Political Authority in a Bioterror Emergency

2004 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas May

The events of September 11, 2001 have prompted significant concern to protect against future terror attacks, especially attacks that would involve the use of biological weapons - the most dangerous weapons of massdestruction considered accessible to terrorist groups and organizations. This concern, in turn, has led to a re-evaluation of the public health system and its preparedness to meet the challenges of treating a large number of people in circumstances of public fear and significant demand for resources. One important result of this re-evaluation has been the development of a Model State Emergency Health Powers Act (MSEHPA) that is designed to grant state officials the authority necessary to coordinate an effective response to biological tenor. The Model Act was first publicized in late October, 2001,and a revised version was publicized December21, 2001.As of October 1,2002,legislation based on the Act had been introduced in thirty-six states, and versions of the Act had been enacted in twenty states and the District of Columbia.

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. e334-e342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulkarim Ekzayez ◽  
M Daniel Flecknoe ◽  
Louis Lillywhite ◽  
Preeti Patel ◽  
Andreas Papamichail ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Background The recent use of Chemical Weapons (CWs) in armed conflicts and terror attacks highlights the importance of understanding their full impact in order to inform an effective response. This article argues that while the consequences of CWs on individual health have dominated our understanding of the impact of these weapons, far less attention has been directed to their impact on public health. Methods A review of the literature on the health impact of CWs was conducted, and two case studies of their use in urban settings were explored - Halabja in northern Iraq in 1988 and throughout Syria’s ongoing conflict. Results The importance of considering the long-term health consequences of CW use and their impact on healthcare and health systems was demonstrated. Conclusions This article highlights the importance of supporting future research on the topic and proposes a framework for assessing the public health impact of CW use.


Author(s):  
Olukayode James Ayodeji ◽  
Seshadri Ramkumar

The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the biggest public health challenges of the 21st century. Many prevalent measures have been taken to prevent its spread and protect the public. However, the use of face coverings as an effective preventive measure remains contentious. The goal of the current study is to evaluate the effectiveness of face coverings as a protective measure. We examined the effectiveness of face coverings between 1 April and 31 December 2020. This was accomplished by analyzing trends of daily new COVID-19 cases, cumulative confirmed cases, and cases per 100,000 people in different U.S. states, including the District of Columbia. The results indicated a sharp change in trends after face covering mandates. For the 32 states with face covering mandates, 63% and 66% exhibited a downward trend in confirmed cases within 21 and 28 days of implementation, respectively. We estimated that face covering mandates in the 32 states prevented approximately 78,571 and 109,703 cases within 21- and 28-day periods post face covering mandate, respectively. A statistically significant (p = 0.001) negative correlation (−0.54) was observed between the rate of cases and days since the adoption of a face covering mandate. We concluded that the use of face coverings can provide necessary protection if they are properly used.


2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. A224
Author(s):  
J.A. Turri ◽  
L.B. Haddad ◽  
W. Andrauss ◽  
L.A. D’Albuquerque ◽  
M.A. Diniz

Author(s):  
Paulo Gabriel Santos Campos de Siqueira ◽  
Alexandre Calumbi Antunes de Oliveira ◽  
Heitor Oliveira Duarte ◽  
Márcio das Chagas Moura

We have developed a probabilistic model to quantify the risks of COVID-19 explosion in Brazil, the epicenter of COVID-19 in Latin America. By explosion, we mean an excessive number of new infections that would overload the public health system. We made predictions from July 12th to Oct 10th, 2020 for various containment strategies, including business as usual, stay at home (SAH) for young and elderly, flight restrictions among regions, gradual resumption of business and the compulsory wearing of masks. They indicate that: if a SAH strategy were sustained, there would be a negligible risk of explosion and the public health system would not be overloaded. For the other containment strategies, the scenario that combines the gradual resumption of business with the mandatory wearing of masks would be the most effective, reducing risk to considerable category. Should this strategy is applied together with the investment in more Intensive Care Unit beds, risk could be reduced to negligible levels. A sensitivity analysis sustained that risks would be negligible if SAH measures were adopted thoroughly.


Author(s):  
Clea Adas Saliba Garbin ◽  
Bruno Wakayama ◽  
Tânia Adas Saliba ◽  
Orlando Adas Saliba Junior ◽  
Artênio José Ísper Garbin

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gajanan Sapkal ◽  
Pragya Yadav ◽  
Raches Ella ◽  
Priya Abraham ◽  
Deepak Patil ◽  
...  

The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants has been a serious threat to the public health system and vaccination program. The variant of concerns have been the under investigation for their neutralizing potential against the currently available COVID-19 vaccines. Here, we have determined the neutralization efficacy of B.1.1.28.2 variant with the convalescent sera of individuals with natural infection and BBV152 vaccination. The two-dose vaccine regimen significantly boosted the IgG titer and neutralizing efficacy against both B.1.1.28.2 and D614G variants compared to that seen with natural infection. The study demonstrated 1.92 and 1.09 fold reductions in the neutralizing titer against B.1.1.28.2 variant in comparison with prototype D614G variant with sera of vaccine recipients and natural infection respectively.


2011 ◽  
Vol 52 (1/3) ◽  
pp. 33-37
Author(s):  
Clarissa Fatturi Parolo ◽  
Aline Macarevich ◽  
Juliana Jobim Jardim ◽  
Marisa Maltz

Purpose: To compare the restorative material used in the treatment of posterior teeth taught and performed in two Dental Schools (UFRGS and ULBRA) and in 8 basic health units (BHU) from the Public Health System in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Materials and methods: Data referring the teaching of restorative procedures using amalgam (AM) or resin (R) were obtained through the analysis of patient’s files and questionnaires applied to final year dental students. Information regarding restorative procedures at BHU was obtained through patient’s records and a questionnaire applied to the dentists. The type of restorative material used in both BHU and Dental Schools were compared by chi-square test. Results: At UFRGS, 327 restorations were performed, 78.28% R and 21.72% AM, and at ULBRA 366 restorations, 92.63% R and 7.37% AM. At BHU, 1664 restorations were performed (35.93% R and 64.07% AM). A major proportion of AM restorations was performed in the Public Health Service in comparison to both Dental Schools, in which resin restorations prevailed (p=0.000). Conclusion: The change from AM to R in the dental material choice for posterior teeth at Dental Schools was not followed by the Public Health System, where the AM is still widely used in posterior teeth.


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