A modelling framework to assess the likely effectiveness of facemasks in combination with 'lock-down' in managing the COVID-19 pandemic

Behaviour quantification of public health policy adoption - the case of non-pharmaceutical measures during COVID-19

In this work, we provide estimates of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) adoption and its effects on the COVID-19 disease transmission across the province of Ontario, Canada, in 2020. Using freely available data, we estimate perceived risks of infection and a personal discomfort with complying with NPIs for Ontarians across 34 public health units. With the use of game theory, we model a time series of decision making processes in each public health region to extract an estimate of the adoption level of NPIs from March to December 2020. In conjunction with a susceptible-exposed-recovered-isolated compartmental model for Ontario, we are able to estimate a province-wide effectiveness level of NPIs. Last but not least, we show the model's versatility by applying it to Pennsylvania and Georgia in the United States.

Face mask mandates alter major determinants of adherence to protective health behaviours in Australia

Face mask wearing is a protective health behaviour that helps mitigate the spread of infectious diseases such as influenza and COVID-19. Understanding predictors of face mask wearing can help refine public health messaging and policy in future pandemics. Government mandates influence face mask wearing, but how mandates change predictors of face mask wearing has not been explored. We investigate how mandates changed predictors of face mask wearing and general protective behaviours within Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic using cross-sectional survey data. We compared four machine learning models to predict face mask wearing and general protective behaviours before and after mandates started in Australia; ensemble, tree-based models (XGBoost and random forests) performed best. Other than state, common predictors before and after mandates included age, survey week, average number of contacts, wellbeing, and perception of illness threat. Predictors that only appeared in the top ten before mandates included trust in government, and employment status; and after mandates were willingness to isolate. These distinct predictors are possible targets for future public health messaging at different stages of a new pandemic.

Risk assessment of infection of COVID-19 contacts based on scenario simulation

We constructed a rapid infection risk assessment model for contacts of COVID-19. The improved Wells-Riley model was used to estimate the probability of infection for contacts of COVID-19 in the same place and evaluate their risk grades. We used COVID-19 outbreaks that were documented to validate the accuracy of the model. We analyzed the relationship between controllable factors and infection probability and constructed common scenarios to analyze the infection risk of contacts in different scenarios. The model showed the robustness of the fitting (mean relative error = 5.89%, mean absolute error = 2.03%, root mean squared error = 2.03%, R2 = 0.991). We found that improving ventilation from poorly ventilated to naturally ventilated and wearing masks can reduce the probability of infection by about two times. Contacts in places of light activity, loud talking or singing, and heavy exercise, oral breathing (e.g., gyms, KTV, choirs) were at higher risk of infection. The model constructed in this study can quickly and accurately assess the infection risk grades of COVID-19 contacts. Simply opening doors and windows for ventilation can significantly reduce the risk of infection in certain places. The places of light activity, loud talking or singing, and heavy exercise, oral breathing, should pay more attention to prevent and control transmission of the epidemic.

An epidemiological model for analysing pandemic trends of novel coronavirus transmission with optimal control

Symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals play a significant role in the transmission dynamics of novel Coronaviruses. By considering the dynamical behaviour of symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, this study examines the temporal dynamics and optimal control of Coronavirus disease propagation using an epidemiological model. Biologically and mathematically, the well-posed epidemic problem is examined, as well as the threshold quantity with parameter sensitivity. Model parameters are quantified and their relative impact on the disease is evaluated. Additionally, the steady states are investigated to determine the model's stability and bifurcation. Using the dynamics and parameters sensitivity, we then introduce optimal control strategies for the elimination of the disease. Using real disease data, numerical simulations and model validation are performed to support theoretical findings and show the effects of control strategies.

Designing a model to estimate the burden of COVID-19 in Iran

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the latest evidence of an epidemic disease resulting in an extraordinary number of infections and claimed several lives, along with extensive economic and social consequences. In response to the emergency situation, countries introduced different policies to address the situation, with different levels of efficacy. This paper outlines the protocol for developing a model to analyze the burden of COVID-19 in Iran and the effect of policies on the incidence and cumulative death of the disease. The importance of the model lies in the fact that no study, according to the authors' best knowledge, tried to quantify the impact of the disease on Iran society and the impact of various implemented interventions on disease control. Based on a systematic review of COVID-19 prediction models and expert interviews, we developed a system dynamics model that not only includes an epidemic part but also considers the impact of various policies implemented by the Ministry of Health. The epidemic model estimates the incidence and mortality of COVID-19 in Iran. The model also intends to evaluate the effect of implemented policies on these outcomes. The model reflects the continuum of COVID-19 infection and care in Iran (of which some of its elements are unique) and key activities and decisions in delivering care. The model is calibrated and validated using data published by the Ministry of Health of Iran. Finally, the study aims to provide evidence of the impact of interventions intended to curb COVID-19 in Iran. Insights provided by the model will be necessary for controlling either future waves of the disease or similar future pandemics.

Natural and socio-environmental factors in the transmission of COVID-19: a comprehensive analysis of epidemiology and mechanisms

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

There are significant differences in the transmission rate and mortality rate of COVID-19 under environmental conditions such as seasons and climates. However, the impact of environmental factors on the role of the COVID-19 pandemic and the transmission mechanism of the SARS-CoV-2 is unclear. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the impact of environmental factors on COVID-19 can provide innovative insights for global epidemic prevention and control policies and COVID-19 related research. This review summarizes the evidence of the impact of different natural and social environmental factors on the transmission of COVID-19 through a comprehensive analysis of epidemiology and mechanism research. This will provide innovative inspiration for global epidemic prevention and control policies and provide reference for similar infectious diseases that may emerge in the future.

RECENT FINDINGS

Evidence reveals mechanisms by which natural environmental factors influence the transmission of COVID-19, including (i) virus survival and transport, (ii) immune system damage, (iii) inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell death, and (iiii) increasing risk of complications. All of these measures appear to be effective in controlling the spread or mortality of COVID-19: (1) reducing air pollution levels, (2) rational use of ozone disinfection and medical ozone therapy, (3) rational exposure to sunlight, (4) scientific ventilation and maintenance of indoor temperature and humidity, (5) control of population density, and (6) control of population movement. Our review indicates that with the continuous mutation of SARS-CoV-2, high temperature, high humidity, low air pollution levels, and low population density more likely to slow down the spread of the virus.

Epidemic modelling suggests that in specific circumstances masks may become more effective when fewer contacts wear them

BACKGROUND

The effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 depends on many contextual factors, including adherence. Conventional wisdom holds that the effectiveness of protective behaviours, such as wearing masks, increases with the number of people who adopt them. Here we show in a simulation study that this is not always true.

METHODS

We use a parsimonious network model based on the well-established empirical facts that adherence to such interventions wanes over time and that individuals tend to align their adoption strategies with their close social ties (homophily).

RESULTS

When these assumptions are combined, a broad dynamic regime emerges in which the individual-level reduction in infection risk for those adopting protective behaviour increases as adherence to protective behaviour decreases. For instance, at 10 % coverage, we find that adopters face nearly a 30 % lower infection risk than at 60 % coverage. Based on surgical mask effectiveness estimates, the relative risk reduction for masked individuals ranges from 5 % to 15 %, or a factor of three. This small coverage effect occurs when the outbreak is over before the pathogen is able to invade small but closely knit groups of individuals who protect themselves.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results confirm that lower coverage reduces protection at the population level while contradicting the common belief that masking becomes ineffective at the individual level as more people drop their masks.

Analyzing evolutionary game theory in epidemic management: A study on social distancing and mask-wearing strategies

When combating a respiratory disease outbreak, the effectiveness of protective measures hinges on spontaneous shifts in human behavior driven by risk perception and careful cost-benefit analysis. In this study, a novel concept has been introduced, integrating social distancing and mask-wearing strategies into a unified framework that combines evolutionary game theory with an extended classical epidemic model. To yield deeper insights into human decision-making during COVID-19, we integrate both the prevalent dilemma faced at the epidemic's onset regarding mask-wearing and social distancing practices, along with a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis. We explore the often-overlooked aspect of effective mask adoption among undetected infectious individuals to evaluate the significance of source control. Both undetected and detected infectious individuals can significantly reduce the risk of infection for non-masked individuals by wearing effective facemasks. When the economical burden of mask usage becomes unsustainable in the community, promoting affordable and safe social distancing becomes vital in slowing the epidemic's progress, allowing crucial time for public health preparedness. In contrast, as the indirect expenses associated with safe social distancing escalate, affordable and effective facemask usage could be a feasible option. In our analysis, it was observed that during periods of heightened infection risk, there is a noticeable surge in public interest and dedication to complying with social distancing measures. However, its impact diminishes beyond a certain disease transmission threshold, as this strategy cannot completely eliminate the disease burden in the community. Maximum public compliance with social distancing and mask-wearing strategies can be achieved when they are affordable for the community. While implementing both strategies together could ultimately reduce the epidemic's effective reproduction number ([Formula: see text]) to below one, countries still have the flexibility to prioritize either of them, easing strictness on the other based on their socio-economic conditions.

Utilizing disease transmission and response capacities to optimize covid-19 control in Malaysia

OBJECTIVES

Public Health Social Measures (PHSM) such as movement restriction movement needed to be adjusted accordingly during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure low disease transmission alongside adequate health system capacities based on the COVID-19 situational matrix proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). This paper aims to develop a mechanism to determine the COVID-19 situational matrix to adjust movement restriction intensity for the control of COVID-19 in Malaysia.

METHODS

Several epidemiological indicators were selected based on the WHO PHSM interim guidance report and validated individually and in several combinations to estimate the community transmission level (CT) and health system response capacity (RC) variables. Correlation analysis between CT and RC with COVID-19 cases was performed to determine the most appropriate CT and RC variables. Subsequently, the CT and RC variables were combined to form a composite COVID-19 situational matrix (SL). The SL matrix was validated using correlation analysis with COVID-19 case trends. Subsequently, an automated web-based system that generated daily CT, RC, and SL was developed.

RESULTS

CT and RC variables were estimated using case incidence and hospitalization rate; Hospital bed capacity and COVID-19 ICU occupancy respectively. The estimated CT and RC were strongly correlated [ρ = 0.806 (95% CI 0.752, 0.848); and ρ = 0.814 (95% CI 0.778, 0.839), p < 0.001] with the COVID-19 cases. The estimated SL was strongly correlated with COVID-19 cases (ρ = 0.845, p < 0.001) and responded well to the various COVID-19 case trends during the pandemic. SL changes occurred earlier during the increase of cases but slower during the decrease, indicating a conservative response. The automated web-based system developed produced daily real-time CT, RC, and SL for the COVID-19 pandemic.

CONCLUSIONS

The indicators selected and combinations formed were able to generate validated daily CT and RC levels for Malaysia. Subsequently, the CT and RC levels were able to provide accurate and sensitive information for the estimation of SL which provided valuable evidence on the progression of the pandemic and movement restriction adjustment for the control of Malaysia.

Estimating hidden relationships in dynamical systems: Discovering drivers of infection rates of COVID-19

Discovering causal influences among internal variables is a fundamental goal of complex systems research. This paper presents a framework for uncovering hidden relationships from limited time-series data by combining methods from nonlinear estimation and information theory. The approach is based on two sequential steps: first, we reconstruct a more complete state of the underlying dynamical system, and second, we calculate mutual information between pairs of internal state variables to detail causal dependencies. Equipped with time-series data related to the spread of COVID-19 from the past three years, we apply this approach to identify the drivers of falling and rising infections during the three main waves of infection in the Chicago metropolitan region. The unscented Kalman filter nonlinear estimation algorithm is implemented on an established epidemiological model of COVID-19, which we refine to include isolation, masking, loss of immunity, and stochastic transition rates. Through the systematic study of mutual information between infection rate and various stochastic parameters, we find that increased mobility, decreased mask use, and loss of immunity post sickness played a key role in rising infections, while falling infections were controlled by masking and isolation.

Leveraging an epidemic-economic mathematical model to assess human responses to COVID-19 policies and disease progression

It is imperative that resources are channelled towards programs that are efficient and cost effective in combating the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study proposed and analyzed control strategies for that purpose. We developed a mathematical disease model within an optimal control framework that allows us to investigate the best approach for curbing COVID-19 epidemic. We address the following research question: what is the role of community compliance as a measure for COVID-19 control? Analyzing the impact of community compliance of recommended guidelines by health authorities-examples, social distancing, face mask use, and sanitizing-coupled with efforts by health authorities in areas of vaccine provision and effective quarantine-showed that the best intervention in addition to implementing vaccination programs and effective quarantine measures, is the active incorporation of individuals' collective behaviours, and that resources should also be directed towards community campaigns on the importance of face mask use, social distancing, and frequent sanitizing, and any other collective activities. We also demonstrated that collective behavioral response of individuals influences the disease dynamics; implying that recommended health policy should be contextualized.

Comparison of homemade mask designs based on calculated infection risk, using actual COVID-19 infection scenarios

During pandemics such as COVID-19, shortages of approved respirators necessitate the use of alternative masks, including homemade designs. The effectiveness of the masks is often quantified in terms of the ability to filter particles. However, to formulate public policy the efficacy of the mask in reducing the risk of infection for a given population is considerably more useful than its filtration efficiency (FE). The effect of the mask on the infection profile is complicated to estimate as it depends strongly upon the behavior of the affected population. A recently introduced tool known as the dynamic-spread model is well suited for performing population-specific risk assessment. The dynamic-spread model was used to simulate the performance of a variety of mask designs (all used for source control only) in different COVID-19 scenarios. The efficacy of different masks was found to be highly scenario dependent. Switching from a cotton T-shirt of 8% FE to a 3-layer cotton-gauze-cotton mask of 44% FE resulted in a decrease in number of new infections of about 30% in the New York State scenario and 60% in the Harris County, Texas scenario. The results are valuable to policy makers for quantifying the impact upon the infection rate for different intervention strategies, e.g., investing resources to provide the community with higher-filtration masks.

Moral reframing of messages about mask-wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic

When communicating about political issues, messages targeted to resonate with the core values of the receiver may be effective, an approach known as moral reframing. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we tested the relationships between moral values and mask-wearing in a sample (N = 540) of self-identified liberals, conservatives, and moderates in the United States. Anti-mask attitudes were stronger in conservatives, and were associated with increased concerns for in-group loyalty, national identity, and personal liberty. We then crafted messages about the benefits of mask-wearing framed to resonate with these moral concerns, and in a pre-registered study of N = 597 self-identified U.S. conservatives, tested the effect of moral reframing on anti-mask attitudes and behaviors. Messages framed in terms of loyalty, with appeals to the protection of the community and America, were effective in reducing anti-mask beliefs, compared with unrelated control messages and messages delivering purely scientific information, and these changes in belief persisted for at least 1 week. Exploratory analyses showed that participants who saw loyalty-framed messages reported wearing masks in public more frequently in the subsequent week. This study provides evidence that framing messages about health behaviors in terms of group loyalty may be one productive way of communicating with conservative audiences.

An Epidemiological Analysis for Assessing and Evaluating COVID-19 Based on Data Analytics in Latin American Countries

This research provides a detailed analysis of the COVID-19 spread across 14 Latin American countries. Using time-series analysis and epidemic models, we identify diverse outbreak patterns, which seem not to be influenced by geographical location or country size, suggesting the influence of other determining factors. Our study uncovers significant discrepancies between the number recorded COVID-19 cases and the real epidemiological situation, emphasizing the crucial need for accurate data handling and continuous surveillance in managing epidemics. The absence of a clear correlation between the country size and the confirmed cases, as well as with the fatalities, further underscores the multifaceted influences on COVID-19 impact beyond population size. Despite the decreased real-time reproduction number indicating quarantine effectiveness in most countries, we note a resurgence in infection rates upon resumption of daily activities. These insights spotlight the challenge of balancing public health measures with economic and social activities. Our core findings provide novel insights, applicable to guiding epidemic control strategies and informing decision-making processes in combatting the pandemic.

Modelling the spread and mitigation of an emerging vector-borne pathogen: Citrus greening in the U.S

Predictive models, based upon epidemiological principles and fitted to surveillance data, play an increasingly important role in shaping regulatory and operational policies for emerging outbreaks. Data for parameterising these strategically important models are often scarce when rapid actions are required to change the course of an epidemic invading a new region. We introduce and test a flexible epidemiological framework for landscape-scale disease management of an emerging vector-borne pathogen for use with endemic and invading vector populations. We use the framework to analyse and predict the spread of Huanglongbing disease or citrus greening in the U.S. We estimate epidemiological parameters using survey data from one region (Texas) and show how to transfer and test parameters to construct predictive spatio-temporal models for another region (California). The models are used to screen effective coordinated and reactive management strategies for different regions.

Spatiotemporal Trends in Self-Reported Mask-Wearing Behavior in the United States: Analysis of a Large Cross-sectional Survey

BACKGROUND

Face mask wearing has been identified as an effective strategy to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, yet mask mandates were never imposed nationally in the United States. This decision resulted in a patchwork of local policies and varying compliance, potentially generating heterogeneities in the local trajectories of COVID-19 in the United States. Although numerous studies have investigated the patterns and predictors of masking behavior nationally, most suffer from survey biases and none have been able to characterize mask wearing at fine spatial scales across the United States through different phases of the pandemic.

OBJECTIVE

Urgently needed is a debiased spatiotemporal characterization of mask-wearing behavior in the United States. This information is critical to further assess the effectiveness of masking, evaluate the drivers of transmission at different time points during the pandemic, and guide future public health decisions through, for example, forecasting disease surges.

METHODS

We analyzed spatiotemporal masking patterns in over 8 million behavioral survey responses from across the United States, starting in September 2020 through May 2021. We adjusted for sample size and representation using binomial regression models and survey raking, respectively, to produce county-level monthly estimates of masking behavior. We additionally debiased self-reported masking estimates using bias measures derived by comparing vaccination data from the same survey to official records at the county level. Lastly, we evaluated whether individuals' perceptions of their social environment can serve as a less biased form of behavioral surveillance than self-reported data.

RESULTS

We found that county-level masking behavior was spatially heterogeneous along an urban-rural gradient, with mask wearing peaking in winter 2021 and declining sharply through May 2021. Our results identified regions where targeted public health efforts could have been most effective and suggest that individuals' frequency of mask wearing may be influenced by national guidance and disease prevalence. We validated our bias correction approach by comparing debiased self-reported mask-wearing estimates with community-reported estimates, after addressing issues of a small sample size and representation. Self-reported behavior estimates were especially prone to social desirability and nonresponse biases, and our findings demonstrated that these biases can be reduced if individuals are asked to report on community rather than self behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

Our work highlights the importance of characterizing public health behaviors at fine spatiotemporal scales to capture heterogeneities that may drive outbreak trajectories. Our findings also emphasize the need for a standardized approach to incorporating behavioral big data into public health response efforts. Even large surveys are prone to bias; thus, we advocate for a social sensing approach to behavioral surveillance to enable more accurate estimates of health behaviors. Finally, we invite the public health and behavioral research communities to use our publicly available estimates to consider how bias-corrected behavioral estimates may improve our understanding of protective behaviors during crises and their impact on disease dynamics.

Optimal spatial evaluation of a pro rata vaccine distribution rule for COVID-19

The COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) is a World Health Organization (WHO) initiative that aims for an equitable access of COVID-19 vaccines. Despite potential heterogeneous infection levels across a country, countries receiving allotments of vaccines may follow WHO's allocation guidelines and distribute vaccines based on a jurisdictions' relative population size. Utilizing economic-epidemiological modeling, we benchmark the performance of this pro rata allocation rule by comparing it to an optimal one that minimizes the economic damages and expenditures over time, including a penalty representing the social costs of deviating from the pro rata strategy. The pro rata rule performs better when the duration of naturally- and vaccine-acquired immunity is short, when there is population mixing, when the supply of vaccine is high, and when there is minimal heterogeneity in demographics. Despite behavioral and epidemiological uncertainty diminishing the performance of the optimal allocation, it generally outperforms the pro rata vaccine distribution rule.

Association between face covering policies and the incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 in European countries

OBJECTIVES

This study was conducted to determine the impact of the strengthening or relaxation of face covering mandates on the subsequent national case incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Europe as the full vaccination rate was increasing.

METHODS

European countries in which case incidence increased for 3 consecutive weeks were monitored and analyzed using COVID-19 incidence data shared by the World Health Organization (WHO). The epidemic trend of COVID-19 in Europe was compared with that of countries elsewhere in the world based on WHO weekly epidemiological reports from June 20 to October 30, 2021. In addition, this study provided insight into the impact of government mask mandates on COVID-19 incidence in Europe by measuring the index scores of those facial covering policies before and after mandate relaxation or strengthening. The effects of the vaccination rate and the speed of vaccination on COVID-19 incidence were also analyzed.

RESULTS

The incidence of COVID-19 after the relaxation of face covering mandates was significantly higher than before relaxation. However, no significant difference was observed in vaccination rate between countries with increased and decreased incidence. Instead, rapid vaccination delayed the resurgence in incidence.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that face covering policies in conjunction with rapid vaccination efforts are essential to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Spatiotemporal trends in self-reported mask-wearing behavior in the United States: Analysis of a large cross-sectional survey

Background

Face mask-wearing has been identified as an effective strategy to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2, yet mask mandates were never imposed nationally in the United States. This decision resulted in a patchwork of local policies and varying compliance potentially generating heterogeneities in the local trajectories of COVID-19 in the U.S. While numerous studies have investigated patterns and predictors of masking behavior nationally, most suffer from survey biases and none have been able to characterize mask-wearing at fine spatial scales across the U.S. through different phases of the pandemic.

Objective

Urgently needed is a debiased spatiotemporal characterization of mask-wearing behavior in the U.S. This information is critical to further assess the effectiveness of masking, evaluate drivers of transmission at different time points during the pandemic, and guide future public health decisions through, for example, forecasting disease surges.

Methods

We analyze spatiotemporal masking patterns in over eight million behavioral survey responses from across the United States starting in September 2020 through May 2021. We adjust for sample size and representation using binomial regression models and survey raking, respectively, to produce county-level monthly estimates of masking behavior. We additionally debias self-reported masking estimates using bias measures derived by comparing vaccination data from the same survey to official records at the county-level. Lastly, we evaluate whether individuals' perceptions of their social environment can serve as a less biased form of behavioral surveillance than self-reported data.

Results

We find that county-level masking behavior is spatially heterogeneous along an urban-rural gradient, with mask-wearing peaking in winter 2021 and declining sharply through May 2021. Our results identify regions where targeted public health efforts could have been most effective and suggest that individuals' frequency of mask-wearing may be influenced by national guidance and disease prevalence. We validate our bias-correction approach by comparing debiased self-reported mask-wearing estimates with community-reported estimates, after addressing issues of small sample size and representation. Self-reported behavior estimates are especially prone to social desirability and non-response biases and our findings demonstrate that these biases can be reduced if individuals are asked to report on community rather than self behaviors.

Conclusions

Our work highlights the importance of characterizing public health behaviors at fine spatiotemporal scales to capture heterogeneities that may drive outbreak trajectories. Our findings also emphasize the need for a standardized approach to incorporating behavioral big data into public health response efforts. Even large surveys are prone to bias; thus, we advocate for a social sensing approach to behavioral surveillance to enable more accurate estimates of health behaviors. Finally, we invite the public health and behavioral research communities to use our publicly available estimates to consider how bias-corrected behavioral estimates may improve our understanding of protective behaviors during crises and their impact on disease dynamics.

Automatic approach for mask detection: effective for COVID-19

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) occurred at the end of 2019, and it has continued to be a source of misery for millions of people and companies well into 2020. There is a surge of concern among all persons, especially those who wish to resume in-person activities, as the globe recovers from the epidemic and intends to return to a level of normalcy. Wearing a face mask greatly decreases the likelihood of viral transmission and gives a sense of security, according to studies. However, manually tracking the execution of this regulation is not possible. The key to this is technology. We present a deep learning-based system that can detect instances of improper use of face masks. A dual-stage convolutional neural network architecture is used in our system to recognize masked and unmasked faces. This will aid in the tracking of safety breaches, the promotion of face mask use, and the maintenance of a safe working environment. In this paper, we propose a variant of a multi-face detection model which has the potential to target and identify a group of people whether they are wearing masks or not.

Stochastic Modeling and Forecasting of Covid-19 Deaths: Analysis for the Fifty States in the United States

In this work, we study and analyze the aggregate death counts of COVID-19 reported by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the fifty states in the United States. To do this, we derive a stochastic model describing the cumulative number of deaths reported daily by CDC from the first time Covid-19 death is recorded to June 20, 2021 in the United States, and provide a forecast for the death cases. The stochastic model derived in this work performs better than existing deterministic logistic models because it is able to capture irregularities in the sample path of the aggregate death counts. The probability distribution of the aggregate death counts is derived, analyzed, and used to estimate the count’s per capita initial growth rate, carrying capacity, and the expected value for each given day as at the time this research is conducted. Using this distribution, we estimate the expected first passage time when the aggregate death count is slowing down. Our result shows that the expected aggregate death count is slowing down in all states as at the time this analysis is conducted (June 2021). A formula for predicting the end of Covid-19 deaths is derived. The daily expected death count for each states is plotted as a function of time. The probability density function for the current day, together with the forecast and its confidence interval for the next four days, and the root mean square error for our simulation results are estimated.

Face masks to prevent transmission of respiratory infections: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on face mask use

OBJECTIVES

To examine the use of face mask intervention in mitigating the risk of spreading respiratory infections and whether the effect of face mask intervention differs in different exposure settings and age groups.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis. We evaluated the risk of bias using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool (ROB2).

DATA SOURCES

We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science were searched for randomized controlled trials investigating the effect of face masks on respiratory infections published between 1981 and February 9, 2022. We followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES

We included randomized controlled trials investigating the use of face mask intervention in mitigating the risk of spreading respiratory infections across different exposure settings.

RESULTS

We identified 2,400 articles for screening. 18 articles passed the inclusion criteria for both evidence synthesis and meta-analysis. There were N = 189,145 individuals in the face mask intervention arm and N = 173,536 in the control arm, and the follow-up times ranged from 4 days to 19 months. Our results showed between-study heterogeneity (p < 0.0001). While there was no statistically significant association over all studies when the covariate unadjusted intervention effect estimates were used (RR = 0.977 [0.858-1.113], p = 0.728), our subgroup analyses revealed that a face mask intervention reduced respiratory infections in the adult subgroup (RR = 0.8795 [0.7861-0.9839], p = 0.0249) and in a community setting (RR = 0.890 [0.812-0.975], p = 0.0125). Furthermore, our leave-one-out analysis found that one study biased the results towards a null effect. Consequently, when using covariate adjusted odds ratio estimates to have a more precise effect estimates of the intervention effect to account for differences at the baseline, the results showed that a face mask intervention did reduce respiratory infections when the biasing study was excluded from the analysis (OR = 0.8892 [0.8061-0.9810], p = 0.0192).

CONCLUSION

Our findings support the use of face masks particularly in a community setting and for adults. We also observed substantial between-study heterogeneity and varying adherence to protocol. Notably, many studies were subject to contamination bias thus affecting the efficacy of the intervention, that is when also some controls used masks or when the intervention group did not comply with mask use leading to a downward biased effect of treatment receipt and efficacy.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO registration number CRD42020205523.

Dynamic characteristics of a COVID-19 outbreak in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China

Objectives

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) lineage B.1.617.2 (also named the Delta variant) was declared as a variant of concern by the World Health Organization (WHO). This study aimed to describe the outbreak that occurred in Nanjing city triggered by the Delta variant through the epidemiological parameters and to understand the evolving epidemiology of the Delta variant.

Methods

We collected the data of all COVID-19 cases during the outbreak from 20 July 2021 to 24 August 2021 and estimated the distribution of serial interval, basic and time-dependent reproduction numbers (R₀ and R_t), and household secondary attack rate (SAR). We also analyzed the cycle threshold (Ct) values of infections.

Results

A total of 235 cases have been confirmed. The mean value of serial interval was estimated to be 4.79 days with the Weibull distribution. The R₀ was 3.73 [95% confidence interval (CI), 2.66-5.15] as estimated by the exponential growth (EG) method. The R_t decreased from 4.36 on 20 July 2021 to below 1 on 1 August 2021 as estimated by the Bayesian approach. We estimated the household SAR as 27.35% (95% CI, 22.04-33.39%), and the median Ct value of open reading frame 1ab (ORF1ab) genes and nucleocapsid protein (N) genes as 25.25 [interquartile range (IQR), 20.53-29.50] and 23.85 (IQR, 18.70-28.70), respectively.

Conclusions

The Delta variant is more aggressive and transmissible than the original virus types, so continuous non-pharmaceutical interventions are still needed.

Impact of early phase COVID-19 precautionary behaviors on seasonal influenza in Hong Kong: A time-series modeling approach

Background

Before major non-pharmaceutical interventions were implemented, seasonal incidence of influenza in Hong Kong showed a rapid and unexpected reduction immediately following the early spread of COVID-19 in mainland China in January 2020. This decline was presumably associated with precautionary behavioral changes (e.g., wearing face masks and avoiding crowded places). Knowing their effectiveness on the transmissibility of seasonal influenza can inform future influenza prevention strategies.

Methods

We estimated the effective reproduction number (R _t ) of seasonal influenza in 2019/20 winter using a time-series susceptible-infectious-recovered (TS-SIR) model with a Bayesian inference by integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA). After taking account of changes in underreporting and herd immunity, the individual effects of the behavioral changes were quantified.

Findings

The model-estimated mean R _t reduced from 1.29 (95%CI, 1.27-1.32) to 0.73 (95%CI, 0.73-0.74) after the COVID-19 community spread began. Wearing face masks protected 17.4% of people (95%CI, 16.3-18.3%) from infections, having about half of the effect as avoiding crowded places (44.1%, 95%CI, 43.5-44.7%). Within the current model, if more than 85% of people had adopted both behaviors, the initial R _t could have been less than 1.

Conclusion

Our model results indicate that wearing face masks and avoiding crowded places could have potentially significant suppressive impacts on influenza.

Mathematical modeling to study the impact of immigration on the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic: A case study for Venezuela

We propose two different mathematical models to study the effect of immigration on the COVID-19 pandemic. The first model does not consider immigration, whereas the second one does. Both mathematical models consider five different subpopulations: susceptible, exposed, infected, asymptomatic carriers, and recovered. We find the basic reproduction number R₀ using the next-generation matrix method for the mathematical model without immigration. This threshold parameter is paramount because it allows us to characterize the evolution of the disease and identify what parameters substantially affect the COVID-19 pandemic outcome. We focus on the Venezuelan scenario, where immigration and emigration have been important over recent years, particularly during the pandemic. We show that the estimation of the transmission rates of the SARS-CoV-2 are affected when the immigration of infected people is considered. This has an important consequence from a public health perspective because if the basic reproduction number is less than unity, we can expect that the SARS-CoV-2 would disappear. Thus, if the basic reproduction number is slightly above one, we can predict that some mild non-pharmaceutical interventions would be enough to decrease the number of infected people. The results show that the dynamics of the spread of SARS-CoV-2 through the population must consider immigration to obtain better insight into the outcomes and create awareness in the population regarding the population flow.

In vitro testing of salt coating of fabrics as a potential antiviral agent in reusable face masks

During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, wearing face masks in public spaces became mandatory in most countries. The risk of self-contamination when handling face masks, which was one of the earliest concerns, can be mitigated by adding antiviral coatings to the masks. In the present study, we evaluated the antiviral effectiveness of sodium chloride deposited on a fabric suitable for the manufacturing of reusable cloth masks using techniques adapted to the home environment. We tested eight coating conditions, involving both spraying and dipping methods and three salt dilutions. Influenza A H3N2 virus particles were incubated directly on the salt-coated materials, collected, and added to human 3D airway epithelial cultures. Live virus replication in the epithelia was quantified over time in collected apical washes. Relative to the non-coated material, salt deposits at or above 4.3 mg/cm2 markedly reduced viral replication. However, even for larger quantities of salt, the effectiveness of the coating remained dependent on the crystal size and distribution, which in turn depended on the coating technique. These findings confirm the suitability of salt coating as antiviral protection on cloth masks, but also emphasize that particular attention should be paid to the coating protocol when developing consumer solutions.

Real-Time Analysis of Predictors of COVID-19 Infection Spread in Countries in the European Union Through a New Tool

Objectives: Real-time data analysis during a pandemic is crucial. This paper aims to introduce a novel interactive tool called Covid-Predictor-Tracker using several sources of COVID-19 data, which allows examining developments over time and across countries. Exemplified here by investigating relative effects of vaccination to non-pharmaceutical interventions on COVID-19 spread.

Methods: We combine >100 indicators from the Global COVID-19 Trends and Impact Survey, Johns Hopkins University, Our World in Data, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, National Centers for Environmental Information, and Eurostat using random forests, hierarchical clustering, and rank correlation to predict COVID-19 cases.

Results: Between 2/2020 and 1/2022, we found among the non-pharmaceutical interventions “mask usage” to have strong effects after the percentage of people vaccinated at least once, followed by country-specific measures such as lock-downs. Countries with similar characteristics share ranks of infection predictors. Gender and age distribution, healthcare expenditures and cultural participation interact with restriction measures.

Conclusion: Including time-aware machine learning models in COVID-19 infection dashboards allows to disentangle and rank predictors of COVID-19 cases per country to support policy evaluation. Our open-source tool can be updated daily with continuous data streams, and expanded as the pandemic evolves.

A critical review on the role of leakages in the facemask protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection with consideration of vaccination and virus variants

The protection provided by facemasks has been extensively investigated since the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, focusing mostly on the filtration efficiency of filter media for filtering face pieces (FFP), surgical masks, and cloth masks. However, faceseal leakage is a major contributor to the number of potentially infectious airborne droplets entering the respiratory system of a susceptible individual. The identification of leaking spots and the quantification of leaking flows are crucial to estimate the protection provided by facemasks. This study presents a critical review on the measurement and calculation of facemask leakages and a quantitative analysis of their role in the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. It shows that the pairing between the mask dimensions and the wearer's face is essential to improve protection efficiency, especially for FFP2 masks, and summarizes the most common leaking spots at the interface between the mask and the wearer's face. Leakage is a crucial factor in the calculation of the protection provided by facemasks and outweighs the filtration performances. The fit factors measured among mask users were summarized for different types of face protection. The reviewed data were integrated into a computational model to compare the mitigation impact of facemasks with vaccination with consideration of new variants of SARS-CoV-2. Combining a high adoption rate of facemasks and a high vaccination rate is crucial to efficiently control the spread of highly infectious variants.

Correlated stochastic epidemic model for the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 with vaccination

In this paper, we propose a mathematical model to describe the influence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus with correlated sources of randomness and with vaccination. The total human population is divided into three groups susceptible, infected, and recovered. Each population group of the model is assumed to be subject to various types of randomness. We develop the correlated stochastic model by considering correlated Brownian motions for the population groups. As the environmental reservoir plays a weighty role in the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, our model encompasses a fourth stochastic differential equation representing the reservoir. Moreover, the vaccination of susceptible is also considered. Once the correlated stochastic model, the existence and uniqueness of a positive solution are discussed to show the problem’s feasibility. The SARS-CoV-2 extinction, as well as persistency, are also examined, and sufficient conditions resulted from our investigation. The theoretical results are supported through numerical/graphical findings.

The advantage of self-protecting interventions in mitigating epidemic circulation at the community level

Protecting interventions of many types (both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical) can be deployed against the spreading of a communicable disease, as the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically shown. Here we investigate in detail the effects at the population level of interventions that provide an asymmetric protection between the people involved in a single interaction. Masks of different filtration types, either protecting mainly the wearer or the contacts of the wearer, are a prominent example of these interventions. By means of analytical calculations and extensive simulations of simple epidemic models on networks, we show that interventions protecting more efficiently the adopter (e.g the mask wearer) are more effective than interventions protecting primarily the contacts of the adopter in reducing the prevalence of the disease and the number of concurrently infected individuals (“flattening the curve”). This observation is backed up by the study of a more realistic epidemic model on an empirical network representing the patterns of contacts in the city of Portland. Our results point out that promoting wearer-protecting face masks and other self-protecting interventions, though deemed selfish and inefficient, can actually be a better strategy to efficiently curtail pandemic spreading.

Understanding the Role of Environmental Transmission on COVID-19 Herd Immunity and Invasion Potential

COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is mainly transmitted directly between humans. However, it is observed that this disease can also be transmitted through an indirect route via environmental fomites. The development of appropriate and effective vaccines has allowed us to target and anticipate herd immunity. Understanding of the transmission dynamics and the persistence of the virus on environmental fomites and their resistive role on indirect transmission of the virus is an important scientific and public health challenge because it is essential to consider all possible transmission routes and route specific transmission strength to accurately quantify the herd immunity threshold. In this paper, we present a mathematical model that considers both direct and indirect transmission modes. Our analysis focuses on establishing the disease invasion threshold, investigating its sensitivity to both transmission routes and isolate route-specific transmission rate. Using the tau-leap algorithm, we perform a stochastic model simulation to address the invasion potential of both transmission routes. Our analysis shows that direct transmission has a higher invasion potential than that of the indirect transmission. As a proof of this concept, we fitted our model with early epidemic data from several countries to uniquely estimate the reproduction numbers associated with direct and indirect transmission upon confirming the identifiability of the parameters. As the indirect transmission possess lower invasion potential than direct transmission, proper estimation and necessary steps toward mitigating it would help reduce vaccination requirement.

Human behaviour, NPI and mobility reduction effects on COVID-19 transmission in different countries of the world

BACKGROUND

The outbreak of Coronavirus disease, which originated in Wuhan, China in 2019, has affected the lives of billions of people globally. Throughout 2020, the reproduction number of COVID-19 was widely used by decision-makers to explain their strategies to control the pandemic.

METHODS

In this work, we deduce and analyze both initial and effective reproduction numbers for 12 diverse world regions between February and December of 2020. We consider mobility reductions, mask wearing and compliance with masks, mask efficacy values alongside other non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in each region to get further insights in how each of the above factored into each region's SARS-COV-2 transmission dynamic.

RESULTS

We quantify in each region the following reductions in the observed effective reproduction numbers of the pandemic: i) reduction due to decrease in mobility (as captured in Google mobility reports); ii) reduction due to mask wearing and mask compliance; iii) reduction due to other NPI's, over and above the ones identified in i) and ii).

CONCLUSION

In most cases mobility reduction coming from nationwide lockdown measures has helped stave off the initial wave in countries who took these types of measures. Beyond the first waves, mask mandates and compliance, together with social-distancing measures (which we refer to as other NPI's) have allowed some control of subsequent disease spread. The methodology we propose here is novel and can be applied to other respiratory diseases such as influenza or RSV.

Health Information Technology During the COVID-19 Epidemic: A Review via Text Mining

Background

Due to the prevalence of the COVID-19 epidemic in all countries of the world, the need to apply health information technology is of great importance. hence, the study has identified the role of health information technology during the period of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Methods

The present research is a review study by employing text mining techniques. Therefore, 941 published documents related to health information technology's role during the COVID-19 epidemic were extracted by keyword searching in the Web of Science database. In order to analyze the data and implement the text mining and topic modeling algorithms, Python programming language was applied.

Results

The results indicated that the highest number of publications related to the role of health information technology in the period of the COVID-19 epidemic was respectively on the following topics: "Models and smart systems," "Telemedicine," "Health care," "Health information technology," "Evidence-based medicine," "Big data and Statistic analysis."

Conclusion

Health information technology has been extensively used during the COVID-19 epidemic. Therefore, different communities can apply these technologies, considering the conditions and facilities to manage the COVID-19 epidemic better.

Safe reopening of university campuses is possible with COVID-19 vaccination

We construct an agent-based SEIR model to simulate COVID-19 spread at a 16000-student mostly non-residential urban university during the Fall 2021 Semester. We find that mRNA vaccine coverage at 100% combined with weekly screening testing of 25% of the campus population make it possible to safely reopen to in-person instruction. Our simulations exhibit a right-skew for total infections over the semester that becomes more pronounced with less vaccine coverage, less vaccine effectiveness and no additional preventative measures. This suggests that high levels of infection are not exceedingly rare with campus social connections the main transmission route. Finally, we find that if vaccine coverage is 100% and vaccine effectiveness is above 80%, then a safe reopening is possible even without facemask use. This models possible future scenarios with high coverage of additional "booster" doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

Measuring Basic Reproduction Number to Assess Effects of Nonpharmaceutical Interventions on Nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 Transmission

Outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 infection frequently occur in hospitals. Preventing nosocomial infection requires insight into hospital transmission. However, estimates of the basic reproduction number (R₀) in care facilities are lacking. Analyzing a closely monitored SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in a hospital in early 2020, we estimated the patient-to-patient transmission rate and R₀. We developed a model for SARS-CoV-2 nosocomial transmission that accounts for stochastic effects and undetected infections and fit it to patient test results. The model formalizes changes in testing capacity over time, and accounts for evolving PCR sensitivity at different stages of infection. R₀ estimates varied considerably across wards, ranging from 3 to 15 in different wards. During the outbreak, the hospital introduced a contact precautions policy. Our results strongly support a reduction in the hospital-level R₀ after this policy was implemented, from 8.7 to 1.3, corresponding to a policy efficacy of 85% and demonstrating the effectiveness of nonpharmaceutical interventions.

Comparison of effectiveness of enhanced infection countermeasures in different scenarios, using a dynamic-spread-function model

When formulating countermeasures to epidemics such as those generated by COVID-19, estimates of the benefits of a given intervention for a specific population are highly beneficial to policy makers. A recently introduced tool, known as the "dynamic-spread" SIR model, can perform population-specific risk assessment. Behavior is quantified by the dynamic-spread function, which includes the mechanisms of droplet reduction using facemasks and transmission control due to social distancing. The spread function is calibrated using infection data from a previous wave of the infection, or other data felt to accurately represent the population behaviors. The model then computes the rate of spread of the infection for different hypothesized interventions, over the time window for the calibration data. The dynamic-spread model was used to assess the benefit of three enhanced intervention strategies - increased mask filtration efficiency, higher mask compliance, and elevated social distancing - in four COVID-19 scenarios occurring in 2020: the first wave (i.e. until the first peak in numbers of new infections) in New York City; the first wave in New York State; the spread aboard the Diamond Princess Cruise Liner; and the peak occurring after re-opening in Harris County, Texas. Differences in the efficacy of the same intervention in the different scenarios were estimated. As an example, when the average outward filtration efficiency for facemasks worn in New York City was increased from an assumed baseline of 67% to a hypothesized 90%, the calculated peak number of new infections per day decreased by 40%. For the same baseline and hypothesized filtration efficiencies aboard the Diamond Princess Cruise liner, the calculated peak number of new infections per day decreased by about 15%. An important factor contributing to the difference between the two scenarios is the lower mask compliance (derivable from the spread function) aboard the Diamond Princess.

Delays, Masks, the Elderly, and Schools: First Covid-19 Wave in the Czech Republic

Running across the globe for nearly 2 years, the Covid-19 pandemic keeps demonstrating its strength. Despite a lot of understanding, uncertainty regarding the efficiency of interventions still persists. We developed an age-structured epidemic model parameterized with epidemiological and sociological data for the first Covid-19 wave in the Czech Republic and found that (1) starting the spring 2020 lockdown 4 days earlier might prevent half of the confirmed cases by the end of lockdown period, (2) personal protective measures such as face masks appear more effective than just a realized reduction in social contacts, (3) the strategy of sheltering just the elderly is not at all effective, and (4) leaving schools open is a risky strategy. Despite vaccination programs, evidence-based choice and timing of non-pharmaceutical interventions remains an effective weapon against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Isolating the net effect of multiple government interventions with an extended Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered (SEIR) framework: empirical evidence from the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in China

OBJECTIVE

By using a data-driven statistical approach, we isolated the net effect of multiple government interventions that were simultaneously implemented during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in China.

DESIGN, DATA SOURCES AND ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

We gathered epidemiological data and government interventions data of nine cities with local outbreaks during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in China. We employed the Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered (SEIR) framework model to analyse the different pathways of transmission between cities with government interventions implementation and those without. We introduced new components to the standard SEIR model and investigated five themes of government interventions against COVID-19 pandemic.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

We extracted information including study objective, design, methods, main findings and implications. These were tabulated and a narrative synthesis was undertaken given the diverse research designs, methods and implications.

RESULTS

Supported by extensive empirical validation, our results indicated that the net effect of some specific government interventions (including masks, environmental cleaning and disinfection, tracing, tracking and 14-day centralised quarantining close contacts) had been significantly underestimated in the previous investigation. We also identified important moderators and mediators for the effect of certain government interventions, such as closure of shopping mall and restaurant in the medium-risk level areas, etc. Linking the COVID-19 epidemiological dynamics with the implementation timing of government interventions, we detected that the earlier implementation of some specific government interventions (including targeted partial lockdown, tracing, tracking and 14-day centralised quarantining close contacts) achieved the strongest and most timely effect on controlling COVID-19, especially at the early period of local outbreak.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide important scientific information for decisions regarding which and when government interventions should be implemented to fight against COVID-19 in China and beyond. The proposed analytical framework is useful for policy-making in future endemic and pandemic as well.

Challenges of integrating economics into epidemiological analysis of and policy responses to emerging infectious diseases

COVID-19 has shown that the consequences of a pandemic are wider-reaching than cases and deaths. Morbidity and mortality are important direct costs, but infectious diseases generate other direct and indirect benefits and costs as the economy responds to these shocks: some people lose, others gain and people modify their behaviours in ways that redistribute these benefits and costs. These additional effects feedback on health outcomes to create a complicated interdependent system of health and non-health outcomes. As a result, interventions primarily intended to reduce the burden of disease can have wider societal and economic effects and more complicated and unintended, but possibly not anticipable, system-level influences on the epidemiological dynamics themselves. Capturing these effects requires a systems approach that encompasses more direct health outcomes. Towards this end, in this article we discuss the importance of integrating epidemiology and economic models, setting out the key challenges which such a merging of epidemiology and economics presents. We conclude that understanding people's behaviour in the context of interventions is key to developing a more complete and integrated economic-epidemiological approach; and a wider perspective on the benefits and costs of interventions (and who these fall upon) will help society better understand how to respond to future pandemics.

Face masking and COVID-19: potential effects of variolation on transmission dynamics

Face masks do not completely prevent transmission of respiratory infections, but masked individuals are likely to inhale fewer infectious particles. If smaller infectious doses tend to yield milder infections, yet ultimately induce similar levels of immunity, then masking could reduce the prevalence of severe disease even if the total number of infections is unaffected. It has been suggested that this effect of masking is analogous to the pre-vaccination practice of variolation for smallpox, whereby susceptible individuals were intentionally infected with small doses of live virus (and often acquired immunity without severe disease). We present a simple epidemiological model in which mask-induced variolation causes milder infections, potentially with lower transmission rate and/or different duration. We derive relationships between the effectiveness of mask-induced variolation and important epidemiological metrics (the basic reproduction number and initial epidemic growth rate, and the peak prevalence, attack rate and equilibrium prevalence of severe infections). We illustrate our results using parameter estimates for the original SARS-CoV-2 wild-type virus, as well as the Alpha, Delta and Omicron variants. Our results suggest that if variolation is a genuine side-effect of masking, then the importance of face masks as a tool for reducing healthcare burdens from COVID-19 may be under-appreciated.

Handball Training and Competition With Facemasks in Galicia: The FISICOVID-DXTGALEGO Protocols Experience

Objective

COVID-19 caused a complete stop in non-professional sports. The use of face masks for team sports is not a widely used measure in non-professional sports. The study aimed to evaluate the perception about using the mask and the adaptation difficulties related to training and competition in team sports following the FISICOVID-DXTGALEGO protocol.

Methods

Seven hundred eighty-seven handball players from the Galician Handball Federation were followed during their return to participation after months of confinement through an electronic questionnaire of perception and experience on the use of a mask.

Results

There is an excellent adaptation to the mask in training and competition with medium and high correlations. The 86,41% of players reported an adaptation to the mask in 3 weeks with a three times a week training frequency. The negative opinion on the mask was drastically reduced (-66.86%) after use. The 80,44% of players considered the use of a mask as an essential measure to resume competitions.

Conclusions

It is very feasible to adapt to training and compete with a mask (hygienic or surgical) in a short period. The use of a mask following these protocols changed previous opinions on the disadvantages of the mask during training and competition.

Compliance to infection prevention and control interventions for slowing down COVID-19 in early phase of disease transmission in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Introduction

on 16^th March 2020, Tanzania announced its first COVID-19 case. The country had already developed a 72-hour response plan and had enacted three compulsory infection prevention and control interventions. Here, we describe public compliance to Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) public health measures in Dar es Salaam during the early COVID-19 response and testing of the feasibility of an observational method.

Methods

a cross sectional study was conducted between April and May 2020 in Dar es Salaam City. At that time, Dar es Salaam was the epi centre of the epidemic. Respondents were randomly selected from defined population strata (high, medium and low). Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and through observations.

Results

a total of 390 subjects were interviewed, response rate was 388 (99.5%). Mean age of the respondents was 34.8 years and 168 (43.1%) had primary level education. Out of the 388 respondents, 384 (98.9%) reported to have heard about COVID-19 public health and social measures, 90.0% had heard from the television and 84.6% from the radio. Covering coughs and sneezes using a handkerchief was the most common behaviour observed among 320 (82.5%) respondents; followed by hand washing hygiene practice, 312 (80.4%) and wearing face masks, 240 (61.9%). Approximately 215 (55.4%) adhered to physical distancing guidance. Age and gender were associated with compliance to IPC measures (both, p<0.05).

Conclusion

compliance to public health measures during the early phase of COVID-19 pandemic in this urban setting was encouraging. As the pandemic continues, it is critical to ensure compliance is sustained and capitalize on risk communication via television and radio.

Mathematical Modeling to Study Optimal Allocation of Vaccines against COVID-19 Using an Age-Structured Population

Vaccination against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) started in early December of 2020 in the USA. The efficacy of the vaccines vary depending on the SARS-CoV-2 variant. Some countries have been able to deploy strong vaccination programs, and large proportions of their populations have been fully vaccinated. In other countries, low proportions of their populations have been vaccinated, due to different factors. For instance, countries such as Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ghana, Haiti and Syria have less than 10% of their populations fully vaccinated at this time. Implementing an optimal vaccination program is a very complex process due to a variety of variables that affect the programs. Besides, science, policy and ethics are all involved in the determination of the main objectives of the vaccination program. We present two nonlinear mathematical models that allow us to gain insight into the optimal vaccination strategy under different situations, taking into account the case fatality rate and age-structure of the population. We study scenarios with different availabilities and efficacies of the vaccines. The results of this study show that for most scenarios, the optimal allocation of vaccines is to first give the doses to people in the 55+ age group. However, in some situations the optimal strategy is to first allocate vaccines to the 15–54 age group. This situation occurs whenever the SARS-CoV-2 transmission rate is relatively high and the people in the 55+ age group have a transmission rate 50% or less that of those in the 15–54 age group. This study and similar ones can provide scientific recommendations for countries where the proportion of vaccinated individuals is relatively small or for future pandemics.

Perceptions of COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies between Rural and Non-Rural Adults in the US: How Public Health Nurses Can Fill the Gap

The purpose of this study was to capture the perceptions of COVID-19 mitigations' efficacy of rural and non-rural participants, using the health belief model (HBM), as well as to describe where public health nursing may be able to fill behavior gaps in rural communities. Rural and non-rural participants completed electronic surveys. Surveys collected demographic information and perceptions of various mitigation strategies' effectiveness. Rurality was significantly associated with perceptions of the effectiveness of public health mitigation strategies including wearing facemasks, limiting time indoors, avoiding gatherings, non-essential business closure, and staying home. Our findings suggest people in rural areas perceive mitigations to be effective. Other researchers have consistently shown rural residents are least likely to partake in the same mitigations. Rural public health nurses on the front line serve as the key to closing the aforementioned gap. Understanding where their community's perceptions lie is pivotal in creating educational programs to continue mitigation efforts as we embark on the second year of this pandemic.

Estimating data-driven coronavirus disease 2019 mitigation strategies for safe university reopening

After one pandemic year of remote or hybrid instructional modes, universities struggled with plans for an in-person autumn (fall) semester in 2021. To help inform university reopening policies, we collected survey data on social contact patterns and developed an agent-based model to simulate the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in university settings. Considering a reproduction number of R0 = 3 and 70% immunization effectiveness, we estimated that at least 80% of the university population immunized through natural infection or vaccination is needed for safe university reopening with relaxed non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). By contrast, at least 60% of the university population immunized through natural infection or vaccination is needed for safe university reopening when NPIs are adopted. Nevertheless, attention needs to be paid to large-gathering events that could lead to infection size spikes. At an immunization coverage of 70%, continuing NPIs, such as wearing masks, could lead to a 78.39% reduction in the maximum cumulative infections and a 67.59% reduction in the median cumulative infections. However, even though this reduction is very beneficial, there is still a possibility of non-negligible size outbreaks because the maximum cumulative infection size is equal to 1.61% of the population, which is substantial.

Transmission dynamics model and the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic: applications and challenges

Since late 2019, the beginning of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, transmission dynamics models have achieved great development and were widely used in predicting and policy making. Here, we provided an introduction to the history of disease transmission, summarized transmission dynamics models into three main types: compartment extension, parameter extension and population-stratified extension models, highlight the key contribution of transmission dynamics models in COVID-19 pandemic: estimating epidemiological parameters, predicting the future trend, evaluating the effectiveness of control measures and exploring different possibilities/scenarios. Finally, we pointed out the limitations and challenges lie ahead of transmission dynamics models.

Double Face Mask Use for COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control Among Medical Students at Makerere University: A Cross-Section Survey

INTRODUCTION

The second wave of COVID-19 greatly affected the health care and education systems in Uganda, due to the infection itself and the lockdowns instituted. Double masking has been suggested as a safe alternative to double-layered masks, where the quality of the latter may not be guaranteed. This study aimed to determine patterns of double mask use among undergraduate medical students at Makerere University, Uganda.

METHODS

We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire. All students enrolled at the College of Health Sciences; Makerere University received the link to this questionnaire to participate. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess factors associated with double mask use.

RESULTS

A total of 348 participants were enrolled. The majority (61.8%) were male; the median age was 23 (range: 32) years. Up to 10.3%, 42%, and 4.3% reported past COVID-19 positive test, history of COVID-19 symptoms, and having comorbidities, respectively. Up to 40.8% had been vaccinated against COVID-19. More than half (68.7%) believed double masking was superior to single masking for COVID-19 IPC, but only 20.5% reported double masking. Participants with a past COVID-19 positive test [aOR: 2.5; 95% CI: 1.1-5.8, p = 0.026] and participants who believed double masks had a superior protective advantage [aOR: 20; 95% CI: 4.9-86.2, p < 0.001] were more likely to double mask. Lack of trust in the quality of masks (46.5%) was the most frequent motivation for double masking, while excessive sweating (68.4%), high cost of masks (66.4%), and difficulty in breathing (66.1%) were the major barriers.

CONCLUSION

Very few medical students practice double masking to prevent COVID-19. Coupled with inconsistencies in the availability of the recommended four-layered masks in Uganda and increased exposure in lecture rooms and clinical rotations, medical students may be at risk of contracting COVID-19.

A mechanistic model for airborne and direct human-to-human transmission of COVID-19: effect of mitigation strategies and immigration of infectious persons

The COVID-19 pandemic is the most significant global crisis since World War II that affected almost all the countries of our planet. To control the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, it is necessary to understand how the virus is transmitted to a susceptible individual and eventually spread in the community. The primary transmission pathway of COVID-19 is human-to-human transmission through infectious droplets. However, a recent study by Greenhalgh et al. (Lancet 397:1603-1605, 2021) demonstrates 10 scientific reasons behind the airborne transmission of SARS-COV-2. In the present study, we introduce a novel mathematical model of COVID-19 that considers the transmission of free viruses in the air beside the transmission of direct contact with an infected person. The basic reproduction number of the epidemic model is calculated using the next-generation operator method and observed that it depends on both the transmission rate of direct contact and free virus contact. The local and global stability of disease-free equilibrium (DFE) is well established. Analytically it is found that there is a forward bifurcation between the DFE and an endemic equilibrium using central manifold theory. Next, we used the nonlinear least-squares technique to identify the best-fitted parameter values in the model from the observed COVID-19 mortality data of two major districts of India. Using estimated parameters for Bangalore urban and Chennai, different control scenarios for mitigation of the disease are investigated. Results indicate that the vaccination of susceptible individuals and treatment of hospitalized patients are very crucial to curtailing the disease in the two locations. It is also found that when a vaccine crisis is there, the public health authorities should prefer to vaccinate the susceptible people compared to the recovered persons who are now healthy. Along with face mask use, treatment of hospitalized patients, and vaccination of susceptibles, immigration should be allowed in a supervised manner so that economy of the overall society remains healthy.

A review on the transmission of COVID-19 based on cough/sneeze/breath flows

COVID-19 pandemic has recently had a dramatic impact on society. The understanding of the disease transmission is of high importance to limit its spread between humans. The spread of the virus in air strongly depends on the flow dynamics of the human airflows. It is, however, known that predicting the flow dynamics of the human airflows can be challenging due to different particles sizes and the turbulent aspect of the flow regime. It is thus recommended to present a deep analysis of different human airflows based on the existing experimental investigations. A validation of the existing numerical predictions of such flows would be of high interest to further develop the existing numerical model for different flow configurations. This paper presents a literature review of the experimental and numerical studies on human airflows, including sneezing, coughing and breathing. The dynamics of these airflows for different droplet sizes is discussed. The influence of other parameters, such as the viscosity and relative humidity, on the germs transmission is also presented. Finally, the efficacy of using a facemask in limiting the transmission of COVID-19 is investigated.