Return to normal operations: COVID-19 mitigation strategies for workplaces

As spikes and resurgences of COVID-19 cases continue to increase in different geographical regions across the United States, more and more companies are left with numerous questions about reopening or restarting their operations. The current pandemic in the United States poses unique challenges unlike any other for businesses and employers as they begin to reopen. Businesses and employers are forced to ensure that they are not only in compliance with federal guidances but also with state and local guidances. In addition to the complex and ever evolving guidances, we are still learning about and adapting best practices during these reopening phases. Therefore, it is crucial for businesses to stay up-to-date not only with the released guidances but also with the latest understanding and information about SARS-CoV-2. As part of reopening, it is crucial for businesses to have comprehensive reopening plans prior to restart of operation. These plans must be clear, concise, and flexible enough to include updated guidances and information. In this publication, we describe reopening frameworks, considerations, and strategies that can be used as a starting point for businesses to further optimize and tailor to their unique operations.

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U.S. Floods

State and Local Government Review ◽

10.1177/0160323x17731890 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 49 (2) ◽

pp. 127-139 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Beverly A. Cigler

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Local Governments ◽

Disaster Response ◽

Natural Hazard ◽

The United States ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Response And Recovery ◽

Property Losses ◽

State And Local

Floods are the costliest natural hazard events in the United States in terms of lives and property losses. The financial costs of flood disasters are unsustainable, especially for the national government, which assumes the most costs while state and local governments have the greatest ability to avoid great losses due to their influence over land use, economic policy, and other areas that can help mitigate floods and reduce the high costs of relief and recovery. This article summarizes the types, causes, and occurrence of floods in the United States and their unsustainable economic and social costs. It explains that the growing burden to taxpayers from disaster response and recovery has resulted in increased interest by national decision makers in shifting more disaster responsibilities and costs to state and local governments. The article reviews the broad tool kit of mitigation strategies available to local governments and their residents in taking greater responsibility for the impacts of flood events.

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(A322) Animals in Emergency Management: Veterinary Medical Triage and Treatment

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine ◽

10.1017/s1049023x11003050 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 26 (S1) ◽

pp. s90-s90 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

H. Case

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Best Practices ◽

Hurricane Katrina ◽

Emergency Preparedness ◽

Disaster Response ◽

The United States ◽

Pet Owners ◽

Major Disaster ◽

Emergency Preparedness And Response ◽

State And Local

Veterinarians have been engaged in emergency preparedness and response activities for many years. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) founded in 1863 and representing approximately 83% of United States veterinarians, and the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, established by the AVMA in 1963, have been active in emergency preparedness and response, including the development of a world class veterinary disaster response program (VMAT) since 1993. Animals and humans share a special bond in the United States. According to the 2007 AVMA US Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook, there are 72 million dogs, 81.7 million cats, 11.2 million birds and 7.3 million horses in US households. Approximately 60% of all US households own at least one pet, and 64% own more than one pet. Additionally, nearly 60% of pet owners consider their pets to be members of the family, and nearly 50% of pet owners consider their pets to be companions. Few US pet owners consider their pet to be property (approximately 2%). Following Hurricane Katrina, the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006 (PETS Act) became US law to ensure that state and local emergency preparedness plans address the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals following a major disaster or emergency. Recently a US effort to identify best practices in disaster veterinary care was sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture and the National Alliance of State Animal Agriculture Emergency Programs and chaired by members of the AVMA. Best practices were identified, including physical examination and triage, vaccination and parasite treatment and prophylaxis, decontamination, euthanasia, medical care of search and rescue dogs, field diagnostics, and components of a disaster veterinary medical equipment cache.

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Fluctuation of Public Interest in COVID-19 in the United States: Retrospective Analysis of Google Trends Search Data

JMIR Public Health and Surveillance ◽

10.2196/19969 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. e19969 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Iltifat Husain ◽

Blake Briggs ◽

Cedric Lefebvre ◽

David M Cline ◽

Jason P Stopyra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Public Interest ◽

The United States ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Google Trends ◽

Control Search ◽

Geographical Regions ◽

Health Initiatives ◽

Search Data ◽

Internet Searches

Background In the absence of vaccines and established treatments, nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are fundamental tools to control coronavirus disease (COVID-19) transmission. NPIs require public interest to be successful. In the United States, there is a lack of published research on the factors that influence public interest in COVID-19. Using Google Trends, we examined the US level of public interest in COVID-19 and how it correlated to testing and with other countries. Objective The aim of this study was to determine how public interest in COVID-19 in the United States changed over time and the key factors that drove this change, such as testing. US public interest in COVID-19 was compared to that in countries that have been more successful in their containment and mitigation strategies. Methods In this retrospective study, Google Trends was used to analyze the volume of internet searches within the United States relating to COVID-19, focusing on dates between December 31, 2019, and March 24, 2020. The volume of internet searches related to COVID-19 was compared to that in other countries. Results Throughout January and February 2020, there was limited search interest in COVID-19 within the United States. Interest declined for the first 21 days of February. A similar decline was seen in geographical regions that were later found to be experiencing undetected community transmission in February. Between March 9 and March 12, 2020, there was a rapid rise in search interest. This rise in search interest was positively correlated with the rise of positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 (6.3, 95% CI −2.9 to 9.7; P<.001). Within the United States, it took 52 days for search interest to rise substantially after the first positive case; in countries with more successful outbreak control, search interest rose in less than 15 days. Conclusions Containment and mitigation strategies require public interest to be successful. The initial level of COVID-19 public interest in the United States was limited and even decreased during a time when containment and mitigation strategies were being established. A lack of public interest in COVID-19 existed in the United States when containment and mitigation policies were in place. Based on our analysis, it is clear that US policy makers need to develop novel methods of communicating COVID-19 public health initiatives.

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Fluctuation of Public Interest in COVID-19 in the United States: Retrospective Analysis of Google Trends Search Data (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.19969 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Iltifat Husain ◽

Blake Briggs ◽

Cedric Lefebvre ◽

David M Cline ◽

Jason P Stopyra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Public Interest ◽

The United States ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Google Trends ◽

Control Search ◽

Geographical Regions ◽

Health Initiatives ◽

Search Data ◽

Internet Searches

BACKGROUND In the absence of vaccines and established treatments, nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are fundamental tools to control coronavirus disease (COVID-19) transmission. NPIs require public interest to be successful. In the United States, there is a lack of published research on the factors that influence public interest in COVID-19. Using Google Trends, we examined the US level of public interest in COVID-19 and how it correlated to testing and with other countries. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine how public interest in COVID-19 in the United States changed over time and the key factors that drove this change, such as testing. US public interest in COVID-19 was compared to that in countries that have been more successful in their containment and mitigation strategies. METHODS In this retrospective study, Google Trends was used to analyze the volume of internet searches within the United States relating to COVID-19, focusing on dates between December 31, 2019, and March 24, 2020. The volume of internet searches related to COVID-19 was compared to that in other countries. RESULTS Throughout January and February 2020, there was limited search interest in COVID-19 within the United States. Interest declined for the first 21 days of February. A similar decline was seen in geographical regions that were later found to be experiencing undetected community transmission in February. Between March 9 and March 12, 2020, there was a rapid rise in search interest. This rise in search interest was positively correlated with the rise of positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 (6.3, 95% CI −2.9 to 9.7; <i>P</i><.001). Within the United States, it took 52 days for search interest to rise substantially after the first positive case; in countries with more successful outbreak control, search interest rose in less than 15 days. CONCLUSIONS Containment and mitigation strategies require public interest to be successful. The initial level of COVID-19 public interest in the United States was limited and even decreased during a time when containment and mitigation strategies were being established. A lack of public interest in COVID-19 existed in the United States when containment and mitigation policies were in place. Based on our analysis, it is clear that US policy makers need to develop novel methods of communicating COVID-19 public health initiatives.

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Is This the Care We Need?: An Examination of Childcare Policy in Pennsylvania

Commonwealth ◽

10.15367/com.v19i2.153 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Jennie Sweet-Cushman ◽

Ashley Harden

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Child Care ◽

Current System ◽

The United States ◽

The State ◽

Federal State ◽

Women And Politics ◽

Richard Nixon ◽

State And Local ◽

Childcare Policy

For many families across Pennsylvania, child care is an ever-present concern. Since the 1970s, when Richard Nixon vetoed a national childcare program, child care has received little time in the policy spotlight. Instead, funding for child care in the United States now comes from a mixture of federal, state, and local programs that do not help all families. This article explores childcare options available to families in the state of Pennsylvania and highlights gaps in the current system. Specifically, we examine the state of child care available to families in the Commonwealth in terms of quality, accessibility, flexibility, and affordability. We also incorporate survey data from a nonrepresentative sample of registered Pennsylvania voters conducted by the Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics. As these results support the need for improvements in the current childcare system, we discuss recommendations for the future.

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Corruption as a Political Issue in Modern Societies: France, Great Britain and the United States in the Long 19th Century

Public Voices ◽

10.22140/pv.149 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 68 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jens Ivo Engels

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Great Britain ◽

19Th Century ◽

French Revolution ◽

Political Corruption ◽

The United States ◽

Modern World ◽

Political Issue ◽

Starting Point ◽

Bureaucratic State

The so-called “long 19th century”, from the French Revolution to the First World War, ranks as the crucial phase in the genesis of the modern world. In the Western countries this period was characterized by the differentiation of the public and the private spheres, the birth of the modern bureaucratic state and the delegitimation of early modern practices such as clientelism and patronage. All these fundamental changes are, among other things, usually considered important preconditions for the modern perception of corruption.This paper will concentrate on this crucial phase by means of a comparative analysis of debates in France, Great Britain and the United States, with the aim to elucidate the motives for major anti-corruption movements. The questions are: who fights against corruption and what are the reasons for doing so? I will argue that these concerns were often very different and sometimes accidental. Furthermore, an analysis of political corruption may reveal differences between the political cultures in the countries in question. Thus, the history of corruption serves as a sensor which enables a specific perspective on politics. By taking this question as a starting point the focus is narrowed to political corruption and the debates about corruption, while petty bribery on the part of minor civilservants, as well as the actual practice in the case of extensive political corruption, is left aside.

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A Comprehensive Review of the Evolution of Accounting Standards for State and Local Government Pensions and Other Postemployment Benefits in The United States

Accounting Historians Journal ◽

10.2308/aahj-52413 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 46 (1) ◽

pp. 57-77

Author(s):

Dale L. Flesher ◽

Craig Foltin ◽

Gary John Previts ◽

Mary S. Stone

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Local Government ◽

Accounting Standards ◽

The United States ◽

Pension Funds ◽

Defined Benefit ◽

Defined Contribution ◽

Defined Contribution Plans ◽

State And Local Government ◽

State And Local

ABSTRACT Both the business media and the popular press have emphasized the underfunding problems associated with pension funds that are set aside for state and local government workers, a group that also includes teachers and professors at state-affiliated colleges and universities. The realization that pension funds are typically underfunded stems from the fact that the accounting standards associated with state and local government employee pension funds have led to greater transparency since 2011. This paper examines, explains, and interprets the historical development over the last 70 years of accounting standards for state and local government pension funds in the United States. Changing accounting standards, along with economic and social change, have led to consequences such as employers transforming their pension programs to avoid substantial costs and significant liabilities, for example by changing from defined benefit to defined contribution plans.

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