les provinces canadiennes en temps réel (ou presque). On développe une méthodologie pour identifier et quantifier les impacts économiques des mesures de confinement et des politiques de déconfinement dans chacune des provinces canadiennes en réponse à la pandémie de la COVID­19 en utilisant des données publiées avec un court décalage. Pour ce faire, on adapte, calibre et implémente un modèle d'entrées­sorties dynamique désaisonnalisé avec des contraintes au niveau de l'offre. Notre modèle nous permet de quantifier des scénarios potentiels qui incorporent les complémentarités dynamiques entre les industries, les fluctuations saisonnières et les changements dans la composition de la demande. En prenant en compte les variations observées dans les stratégies de déconfinement de chaque province, on estime les coûts des politiques en ce qui a trait aux pertes d'heures travaillées et de production. Parmi les autres résultats observés, on démontre qu'une réponse plus agressive, quoique plus coûteuse à court terme, peut mener à des coûts économiques moins élevés à long­terme si elle permet d'éviter des vagues de reconfinement.

Training healthcare workers increases IFA use and adherence: Evidence and cost-effectiveness analysis from Bangladesh.

Iron and folic acid (IFA) supplementation programmes are important for preventing and controlling anaemia among pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries. However, frontline health care workers often have limited capacity and knowledge, which can compromise such programmes' effectiveness. Between 2012 and 2014, Nutrition International and the Government of Bangladesh implemented a programme intended to increase IFA supplement consumption during pregnancy. The programme provided frontline health care workers with training on the benefits of IFA supplementation, the use of interpersonal communication and health promotion materials during antenatal care visits and health management information systems to track reported adherence to IFA supplementation. Using a quasi-experimental design, this study investigates the programme's effectiveness and cost-effectiveness at increasing IFA supplement consumption and adherence among pregnant women. The difference-in-differences regression analysis comparing outcomes in an intervention and comparison group concluded that the programme increased IFA consumption by an average of 45.05 supplements (P value = 0.018) and increased the share of women that reported adherence to a regime of at least 90 supplements by 40.35 percentage points (P value = 0.020). Knowledge of IFA supplement dosage and benefits also increased among frontline health care workers and pregnant women. The programme cost $47.11 USD (2018) per disability-adjusted life year averted, which is considered highly cost-effective when evaluated against several cost-effectiveness thresholds. This study suggests that the capacity building of frontline health care workers is an effective and cost-effective method of preventing and controlling anaemia among pregnant women in resource-constrained areas.

A randomized controlled trial to evaluate the Make Safe Happen® app-a mobile technology-based safety behavior change intervention for increasing parents' safety knowledge and actions.

BACKGROUND: Many unintentional injuries that occur in and around the home can be prevented through the use of safety equipment and by consistently following existing safety recommendations. Unfortunately, uptake of these safety behaviors is unacceptably low. This paper describes the design of the Make Safe Happen® smartphone application evaluation study, which aims to evaluate a mobile technology-based safety behavior change intervention on parents' safety knowledge and actions. METHODS: Make Safe Happen® app evaluation study is a randomized controlled trial. Participants will be parents of children aged 0-12 years who are recruited from national consumer online survey panels. Parents will complete a pretest survey, and will be randomized to receive the Make Safe Happen® app or a non-injury-related app, and then complete a posttest follow-up survey after 1 week. Primary outcomes are: (1) safety knowledge; (2) safety behaviors; (3) safety device acquisition and use, and (4) behavioral intention to take safety actions. RESULTS: Anticipated study results are presented. CONCLUSIONS: Wide-reaching interventions, to reach substantial parent and caregiver audiences, to effectively reduce childhood injuries are needed. This study will contribute to the evidence-base about how to increase safety knowledge and actions to prevent home-related injuries in children. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02751203 ; Pre-results.

Opportunities at the skin interface for continuous patient monitoring: a reverse iontophoresis model tested on lactate and glucose.

Skin has the potential to provide an important noninvasive route for diagnostic monitoring of human subjects for a wide range of applications. Dimensions of surface features in skin suggest that nanodevices and microdevices could be utilized to monitor molecules and ions extracted from the skin. Methods of enhancing extraction from the skin for diagnostics are being developed including reverse iontophoresis, electroporation and sonophoresis. A model system for the simulation of in vivo extraction of molecules and ions by reverse iontophoresis is described here that displays similar behavior to skin both in terms of molecular flux levels and electrical impedance characteristics. The device has potential for use in the development of complete reverse iontophoresis/sensor systems, allowing sensor and extraction systems to be studied and optimized before being tested in the complex in vivo environment. The system has been tested using glucose and lactate and the results are reported and discussed.