scholarly journals A tale of two parts of Switzerland: regional differences in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on parents

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Seiler ◽  
Georg Staubli ◽  
Julia Hoeffe ◽  
Gianluca Gualco ◽  
Sergio Manzano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Regional Differences ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Pediatric Emergency ◽  
The South ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
The North ◽  
Regional Strategies ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background We aimed to document the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on regions within a European country. Methods Parents arriving at two pediatric emergency departments (EDs) in North of Switzerland and two in South of Switzerland completed an online survey during the first peak of the pandemic (April–June 2020). They were asked to rate their concern about their children or themselves having COVID-19. Results A total of 662 respondents completed the survey. Parents in the South were significantly more exposed to someone tested positive for COVID-19 than in the North (13.9 and 4.7%, respectively; P <  0.001). Parents in the South were much more concerned than in the North that they (mean 4.61 and 3.32, respectively; P <  0.001) or their child (mean 4.79 and 3.17, respectively; P <  0.001) had COVID-19. Parents reported their children wore facemasks significantly more often in the South than in the North (71.5 and 23.5%, respectively; P <  0.001). Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant regional differences among families arriving at EDs in Switzerland. Public health agencies should consider regional strategies, rather than country-wide guidelines, in future pandemics and for vaccination against COVID-19 for children.

scholarly journals Barriers to hospital electronic public health reporting and implications for the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 1306-1309
Author(s):  
A Jay Holmgren ◽  
Nate C Apathy ◽  
Julia Adler-Milstein
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Surveillance Data ◽  
Electronic Data ◽  
American Hospital ◽  
American Hospital Association ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Hospital Referral ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
The Impact ◽  
To Receive

Abstract We sought to identify barriers to hospital reporting of electronic surveillance data to local, state, and federal public health agencies and the impact on areas projected to be overwhelmed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Using 2018 American Hospital Association data, we identified barriers to surveillance data reporting and combined this with data on the projected impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital capacity at the hospital referral region level. Our results find the most common barrier was public health agencies lacked the capacity to electronically receive data, with 41.2% of all hospitals reporting it. We also identified 31 hospital referral regions in the top quartile of projected bed capacity needed for COVID-19 patients in which over half of hospitals in the area reported that the relevant public health agency was unable to receive electronic data. Public health agencies’ inability to receive electronic data is the most prominent hospital-reported barrier to effective syndromic surveillance. This reflects the policy commitment of investing in information technology for hospitals without a concomitant investment in IT infrastructure for state and local public health agencies.

scholarly journals Intent to Vaccinate Children against COVID-19: Low levels of trust in public health agencies trust across rural communities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enbal Shacham ◽  
Germysha Little ◽  
Steve Scroggins ◽  
Avery Fredman ◽  
Ricardo Wray ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Health Agency ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
State And Local

Background: A COVID-19 vaccination for children is positioned to be a critical resource in the pandemic-prevention effort. However, studies have shown hesitation towards COVID-19 vaccination uptake and a lack of trust in government agencies; putting children at risk for not receiving preventative medical care. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between trust in public health agencies and parental intention to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. Methods: Residents of a Midwestern state who reported being parent/guardian of one or more child, aged &lt;18 living at home, were recruited to participate in a cross-sectional online survey conducted during September-October 2020 (n=238). Participants were asked their level of trust in both state and local public health departments and if they planned on vaccinating their children against COVID-19. Resident geography, rural, suburban, and urban, was categorized using definitions from the Health Resource Services Administration (HRSA) and matched to participant county of residence. Descriptive and binomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to predict probability of vaccine intent for children.Results:. Among participants, 132 (55.5%) reported intention to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. Factors that were found to significantly decrease probability of vaccinating child were being a rural resident and lower level of trust in both state and local public health agencies. Discussion: Results from this study highlight the importance of addressing public health agency mistrust among individuals, regardless of geography, to assure more equitable vaccine delivery. Further, special focus may be needed for those living in more isolated, less populated areas, where a higher level of trust may be needed before parents vaccinate their children.

The impact of political conflicts in former Yugoslavia (1990-1995) on tourism of the Croatian coast

1997 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-256
Author(s):  
Peter Jordan
Keyword(s):  
Regional Differences ◽  
Former Yugoslavia ◽  
The South ◽  
Early Recovery ◽  
Political Conflicts ◽  
The North ◽  
Foreign Tourism ◽  
The Impact

The hostile actions that started in some parts o f Croatia already in 1990, the short war in Slovenia and the following wars in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina affected tourism on the Croatian coast severely. Although foreign tourism was already stagnating in the late 1980s it has actually been struck by the war events after summer 1990. The number of over-night stays from abroad declined from 38.2 millions in 1989 to 3.0 millions in 1991, i.e. to 7.8% o f the figure in 1989. The northern section of the coast was affected by the decline to almost the same extent as the South. The development since 1991, however, is divergent: While the Dalmatian coast had four years of practically no tourism, the Kvarner and especially Istria enjoyed a quicker recovery. The paper analyses regional differences in the decline of tourism caused by the wars, the different lines of decline by countries of origin, the reasons for the early recovery in the North as well as the impact of the decline on the economy of the region.

Nachhaltigkeit im Wald – vor und hinter der Welle der Globalisierung | Sustainable Forest Management – In Front and Behind the Wave of Globalization

2000 ◽  
Vol 151 (12) ◽  
pp. 502-507
Author(s):  
Christian Küchli
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Cultural Landscape ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
Specific Situation ◽  
The South ◽  
The North ◽  
Time Space ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Impact

Are there any common patterns in the transition processes from traditional and more or less sustainable forest management to exploitative use, which can regularly be observed both in central Europe and in the countries of the South (e.g. India or Indonesia)? Attempts were made with a time-space-model to typify those force fields, in which traditional sustainable forest management is undermined and is then transformed into a modern type of sustainable forest management. Although it is unlikely that the history of the North will become the future of the South, the glimpse into the northern past offers a useful starting point for the understanding of the current situation in the South, which in turn could stimulate the debate on development. For instance, the patterns which stand behind the conflicts on forest use in the Himalayas are very similar to the conflicts in the Alps. In the same way, the impact of socio-economic changes on the environment – key word ‹globalisation› – is often much the same. To recognize comparable patterns can be very valuable because it can act as a stimulant for the search of political, legal and technical solutions adapted to a specific situation. For the global community the realization of the way political-economic alliances work at the head of the ‹globalisationwave›can only signify to carry on trying to find a common language and understanding at the negotiation tables. On the lee side of the destructive breaker it is necessary to conserve and care for what survived. As it was the case in Switzerland these forest islands could once become the germination points for the genesis of a cultural landscape, where close-to-nature managed forests will constitute an essential element.

The Perils of Partnership

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan H. Marks
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Separation Of Powers ◽  
Public Health Research ◽  
Noncommunicable Diseases ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
Public Bodies

Collaboration with industry has become the paradigm in public health. Governments commonly develop close relationships with companies that are creating or exacerbating the very problems public health agencies are trying to solve. Nowhere is this more evident than in partnerships with food and soda companies to address obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases. The author argues that public-private partnerships and multistakeholder initiatives create webs of influence that undermine the integrity of public health agencies; distort public health research and policy; and reinforce the framing of public health problems and their solutions in ways that are least threatening to the commercial interests of corporate “partners.” We should expect multinational corporations to develop strategies of influence. But public bodies need to develop counter-strategies to insulate themselves from corporate influence in all its forms. The author reviews the ways in which we regulate public-public interactions (separation of powers) and private-private interactions (antitrust and competition laws), and argues for an analogous set of norms to govern public-private interactions. The book also offers a novel framework that is designed to help public bodies identify the systemic ethical implications of their existing or proposed relationships with industry actors. The book makes a compelling case that, in public health, the paradigm public-private interaction should be at arm’s length: separation, not collaboration. The author calls for a new paradigm to protect and promote public health while avoiding the ethical perils of partnership with industry.

scholarly journals Are public health measures and individualised care compatible in the face of a pandemic? A national observational study of bereaved relatives’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 026921632110198
Author(s):  
Catriona R Mayland ◽  
Rosemary Hughes ◽  
Steven Lane ◽  
Tamsin McGlinchey ◽  
Warren Donnellan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Family Support ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Professional Networks ◽  
Dying Patients ◽  
The Face ◽  
Individualised Care ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Informative Communication

Background: COVID-19 public health restrictions have affected end-of-life care experiences for dying patients and their families. Aim: To explore bereaved relatives’ experiences of quality of care and family support provided during the last days of life; to identify the impact of factors associated with perceived support. Design: A national, observational, open online survey was developed and disseminated via social media, public fora and professional networks (June–September 2020). Validated instruments and purposively designed questions assessed experiences. Analysis used descriptive statistics, logistic regression and thematic analysis of free-text responses. Participants: Individuals (⩾18 years) who had experienced the death of a relative/friend (all care settings) within the United Kingdome during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Respondents ( n = 278, mean 53.4 years) tended to be female ( n = 216, 78%); over half were ‘son/daughter’ (174, 62.6%) to the deceased. Deceased individuals (mean 81.6 years) most frequently died in their ‘usual place of care’ ( n = 192, 69.3%). Analysis established five conceptual themes affecting individualised care: (1) public health restrictions compounding the distress of ‘not knowing’; (2) disparate views about support from doctors and nurses; (3) challenges in communication and level of preparedness for the death; (4) delivery of compassionate care; (5) emotional needs and potential impact on grief. Male respondents (OR 2.9, p = 0.03) and those able to visit (OR 2.2, p = 0.04) were independently associated with good perceptions of family support. Conclusion: Despite public health restrictions, individualised care can be enabled by proactive, informative communication; recognising dying in a timely manner and facilitating the ability to be present before death.

scholarly journals International Perspectives on COVID-19 Communication Ecologies: Public Health Agencies’ Online Communication in Italy, Sweden, and the United States

2021 ◽  
pp. 000276422199283
Author(s):  
Serena Tagliacozzo ◽  
Frederike Albrecht ◽  
N. Emel Ganapati
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
The United States ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Communication Ecology ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
National Public Health

Communicating during a crisis can be challenging for public agencies as their communication ecology becomes increasingly complex while the need for fast and reliable public communication remains high. Using the lens of communication ecology, this study examines the online communication of national public health agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, Sweden, and the United States. Based on content analysis of Twitter data ( n = 856) and agency press releases ( n = 95), this article investigates two main questions: (1) How, and to what extent, did national public health agencies coordinate their online communication with other agencies and organizations? (2) How was online communication from the agencies diversified in terms of targeting specific organizations and social groups? Our findings indicate that public health agencies relied heavily on internal scientific expertise and predominately coordinated their communication efforts with national government agencies. Furthermore, our analysis reveals that agencies in each country differed in how they diversify information; however, all agencies provided tailored information to at least some organizations and social groups. Across the three countries, information tailored for several vulnerable groups (e.g., pregnant women, people with disabilities, immigrants, and homeless populations) was largely absent, which may contribute to negative consequences for these groups.

scholarly journals Non-woven materials for cloth-based face mask inserts: Relationship between material properties and sub-micron aerosol filtration

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leigh Crilley ◽  
Brian Malile ◽  
Andrea Angelucci ◽  
Cora Young ◽  
Trevor C. VandenBoer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Material Properties ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Respiratory Viruses ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Aerosol Filtration ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
Current Guidance

Current guidance by leading public health agencies recommends wearing a 3-layer cloth-based face mask with a middle non-woven material insert to reduce the transmission of infectious respiratory viruses like SARS-CoV-2....

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