Health Hyperbolism: A Study in Health Crisis Rhetoric

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 1953-1964 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth M. Glowacki ◽  
Mary Anne Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Ebola Virus ◽  
The United States ◽  
Operational Definition ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
White House ◽  
Public Response ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Definition Of

The Ebola virus had only been in the United States for 2 months before it became a major national health concern. However, while some citizens panicked about the looming health crisis, others remained calm, offering explanations for why a rapid spread of the virus was unlikely. Examining the distinctions between these different reactions can contribute to a better understanding of the coping strategies citizens use when facing a health crisis. We consider how citizens respond to fear by focusing on whether or not hyperbolic rhetoric was used as a means for processing and managing fear. Approximately 400 tweets and Facebook posts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the White House, and The Alex Jones Show were examined to make conclusions about how citizens respond to messages from these mediated forums. At the intersection of health communication and critical rhetoric, we advance an operational definition of health hyperbolism derived from public response to opinion leaders. Ultimately, we find that health hyperbolism contains language illustrative of distrust, blame, anger, misrepresentation, conspiracy, and curiosity.

scholarly journals Spiritual nursing care: A concept analysis

Curationis ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lydia V. Monareng
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Care ◽  
Concept Analysis ◽  
Operational Definition ◽  
The Body ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Spiritual Needs ◽  
Optimal Care ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Definition Of

Although the concept ‘spiritual nursing care’ has its roots in the history of the nursing profession, many nurses in practice have difficulty integrating the concept into practice. There is an ongoing debate in the empirical literature about its definition, clarity and application in nursing practice. The study aimed to develop an operational definition of the concept and its application in clinical practice. A qualitative study was conducted to explore and describe how professional nurses render spiritual nursing care. A purposive sampling method was used to recruit the sample. Individual and focus group interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Trustworthiness was ensured through strategies of truth value, applicability, consistency and neutrality. Data were analysed using the NUD*IST power version 4 software, constant comparison, open, axial and selective coding. Tech’s eight steps of analysis were also used, which led to the emergence of themes, categories and sub-categories. Concept analysis was conducted through a comprehensive literature review and as a result ‘caring presence’ was identified as the core variable from which all the other characteristics of spiritual nursing care arise. An operational definition of spiritual nursing care based on the findings was that humane care is demonstrated by showing caring presence, respect and concern for meeting the needs not only of the body and mind of patients, but also their spiritual needs of hope and meaning in the midst of health crisis, which demand equal attention for optimal care from both religious and nonreligious nurses.

Hispanics, Mental Health, and Suicide: Brief Report

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Brenes
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Hispanic Americans ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Provider Attitudes ◽  
Health Crisis

A global health crisis exists surrounding suicide. In the United States, suicide rates have increased by nearly 30% in most states since 1999. Although the suicide rate among Hispanic Americans is significantly lower than non-Hispanic Whites, reasons for the lower rate are unclear. Current literature suggests that the lower rate may be due to underreporting, a lack of suicide screening and a number of complex social issues, including the stigma surrounding suicide in Hispanic culture. Health care provider attitudes toward suicidal individuals may also negatively affect mental health outcomes. This brief report focuses on suicide as a public health concern, addresses key issues arising from the phenomenon, and provides a perspective on health care providers’ attitudes toward suicide. Recommendations for future research, as well as implications for clinical practice and policy, are suggested.

scholarly journals Comparative Performance of SARS-CoV-2 Detection Assays Using Seven Different Primer-Probe Sets and One Assay Kit

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arun K. Nalla ◽  
Amanda M. Casto ◽  
Meei-Li W. Huang ◽  
Garrett A. Perchetti ◽  
Reigran Sampoleo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Cross Reactivity ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Comparative Performance ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Link Type ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
The University ◽  
Testing Protocols ◽  
Probe Set

ABSTRACT Nearly 400,000 people worldwide are known to have been infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) beginning in December 2019. The virus has now spread to over 168 countries including the United States, where the first cluster of cases was observed in the Seattle metropolitan area in Washington. Given the rapid increase in the number of cases in many localities, the availability of accurate, high-throughput SARS-CoV-2 testing is vital to efforts to manage the current public health crisis. In the course of optimizing SARS-CoV-2 testing performed by the University of Washington Clinical Virology Lab (UW Virology Lab), we evaluated assays using seven different primer-probe sets and one assay kit. We found that the most sensitive assays were those that used the E-gene primer-probe set described by Corman et al. (V. M. Corman, O. Landt, M. Kaiser, R. Molenkamp, et al., Euro Surveill 25:2000045, 2020, https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.3.2000045) and the N2 set developed by the CDC (Division of Viral Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/rt-pcr-panel-primer-probes.pdf). All assays tested were found to be highly specific for SARS-CoV-2, with no cross-reactivity with other respiratory viruses observed in our analyses regardless of the primer-probe set or kit used. These results will provide valuable information to other clinical laboratories who are actively developing SARS-CoV-2 testing protocols at a time when increased testing capacity is urgently needed worldwide.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and the rise of social activism in Southeast Asia: a public health concern

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff Clyde G Corpuz
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Social Activism ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Human Right ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract The current public health crisis has radically altered the social and civic involvement in Southeast Asia. Although the virus has shifted the landscape of engagement, it has not dampened the enthusiasm of the public. In 2020–2021, more people than ever seem to be paying attention and even getting involved in activism. Many dramatic events happened during the coronavirus crisis such as from protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, public activism around the environment, economic inequality, authoritarianism and human rights violations. In Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and just recently Myanmar. The journal has lately published about the ‘Relationship of George Floyd protests to increases in COVID-19 cases using event study methodology’ and it has rightly expressed that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-recommended social distancing guidelines must be followed in a protest situation. In response to the situation of social activism in Southeast Asia, one must follow the CDC-recommended and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines in the Region. Although protesting is an individual human right, one must also be cautious and be aware of the deadly virus since we are still in a pandemic and the COVID-19 virus continues to mutate.

scholarly journals COVID-19: Energy landscape theory of SARS-CoV-2 complexes with Particulate Matter

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianluigi Zangari del Balzo
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Energy Landscape ◽  
The United States ◽  
Deep Penetration ◽  
Energy Landscape Theory ◽  
Landscape Theory ◽  
Italian Regions ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
Experimental Laboratory ◽  
Definition Of

In the past few days, the global scientific community has made much progress in research for the COVID-19 pandemic, but the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has not yet been correctly characterized thermodynamically and much is still unknown. In particular, the current SARS-CoV-2 models lack the characterization of the virus system within its environment. This is a serious systematic error, which stands in the way of impeding research into the pandemic.In the present work, therefore, we consider the SARS-CoV-2 system with its environment, and we give a correct thermodynamic definition, through analysis and simulations, from air transport to cellular entry through the mechanism of receptor- mediated endocytosis.In studying the aerosol environment of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, we cannot omit the presence of nanoparticles or dust.Therefore, analyzing and comparing the air environments in China and Italy, we note that the Chinese and Italian regions which were at the beginning the most affected by the pandemic are also the most polluted. The same phenomenon is happening today for the United States and Brazil.We therefore propose an energy landscape theory of synergistic complexes of SARS- CoV-2 with particulate matter (PM).This could explain the optimized strategy of deep penetration of interstitial lung cells and the rapid spread of the pandemic in the most polluted areas of the planet. It could also explain the severity and difficulty of treating the forms of interstitial pneumonia occurred in Italy and worldwide.The energy landscape theory of complexes of SARS-CoV-2 with particulate matter (PM), leads to crucial methodological constraints aimed at containing systematic errors in experimental laboratory procedures and in mathematical modeling, which can allow and accelerate the definition of the mechanism of action of the virus and therefore the realization of the appropriate therapies and health protocols.

scholarly journals IDENTIFYING THE BOTTOM LINE AFTER A STOCK MARKET CRASH

2000 ◽  
Vol 11 (01) ◽  
pp. 91-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. M. ROEHNER
Keyword(s):  
Interest Rates ◽  
Stock Prices ◽  
The United States ◽  
Operational Definition ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Strong Negative Correlation ◽  
Economic Agents ◽  
Interest Rate Spread ◽  
The Interest Rate ◽  
Definition Of

In this empirical paper we show that in the months following a crash there is a distinct connection between the fall of stock prices and the increase in the range of interest rates for a sample of bonds. This variable, which is often referred to as the interest rate spread variable, can be considered as a statistical measure for the disparity in lenders' opinions about the future; in other words, it provides an operational definition of the uncertainty faced by economic agents. The observation that there is a strong negative correlation between stock prices and the spread variable relies on the examination of eight major crashes in the United States between 1857 and 1987. That relationship which has remained valid for one and a half century in spite of important changes in the organization of financial markets can be of interest in the perspective of Monte Carlo simulations of stock markets.

Lessons Learned From Hospital Ebola Preparation

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 627-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Morgan ◽  
Barbara Braun ◽  
Aaron M. Milstone ◽  
Deverick Anderson ◽  
Ebbing Lautenbach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
The United States ◽  
Routine Care ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Prevention Activities ◽  
Healthcare Epidemiology

BACKGROUNDHospital Ebola preparation is underway in the United States and other countries; however, the best approach and resources involved are unknown.OBJECTIVETo examine costs and challenges associated with hospital Ebola preparation by means of a survey of Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) members.DESIGNElectronic survey of infection prevention experts.RESULTSA total of 257 members completed the survey (221 US, 36 international) representing institutions in 41 US states, the District of Columbia, and 18 countries. The 221 US respondents represented 158 (43.1%) of 367 major medical centers that have SHEA members and included 21 (60%) of 35 institutions recently defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as Ebola virus disease treatment centers. From October 13 through October 19, 2014, Ebola consumed 80% of hospital epidemiology time and only 30% of routine infection prevention activities were completed. Routine care was delayed in 27% of hospitals evaluating patients for Ebola.LIMITATIONSConvenience sample of SHEA members with a moderate response rate.CONCLUSIONSHospital Ebola preparations required extraordinary resources, which were diverted from routine infection prevention activities. Patients being evaluated for Ebola faced delays and potential limitations in management of other diseases that are more common in travelers returning from West Africa.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2015;00(0): 1–5

The evolution of human trafficking messaging in the United States and its effect on public opinion

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tabitha Bonilla ◽  
Cecilia Hyunjung Mo
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
Human Trafficking ◽  
Sexual Exploitation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Survey Experiment ◽  
Public Response ◽  
The Public ◽  
Security Problem ◽  
Definition Of

AbstractDespite a near unanimous agreement that human trafficking is a morally reprehensible practice, there is confusion around what qualifies as human trafficking in the United States. Adopting a mixed-method strategy, we examine how human trafficking is defined by the public; how contemporary (mis)understanding of human trafficking developed; and the public opinion consequence of this (mis)understanding. The definition of human trafficking has evolved over time to become nearly synonymous with slavery; however, we demonstrate that media and anti-trafficking organisations have been focussing their attention on the sexual exploitation of foreign women. We show that general public opinion reflects this skewed attention; the average citizen equates human trafficking with the smuggling of women for sexual slavery. Using a survey experiment, we find that shining light on other facets of human trafficking – the fact that human trafficking is a security problem and a domestic issue – can increase public response to the issue.

Current Capabilities and Capacity of Ebola Treatment Centers in the United States

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jocelyn J. Herstein ◽  
Paul D. Biddinger ◽  
Colleen S. Kraft ◽  
Lisa Saiman ◽  
Shawn G. Gibbs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ebola Virus Disease ◽  
Treatment Center ◽  
Disease Treatment ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Infectious Waste ◽  
Electronic Spreadsheet ◽  
Us Census

OBJECTIVETo describe current Ebola treatment center (ETC) locations, their capacity to care for Ebola virus disease patients, and infection control infrastructure features.DESIGNA 19-question survey was distributed electronically in April 2015. Responses were collected via email by June 2015 and analyzed in an electronic spreadsheet.SETTINGThe survey was sent to and completed by site representatives of each ETC.PARTICIPANTSThe survey was sent to all 55 ETCs; 47 (85%) responded.RESULTSOf the 47 responding ETCs, there are 84 isolation beds available for adults and 91 for children; of these pediatric beds, 35 (38%) are in children’s hospitals. In total, the simultaneous capacity of the 47 reporting ETCs is 121 beds. On the basis of the current US census, there are 0.38 beds per million population. Most ETCs have negative pressure isolation rooms, anterooms, and a process for category A waste sterilization, although only 11 facilities (23%) have the capability to sterilize infectious waste on site.CONCLUSIONSFacilities developed ETCs on the basis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, but specific capabilities are not mandated at this present time. Owing to the complex and costly nature of Ebola virus disease treatment and variability in capabilities from facility to facility, in conjunction with the lack of regulations, nationwide capacity in specialized facilities is limited. Further assessments should determine whether ETCs can adapt to safely manage other highly infectious disease threats.Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2016;37(3):313–318

Components of Hostile Masculinity and Their Associations With Male-Perpetrated Sexual Aggression Toward Women: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 152483802110302
Author(s):  
Travis N. Ray ◽  
Michele R. Parkhill
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Interpersonal Violence ◽  
Sexual Aggression ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
The United States ◽  
Operational Definition ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Extant Literature ◽  
Definition Of

Hostile masculinity and its components (i.e., sexual dominance, hostility toward women, adversarial sexual beliefs, rape myth acceptance, and acceptance of interpersonal violence) have received considerable research attention as predictors of male-perpetrated sexual aggression toward women. The current systematic review sought to synthesize and organize the extant literature. Studies were included in the systematic review if they were published in a peer-reviewed journal between the years 1990 and 2020, contained a male sample within the United States, analyzed quantitative data, and examined at least one component of hostile masculinity and its association with sexual aggression. Literature searches were conducted in three academic databases, and additional records were identified through references sections from known hostile masculinity research. A total of 95 articles met inclusion criteria and were integrated into the overview of results. The reviewed literature provided broad support for the association between hostile masculinity and sexual aggression, including evidence for the theoretical framework posited by the confluence model of sexual aggression. Prevention efforts are likely to find success by modifying hostile masculine characteristics among men, particularly within problematic environmental contexts. However, the review also highlighted the need for a uniform conceptualization and operational definition of hostile masculinity. Additionally, empirical work with diverse samples is necessary to determine the scope of generalizability and potential subcultural distinctions. Future research that addresses these limitations will contribute to the understanding and prevention of sexual aggression beyond what is provided by the extant literature.

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