scholarly journals IMPACT OF UNIVERSITY RE-OPENING ON TOTAL COMMUNITY COVID-19 BURDEN

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren E Cipriano ◽  
Wael M R Haddara ◽  
Gregory S Zaric ◽  
Eva A Enns
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
General Population ◽  
University Students ◽  
Student Population ◽  
High Density ◽  
Transmission Model ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

Purpose: Post-secondary students have higher than average contacts than the general population due to congregate living, use of public transit, high-density academic and social activities, and employment in the services sector. We evaluated the impact of a large student population returning to a mid-sized city currently experiencing a low rate of COVID-19 on community health outcomes. We consider whether targeted routine or one-time screening in this population can mitigate community COVID-19 impacts. Methods: We developed a dynamic transmission model of COVID-19 subdivided into three interacting populations: general population, university students, and long-term care residents. We parameterized the model using the medical literature and expert opinion. We calibrated the model to the observed outcomes in a mid-sized Canadian city between March 1 and August 15, 2020 prior to the arrival of a relatively large post-secondary student population. We evaluated the impact of the student population (20,000 people arriving on September 1) on cumulative COVID-19 infections over the fall semester, the timing of peak infections, the timing and peak level of critical care occupancy, and the timing of re-engaged social and economic restrictions. We consider multiple scenarios with different student and general population COVID-19 prevention behaviours as well as different COVID-19 screening strategies in students. Results: In a city with low levels of COVID-19 activity, the return of a relatively large student population substantially increases the total number of COVID-19 infections in the community. In a scenario in which students immediately engage in a 24% contact reduction compared to pre-COVID levels, the total number of infections in the community increases by 87% (from 3,900 without the students to 7,299 infections with the students), with 71% of the incremental infections occurring in the general population, causing social and economic restrictions to be re-engaged 3 weeks earlier and an incremental 17 COVID-19 deaths. Scenarios in which students have an initial, short-term increase in contacts with other students before engaging in contact reduction behaviours can increase infections in the community by 150% or more. In such scenarios, screening asymptomatic students every 5 days reduces the number of infections attributable to the introduction of the university student population by 42% and delays the re-engagement of social and economic restrictions by 1 week. Compared to screening every 5 days, one-time mass screening of students prevents fewer infections, but is highly efficient in terms of infections prevented per screening test performed. Discussion: University students are highly inter-connected with the city communities in which they live and go to school, and they have a higher number of contacts than the general population. High density living environments, enthusiasm for the new school year, and relatively high rates of asymptomatic presentation may decrease their self-protective behaviours and contribute to increased community transmission of COVID-19 affecting at-risk members of the city community. Screening targeted at this population provides significant public health benefits to the community through averted infections, critical care admissions, and COVID-19 deaths.

scholarly journals Impact of university re-opening on total community COVID-19 burden

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0255782
Author(s):  
Lauren E. Cipriano ◽  
Wael M. R. Haddara ◽  
Gregory S. Zaric ◽  
Eva A. Enns
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
General Population ◽  
University Students ◽  
Peak Level ◽  
Transmission Model ◽  
Community Screening ◽  
University Campuses ◽  
Time To Peak ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
The Impact

Background University students have higher average number of contacts than the general population. Students returning to university campuses may exacerbate COVID-19 dynamics in the surrounding community. Methods We developed a dynamic transmission model of COVID-19 in a mid-sized city currently experiencing a low infection rate. We evaluated the impact of 20,000 university students arriving on September 1 in terms of cumulative COVID-19 infections, time to peak infections, and the timing and peak level of critical care occupancy. We also considered how these impacts might be mitigated through screening interventions targeted to students. Results If arriving students reduce their contacts by 40% compared to pre-COVID levels, the total number of infections in the community increases by 115% (from 3,515 to 7,551), with 70% of the incremental infections occurring in the general population, and an incremental 19 COVID-19 deaths. Screening students every 5 days reduces the number of infections attributable to the student population by 42% and the total COVID-19 deaths by 8. One-time mass screening of students prevents fewer infections than 5-day screening, but is more efficient, requiring 196 tests needed to avert one infection instead of 237. Interpretation University students are highly inter-connected with the surrounding off-campus community. Screening targeted at this population provides significant public health benefits to the community through averted infections, critical care admissions, and COVID-19 deaths.

scholarly journals Determinants of Bicycle Use among Student Population: Exploratory Research of Social and Infrastructure Factors

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Kaja Pogačar ◽  
Lucija Dežan ◽  
Monika Lamot ◽  
Marko Renčelj
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Student Population ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Sustainable Mobility ◽  
International Context ◽  
University City ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

By exposing more benefits than shortcomings regarding cycling, this paper focuses on university students as a significant target group that could promote cycling as the main transport mode in cities. The paper addresses a variety of determinants, barriers, and motivation for cycling among the university students within the international context. Furthermore, it exposes the importance of smaller university cities, where students can present a substantial share of the total population. Contextually, we present the research upon the use of bicycles among the students in the university city of Maribor, Slovenia. To examine whether social or infrastructural determinants play a decisive role, a questionnaire was conducted among 382 students. The findings revealed that although the topography of the city and the distances between crucial institutions are, in general, favorable, only 10.7% of students cycle daily, whereby 63.3% do not cycle at all. There were no statistical differences noticed between the impact of infrastructural and social factors; convenience was exposed as a statistically significant determinant, whereas the sustainability aspect proved to be an insignificant factor for students cycling. To conclude, cycling among the student population in smaller cities can represent a common case of potentially high impact of student population regarding sustainable mobility.

Institution-Wide Quantification of Iatrogenic Blood Loss Using a Novel Informatics-Driven Methodology

Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 1530-1530
Author(s):  
Donna L. Ledingham ◽  
Don Doiron ◽  
Bryan Crocker ◽  
Calvino K. Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
Blood Loss ◽  
Patient Outcomes ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Critical Care Units ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Abstract 1530 Rationale: Anemia has been shown to have an adverse impact on patient outcomes. In the transfusion literature, various blood conservation and patient blood management systems have been proposed as a way to reduce the burden of anemia. An important component of limiting blood loss is the reduction of iatrogenic blood loss through diagnostic phlebotomy. Studies in the phlebotomy and transfusion literature largely focus on small patient populations on critical care units. Such research provides a great depth of information about those settings, but the impact of diagnostic phlebotomy on the broader inpatient population is unknown. We present a novel method, not previously described in the literature, characterising the extent of iatrogenic blood loss in inpatients at our institution. Methods and results: Following a pilot project, data from September 1 to December 1, 2009 were queried from the institution's laboratory information system. This comprehensive dataset included records of tests conducted during 7503 admissions of patients (n=6733) at twelve individual facilities within Capital District Health Authority (CDHA). There were 70,790 unique laboratory orders, for which a total of 397,770 individual tests were performed. This required a total of 120,398 tubes of blood drawn for a cumulative volume of 648,350 mL from the entire population. The majority of tests were done on a “routine” basis (44,820/ 70,790 orders, 63%); most testing was also done after the first day of admission (59,051/ 70,790 orders, 83%). Patient demographics and testing burden are contrasted by gender in Table 1; males appear to experience a higher testing burden than females, despite similar mean length of stay. There were 618 (9%) of 6733 inpatients having ≥250mL (approximately 1 unit of packed red cells) phlebotomised (Table 1). Phlebotomy volumes are unevenly distributed across the age range, with patients in the two youngest age groups demonstrating lower mean cumulative volumes than older patients (Table 2). When individual admissions are examined, phlebotomy volume per patient is greater in hospitals providing tertiary care, as contrasted to other facilities. At the nursing unit level, the cumulative phlebotomy volume exceeded the population average on patients admitted to critical care units, long term care units and medical wards. This trend was also reflected in the testing performance of service providers, where patients cared for by critical care physicians and internal medicine teams had greater than average phlebotomy volumes. Conclusions: The study demonstrates consistent findings with the critical care literature and identifies a patient population – elderly males – who may be at risk for greater phlebotomy volumes. This study also demonstrates that informatics-based methods can be used to quantify phlebotomy-related blood loss across a broad range of facilities, and identify patient and institution-related variables associated with higher total blood loss. This data set will also provide the ability to model the impact of interventions such as small-volume tubes, direct clinician education initiatives, and could be the basis for a feedback tool in the future. Given the widespread use of laboratory information systems throughout the industrialized world, this approach is readily transferable to other institutions, where it may be used to help reduce iatrogenic blood loss, reduce testing costs and improve patient outcomes. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

scholarly journals Car ownership and commuting mode of the “original” residents in a high-density city center: A case study in Shanghai

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-124
Author(s):  
Tao Chen ◽  
Haixiao Pan ◽  
Yanbo Ge
Keyword(s):  
Public Transportation ◽  
Central Area ◽  
High Density ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Urban Structure ◽  
City Center ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Model ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

As a result of rapid urbanization and motorization in China, numerous mega-cities have emerged, and large numbers of people live and work in the city centers. Consequently, developing a public transport-oriented urban structure and promoting sustainable development are major planning strategies for the country. To understand the impact of rail transit on motorization in a high-density city center, we conduct a household travel survey in three neighborhoods around metro stations in the central area of Shanghai. We examine the car buying and commuting behavior of those Shanghai “original” residents who lived there when the city began growing, engulfing them in the center. Studies have shown that 40 percent of commuters in the city center commute outward, following a virtually reversed commute pattern, and the factors significantly affecting their car purchasing choice include their attitude toward cars and transit, household incomes, ownership of the apartments they live in, and the distance between family members’ workplaces and nearest metro stations. Despite easy access to the metro from their home in the city center, those who purchase their apartment units also likely own a car, while those who rent their apartment units are less likely to own a car; however, these odds are still higher than for those who live in an apartment unit inherited from their relatives or provided by their company. In the city center, if a family owns a car, then that car would almost certainly be used for daily commuting. A multinomial logistic model is applied to examine the factors influencing the tendency for using cars. The results show that people’s choices of commuting by alternative modes rather than cars are also shaped by their attitude toward public transportation, but other factors can also subtly change people’s commuting behavior under certain conditions. The commuting distance discourages people from walking and taking buses (but not metro). As the egress distance to the workplace increases, the metro becomes less appealing than cars. Mixed land use encourages people to walk or take buses instead of driving. Older people prefer riding buses and walking to driving, and female respondents tend to prefer walking, cycling, and riding the metro to driving compared to male respondents. These findings contribute to understanding the behavior of people who are familiar with public transportation and how to encourage them to switch from driving cars to alternative transport modes.

scholarly journals Predictions of COVID-19 dynamics in the UK: Short-term forecasting and analysis of potential exit strategies

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e1008619
Author(s):  
Matt J. Keeling ◽  
Edward M. Hill ◽  
Erin E. Gorsich ◽  
Bridget Penman ◽  
Glen Guyver-Fletcher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Transmission Model ◽  
Bed Occupancy ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Efforts to suppress transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the UK have seen non-pharmaceutical interventions being invoked. The most severe measures to date include all restaurants, pubs and cafes being ordered to close on 20th March, followed by a “stay at home” order on the 23rd March and the closure of all non-essential retail outlets for an indefinite period. Government agencies are presently analysing how best to develop an exit strategy from these measures and to determine how the epidemic may progress once measures are lifted. Mathematical models are currently providing short and long term forecasts regarding the future course of the COVID-19 outbreak in the UK to support evidence-based policymaking. We present a deterministic, age-structured transmission model that uses real-time data on confirmed cases requiring hospital care and mortality to provide up-to-date predictions on epidemic spread in ten regions of the UK. The model captures a range of age-dependent heterogeneities, reduced transmission from asymptomatic infections and produces a good fit to the key epidemic features over time. We simulated a suite of scenarios to assess the impact of differing approaches to relaxing social distancing measures from 7th May 2020 on the estimated number of patients requiring inpatient and critical care treatment, and deaths. With regard to future epidemic outcomes, we investigated the impact of reducing compliance, ongoing shielding of elder age groups, reapplying stringent social distancing measures using region based triggers and the role of asymptomatic transmission. We find that significant relaxation of social distancing measures from 7th May onwards can lead to a rapid resurgence of COVID-19 disease and the health system being quickly overwhelmed by a sizeable, second epidemic wave. In all considered age-shielding based strategies, we projected serious demand on critical care resources during the course of the pandemic. The reintroduction and release of strict measures on a regional basis, based on ICU bed occupancy, results in a long epidemic tail, until the second half of 2021, but ensures that the health service is protected by reintroducing social distancing measures for all individuals in a region when required. Our work confirms the effectiveness of stringent non-pharmaceutical measures in March 2020 to suppress the epidemic. It also provides strong evidence to support the need for a cautious, measured approach to relaxation of lockdown measures, to protect the most vulnerable members of society and support the health service through subduing demand on hospital beds, in particular bed occupancy in intensive care units.

scholarly journals Information Literacy from High School to University

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Cavanagh ◽  
Dianne Oberg ◽  
Heather Buchansky ◽  
Marc D'Avernas ◽  
Kate Johnson-McGregor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
School Library ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
First Year ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Library Impact ◽  
First Year University ◽  
The Impact

The Ontario School Library Impact Project (OSLIP) investigated the impact of school libraries on the development of key information literacy skills in students entering post-secondary education, using online surveys and qualitative interviews. The project found that first-year university students are challenged by the demands of post-secondary course research assignments. These findings support previous research indicating first-year university students are challenged by new demands for research skills. Unfortunately, opportunities to develop those skills are inconsistent among school boards in Ontario. This is a multifaceted problem confronting both school librarians and academic librarians as well as their teaching partners.

scholarly journals The impact of the universities closure on physical activity and academic performance in physical education in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-27
Author(s):  
Aleksander Yu. Osipov ◽  
Tatyana I. Ratmanskaya ◽  
Elena A. Zemba ◽  
Vladimir Potop ◽  
Mikhail D. Kudryavtsev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
University Students ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Student Population ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Lower Amount ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Impact

Background and Study Aim. Physical activity (PA) is regarded as a critical component of a healthy lifestyle and disease prevention. Different constraints placed upon social interaction and public spaces due to COVID-19 could decrease PA and academic performance in physical education (PE) in student population. The purpose of the research was to assess overall and sport/fitness PA level and academic performance in PE in a sample of university students pre- to post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and Methods. Participants (n=209) – university students (19-20 years old). The overall period of the research is September-December 2020. All participants (male–n=106 and female–n=103) were divided into approximately equal groups: humanities students (male–MG-1, female–FG-1), medicine students (male–MG-2, female–FG-2), technical students (male–MG-3, female–FG-3). The main research tools: modified student self-reported questionnaire (on the base of IPAQ), academic grading (scores for self-completed PE tasks). In surveys, all participants self-rated overall and sport/fitness PA level pre- to post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes. The participants had to complete 32 special PE tasks, during the research period. PE teachers rated participants by a special grading scale. Results. For the male and female students’ groups there were no significant differences of overall PA, sport/fitness PA level and academic performance in PE pre-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes. All participants significantly (p≤0.05) decreased overall PA, sport/fitness PA level and academic performance in PE post-cancellation. There was a significant (p≤0.05) large amount of overall PA level in MG-2 students and sport/fitness PA level in MG-1 students’ post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes. For the male students there were no significant differences of grading in PE pre- to post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes between participants groups. There was a significant (p≤0.05) large amount of overall PA level post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes in FG-2 students. There was a significantly (p≤0.05) lower amount of sport/fitness PA level post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes in FG-3 students. There was a significant drop in mean grading scores in PE post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes in students. FG-2 participants had significantly (p≤0.05) higher grading scores in PE post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes. Conclusions. The universities closure and cancellation of face-to-face PE classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic decreased overall PA, sport/fitness PA level and academic performance in PE in all participants. It is important to note that the proportional decrease in overall PA for the male students was actually large, then decrease in overall PA for the female students was less. The findings highlight the need for active interventions of PA promotion targeted at the student population in the context of self-isolation measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Taking stock of COVID-19 policy measures to protect Europe’s elderly living in long-term care facilities

2021 ◽  
pp. 146801812110137
Author(s):  
Lorraine Frisina Doetter ◽  
Benedikt Preuß ◽  
Heinz Rothgang
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Institutionalized Elderly ◽  
Residual Variation ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Elderly Living

The current COVID-19 pandemic has come to impact all areas of life involving the health, psycho-social and economic wellbeing of individuals, as well as all stages of life from childhood to old age. Particularly, the frail elderly have had to face the gravest consequences of the disease; while reporting measures tend to differ between countries making direct comparisons difficult, national statistics worldwide point to a disproportionate and staggering share of COVID-19 related mortality coming from residential long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Still, the severity of the impact on the institutionalized elderly has not been uniform across countries. In an effort to better understand the disparities in impact on Europe’s elderly living in LTCFs, we review data on mortality outcomes seen during the first wave of the pandemic (months March to June 2020). We then set out to understand the role played by the following two factors: (1) the infection rate in the general population and (2) member state adherence to policy recommendations put forth by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) targeting the LTC sector. Regarding the latter, we compare the content of national policy measures in six countries – Austria, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Spain and Sweden – with those of the ECDC. Our findings establish that infection rates in the general population accounted for most of the variation in mortality among member states, however adherence to EU policy helped to explain the residual variation between cases. This suggests that in order to best protect the institutionalized elderly from infectious disease of this kind, countries need to adopt a two-pronged approach to developing measures: one that aims at reducing transmission within the general population and one that specifically targets LTCFs.

Negotiating networks of communication in a superdiverse environment: Urban multilingualism in the City of Southampton

Multilingua ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 33 (5-6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Cadier ◽  
Clare Mar-Molinero
Keyword(s):  
Student Population ◽  
University Student ◽  
First Century ◽  
Port City ◽  
Social Hierarchies ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
International University ◽  
Linguistic Practices ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

AbstractThis article explores the impact of superdiversity on linguistic practices in Southampton, UK. Our focus seeks to identify what these practices are in an environment that we describe as superdiverse, and what is influencing, determining, shaping and contributing to these practices. Southampton is characterised by twenty-first century social mobilities typical of a port city, with a workforce that consists both of those who have settled here for decades, as well as others who are part of the European “new” migration, or who belong to the large international university student population. Our findings arise from a series of linked studies exploring social and linguistic cohesion in Southampton. These provide us with data on the negotiations implicit in the networks that structure urban multilingualism, and allow us to focus above all on examining the impact of our research on the language sensitisation of these communities. We explore the workplaces in a range of sites (public and private, large and small), comprising many nationalities, ethnicities and languages, and representing microcosms of complex, social hierarchies. Our approach is a grassroots, participatory one, seeking to involve our informants with our findings and sharing our analyses and recommendations.

scholarly journals Polyvictimization and social well-being in Colombian university students

Duazary ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-279
Author(s):  
Joseph Luciano Espitia-Correa ◽  
Carmen Cecilia Caballero-Domínguez
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Social Welfare ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Public University ◽  
Trauma Symptoms ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Social Contribution ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The City

Multiple violent events in the same individual is a frequent phenomenon and negatively affects the way in which people perceive their functioning in society. The present study aims to evaluate the relationship between Polyvictimization (PV) and Social Welfare (BS). An analytical observational study was designed. First semester students from a public university in the city of Santa Marta, Colombia, participated, who filled out the Trauma Symptoms Verification List (LVST) and the Keyes Social Well-being Scales. 590 students participated, aged between 18 to 57 years (M = 19.83 years; SD = 3.48), 55.3% male and 95.6% residing in socioeconomic stratum 1, 2 and 3. The multivariate analysis was estimated using opportunity ratios (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). The PV was related to the dimensions of BS integration (OR = 1,832 95% CI 1,221-2,747), acceptance (OR = 1,663 95% CI 1,125-2,460) and social contribution OR = 1,715 95% CI 1,055-2,789). It is concluded that multiple violence is linked to the components of integration, acceptance and social contribution. Studies are needed to identify the impact of PV on other indicators of social welfare and on social capital in university students.

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