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Metzger C, Yaï J, Nassany O, Randriamampianina S, Vernay M. Factors associated with compliance with barrier gestures and social distancing measures in France. J Epidemiol Popul Health 2024; 72:202194. [PMID: 38523401 DOI: 10.1016/j.jeph.2024.202194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic led many countries to drastically limit social activities. The objective of this study is to describe the factors associated with compliance with protective measures and social distancing in the general adult population in France, between March and December 2020 (first and second waves of the epidemic), before vaccination began at the end of December 2020. METHOD The data come from the CoviPrev repeated cross-sectional descriptive survey, conducted between March 2020 and December 2022 in metropolitan France. The data collected from March to December 2020 (19 survey waves), from a panel representative of the general population, were used. Three periods were defined: the first epidemic wave (March-April), the inter-wave period (May-June) and the second epidemic wave (November-December). A compliance score was constructed to measure systematic compliance with the five main measures. The association between systematic compliance and different variables (sociodemographic, mental health, level of health literacy, perceived severity of COVID-19, confidence in government, perceived effectiveness of the measures) was described using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models, using the statistical software R. RESULTS Systematic compliance with the preventive measures changed over time. Regardless of the period, being a woman, being over 50, perceiving COVID-19 as severe, having a high level of health literacy or anxiety were positively associated with compliance. Having a child under 16 years of age and perceiving the measures as effective were positively associated with compliance with the protective measures during the epidemic waves; conversely, having a high level of depression, living alone, not working were negatively associated in the first epidemic wave. Finally, during the inter-wave period, living in an area heavily affected during the first wave and having a high level of education were positively and negatively associated with systematic compliance with the preventive measures, respectively. CONCLUSION The factors associated with compliance with the protective measures and social distancing evolved during the epidemic. Monitoring this evolution, in order to adapt communication and awareness strategies, is essential in the context of pandemic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémentine Metzger
- Santé Publique France, Direction des Régions Grand-Est, Nancy, 54000, France.
| | - Jenifer Yaï
- Santé Publique France, Direction des Régions Grand-Est, Nancy, 54000, France
| | - Oriane Nassany
- Santé Publique France, Direction de la prévention et promotion de la santé, Saint-Maurice, 94410, France
| | - Sandrine Randriamampianina
- Santé Publique France, Direction de la prévention et promotion de la santé, Saint-Maurice, 94410, France
| | - Michel Vernay
- Santé Publique France, Direction des Régions Grand-Est, Nancy, 54000, France
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Ahmed SAE, AbuKoura R, Ahmed AE, Abdalla O, Hassan OK, Tom A, Eldirdiri A, Ismaeil D, Zainalabdeen I, Nurelhuda N, Ahmed A, Abdan A, Dahab M, Abdelmagid N. Changes in social mixing and attitudes and practices to precautionary measures in a maturing COVID-19 pandemic in six communities in Sudan: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:895. [PMID: 38532360 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18274-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION With low COVID-19 vaccination coverage, non-pharmaceutical interventions were critical to mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic in Sudan. We explored changes in social contact patterns, risk perception, attitudes, and practices toward protective measures during an evolving COVID-19 outbreak in six illustrative communities in Sudan. METHODS This qualitative study took place in six communities in five Sudanese states using focus group discussions with community members and non-participant structured observations in public spaces between March 2021 and April 2021. A total of 117 participants joined 24 group discussions. We used a two-stage thematic analysis. RESULTS The perceived importance of compliance with individual preventative measures among those who believe in COVID-19 was higher than observed compliance with behaviors in most study sites. Adherence was consistently low and mainly driven by enforced movement restrictions. As restrictions were lifted, social contacts outside the household resumed pre-COVID-19 levels, and risk perception and individual and institutional adherence to protective measures diminished. We identified an environment that is socially and economically unsupportive of preventive practices, compounded by widespread rumours, misinformation, and mistrust in the government-led response. However, we identified new social habits that can contribute to reducing COVID-19 transmission. CONCLUSION The unfavourable social and economic environment, coupled with the low visibility of the pandemic and pandemic response, has likely modulated the influence of higher risk perception on adopting precautionary behaviours by individuals. Governments and non-governmental actors should increase the visibility of the pandemic and pandemic response, enforce and incentivise infection control measures in public areas, promote emerging preventive social habits, and actively track and address rumours and misinformation related to COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salma A E Ahmed
- Independent public health researcher, Khartoum, Sudan.
- Sudan COVID-19 Research Group, Khartoum, Sudan.
| | - Rahaf AbuKoura
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London, UK
- Sudan COVID-19 Research Group, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Abd Elhameed Ahmed
- Y-PEER Sudan, Khartoum, Sudan
- Sudan COVID-19 Research Group, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Omama Abdalla
- Y-PEER Sudan, Khartoum, Sudan
- Sudan COVID-19 Research Group, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Omnia Kamal Hassan
- Y-PEER Sudan, Khartoum, Sudan
- Sudan COVID-19 Research Group, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Ahmed Tom
- Y-PEER Sudan, Khartoum, Sudan
- Sudan COVID-19 Research Group, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Ahmed Eldirdiri
- Y-PEER Sudan, Khartoum, Sudan
- Sudan COVID-19 Research Group, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Drieg Ismaeil
- Y-PEER Sudan, Khartoum, Sudan
- Sudan COVID-19 Research Group, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Israa Zainalabdeen
- Y-PEER Sudan, Khartoum, Sudan
- Sudan COVID-19 Research Group, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Nazik Nurelhuda
- University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
- Sudan COVID-19 Research Group, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Aljaile Ahmed
- Y-PEER Sudan, Khartoum, Sudan
- Sudan COVID-19 Research Group, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Afrah Abdan
- The Federal Ministry of Health, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Maysoon Dahab
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London, UK
- Sudan COVID-19 Research Group, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Nada Abdelmagid
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London, UK
- Sudan COVID-19 Research Group, Khartoum, Sudan
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Ahmed F, Shafer L, Malla P, Hopkins R, Moreland S, Zviedrite N, Uzicanin A. Systematic review of empiric studies on lockdowns, workplace closures, and other non-pharmaceutical interventions in non-healthcare workplaces during the initial year of the COVID-19 pandemic: benefits and selected unintended consequences. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:884. [PMID: 38519891 PMCID: PMC10960383 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18377-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We conducted a systematic review aimed to evaluate the effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions within non-healthcare workplaces and community-level workplace closures and lockdowns on COVID-19 morbidity and mortality, selected mental disorders, and employment outcomes in workers or the general population. METHODS The inclusion criteria included randomized controlled trials and non-randomized studies of interventions. The exclusion criteria included modeling studies. Electronic searches were conducted using MEDLINE, Embase, and other databases from January 1, 2020, through May 11, 2021. Risk of bias was assessed using the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool. Meta-analysis and sign tests were performed. RESULTS A total of 60 observational studies met the inclusion criteria. There were 40 studies on COVID-19 outcomes, 15 on anxiety and depression symptoms, and five on unemployment and labor force participation. There was a paucity of studies on physical distancing, physical barriers, and symptom and temperature screening within workplaces. The sign test indicated that lockdown reduced COVID-19 incidence or case growth rate (23 studies, p < 0.001), reproduction number (11 studies, p < 0.001), and COVID-19 mortality or death growth rate (seven studies, p < 0.05) in the general population. Lockdown did not have any effect on anxiety symptoms (pooled standardized mean difference = -0.02, 95% CI: -0.06, 0.02). Lockdown had a small effect on increasing depression symptoms (pooled standardized mean difference = 0.16, 95% CI: 0.10, 0.21), but publication bias could account for the observed effect. Lockdown increased unemployment (pooled mean difference = 4.48 percentage points, 95% CI: 1.79, 7.17) and decreased labor force participation (pooled mean difference = -2.46 percentage points, 95% CI: -3.16, -1.77). The risk of bias for most of the studies on COVID-19 or employment outcomes was moderate or serious. The risk of bias for the studies on anxiety or depression symptoms was serious or critical. CONCLUSIONS Empiric studies indicated that lockdown reduced the impact of COVID-19, but that it had notable unwanted effects. There is a pronounced paucity of studies on the effect of interventions within still-open workplaces. It is important for countries that implement lockdown in future pandemics to consider strategies to mitigate these unintended consequences. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION PROSPERO registration # CRD42020182660.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faruque Ahmed
- Division of Global Migration Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop V18-2, Atlanta, GA, 30329-4027, USA.
| | - Livvy Shafer
- Division of Global Migration Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop V18-2, Atlanta, GA, 30329-4027, USA
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Pallavi Malla
- Division of Global Migration Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop V18-2, Atlanta, GA, 30329-4027, USA
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Roderick Hopkins
- Division of Global Migration Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop V18-2, Atlanta, GA, 30329-4027, USA
- Cherokee Nation Operational Solutions, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Sarah Moreland
- Division of Global Migration Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop V18-2, Atlanta, GA, 30329-4027, USA
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Nicole Zviedrite
- Division of Global Migration Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop V18-2, Atlanta, GA, 30329-4027, USA
| | - Amra Uzicanin
- Division of Global Migration Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop V18-2, Atlanta, GA, 30329-4027, USA
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Mokryn O, Abbey A, Marmor Y, Shahar Y. Evaluating the dynamic interplay of social distancing policies regarding airborne pathogens through a temporal interaction-driven model that uses real-world and synthetic data. J Biomed Inform 2024; 151:104601. [PMID: 38307358 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbi.2024.104601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has exhibited diverse patterns of spread across countries and communities, emphasizing the need to consider the underlying population dynamics in modeling its progression and the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical intervention strategies in combating viral transmission within human communities. Such an understanding requires accurate modeling of the interplay between the community dynamics and the disease propagation dynamics within the community. METHODS We build on an interaction-driven model of an airborne disease over contact networks that we have defined. Using the model, we evaluate the effectiveness of temporal, spatial, and spatiotemporal social distancing policies. Temporal social distancing involves a pure dilation of the timeline while preserving individual activity potential and thus prolonging the period of interaction; spatial distancing corresponds to social distancing pods; and spatiotemporal distancing pertains to the situation in which fixed subgroups of the overall group meet at alternate times. We evaluate these social distancing policies over real-world interactions' data and over history-preserving synthetic temporal random networks. Furthermore, we evaluate the policies for the disease's with different number of initial patients, corresponding to either the phase in the progression of the infection through a community or the number of patients infected together at the initial infection event. We expand our model to consider the exposure to viral load, which we correlate with the meetings' duration. RESULTS Our results demonstrate the superiority of decreasing social interactions (i.e., time dilation) within the community over partial isolation strategies, such as the spatial distancing pods and the spatiotemporal distancing strategy. In addition, we found that slow-spreading pathogens (i.e., pathogens that require a longer exposure to infect) spread roughly at the same rate as fast-spreading ones in highly active communities. This result is surprising since the pathogens may follow different paths. However, we demonstrate that the dilation of the timeline considerably slows the spread of the slower pathogens. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that the temporal dynamics of a community have a more significant effect on the spread of the disease than the characteristics of the spreading processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osnat Mokryn
- Department of Information Systems, University of Haifa, Israel.
| | - Alex Abbey
- Department of Information Systems, University of Haifa, Israel
| | - Yanir Marmor
- Department of Information Systems, University of Haifa, Israel
| | - Yuval Shahar
- Department of Software and Information Systems Engineering, Ben Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel
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McLachlan HV. Social Distance Warriors Should Not Be Regarded as Moral Exemplars in a Pandemic Nor as Paragons of Politeness: A Response to Shaw. J Bioeth Inq 2024:10.1007/s11673-023-10329-5. [PMID: 38372884 DOI: 10.1007/s11673-023-10329-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
In a recent article, Shaw contrasts his own supposed good behaviour, as that of a self-proclaimed "social distance warrior" with the alleged rude behaviour of one of his relatives, Jack, at social events in the former's house in Scotland in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. He does so to illustrate and support his claims that it was wrong and rude to fail to comply with the governmental advice regarding social distancing because we had a responsibility "to minimize risk" and not wrong nor rude to challenge and cajole those people who failed to do so. This article shows that his claims are contestable. It suggests that his own behaviour was no better than Jack's.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugh V McLachlan
- Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow, G4 OBA, UK.
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Rupar M, Bobowik M, Sekerdej M, Pastor ES, Kołeczek M, Jamróz-Dolińska K, Ghorbani F, Mari S. The link between anger and admiration toward governmental actions and self-reported preventive behaviour in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Int J Psychol 2024; 59:172-183. [PMID: 37866816 DOI: 10.1002/ijop.12961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, across six correlational studies in four different countries (total N = 4937), we examined the link between citizens' anger with and admiration for the government's actions and decisions (i.e., system-based anger and admiration) and engagement in preventive behaviour. The internal meta-analyses showed that individuals who admired the government's actions were more likely to adopt personal hygiene and social distancing behaviour. Yet, the link between emotions and preventive behaviour differed concerning the target of emotions, especially for anger. Specifically, anger about restrictions imposed by the government was negatively related to preventive behaviours, but this relationship was not significant when the target of anger was the government's overall handling of the pandemic. Our findings emphasise the importance of citizens' emotions and the targets of those emotions during the crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjana Rupar
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
- Institute of Psychology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Magdalena Bobowik
- Department of Social Psychology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
- IKERBASQUE Basque Foundation of Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Maciej Sekerdej
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
- Department of Social Psychology and Anthropology, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | | | - Maryna Kołeczek
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | | | - Foroogh Ghorbani
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Arrahmani F, Gorter A, Elberse J, Buitenhuis AH, Kok G, Spruijt P. Crossroads of well-being and compliance: a qualitative cohort study of visitor restriction policy during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Netherlands, May 2020-December 2021. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:175. [PMID: 38218791 PMCID: PMC10787453 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-17665-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In this qualitative study we observed in-depth the impact of the visiting restriction policy (VRP, i.e. number of visitors allowed at home) on well-being and compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic to regulate infection rates. METHODS A cohort of 15 interviewees was followed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands in 12 interview rounds (May 2020-December 2021). Every round semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted by a team of 8 researchers. In total 176 interviews were conducted. RESULTS This study showed that four categories can be identified when observing the impact of the VRP on well-being and compliance. For Resilient-Followers reasons for compliance were risk perception, following government rules, and for some having a small social circle. Because they accepted the situation, well-being was hardly affected. Resilient-Rulebreakers made their own risk assessment of people they met. Their well-being was hardly affected, because they experienced social rest and interpreted the measure in their own way. Suffering-Followers complied, because of risk perception, following government rules, and working in healthcare. However, the VRP had substantial impact on well-being, because social structures were disrupted. Suffering-Rulebreakers gave their own interpretation to the VRP, trying to find a balance between compliance and well-being. We observed that the categories were quite stable over time. CONCLUSIONS The VRP appeared to be a measure with substantial impact on well-being for some, mostly because social structures were disrupted. The measure showed fluctuating compliance, in which feasibility and frequent changes in the VRP played a role. Well-being seemed related to the number of visitors that was allowed; a restriction of four visitors was feasible, while one visitor resulted in a negative breaking-point in resilience, which had an impact on compliance, even among the most compliant. Taken together, this study provides valuable insights into the implications of and compliance to a VRP during different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, which may contribute to policymaking during future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Arrahmani
- Corona Behavioural Unit, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Postbus 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Annerike Gorter
- Corona Behavioural Unit, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Postbus 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Janneke Elberse
- Corona Behavioural Unit, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Postbus 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Anne H Buitenhuis
- Corona Behavioural Unit, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Postbus 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Gerjo Kok
- Applied Psychology, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - Pita Spruijt
- Corona Behavioural Unit, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Postbus 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
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Diekhof EK, Deinert L, Keller JK, Degner J. The COVID-19 pandemic and changes in social behavior: Protective face masks reduce deliberate social distancing preferences while leaving automatic avoidance behavior unaffected. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2024; 9:2. [PMID: 38185759 PMCID: PMC10772029 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-023-00528-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Protective face masks were one of the central measures to counteract viral transmission in the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior research indicates that face masks impact various aspects of social cognition, such as emotion recognition and social evaluation. Whether protective masks also influence social avoidance behavior is less clear. Our project assessed direct and indirect measures of social avoidance tendencies towards masked and unmasked faces in two experiments with 311 participants during the first half of 2021. Two interventions were used in half of the participants from each sample (Experiment 1: protective face masks; Experiment 2: a disease prime video) to decrease or increase the salience of the immediate contagion threat. In the direct social avoidance measure, which asked for the deliberate decision to approach or avoid a person in a hypothetical social encounter, participants showed an increased willingness to approach masked as opposed to unmasked faces across experiments. This effect was further related to interindividual differences in pandemic threat perception in both samples. In the indirect measure, which assessed automatic social approach and avoidance tendencies, we neither observed an approach advantage towards masked faces nor an avoidance advantage for unmasked faces. Thus, while the absence of protective face masks may have led to increased deliberate social avoidance during the pandemic, no such effect was observed on automatic regulation of behavior, thus indicating the relative robustness of this latter behavior against changes in superordinate social norms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther K Diekhof
- Department of Biology, Neuroendocrinology and Human Biology Unit, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Institute for Animal Cell and Systems Biology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Laura Deinert
- Department of Biology, Neuroendocrinology and Human Biology Unit, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Institute for Animal Cell and Systems Biology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Judith K Keller
- Department of Biology, Neuroendocrinology and Human Biology Unit, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Institute for Animal Cell and Systems Biology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Juliane Degner
- Department of Psychology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Kampe L, Hörz-Sagstetter S, Bohn J, Remmers C. How personality functioning relates to psychological distress and behavioral attitudes during the Covid-19 pandemic. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024:10.1007/s00406-023-01722-7. [PMID: 38183464 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-023-01722-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
Functional aspects of personality are crucial for experiencing and handling emotional distress. With the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus and the subsequent installation of mitigation rules of social distancing, severe psycho-social challenges were posed upon people. Research has shown that individuals react differently to these challenges. This study aimed to investigate the role of dimensional aspects of personality during the Covid-19 pandemic. Specifically, we examined how personality functioning, defense mechanisms, and narcissism were related to psychological distress and cognitive and behavioral attitudes towards the rules of social distancing. In a non-clinical sample (N = 254), Level of Personality Functioning Scale, Inventory of Personality Organization, Defense Style Questionnaire, Pathological Narcissism Inventory, and three single questions regarding emotional distress and behavioral attitudes towards the pandemic were used. Structural equation models with reference and residual factors were calculated. Impairments in personality functioning and vulnerable narcissism showed significant positive relationships, adaptive defense mechanisms significant negative relationships with psychological distress during the pandemic. Residual factors for aggression and low moral values showed distinct negative relationships with psychological distress related to social distancing. Among individuals who chose to ignore the rules of social distancing, greater impairment in personality organization was found. Personality functioning may elucidate individual differences in psychological distress and compliance with the mitigation rules during the pandemic. Limitations of measures are carefully considered in all interpretations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie Kampe
- Department of Psychological Diagnostics, International Psychoanalytic University Berlin, Stromstrasse 1, 10555, Berlin, Germany.
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Psychologische Hochschule Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Susanne Hörz-Sagstetter
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Psychologische Hochschule Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Johannes Bohn
- Department of Education and Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychological Intervention, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carina Remmers
- Department of Psychology, Institute for Mental Health and Behavioral Medicine, HMU Health and Medical University, Potsdam, Germany
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Klug TE, Greve T, Caulley L, Hillerup S. The impact of social restrictions on the incidence and microbiology of peritonsillar abscess: a retrospective cohort study. Clin Microbiol Infect 2024; 30:100-106. [PMID: 37562694 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2023.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We aimed to explore the impact of social distancing on the incidence and microbiology of peritonsillar abscess (PTA). METHODS We performed a cross-sectional analysis of all patients with PTA and their microbiological findings in the 2 years preceding versus the 2 years following the COVID-19 lockdown in Denmark (11 March 2020), who were admitted to the Ear-Nose-Throat Department, Aarhus University Hospital. Age-stratified population data for the catchment area were obtained from Statistics Denmark. RESULTS The annual incidence rate was significantly higher in the 2-year period before (21.8 cases/100 000 inhabitants) compared with after (14.9 cases/100 000) the lockdown (p < 0.001). The number of cases with growth of Streptococcus pyogenes was significantly higher in the period before (n = 67) compared with after (n = 28) the lockdown (p < 0.001), whereas the number of cases positive for Fusobacterium necrophorum (n = 60 vs. n = 64) and streptococcus anginosus group (SAG) (n = 37 vs. n = 43) were stabile (p 0.79 and p 0.58, respectively). The relative prevalence of S. pyogenes was significantly higher in the period before (67/246 cultures, 27%) compared with after (28/179, 16%) the lockdown (p 0.007). On the contrary, the relative prevalence of F. necrophorum and SAG is significantly lower before (60/246, 24% and 37/246, 15%) compared with after (64/179, 36% and 43/179, 24%) the lockdown (p 0.013 and p 0.023). DISCUSSION Social distancing had a significant impact on the incidence and microbiology of PTA. Our findings suggest that S. pyogenes-positive PTA is highly related to direct social interaction, and represents a contagious pathogen. By contrast, PTA development caused by F. necrophorum and SAG is unrelated to direct social interaction and may be derived from flora imbalance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tejs Ehlers Klug
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Thomas Greve
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lisa Caulley
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Sara Hillerup
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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11
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Tomioka K, Shima M, Saeki K. Longitudinal association between frequency of Internet use and incident disability among community-dwelling older people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Environ Health Prev Med 2024; 29:13. [PMID: 38447990 PMCID: PMC10937244 DOI: 10.1265/ehpm.23-00207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is limited evidence of a protective effect of Internet use for incident disability (ID) during the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated the association between frequency of Internet use (FIU) and ID among community-dwelling older people. METHODS We used longitudinal data from the 2019 and 2022 surveys, including 7,913 residents aged ≥65 without disability at baseline. ID was defined as a new public long-term care insurance certification. FIU at baseline was categorized into daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, and non-users. Changes in FIU before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were categorized into continuing frequent (i.e., daily or weekly), continuing moderate (i.e., monthly or yearly), increase in frequency, from non-users to users, decrease in frequency, from users to non-users, and continuing non-users. Covariates included age, gender, education, perceived economic situation, family structure, body mass index, chronic medical conditions, dietary variety, working status, walking time, and cognitive functioning. Multivariable Poisson regression models were used to estimate adjusted cumulative incidence ratio (aCIR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for ID. RESULTS During the 3-year follow-up, 132 of 4,453 people aged 65-74, 595 of 3,460 people aged ≥75, 287 of 3,660 men, and 440 of 4,253 women developed ID. For FIU at baseline, among people aged ≥75 or men, there was a dose-response relationship between more frequent Internet use at baseline and a lower risk of ID (P-trend was 0.005 in people aged ≥75, and <0.001 in men). Compared to non-users, daily users had a significantly lower risk of ID [aCIR (95% CI) = 0.69 (0.53-0.90) in people aged ≥75, and 0.49 (0.34-0.70) in men]. For changes in FIU, "continuing frequent" and "from non-users to users" had a lower risk of ID than continuing non-users. After stratified analyses, "continuing frequent" remained a significant association in people aged ≥75 or in men, while "from non-users to users" had a significant association in those with daily walking time <30 minutes. CONCLUSIONS Although FIU may act as a marker of disability, or indicate individual adaptability, our findings suggest that Internet use may be a potential preventive measure against ID in community-dwelling older people when social distancing is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimiko Tomioka
- Nara Prefectural Health Research Center, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan
| | - Midori Shima
- Nara Prefectural Health Research Center, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan
| | - Keigo Saeki
- Nara Prefectural Health Research Center, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan
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12
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Kim SH. Love thy neighbor? The role of trust in neighbors during the COVID-19 crisis. Health Place 2024; 85:103164. [PMID: 38064921 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.103164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
During a pandemic, trust can either promote cooperative behavior, as people pay attention to their actions toward other people's health, or hinder cooperative behavior by decreasing risk perception. By linking South Korea's Community Health Survey data with district-level statistics of the number of confirmed cases, I examine the effect of trust during the pre-pandemic period on district-level infection rates. I find that trust in neighbors is negatively associated with infection rates during the period when people are well aware of social distancing measures. Results of the individual-level analysis demonstrate that trust in neighbors is positively associated with the probability of implementing social distancing measures, particularly, those that are difficult to enforce. This finding implies that trust in neighbors increases people's motivation to cooperate voluntarily with public precautionary measures that can reduce the probability of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seong Hee Kim
- Department of Social Studies Education, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, South Korea.
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13
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Kemp CG, Mensa-Kwao A, Concepcion T, Hughsam M, Queen E, Sinha M, Collins PY. COVID-19, the COVID-19 response, and racial injustice: Associations with depressive and anxiety symptoms among US adults from April 2020 to March 2021. SSM Ment Health 2023; 3:100214. [PMID: 37124707 PMCID: PMC10122769 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2023.100214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background People in the United States have faced numerous large and intersecting threats to their mental health since the onset of the coronavirus disease pandemic. This study aimed to understand the unique relationships between these co-occurring threats - including the police killings of unarmed Black people and the fight for racial justice - and how they affect mental health symptoms among various demographic groups. Methods Data on population mental health, state-level COVID-19 incidence rates, cases of police-involved killings, and occurrences of racial justice protests were analyzed. The primary outcome was depression or anxiety symptoms. Regression models were used to estimate prospective associations between individual-, household-, and state-level exposures to hypothesized mental health threats and subsequent depression or anxiety symptoms. Results Data from 2,085,041 individual participants were included. Most were women (51.2%), and most were white, non-Hispanic (61.2%), with almost half (47.7%) reporting some loss of household income since March 13, 2020. Neither the killing of unarmed Black people by police, nor the above-average occurrence of Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, were observed to be associated with anxiety or depressive symptoms in the overall population, though the BLM protests were associated with reduced depressive and anxiety symptoms among younger participants. State-level COVID-19 incidence risk was more strongly associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms among women, Black people, older people, and higher income people, compared to men, white people, younger people, and lower income people. Conclusion Our findings are relevant for anticipating and addressing the mental health consequences of social injustice and protest movements in the context of COVID-19 pandemic, as well as future pandemics. Promoting population mental health requires addressing underlying social and structural inequities and prioritizing the pursuit of social justice and health equity as a primary mental health intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher G Kemp
- Johns Hopkins University, Department of International Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Tessa Concepcion
- University of Washington, Department of Global Health, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Pamela Y Collins
- University of Washington, Department of Global Health, Seattle, WA, USA
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14
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Zhang T, Seet PS, Redmond J, Sharafizad J. Relieving the Gambling Itch Through Alcohol Consumption: The Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on Australian Casino Patrons. J Gambl Stud 2023; 39:1675-1697. [PMID: 37755624 PMCID: PMC10627916 DOI: 10.1007/s10899-023-10252-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
This paper extends our understanding of how casino patrons are affected by COVID-19 restrictions and how they cope by substituting gambling with alcohol consumption. We conducted two studies using a nationwide survey sample collected in Australia during the pandemic lockdown. Study 1 compares the casino patrons with two reference groups (other gambling patrons and non-gambling individuals) and investigates the lockdown restrictions on respondents' relational strength, and their potential impact on mental health and future prospects. Study 2 applies the stress-response dampening model (SRD) and tests how respondents used alcohol consumption to cope with the lack of access to casinos during the lockdown. The results from Study 1 suggest that lockdown restrictions on respondents' relational strength have significant negative impacts on anxiety, life satisfaction and post-pandemic outlook. Study 2 finds that casino patrons substituted gambling with alcohol consumption during the lockdown, with increased alcohol consumption negatively related to life satisfaction. Paradoxically, Australian gambling venue owners may not be adversely affected as many also run liquor retail operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tenghao Zhang
- Australian Energy Market Operator, Perth, WA, Australia
- School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
| | - Pi-Shen Seet
- School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia.
| | - Janice Redmond
- School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
| | - Jalleh Sharafizad
- School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
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15
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Anderes M, Pichler S. Mental health effects of social distancing in Switzerland. Econ Hum Biol 2023; 51:101302. [PMID: 37659211 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2023.101302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
This analysis examines the effect of COVID-19 on public mental health in Switzerland. Following an event-study framework, we compare helpline call volume and duration before and after the outbreak of the first and second wave. The use of administrative phone-level data allows us to i) decompose the total effects into an intensive and extensive margin and ii) calculate a measure of unmet need. For the first wave, our results show that callers with a history of helpline contacts increase calls substantially. We also identify capacity constraints leading to unmet need for psychological counseling. Finally, we find no effects in the second wave, which might be explained by a number of factors including the absence of a lockdown and less restrictive social distancing measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Anderes
- ETH Zurich, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Pichler
- University of Groningen, Department of Economics, Econometrics and Finance, Nettelbosje 2, 9747AE, Groningen, Netherlands.
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16
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Kim HK, Min KD, Cho SI. Analysis of the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions on influenza during the Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic by time-series forecasting. BMC Infect Dis 2023; 23:717. [PMID: 37875817 PMCID: PMC10594831 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08640-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first identified in South Korea during the 2019-2020 seasonal influenza epidemic. The social distancing measures, as effective non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), adopted to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 might have influenced influenza activity. We evaluated IFV(influenza virus) activity during the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect of NPI intensity on influenza transmission. METHODS IFV activity and epidemic duration during COVID-19 pandemic were predicted under a counterfactual scenario with no NPIs against COVID-19. The Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average Model was used to quantify the effects of NPIs on the transmission of influenza virus. Influenza-like illness/1000 outpatients and IFV positivity rate from the 2011-2012 to 2021-2022 seasons were used in this study. RESULTS Comparison of the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasonal influenza activities with those in 2013-2019 showed that COVID-19 outbreaks and associated NPIs such as face mask use, school closures, and travel restrictions reduced the influenza incidence by 91%. Without NPIs against COVID-19, the rates of influenza-like illness and IFV positivity would have been high during the influenza epidemic season, as in previous seasons. NPI intensity decreased the transmission of influenza; the magnitude of the reduction increased as the intensity of social-distancing measures increased (weak social distancing; step-by-step daily recovery: 58.10%, strong social distancing; special quarantine measures: 95.12%). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that NPIs and personal hygiene can be used to suppress influenza transmission. NPIs against COVID-19 may be useful strategies for the prevention and control of influenza epidemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Kyung Kim
- Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-Ro, Gwanak-Gu, Seoul, 08826, Korea
| | - Kyung-Duk Min
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, South Korea
| | - Sung-Il Cho
- Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-Ro, Gwanak-Gu, Seoul, 08826, Korea.
- Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-Ro, Gwanak-Gu, Seoul, 08826, Korea.
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17
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Judson TJ, Zhang S, Lindan CP, Boothroyd D, Grumbach K, Bollyky JB, Sample HA, Huang B, Desai M, Gonzales R, Maldonado Y, Rutherford G. Association of protective behaviors with SARS-CoV-2 infection: results from a longitudinal cohort study of adults in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ann Epidemiol 2023; 86:1-7. [PMID: 37524216 DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2023.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE In an effort to decrease transmission during the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health officials encouraged masking, social distancing, and working from home, and restricted travel. However, many studies of the effectiveness of these measures had significant methodologic limitations. In this analysis, we used data from the TrackCOVID study, a longitudinal cohort study of a population-based sample of 3846 adults in the San Francisco Bay Area, to evaluate the association between self-reported protective behaviors and incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS Participants without SARS-CoV2 infection were enrolled from August to December 2020 and followed monthly with testing and surveys (median of four visits). RESULTS A total of 118 incident infections occurred (3.0% of participants). At baseline, 80.0% reported always wearing a mask; 56.0% avoided contact with nonhousehold members some/most of the time; 9.6% traveled outside the state; and 16.0% worked 20 or more hours per week outside the home. Factors associated with incident infection included being Black or Latinx, having less than a college education, and having more household residents. The only behavioral factor associated with incident infection was working outside the home (adjusted hazard ratio 1.62, 95% confidence interval 1.02-2.59). CONCLUSIONS Focusing on protecting people who cannot work from home could help prevent infections during future waves of COVID-19, or future pandemics from respiratory viruses. This focus must be balanced with the known importance of directing resources toward those at risk of severe infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Judson
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco.
| | - Shiqi Zhang
- Quantitative Sciences Unit, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
| | - Christina P Lindan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Derek Boothroyd
- Quantitative Sciences Unit, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
| | - Kevin Grumbach
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Jennifer B Bollyky
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Hannah A Sample
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles
| | - Beatrice Huang
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Manisha Desai
- Quantitative Sciences Unit, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
| | - Ralph Gonzales
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Yvonne Maldonado
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA; Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - George Rutherford
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco
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18
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Jo H, Baek EM. Social isolation in COVID-19: a comparative study between Korea and Vietnam. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1556. [PMID: 37582702 PMCID: PMC10428539 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16491-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation has become a pressing issue worldwide, deeply affecting individuals' mental and physical well-being. This study introduces a theoretical model to understand the factors influencing social isolation in the context of this global health crisis. We employed a survey methodology, collecting data from Korean and Vietnamese university students through a Google survey form. The theoretical model was evaluated using structural equation modeling (SEM), and multi-group analysis (MGA) was used to assess differences between the Korean and Vietnamese student groups. The investigation centered on affective risk perception, cognitive risk perception, social distancing attitude, social distancing intention, and demographic factors like age and gender. Our findings revealed that affective and cognitive risk perceptions have significant positive impacts on attitudes toward social distancing. Furthermore, attitudes towards social distancing were found to significantly influence social distancing intentions. Interestingly, social distancing intention was found to have a significant positive correlation with social isolation. Lastly, demographic factors such as gender and age were found to be significant factors influencing social isolation. Specifically, gender had a positive association, while age showed a negative correlation with social isolation. Moreover, our MGA results showed that the relationship between social distancing intention and social isolation significantly differed between the Korean and Vietnamese student groups, indicating potential cultural or societal influences on this relationship. Such understanding could inform policies and strategies aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of social isolation in the wake of global health crises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeon Jo
- HJ Institute of Technology and Management, 71 Jungdong-Ro 39 104-1602, Gyeonggi-Do, 14721, Bucheon-Si, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Mi Baek
- Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea, 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-Gu, 06591, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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19
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Batistela CM, Correa DPF, Bueno ÁM, Piqueira JRC. SIRSi-vaccine dynamical model for the Covid-19 pandemic. ISA Trans 2023; 139:391-405. [PMID: 37217378 PMCID: PMC10186248 DOI: 10.1016/j.isatra.2023.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Covid-19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, broke out as a pandemic during the beginning of 2020. The rapid spread of the disease prompted an unprecedented global response involving academic institutions, regulatory agencies, and industries. Vaccination and nonpharmaceutical interventions including social distancing have proven to be the most effective strategies to combat the pandemic. In this context, it is crucial to understand the dynamic behavior of the Covid-19 spread together with possible vaccination strategies. In this study, a susceptible-infected-removed-sick model with vaccination (SIRSi-vaccine) was proposed, accounting for the unreported yet infectious. The model considered the possibility of temporary immunity following infection or vaccination. Both situations contribute toward the spread of diseases. The transcritical bifurcation diagram of alternating and mutually exclusive stabilities for both disease-free and endemic equilibria were determined in the parameter space of vaccination rate and isolation index. The existing equilibrium conditions for both points were determined in terms of the epidemiological parameters of the model. The bifurcation diagram allowed us to estimate the maximum number of confirmed cases expected for each set of parameters. The model was fitted with data from São Paulo, the state capital of SP, Brazil, which describes the number of confirmed infected cases and the isolation index for the considered data window. Furthermore, simulation results demonstrate the possibility of periodic undamped oscillatory behavior of the susceptible population and the number of confirmed cases forced by the periodic small-amplitude oscillations in the isolation index. The main contributions of the proposed model are as follows: A minimum effort was required when vaccination was combined with social isolation, while additionally ensuring the existence of equilibrium points. The model could provide valuable information for policymakers, helping define disease prevention mitigation strategies that combine vaccination and non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as social distancing and the use of masks. In addition, the SIRSi-vaccine model facilitated the qualitative assessment of information regarding the unreported infected yet infectious cases, while considering temporary immunity, vaccination, and social isolation index.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diego P F Correa
- Federal University of ABC - UFABC - São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Átila M Bueno
- Polytechnic School of University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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20
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Teaster PB, Roberto KA, Savla J, Du C, Du Z, Atkinson E, Shealy EC, Beach S, Charness N, Lichtenberg PA. Financial Fraud of Older Adults During the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Gerontologist 2023; 63:984-992. [PMID: 36534988 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnac188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) created a "perfect storm" for financial fraud targeting older adults. Guided by the Contextual Theory of Elder Abuse, we focused on individual and systemic contexts to examine how older adults became prey to financial fraud. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In July 2020, 998 adults who were 60-98 years of age (93% White; 64% female) completed an online survey about experiences with financial fraud. Participants were recruited from gerontology research registries at Florida State University, University of Pittsburg, Virginia Tech, and Wayne State University. RESULTS Over half (65.9%) of the respondents experienced a COVID-19-related scam attempt, with charity contributions (49%) and COVID-19 treatments (42%) being the most common. Perpetrators commonly contacted older adults electronically (47%) two or more times (64%). Although most respondents ignored the request (i.e., hung up the phone and deleted text/e-mail), 11.3% sent a requested payment, and 5.3% provided personal information. Predictors of vulnerability included contentment with financial situation, concern about finances in the aftermath of the pandemic, and wishing to talk to someone about financial decisions. Respondents targeted for a non-COVID-19 scam attempt were less likely to be targets of a COVID-19-related scam. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS Older adults who were financially secure, worried about their financial situation, or wished they could speak with someone about their financial decisions appeared susceptible to falling victim to a fraud attempt. The high number of attempts indicates a need for a measurable and concerted effort to prevent the financial fraud of older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela B Teaster
- Center for Gerontology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Karen A Roberto
- Center for Gerontology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Jyoti Savla
- Center for Gerontology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Chenguang Du
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Zhiyuan Du
- Center for Gerontology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Emily Atkinson
- Virginia Joint Commission on Health Care, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | | | - Scott Beach
- University Center for Social and Urban Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Neil Charness
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
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21
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Lee L, Nam OH, Lee KE, Lee C. Relationship between insomnia and working from home among Korean domestic workers: results from the 5th Korean working condition survey. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1367. [PMID: 37460978 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16268-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social distancing has been increasingly implemented following the COVID-19 pandemic and more people have been working from home. Consequently, the screen time has increased, which can disrupt the natural sleep-wake cycle and delay sleep onset. Given that studies on the health of employees who work from home remain insufficient, particularly with respect to the risk of sleep disorders including insomnia, this study aimed to assess the relationship between working from home and insomnia among workers using data from the 5th Working Conditions Survey conducted in Korea. METHODS Of 30,108 wage workers, we enrolled 818 employees who worked from home and 4,090 employees who worked from the office, a 1:5 pair sample based on sex and occupational group. Personal and occupational characteristics, working from home, and insomnia were included in the analysis. Age, education, employment status, working years, working hours per week, work-life balance, self-perceived health, depression, and anxiety were all adjusted as potential confounding variables. Conditional logistic regression analysis was performed using working from home as an independent variable and insomnia as a dependent variable to determine the correlation between working from home and insomnia. RESULTS Working from home was associated with sleep onset latency disorder, OR = 3.23 (95% CI: 2.67-3.91), sleep maintenance disorder, OR = 3.67 (95% CI: 3.02-4.45), and non-restorative sleep, OR = 3.01 (95% CI: 2.46-3.67); working from home had a statistically significant relationship with all three types of insomnia. CONCLUSIONS Within the limits of the study, these findings can be used as a fundamental basis for the implementation of policies and guidelines to prevent insomnia in workers who work from home.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Korea
| | - Ok Hyung Nam
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447, Korea
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Kyung Hee University College of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, 02447, Korea
| | - Ko Eun Lee
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Kyung Hee University College of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, 02447, Korea
| | - Chunui Lee
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Wonju, 26426, Korea.
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22
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Lakhani A, Dema S, Hose J, Erdem N, Wollersheim D, Grindrod A, Grimbeek P, Charlifue S. Predictors of resilience for people with spinal cord injury over two periods of COVID-19 social distancing restrictions: a 12-month longitudinal study using structural equation modelling. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1334. [PMID: 37438771 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16238-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is disproportionately impacting the health of people with disability. Resilience has remained an important health promoting characteristic during periods of social distancing restrictions. Factors promoting resilience for people with disability under the context of the pandemic remains poorly understood. Studies have yet to investigate evidence-based factors that promote resilience over multiple periods of restrictions for people with disability. METHODS A longitudinal study developed via a collaborative partnership between peer-support workers with lived experience of spinal cord injury (SCI) and university researchers was undertaken to fill knowledge gaps around factors promoting resilience for people with SCI during two periods of stringent social distancing restrictions within Victoria, Australia. Over 12-months, participants with SCI completed two surveys, towards the end of two lockdown periods. Evidence-based factors associated with resilience were measured. The Impact on Participation and Autonomy Questionnaire, the International SCI Quality of Life scale, and the 10-item Conor Davidson Resilience Scale, respectively measured autonomy and participation limitations, life satisfaction and psychological health, and resilience. A structural equation modelling (SEM) approach established factors directly and indirectly associated with resilience. RESULTS A model with excellent fit was produced. During two extended lockdowns over the 12-month period, increased family role limitations and favourable psychological health were respectively, negatively (Lockdown 1 [n = 127]: β = -.251, p < .01, Lockdown 2: β = -.400, p < .01) and positively (Lockdown 1: β = .601, p < .01, Lockdown 2 [n = 65]: β = .430, p < .01) associated with resilience. Indirect negative associations between resilience and increased outdoor autonomy limitations (Lockdown 1: β = -.195, p < .01, Lockdown 2: β = -.255, p < .01) and social life limitations (Lockdown 1: β = -.217, p < .01, Lockdown 2: β = -.142, p < .05) existed, and these relationships were moderated by psychological health. CONCLUSIONS Psychological health, and participation and autonomy are determinants of resilience during periods of crisis. Health and social care providers and public health departments should prioritise programs promoting these domains, to counter the negative impact of social distancing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Lakhani
- The School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, 360 Collins St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia.
- The Hopkins Centre, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Logan Campus, University Drive, Meadowbrook, QLD, 4131, Australia.
- Palliative Care Department, Eastern Health, 251 Mountain Highway, Wantirna, VIC, 3152, Australia.
| | - Salvatore Dema
- Austin Health - Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre, 1 Yarra Blvd, Kew, VIC, 3101, Australia
| | - Josh Hose
- AQA Victoria, 416 Heidelberg Rd, Fairfield, VIC, 3078, Australia
| | - Nazim Erdem
- AQA Victoria, 416 Heidelberg Rd, Fairfield, VIC, 3078, Australia
| | - Dennis Wollersheim
- The School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, 360 Collins St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | - Andrea Grindrod
- Palliative Care Department, Eastern Health, 251 Mountain Highway, Wantirna, VIC, 3152, Australia
- Public Health Palliative Care Unit, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Kingsbury Drive, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
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23
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Choi S, Kim C, Park KH, Kim JH. Direct indicators of social distancing effectiveness in COVID-19 outbreak stages: a correlational analysis of case contacts and population mobility in Korea. Epidemiol Health 2023; 45:e2023065. [PMID: 37448123 PMCID: PMC10876423 DOI: 10.4178/epih.e2023065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The effectiveness of social distancing during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been evaluated using the magnitude of changes in population mobility. This study aimed to investigate a direct indicator-namely, the number of close contacts per patient with confirmed COVID-19. METHODS From week 7, 2020 to week 43, 2021, population movement changes were calculated from the data of two Korean telecommunication companies and Google in accordance with social distancing stringency levels. Data on confirmed cases and their close contacts among residents of Gyeonggi Province, Korea were combined at each stage. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to compare the movement data with the change in the number of contacts for each confirmed case calculated by stratification according to age group. The reference value of the population movement data was set using the value before mid-February 2020, considering each data's characteristics. RESULTS In the age group of 18 or younger, the number of close contacts per confirmed case decreased or increased when the stringency level was strengthened or relaxed, respectively. In adults, the correlation was relatively low, with no correlation between the change in the number of close contacts per confirmed case and the change in population movement after the commencement of vaccination for adults. CONCLUSIONS The effectiveness of governmental social distancing policies against COVID-19 can be evaluated using the number of close contacts per confirmed case as a direct indicator, especially for each age group. Such an analysis can facilitate policy changes for specific groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sojin Choi
- Gyeonggi Infectious Disease Control Center, Health Bureau, Gyeonggi Provincial Government, Suwon, Korea
| | - Chanhee Kim
- Gyeonggi Infectious Disease Control Center, Health Bureau, Gyeonggi Provincial Government, Suwon, Korea
| | - Kun-Hee Park
- Gyeonggi Infectious Disease Control Center, Health Bureau, Gyeonggi Provincial Government, Suwon, Korea
| | - Jong-Hun Kim
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea
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24
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Yun I, Park YS, Park EC, Jung HW, Shin J. Associations of social interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic with cognitive function among the South Korean older adults. BMC Geriatr 2023; 23:395. [PMID: 37380976 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-023-04112-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We aimed to demonstrate the associations between social interactions within social distancing norms during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and cognitive function among South Korean older adults. METHODS Data from the 2017 and 2020 Survey of Living Conditions and Welfare Needs of Korean Older Persons were used. There were 18,813 participants (7,539 males; 11,274 females). T-test and multiple logistic regression analyses verified whether the mean difference in older adults' cognitive function before and during the COVID-19 pandemic was statistically significant. We also examined the associations between social interactions and cognitive function. The key results were presented as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS All participants were more likely to experience cognitive impairment during the COVID-19 pandemic than before (males: OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.3-1.78; females: OR 1.26, 95% CI: 1.14-1.40). Cognitive impairment increased linearly with the decreased frequency of face-to-face contact with non-cohabiting children. Possible cognitive impairment was greater for females who had not visited senior welfare centers for the past year (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.21-1.69). CONCLUSION Korean older adults' cognitive function declined during the COVID-19 pandemic and was associated with reduced social interactions because of social distancing measures. Alternative interventions should be promoted for safely restoring social networks, considering the adverse effects of long-term social distancing on older adults' mental health and cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Il Yun
- Department of Public Health, Graduate School, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu Shin Park
- Department of Public Health, Graduate School, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Cheol Park
- Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-to, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee-Won Jung
- Division of Geriatrics, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeyong Shin
- Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-to, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea.
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25
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Liu L, Yang L, Yan K. The power of clans: How social capital sheltered firms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Econ Lett 2023; 229:111224. [PMID: 37362550 PMCID: PMC10275770 DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2023.111224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Data from 3,555 Chinese listed firms show that firms in cities with greater clan strength faced smaller losses and swifter recovery following COVID-19. Clans were significantly related to individual values facilitating pandemic prevention; these ties guaranteed economic activities and sheltered firms from the shock. Our results frame social capital as a complementarity to formal institutions during crises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linqing Liu
- Economics and Management School, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Lisi Yang
- Economics and Management School, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Kai Yan
- School of Tourism, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- School of Management, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
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26
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Torre DL, Marsiglio S, Privileggi F. Infectious diseases and social distancing under state-dependent probabilities. Ann Oper Res 2023:1-16. [PMID: 37361096 PMCID: PMC10240141 DOI: 10.1007/s10479-023-05409-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
We analyze the implications of infectious diseases and social distancing in an extended SIS framework to allow for the presence of stochastic shocks with state dependent probabilities. Random shocks give rise to the diffusion of a new strain of the disease which affects both the number of infectives and the average biological characteristics of the pathogen causing the disease. The probability of such shock realizations changes with the level of disease prevalence and we analyze how the properties of the state-dependent probability function affect the long run epidemiological outcome which is characterized by an invariant probability distribution supported on a range of positive prevalence levels. We show that social distancing reduces the size of the support of the steady state distribution decreasing thus the variability of disease prevalence, but in so doing it also shifts the support rightward allowing eventually for more infectives than in an uncontrolled framework. Nevertheless, social distancing is an effective control measure since it concentrates most of the mass of the distribution toward the lower extreme of its support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide La Torre
- SKEMA Business School and Université Côte d’Azur, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Simone Marsiglio
- Department of Economics and Management, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Privileggi
- Department of Economics and Statistics “ Cognetti de Martiis”, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
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27
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Losier A, Gupta G, Caldararo M, Dela Cruz CS. The Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 on Viral, Bacterial, and Fungal Respiratory Infections. Clin Chest Med 2023; 44:407-423. [PMID: 37085229 PMCID: PMC9968485 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccm.2022.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains an ongoing threat, concerns regarding other respiratory infections remain. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic various epidemiologic trends have been observed in other respiratory viruses including a reduction in influenza and respiratory syncytial virus infections following onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Observations suggest that infections with other respiratory viruses were reduced with social distancing, mask wearing, eye protection, and hand hygiene practices. Coinfections with COVID-19 exist not only with other respiratory viruses but also with bacterial pneumonias and other nosocomial and opportunistic infections. Coinfections have been associated with increased severity of illness and other adverse outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Losier
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
| | - Gayatri Gupta
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Mario Caldararo
- Veteran's Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Charles S Dela Cruz
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
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28
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Fairbanks EL, Bolton KJ, Jia R, Figueredo GP, Knight H, Vedhara K. Influence of setting-dependent contacts and protective behaviours on asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection amongst members of a UK university. Epidemics 2023; 43:100688. [PMID: 37270967 DOI: 10.1016/j.epidem.2023.100688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We survey 62 users of a university asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 testing service on details of their activities, protective behaviours and contacts in the 7 days prior to receiving a positive or negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR test result in the period October 2020-March 2021. The resulting data set is novel in capturing very detailed social contact history linked to asymptomatic disease status during a period of significant restriction on social activities. We use this data to explore 3 questions: (i) Did participation in university activities enhance infection risk? (ii) How do contact definitions rank in their ability to explain test outcome during periods of social restrictions? (iii) Do patterns in the protective behaviours help explain discrepancies between the explanatory performance of different contact measures? We classify activities into settings and use Bayesian logistic regression to model test outcome, computing posterior model probabilities to compare the performance of models adopting different contact definitions. Associations between protective behaviours, participant characteristics and setting are explored at the level of individual activities using multiple correspondence analysis (MCA). We find that participation in air travel or non-university work activities was associated with a positive asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 PCR test, in contrast to participation in research and teaching settings. Intriguingly, logistic regression models with binary measures of contact in a setting performed better than more traditional contact numbers or person contact hours (PCH). The MCA indicates that patterns of protective behaviours vary between setting, in a manner which may help explain the preference for any participation as a contact measure. We conclude that linked PCR testing and social contact data can in principle be used to test the utility of contact definitions, and the investigation of contact definitions in larger linked studies is warranted to ensure contact data can capture environmental and social factors influencing transmission risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L Fairbanks
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom; School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Kirsty J Bolton
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom.
| | - Ru Jia
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | | | - Holly Knight
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Kavita Vedhara
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
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29
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Yu D, Zhang Y, Meng J, Wang X, He L, Jia M, Ouyang J, Han Y, Zhang G, Lu Y. Seeing the forest and the trees: Holistic view of social distancing on the spread of COVID-19 in China. Appl Geogr 2023; 154:102941. [PMID: 37007437 PMCID: PMC10040366 DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2023.102941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The human social and behavioral activities play significant roles in the spread of COVID-19. Social-distancing centered non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are the best strategies to curb the spread of COVID-19 prior to an effective pharmaceutical or vaccine solution. This study investigates various social-distancing measures' impact on the spread of COVID-19 using advanced global and novel local geospatial techniques. Social distancing measures are acquired through website analysis, document text analysis, and other big data extraction strategies. A spatial panel regression model and a newly proposed geographically weighted panel regression model are applied to investigate the global and local relationships between the spread of COVID-19 and the various social distancing measures. Results from the combined global and local analyses confirm the effectiveness of NPI strategies to curb the spread of COVID-19. While global level strategies allow a nation to implement social distancing measures immediately at the beginning to minimize the impact of the disease, local level strategies fine tune such measures based on different times and places to provide targeted implementation to balance conflicting demands during the pandemic. The local level analysis further suggests that implementing different NPI strategies in different locations might allow us to battle unknown global pandemic more efficiently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danlin Yu
- Department of Earth and Environmental Studies, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, 07043, USA
| | - Yaojun Zhang
- School of Applied Economics, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100086, China
| | - Jun Meng
- Department of Obs.&Gyn., Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Xiaoxi Wang
- School of Sociology and Population Studies, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100086, China
| | - Linfeng He
- School of Sociology and Population Studies, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100086, China
| | - Meng Jia
- School of Sociology and Population Studies, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100086, China
| | - Jie Ouyang
- School of Sociology and Population Studies, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100086, China
| | - Yu Han
- School of Sociology and Population Studies, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100086, China
| | - Ge Zhang
- School of Management, Minzu University of China, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yao Lu
- School of Ethnology and Sociology, Minzu University of China, Beijing, 100081, China
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30
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Georgiev SG, Vulkov LG. Coefficient identification in a SIS fractional-order modelling of economic losses in the propagation of COVID-19. J Comput Sci 2023; 69:102007. [PMID: 37041821 PMCID: PMC10062717 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocs.2023.102007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
A fractional-order SIS (Susceptible-Infectious-Susceptible) model with time-dependent coefficients is used to analyse some effects of the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). This generalized model is suitable for describing the COVID dynamics since it does not presume permanent immunity after contagion. The fractional derivative activates the memory property of the dynamics of the susceptible and infectious population time series. A coefficient identification inverse problem is posed, which consists of reconstructing the time-varying transmission and recovery rates, which are of paramount importance in practice for both medics and politicians. The inverse problem is reduced to a minimization problem, which is solved in a least squares sense. The iterative predictor-corrector algorithm reconstructs the time-dependent parameters in a piecewise-linear fashion. The economic losses emerging from social distancing using the calibrated model are also discussed. A comparison between the results obtained by the classical model and the fractional-order model is included, which is validated by ample tests with synthetic and real data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Slavi G Georgiev
- Department of Informational Modeling, Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 8 Acad. Georgi Bonchev Str., 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Education, University of Ruse, 8 Studentska Str., 7004 Ruse, Bulgaria
| | - Lubin G Vulkov
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Education, University of Ruse, 8 Studentska Str., 7004 Ruse, Bulgaria
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31
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Li T, Xiao Y. Optimal strategies for coordinating infection control and socio-economic activities. Math Comput Simul 2023; 207:533-555. [PMID: 36694593 PMCID: PMC9854248 DOI: 10.1016/j.matcom.2023.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
It becomes challenging to identify feasible control strategies for simultaneously relaxing the countermeasures and containing the Covid-19 pandemic, given China's huge population size, high susceptibility, persist vaccination waning, and relatively weak strength of health systems. We propose a novel mathematical model with waning of immunity and solve the optimal control problem, in order to provide an insight on how much detecting and social distancing are required to coordinate socio-economic activities and epidemic control. We obtain the optimal intensity of countermeasures, i.e., the dynamic nucleic acid screening and social distancing, under which the health system is functioning normally and people can engage in a certain level of socio-economic activities. We find that it is the isolation capacity or the restriction of the case fatality rate (CFR) rather than the hospital capacity that mainly determines the optimal strategies. And the solved optimal controls under quarterly CFR restrictions exhibit oscillations. It is worth noticing that, if without considering booster or very low booster rate, the optimal strategy is a "on-off" mode, alternating between lock down and opening with certain social distancing, which reflects the importance and necessity of China's static management on a certain area during Covid-19 outbreak. The findings suggest some feasible paths to smoothly transit from the Covid-19 pandemic to an endemic phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tangjuan Li
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, PR China
| | - Yanni Xiao
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, PR China
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32
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Imani S, Vahed M, Satodia S, Vahed M. T-Ridership: A web tool for reprogramming public transportation fleets to minimize COVID-19 transmission. SoftwareX 2023; 22:101350. [PMID: 36969748 PMCID: PMC9995304 DOI: 10.1016/j.softx.2023.101350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
As the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to spread throughout the world, steps are being taken to limit the impact on public health. In the realm of infectious diseases like COVID-19, social distancing is one of the effective measures to avoid exposure to the virus and reduce its spread. Traveling on public transport can meaningfully facilitate the propagation of the transmission of infectious diseases. Accordingly, responsive actions taken by public transit agencies against risk factors can effectively limit the risk and make transit systems safe. Among the multitude of risk factors that can affect infection spread on public transport, the likelihood of exposure is a major factor that depends on the number of people riding the public transport and can be reduced by socially distanced settings. Considering that many individuals may not act in the socially optimal manner, the necessity of public transit agencies to implement measures and restrictions is vital. In this study, we present a novel web-based application, T-Ridership, based on a hybrid optimized dynamic programming inspired by neural networks algorithm to optimize public transit for safety with respect to COVID-19. Two main steps are taken in the analysis through Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA): detecting high-density stations by input data normalization, and then, using these results, the T-Ridership tool automatically determines optimal station order to avoid overcrowded transit vehicles. Effectively our proposed web tool helps public transit to be safe to ride under risk of infections by reducing the density of riders on public transit vehicles as well as trip duration. These results can be used in expanding on and improving policy in public transit, to better plan the scheduled time of trains and buses in a way that prevents high-volume human contact, increases social distance, and reduces the possibility of disease transmission (available at:http://t-ridership.com and GitHub at: https://github.com/Imani-Saba/TRidership).
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Affiliation(s)
- Saba Imani
- School of Architecture, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Majid Vahed
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shreya Satodia
- School of Architecture, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mohammad Vahed
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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33
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Abrahim Sleiman KA, Juanli L, Lei HZ, Rong W, Yubo W, Li S, Cheng J, Amin F. Factors that impacted mobile-payment adoption in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. Heliyon 2023; 9:e16197. [PMID: 37197149 PMCID: PMC10176892 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) is a potential paradigm for explaining technology adoption and can be applied to a wide range of scenarios. During the COVID-19 (C-19) outbreak in China, mobile-payment platforms (Mpayment) were used extensively in everyday life because they allowed people to avoid direct and indirect connections during transactions, adhere to social-distancing guidelines, and support social-economic stabilization. By exploring the technological and psychological variables that influenced user Mpayment-adoption intentions during the C-19 pandemic, this study broadens the literature on technology adoption in emergency circumstances and expands the UTAUT. A total of 593 complete samples were collected online, with SPSS used for data analysis. The empirical findings reveal that performance expectancy, trust, perceived security, and social influence all had a significant influence on Mpayment acceptance during the C-19 outbreak, with social distancing having the greatest impact, followed by fear of C-19. Interestingly, perceived-effort expectancy had a negative influence on payment acceptance. These findings suggest that future studies should apply the expanded model to different countries and areas to investigate the impact of the C-19 pandemic on Mpayment acceptance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lan Juanli
- International Business School, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Hong Zhen Lei
- International Business School, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Wenge Rong
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Wang Yubo
- International Business School, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Shunhang Li
- School of Economics and Management, Yan'an University, Yan'an City, 716000, China
| | - Jingyi Cheng
- Affiliated Hospital, Yan'an University, Yan'an City, 716000, China
| | - Fouzia Amin
- National Defence University, Sector E-9, Islamabad, Pakistan
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34
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Demir M, Aslan IH, Lenhart S. Analyzing the effect of restrictions on the COVID-19 outbreak for some US states. THEOR ECOL-NETH 2023; 16:117-129. [PMID: 37284010 PMCID: PMC10126528 DOI: 10.1007/s12080-023-00557-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing pandemic disease COVID‑19 has caused worldwide social and financial disruption. As many countries are engaged in designing vaccines, the harmful second and third waves of COVID‑19 have already appeared in many countries. To investigate changes in transmission rates and the effect of social distancing in the USA, we formulate a system of ordinary differential equations using data of confirmed cases and deaths in these states: California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, and Missouri. Our models and their parameter estimations show social distancing can reduce the transmission of COVID‑19 by 60% to 90%. Thus, obeying the movement restriction rules is crucial in reducing the magnitude of the outbreak waves. This study also estimates the percentage of people who were not social distancing ranges between 10% and 18% in these states. Our analysis shows the management restrictions taken by these states do not slow the disease progression enough to contain the outbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahir Demir
- Department of Mathematics, Giresun University, Giresun, 28200 Turkey
| | - Ibrahim H. Aslan
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Suzanne Lenhart
- Department of Mathematics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 USA
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Abstract
The unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak has significantly influenced our daily life, and COVID-19's spread is inevitably associated with human mobility. Given the pandemic's severity and extent of spread, a timely and comprehensive synthesis of the current state of research is needed to understand the pandemic's impact on human mobility and corresponding government measures. This study examined the relevant literature published to the present (March 2023), identified research trends, and conducted a systematic review of evidence regarding transport's response to COVID-19. We identified key research agendas and synthesized the results, examining: (1) mobility changes by transport modes analyzed regardless of government policy implementation, using empirical data and survey data; (2) the effect of diverse government interventions to reduce mobility and limit COVID-19 spread, and controversial issues on travel restriction policy effects; and (3) future research issues. The findings showed a strong relationship between the pandemic and mobility, with significant impacts on decreased overall mobility, a remarkable drop in transit ridership, changes in travel behavior, and improved traffic safety. Government implemented various non-pharmaceutical countermeasures, such as city lockdowns, travel restrictions, and social distancing. Many studies showed such interventions were effective. However, some researchers reported inconsistent outcomes. This review provides urban and transport planners with valuable insights to facilitate better preparation for future health emergencies that affect transportation. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11116-023-10392-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwang-Sub Lee
- Railroad Policy Research Department, Korea Railroad Research Institute, 176 Railroad Museum Road, Uiwang-Si, 16105 Gyeonggi-Do Korea
| | - Jin Ki Eom
- Railroad Policy Research Department, Korea Railroad Research Institute, 176 Railroad Museum Road, Uiwang-Si, 16105 Gyeonggi-Do Korea
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Harville EW, Wood ME, Sutton EF. Social distancing and mental health among pregnant women during the coronavirus pandemic. BMC Womens Health 2023; 23:189. [PMID: 37081476 PMCID: PMC10117246 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-023-02335-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The effect of social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of pregnant women is of particular concern, given potential effects on physical health, family functioning, and child development. METHODS Pregnant women were recruited for the "Implications of and Experiences Surrounding being Pregnant during the COVID-19 Pandemic" study at Woman's Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Participants enrolled at any point during their pregnancy and surveys were delivered weekly until the participant indicated that she had delivered her baby; a postpartum survey followed four weeks after delivery. This analysis includes 1037 participants with baseline, 596 with follow-up, and 302 with postpartum surveys. Questions on social distancing behaviors were asked at baseline and grouped based on whether they involved social distancing from work, friends and family, or public places. Symptoms of anxiety, stress, depression, and pregnancy-related anxiety were measured. Each type of social distancing was examined as a predictor of mental health using linear model with control for confounders. RESULTS The study population was largely white (84.1%), married (81.8%), and educated (76.2% with a bachelor's or higher degree). Women who were younger, Black, unmarried, or had less education or income reported fewer social distancing behaviors. Mean anxiety score in the highest quartile of overall social distancing was 8.3 (SD 5.6), while in the lowest quartile it was 6.0 (SD 5.0) (p < 0.01), while perceived stress postpartum and pregnancy-related stress were not associated with social distancing. Associations were substantially diminished when controlled for baseline levels of anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Greater social distancing was associated with more anxiety symptoms, but worse mental health, particularly anxiety, may also have contributed to greater social distancing behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily W Harville
- Department of Epidemiology, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal St Ste 2001 #8318, New Orleans, LA, 70112-2715, USA.
| | - Moira E Wood
- Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
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Lee J, Kim J. Social Connectedness and Cognitive Function Before and During COVID-19: A Longitudinal Study of Korean Older Adults With an Instrumental Variable Regression. Psychiatry Investig 2023; 20:325-333. [PMID: 37005385 PMCID: PMC10151657 DOI: 10.30773/pi.2022.0303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We estimate the causal effect of social connectedness (i.e., the frequencies of meeting with friends, relatives, or neighbors) on cognitive function (the Korean version of Mini-Mental State Exam) among Korean older adults. METHODS We used longitudinal panel data collected before and during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) to set up the fixed (FE) or random effect (RE) models. To overcome omitted variable bias or reverse causality, we used COVID-19 pandemic period as an instrumental variable to estimate the causal effect of social connectedness on cognitive function. RESULTS Social distancing measures during the COVID-19 period decreased social interaction. The results showed that an increase in the frequency of social interaction led an increase in cognitive scores. Specifically, an increase of one unit in the frequency of meeting familiar people increased cognitive scores by 0.1470 and 0.5035 in the RE and FE models, respectively. CONCLUSION Social distancing policies due to the global pandemic may have increased the risk of social isolation and cognitive decline among older adults. The government and local communities need to increase their effort to develop way to connect adults through the remainder of the pandemic and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jungtaek Lee
- Department of Economics, Dongguk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Juyeon Kim
- Department of Urban Sociology, University of Seoul, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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de Leon FLL, Malde B, McQuillin B. The effects of emergency government cash transfers on beliefs and behaviours during the COVID pandemic: Evidence from Brazil. J Econ Behav Organ 2023; 208:140-155. [PMID: 36874911 PMCID: PMC9968470 DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2023.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This paper examines the impacts of emergency cash-transfers on individuals' social distancing behaviour and beliefs about COVID-19. We focus on the impacts of "Auxilio Emergencial" (AE): a large-scale cash-transfer in Brazil targeting low-income individuals who were unemployed or informally employed during the pandemic. To identify causal effects we exploit exogenous variation, arising from the AE design, in individuals' access to the cash-transfer programme. Using data from an online survey, our results suggest that eligibility to the emergency cash transfer led to a reduced likelihood of individuals contracting COVID-19, likely to have been driven by a reduction in working hours. Moreover, the cash transfer seems to have increased perceptions about the seriousness of coronavirus, while also exacerbating misconceptions about the pandemic. These findings indicate effects of emergency cash-transfers in determining individuals' narratives about a pandemic, in enabling social distancing and potentially in reducing the spread of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bansi Malde
- School of Economics, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom and Institute of Fiscal Studies, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ben McQuillin
- School of Economics, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
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Rafiei H, Salehi A, Baghbani F, Parsa P, Akbarzadeh-T MR. Interval type-2 Fuzzy control and stochastic modeling of COVID-19 spread based on vaccination and social distancing rates. Comput Methods Programs Biomed 2023; 232:107443. [PMID: 36889249 PMCID: PMC9951621 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2023.107443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Besides efforts on vaccine discovery, robust and intuitive government policies could also significantly influence the pandemic state. However, such policies require realistic virus spread models, and the major works on COVID-19 to date have been only case-specific and use deterministic models. Additionally, when a disease affects large portions of the population, countries develop extensive infrastructures to contain the condition that should adapt continuously and extend the healthcare system's capabilities. An accurate mathematical model that reasonably addresses these complex treatment/population dynamics and their corresponding environmental uncertainties is necessary for making appropriate and robust strategic decisions. METHODS Here, we propose an interval type-2 fuzzy stochastic modeling and control strategy to deal with the realistic uncertainties of pandemics and manage the size of the infected population. For this purpose, we first modify a previously established COVID-19 model with definite parameters to a Stochastic SEIAR (S2EIAR) approach with uncertain parameters and variables. Next, we propose to use normalized inputs, rather than the usual parameter settings in the previous case-specific studies, hence offering a more generalized control structure. Furthermore, we examine the proposed genetic algorithm-optimized fuzzy system in two scenarios. The first scenario aims to keep infected cases below a certain threshold, while the second addresses the changing healthcare capacities. Finally, we examine the proposed controller on stochasticity and disturbance in parameters, population sizes, social distance, and vaccination rate. RESULTS The results show the robustness and efficiency of the proposed method in the presence of up to 1% noise and 50% disturbance in tracking the desired size of the infected population. The proposed method is compared to Proportional Derivative (PD), Proportional Integral Derivative (PID), and type-1 fuzzy controllers. In the first scenario, both fuzzy controllers perform more smoothly despite PD and PID controllers reaching a lower mean squared error (MSE). Meanwhile, the proposed controller outperforms PD, PID, and the type-1 fuzzy controller for the MSE and decision policies for the second scenario. CONCLUSIONS The proposed approach explains how we should decide on social distancing and vaccination rate policies during pandemics against the prevalent uncertainties in disease detection and reporting.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Rafiei
- Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Center of Excellence on Soft Computing and Intelligent Information Processing (SCIIP), Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - A Salehi
- Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Center of Excellence on Soft Computing and Intelligent Information Processing (SCIIP), Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - F Baghbani
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran
| | - P Parsa
- Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Center of Excellence on Soft Computing and Intelligent Information Processing (SCIIP), Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - M-R Akbarzadeh-T
- Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Center of Excellence on Soft Computing and Intelligent Information Processing (SCIIP), Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
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40
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Smith RA, Brown MG, Schiltz JJ, Sowl S, Schulz JM, Grady KA. The Value of Interpersonal Network Continuity for College Students in Disruptive Times. Innov High Educ 2023; 48:1-20. [PMID: 37361112 PMCID: PMC10025794 DOI: 10.1007/s10755-023-09647-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic-related social distancing practices that colleges implemented in Spring 2020 disrupted the typical mechanisms of propinquity (physical proximity) and homophily (shared characteristics) that physical institutions rely on to help students build and maintain relationships critical to learning and wellbeing. To explore how social distancing shaped students' academic and social networks and associated educational outcomes, we conceptualized it as a "network shock" and collected unique ego network data in April 2020. For participating students, maintaining interactions with the same set of individuals before and after social distancing was related to more positive outcomes across a range of self-reported wellbeing and learning indicators. On average, students experienced a loss of frequent academic contacts, while they maintained or replaced social interactions in their interpersonal networks after social distancing. Our investigation of the ways students experienced changes in their social and academic networks after a loss of physical proximity points to the role of interpersonal interaction network continuity for fostering wellbeing and learning in times of disruption, as well as the potential need for support in maintaining or rebuilding academic networks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - James J. Schiltz
- University of Nebraska Central Administration, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Lincoln, NE USA
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Davis L, Esposito J. Social Disparities and Social Distancing During the Covid Pandemic. East Econ J 2023; 49:129-141. [PMID: 37051464 PMCID: PMC10010227 DOI: 10.1057/s41302-023-00241-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
According to Putnam (2000) and Bourdieu (1986), social disparities may result in the formation of narrow social bonds that exacerbate existing social cleavages and impede collective action. Motivated by this insight, we examine the relationship between social disparities and social distancing during the pre-vaccine Covid pandemic in the US. Using a panel of weekly, county-level observations, we find that income, educational and racial disparities are associated with a statistically significant decrease in the social distancing. This result is robust to controls for a wide variety of socioeconomic variables, the Covid infection rate, and a measure of social capital.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lewis Davis
- Department of Economics, Union College, 807 Union Street, Schenectady, NY 12308 USA
| | - Justin Esposito
- Department of Economics, Union College, 807 Union Street, Schenectady, NY 12308 USA
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Shioya R, Nakagomi A, Ide K, Kondo K. Video call and depression among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: The JAGES one-year longitudinal study. Soc Sci Med 2023; 321:115777. [PMID: 36841222 PMCID: PMC9933485 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Evidence of video call on preventing late-life depression during the COVID-19 pandemic is limited. We examined the associations of social contact (in-person, voice call, and video call) with incidence of depressive symptoms and evaluated whether specific factors (particularly, age and change in the frequency of in-person contact) affect these associations. We used longitudinal data from the 2019 and 2020 waves of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study, including 10,523 participants aged ≥65 years in 10 municipalities. Depressive symptoms were measured by the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) score ≥5 in main analysis, and GDS-15 score ≥4, 10, or continuous variable in sensitivity analyses. Social contact represented frequency changes before and during the pandemic: non-contact (reference), decreased-contact, maintained-contact, and increased-contact. We employed modified Poisson regression analysis. Compared to non-contact of video call, the association of increased-contact of video call with depressive symptoms was insignificant in main analysis (GDS-15 ≥ 5: risk ratio (RR) = 0.89, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.79-1.01), whereas significant in sensitivity analyses (GDS-15 ≥ 4: RR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.82-0.98; GDS-15 ≥ 10: RR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.53-0.97; GDS-15 = continuous variable: Β = -0.17, 95% CI: -0.33 to -0.002). In-person contact was significantly associated with lower incidence of depressive symptoms (non-contact: reference; maintained-contact: RR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.85-0.99; increased-contact: RR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.77-0.91), whereas voice call was not. Age and change in the frequency of in-person contact did not show significant effect modifications on the associations of video call with incidence of depressive symptoms after Bonferroni correction for multiple testing. In conclusion, this study suggests that the evidence supporting video call as a way to protect against depressive symptoms among older adults during the pandemic appears weak compared to the evidence for in-person contact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryunosuke Shioya
- Department of Social Preventive Medical Sciences, Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, 1-33, Yayoi-Cho, Inage-Ku, Chiba-Shi, Chiba, 263-8522, Japan
| | - Atsushi Nakagomi
- Department of Social Preventive Medical Sciences, Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, 1-33, Yayoi-Cho, Inage-Ku, Chiba-Shi, Chiba, 263-8522, Japan.
| | - Kazushige Ide
- Department of Social Preventive Medical Sciences, Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, 1-33, Yayoi-Cho, Inage-Ku, Chiba-Shi, Chiba, 263-8522, Japan
| | - Katsunori Kondo
- Department of Social Preventive Medical Sciences, Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, 1-33, Yayoi-Cho, Inage-Ku, Chiba-Shi, Chiba, 263-8522, Japan; Department of Gerontological Evaluation, Center for Gerontology and Social Science, Research Institute, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, 7-430, Morioka-Cho, Obu-Shi, Aichi, 474-8511, Japan
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Gun MA, Hanci O. The effect of social movements on COVID-19 case increases and death in Turkey. Clin Epidemiol Glob Health 2023; 20:101260. [PMID: 36873242 PMCID: PMC9970924 DOI: 10.1016/j.cegh.2023.101260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives This study aimed to determine whether there is a correlation between COVID-19 cases and deaths because of COVID-19 and community movements in Turkey and to develop a strategy for future outbreaks. Methods The study's data covers COVID-19 cases and deaths between March 11, 2020, and December 16, 2021, and Turkey's Google community movements between these dates. The COVID-19 cases and deaths were obtained from Turkey's Ministry of Health COVID-19 Information Platform. Community mobility collated by Google is retail and recreation, supermarket and pharmacy, parks, public transport, workplaces visits, and residential. The data were transferred via "SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) for Windows 25.0 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL" and statistical analysis was performed. The Spearman correlation test was used as a statistical method. In the Kruskal-Wallis Test, categorical variables were created using increases and decreases in community movements based on the baseline. Results A weak positive correlation between daily COVID-19 deaths and supermarket and pharmacy activity (r = 0.28 p < 0.01). A weak negative correlation with park activity (r = -0.23 p < 0.01). A weakly positive and significant relationship with workplace visits mobility (r = 0.10 p < 0.05). There was a weak positive significant relationship with public transport mobility (r = 0.10 p < 0.01), including a weak positive significant relationship with residential (r = 0.12 p < 0.01). Conclusions Social distancing measures (such as reducing community mobility) and educating people on viral transmission in possible epidemics will save us time developing new diagnostic tests and vaccine studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Akif Gun
- Departman of Medical Microbiology, 19 Mayis State Hospital, Samsun, Turkey
| | - Onder Hanci
- Departman of Family Medicine, 19 Mayis State Hospital, Samsun, Turkey
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Franchella S, Favaretto N, Frigo A, Franz L, Pilo S, Mularoni F, Marciani S, Nicolai P, Marioni G, Cazzador D. Does social distancing impact pediatric upper airway infections? An observational controlled study and a brief literature review. Am J Otolaryngol 2023; 44:103801. [PMID: 36893529 PMCID: PMC9974205 DOI: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2023.103801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has reduced social interaction even among children. The objective of the study was to assess the role of social distancing in the course of common pediatric upper airway recurrent diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients aged ≤14 years with at least one ENT-related clinical condition were retrospectively recruited. All patients had two outpatient evaluations in the same period (April - September): the control group had the first evaluation in 2018 and second in 2019, whereas the case group had the first evaluation in 2019 and second in 2020. Patients of each group were individually compared between their two visits and deemed improved/unchanged/worsened for each specific ENT condition. The percentage of children improved/unchanged/worsened were then collectively compared between the two groups for each condition. RESULTS Patients who experienced social distancing presented a significantly higher improvement rate than controls for recurrent acute otitis media episodes (35.1 % vs. 10.8 %; Fisher's exact test p = 0.033) and for tympanogram type (54.5 % vs. 11.1 %, Fisher's exact test p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS The anti-contagion social restrictions decreased the prevalence of middle ear infections and effusion in children. Further studies on larger cohorts are required to better elucidate these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiano Franchella
- Department of Neuroscience DNS, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Niccolò Favaretto
- Department of Neuroscience DNS, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Otorhinolaryngology Unit, AULSS5 Polesana, Rovigo, Italy
| | - Annachiara Frigo
- Department of Cardiac-Thoracic-Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Leonardo Franz
- Department of Neuroscience DNS, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Department of Neuroscience DNS, Phoniatrics and Audiology Unit, University of Padova, Treviso, Italy; Guided Therapeutics (GTx) International Scholarship Program, Techna Institute, University Health Network (UHN), Toronto, ON M5G2C4, Canada; Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Innovation in Clinical Research and Methodology (PhD Program), Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, 25121 Brescia, Italy
| | - Simona Pilo
- Department of Neuroscience DNS, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Francesca Mularoni
- Department of Neuroscience DNS, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Silvia Marciani
- Department of Neuroscience DNS, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Piero Nicolai
- Department of Neuroscience DNS, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Gino Marioni
- Department of Neuroscience DNS, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
| | - Diego Cazzador
- Department of Neuroscience DNS, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Cheshmehzangi A, Su Z, Jin R, Dawodu A, Sedrez M, Pourroostaei Ardakani S, Zou T. Space and social distancing in managing and preventing COVID-19 community spread: An overview. Heliyon 2023; 9:e13879. [PMID: 36845035 PMCID: PMC9940482 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The spread of COVID-19 at a large scale and at a rapid pace indicates the lack of social distancing measures at multiple levels. The individuals are not to be blamed, nor should we assume the early measures were ineffective or not implemented. It is all down to the multiplicity of transmission factors that made the situation more complicated than initially anticipated. Therefore, in facing the COVID-19 pandemic, this overview paper discusses the importance of space in social distancing measures. The methods used to investigate this study are literature review and case study. Many scholarly works have already provided us with evidence-based models that suggest the influential role of social distancing measures in preventing COVID-19 community spread. To further elaborate on this important topic, the aim here is to look at the role of space not only at the individual level but at larger scales of communities, cities, regions, etc. The analysis helps better management of cities during the pandemics such as COVID-19. By reflecting on some of the ongoing research on social distancing, the study concludes with the role of space at multiple scales and how it is central to the practice of social distancing. We need to be more reflective and responsive to achieve earlier control and containment of the disease and the outbreak at the macro level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Cheshmehzangi
- Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Nottingham, Ningbo Campus, 199 Taikang East Road, University Park, Ningbo, 315100, China
- Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability (NERPS), Hiroshima University, 1-3-1, Kagamiyama Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, 739-8530, Japan
| | - Zhaohui Su
- Center on Smart and Connected Health Technologies, Mays Cancer Center, School of Nursing, UT Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Ruoyu Jin
- School of Built Environment and Architecture, Division of Construction, Property and Surveying, London South Bank University, 103 Borough Road, London, SE1 0AA, UK
| | - Ayotunde Dawodu
- School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Greenwich, Old Royal Naval College, Park Row, London SE10 9LS, UK
| | - Maycon Sedrez
- School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
| | | | - Tong Zou
- Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Nottingham, Ningbo Campus, 199 Taikang East Road, University Park, Ningbo, 315100, China
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Issakhov A, Omarova P, Abylkassymova A. Numerical simulation of social distancing of preventing airborne transmission in open space with lateral wind direction, taking into account temperature of human body and floor surface. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023; 30:33206-33228. [PMID: 36478554 PMCID: PMC9734804 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24067-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents the numerical results of particle propagation in open space, taking into account the temperature of the human body and the surface of the ground. And also, the settling of particles or droplets under the action of gravitational force and transport in the open air is taken into account, taking into account the temperature during the process of breathing and sneezing or coughing. The temperature of the body and the surface of the ground, different rates of particle emission from the mouth, such as breathing and coughing or sneezing, are numerically investigated. The effect of temperature, cross-inlet wind, and the velocity of particle ejection from a person's mouth on social distancing is being investigated using a numerical calculation. The variable temperature of the human body forms a thermal plume, which affects the increase in the trajectory of the particle propagation, taking into account the lateral air flow. The thermal plume affects the particles in the breathing zone and spreads the particles over long distances in the direction of the airflow. The result of this work shows that in open space, taking into account the temperature of the body and the surface of the ground, a 2-m social distance may be insufficient for the process of sneezing and social distance must be observed depending on the breathing mode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alibek Issakhov
- Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan
- Present Address: Kazakh British Technical University, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan
- International Information Technology University, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan
| | - Perizat Omarova
- Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan
| | - Aizhan Abylkassymova
- Present Address: Kazakh British Technical University, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan
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Rana V, William M, Kewalramani A, Daloya J, Barnes M, Chang T, Miele AS, Haggerty G, Ng J. COVID-19 Mask Mandates in NY and Their Effect on the Incidence of Flu. J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect 2023; 13:1-5. [PMID: 36817302 DOI: 10.55729/2000-9666.1140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective The goal of the study is to quantify the reduction in the cases of influenza and how this decrease in incidence correlates with the execution of masking requirements in public as well as social distancing. Methods Influenza statistics were collected from Northwell Health, a 23-hospital system located throughout New York State. Positive influenza results were collected representing the 2018-2019 Flu season, 2019-2020 Flu season, and compared to the 2020-2021 Flu season, which corresponded to the mask mandates and social distancing measures implemented in NYS. Results Our data showed a dramatic decrease in influenza rates during the 2020-2021 Flu season, which corresponded to NYS's strict social distancing and mask requirements during the pandemic. This shows a steep decline correlating with the implementation of public health mandates directed at decreasing the spread of aerosolized particles between members of the population. Conclusion Our data show a significant decrease in the number of positive influenza tests during the same period of time when COVID-19 social distancing and mask-wearing requirements were in effect.
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Francis NA, Becque T, Willcox M, Hay AD, Lown M, Clarke R, Stuart B, Yardley L, Moore M, Houriet J, Little P. Non-pharmaceutical interventions and risk of COVID-19 infection: survey of U.K. public from November 2020 - May 2021. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:389. [PMID: 36829127 PMCID: PMC9951136 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15209-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), such as handwashing, social distancing and face mask wearing, have been widely promoted to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This study aimed to explore the relationship between self-reported use of NPIs and COVID-19 infection. METHODS We conducted an online questionnaire study recruiting members of the UK public from November 2020 to May 2021. The association between self-reported COVID-19 illness and reported use of NPIs was explored using logistic regression and controlling for participant characteristics, month of questionnaire completion, and vaccine status. Participants who had been exposed to COVID-19 in their household in the previous 2 weeks were excluded. RESULTS Twenty-seven thousand seven hundred fifty-eight participants were included and 2,814 (10.1%) reported having a COVID-19 infection. The odds of COVID-19 infection were reduced with use of a face covering in unadjusted (OR 0.17 (95% CI: 0.15 to 0.20) and adjusted (aOR 0.19, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.23) analyses. Social distancing (OR 0.27, 95% CI: 0.22 to 0.31; aOR 0.35, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.43) and handwashing when arriving home (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.73; aOR 0.63, 95% CI: 0.48 to 0.83) also reduced the odds of COVID-19. Being in crowded places of 10-100 people (OR 1.89, 95% CI: 1.70 to 2.11; aOR 1.62, 95% CI: 1.42 to 1.85) and > 100 people (OR 2.33, 95% CI: 2.11 to 2.58; aOR 1.73, 95% CI: 1.53 to 1.97) were both associated with increased odds of COVID-19 infection. Handwashing before eating, avoiding touching the face, and cleaning things with virus on were all associated with increased odds of COVID-19 infections. CONCLUSIONS This large observational study found evidence for strong protective effects for individuals from use of face coverings, social distancing (including avoiding crowded places) and handwashing on arriving home on developing COVID-19 infection. We also found evidence for an increased risk associated with other behaviours, possibly from recall bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick A Francis
- Primary Care Research Centre, School of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, NIHR School for Primary Care Research, University of Southampton, Aldermoor Health Centre, Southampton, SO16 5ST, UK.
| | - Taeko Becque
- Primary Care Research Centre, School of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, NIHR School for Primary Care Research, University of Southampton, Aldermoor Health Centre, Southampton, SO16 5ST, UK
| | - Merlin Willcox
- Primary Care Research Centre, School of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, NIHR School for Primary Care Research, University of Southampton, Aldermoor Health Centre, Southampton, SO16 5ST, UK
| | - Alastair D Hay
- Centre for Academic Primary Care, Bristol Medical School: Population Health Sciences, NIHR School for Primary Care Research, University of Bristol, 39 Whatley Road, Bristol, BS8 2PS, UK
| | - Mark Lown
- Primary Care Research Centre, School of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, NIHR School for Primary Care Research, University of Southampton, Aldermoor Health Centre, Southampton, SO16 5ST, UK
| | - Richard Clarke
- School of Natural and Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, Francis Close Hall, Swindon Road, Cheltenham, GL50 4AZ, UK
| | - Beth Stuart
- Pragmatic Clinical Trials Unit, Queen Mary University of London, Yvonne Carter Building, 58 Turner Street, London, E1 2AB, UK
| | - Lucy Yardley
- School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK.,School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, 12A Priory Road, Bristol, BS8 1TR, UK
| | - Michael Moore
- Primary Care Research Centre, School of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, NIHR School for Primary Care Research, University of Southampton, Aldermoor Health Centre, Southampton, SO16 5ST, UK
| | - Joëlle Houriet
- Antenna Foundation, Avenue de La Grenade 24, 1207, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Paul Little
- Primary Care Research Centre, School of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, NIHR School for Primary Care Research, University of Southampton, Aldermoor Health Centre, Southampton, SO16 5ST, UK
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Bae K, Park SS, Kang MS. Impact of social distancing on traumatic injury incidence during the COVID-19 pandemic: A study using nationwide data from South Korea from 2018 to 2020. Orthop Traumatol Surg Res 2023;:103571. [PMID: 36754170 DOI: 10.1016/j.otsr.2023.103571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 spread rapidly in 2020. To decrease its transmission rate, governments worldwide implemented social distancing. It has transformed people's physical and social activities. Such changes, differently influenced by age, might affect the incidence of traumatic injury. HYPOTHESIS The impact of social distancing on traumatic injuries can influence differently by age. PATIENTS AND METHODS Nationwide randomized stratified sampling data (2018 to 2020, 1 million people per year) from Korean National Health Insurance Sharing Service were used. In this period, 364,690 patients with traumatic injuries were analyzed. People were grouped by age into 0 - 4, 5 - 19, 20 - 64, and ≥ 65 years. The incidence of traumatic injuries was compared between periods of social distancing and no social distancing. Social distancing levels, injured body parts, injury types, hospitalization rate, total medical cost per patient, weather, temperature, and holidays were also included for detailed analysis. RESULTS Only the 5-19 age group showed the significant interaction of social distancing and traumatic injury. In this group, as the social distancing level increased, the injury incidence decreased especially during the spring and autumn semesters. However, the proportion of injuries requiring hospitalization and total medical cost per patient increased. DISCUSSION Social distancing significantly affects the incidence of traumatic injuries for schooler (5 - 19 years). Considering that the incidence changed during these semesters, the restriction of school attendance, due to social distancing, may have caused the decrease. Reduced trauma in this group seems to be related to decrease of mild trauma, considering the hospitalization rate and total medical costs. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III, retrospective cohort study.
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Wu JH, Robinson S, Tsemg JS, Hsu YP, Hsieh MC, Chen YC. Digital and physical factors influencing an individual's preventive behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan: A perspective based on the S-O-R model. Comput Human Behav 2023; 139:107525. [PMID: 36268219 PMCID: PMC9557089 DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2022.107525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 has caused considerable stress to individuals and communities. Daily press briefings on public health during the COVID-19 pandemic have increased individuals' feelings of social pressure. Abrupt changes to a person's immediate environment, such as the changes caused by COVID-19, can substantially affect their mental health and cognitive adjustment. On the basis of the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework, we examined the effects of digital and physical stimuli related to COVID-19 in Taiwan on individuals' psychological states and preventive behavior, including social distancing and personal hygiene. The data obtained from 498 valid survey questionnaires indicated that digital and physical factors including informativeness, social pressure, and severity exerted direct effects on cognitive assimilation and anxiety, which in turn affected individuals' preventive behavior. Moreover, cognitive assimilation and anxiety had significant mediating effects on the relationships of informativeness, social pressure, and severity with individuals' preventive behavior. The results of this study indicate how digital and physical stimulus factors affect cognitive assimilation and anxiety, which influence preventive behavior during a pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jen-Her Wu
- Department of Information Management, Southern Taiwan Interdisciplinary Center for Innovative Technologies, Advisory Board Member, E-Da Healthcare Group, National Sun Yat-Sen University, 70 Lien-Hai Rd, Kaohsiung, 804, Taiwan
| | - Simon Robinson
- Department of English, Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages, 900 Minzu 1st Road, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Jing-Shiang Tsemg
- Department of Information Management, National Sun Yat-Sen University, 70 Lien-Hai Rd, Kaohsiung, 804, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ping Hsu
- Department of Information Management, National Sun Yat-Sen University, 70 Lien-Hai Rd, Kaohsiung, 804, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Che Hsieh
- Department of Information Science and Management Systems, National Taitung University, 369, Section 2, University Road, Taitung, 950, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Cheng Chen
- Department of Information Science and Management Systems, National Taitung University, 369, Section 2, University Road, Taitung, 950, Taiwan
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