An International Comparison of the COVID-19 Experiences of the Group-of-Seven and the BRICS Countries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence J. Lau ◽  
Yanyan Xiong
Keyword(s):  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Personal Hygiene ◽  
Group Of Seven ◽  
Brics Countries ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Travel Restrictions ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Uk

The COVID-19 pandemic has been around since December 2019. In this study, the experiences of the Group-of-Seven Countries (G-7 — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US) and the BRICS Countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) are compared in terms of the numbers of confirmed cases and deaths and the infection and mortality rates. The objective is to see whether such a comparison may yield some insight on how and when the COVID-19 pandemic in the world will finally be under control. The key turns out to be the minimization of secondary and higher-order transmissions of the virus. This requires, first, the practice of good personal hygiene and social distancing on the part of all the residents; second, mandatory rapid testing and exhaustive contact tracing, by the public health authorities; and third, lockdown, quarantine and travel restrictions by the government. The governments of the individual countries must fight the COVID-19 epidemic as if it were a war if they expect to succeed in bringing the epidemic under control in their respective countries.

scholarly journals Fueling the Covid-19 pandemic: summer school holidays and incidence rates in German districts

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Plümper ◽  
Eric Neumayer
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Summer School ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Robert Koch Institute ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Holiday Period ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities

AbstractBackgroundThe Robert-Koch-Institute reports that during the summer holiday period a foreign country is stated as the most likely place of infection for an average of 27 and a maximum of 49% of new SARS-CoV-2 infections in Germany.MethodsCross-sectional study on observational data. In Germany, summer school holidays are coordinated between states and spread out over 13 weeks. Employing a dynamic model with district fixed effects, we analyze the association between these holidays and weekly incidence rates across 401 German districts.ResultsWe find effects of the holiday period of around 45% of the average district incidence rates in Germany during their respective final week of holidays and the 2 weeks after holidays end. Western states tend to experience stronger effects than Eastern states. We also find statistically significant interaction effects of school holidays with per capita taxable income and the share of foreign residents in a district’s population.ConclusionsOur results suggest that changed behavior during the holiday season accelerated the pandemic and made it considerably more difficult for public health authorities to contain the spread of the virus by means of contact tracing. Germany’s public health authorities did not prepare adequately for this acceleration.

scholarly journals “Smittestopp”: If you want your freedom back, download now

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 205395172093998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin B Sandvik
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Data Hoarding ◽  
The Government

The intervention attempts to engage critically with the Smittestopp app as a specifically Norwegian technofix. Culturally and politically, much of the Covid-19 response and the success of social distancing rules have been organized around the widespread trust in the government and public health authorities, and a focus on the citizens’ duty to contribute to the dugnaðr. The intervention argues that Smittestopp has been co-created by the mobilization of trust and dugnaðr, resulting in the launch of an incomplete and poorly defined data-hoarding product with significant vulnerabilities.

Reptile-associated salmonellosis in children aged under 5 years in South West England

2014 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 364-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Murphy ◽  
Femi Oshin
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Severity Of Illness ◽  
Invasive Disease ◽  
Exposure Age ◽  
South West ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
The Uk ◽  
South West England ◽  
Children Under 5

ObjectiveTo determine the proportion of Salmonella cases in children aged <5 years that were reptile-associated salmonellosis (RAS) and to compare the severity of illness.DesignTo analyse all cases of salmonellosis reported to public health authorities in children aged under 5 years in the South West of the UK from January 2010 to December 2013 for reptile exposure, age, serotype, hospitalisation and invasive disease.Results48 of 175 (27%) Salmonella cases had exposure to reptiles. The median age of RAS cases was significantly lower than non-RAS cases (0.5 vs 1.0 year). RAS cases were 2.5 times more likely to be hospitalised (23/48) compared with non-RAS cases (25/127; p=0.0002). This trend continued in cases aged under 12 months, with significantly more RAS cases hospitalised (19/38) than non-RAS cases (8/42; p=0.003). Significantly more RAS cases had invasive disease (8/48: 5 bacteraemia, 2 meningitis, 1 colitis) than non-RAS cases (4/127: 3 bacteraemia, 1 meningitis).ConclusionsReptile exposure was found in over a quarter of all reported Salmonella cases in children under 5 years of age. RAS is associated with young age, hospitalisation and invasive disease.

Politics of Cinema in Hashemite Iraq

2013 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-126
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Bishop
Keyword(s):  
Korean War ◽  
Film Noir ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Global Cinema ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
The Us ◽  
Us Government ◽  
The Korean War ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Hashemite Iraq was better integrated into the global cinema that other Arab countries. Baghdad audiences loved film noir, and the US succeeded in displacing the UK as a source of newsreels, as well. During the Cold War’s first decade, Hollywood continued to pump inexpensive productions and aged celluloid through Iraq, including films made under US government contracts. Local viewers responded thoughtfully to such films, engaging themes such as responsibility and guilt. Against this general background, specific allegations that testing of weapons delivery systems for germ warfare continued after the end of the Korean War, are assessed in the light that public health authorities reported a series of outbreaks of meningitis among audiences in Baghdad cinemas.

scholarly journals The Dutch COVID-19 Contact Tracing App (the CoronaMelder): Usability Study

10.2196/27882 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. e27882
Author(s):  
Britt Elise Bente ◽  
Jan Willem Jaap Roderick van 't Klooster ◽  
Maud Annemarie Schreijer ◽  
Lea Berkemeier ◽  
Joris Elmar van Gend ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Usability Tests ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Lower Education

Background Adoption and evaluation of contact tracing tools based on information and communications technology may expand the reach and efficacy of traditional contact tracing methods in fighting COVID-19. The Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports initiated and developed CoronaMelder, a COVID-19 contact tracing app. This app is based on a Google/Apple Exposure Notification approach and aims to combat the spread of the coronavirus among individuals by notifying those who are at increased risk of infection due to proximity to someone who later tests positive for COVID-19. The app should support traditional contact tracing by faster tracing and greater reach compared to regular contact tracing procedures. Objective The main goal of this study is to investigate whether the CoronaMelder is able to support traditional contact tracing employed by public health authorities. To achieve this, usability tests were conducted to answer the following question: is the CoronaMelder user-friendly, understandable, reliable and credible, and inclusive? Methods Participants (N=44) of different backgrounds were recruited: youth with varying educational levels, youth with an intellectual disability, migrants, adults (aged 40-64 years), and older adults (aged >65 years) via convenience sampling in the region of Twente in the Netherlands. The app was evaluated with scenario-based, think-aloud usability tests and additional interviews. Findings were recorded via voice recordings, observation notes, and the Dutch User Experience Questionnaire, and some participants wore eye trackers to measure gaze behavior. Results Our results showed that the app is easy to use, although problems occurred with understandability and accessibility. Older adults and youth with a lower education level did not understand why or under what circumstances they would receive notifications, why they must share their key (ie, their assigned identifier), and what happens after sharing. In particular, youth in the lower-education category did not trust or understand Bluetooth signals, or comprehend timing and follow-up activities after a risk exposure notification. Older adults had difficulties multitasking (speaking with a public health worker and simultaneously sharing the key in the app). Public health authorities appeared to be unprepared to receive support from the app during traditional contact tracing because their telephone conversation protocol lacks guidance, explanation, and empathy. Conclusions The study indicated that the CoronaMelder app is easy to use, but participants experienced misunderstandings about its functioning. The perceived lack of clarity led to misconceptions about the app, mostly regarding its usefulness and privacy-preserving mechanisms. Tailored and targeted communication through, for example, public campaigns or social media, is necessary to provide correct information about the app to residents in the Netherlands. Additionally, the app should be presented as part of the national coronavirus measures instead of as a stand-alone app offered to the public. Public health workers should be trained to effectively and empathetically instruct users on how to use the CoronaMelder app.

scholarly journals MENGUNGKAP KEJADIAN INFEKSI KECACINGAN PADA ANAK SEKOLAH DASAR (STUDI ETNOGRAFI DI DESA TARAMANU KABUPATEN SUMBA BARAT)

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-217
Author(s):  
Suharmiati Suharmiati ◽  
Rochmansyah Rochmansyah
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Personal Hygiene ◽  
Parasite Life Cycle ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Individual

Helminthic disease including one of the most neglected tropical diseases present in Indonesia, can attack all ages but are more common in school aged children and primary school age. In 2014 the Central Bureau of Statistics data in West Sumba regency recorded 932 cases of worms, and the case is one of infectious diseases caused by parasites. This paper aims to reveal the incidence of worms infection in children of primary school in Taramanu Village, West Sumba regency. Collecting data in the form of participant observation and direct communication in addition to the faeces collection and examination. The result showed that the belief not to bury the faeces obtained since of the ancestors caused the people of West Sumba, especially Taramanu Village less attention to environmental conditions and personal hygiene. This has an impact on the behavior of taramanu community, especially children defecate in any place (shrubs, forests or behind the house) and the habit of not using footwear for daily activities causes the worm life cycle perfectly, and reinforced with the results of laboratory tests, positive infected earthworms, there are even 3 types of worms in 1 child. The real action that can be taken by the community, the government and health workers in reducing the disease of the worm is to break the parasite life cycle that can be done from the individual level is the use of latrine for bowel (jamban) movement and the use of footwear/sandalisasi. In addition, it should be given understanding through the traditional leaders and religious leaders about the use of latrines that the stool is not buried but directly mixed with water.  Abstrak Kecacingan termasuk salah satu penyakit tropis yang terabaikan di Indonesia, dapat menyerang semua usia namun lebih sering terjadi pada anak-anak usia belum sekolah dan usia sekolah dasar. Pada tahun 2014 data Badan Pusat Statistik di Kabupaten Sumba Barat tercatat 932 kasus kecacingan, dan kasus tersebut termasuk salah satu penyakit infeksi akibat parasit. Tulisan ini bertujuan untuk mengungkap kejadian infeksi kecacingan pada anak Sekolah dasar di Desa Taramanu Kabupaten Sumba Barat. Pengumpulan data berupa observasi partisipasi serta komunikasi langsung, di samping itu juga dilakukan pengambilan dan pemeriksaan tinja. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan masyarakat Sumba Barat khususnya Desa Taramanu mempunyai kepercayaan yang diperoleh sejak zaman nenek moyang yaitu tidak mengubur tinja manusia sehingga menyebabkan masyarakat kurang memperhatikan kondisi lingkungan dan kebersihan perorangan. Hal tersebut berdampak pada perilaku masyarakat Desa Taramanu khususnya anak-anak untuk buang air besar (BAB) di sembarang tempat (semak-semak, hutan atau di belakang rumah). Kebiasaan tidak menggunakan alas kaki untuk kegiatan sehari-hari menyebabkan siklus hidup cacing berlangsung sempurna. Hal tersebut diperkuat dengan hasil pemeriksaan laboratorium, positif terinfeksi cacing tanah, bahkan terdapat 3 jenis cacing dalam 1 orang anak. Tindakan nyata yang dapat dilakukan oleh masyarakat, pemerintah maupun tenaga kesehatan dalam mengurangi penyakit kecacingan adalah memutus lingkaran hidup parasit yang dapat dilakukan mulai dari tingkat individu adalah penggunaan jamban untuk BAB dan penggunaan alas kaki/sandalisasi. Di samping itu perlu diberikan pemahaman melalui pemuka adat dan pemuka agama tentang penggunaan jamban bahwa tinja tersebut tidak dikubur tetapi langsung bercampur dengan air.

scholarly journals Managing the remains of citizen soldiers

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-51
Author(s):  
Adrien Douchet ◽  
Taline Garibian ◽  
Benoît Pouget
Keyword(s):  
Early Years ◽  
Individual Identification ◽  
World War ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
The First World War ◽  
Citizen Soldiers ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
The Individual ◽  
First World ◽  
Shed Light

The aim of this article is to shed light on the conditions under which the funerary management of human remains was carried out by the French authorities during the early years of the First World War. It seeks to understand how the urgent need to clear the battlefield as quickly as possible came into conflict with the aspiration to give all deceased an individualised, or at the very least dignified, burial. Old military funerary practices were overturned and reconfigured to incorporate an ideal that sought the individual identification of citizen soldiers. The years 1914–15 were thus profoundly marked by a clash between the pragmatism of public health authorities obsessed with hygiene, the infancy of emerging forensic science, the aching desire of the nation to see its children buried individually and various political and military imperatives related to the conduct of the war.

scholarly journals COVID-19: cross-border contact tracing in Germany, February to April 2020

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Inessa Markus ◽  
Gyde Steffen ◽  
Raskit Lachmann ◽  
Adine Marquis ◽  
Timm Schneider ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
International Health ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Outbreak Response ◽  
Robert Koch Institute ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Cruise Ships ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
International Contact ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Warning Response

Introduction The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) managed the exchange of cross-border contact tracing data between public health authorities (PHA) in Germany and abroad during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Aim We describe the extent of cross-border contact tracing and its challenges. Methods We analysed cross-border COVID-19 contact tracing events from 3 February to 5 April 2020 using information exchanged through the European Early Warning Response System and communication with International Health Regulation national focal points. We described events by PHA, number of contacts and exposure context. Results The RKI processed 467 events, initiating contact to PHA 1,099 times (median = 1; interquartile range (IQR): 1–2) and sharing data on 5,099 contact persons. Of 327 (70%) events with known exposure context, the most commonly reported exposures were aircraft (n = 64; 20%), cruise ships (n = 24; 7%) and non-transport contexts (n = 210; 64%). Cruise ship and aircraft exposures generated more contacts with authorities (median = 10; IQR: 2–16, median = 4; IQR: 2–11) and more contact persons (median = 60; IQR: 9–269, median = 2; IQR: 1–3) than non-transport exposures (median = 1; IQR: 1–6 and median = 1; IQR: 1–2). The median time spent on contact tracing was highest for cruise ships: 5 days (IQR: 3–9). Conclusion In the COVID-19 pandemic, cross-border contact tracing is considered a critical component of the outbreak response. While only a minority of international contact tracing activities were related to exposure events in transport, they contributed substantially to the workload. The numerous communications highlight the need for fast and efficient global outbreak communication channels between PHA.

scholarly journals Lockdown: a case study in how to lose trust and undermine compliance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Faulkner
Keyword(s):  
Collective Good ◽  
Trust In Government ◽  
Coordination Problem ◽  
Coordination Problems ◽  
Social Coordination ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Uk

To protect against COVID-19, the UK Government imposed a national lockdown that shut schools and business, and required people to stay at home. This lockdown instituted a social coordination problem: it demanded the individual bear a cost – a significant restriction to their movement – in order to achieve a collective good. Initially there were remarkably high levels of social compliance with the lockdown restrictions, but the Government defense of Mr. Cummings corresponded with a notable drop in both levels of compliance and levels of trust in government. By considering the logic of social coordination problems, this paper offers an explanation as to why these drops in compliance and trust were to be expected.

scholarly journals Anxious and Angry: Emotional and Political Motives for Approving of and Complying with Hygiene Measures related to the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Abadi ◽  
Irene Arnaldo ◽  
Agneta Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Infection Age ◽  
Political Beliefs ◽  
Political Implications ◽  
Hygiene Measures ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

The current COVID-19 pandemic elicits a vast amount of collective anxiety, which may also have broader societal and political implications. In the current study, we investigate the individual and social impact of this anxiety. We conducted an online survey in four different countries (Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK; N=2031), examining whether anxiety about the Coronavirus leads to more approval of and compliance with hygiene measures deployed in those countries, and what role political beliefs play at this. We found significant differences between the four countries, with Spain marking highest anxiety as well as approval of and compliance with hygiene measures. Furthermore, three linear regressions showed that one’s anxiety is not only predicted by proximity to sources of infection (age, country, oneself or friends being infected), but also by political views (populist attitudes, anger at the government). Importantly, people who are anxious are also angry, at transgressors of hygiene rules or at their government. Thus, anger does not reduce one’s fear, but fear leads to more anger, especially in countries with the highest infection rates. Anxiety also leads to more approval of and compliance with hygiene measures, but again anger and political beliefs play a role in this relation. Whereas behavioral compliance is more predicted by fear and anger at others who transgress the rules, approval of the measures is better predicted by anxiety about the impact of Coronavirus and anger at the government.

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