scholarly journals Adherence to Public Health Measures Mitigates Risk of COVID-19 Infection in Older Adults: A Community-based Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young J. Juhn ◽  
Chung-Il Wi ◽  
Euijung Ryu ◽  
Priya Sampathkumar ◽  
Paul Y. Takahashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Health Measures

scholarly journals The Challenges of Being a Family Caregiver During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Canada

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 552-552
Author(s):  
Gwen McGhan ◽  
Deirdre McCaughey
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Family Member ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Chronic Health Conditions ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Measures

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all of our lives, but the population most at risk are older adults. Canadians over the age of 60 account for 36% of all COVID-19 cases but 95% of the deaths, and over two-thirds of ICU admissions. Older adults with chronic health conditions are especially at risk. Prior to COVID-19, family caregivers (FCGs) for older adults were managing their caregiving duties at the limits of their emotional, physical and financial capacity. As such, FCGs need special consideration during these times of uncertainty to support them in their role and enable the continuation of care for their older adult family members. This symposium will report on independently conducted studies from across Canada that have examined how the pandemic and associated public health measures have influenced resource utilization by FCGs and the older adults for whom they provide care. McAiney et al’s study examines the deleterious effect of reduced services on community dwelling FCGs and the wellbeing of their family member with dementia. Parmar & Anderson examined the effect of pandemic restrictions on FCGs of frail older adults and found they were experiencing increased distress and decreased wellbeing. Flemons et al report on the experiences of FCGs managing caregiving without critical services and the effect of restrictive visiting policies and the well-being of the caregiving dyad (FCGs and family member with dementia). Finally, McGhan et al will share how FCGs evaluated the efficacy of public health measures and the public health messaging about the pandemic.

scholarly journals Fears of health catastrophe as Nepal reports increasing deaths from COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 001-003
Author(s):  
Chalise Hom Nath
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Early Diagnosis ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Limited Resources ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
First Case ◽  
Increasing Trend

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had affected both developed and developing countries too. The first case in Nepal was confirmed on 23 January 2020. It was also the first recorded case of COVID-19 in South Asia. Nepal reported its first COVID-19 death on May 16. At the end of October, the number of death stood 937 and 1126 on 9 November. In September and October, deaths doubled, and with winter setting in, fatalities may skyrocket. Among the total CP cases in Nepal nearly 50% are from the Capital Kathmandu. So, Kathmandy is the new epicenter of COVID-19 in Nepal. There are no proper community-based isolation centres and ICU beds are also still limited. Due to increasing trend of COVID-19 cases and death people have fear of psychological stress. A study shows at least one symptom of psychological distress whereas 32% suffered from two or more symptoms of psychological distress such as restlessness, fearfulness, anxiety and worry and sadness. Despite limited resources, the government’s major challenges are early diagnosis, management of confirmed cases, contact tracing, and implementing some public health measures to reduce the infection’s transmissibility.

scholarly journals Impact of individual-level characteristics and transmission mitigation behaviors on SARS-CoV-2 infection and seroprevalence in a large Northern California Bay Area cohort

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cameron Adams ◽  
Mary Horton ◽  
Olivia Solomon ◽  
Marcus Wong ◽  
Sean L. Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Lower Income ◽  
Northern California ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Large Community ◽  
Bay Area

AbstractComprehensive data on transmission mitigation behaviors and SARS-CoV-2 infection and serostatus are needed from large, community-based cohorts to identify SARS-CoV-2 risk factors and impact of public health measures. From July 2020 to March 2021, ≈5,500 adults from the East Bay Area, California were followed over three data collection rounds. We estimated the prevalence of antibodies from SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination, and self-reported COVID-19 test positivity. Population-adjusted SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was low, increasing from 1.03% (95% CI: 0.50-1.96) in Round 1 (July-September 2020), to 1.37% (95% CI: 0.75-2.39) in Round 2 (October-December 2020), to 2.18% (95% CI: 1.48-3.17) in Round 3 (February-March 2021). Population-adjusted seroprevalence of COVID-19 vaccination was 21.64% (95% CI: 19.20-24.34) in Round 3. Despite >99% of participants reporting wearing masks, non-Whites, lower-income, and lower-educated individuals had the highest SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and lowest vaccination seroprevalence. Our results demonstrate that more effective policies are needed to address these disparities and inequities.

scholarly journals Suppressing COVID-19 transmission in Hong Kong: an observational study of the first four months

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Wu ◽  
Tim K. Tsang ◽  
Jessica Y. Wong ◽  
Tiffany W. Y. Ng ◽  
Faith Ho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Laboratory Testing ◽  
Reproductive Number ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Case Identification ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Imported Cases ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Case Based

Abstract Background: Hong Kong was one of the first locations outside of mainland China to identify COVID-19 cases in January 2020. We assessed the impact of various public health measures on transmission.Methods: We analysed data on all COVID-19 cases and public health measures in Hong Kong up to 7 May 2020. We described case-based, travel-based and community-based measures and examined their potential effects on case identification and transmission. Changes in transmissibility measured by the effective reproductive number Rt were estimated by comparing the Rt between periods when public health measures were and were not in effect. Delays in case confirmation in imported cases and locally infected cases were analysed to indicate the possible impact of expansion of laboratory testing capacity.Findings: Introduction of a 14-day quarantine on persons arriving from affected areas was associated with a 95% reduction in transmissibility from imported cases. Testing all arriving travelers reduced mean delays between arrival and detection of imported cases. Increases in laboratory testing capacity for pneumonia inpatients and symptomatic outpatients reduced the delay from onset to confirmation. Working from home and physical distancing measures implemented in high-risk facilities were associated with 67% and 58% reductions in transmission of COVID-19, respectively.Interpretation: Suppression of COVID-19 transmission in the first pandemic wave in Hong Kong was achieved through integration of travel-based, case-based and community-based public health measures focusing on early case identification and isolation and physical distancing.

scholarly journals Frailty : Update on Diagnosis Evaluation and Management Part 2

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulrazak Abyad ◽  
Sonia Ouali Hammami
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Dynamic State ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Community Based Interventions ◽  
Community Based ◽  
The Impact

Life expectancy continues to rise globally. However, the additional years of life do not always correspond to years of healthy life, which may result in an increase in frailty. Given the rapid aging of the population, the association between frailty and age, and the impact of frailty on adverse outcomes for older adults, frailty is increasingly recognized as a significant public health concern. Early detection of the condition is critical for assisting older adults in regaining function and avoiding the negative consequences associated with the syndrome. Despite the critical nature of frailty diagnosis, there is no conclusive evidence or consensus regarding whether routine screening should be implemented. A variety of screening and assessment instruments have been developed from a biopsychosocial perspective, with frailty defined as a dynamic state caused by deficits in any of the physical, psychological, or social domains associated with health. All of these aspects of frailty should be identified and addressed through the use of a comprehensive and integrated approach to care. To accomplish this goal, public health and primary health care (PHC) must serve as the fulcrum around which care is delivered, not just to the elderly and frail, but to all individuals, by emphasizing a life-course and patient-centered approach centered on integrated, community-based care. Personnel in public health should be trained to address frailty not just clinically, but also in a societal context. Interventions should take place in the contextof the individuals’ eNVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL NETWORKS. ADDITIONALLY, PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS SHOULD CONTRIBUTE TO COMMUNITY-BASED FRAILTY EDUCATION AND TRAINING, PROMOTING COMMUNITY-BASED INTERVENTIONS THAT ASSIST OLDER ADULTS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS IN PREVENTING AND MANAGING FRAILTY. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER IS TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF FRAILTY FOR A PUBLIC HEALTH AUDIENCE IN ORDER TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL NATURE OF FRAILTY AND HOW IT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED THROUGH AN INTEGRATED AND HOLISTIC APPROACH TO CARE. KEY WORDS: FRAILTY, DIAGNOSIS, EVALUATION, MANAGEMENT

scholarly journals Lived experiences of older adults during the first COVID-19 lockdown: A qualitative study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0252101
Author(s):  
Ilaria Falvo ◽  
Maria Caiata Zufferey ◽  
Emiliano Albanese ◽  
Marta Fadda
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
The Individual

Background and aim Public health measures used to mitigate the COVID-19 epidemic may have unintended, detrimental consequences particularly on older adults, whose voices and perspectives are often silent or silenced. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of individuals aged 64 or older during the first COVID-19 lockdown. Methods We conducted a qualitative study in a convenience sample of 19 older adults (aged 64+) living at home in the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland during the first COVID-19 lockdown, between April and May 2020. Participants varied in terms of gender, education, age, nationality, and socio-economic status. We conducted semi-structured phone interviews to elicit emotions, expectations and hopes in relation to the present situation, and the post-pandemic world. We inquired about opinions on the enforced public health measures, including those specifically targeting older adults, and on the societal portrayal of older adults. Findings We found that the epidemic and the public health response to it had both generated a variety of resentments and a high degree of ambivalence at the individual, micro-, meso- and macro-social levels. We also found that labelling older adults as an at-risk sub-population inevitably contributed to public and self-stigmatization. Discussion We conducted an in-depth qualitative investigation of lived experiences of older adults during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in one of the most gravely hit region in Europe. Our findings on the complexity of unintended, detrimental consequences of outbreak responses on older adults have relevant implications for local adaptions of public health measures, and suggest that public health authorities should engage vulnerable sub-populations and promote bi-directional communication to inform and support communities.

scholarly journals Lifting the lockdown: what are the options for low and middle-income countries?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajiv Chowdhury ◽  
Shammi Luhar ◽  
Nusrat Khan ◽  
Sohel Reza Choudhury ◽  
Imran Matin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
The Public ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
The Social ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Low And Middle Income

To limit the social, economic and psychological damage caused by strict social distancing interventions, many low and middle-income countries (LMICs) are seeking to ease restrictions. However, it is unknown what a ‘safe reopening’ entails in LMICs given suboptimal diagnostic and surveillance capabilities. Here we discuss three community-based public health measures (sustained mitigation, zonal lockdown and dynamic rolling lockdowns) which seek to adequately balance the public health and economic priorities. Each of these options have limitations and prerequisites that may be context-specific and should be considered before implementation, including implementation and maintenance costs, social and economic costs, context-specific epidemic growth and the existing health resources.

scholarly journals Pervasive punishment in a pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 026455052110508
Author(s):  
Ryan Casey ◽  
Fergus McNeill ◽  
Betsy Barkas ◽  
Neil Cornish ◽  
Caitlin Gormley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Health Measures

In this paper, we draw on data from a recent study of how Covid-19 and related restrictions impacted on vulnerable and/or marginalised populations in Scotland (Armstrong and Pickering, 2020), including justice-affected people (i.e. people in prison and under supervision, their families and those that work with them; see Gormley et al., 2020). Focusing here mainly on interviews with people released from prison and others under community-based criminal justice supervision, we explore how the pandemic impacted on their experiences. Reflecting upon and refining previous analyses of how supervision is experienced as ‘pervasive punishment’ ( McNeill, 2019 ), we suggest that both the pandemic and public health measures associated with its suppression have changed the ‘pains’ and ‘gains’ of supervision ( Hayes, 2015 ), in particular, by exacerbating the ‘suspension’ associated with it. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for the pursuit of justice in the recovery from Covid-19.

scholarly journals COP2ING With a New Normal: Navigating the Return to Society for Older Adults With Dementia and Their Caregivers

2021 ◽  
pp. 082585972098456
Author(s):  
Chitra K. Hamilton ◽  
Miguel A. Paniagua ◽  
Christopher A. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Elderly Patients ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
New Normal ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Measures

COVID-19 has stressed the healthcare system in ways our society has not seen before. Less visibly, elderly patients and their caregivers have been stressed as well, both by the virus and by the public health measures required to slow its spread. After months of isolating, patients with dementia and their caregivers are worried about reentering a society with different rules and expectations. Although an extremely complex topic, the re-entry of individuals with cognitive impairment back into society is critical for both the wellbeing of the person as well as the caregiver. Successful re-entry into society will vary based on a person’s interests and baseline cognition, however, the ability to participate in activities and events that previously provided joy and stimulation is the first step. This paper, written by practicing geriatricians and palliative clinicians, offers some concrete counseling strategies and tips for caregivers to help navigate re-entry into society with their loved ones.

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