Time to stop the use of 'Wuhan virus', 'China virus' or 'Chinese virus' across the scientific community

Where should "Humans" be in "One Health"? Lessons from COVID-19 for One Health

The culling of animals that are infected, or suspected to be infected, with COVID-19 has fuelled outcry. What might have contributed to the ongoing debates and discussions about animal rights protection amid global health crises is the lack of a unified understanding and internationally agreed-upon definition of "One Health". The term One Health is often utilised to describe the imperative to protect the health of humans, animals, and plants, along with the overarching ecosystem in an increasingly connected and globalized world. However, to date, there is a dearth of research on how to balance public health decisions that could impact all key stakeholders under the umbrella of One Health, particularly in contexts where human suffering has been immense. To shed light on the issue, this paper discusses whether One Health means "human-centred connected health" in a largely human-dominated planet, particularly amid crises like COVID-19. The insights of this study could help policymakers make more informed decisions that could effectively and efficiently protect human health while balancing the health and well-being of the rest of the inhabitants of our shared planet Earth.

Inequalities in emerging adult college students' sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVE

To examine inequalities in sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic by gender, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic position (SEP), and test associations between discrimination and sleep quality in a national longitudinal cohort of emerging adult college students.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants were enrolled in college full-time and were aged 18-22 at baseline.

METHODS

Participants completed online surveys in spring 2020 (N = 707) and summer 2021 (n = 313). Measures included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Everyday Discrimination Scale.

RESULTS

Most students reported poor sleep quality (78% in 2020; 82% in 2021) and those from marginalized groups generally experienced worse sleep quality. Discrimination was associated with poorer concurrent sleep quality at both time points.

CONCLUSIONS

Sleep inequalities among college students continued to manifest during the pandemic, even when students were not necessarily on campus. Colleges should take a multi-pronged approach to promote sleep quality through individual, community, and institutional interventions.

The pandemic and social experience: For whom did discrimination and social isolation increase?

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to examine whether experiences of discrimination have increased during the pandemic, particularly among negatively stigmatized racial/ethnic groups, and whether such experiences have exacerbated feelings of social isolation.

METHOD

Discrimination and social isolation were assessed before and during the pandemic in a sample of 263 Black and White young adults attending a large, predominantly White 4-year research university in the Southeastern region of the United States (52% Black, 48% White, 53% female, mean age = 19.2).

RESULTS

Increases in discrimination were evident among Black but not White participants. Black participants also reported greater increases in social isolation than White participants, and changes in discrimination partially mediated the emergent racial disparity in social isolation.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings are consistent with theoretical perspectives on discrimination during times of stress and suggest the need for broader attention to the impact of the pandemic on unfair treatment of stigmatized groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Understanding the Link between COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS Stigmas

While the HIV/AIDS epidemic has informed the responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a lack of understanding of the empirical links between stigmas associated with COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS. Surveying 247 adults in the United States online, this study aims to examine the relationships between COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS stigmas in order to understand how they are similar and different from each other, taking into consideration the context relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic. Four scales of stigmas conveying different attitudes (i.e., rejection, despise, accusation, and caution) were used to examine the relationships between the stigmas of these two infectious diseases. Findings based on the mean comparisons from paired t tests showed the mean difference in scores between respondents who supported the exclusion of COVID-19-infected individuals versus HIV-infected individuals was statistically significant. In addition, the mean difference in scores between respondents who were wary of their need to protect their rights around COVID-19-infected persons versus HIV-infected persons was statistically significant. Controlling for the respondents' sociodemographics and factors that were relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple regression analyses showed that all four types of COVID-19 stigmas were positively associated with their corresponding types of HIV/AIDS stigmas. The preliminary findings between COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS stigmas suggested that HIV/AIDS stigma mitigation strategies may present a fruitful approach to inform stigma mitigation of COVID-19.

Crisis communication strategies for health officials

Background

Mixed messaging among health officials are prevalent amid COVID-19. Crisis communication strategies have the potential to help health officials effectively address issues such as mixed messages and improve their crisis communication efficacy. However, there is a dearth of insights in the literature. Therefore, to bridge the research gap, this study aims to examine practical strategies health officials can utilize to improve their crisis communication efficacy.

Methods

A literature review on effective crisis communication strategies amid COVID-19 was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO, with a focus on scholarly literature published in English.

Results

The findings of the study identified the following strategies that health officials can utilize to improve their crisis communication capabilities: (1) develop fact-based, transparent, and accountable messaging, (2) utilize people-centered and empathetic persuasive strategies, and (3) leverage international collaboration for consistent messaging and comprehensive crisis communication.

Conclusion

COVID-19 has challenged health officials with unprecedented crisis communication duties and responsibilities. In this study, we underscored the importance of effective crisis communication amid global health emergencies like COVID-19, and identified communication strategies health officials could adopt or adapt to improve their crisis communication efficacy. Future research could explore strategies health officials can use to better communicate with government officials and media professionals to further help health officials improve their crisis communication capabilities, their abilities to avoid preventable miscommunication or mixed messaging, and in turn, society's collective strengthen in curbing and controlling the pandemic.

From Bondi to Fairfield: NSW COVID-19 press conferences, health messaging, and social inequality

The use of media sources increases exponentially during a health crisis or disaster. Similarly, digital health information and misinformation can spread quickly through social media. From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the press conference has been one of the federal, state, and territory governments’ key outlets for providing updates, containing misinformation, reassuring constituents, and articulating public health measures. This article focuses on NSW press conferences relating to the major Delta outbreak in Australia. The article looks at the press conferences as they pertain to the NSW government's controversial targeting of the lower socioeconomic and ethnically diverse south-west ‘hotspot’ or ‘LGA of concern’, Fairfield, which turned the LGA into an area of intense policing. We argue strategic manoeuvring in the press conferences, through the individualisation of responsibility and blame shifting, formed part of the NSW government's attempts to minimise political fallout.

Mind the "worry fatigue" amid Omicron scares

In addition to worry, the accumulated unknowns and uncertainties about COVID-19 may also result in "worry fatigue" that could harm the public's vigilance towards the pandemic and their adherence to preventive measures. Worry could be understood as future-oriented concerns and challenges that could result in negative outcomes, whereas worry fatigue is the feeling of extreme burden and burnout associated with too much worry unsolved. As the world embraces its second COVID-19 winter, along with the pandemic-compromised holiday season, the Omicron variant has been declared a variant of concern by the World Health Organization. However, the fluid and unpredictable nature of COVID-19 variants dictates that, instead of definitive answers that could ease people's worry about Omicron, dividing debates and distracting discussions that could further exacerbate people's worry fatigue might be the norm in the coming months. This means that, amid the ever-changing public health guidance, the forever-breaking news reports, and the always-debatable media analyses, government and health officials need to be more invested in addressing people's potential worry and worry fatigue about the pandemic, to ensure the public's rigorous cooperation and compliance with safety measures.

The Prevalence of Depression and Related Factors During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among the General Population of the Jazan Region of Saudi Arabia

Background

This study examines the rates of depression associated with the COVID-19 pandemic along with mitigation measures such as lockdown and quarantine in the population of the Jazan region in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) began mitigation measures before the first case appeared on March 2, 2020, disrupting daily life in a culture that is centered on family life. We sought to assess the psychological impacts of the pandemic on this culturally unique region to see if it affected as many as other reported places in the world.

Methods

A self-reporting online questionnaire in Arabic was distributed through social media applications and a convenience sample of 942 participants ≥18 years of age living in the Jazan region was selected. The questionnaire included socio-demographics, economic status, chronic medical conditions, focus on and knowledge of COVID-19, and the patient health questionnaire-9 scale (PHQ-9) for depression metrics.

The data in this study were analyzed using descriptive analysis of participant characteristics, followed by Chi-square testing to compare reported depression related to each variable. Finally, to control for confounding factors, we applied multivariate logistic regression to find an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% CI.

Results

In the Jazan region, the rate of depression during the COVID-19 pandemic was nearly 26%. There are several significant determinants associated with higher rates of depression in descending order: those with chronic diseases were 160% higher than those without; those with a history of mental illness were 150% higher; participants who focused excessively on the pandemic ≥3 hours daily were 130% higher; participants who were divorced or widowed were 120% higher than singles; females were 87% higher; those under age 40 were 57% higher; students were 50% higher; those reporting low incomes were 40% higher than those with moderate incomes and 60% higher than those with high incomes.

Conclusions

Strategies need to be devised to protect vulnerable groups of participants from mental health effects, including depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. This will require the collaboration of various institutions, such as schools and others, to provide support for education and mental health. Future research should be aimed at determining the reasons for this higher vulnerability of some groups.

Rigorous Policy-Making Amid COVID-19 and Beyond: Literature Review and Critical Insights

Policies shape society. Public health policies are of particular importance, as they often dictate matters in life and death. Accumulating evidence indicates that good-intentioned COVID-19 policies, such as shelter-in-place measures, can often result in unintended consequences among vulnerable populations such as nursing home residents and domestic violence victims. Thus, to shed light on the issue, this study aimed to identify policy-making processes that have the potential of developing policies that could induce optimal desirable outcomes with limited to no unintended consequences amid the pandemic and beyond. Methods: A literature review was conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus to answer the research question. To better structure the review and the subsequent analysis, theoretical frameworks such as the social ecological model were adopted to guide the process. Results: The findings suggested that: (1) people-centered; (2) artificial intelligence (AI)-powered; (3) data-driven, and (4) supervision-enhanced policy-making processes could help society develop policies that have the potential to yield desirable outcomes with limited unintended consequences. To leverage these strategies' interconnectedness, the people-centered, AI-powered, data-driven, and supervision-enhanced (PADS) model of policy making was subsequently developed. Conclusions: The PADS model can develop policies that have the potential to induce optimal outcomes and limit or eliminate unintended consequences amid COVID-19 and beyond. Rather than serving as a definitive answer to problematic COVID-19 policy-making practices, the PADS model could be best understood as one of many promising frameworks that could bring the pandemic policy-making process more in line with the interests of societies at large; in other words, more cost-effectively, and consistently anti-COVID and pro-human.

Young adults' preferences for influenza vaccination campaign messages: Implications for COVID-19 vaccine intervention design and development

Background

Health campaign interventions, particularly those tailored to the target audience's needs and preferences, can cost-effectively change people's attitudes and behaviors towards better health decision-making. However, there is limited research on how to best tailor seasonal influenza vaccination campaigns for young adults. Vaccination is vital in protecting young adults and their social circles (vulnerable populations like older adults) from the influenza virus and critical in shaping these emerging adults' vaccination habits in the long run. However, amid the prevalence of easily-accessible, attention-grabbing, and often malicious false and misinformation (e.g., COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theories), it may be more challenging to develop vaccination messages that resonate with young adults well enough to attract their attention. Therefore, to bridge the research gap, this study examines young adults' preferences for seasonal influenza vaccination campaigns to inform effective intervention design and development.

Methods

Qualitative survey questions were developed to gauge young adults' preferences for seasonal influenza vaccination campaigns. A total of 545 young adults (73.9% female, Mage ​= ​19.89, SD ​= ​1.44) from a large University offered complete answers to a cross-sectional online survey. Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis procedures were adopted to guide the data analysis process.

Results

Thematic analysis revealed that young adults prefer seasonal influenza vaccination campaigns that rely on (1) quality and balanced information from (2) credible information sources, positioned in the (3) relevant health contexts, (4) emphasize actionable messages, and incorporate (5) persuasive campaign design. Interestingly, while many participants underscored the importance of fear-appeal messages in persuading them to take health actions, some young adults also suggested avoiding fear campaigns due to discomfort.

Conclusions

Insights of the study can inform seasonal influenza vaccination design and development, and have the potential to shed light on vaccination messaging in other vaccine contexts, such as COVID-19 vaccines. Results also underscore the need for health experts and government officials to adopt a more nuanced approach when selecting persuasive campaign appeals. While some young adults may resonate well with fear appeals, others may not. Future research could examine the underlying mechanisms that drive young adults' preference for vaccination campaign intervention to enrich the literature further.

The Social Lives of Infectious Diseases: Why Culture Matters to COVID-19

Over the course of the year 2020, the global scientific community dedicated considerable effort to understanding COVID-19. In this review, we discuss some of the findings accumulated between the onset of the pandemic and the end of 2020, and argue that although COVID-19 is clearly a biological disease tied to a specific virus, the culture-mind relation at the heart of cultural psychology is nonetheless essential to understanding the pandemic. Striking differences have been observed in terms of relative mortality, transmission rates, behavioral responses, official policies, compliance with authorities, and even the extent to which beliefs about COVID-19 have been politicized across different societies and groups. Moreover, many minority groups have very different experiences of the pandemic relative to dominant groups, notably through existing health inequities as well as discrimination and marginalization, which we believe calls for a better integration of political and socioeconomic factors into cultural psychology and into the narrative of health and illness in psychological science more broadly. Finally, individual differences in, for example, intolerance of uncertainty, optimism, conspiratorial thinking, or collectivist orientation are influenced by cultural context, with implications for behaviors that are relevant to the spread and impact of COVID-19, such as mask-wearing and social distancing. The interplay between cultural context and the experience and expression of mental disorders continues to be documented by cultural-clinical psychology; the current work extends this thinking to infectious disease, with special attention to diseases spread by social contact and fought at least in part through social interventions. We will discuss cultural influences on the transmission, course, and outcome of COVID-19 at three levels: (1) cross-society differences; (2) within-society communities and intergroup relations; and (3) individual differences shaped by cultural context. We conclude by considering potential theoretical implications of this perspective on infectious disease for cultural psychology and related disciplines, as well as practical implications of this perspective on science communication and public health interventions.

Chinese International Students in the United States: The Interplay of Students' Acculturative Stress, Academic Standing, and Quality of Life

Background

Acculturation could cause grave health consequences in international students. However, there is a shortage of research into how acculturative stress might affect international students’ quality of life in light of their academic standing and experience. The lack of research is particularly pronounced among Chinese international students, representing the largest body of international students studying in the United States (U.S.). Thus, to bridge the research gap, this study aims to examine the interplay between international students’ acculturative stress, academic standing, and quality of life among a nationally representative sample of Chinese international students studying in the United States.

Methods

An online survey that gauges Chinese international students’ levels of acculturative stress, academic standing, and quality of life was developed. Over 350 higher education institutions across the United States were approached, including public universities, private universities, and community colleges, among which approximately 220 institutions responded positively and supported survey distribution. A total of 751 students completed the survey. Multiple regression analyses were carried out to examine the associations between students’ acculturative stress, academic standing, and quality of life.

Results

Findings reveal that acculturative stress negatively affects all four domains of Chinese international students’ quality of life, irrespective of their academic standing. Data analyses also show that compared to master’s and doctoral students, undergraduates experience the highest levels of acculturative stress. Furthermore, a significant difference emerged among undergraduate and doctoral international students’ acculturative stress levels, but not among undergraduate and master’s students, or master’s and doctoral students.

Conclusion

Our study found that, compared to master’s and doctoral students, undergraduates had more significant acculturative stress associated with lower levels of quality of life. This finding highlights the potentially positive role of academic experience – while acculturative stress deteriorates international students’ quality of life, students’ academic standing and experience could be the protective factor in the equation. Future research could further examine how universities and colleges can capitalize on their academic apparatuses and resources to improve international students’ academic performance and students’ acculturation experience and quality of life.

Psychology and the Threat of Contagion: Feeling Vulnerable to a Disease Moderates the Link Between Xenophobic Thoughts and Support for Ingroup-Protective Actions

The widespread threat of contagious disease disrupts not only everyday life but also psychological experience. Building on findings regarding xenophobic responses to contagious diseases, this research investigates how perceived vulnerability to a disease moderates the psychological link between people's xenophobic thoughts and support for ingroup-protective actions. Three datasets collected during the time of Ebola (N = 867) and COVID-19 (Ns = 992 and 926) measured perceived disease risk, group-serving biases (i.e., xenophobic thoughts), and support for restrictive travel policies (i.e., ingroup-protective actions). Using correlational and quasi-experimental analyses, results indicated that for people who perceive greater disease risk, the association between group-serving bias and restrictive policy support is weakened. This weakened association occurred because people who felt more vulnerable to these diseases increased support for ingroup-protective actions more strongly than xenophobic thoughts. This research underscores the importance of understanding the impact of threats on psychological processes beyond the impact on psychological outcomes.

Mental health solutions for domestic violence victims amid COVID-19: a review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Due to COVID-19, domestic violence victims face a range of mental health challenges, possibly resulting in substantial human and economic consequences. However, there is a lack of mental health interventions tailored to domestic violence victims and in the context of COVID-19. In this study, we aim to identify interventions that can improve domestic violence victims' mental health amid the COVID-19 pandemic to address the research gap.

MAIN TEXT

Drawing insights from established COVID-19 review frameworks and a comprehensive review of PubMed literature, we obtained information on interventions that can address domestic violence victims' mental health challenges amid COVID-19. We identified practical and timely solutions that can be utilized to address mental health challenges domestic violence victims face amid COVID-19, mainly focusing on (1) decreasing victims' exposure to the abuser and (2) increasing victims' access to mental health services.

CONCLUSION

Domestic violence is a public health crisis that affects all demographics and could result in significant morbidity and mortality. In addition to emphasizing mental health challenges faced by domestic violence victims, multidisciplinary interventions are identified that could provide timely and practical solutions to domestic violence victims amid the pandemic, which range from tailored shelter home strategies, education programs, escape plans, laws and regulations, as well as more technology-based mental health solutions. There is a significant need for more multipronged and multidisciplinary strategies to address domestic violence amid and beyond the pandemic, particularly interventions that could capitalize on the ubiquity and cost-effectiveness of technology-based solutions.

Addressing Biodisaster X Threats With Artificial Intelligence and 6G Technologies: Literature Review and Critical Insights

BACKGROUND

With advances in science and technology, biotechnology is becoming more accessible to people of all demographics. These advances inevitably hold the promise to improve personal and population well-being and welfare substantially. It is paradoxical that while greater access to biotechnology on a population level has many advantages, it may also increase the likelihood and frequency of biodisasters due to accidental or malicious use. Similar to "Disease X" (describing unknown naturally emerging pathogenic diseases with a pandemic potential), we term this unknown risk from biotechnologies "Biodisaster X." To date, no studies have examined the potential role of information technologies in preventing and mitigating Biodisaster X.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore (1) what Biodisaster X might entail and (2) solutions that use artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging 6G technologies to help monitor and manage Biodisaster X threats.

METHODS

A review of the literature on applying AI and 6G technologies for monitoring and managing biodisasters was conducted on PubMed, using articles published from database inception through to November 16, 2020.

RESULTS

Our findings show that Biodisaster X has the potential to upend lives and livelihoods and destroy economies, essentially posing a looming risk for civilizations worldwide. To shed light on Biodisaster X threats, we detailed effective AI and 6G-enabled strategies, ranging from natural language processing to deep learning-based image analysis to address issues ranging from early Biodisaster X detection (eg, identification of suspicious behaviors), remote design and development of pharmaceuticals (eg, treatment development), and public health interventions (eg, reactive shelter-at-home mandate enforcement), as well as disaster recovery (eg, sentiment analysis of social media posts to shed light on the public's feelings and readiness for recovery building).

CONCLUSIONS

Biodisaster X is a looming but avoidable catastrophe. Considering the potential human and economic consequences Biodisaster X could cause, actions that can effectively monitor and manage Biodisaster X threats must be taken promptly and proactively. Rather than solely depending on overstretched professional attention of health experts and government officials, it is perhaps more cost-effective and practical to deploy technology-based solutions to prevent and control Biodisaster X threats. This study discusses what Biodisaster X could entail and emphasizes the importance of monitoring and managing Biodisaster X threats by AI techniques and 6G technologies. Future studies could explore how the convergence of AI and 6G systems may further advance the preparedness for high-impact, less likely events beyond Biodisaster X.

Mental health consequences of COVID-19 media coverage: the need for effective crisis communication practices

During global pandemics, such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), crisis communication is indispensable in dispelling fears, uncertainty, and unifying individuals worldwide in a collective fight against health threats. Inadequate crisis communication can bring dire personal and economic consequences. Mounting research shows that seemingly endless newsfeeds related to COVID-19 infection and death rates could considerably increase the risk of mental health problems. Unfortunately, media reports that include infodemics regarding the influence of COVID-19 on mental health may be a source of the adverse psychological effects on individuals. Owing partially to insufficient crisis communication practices, media and news organizations across the globe have played minimal roles in battling COVID-19 infodemics. Common refrains include raging QAnon conspiracies, a false and misleading "Chinese virus" narrative, and the use of disinfectants to "cure" COVID-19. With the potential to deteriorate mental health, infodemics fueled by a kaleidoscopic range of misinformation can be dangerous. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of research on how to improve crisis communication across media and news organization channels. This paper identifies ways that legacy media reports on COVID-19 and how social media-based infodemics can result in mental health concerns. This paper discusses possible crisis communication solutions that media and news organizations can adopt to mitigate the negative influences of COVID-19 related news on mental health. Emphasizing the need for global media entities to forge a fact-based, person-centered, and collaborative response to COVID-19 reporting, this paper encourages media resources to focus on the core issue of how to slow or stop COVID-19 transmission effectively.