County-level factors influence the trajectory of Covid-19 incidence

Curve Modeling ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Surrounding Areas

AbstractWith new cases of Covid-19 surging in the United States, we need to better understand how the spread of novel coronavirus varies across all segments of the population. We use hierarchical exponential growth curve modeling techniques to examine whether community social and economic characteristics uniquely influence the incidence of Covid-19 cases in the urban built environment. We show that, as of May 3, 2020, confirmed coronavirus infections are concentrated along demographic and socioeconomic lines in New York City and surrounding areas, the epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States. Furthermore, we see evidence that, after the onset of the pandemic, timely enactment of physical distancing measures such as school closures is imperative in order to limit the extent of the coronavirus spread in the population. Public health authorities must impose nonpharmaceutical measures early on in the pandemic and consider community-level factors that associate with a greater risk of viral transmission.

Rosa Einhorn (1872–1950): A Woman Pioneer in Medicine between Bosnia (1902–1913), New York, and Palestine

Acta Medica Academica ◽

10.5644/ama2006-124.318 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 49 (3) ◽

pp. 281

Author(s):

Brigitte Fuchs ◽

Husref Tahirović

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

New York ◽

Female Physician ◽

The United States ◽

Private Physician ◽

Health Authorities ◽

Short Biography ◽

Women And Children ◽

The University

This short biography details the life and medical activities of Rosa Einhorn, mariée Bloch (1872–1950), who practised as an Austro-Hungarian (AH) official female physician in Travnik in occupied Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) from 1902 to 1904, and as a semi-official private physician from 1905 to 1912/13. Born in Hrodna district in the Russian Pale of Crescent, Einhorn had qualified and practised as a “feldsheritsa” in Russia and went to Switzerland to study medicine in 1896. Upon receiving her medical doctorate from the University of Lausanne in 1901, she became recommended as a particularly adequate candidate for the not-yet-created position of an AH official female physician in BH. After Einhorn functioned as a general practitioner for women and children in Travnik and the adjacent districts for two years, the AH public health authorities officially dismissed her due to her engagement and marriage to the AH judiciary Sigismund Bloch (1850–1927). However, she obtained a right to private practice in 1905 and was employed as a private physician in AH anti-syphilis campaigning. Struggling for her reinstatement as an official female physician in Travnik, she also strove for the accreditation of her Swiss diploma in Austria, though in vain. After two attempts to emigrate to the United States in 1904 and 1913, Rosa Einhorn finally left Europe to work as a physician in the United States and Mandatory Palestine/Eretz Israel in 1923. She died in New York on May 27, 1950.Conclusion. Rosa Einhorn was employed as a provisory official female physician in Travnik in 1903/1904, the AH authorities accepting her only as a local private female physician after her marriage in 1905. Struggling in vain for her reinstatement, she finally left Bosnia in 1913.

Vaping Restrictions: Is Priority to the Young Justified?

Nicotine & Tobacco Research ◽

10.1093/ntr/ntaa175 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Monica Magalhaes

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

United States ◽

At Risk ◽

Young People ◽

Harm Reduction ◽

Ethical Dilemma ◽

The United States ◽

Youth Smoking ◽

Health Authorities ◽

Abstract The vast majority of smokers become dependent on nicotine in youth. Preventing dependence has therefore been crucial to the recent decline in youth smoking. The advent of vaping creates an opportunity for harm reduction to existing smokers (mostly adults) but simultaneously also undermines prevention efforts by becoming a new vehicle for young people to become dependent on nicotine, creating an ethical dilemma. Restrictions to access to some vaping products enacted in response to the increase in vaping among youth observed in the United States since 2018 have arguably prioritized prevention of new cases of dependence—protecting the young—over harm reduction to already dependent adults. Can this prioritization of the young be justified? This article surveys the main bioethical arguments for prioritizing giving health benefits to the young and finds that none can justify prioritizing dependence prevention over harm reduction: any reasons for prioritizing the current cohort of young people at risk from vaping will equally apply to current adult smokers, who are overwhelmingly likely to have become nicotine-dependent in their own youth. Public health authorities’ current tendency to prioritize the young, therefore, does not seem to be ethically justified. Implications This article argues that commonsense reasons for prioritizing the young do not apply to the ethical dilemma surrounding restricting access to vaping products.

National Health Planning in the United States: Prospects and Portents

International Journal of Health Services ◽

10.2190/15fv-45uc-ked5-4jv4 ◽

1975 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 441-453 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Leonard S. Rosenfeld ◽

Irene Rosenfeld

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

National Health ◽

Health Planning ◽

The United States ◽

Complete Coverage ◽

Public Funds ◽

Local Public Health ◽

Health Authorities ◽

Set Up

The National Health Planning and Resources Development Act of 1974 in the United States demonstrates a growing determination in Congress to motivate the system of health services toward greater efficiency in utilization of resources. The Act was designed to overcome some of the weaknesses in earlier planning legislation. More complete coverage and more functional local jurisdictions for planning should result. The Act provides better financial support, and more effective incentives and inducements to assure adherence to plans. Concern is expressed about aspects of the legislation which the authors feel may deserve consideration. The principle of delegating responsibility to voluntary agencies for disbursement of public funds is questioned, and the authors suggest that local public health authorities apply for designation as planning agencies. Reservation is expressed about the adequacy of regional organization as provided by the Act to accomplish its purposes, and the authors recommend demonstrations of regional administrative agencies to implement plans developed by Health Systems Agencies. Failure to incorporate the provision of the House planning bill to set up a national health policy council in the Act is considered unfortunate. Persistence in pursuing the course outlined in the Act is urged.

Syndromic Surveillance Practice in the United States 2014: Results from a Nationwide Survey

Online Journal of Public Health Informatics ◽

10.5210/ojphi.v7i1.5756 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Tera Reynolds ◽

Scott Gordon ◽

Paula Soper ◽

James Buehler ◽

Richard Hopkins ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

United States ◽

Capacity Building ◽

Syndromic Surveillance ◽

Nationwide Survey ◽

The United States ◽

Health Authorities ◽

Surveillance Practice

Presentation of the results of a nationwide survey designed to assess the syndromic surveillance practices and capacity-building assistance needs of state and territorial public health authorities in the United States.

The initial experience and response of vascular surgeons in Michigan during the COVID-19 pandemic

Vascular ◽

10.1177/1708538120986635 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 170853812098663

Author(s):

Nicolas J Mouawad ◽

Judith C Lin ◽

Dawn M Coleman ◽

Justin Simmons ◽

Loay S Kabbani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

The United States ◽

The Novel ◽

Initial Experience ◽

Delivery Of Healthcare ◽

Effect Change ◽

The World ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Surrounding Areas

Background/Objective The unprecedented pandemic spread of the novel coronavirus has severely impacted the delivery of healthcare services in the United States and around the world, and has exposed a variety of inefficiencies in healthcare infrastructure. Some states have been disproportionately affected such as New York and Michigan. In fact, Detroit and its surrounding areas have been named as the initial Midwest epicenter where over 106,000 cases have been confirmed in April 2020. Method, Results and Conclusions: Facilities in Southeast Michigan have served as the frontline of the pandemic in the Midwest and in order to cope with the surge, rapid, and in some cases, complete restructuring of care was mandatory to effect change and attempt to deal with the emerging crisis. We describe the initial experience and response of 4 large vascular surgery health systems in Michigan to COVID-19.

Risk factors for death and illness in dogs imported into the United States, 2010--2018

10.22541/au.163334833.31556948/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Emily Pieracci ◽

Brian Maskery ◽

Kendra Stauffer ◽

Alida Gertz ◽

Clive Brown

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

United States ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Emerging Diseases ◽

International Travel ◽

Morbidity And Mortality ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Health Authorities ◽

CDC estimates 1 million dogs are imported into the United States annually. With the movement of large numbers of animals into the United States the risk of disease importation is a concern, especially for emerging diseases. Dogs that arrive to the United States ill or dead are investigated by public health authorities to ensure dogs are not infected with diseases of concern (such as rabies). We identified factors associated with illness and death in imported dogs and estimated the initial investigation cost to public health authorities. Dog importation data from the CDC’s Quarantine Activity Reporting System were reviewed from 2010–2018. The date of entry, country of origin, port of entry, transportation method, and breed were extracted to examine factors associated with illness and death in dogs during international travel. Costs for public health investigations were estimated from data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Office of Personal Management. Death or illness was more likely to occur in brachycephalic breeds (aOR=3.88, 95%CI 2.74–5.51). Transportation of dogs via cargo (aOR=2.41, 95%CI 1.57–3.70) or as checked baggage (aOR=5.74, 95%CI 3.65–9.03) were also associated with death or illness. On average, 19 dog illnesses or deaths were reported annually from 2010–2018. The estimated annual cost to public health authorities to conduct initial public health assessments ranged from $2,071–$104,648. Current regulations do not provide adequate resources or mechanisms to monitor the rates of morbidity and mortality of imported dogs. There are growing attempts to assess animal welfare and communicable disease importation risks; however, responsibility for dogs’ health and well-being is overseen by multiple agencies. A joint federal agency approach to identify interventions that reduce dog morbidity and mortality during flights while continuing to protect U.S. borders from public health and foreign animal disease threats could be beneficial.

An Early Pandemic Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Population Structure and Dynamics in Arizona

mBio ◽

10.1128/mbio.02107-20 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jason T. Ladner ◽

Brendan B. Larsen ◽

Jolene R. Bowers ◽

Crystal M. Hepp ◽

Evan Bolyen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

New York ◽

Clinical Laboratory ◽

Genomic Analysis ◽

The United States ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Related Case ◽

Low Incidence ◽

Foundational Work ◽

Novel Coronavirus

ABSTRACT In December of 2019, a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, emerged in the city of Wuhan, China, causing severe morbidity and mortality. Since then, the virus has swept across the globe, causing millions of confirmed infections and hundreds of thousands of deaths. To better understand the nature of the pandemic and the introduction and spread of the virus in Arizona, we sequenced viral genomes from clinical samples tested at the TGen North Clinical Laboratory, the Arizona Department of Health Services, and those collected as part of community surveillance projects at Arizona State University and the University of Arizona. Phylogenetic analysis of 84 genomes from across Arizona revealed a minimum of 11 distinct introductions inferred to have occurred during February and March. We show that >80% of our sequences descend from strains that were initially circulating widely in Europe but have since dominated the outbreak in the United States. In addition, we show that the first reported case of community transmission in Arizona descended from the Washington state outbreak that was discovered in late February. Notably, none of the observed transmission clusters are epidemiologically linked to the original travel-related case in the state, suggesting successful early isolation and quarantine. Finally, we use molecular clock analyses to demonstrate a lack of identifiable, widespread cryptic transmission in Arizona prior to the middle of February 2020. IMPORTANCE As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the United States, there was great differential impact on local and regional communities. One of the earliest and hardest hit regions was in New York, while at the same time Arizona (for example) had low incidence. That situation has changed dramatically, with Arizona now having the highest rate of disease increase in the country. Understanding the roots of the pandemic during the initial months is essential as the pandemic continues and reaches new heights. Genomic analysis and phylogenetic modeling of SARS-COV-2 in Arizona can help to reconstruct population composition and predict the earliest undetected introductions. This foundational work represents the basis for future analysis and understanding as the pandemic continues.

Pattern Recognition of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States: Implications for Disease Mitigation

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18052493 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (5) ◽

pp. 2493

Author(s):

Jianyong Wu ◽

Shuying Sha

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

New York ◽

Phase 1 ◽

Late Phase ◽

Principal Component ◽

The United States ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Unique Pattern ◽

The Us ◽

Novel Coronavirus

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic presents a severe threat to human health worldwide. The United States (US) has the highest number of reported COVID-19 cases, and over 16 million people were infected up to the 12 December 2020. To better understand and mitigate the spread of the disease, it is necessary to recognize the pattern of the outbreak. In this study, we explored the patterns of COVID-19 cases in the US from 1 March to 12 December 2020. The county-level cases and rates of the disease were mapped using a geographic information system (GIS). The overall trend of the disease in the US, as well as in each of its 50 individual states, were analyzed by the seasonal-trend decomposition. The disease curve in each state was further examined using K-means clustering and principal component analysis (PCA). The results showed that three clusters were observed in the early phase (1 March–31 May). New York has a unique pattern of the disease curve and was assigned one cluster alone. Two clusters were observed in the middle phase (1 June–30 September). California, Texas and Florida were assigned in the same cluster, which has the pattern different from the remaining states. In the late phase (1 October–12 December), California has a unique pattern of the disease curve and was assigned a cluster alone. In the whole period, three clusters were observed. California, Texas and Florida still have similar patterns and were assigned in the same cluster. The trend analysis consolidated the patterns identified from the cluster analysis. The results from this study provide insight in making disease control and mitigation strategies.

Portion Sizes of Ultra-Processed Foods in the United States, 2002 to 2021

American Journal of Public Health ◽

10.2105/ajph.2021.306513 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 111 (12) ◽

pp. 2223-2226

Author(s):

Lisa R. Young ◽

Marion Nestle

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

United States ◽

The United States ◽

Portion Size ◽

Processed Foods ◽

Fast Foods ◽

Health Authorities ◽

The Us ◽

Portion Sizes ◽

Objectives. To assess the US food industry’s response to calls from public health authorities to reduce portion sizes by comparing current with past sizes of selected examples of single-serve ultra-processed packaged and fast foods. Methods. We obtained manufacturers’ information about current portion sizes and compared it with sizes when first introduced and in 2002. Results. Few companies in our sample reduced portion sizes since 2002; all still sold portions of ultra-processed foods in up to 5-times-larger sizes than when first introduced. Conclusions. Policies and practices focused on reducing portion size could help discourage the consumption of excessive amounts of ultra-processed foods. (Am J Public Health. 2021;111(12):2223–2226. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306513 )

Measuring the Outreach Efforts of Public Health Authorities and the Public Response on Facebook During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Early 2020: Cross-Country Comparison (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.19334 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Aravind Sesagiri Raamkumar ◽

Soon Guan Tan ◽

Hwee Lin Wee

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

United States ◽

Social Media ◽

Communication Strategies ◽

The United States ◽

Media Analysis ◽

Public Response ◽

The Public ◽

Health Authorities ◽

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic presents one of the most challenging global crises at the dawn of a new decade. Public health authorities (PHAs) are increasingly adopting the use of social media such as Facebook to rapidly communicate and disseminate pandemic response measures to the public. Understanding of communication strategies across different PHAs and examining the public response on the social media landscapes can help improve practices for disseminating information to the public. OBJECTIVE This study aims to examine COVID-19-related outreach efforts of PHAs in Singapore, the United States, and England, and the corresponding public response to these outreach efforts on Facebook. METHODS Posts and comments from the Facebook pages of the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Singapore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, and Public Health England (PHE) in England were extracted from January 1, 2019, to March 18, 2020. Posts published before January 1, 2020, were categorized as pre-COVID-19, while the remaining posts were categorized as peri-COVID-19 posts. COVID-19-related posts were identified and classified into themes. Metrics used for measuring outreach and engagement were frequency, mean posts per day (PPD), mean reactions per post, mean shares per post, and mean comments per post. Responses to the COVID-19 posts were measured using frequency, mean sentiment polarity, positive to negative sentiments ratio (PNSR), and positive to negative emotions ratio (PNER). Toxicity in comments were identified and analyzed using frequency, mean likes per toxic comment, and mean replies per toxic comment. Trend analysis was performed to examine how the metrics varied with key events such as when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. RESULTS The MOH published more COVID-19 posts (n=271; mean PPD 5.0) compared to the CDC (n=94; mean PPD 2.2) and PHE (n=45; mean PPD 1.4). The mean number of comments per COVID-19 post was highest for the CDC (mean CPP 255.3) compared to the MOH (mean CPP 15.6) and PHE (mean CPP 12.5). Six major themes were identified, with posts about prevention and safety measures and situation updates being prevalent across the three PHAs. The themes of the MOH’s posts were diverse, while the CDC and PHE posts focused on a few themes. Overall, response sentiments for the MOH posts (PNSR 0.94) were more favorable compared to response sentiments for the CDC (PNSR 0.57) and PHE (PNSR 0.55) posts. Toxic comments were rare (0.01%) across all PHAs. CONCLUSIONS PHAs’ extent of Facebook use for outreach purposes during the COVID-19 pandemic varied among the three PHAs, highlighting the strategies and approaches that other PHAs can potentially adopt. Our study showed that social media analysis was capable of providing insights about the communication strategies of PHAs during disease outbreaks.