scholarly journals Applying the proportionality principle to COVID-19 antibody testing

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
H D Gunnarsdóttir ◽  
M S Sinha ◽  
S Gerke ◽  
T Minssen
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Antibody Test ◽  
International Travel ◽  
Differential Treatment ◽  
Individual Freedom ◽  
Test Results ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Antibody Testing ◽  
Proportionality Principle

Abstract As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the globe, many nations have started to relax stringent restrictions in an effort to restart the economy. While Member States of the European Union have approached reopening without the use of antibody testing for COVID-19, such testing may be central to a long-term, sustainable strategy for international travel, employment, and the allocation and monitoring of vaccines. As the use of antibody testing to dictate the enjoyment of individual freedom remains highly controversial, we describe its use in the context of three case studies (return to the workplace, travel and vaccination), applying the substantive legal balancing entailed in the proportionality principle. Differential treatment of individuals based on COVID-19 antibody test results can be justified through the proportionality principle, which offers a sound dividing line between a reasonable and legitimate response and an unjust and discriminatory response.

scholarly journals Indicators of COVID-19 status in a cohort study of university staff and post-graduate research students, including results from home antibody testing

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrina A. S. Davis ◽  
Ewan Carr ◽  
Daniel Leightley ◽  
Valentina Vitiello ◽  
Gabriella Bergin-Cartwright ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Studies ◽  
Antibody Test ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Antibody Testing ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Research Students ◽  
Core Symptoms

AbstractBackgroundCohort studies of people with a history of COVID-19 infection and controls will be essential to understand the epidemiology of long-term effects. However, clinical diagnosis requires resources that are frequently restricted to the severely ill. Cohort studies may have to rely on surrogate indicators of COVID-19 illness. We describe the prevalence and overlap of five potential indicators: self-reported suspicion, self-reported core symptoms, symptom algorithm, self-reported routine test results, and home antibody testing.MethodsAn occupational cohort of staff and postgraduate students at a large London university who participated in surveys and antibody testing. Self-report items cover March to June 2020 and antibody test results from ‘lateral flow’ IgG/IgM antibody test cassettes sent to participants in June 2020.ResultsValid antibody test results were returned for 1882 participants. Of the COVID-19 indicators, the highest prevalence was core symptoms (770 participants positive, 41%), followed by participant suspicion of infection (n=509, 27%), a symptom algorithm (n=297, 16%), study antibody positive test (n=124, 6.6%) and self-report of a positive external test (n=39, 2.1%). Study antibody positive result was rare in people who had no suspicion they had experienced COVID-19 (n=4, 0.7%) or did not experience core symptoms (n=10, 1.6%). When study antibody test results were compared with earlier external antibody results in those who had reported them, the study antibody results agreed in 88% cases (kappa= 0.636), with a lower proportion testing positive on this occasion (proportion with antibodies detected 15% in study test vs 24% in external testing).DiscussionOur results demonstrate that there is some agreement between different COVID indicators, but that they a more complete story when used together. Antibody testing may provide greater certainty and be one of the only ways to detect asymptomatic cases, but is likely to under-ascertain due to weak antibody responses to mild infection, which wane over time. Cohort studies will need to review how they deal with different and sometimes conflicting indicators of COVID-19 illness in order to study the long-term outcomes of COVID-19 infection and related impacts.What is already known on this subject?Research into the effects of COVID-19 in the community is needed to respond to the pandemic. Objective testing has not been widely available and accuracy may not be high when carried out in retrospect. Many cohort studies are considering how best to measure COVID-19 infection status.What this study adds?Antibody testing is feasible, but it is possible that sensitivity may be poor. Each indicator included added different aspects to the ascertainment of COVID-19 exposure. Using combinations of self-reported and objectively measured variables, it may be possible to tailor COVID-19 indicators to the situation.

Library and Museum Collections Digitization Projects in Finland

2009 ◽  
pp. 95-100
Author(s):  
Yulia S. Chechikova
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Museum Collections ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Scientific Heritage

Digitization of a national cultural and scientific heritage is one of the long-term strategic problems of the European countries’ governments. Member countries of the European Union make major efforts in providing access to their cultural heritage. In the article the process of an access provision is described for Finland.

Unfolding the case of returnees: How the European Union and its member States are addressing the return of foreign fighters and their families

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Carlota Rigotti ◽  
Júlia Zomignani Barboza
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Perceived Threat ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Security Threat ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Member States ◽  
Foreign Fighters ◽  
Term Response

Abstract The return of foreign fighters and their families to the European Union has mostly been considered a security threat by member States, which consequently adopt repressive measures aimed at providing an immediate, short-term response to this perceived threat. In addition to this strong-arm approach, reintegration strategies have also been used to prevent returnees from falling back into terrorism and to break down barriers of hostility between citizens in the long term. Amidst these different strategies, this paper seeks to identify which methods are most desirable for handling returnees.

A Nationwide Survey of COVID-19 Testing in LGBTQ+ Populations in the United States

2021 ◽  
pp. 003335492110181
Author(s):  
Richard J. Martino ◽  
Kristen D. Krause ◽  
Marybec Griffin ◽  
Caleb LoSchiavo ◽  
Camilla Comer-Carruthers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Gay Men ◽  
Antibody Test ◽  
Nationwide Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Antibody Testing ◽  
And Gender

Objectives Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer and questioning (LGBTQ+) people and populations face myriad health disparities that are likely to be evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objectives of our study were to describe patterns of COVID-19 testing among LGBTQ+ people and to differentiate rates of COVID-19 testing and test results by sociodemographic characteristics. Methods Participants residing in the United States and US territories (N = 1090) aged ≥18 completed an internet-based survey from May through July 2020 that assessed COVID-19 testing and test results and sociodemographic characteristics, including sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). We analyzed data on receipt and results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and antibody testing for SARS-CoV-2 and symptoms of COVID-19 in relation to sociodemographic characteristics. Results Of the 1090 participants, 182 (16.7%) received a PCR test; of these, 16 (8.8%) had a positive test result. Of the 124 (11.4%) who received an antibody test, 45 (36.3%) had antibodies. Rates of PCR testing were higher among participants who were non–US-born (25.4%) versus US-born (16.3%) and employed full-time or part-time (18.5%) versus unemployed (10.8%). Antibody testing rates were higher among gay cisgender men (17.2%) versus other SOGI groups, non–US-born (25.4%) versus US-born participants, employed (12.6%) versus unemployed participants, and participants residing in the Northeast (20.0%) versus other regions. Among SOGI groups with sufficient cell sizes (n > 10), positive PCR results were highest among cisgender gay men (16.1%). Conclusions The differential patterns of testing and positivity, particularly among gay men in our sample, confirm the need to create COVID-19 public health messaging and programming that attend to the LGBTQ+ population.

scholarly journals Key milestones of the negotiating process on the accession of Croatia to the EU in 2007 – 2008

2018 ◽  
pp. 8-27
Author(s):  
Serhii Horopakha
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Negotiation Process ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Major Step ◽  
Consolidation Process ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Key Events ◽  
The Eu

On 1st July 2013, the Republic of Croatia officially became the 28th member of the European Union. This event marked the fulfillment of a foreign policy goal, along with joining NATO in 2009, as a major step forward in the country’s long-term consolidation process. The article therefore analyzes the key events of the Croatia – EU relations in 2007-2008, which moved this Balkan country closer to implementing its Euro-integration course. Particular attention is paid to the peculiarities of the pre-accession negotiations with the European Union, as well as to internal and foreign policy factors that had a direct impact on the Euro-integration dialogue between Croatia and the European Union. In this context, emphasis is placed on problem issues that slowed down the dynamics of the negotiation process to a certain extent, in particular the unilateral application by Croatia of the Ecological and Fisheries Protection Zone, and measures taken by the Croatian authorities to settle them. Significant achievements of Croatia in the negotiation process with the European Union are highlighted, in particular, progress of the country in meeting the European Union criteria as well as a date determination the of pre-accession negotiations completion as an important political sign of the European Union readiness to accept a new member in future.

scholarly journals The internationalisation of the Spanish food industry: the home market effect and European market integration

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. e0104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raul Serrano ◽  
Nieves García-Casarejos ◽  
Salvador Gil-Pareja ◽  
Rafael Llorca-Vivero ◽  
Vicente Pinilla
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Market Integration ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Home Market ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Home Market Effect ◽  
Market Effect ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Food And Drink

<p>The objective of this study was to analyse, from a long-term perspective, the factors determining the process of the internationalisation of the Spanish agrifood industry. The paper concentrates on the empirical verification of the existence of a home market effect in the food and drink industries in Spain and on the effects on trade flows of integration into the European Union. With this aim in mind, we took into account the latest contributions to the estimation of the gravity equation for a sample of export flows from 13 agrifood subsectors between 1970 and 2012, with a destination of 175 markets. From the results of the study the existence of the “home market effect” stands out as the determining factor of the increasing process of internationalisation in the majority of the subsectors of the food industry. On this point, the presence of this effect is remarkable in the most dynamic industries, where the process of restructuring caused by the development of the internal market was more intense. Furthermore, the influence of the process of European integration has been shown by the literature to be a very important factor. Our results qualify in part the results of previous studies, since the positive effect appeared later than expected. The positive effects did not appear until the completion of the process of transition by the dismantling of the barriers established in the treaty of accession to the European Union.</p>

The effects of the economic crisis on income convergence in the European Union

2012 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nenad Stanišić
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Purchasing Power Parity ◽  
Gdp Per Capita ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Income Convergence ◽  
Power Parity ◽  
Trade Theory ◽  
Per Capita

This paper evaluates income convergence in the European Union, between “old” (EU15) and “new” member states from Central and East Europe (CEE10), and among the countries within these two groups. The GDP per capita convergence should be expected according to the exogenous economic growth model and neoclassical trade theory. The presence of σ-convergence and both absolute and conditional β-convergence is tested for on a sample of 25 European Union countries (EU25). Results confirm the existence of β-convergence of GDP per capita at purchasing power parity among EU25, but not among EU15 and CEE10 countries. σ-convergence has been confirmed among EU25 and CEE10 countries, while GDP per capita has been diverging in the EU15 group of countries. Moreover, the results reveal that recent economic crisis has reversed long-term tendencies and led to income convergence within EU15 and divergence within CEE10. During the crisis, the income differences among the EU25 countries have increased, but the scope and duration of this effect has been limited and has not affected the long term convergence path. However, the obtained long term speed of convergence is significantly lower compared with the previous researches.

COVID-19 “Green Pass”: a Lesson on the Proportionality Principle from Galicia

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Luca Roncati ◽  
Monica Roncati
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Health Law ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Social Tension ◽  
Law And Policy ◽  
The World ◽  
Proportionality Principle ◽  
New Millennium

Abstract Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the most dramatic pandemic of the new millennium, and extraordinary measures concerning with health, law and policy are required around the world. One of these is without doubts the “green pass”, officially known in the European Union (EU) as EU Digital COVID Certificate (EUDCC). Initially conceived as a tool for overcoming the lockdown restrictions, it has unexpectedly turned into a means of discrimination between pass holders and non-holders, thus increasing social tension at the expense of solidarity and brotherhood. Here, we analyze in depth the dark sides of the “green pass” in the light of the European and international legislation and of the ongoing pandemic scenario.

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