scholarly journals Understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on well-being and virtual care for people living with dementia and care partners living in the community

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Roach ◽  
A Zwiers ◽  
E Cox ◽  
K Fischer ◽  
A Charlton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Care Partners ◽  
Informal Supports ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated public health measures that have impacted the provision of care for people living with dementia and their families. Additionally, the isolation that results from social distancing may be harming well-being for families, as formal and informal supports become less accessible. For those with living with dementia and experiencing agitation, social distancing may be even harder to maintain, or social distancing could potentially aggravate dementia-related neuropsychiatric symptoms. To understand the lived experience of social and physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada we remotely interviewed 21 participants who normally attend a dementia specialty clinic in Calgary, Alberta, during a period where essential businesses were closed and healthcare had abruptly transitioned to telemedicine. The impacts of the public health measures in response to the pandemic emerged in three main categories of experience: 1) personal; 2) health services; and 3) health status (of both person living with dementia and care partner). This in-depth understanding of the needs and experiences of the pandemic for people living with dementia suggests that innovative means are urgently needed to facilitate provision of remote medicine and also social interaction and integration.

scholarly journals Understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on well-being and virtual care for people living with dementia and care partners living in the community

Dementia ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 147130122097763
Author(s):  
Pamela Roach ◽  
Angela Zwiers ◽  
Emily Cox ◽  
Karyn Fischer ◽  
Anna Charlton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Care Partners ◽  
Field Note ◽  
Informal Supports ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated public health measures that have impacted the provision of care for people living with dementia and their families. Additionally, the isolation that results from social distancing may be harming well-being for families as formal and informal supports become less accessible. For those living with dementia and experiencing agitation, social distancing may be even harder to maintain, or social distancing could potentially aggravate dementia-related neuropsychiatric symptoms. To understand the lived experience of social and physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, we remotely interviewed 21 participants who normally attend a dementia specialty clinic in Calgary, Alberta, during a period where essential businesses were closed and health care had abruptly transitioned to telemedicine. A reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze the interview and field note data. The impacts of the public health measures in response to the pandemic emerged through iterative analysis in three main categories of experience: (1) personal, (2) health services, and (3) health status (of both persons living with dementia and care partner). Isolation and mental health needs emerged as important impacts to family experiences. This in-depth understanding of the needs and experiences of the pandemic for people living with dementia suggests that innovative means are urgently needed to facilitate provision of remote medicine and also social interaction and integration.

scholarly journals Harnessing testing strategies and public health measures to avert COVID-19 outbreaks during ocean cruises

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerardo Chowell ◽  
Sushma Dahal ◽  
Raquel Bono ◽  
Kenji Mizumoto
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Contact Network ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Testing Strategies ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

AbstractTo ensure the safe operation of schools, workplaces, nursing homes, and other businesses during COVID-19 pandemic there is an urgent need to develop cost-effective public health strategies. Here we focus on the cruise industry which was hit early by the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 40 cruise ships reporting COVID-19 infections. We apply mathematical modeling to assess the impact of testing strategies together with social distancing protocols on the spread of the novel coronavirus during ocean cruises using an individual-level stochastic model of the transmission dynamics of COVID-19. We model the contact network, the potential importation of cases arising during shore excursions, the temporal course of infectivity at the individual level, the effects of social distancing strategies, different testing scenarios characterized by the test’s sensitivity profile, and testing frequency. Our findings indicate that PCR testing at embarkation and daily testing of all individuals aboard, together with increased social distancing and other public health measures, should allow for rapid detection and isolation of COVID-19 infections and dramatically reducing the probability of onboard COVID-19 community spread. In contrast, relying only on PCR testing at embarkation would not be sufficient to avert outbreaks, even when implementing substantial levels of social distancing measures.

Situating ‘careful surveillance’

2021 ◽  
pp. 136787792199745
Author(s):  
Mark Andrejevic ◽  
Hugh Davies ◽  
Ruth DeSouza ◽  
Larissa Hjorth ◽  
Ingrid Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

In this article we explore preliminary findings from the study COVIDSafe and Beyond: Perceptions and Practices conducted in Australia in 2020. The study involved a survey followed by interviews, and aimed to capture the dynamic ways in which members of the Australian public perceive the impact of Covid practices – especially public health measures like the introduction of physical and social distancing, compulsory mask wearing, and contact tracing. In the rescripting of public space, different notions of formal and informal surveillance, along with different textures of mediated and social care, appeared. In this article, we explore perceptions around divergent forms of surveillance across social, technological, governmental modes, and the relationship of surveillance to care in our media and cultural practices. What does it mean to care for self and others during a pandemic? How does care get enacted in, and through, media interfaces and public interaction?

scholarly journals Silver Linings Reported by Australians Experiencing Public Health Restrictions during the First Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Report

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 11406
Author(s):  
Narelle Campbell ◽  
Sandra C. Thompson ◽  
Anna Tynan ◽  
Louise Townsin ◽  
Lauren A. Booker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Rapid Identification ◽  
National Study ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Mental Well Being

This national study investigated the positives reported by residents experiencing the large-scale public health measures instituted in Australia to manage the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Most Australians had not previously experienced the traditional public health measures used (social distancing, hand hygiene and restriction of movement) and which could potentially impact negatively on mental well-being. The research design included qualitative semi-structured phone interviews where participants described their early pandemic experiences. Data analysis used a rapid identification of themes technique, well-suited to large-scale qualitative research. The ninety participants (mean age 48 years; 70 women) were distributed nationally. Analysis revealed five themes linked with mental well-being and the concept of silver linings: safety and security, gratitude and appreciation, social cohesion and connections, and opportunities to reset priorities and resilience. Participants demonstrated support for the public health measures and evidence of individual and community resilience. They were cognisant of positives despite personal curtailment and negative impacts of public health directives. Stories of hope, strength, and acceptance, innovative connections with others and focusing on priorities and opportunities within the hardship were important strategies that others could use in managing adversity.

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 Investigating the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine using epidemiological and genomic sequencing data

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuriy Gankin ◽  
Vladimir Koniukhovskii ◽  
Alina Nemira ◽  
Gerardo Chowell ◽  
Thomas A. Weppelmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Genomic Data ◽  
World Health ◽  
Viral Population ◽  
Genomic Sequencing ◽  
Sequencing Data ◽  
Population Number ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 emerged in China in December 2019 and has rapidly spread around the globe. The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic in March 2020 just three months after the introduction of the virus. Individual nations have implemented and enforced with varying degrees of success a variety of social distancing interventions to slow the virus spread. Investigating the role of non-pharmaceutical interventions on COVID-19 transmission in different settings is an important research. While most transmission modeling studies have focused on the dynamics in China, neighboring Asian counties, Western Europe, and North America, there is a scarcity of studies for Eastern Europe. This study starts to fill this gap by analyzing the characteristics of the first epidemic wave in Ukraine using mathematical and statistical models together with epidemiological and genomic sequencing data. Using an agent-based model, the trajectory of the first wave in terms of cases and deaths and explore the impact of quarantine strategies via simulation studies have been characterized. The implemented stochastic model for epidemic counts suggests, that even a small delay of weeks could have increased the number of cases by up to 50%, with the potential to overwhelm hospital systems. The genomic data analysis suggests that there have been multiple introductions of SARS-CoV-2 into Ukraine during the early stages of the epidemic with eight distinct transmission clusters identified. The basic reproduction number for the epidemic has been estimated independently both from case counts data and from genomic data. The findings support the hypothesis that, the public health measures did not have a decreasing effect on the existing viral population number at the time of implementation, since strains were detected after the quarantine date. However, the public health measures did help to prevent the appearance of new (and potentially more virulent) SARS-CoV-2 variants in Ukraine.

Continuing Entomological Research During the Covid-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 114-119
Author(s):  
Sotiria Boutsi ◽  
Heather Campbell ◽  
Eugenia Fezza ◽  
Ross George ◽  
Cindayniah Godfrey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Research Group ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Widening Participation ◽  
Public Health Campaign ◽  
Health Campaign ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
The Impact

In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the UK has experienced three national lockdowns and a public health campaign designed to stop the spread of the virus. The first national lockdown, starting in March 2020, led to the closure of university campuses, and laboratories having to pause practical research and move research student supervision online. During this time, laboratories had to develop way for research activities to resume whilst also complying with public health measures. The entomology group at Harper Adams University is in the Agriculture and Environment Department and forms part of the Centre for Integrated Pest Management. At present our group consists of seven staff members, ranging from early career researchers to those with over 20 years of experience in academia and industry, who collectively supervise 10 PhD students at varying stages of their research. Two of these students are completing their research at an external institute. The group carries out research across multiple sites, office buildings, research laboratories, including the Jean Jackson Entomology Laboratory (https://www.infraportal.org.uk/node/1880), as well as field and glasshouse facilities. Here we provide a narrative account of the challenges in maintaining an active research group during a year of highly restricted activities. We begin by outlining the impact that national lockdowns and public health measures had on researchers working on PhD projects through to larger UKRI and levy-funded multi-institute, multi-year projects. We address four key areas: i) maintaining productivity, ii) student-supervisor interactions, iii) accessibility and widening participation and iv) well-being and mental health. We then outline how lessons learnt from lockdown can inform best practice for a research group. Many aspects will be useful for researchers working part-time, flexible hours, remotely or at multiple sites, but we emphasise that the aim of this contribution is to share our personal experiences and not to cover every theme in what is an extremely complex set of global circumstances.

scholarly journals The Effect of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Mitigation Strategies on Seasonal Respiratory Viruses: A Tale of 2 Large Metropolitan Centers in the United States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy C Sherman ◽  
Ahmed Babiker ◽  
Andrew J Sieben ◽  
Alexander Pyden ◽  
James Steinberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
The United States ◽  
Respiratory Viruses ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Reproductive Rates ◽  
The Impact

Abstract To assess the impact of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic on seasonal respiratory viruses, absolute case counts and viral reproductive rates from 2019–2020 were compared against previous seasons. Our findings suggest that the public health measures implemented to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission significantly reduced the transmission of other respiratory viruses.

scholarly journals Representations of Free-Living and Unrestrained Dogs as an Emerging Public Health Issue in Australian Newspapers

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5807
Author(s):  
Chris Degeling ◽  
Julie Hall ◽  
Lily M. van Eeden ◽  
Summer M. Finlay ◽  
Suk Maya Gurung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Free Living ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Risks ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

That dogs can live and breed as free-living animals contributes to public health risks including zoonotic transmission, dog bites, and compromising people’s sense of safety in public spaces. In Australia, free-living dog populations are comprised of domestic dogs, dingoes, and dog–dingo hybrids, and are described using various terms (for example, stray or community), depending on social or geographic context. Urban expansion and regional migration mean that risks associated with contact between humans and free-living dogs are increasing. Public health authorities, local governments, and community organisations have called for transdisciplinary partnerships to address dog-related health risks with a sustainable long-term approach. Values pluralism and a lack of sustained community engagement in affected areas have meant that the outcome of such efforts to date has been mixed. To identify ideas in public circulation about the impact of unrestrained and free-living dogs on human health and well-being, and understand the framework through which these animals are problematised and solutions are proposed in public discourse, we systematically examined coverage of these issues in print media. Our analyses indicate that reporting in Australian newspapers tends to frame the public health impacts of free-living dogs as problems of public order requiring direct government action to re-establish control. The public health impacts of free-living dog populations in Australia have complex causes that intersect at the nexus between human and canine behaviour, agricultural and land management practices, local bylaws, and efforts to conserve ecological systems. Placing responsibility on governments limits opportunities for greater community involvement in developing integrated One Health approaches. Better-quality evidence of the impacts of dog populations on community health and well-being, and broad community support are needed to reshape public debates on animal control, which, ultimately, will promote more effective approaches to mitigate dog-related public health risks at the human–animal–environment interface.

scholarly journals Perceptions of Covid-19 lockdowns and related public health measures in Austria: a longitudinal online survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Agata Łaszewska ◽  
Timea Helter ◽  
Judit Simon
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Extended Duration ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Second Wave

Abstract Background Introducing national lockdown has been effective in containing Covid-19. However, several studies indicated negative impacts of lockdowns on the well-being and mental health of many people. In Austria, the first Covid-19-related lockdown was introduced on 16 March 2020 with most restrictions being lifted 1 month later. Seven months after that, in November 2020, the second full lockdown was implemented. The aim of this study was to compare the perceptions and experiences of the general population related to the first and second Covid-19 lockdowns in Austria. Methods Two waves of an online survey were conducted in May and December 2020 asking respondents about their concerns related to the Covid-19 illness, personal experiences of the lockdowns, perceptions of and compliance with imposed public health measures, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on different aspects of life during the two lockdowns. Descriptive statistics including frequency analysis were used to compare respondents’ answers collected in the two waves of the survey. T-test and chi-square tests were used to test differences between the two lockdowns. Results Five hundred sixty participants were included in the first wave and a sub-sample of 134 participants in the second wave of data collection. During the second lockdown, study respondents were more concerned about their family members contracting Covid-19 when compared with the first lockdown. Compliance with public health measures was overall lower during the second lockdown, although it varied according to the type of the measure. Closure of schools was seen as the least essential restriction during the second lockdown, while wearing masks gained additional approval between the first and the second lockdown. Larger negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on friendships, leisure activities, education and community were reported during the second lockdown. Conclusions The study found that the extended duration of the pandemic and recurring lockdowns restricting freedom of movement and social contacts appear to have caused significant disruptions to many areas of life. Furthermore, declining adherence to most public health measures over time raises a question about the effectiveness of future lockdown measures.

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