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Deng JS, Huang CL, Hu QY, Shi L, Chen XY, Luo X, Tung TH, Zhu JS. Impact of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection on college students' hesitancy to receive additional COVID-19 vaccine booster doses: A study from Taizhou, China. Prev Med Rep 2024; 41:102709. [PMID: 38576514 PMCID: PMC10992892 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2024.102709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose This study aimed to examine the impact of a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the hesitancy of college students to receive additional COVID-19 vaccine booster doses. Methods A population-based self-administered online survey was conducted in July 2024 in Taizhou, China. A total of 792 respondents were included in this study. Logistic regression was conducted to identify factors associated with college students' hesitation to receive booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Results Of 792 respondents, 32.2 % hesitated to receive additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine booster. Furthermore, 23.5 % of the respondents reported an increase in hesitancy to receiving additional COVID-19 vaccine booster doses compared to before they were infected with SARS-CoV-2. In the regression analyses, college students who had a secondary infection were more hesitant to receive additional COVID-19 vaccine booster doses (OR = 0.481, 95 % CI: (0.299-0.774), P = 0.003). Moreover, students with secondary infections who were male (OR = 0.417, 95 % CI: 0.221-0.784, P = 0.007), with lower than a bachelor's degree (OR = 0.471, 95 % CI: 0.272-0.815, P = 0.007), in non-medical majors (OR = 0.460, 95 % CI: 0.248-0.856, P = 0.014), and sophomores or below (OR = 0.483, 95 % CI: 0.286-0.817, P = 0.007) were more hesitant to receive additional COVID-19 vaccine booster doses. Conclusion A history of SARS-CoV-2 infection affects college students' hesitation to receive additional COVID-19 vaccine booster doses, which was higher in those who experienced secondary infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Shan Deng
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, Zhejiang 317000, China
| | - Chun-Lian Huang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, Zhejiang 317000, China
| | - Qiong-Ying Hu
- School of Medicine, Taizhou University, 1139 Shifu Road, Jiaojiang District, Taizhou, Zhejiang 318000, China
| | - Lei Shi
- Enze Nursing College, Taizhou Vocational and Technical College, Taizhou, Zhejiang 318000, China
| | - Xiao-Ying Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, Zhejiang 317000, China
| | - Xu Luo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, Zhejiang 317000, China
| | - Tao-Hsin Tung
- Evidence-based Medicine Center, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, Zhejiang 317000, China
| | - Jian-Sheng Zhu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, Zhejiang 317000, China
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Moniz M, Soares P, Nunes B, Leite A. Is a tiered restrictions system an effective intervention for COVID-19 control? Results from Portugal, November-December 2020. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:956. [PMID: 38575989 PMCID: PMC10993531 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18369-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In November 2020, similar to other European countries, Portugal implemented a tiered restrictions system to control the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to compare the COVID-19 growth rate across tiers to assess the effect of a tiered restrictions system in Portugal, using models with different times between tiers assessment. Our hypothesis was that being in a higher tier brings a faster deceleration in the growth rate than being in a lower tier. METHODS The national database of notified COVID-19 cases and publicly available data were used to analyse the effect of the tiered restrictions system on the COVID-19 incidence growth rate. The tiers were based on the European Centre for Disease Control risk classification: moderate, high, very and extremely high. We used a generalised mixed-effects regression model to estimate the growth rate ratio (GRR) for each tier, comparing the growth rates of higher tiers using moderate tier as reference. Three models were fitted using different times between tiers assessment, separated by 14 days. RESULTS We included 156 034 cases. Very high tier was the most frequent combination in all the three moments assessed (21.2%), and almost 50% of the municipalities never changed tier during the study period. Immediately after the tiers implementation, a reduction was identified in the municipalities in high tier (GRR high tier: 0.90 [95%CI: 0.79; 1.02]) and very high tier (GRR very high tier: 0.68 [95%CI: 0.61; 0.77]), however with some imprecision in the 95% confidence interval for the high tier. A reduction in very high tier growth rate was identified two weeks (GRR: 0.79 [95%CI: 0.71; 0.88]) and four weeks (GRR: 0.77 [95%CI: 0.74; 0.82]) after the implementation, compared to moderate tier. In high tier, a reduction was also identified in both times, although smaller. CONCLUSIONS We observed a reduction in the growth rate in very high tier after the tiered restriction system was implemented, but we also observed a lag between tiered restriction system implementation and the onset of consequent effects. This could suggest the importance of early implementation of stricter measures for pandemic control. Thus, studies analysing a broader period of time are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Moniz
- Public Health Research Center, Comprehensive Health Research Center, NOVA National School of Public Health, NOVA University Lisbon, CHRC, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Patrícia Soares
- Public Health Research Center, Comprehensive Health Research Center, NOVA National School of Public Health, NOVA University Lisbon, CHRC, Lisbon, Portugal
- Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Águas de Moura, Portugal
- Department of Epidemiology, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Baltazar Nunes
- Public Health Research Center, Comprehensive Health Research Center, NOVA National School of Public Health, NOVA University Lisbon, CHRC, Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Epidemiology, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Andreia Leite
- Public Health Research Center, Comprehensive Health Research Center, NOVA National School of Public Health, NOVA University Lisbon, CHRC, Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Epidemiology, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
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Chang N, Tsai YC, Chen WJ, Lo CC, Chang HH. COVID-19 control measures unexpectedly increased the duration of stay at High Speed Rail stations during the first community outbreak in Taiwan. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:551. [PMID: 38388363 PMCID: PMC10882884 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-17964-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan has implemented strict border controls and community spread prevention measures. As part of these efforts, the government also implemented measures for public transportation. In Taiwan, there are two primary public transportation systems: Taiwan Railways (TR) is commonly utilized for local travel, while the Taiwan High-Speed Rail (THSR) is preferred for business trips and long-distance journeys due to its higher speed. In this study, we examined the impact of these disease prevention measures on the number of passengers and duration of stay in two major public transportation systems during the first community outbreak from April 29th to May 29th, 2021. Using data from a local telecommunications company, our study observed an expected decrease in the number of passengers after the cancellation of non-reserved seats at both TR and THSR stations across all 19 cities in the main island of Taiwan. Surprisingly, however, the duration of stay in some of the cities unexpectedly increased, especially at THSR stations. This unanticipated rise in the duration of stay has the potential to elevate contact probability among passengers and, consequently, the transmission rate. Our analysis shows that intervention policies may result in unforeseen outcomes, highlighting the crucial role of human mobility data as a real-time reference for policymakers. It enables them to monitor the impact of disease prevention measures and facilitates informed, data-driven decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Chang
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chen Tsai
- Institute of Information Management, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wei J Chen
- Centers of Genomic and Precision Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Research, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli County, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Chuan Lo
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
| | - Hsiao-Han Chang
- Department of Life Science and Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
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Bond L, McNicholas F. The end of COVID-19: not with a bang but a whimper. Ir J Med Sci 2024; 193:335-339. [PMID: 37386349 PMCID: PMC10810037 DOI: 10.1007/s11845-023-03435-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
The formal announcement of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic by the WHO came on the 5th of May 2023; however, unlike the pandemic onset, the pandemic end date was not met with any significant media coverage or news reporting in Ireland. Additionally, there were no series of contemplations either in newspapers or other media about the impact of the decision to formally end the pandemic despite having financial and legislative impacts on a wide number of people. Given the potential impact of the removal of government subsidies on health and occupations, government and media coverage of the decisions and potential implications would have been helpful. The opportunity for a significant debriefing of the pandemic outlining what we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic response may have been missed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Bond
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Fiona McNicholas
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Psychiatry, Children's Hospital Ireland at Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland
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Sabbatini CE, Pullano G, Di Domenico L, Rubrichi S, Bansal S, Colizza V. The impact of spatial connectivity on NPIs effectiveness. BMC Infect Dis 2024; 24:21. [PMID: 38166649 PMCID: PMC10763474 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08900-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND France implemented a combination of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to manage the COVID-19 pandemic between September 2020 and June 2021. These included a lockdown in the fall 2020 - the second since the start of the pandemic - to counteract the second wave, followed by a long period of nighttime curfew, and by a third lockdown in the spring 2021 against the Alpha wave. Interventions have so far been evaluated in isolation, neglecting the spatial connectivity between regions through mobility that may impact NPI effectiveness. METHODS Focusing on September 2020-June 2021, we developed a regionally-based epidemic metapopulation model informed by observed mobility fluxes from daily mobile phone data and fitted the model to regional hospital admissions. The model integrated data on vaccination and variants spread. Scenarios were designed to assess the impact of the Alpha variant, characterized by increased transmissibility and risk of hospitalization, of the vaccination campaign and alternative policy decisions. RESULTS The spatial model better captured the heterogeneity observed in the regional dynamics, compared to models neglecting inter-regional mobility. The third lockdown was similarly effective to the second lockdown after discounting for immunity, Alpha, and seasonality (51% vs 52% median regional reduction in the reproductive number R0, respectively). The 6pm nighttime curfew with bars and restaurants closed, implemented in January 2021, substantially reduced COVID-19 transmission. It initially led to 49% median regional reduction of R0, decreasing to 43% reduction by March 2021. In absence of vaccination, implemented interventions would have been insufficient against the Alpha wave. Counterfactual scenarios proposing a sequence of lockdowns in a stop-and-go fashion would have reduced hospitalizations and restriction days for low enough thresholds triggering and lifting restrictions. CONCLUSIONS Spatial connectivity induced by mobility impacted the effectiveness of interventions especially in regions with higher mobility rates. Early evening curfew with gastronomy sector closed allowed authorities to delay the third wave. Stop-and-go lockdowns could have substantially lowered both healthcare and societal burdens if implemented early enough, compared to the observed application of lockdown-curfew-lockdown, but likely at the expense of several labor sectors. These findings contribute to characterize the effectiveness of implemented strategies and improve pandemic preparedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara E Sabbatini
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Pierre Louis Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health, Paris, France
| | - Giulia Pullano
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Laura Di Domenico
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Pierre Louis Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health, Paris, France
| | - Stefania Rubrichi
- Orange Labs, Sociology and Economics of Networks and Services (SENSE), Chatillon, France
| | - Shweta Bansal
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Vittoria Colizza
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Pierre Louis Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health, Paris, France.
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6
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Silva MEP, Fyles M, Pi L, Panovska-Griffiths J, House T, Jay C, Fearon E. The role of regular asymptomatic testing in reducing the impact of a COVID-19 wave. Epidemics 2023; 44:100699. [PMID: 37515954 DOI: 10.1016/j.epidem.2023.100699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Testing for infection with SARS-CoV-2 is an important intervention in reducing onwards transmission of COVID-19, particularly when combined with the isolation and contact-tracing of positive cases. Many countries with the capacity to do so have made use of lab-processed Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing targeted at individuals with symptoms and the contacts of confirmed cases. Alternatively, Lateral Flow Tests (LFTs) are able to deliver a result quickly, without lab-processing and at a relatively low cost. Their adoption can support regular mass asymptomatic testing, allowing earlier detection of infection and isolation of infectious individuals. In this paper we extend and apply the agent-based epidemic modelling framework Covasim to explore the impact of regular asymptomatic testing on the peak and total number of infections in an emerging COVID-19 wave. We explore testing with LFTs at different frequency levels within a population with high levels of immunity and with background symptomatic PCR testing, case isolation and contact tracing for testing. The effectiveness of regular asymptomatic testing was compared with 'lockdown' interventions seeking to reduce the number of non-household contacts across the whole population through measures such as mandating working from home and restrictions on gatherings. Since regular asymptomatic testing requires only those with a positive result to reduce contact, while lockdown measures require the whole population to reduce contact, any policy decision that seeks to trade off harms from infection against other harms will not automatically favour one over the other. Our results demonstrate that, where such a trade off is being made, at moderate rates of early exponential growth regular asymptomatic testing has the potential to achieve significant infection control without the wider harms associated with additional lockdown measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel E P Silva
- Department of Computer Science, University of Manchester, United Kingdom.
| | - Martyn Fyles
- Department of Mathematics, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; The Alan Turing Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Li Pi
- Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jasmina Panovska-Griffiths
- Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, University of Oxford, United Kingdom; The Queen's College, University of Oxford, United Kingdom; Pandemic Sciences Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas House
- Department of Mathematics, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline Jay
- Department of Computer Science, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Fearon
- Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom; Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom; Institute for Global Health, University College London, United Kingdom.
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7
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Corchis-Scott R, Geng Q, Al Riahi AM, Labak A, Podadera A, Ng KKS, Porter LA, Tong Y, Dixon JC, Menard SL, Seth R, McKay RM. Actionable wastewater surveillance: application to a university residence hall during the transition between Delta and Omicron resurgences of COVID-19. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1139423. [PMID: 37265515 PMCID: PMC10230041 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1139423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance has gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic as an effective and non-biased means to track community infection. While most surveillance relies on samples collected at municipal wastewater treatment plants, surveillance is more actionable when samples are collected "upstream" where mitigation of transmission is tractable. This report describes the results of wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 at residence halls on a university campus aimed at preventing outbreak escalation by mitigating community spread. Another goal was to estimate fecal shedding rates of SARS-CoV-2 in a non-clinical setting. Passive sampling devices were deployed in sewer laterals originating from residence halls at a frequency of twice weekly during fall 2021 as the Delta variant of concern continued to circulate across North America. A positive detection as part of routine sampling in late November 2021 triggered daily monitoring and further isolated the signal to a single wing of one residence hall. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 within the wastewater over a period of 3 consecutive days led to a coordinated rapid antigen testing campaign targeting the residence hall occupants and the identification and isolation of infected individuals. With knowledge of the number of individuals testing positive for COVID-19, fecal shedding rates were estimated to range from 3.70 log10 gc ‧ g feces-1 to 5.94 log10 gc ‧ g feces-1. These results reinforce the efficacy of wastewater surveillance as an early indicator of infection in congregate living settings. Detections can trigger public health measures ranging from enhanced communications to targeted coordinated testing and quarantine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryland Corchis-Scott
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Qiudi Geng
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Abdul Monem Al Riahi
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Amr Labak
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Ana Podadera
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Kenneth K. S. Ng
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Lisa A. Porter
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Yufeng Tong
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Jess C. Dixon
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | | | - Rajesh Seth
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - R. Michael McKay
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
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8
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Wu X, Lu Y, Jiang B. Built environment factors moderate pandemic fatigue in social distance during the COVID-19 pandemic: A nationwide longitudinal study in the United States. LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING 2023; 233:104690. [PMID: 36687504 PMCID: PMC9842632 DOI: 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2023.104690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) remain some of the most effective measures for coping with the ever-changing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Pandemic fatigue, which manifests as the declined willingness to follow the recommended protective behaviors (e.g., keeping social distance policies, wearing masks), has commanded increasing attention from researchers and policymakers after the prolonged NPIs and COVID-19 worldwide. However, long-term changes in pandemic fatigue are not well understood, especially amidst the ever-changing pandemic landscape. Built environment factors have been shown to positively affect mental and physical health, but it is still unclear whether built environments can moderate pandemic fatigue. In this study, we used Google mobility data to investigate longitudinal trends of pandemic fatigue in social distance since the onset of NPIs enforcement in the United States. The results indicated that pandemic fatigue continuously worsened over nearly two years of NPIs implementation, and a sharp increase occurred after the vaccination program began. Additionally, we detected a significant moderation effect of greenspace and urbanicity levels on pandemic fatigue. People living in areas with high levels of greenness or urbanicity experienced lower levels of pandemic fatigue. These findings not only shed new light on the effects of greenness and urbanicity on COVID-19 pandemic fatigue, but also provide evidence for developing more tailored and effective strategies to cope with pandemic fatigue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueying Wu
- Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yi Lu
- Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Bin Jiang
- Urban Environments and Human Health Lab, HKUrbanLabs, Faculty of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Division of Landscape Architecture, Department of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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9
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Kurita K, Katafuchi Y, Managi S. COVID-19, stigma, and habituation: evidence from mobility data. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:98. [PMID: 36639781 PMCID: PMC9839212 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-14980-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Japanese government has restricted people's going-out behavior by declaring a non-punitive state of emergency several times under COVID-19. This study aims to analyze how multiple policy interventions that impose non-legally binding restrictions on behavior associate with people's going-out. THEORY This study models the stigma model of self-restraint behavior under the pandemic with habituation effects. The theoretical result indicates that the state of emergency's self-restraint effects weaken with the number of times. METHODS The empirical analysis examines the impact of emergency declarations on going-out behavior using a prefecture-level daily panel dataset. The dataset includes Google's going-out behavior data, the Japanese government's policy interventions based on emergency declarations, and covariates that affect going-out behavior, such as weather and holidays. RESULTS First, for multiple emergency declarations from the beginning of the pandemic to 2021, the negative association between emergency declarations and mobility was confirmed in a model that did not distinguish the number of emergency declarations. Second, in the model that considers the number of declarations, the negative association was found to decrease with the number of declarations. CONCLUSION These empirical analyses are consistent with the results of theoretical analyses, which show that the negative association between people's going-out behavior and emergency declarations decreases in magnitude as the number of declarations increases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichi Kurita
- grid.177174.30000 0001 2242 4849Department of Environmental Changes, Faculty of Social and Cultural Studies, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan ,grid.177174.30000 0001 2242 4849Urban Institute, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yuya Katafuchi
- grid.410846.f0000 0000 9370 8809Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Managi
- grid.177174.30000 0001 2242 4849Urban Institute, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan ,grid.177174.30000 0001 2242 4849Department of Cvilil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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10
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Chang SL, Nguyen QD, Martiniuk A, Sintchenko V, Sorrell TC, Prokopenko M. Persistence of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 in Australia: The impact of fluctuating social distancing. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 3:e0001427. [PMID: 37068078 PMCID: PMC10109475 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0001427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
We modelled emergence and spread of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 in Australia between December 2021 and June 2022. This pandemic stage exhibited a diverse epidemiological profile with emergence of co-circulating sub-lineages of Omicron, further complicated by differences in social distancing behaviour which varied over time. Our study delineated distinct phases of the Omicron-associated pandemic stage, and retrospectively quantified the adoption of social distancing measures, fluctuating over different time periods in response to the observable incidence dynamics. We also modelled the corresponding disease burden, in terms of hospitalisations, intensive care unit occupancy, and mortality. Supported by good agreement between simulated and actual health data, our study revealed that the nonlinear dynamics observed in the daily incidence and disease burden were determined not only by introduction of sub-lineages of Omicron, but also by the fluctuating adoption of social distancing measures. Our high-resolution model can be used in design and evaluation of public health interventions during future crises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheryl L Chang
- Centre for Complex Systems, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Quang Dang Nguyen
- Centre for Complex Systems, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Vitali Sintchenko
- Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology - Public Health, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, NSW Health Pathology, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Tania C Sorrell
- Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Mikhail Prokopenko
- Centre for Complex Systems, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
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11
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Tobore TO. On stimulus persistence and human behavior: the stimulus persistence unification theory. Commun Integr Biol 2022; 15:240-252. [DOI: 10.1080/19420889.2022.2141954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
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12
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Who develops pandemic fatigue? Insights from Latent Class Analysis. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0276791. [DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
According to the World Health Organization, pandemic fatigue poses a serious threat for managing COVID-19. Pandemic fatigue is characterized by progressive decline in adherence to social distancing (SDIS) guidelines, and is thought to be associated with pandemic-related emotional burnout. Little is known about the nature of pandemic fatigue; for example, it is unclear who is most likely to develop pandemic fatigue. We sought to evaluate this issue based on data from 5,812 American and Canadian adults recruited during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Past-year decline in adherence to SDIS had a categorical latent structure according to Latent Class Analysis, consisting of a group adherent to SDIS (Class 1: 92% of the sample) and a group reporting a progressive decline in adherence to SDIS (i.e., pandemic fatigue; Class 2: 8% of the sample). Class 2, compared to Class 1, was associated with greater pandemic-related burnout, pessimism, and apathy about the COVID-19 pandemic. They also tended to be younger, perceived themselves to be more affluent, tended to have greater levels of narcissism, entitlement, and gregariousness, and were more likely to report having been previously infected with SARSCOV2, which they regarded as an exaggerated threat. People in Class 2 also self-reported higher levels of pandemic-related stress, anxiety, and depression, and described making active efforts at coping with SDIS restrictions, which they perceived as unnecessary and stressful. People in Class 1 generally reported that they engaged in SDIS for the benefit of themselves and their community, although 35% of this class also feared they would be publicly shamed if they did not comply with SDIS guidelines. The findings suggest that pandemic fatigue affects a substantial minority of people and even many SDIS-adherent people experience emotionally adverse effects (i.e., fear of being shamed). Implications for the future of SDIS are discussed.
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Kim JH, Song HY, Park JH, Kang P, Lee HJ. A Study on the COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors of Automobile Manufacturing Workers in South Korea. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:healthcare10101826. [PMID: 36292271 PMCID: PMC9602345 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10101826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study used a cross-sectional, descriptive survey design to investigate the influencing factors of COVID-19-related infection prevention behaviors of workers in the automobile manufacturing sector. An online survey was conducted on 157 workers in the automobile manufacturing sector of a company in Korea. We analyzed the collected data using SPSS to test whether there were significant differences in COVID-19 risk perception, crisis communication, health literacy, and infection prevention behaviors according to the general characteristics of the participants. An independent sample t-test and a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were performed. A Pearson’s correlation analysis was performed to identify the correlations among COVID-19 risk perception, crisis communication, health literacy, and infection prevention behaviors. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify the influencing factors of COVID-19 infection prevention behaviors. The regression model was found to be significant, and the employment period at current job, COVID-19 prevention education, source of information, COVID-19 risk perception, crisis communication, and health literacy were also found to be significant. Among the demographic variables, employment period at current job of 5−10 years showed a higher level of infection prevention behaviors than that of <5 years. Moreover, the level of infection prevention behaviors was also significantly higher when COVID-19-related information was acquired through the KDCA/health center. Higher COVID-19 risk perception, crisis communication, and health literacy were associated with significantly higher levels of infection prevention behaviors. Therefore, based on the results, health managers need to develop programs and educate and improve information comprehension and crisis communication skills in order to promote workers’ infection prevention behaviors of emerging infectious diseases in an era of global change.
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Marchetti S, Borin A, Conteduca FP, Ilardi G, Guzzetta G, Poletti P, Pezzotti P, Bella A, Stefanelli P, Riccardo F, Merler S, Brandolini A, Brusaferro S. An epidemic model for SARS-CoV-2 with self-adaptive containment measures. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0272009. [PMID: 35877667 PMCID: PMC9312378 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, several countries have resorted to self-adaptive mechanisms that tailor non-pharmaceutical interventions to local epidemiological and health care indicators. These mechanisms reinforce the mutual influence between containment measures and the evolution of the epidemic. To account for such interplay, we develop an epidemiological model that embeds an algorithm mimicking the self-adaptive policy mechanism effective in Italy between November 2020 and March 2022. This extension is key to tracking the historical evolution of health outcomes and restrictions in Italy. Focusing on the epidemic wave that started in mid-2021 after the diffusion of Delta, we compare the functioning of alternative mechanisms to show how the policy framework may affect the trade-off between health outcomes and the restrictiveness of mitigation measures. Mechanisms based on the reproduction number are generally highly responsive to early signs of a surging wave but entail severe restrictions. The emerging trade-off varies considerably depending on specific conditions (e.g., vaccination coverage), with less-reactive mechanisms (e.g., those based on occupancy rates) becoming more appealing in favorable contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina Marchetti
- Directorate General for Economics, Statistics and Research, Bank of Italy, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Borin
- Directorate General for Economics, Statistics and Research, Bank of Italy, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppe Ilardi
- Directorate General for Economics, Statistics and Research, Bank of Italy, Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgio Guzzetta
- Center for Health Emergencies, Bruno Kessler Foundation (FBK), Trento, Italy
| | - Piero Poletti
- Center for Health Emergencies, Bruno Kessler Foundation (FBK), Trento, Italy
| | - Patrizio Pezzotti
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Italian National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità), Rome, Italy
| | - Antonino Bella
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Italian National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità), Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Stefanelli
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Italian National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità), Rome, Italy
| | - Flavia Riccardo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Italian National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità), Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Merler
- Center for Health Emergencies, Bruno Kessler Foundation (FBK), Trento, Italy
| | - Andrea Brandolini
- Directorate General for Economics, Statistics and Research, Bank of Italy, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvio Brusaferro
- Italian National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità), Rome, Italy
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