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Hu S, Luo D, Zhu Q, Pan J, Chen B, Furian M, Harkare HV, Sun S, Fansa A, Wu X, Yu B, Ma T, Wang F, Shi S. An updated meta-analysis of Chinese herbal medicine for the prevention of COVID-19 based on Western-Eastern medicine. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1257345. [PMID: 38044944 PMCID: PMC10693348 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1257345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and aims: Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) was used to prevent and treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in clinical practices. Many studies have demonstrated that the combination of CHM and Western medicine can be more effective in treating COVID-19 compared to Western medicine alone. However, evidence-based studies on the prevention in undiagnosed or suspected cases remain scarce. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effectiveness of CHM in preventing recurrent, new, or suspected COVID-19 diseases. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search using ten databases including articles published between December 2019 and September 2023. This search aimed to identify studies investigating the use of CHM to prevent COVID-19. Heterogeneity was assessed by a random-effects model. The relative risk (RR) and mean differences were calculated using 95% confidence intervals (CI). The modified Jadad Scale and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) were employed to evaluate the quality of randomized controlled trials and cohort studies, respectively. Results: Seventeen studies with a total of 47,351 patients were included. Results revealed that CHM significantly reduced the incidence of COVID-19 (RR = 0.24, 95% CI = 0.11-0.53, p = 0.0004), influenza (RR = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.18-0.76, p = 0.007), and severe pneumonia exacerbation rate (RR = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.05-0.64, p = 0.009) compared to non-treatment or conventional control group. Evidence evaluation indicated moderate quality evidence for COVID-19 incidence and serum complement components C3 and C4 in randomized controlled trials. For the incidence of influenza and severe pneumonia in RCTs as well as the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ lymphocytes, the evidence quality was low. The remaining outcomes including the disappearance rate of symptoms and adverse reactions were deemed to be of very low quality. Conclusion: CHM presents a promising therapeutic option for the prevention of COVID-19. However, additional high-quality clinical trials are needed to further strengthen evidential integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siying Hu
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Dan Luo
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Qikui Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computer and Data Science, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Jie Pan
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Bonan Chen
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Michael Furian
- Research Department, Swiss University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Bad Zurzach, Switzerland
| | - Harsh Vivek Harkare
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- Faculty of Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Shoukai Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- Faculty of Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Adel Fansa
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Xiaoping Wu
- National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Cardiology, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Baili Yu
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Tianhong Ma
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Shihua Shi
- Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
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Make it or break it: On-time vaccination intent at the time of Covid-19. Vaccine 2023; 41:2063-2072. [PMID: 36803893 PMCID: PMC9905100 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.02.014] [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: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
On-time effective vaccination is critical to curbing a pandemic, but this is often hampered by citizens' hesitancy to get quickly vaccinated. This research concentrates on the hypothesis that, besides traditional factors in the literature, vaccination success would hinge on two dimensions: a) addressing a broader set of risk perception factors than health-related issues only, and b) securing sufficient social and institutional trust at the time of vaccination campaign launch. We test this hypothesis regarding Covid-19 vaccination preferences in six European countries and at the early stage of the pandemic by April 2020. We find that addressing the two roadblock dimensions could further boost Covid-19 vaccination coverage by 22%. The study also offers three extra innovations. The first is that the traditional segmentation logic between vaccine "acceptors", "hesitants" and "refusers" is further justified by the fact that segments have different attitudes: refusers care less about health issues than they are worried about family tensions and finance (dimension 1 of our hypothesis). In contrast, hesitants are the battlefield for more transparency by media and government actions (dimension 2 of our hypothesis). The second added value is that we extend our hypothesis testing with a supervised non-parametric machine learning technique (Random Forests). Again, consistent with our hypothesis, this method picks up higher-order interaction between risk and trust variables that strongly predict on-time vaccination intent. We finally explicitly adjust survey responses to account for possible reporting bias. Among others, vaccine-reluctant citizens may under-report their limited will to get vaccinated.
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Dehghani A, Ghomian Z, Rakhshanderou S, Khankeh H, Kavousi A. Process and components of disaster risk communication in health systems: A thematic analysis. JAMBA (POTCHEFSTROOM, SOUTH AFRICA) 2022; 14:1367. [PMID: 36569774 PMCID: PMC9772705 DOI: 10.4102/jamba.v14i1.1367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Risk communication (RC) is one of the necessary functions in disaster management. Establishing communication processes such as planning, transparency of policies and guidelines, RC expert training, providing communication infrastructure and evaluation in the shortest period reduces confusion and management inconsistency. One of the existing challenges is not knowing the exact dimensions of risk communication and its components in disasters. The aim was to identify the components of disaster risk communication in the health system. This research was conducted by systematic review and searching of the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, Google Scholar and ScienceOpen 2000-2021 to identify the components of disaster risk communication in the health system. Thematic content analysis was used for data analysis. A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 chart was used for systematic search, and a modified Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) was used for quality determination. Out of 12 342 articles extracted, 25 studies were included for analysis. The components of disaster risk communication were analysed in 6 categories and 19 subcategories. These categories include communication (communication processes, communication features and infrastructure), information (content production, content characteristics and publishing), risk communication management (risk perception assessment, planning, coordination and logistics), monitoring and control (monitoring and evaluation, accreditation, documentation), education and training (public and organisational) and ethics and values (culture and social beliefs, ethics and trust). According to this research, the establishment of communication infrastructure and advanced equipment such as various structured formats for communication and artificial intelligence; online and offline communication support systems; and timely and accurate notice can help achieve goals such as coordination and organisation in the health system and increase social participation. Contribution This study has clarified and explained all the main components and measures of risk communication that can be used for planning scientifically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arezoo Dehghani
- Department of Health in Disasters and Emergencies, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Zohreh Ghomian
- Department of Health in Disasters and Emergencies, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Sakineh Rakhshanderou
- Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Hamidreza Khankeh
- Department of Health in Emergency and Disaster, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran,Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Amir Kavousi
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
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Ullah S, Khan FU, Trifan VA, Spinu AE, Sanda G. Modeling Key Strategies for Reducing Socio-Economic and Health Crisis: Perspective from COVID-19 Pandemic. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:14127. [PMID: 36361010 PMCID: PMC9658111 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192114127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The pandemic outbreak has dramatically changed every sector and walk of life. Specifically, the developing countries with scarce resources are facing unprecedented crises that further jeopardize efforts to achieve sustainable life. Considering the case of a developing country, Pakistan, this study empirically identifies the most important strategies to reduce the socio-economic and health challenges during COVID-19. Initially, the study identified 14 key strategies from the prior literature. Later, these strategies were determined with the help of the interpretive structural modeling (ISM) approach through expert suggestions. The ISM model represents seven levels of pandemic containment strategies based on their significance level. The strategies existing at the top level of ISM model are the least important, while the strategies at the bottom of hierarchy levels are highly significant. Therefore, the study results demonstrated that "strong leadership and control" and "awareness on social media" play significant roles in reducing pandemic challenges, while "promoting online purchase behavior" and "online education" are the least important strategies in tackling pandemic crisis. This study will benefit government authorities and policymakers, enabling them to focus more on significant measures in battling this ongoing crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajid Ullah
- School of Economics and Management, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China
| | - Farman Ullah Khan
- School of Management, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Vanina Adoriana Trifan
- Department of Economic Disciplines, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310130 Arad, Romania
| | - Adina Eleonora Spinu
- Department of Economic Disciplines, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310130 Arad, Romania
| | - Grigorie Sanda
- Department of Economic Disciplines, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 310130 Arad, Romania
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Imam T, Uddin S. How do economic and public finance statuses affect policy responses during a pandemic? - learning from the COVID-19 first wave. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:785. [PMID: 35440081 PMCID: PMC9016378 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13209-6] [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: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the time of a pandemic, it is typical for public health bodies to collaborate with epidemiologists to design health policies both at national and international levels for controlling the spread. A point largely overlooked in literature is the extent economic capability and public finance status can influence the policy responses of countries during a pandemic situation. This article fills this gap by considering 12 public health and 7 economic measures (i.e., policies) in 200 countries during the COVID-19 first wave, with countries grouped across income categories. METHODS We apply statistical analysis, inclusive of regression models, to assess the impact of economic capability and public finance status on policy responses. Multiple open-access datasets are used in this research, and information from the hybrid sources are cumulated as samples. In our analysis, we consider variables including population characteristics (population size, density) and economic and public finance status (GDR, current account balance, government surplus/deficit) further to policy responses across public health and economic measures. Additionally, we consider infection rates across countries and the institution of the measures relative to infection rate. RESULTS Results suggest that countries from all income groups have favoured public health measures like school closures and travel bans, and economic measures like influencing interest rates. However, strong economy countries have more adopted technological monitoring than low-income countries. Contrarily, low-income countries have preferred traditional measures like curfew and obligatory mask-wearing. GDP per capita was a statistically significant factor influencing the institution of both public health and economic measures. Government finance statuses like current account balance and surplus/deficit were also significant factors influencing economic measures. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the research reveals that, further to biological characteristics, policymakers and epidemiologists can consider the economic and public finance contexts when suggesting health responses to a pandemic. This, in turn, calls for more international cooperation on economic terms further to public health terms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tasadduq Imam
- School of Business and Law, CQUniversity (Melbourne Campus), Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia.
| | - Shahadat Uddin
- School of Project Management, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Sydney, Forest Lodge, NSW, 2037, Australia
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