scholarly journals Analysis of alternative Covid-19 mitigation measures in school classrooms: an agent-based model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Woodhouse ◽  
W. P. Aspinall ◽  
R. S. J. Sparks ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
New Wave ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
School Settings ◽  
Infection Control Measures ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Beneficial Impact ◽  
The Uk

1.AbstractThe SARS-CoV-2 epidemic has had major impacts on children’s education, with schools required to implement infection control measures that have led to long periods of absence and classroom closures. We develop an agent-based epidemiological model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission that is applied to model infection within school classrooms, with a contact model constructed using random networks informed by structured expert judgement. Mitigation strategies to control infection are modelled to allow analysis of their effectiveness in supressing infection outbreaks and in limiting pupil absence. The model is applied to re-examine Covid-19 in schools in the UK in autumn 2020, and to forecast infection levels in autumn 2021 when the more infectious Delta-variant is dominant and school transmission is likely to play a major role in a new wave of the epidemic. Our results indicate that testing-based surveillance of infections in the classroom population with isolation of positive cases is a more effective mitigation measure than bubble quarantine both for reducing transmission in schools and for avoiding pupil absence, even accounting for insensitivity of self-administered tests. Bubble quarantine results in large numbers of pupils absent from school, with only modest impact of classroom infection. However, maintaining a reduced contact rate within the classroom has a major beneficial impact for managing Covid-19 in school settings.

scholarly journals COVID-19: A HEALTH PERSPECTIVE

2021 ◽  
Vol 04 (01) ◽  
pp. 57-81
Author(s):  
SHEENA WONG ◽  
GOH JING EN ◽  
DAVID KOH
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Severe Pneumonia ◽  
Unknown Origin ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Infection Control Measures ◽  
Rapid Characterization ◽  
Silver Lining

A severe pneumonia of an unknown origin was reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019. The disease, now known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has evolved into a public health emergency of international concern and wreaked worldwide havoc. An unprecedented and vigorous scientific response has allowed the accelerated discovery of the virus and reliable diagnostic methods; a rapid characterization of the disease and its impacts so as to better apply precautionary and public health measures; and resulted in remarkable progress in the development of mitigation strategies, including the development of vaccines at breakneck speed. This paper provides a health perspective of the virus and the pandemic it caused, based on available best evidence. Controversies surrounding the origin of the virus, its incubation period and infectivity, presentation and course of the disease, testing, as well as treatments and vaccinations are highlighted. The pandemic response, including infection control measures, and considerations on mental and economic health, alongside physical health is discussed. Moving forward, it is important that the global community is aware and better informed. More resources are needed to strengthen public health systems and healthcare infrastructure and delivery. This virus has the potential to persist and become endemic and seasonal in communities. Thus, non-pharmaceutical interventions (e.g. wearing masks, frequent hand washing, etc.) might become the new normal in a post-pandemic world. The silver lining in the COVID-19 cloud may be the lessons it provides, so that we may be better prepared to respond to an inevitable next pandemic.

scholarly journals Prevalence of and environmental factors associated with aerosolised Aspergillus spores at a zoological park

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e000281
Author(s):  
Molly Martony ◽  
Hendrik Nollens ◽  
Melinda Tucker ◽  
Linda Henry ◽  
Todd Schmitt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Infection Control ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Infection Control Measures ◽  
Air Sampler ◽  
Zoological Park

Aspergillus is a significant pathogen in zoological species, although information on environmental variables influencing fungal prevalence in zoological settings are lacking. The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of and to identify environmental factors associated with aerosolised Aspergillus spores at a zoological park to advance the understanding of fungal exposure as a first step towards improved mitigation strategies for susceptible animals. Twenty-one locations were sampled for presence of Aspergillus species using the SAS Super 180 Microbial Air Sampler, while twenty-two environmental factors were evaluated every two weeks at SeaWorld of California during two 12-month periods. In each period, the frequency of investigated environmental factors was compared between samples classified as positive or negative for Aspergillus species using logistic regression. Prevalence of Aspergillus was higher (P<0.05) during the second 12-month period (110/525 or 21 per cent), compared with the first period (62/483 or 13 per cent). In both periods, positive Aspergillus samples were associated with indoor sites without high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration systems and other infection control measures (adjusted OR=4.33 and 5.19, P<0.01) or outdoor sites (adjusted OR=2.50 and3.79, P≤0.05), compared to indoor sites with HEPA filtration systems and other infection control measures, after controlling for season. Burden of airborne Aspergillus can be higher in indoor sites without HEPA filtration systems than in outdoor sites. The use of HEPA filtration systems and other infection control measures can mitigate the burden of Aspergillus. Risk-based surveillance systems that target indoor areas without HEPA filtration systems can be an efficient approach for early detection of high burden of Aspergillus at zoological parks.

scholarly journals Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on provision of electroconvulsive therapy

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Richard Braithwaite ◽  
Robert Chaplin ◽  
Vimal Sivasanker
Keyword(s):  
Electroconvulsive Therapy ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Provision ◽  
Infection Control Measures ◽  
Service Disruption ◽  
Poor Outcomes ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Virus Testing

Aims and method COVID-19 has had a heavy impact on healthcare provision worldwide, including delivery of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). A survey was completed in the UK and Republic of Ireland in April and July 2020 by 95 and 89 ECT clinics respectively. Results In April 2020, 53% of the clinics provided only emergency treatment and 24% had closed. Reasons included unavailability of anaesthetists, infection control measures and staff sickness. Restrictions persisted in July, with disruption to an estimated 437 individuals’ treatment and poor outcomes, including clinical deterioration and readmission. Clinical implications Risk stratification, longer clinic sessions, improvements in ventilation, regular virus testing, pragmatic staff rostering and availability of personal protective equipment will protect against service disruption in subsequent waves of the pandemic.

scholarly journals The COVID-19 pandemic in Norway and Sweden – threats, trust, and impact on daily life: A comparative survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lise Helsingen ◽  
Erle Refsum ◽  
Dagrun Kyte Gjøstein ◽  
Magnus Løberg ◽  
Michael Bretthauer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Infection Control ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
School Closure ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Infection Control Measures ◽  
Care Systems

Abstract Background: Norway and Sweden have similar populations and health care systems, but different reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic. Norway closed educational institutions, and banned sports and cultural activities; Sweden kept most institutions and training facilities open. We aimed to compare peoples’ attitudes towards authorities and control measures, and perceived impact of the pandemic and implemented control measures on life in Norway and Sweden.Methods: Anonymous web-based surveys for individuals age 15 or older distributed through Facebook using the snowball method, in Norway and Sweden from mid-March to mid-April, 2020. The survey contained questions about perceived threat of the pandemic, views on infection control measures, and impact on daily life. We performed descriptive analyses of the responses and compared the two countries.Results: 3,508 individuals participated in the survey (Norway 3000; Sweden 508). 79% were women, the majority were 30-49 years (Norway 60%; Sweden 47%), and about 45% of the participants in both countries had more than four years of higher education.Participants had high trust in the health services, but differed in the degree of trust in their government (High trust in Norway 17%; Sweden 37%). More Norwegians than Swedes agreed that school closure was a good measure (Norway 66%; Sweden 18%), that countries with open schools were irresponsible (Norway 65%; Sweden 23%), and that the threat from repercussions of the mitigation measures were large or very large (Norway 71%; Sweden 56%). Both countries had a high compliance with infection preventive measures (> 98%). Many lived a more sedentary life (Norway 69%; Sweden 50%) and ate more (Norway 44%; Sweden 33%) during the pandemic. Conclusion: Sweden had more trust in the authorities, while Norwegians reported a more negative lifestyle during the pandemic. The level of trust in the health care system and self-reported compliance with preventive measures was high in both countries despite the differences in infection control measures.

scholarly journals Impacts of Reopening Strategies for COVID-19 Epidemic: A Modeling Study in Piedmont Region

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Pernice ◽  
Paolo Castagno ◽  
Linda Marcotulli ◽  
Milena Maria Maule ◽  
Lorenzo Richiardi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Computational Models ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
New Wave ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Infection Control Measures ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Italian Regions ◽  
The Government

Abstract Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2), the causative agent of the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), is a highly transmittable virus. Since the first person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2 was reported in Italy on February 21 st , 2020, the number of people infected with SARS-COV-2 increased rapidly, mainly in northern Italian regions, including Piedmont. A strict lockdown was imposed on March 21 st until May 4 th when a gradual relaxation of the restrictions started. In this context, computational models and computer simulations are one of the available research tools that epidemiologists can exploit to understand the spread of the diseases and to evaluate social measures to counteract, mitigate or delay the spread of the epidemic. Methods This study presents an extended version of the Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Removed-Susceptible (SEIRS) model accounting for population age structure. The infectious population is divided into three sub-groups: (i) undetected infected individuals, (ii) quarantined infected individuals and (iii) hospitalized infected individuals. Moreover, the strength of the government restriction measures and the related population response to these are explicitly represented in the model. Results The proposed model allows us to investigate different scenarios of the COVID-19 spread in Piedmont and the implementation of different infection-control measures and testing approaches. The results show that the implemented control measures have proven effective in containing the epidemic, mitigating the potential dangerous impact of a large proportion of undetected cases. We also forecast the optimal combination of individual-level measures and community surveillance to contain the new wave of COVID-19 spread after the re-opening work and social activities. Conclusions Our model is an effective tool useful to investigate different scenarios and to inform policy makers about the potential impact of different control strategies. This will be crucial in the upcoming months, when very critical decisions about easing control measures will need to be taken.

scholarly journals Impacts of reopening strategies for COVID-19 epidemic: a modeling study in Piedmont region

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Pernice ◽  
Paolo Castagno ◽  
Linda Marcotulli ◽  
Milena Maria Maule ◽  
Lorenzo Richiardi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Computational Models ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
New Wave ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Infection Control Measures ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Italian Regions ◽  
The Government

Abstract Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2), the causative agent of the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), is a highly transmittable virus. Since the first person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2 was reported in Italy on February 21st, 2020, the number of people infected with SARS-COV-2 increased rapidly, mainly in northern Italian regions, including Piedmont. A strict lockdown was imposed on March 21st until May 4th when a gradual relaxation of the restrictions started. In this context, computational models and computer simulations are one of the available research tools that epidemiologists can exploit to understand the spread of the diseases and to evaluate social measures to counteract, mitigate or delay the spread of the epidemic. Methods This study presents an extended version of the Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Removed-Susceptible (SEIRS) model accounting for population age structure. The infectious population is divided into three sub-groups: (i) undetected infected individuals, (ii) quarantined infected individuals and (iii) hospitalized infected individuals. Moreover, the strength of the government restriction measures and the related population response to these are explicitly represented in the model. Results The proposed model allows us to investigate different scenarios of the COVID-19 spread in Piedmont and the implementation of different infection-control measures and testing approaches. The results show that the implemented control measures have proven effective in containing the epidemic, mitigating the potential dangerous impact of a large proportion of undetected cases. We also forecast the optimal combination of individual-level measures and community surveillance to contain the new wave of COVID-19 spread after the re-opening work and social activities. Conclusions Our model is an effective tool useful to investigate different scenarios and to inform policy makers about the potential impact of different control strategies. This will be crucial in the upcoming months, when very critical decisions about easing control measures will need to be taken.

scholarly journals The COVID-19 pandemic in Norway and Sweden – threats, trust, and impact on daily life: a comparative survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lise M. Helsingen ◽  
◽  
Erle Refsum ◽  
Dagrun Kyte Gjøstein ◽  
Magnus Løberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Infection Control ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
School Closure ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Infection Control Measures ◽  
Care Systems

Abstract Background Norway and Sweden have similar populations and health care systems, but different reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic. Norway closed educational institutions, and banned sports and cultural activities; Sweden kept most institutions and training facilities open. We aimed to compare peoples’ attitudes towards authorities and control measures, and perceived impact of the pandemic and implemented control measures on life in Norway and Sweden. Methods Anonymous web-based surveys for individuals age 15 or older distributed through Facebook using the snowball method, in Norway and Sweden from mid-March to mid-April, 2020. The survey contained questions about perceived threat of the pandemic, views on infection control measures, and impact on daily life. We performed descriptive analyses of the responses and compared the two countries. Results 3508 individuals participated in the survey (Norway 3000; Sweden 508). 79% were women, the majority were 30–49 years (Norway 60%; Sweden 47%), and about 45% of the participants in both countries had more than 4 years of higher education. Participants had high trust in the health services, but differed in the degree of trust in their government (High trust in Norway 17%; Sweden 37%). More Norwegians than Swedes agreed that school closure was a good measure (Norway 66%; Sweden 18%), that countries with open schools were irresponsible (Norway 65%; Sweden 23%), and that the threat from repercussions of the mitigation measures were large or very large (Norway 71%; Sweden 56%). Both countries had a high compliance with infection preventive measures (> 98%). Many lived a more sedentary life (Norway 69%; Sweden 50%) and ate more (Norway 44%; Sweden 33%) during the pandemic. Conclusion Sweden had more trust in the authorities, while Norwegians reported a more negative lifestyle during the pandemic. The level of trust in the health care system and self-reported compliance with preventive measures was high in both countries despite the differences in infection control measures.

scholarly journals The COVID-19 pandemic in Norway and Sweden – threats, trust, and impact on daily life: A comparative survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lise Helsingen ◽  
Erle Refsum ◽  
Dagrun Kyte Gjøstein ◽  
Magnus Løberg ◽  
Michael Bretthauer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Infection Control ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
School Closure ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Infection Control Measures ◽  
Care Systems

Abstract Background: Norway and Sweden have similar populations and health care systems, but different reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic. Norway closed educational institutions, and banned sports and cultural activities; Sweden kept most institutions and training facilities open. We aimed to compare peoples’ attitudes towards authorities and control measures, and perceived impact of the pandemic and implemented control measures on life in Norway and Sweden. Methods: Anonymous web-based surveys for individuals age 15 or older distributed through Facebook using the snowball method, in Norway and Sweden from mid-March to mid-April, 2020. The survey contained questions about perceived threat of the pandemic, views on infection control measures, and impact on daily life. We performed descriptive analyses of the responses and compared the two countries. Results: 3,508 individuals participated in the survey (Norway 3000; Sweden 508). 79% were women, the majority were 30-49 years (Norway 60%; Sweden 47%), and about 45% of the participants in both countries had more than four years of higher education. Participants had high trust in the health services, but differed in the degree of trust in their government (High trust in Norway 17%; Sweden 37%). More Norwegians than Swedes agreed that school closure was a good measure (Norway 66%; Sweden 18%), that countries with open schools were irresponsible (Norway 65%; Sweden 23%), and that the threat from repercussions of the mitigation measures were large or very large (Norway 71%; Sweden 56%). Both countries had a high compliance with infection preventive measures (> 98%). Many lived a more sedentary life (Norway 69%; Sweden 50%) and ate more (Norway 44%; Sweden 33%) during the pandemic. Conclusion: Sweden had more trust in the authorities, while Norwegians reported a more negative lifestyle during the pandemic. The level of trust in the health care system and self-reported compliance with preventive measures was high in both countries despite the differences in infection control measures.

A survey of infection control measures for adult cardiac surgery in the UK

2002 ◽  
Vol 19 (Supplement 27) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
J. B. Kendall ◽  
G. Smith ◽  
S. H. Pennefather ◽  
G. N. Russell
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Surgery ◽  
Infection Control ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Infection Control Measures ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Adult Cardiac Surgery
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