scholarly journals Does Collective Interest or Self-Interest Motivate Mask Usage as a Preventive Measure Against COVID-19?

2020 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 391-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clifton van der Linden ◽  
Justin Savoie
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Health Agency ◽  
Preventive Measure ◽  
The United States ◽  
World Health ◽  
Collective Interest ◽  
Health Officer ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
Chief Public Health Officer

The revised guidance on masks from public health officials has been one of the most significant COVID-19 policy reversals to date. Statements made at the outset of the pandemic, including those from the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States Surgeon General, and the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, all actively discouraged asymptomatic members of the general public from wearing masks. However, on April 3, 2020, the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new recommendations that called for nonmedical masks, such as cloth face coverings, to be worn in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (Adams, 2020). Canadian public health officials quickly followed with their own guidance for wearing nonmedical masks or face coverings when out in public; however, they have stressed that doing so is optional for asymptomatic persons and should be seen as a complement to existing precautionary measures such as physical distancing and hand hygiene, particularly in cases where physical distancing may not be feasible (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2020). Emphasis was placed on nonmedical masks serving not to protect the wearer, but rather others who come within close proximity of the wearer. Echoing her public statements on the matter, Canada's chief public health officer Tweeted that “[w]earing a NON-MEDICAL mask in public settings has not been proven to add any protection TO the person wearing it, but it can be an additional way to prevent spread FROM an infected person to others” (Tam, 2020).

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Face Coverings in Mitigating the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3666
Author(s):  
Olukayode James Ayodeji ◽  
Seshadri Ramkumar
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
District Of Columbia ◽  
Preventive Measure ◽  
The United States ◽  
Protective Measure ◽  
Sharp Change ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Challenges ◽  
Effective Preventive Measure

The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the biggest public health challenges of the 21st century. Many prevalent measures have been taken to prevent its spread and protect the public. However, the use of face coverings as an effective preventive measure remains contentious. The goal of the current study is to evaluate the effectiveness of face coverings as a protective measure. We examined the effectiveness of face coverings between 1 April and 31 December 2020. This was accomplished by analyzing trends of daily new COVID-19 cases, cumulative confirmed cases, and cases per 100,000 people in different U.S. states, including the District of Columbia. The results indicated a sharp change in trends after face covering mandates. For the 32 states with face covering mandates, 63% and 66% exhibited a downward trend in confirmed cases within 21 and 28 days of implementation, respectively. We estimated that face covering mandates in the 32 states prevented approximately 78,571 and 109,703 cases within 21- and 28-day periods post face covering mandate, respectively. A statistically significant (p = 0.001) negative correlation (−0.54) was observed between the rate of cases and days since the adoption of a face covering mandate. We concluded that the use of face coverings can provide necessary protection if they are properly used.

Recent measles outbreaks in the United States: A look at the causes and responses

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 491-496
Author(s):  
Tracy Perron ◽  
Heather Larovere ◽  
Victoria Guerra ◽  
Kathleen Kilfeather ◽  
Nicole Pare ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Personal Autonomy ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
The United States ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Course Of Action ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
Measles Outbreaks

As measles cases continue to rise in the United States and elsewhere, public health officials, health care providers and elected officials alike are facing critical questions of how to protect the health of the public from current and future vaccine preventable disease outbreaks while still preserving the religious and personal autonomy of the populations they serve. As measles cases are being examined and carefully managed, public health officials are also tasked with revisiting vaccination policies and agendas to determine the best evidence-based interventions to control this epidemic. To determine the best course of action for the public's interest, research and current literature must be examined to protect and promote the health and wellbeing of those currently affected by the measles outbreak and those yet to be exposed.

Disaster preparedness and response: Implications for public health nurses

2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
Andrea Jennings-Sanders, Dr.PH, RN
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
The United States ◽  
Local State ◽  
Public Health Nurses ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
Disaster Preparedness And Response

Disasters are becoming more of an integral aspect of life in the United States and in other countries. Public health nurses are in the forefront of providing health services to people affected by disasters. Thus, it is essential that all public health nurses have access to information that will assist them in disaster situations. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how the Framework for Public Health Nurses: Interventions Model can be utilized for planning and responding to disasters. The interventions in the model are directly applicable to disaster situations and, in addition, raise questions on issues that need to be addressed by local, state, and federal public health officials.

scholarly journals Policy liberalism and source of news predict pandemic-related health behaviors and trust in the scientific community

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0252670
Author(s):  
Madeleine Reinhardt ◽  
Matthew B. Findley ◽  
Renee A. Countryman
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
News Media ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
The United States ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Health Measures

In March of 2020, the United States was confronted with a major public health crisis caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This study aimed to identify what factors influence adherence to recently implemented public health measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing, trust of scientific organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on information pertaining to the pandemic, and level of perceived risk. Data were collected from June 30, 2020 to July 22, 2020 on 951 adult residents of the United States using an online survey through Microsoft Forms. Multiple linear regression was used to identify the strongest predictors for compliance to pandemic-related health measures, trust in the scientific community, and perceived risk. Results showed that the strongest predictor of all variables of interest was degree of policy liberalism. Additionally, participants who consumed more conservative news media conformed less to the pandemic health guidelines and had less trust in the scientific community. Degree of policy liberalism was found to have a significant moderating effect on the relationship between gender and conformity to pandemic-related health behaviors. These findings have concerning implications that factors like degree of policy liberalism and source of news are more influential in predicting adherence to life-saving health measures than established risk factors like pre-existing health conditions.

scholarly journals Mask adherence and rate of COVID-19 across the United States

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlie B. Fischer ◽  
Nedghie Adrien ◽  
Jeremiah J. Silguero ◽  
Julianne J. Hopper ◽  
Abir I. Chowdhury ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
General Public ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Level Data ◽  
High Adherence ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Public Health Officials

AbstractMask wearing has been advocated by public health officials as a way to reduce the spread of COVID-19. In the United States, policies on mask wearing have varied from state to state over the course of the pandemic. Even as more and more government leaders encourage or even mandate mask wearing, many citizens still resist the notion. Our research examines mask wearing policy and adherence in association with COVID-19 case rates. We used state-level data on mask wearing policy for the general public and on proportion of residents who stated they always wear masks in public. For all 50 states and the District of Columbia (DC), these data were abstracted by month for April ⍰ September 2020 to measure their impact on COVID-19 rates in the subsequent month (May ⍰ October 2020). Monthly COVID-19 case rates (number of cases per capita over two weeks) >200 per 100,000 residents were considered high. Fourteen of the 15 states with no mask wearing policy for the general public through September reported a high COVID-19 rate. Of the 8 states with at least 75% mask adherence, none reported a high COVID-19 rate. States with the lowest levels of mask adherence were most likely to have high COVID-19 rates in the subsequent month, independent of mask policy or demographic factors. Mean COVID-19 rates for states with at least 75% mask adherence in the preceding month was 109.26 per 100,000 compared to 249.99 per 100,000 for those with less adherence. Our analysis suggests high adherence to mask wearing could be a key factor in reducing the spread of COVID-19. This association between high mask adherence and reduced COVID-19 rates should influence policy makers and public health officials to focus on ways to improve mask adherence across the population in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

scholarly journals Coronavirus and Pharmacists

2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-6
Author(s):  
Ken Thai
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
World Health ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Wuhan City ◽  
The World ◽  
High Season ◽  
Health Organization

Pharmacists and our fellow healthcare colleagues typically expect a break from our “high season” of cough, cold, and flu patients that have filled our pharmacies, clinics, and hospitals by this time of the year. Everyone is prepping for the end of the winter and the dawning of spring. This year was unlike many as we have heard loud cries across the globe regarding the outbreak of the novel “new” coronavirus. The virus was first detected from the Wuhan City of China. It has since infected tens of thousands of people in China and across the world. In fact, the World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern.” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declared a public health emergency for the United States to aid the nation's healthcare community in responding. A proclamation was signed on January 31, 2020, by the United States to suspend entry of anyone who poses a risk of transmitting the coronavirus.

Income, Public Works, and Mortality in Early Twentieth-Century American Cities

1985 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 355-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Celeste Gaspari ◽  
Arthur G. Woolf
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Twentieth Century ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Works ◽  
Standard Of Living ◽  
Water Filtration ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
American Cities ◽  
Sewage Systems

Mortality differentials for 122 cities in the United States in 1910 are examined with specific attention given to the influence of public works projects. Sewage systems are found to have significantly reduced mortality, while water filtration systems had no impact. This runs counter to the theories and beliefs of many public health officials and sanitary engineers of the era. Other factors, including the racial and immigrant composition of the population, urban density, number of physicians, and the standard of living, are also examined.

scholarly journals Beliefs about Mask Efficacy and the Effect of Social Norms on Mask Wearing Intentions for COVID-19 Risk Reduction

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott E. Bokemper ◽  
Maria Cucciniello ◽  
Tiziano Rotesi ◽  
Paolo Pin ◽  
Amyn A. Malik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Social Norms ◽  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Causal Relationship ◽  
The United States ◽  
Factual Information ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
Do So

AbstractIn the absence of widespread vaccination for COVID-19, governments and public health officials have advocated for the public to wear masks during the pandemic. The decision to wear a mask in public is likely affected by both beliefs about its efficacy and the prevalence of the behavior. Greater mask use in the community may encourage others to follow this norm, but it also creates an incentive for individuals to free ride on the protection afforded to them by others. We report the results of two vignette-based experiments conducted in the United States and Italy to examine the causal relationship between beliefs, social norms, and reported intentions to engage in mask promoting behavior. We find that providing factual information about how masks protect others increases the likelihood that someone would wear a mask or encourage others to do so in the United States, but not in Italy. There is no effect of providing information about how masks protect the wearer in either country. Additionally, greater mask use increases intentions to wear a mask and encourage someone else to wear theirs properly in both the United States and Italy. Thus, community mask use may be self-reinforcing.

scholarly journals Assessment of Health Information About COVID-19 Prevention on the Internet: Infodemiological Study

10.2196/18717 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. e18717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ignacio Hernández-García ◽  
Teresa Giménez-Júlvez
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Health Information ◽  
The United States ◽  
World Health ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Health Organizations ◽  
Public Health Organizations ◽  
Google Search

Background The internet is a large source of health information and has the capacity to influence its users. However, the information found on the internet often lacks scientific rigor, as anyone may upload content. This factor is a cause of great concern to scientific societies, governments, and users. Objective The objective of our study was to investigate the information about the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the internet. Methods On February 29, 2020, we performed a Google search with the terms “Prevention coronavirus,” “Prevention COVID-19,” “Prevención coronavirus,” and “Prevención COVID-19”. A univariate analysis was performed to study the association between the type of authorship, country of publication, and recommendations to avoid COVID-19 according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Results In total, 80 weblinks were reviewed. Most of them were produced in the United States and Spain (n=58, 73%) by digital media sources and official public health organizations (n=60, 75%). The most mentioned WHO preventive measure was “wash your hands frequently” (n=65, 81%). A less frequent recommendation was to “stay home if you feel unwell” (n=26, 33%). The analysis by type of author (official public health organizations versus digital media) revealed significant differences regarding the recommendation to wear a mask when you are healthy only if caring for a person with suspected COVID-19 (odds ratio [OR] 4.39). According to the country of publication (Spain versus the United States), significant differences were detected regarding some recommendations such as “wash your hands frequently” (OR 9.82), “cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze” (OR 4.59), or “stay home if you feel unwell” (OR 0.31). Conclusions It is necessary to urge and promote the use of the websites of official public health organizations when seeking information on COVID-19 preventive measures on the internet. In this way, users will be able to obtain high-quality information more frequently, and such websites may improve their accessibility and positioning, given that search engines justify the positioning of links obtained in a search based on the frequency of access to them.

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