scholarly journals Counting Pandemic Statistics Remotely Using Webcams

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Jacob D. Oury ◽  
Frank E. Ritter ◽  
Fatoumata B. Cissé
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Rapid Assessment ◽  
Video Stream ◽  
Video Data ◽  
High Definition ◽  
Public Areas ◽  
Assessment Approach ◽  
Public Health Information ◽  
Public Behavior

Abstract Objective: Lack of mask use during large public events might spread COVID-19. It is possible now to measure this and similar public health information using publicly available webcams. We demonstrate a rapid assessment approach for measuring mask usage at a public event. Method: We monitored crowds at public areas in Sturgis, SD using a live, high-definition, town-sponsored video stream to analyze the prevalence of mask wearing. We developed a rapid coding procedure for mask wearing and analyzed brief (5 to 25 min) video segments to assess mask-wearing compliance in outdoor public areas. We calculated compliance estimates and compared reliability among the human coders. Results: We were able to observe and quantify public behavior on the public streets. This approach rapidly estimated public health information (e.g., 512 people observed over 25 minutes with 2.3% mask usage) available on the same day. Coders produced reliable estimates across a sample of videos for counting masked users and mask-wearing proportion. Our video data is stored in Databrary.org. Conclusions: This approach has implications for disaster responses and public health. The approach is easy to use, can provide same day results, and can provide public health stakeholders with key information on public behavior.

Japanese-language videos on YouTube as a source of public health information for COVID-19 (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takeo Yasu
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
The State ◽  
Video Content ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
State Of Emergency ◽  
Public Health Information ◽  
Youtube Videos ◽  
Spread Of Infection

BACKGROUND Serious public health problems, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can cause an infodemic. Sources of information that may cause an infodemic include social networking services; YouTube, which consists of content created and uploaded by individuals, is one such source. OBJECTIVE To survey the content and changes in YouTube videos that present public health information about COVID-19 in Japan. METHODS We surveyed YouTube content regarding public health information pertaining to COVID-19 in Japan. YouTube searches were performed on March 6, 2020 (before the state of emergency), April 14 (during the state of emergency), and May 27 (after the state of emergency was lifted), with 136, 113, and 140 sample videos evaluated, respectively. The main outcome measures were: (1) The total number of views for each video, (2) video content, and (3) the usefulness of the video. RESULTS In the 100 most viewed YouTube videos during the three periods, the number of videos on public health information in March was significantly higher than in May (p = .02). Of the 331 unique videos, 9.1% (n = 30) were released by healthcare professionals. Useful videos providing public health information about the prevention of the spread of infection comprised only 13.0% of the sample but were viewed significantly more often than not useful videos (p = .006). CONCLUSIONS Individuals need to take care when obtaining information from YouTube before or early in a pandemic, during which time scientific evidence is scarce.

scholarly journals The Role of the Public Health Official in Communicating Public Health Information

2007 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S93-S97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrique Regidor ◽  
Luis de la Fuente ◽  
Juan L. Gutiérrez-Fisac ◽  
Salvador de Mateo ◽  
Cruz Pascual ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Public Health Official ◽  
Health Official ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Information

Application of VPN technique in the construction of public health information system

2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 612-614
Author(s):  
Hu Xianming ◽  
Deng Yongzhi ◽  
Lu Zhuxun ◽  
Li Shukai ◽  
Wang Guoping ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Information System ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Information System ◽  
Public Health Information

scholarly journals Communicating about infectious disease threats: Insights from public health information officers

2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Jin ◽  
Lucinda Austin ◽  
Santosh Vijaykumar ◽  
Hyoyeun Jun ◽  
Glen Nowak
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Public Health Information

scholarly journals Highlighting COVID-19 Racial Disparities Reduces Fear and Support for Safety Precautions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Skinner-Dorkenoo ◽  
Apoorva Sarmal ◽  
Kasheena Rogbeer ◽  
Chloe Jeanne Andre ◽  
Bhumi Patel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Racial Disparities ◽  
Health Information ◽  
People Of Color ◽  
Racial Inequalities ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Correlational Design ◽  
Public Health Information ◽  
Residents Attitudes

U.S. media has extensively covered racial disparities in COVID-19 infections and deaths. In two preregistered studies, we examined how the association between people of color and COVID-19 impacts White U.S. residents’ attitudes toward COVID-19 and people of color. Utilizing a correlational design (N = 498), we found that awareness of COVID-19 racial disparities predicted reduced fear of COVID-19 and race-related social distancing. Next, we manipulated exposure to information about COVID-19 racial disparities (N = 1,505). Reading about the systemic causes of COVID-19 racial disparities reduced support for COVID-19 safety precautions and empathy for those vulnerable to COVID-19, reduced fear of COVID-19, and increased bias against people of color. These findings have important implications for understanding how public health information may perpetuate systemic racial inequalities.

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