scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 infodemic on psychological wellbeing and vaccine hesitancy

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Janmejaya Samal

Abstract Background With COVID-19 pandemic, the world has witnessed a scenario that is unique compared to any other such pandemic that the world has grappled with. This is primarily owing to the parallel infodemic that the population faced with disinformation and misinformation explosion in several platforms that an individual can access. Main body The myriad of information that everyone in the world received acted as double-edged sword as some information helped individuals in allying the anxiety and stigma and motivated them for appropriate COVID-19 behavior; however, on the other hand, the same acted opposite and created a whole lot of negative problems in the community. The misinformation regarding the disease is not only limited to what has happened so far in the realm of prevention and control rather the same is also plaguing the efforts towards effective vaccine uptake. Conclusion With the technological and media advancement, it is getting difficult to ward off every misinformation that is getting received at individual end which is obviously detrimental in the efforts toward effective vaccine acceptance; however, measures need to be taken at appropriate level to curb this menace of infodemic to relax the world from the clutch of this pandemic. This article looks at the impact of the misinformation and disinformation on psychological wellbeing and vaccine acceptance and suggests remedial measures.

Complexity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Jieqi Lei ◽  
Xuyuan Wang ◽  
Yiming Zhang ◽  
Lian Zhu ◽  
Lin Zhang

As of the end of October 2020, the cumulative number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 has exceeded 45 million and the cumulative number of deaths has exceeded 1.1 million all over the world. Faced with the fatal pandemic, countries around the world have taken various prevention and control measures. One of the important issues in epidemic prevention and control is the assessment of the prevention and control effectiveness. Changes in the time series of daily new confirmed cases can reflect the impact of policies in certain regions. In this paper, a smooth transition autoregressive (STAR) model is applied to investigate the intrinsic changes during the epidemic in certain countries and regions. In order to quantitatively evaluate the influence of the epidemic control measures, the sequence is fitted to the STAR model; then, comparisons between the dates of transition points and those of releasing certain policies are applied. Our model well fits the data. Moreover, the nonlinear smooth function within the STAR model reveals that the implementation of prevention and control policies is effective in some regions with different speeds. However, the ineffectiveness is also revealed and the threat of a second wave had already emerged.


2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 2179-2188
Author(s):  
Guilherme Liberato da Silva ◽  
Thiago Nunes Pereira ◽  
Noeli Juarez Ferla ◽  
Onilda Santos da Silva

Abstract The resistance of some species of Anopheles to chemical insecticides is spreading quickly throughout the world and has hindered the actions of prevention and control of malaria. The main mechanism responsible for resistance in these insects appears to be the target site known as knock-down resistance (kdr), which causes mutations in the sodium channel. Even so, many countries have made significant progress in the prevention of malaria, focusing largely on vector control through long-lasting insecticide nets (LLINs), indoor residual spraying and (IRS) of insecticides. The objective of this review is to contribute with information on the more applied insecticides for the control of the main vectors of malaria, its effects, and the different mechanisms of resistance. Currently it is necessary to look for others alternatives, e.g. biological control and products derived from plants and fungi, by using other organisms as a possible regulator of the populations of malaria vectors in critical outbreaks.


EDIS ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (1) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Demian F. Gomez ◽  
Jiri Hulcr ◽  
Daniel Carrillo

Invasive species, those that are nonnative and cause economic damage, are one of the main threats to ecosystems around the world. Ambrosia beetles are some of the most common invasive insects. Currently, severe economic impacts have been increasingly reported for all the invasive shot hole borers in South Africa, California, Israel, and throughout Asia. This 7-page fact sheet written by Demian F. Gomez, Jiri Hulcr, and Daniel Carrillo and published by the School of Forest Resources and Conservation describes shot hole borers and their biology and hosts and lists some strategies for prevention and control of these pests. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr422


Author(s):  
Y. Arockia Suganthi ◽  
Chitra K. ◽  
J. Magelin Mary

Dengue fever is a painful mosquito-borne infection caused by different types of virus in various localities of the world. There is no particular medicine or vaccine to treat person suffering from dengue fever. Dengue viruses are transmitted by the bite of female Aedes (Ae) mosquitoes. Dengue fever viruses are mainly transmitted by Aedes which can be active in tropical or subtropical climates. Aedes Aegypti is the key step to avoid infection transmission to save millions of people in all over the world. This paper provides a standard guideline in the planning of dengue prevention and control measures. At the same time gives the priorities including clinical management and hospitalized dengue patients have to address essentially.


Author(s):  
Gavin H. West ◽  
Laura S. Welch

This chapter describes the hazards for construction workers, with a particular focus on injuries as well as exposures to hazardous chemicals and dusts. A section describes hazardous exposures to lead and other heavy metals. Another section describes noise exposure. The impact of musculoskeletal disorders among construction workers is then discussed. A section on respiratory diseases focuses on asbestosis, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma. Exposures known to cause dermatitis and cancer are reviewed. There is a discussion of engineered nanomaterials as a potential emerging hazard. Various approaches to prevention and control, including regulations and health services, are described.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  

Abstract As vaccine hesitancy and decreasing immunization coverage have been identified by the World Health Organization as global alarming health threats, it is of crucial importance to exploit the potential offered by digital solutions to enhance immunization programmes and ultimately increase vaccine uptake. We have previously developed and published a conceptual framework outlining how digitalization can support immunization at different levels: i) when adopted for health education and communication purposes, ii) in the context of immunization programmes delivery, and iii) in the context of immunization information systems management. The proposed workshop is co-organized by the EUPHA Digital health section (EUPHA-DH) and EUPHA Infectious diseases control section (EUPHA-IDC) and aims at discussing the current AVAILABILITY, USE and IMPACT of digital solutions to support immunization programmes at the international, national and local level, as well as, debating on how technical infrastructures on one side and normative and policy frameworks on the other side enable their implementation. We plan to have a rich set of contributions covering the following: the presentation of a conceptual framework identifying and mapping the digital solutions' features having the potential to bolster immunization programmes, namely: i) Personalization and precision; ii) Automation; iii) Prediction; iv) Data analytics (including big data and interoperability); and v) Interaction; the dissemination of key results and final outputs of a Europe-wide funded project on the use of Information & Communication Technology to enhance immunization, with particular reference to the use and comparative impact of email remainders and personal electronic health records, as well as the results of an international survey conducted to map and collect best practices on the use of different digital solutions within immunization programmes at the national and regional level; the firsthand experience of the United Kingdom NHS Digital Child Health Programme which developed, implemented and is currently evaluating a number of solutions to increase childhood vaccination uptake in England, including an information standard and information sharing services developed to ensure that the details of children's vaccinations can be shared between different health care settings the perspective and experience of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) for Europe and of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the global level of what has worked so far in the digitalization of immunization programmes around the world, what recommendations were developed and which barriers identified at the technical normative and policy level Key messages Digitalization has great potential to support immunization programmes but its practice and impact need to be measured. Country-level and international experiences have created qualitative and quantitative evidence on the effectiveness of digital intervention aimed at increasing vaccine uptake.


Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 798
Author(s):  
Sami H. Alzahrani ◽  
Mukhtiar Baig ◽  
Mohammed W. Alrabia ◽  
Mohammed R. Algethami ◽  
Meshari M. Alhamdan ◽  
...  

Vaccine uptake could influence vaccination efforts to control the widespread COVID-19 pandemic; however, little is known about vaccine acceptance in Saudi Arabia. The present study aimed to assess the Saudi public’s intent to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and explore the associated demographic determinants of their intentions as well as the reasons for vaccine hesitancy. A cross-sectional, web-based survey was distributed to public individuals in Saudi Arabia between 25 December 2020 and 15 February 2021. Participants were asked if they were willing to get vaccinated, and the responses, along with demographic data were entered into a multinomial logistic regression model to assess the relative risk ratio (RRR) for responding “no” or “unsure” versus “yes”. Among 3048 participants (60.1% female, 89.5% Saudi), 52.9% intend to get vaccinated, 26.8% were unsure, and 20.3% refused vaccination. Vaccine hesitancy was significantly higher among females (RRR = 2.70, p < 0.0001) and those who had not been recently vaccinated for influenza (RRR = 2.63, p < 0.0001). The likelihood was lower among Saudis (RRR = 0.49, p < 0.0001), those with less than a secondary education (RRR = 0.16, p < 0.0001), perceived risks of COVID-19, and residents of the southern region (RRR = 0.46, p < 0.0001). The most often cited reasons for hesitancy were short clinical testing periods and concerns about adverse events or effectiveness. Vaccine hesitancy is mediated by many demographic factors and personal beliefs. To address vaccine-related concerns and amend deeply rooted health beliefs, communication should provide transparent information.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 479
Author(s):  
Yihang Li ◽  
Liyan Xu

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major challenge for society as a whole, and analyzing the impact of the spread of the epidemic and government control measures on the travel patterns of urban residents can provide powerful help for city managers to designate top-level epidemic prevention policies and specific epidemic prevention measures. This study investigates whether it is more appropriate to use groups of POIs with similar pedestrian flow patterns as the unit of study rather than functional categories of POIs. In this study, we analyzed the hour-by-hour pedestrian flow data of key locations in Beijing before, during, and after the strict epidemic prevention and control period, and we found that the pedestrian flow patterns differed greatly in different periods by using a composite clustering index; we interpreted the clustering results from two perspectives: groups of pedestrian flow patterns and functional categories. The results show that depending on the specific stage of epidemic prevention and control, the number of unique pedestrian flow patterns decreased from four before the epidemic to two during the strict control stage and then increased to six during the initial resumption of work. The restrictions on movement are correlated with most of the visitations, and the release of restrictions led to an increase in the variety of unique pedestrian flow patterns compared to that in the pre-restriction period, even though the overall number of visitations decreased, indicating that social restrictions led to differences in the flow patterns of POIs and increased social distance.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 941-953
Author(s):  
Dyan Kunthi Nugrahaeni ◽  
Novie Elvinawaty Mauliku ◽  
Budiman Budiman ◽  
Gunawan Irianto ◽  
Arina Novilla

ABSTRAK The World Health Organization menetapkan outbreak SARS-CoV-2 sebagai Kedaruratan Kesehatan Masyarakat yang Meresahkan Dunia dan dinyatakan sebagai pandemik. Penyebaran dan penularan penyakit Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) sangat tinggi, dengan jumlah penderita lebih dari 117 juta di seluruh dunia. Diperlukan berbagai strategi dan tindakan yang dapat dilakukan untuk pencegahan, penanggulangan dalam rangka mengatasi COVID-19. Tujuan Pengabdian masyarakat yang dilakukan oleh Stikes Achmad Yani adalah ikut berperan serta dalam pencegahan dan penanggulangan COVID-19 di wilayah Kota Cimahi dan Kota Bandung. Metode yang digunakan adalah partisipatori dalam berbagai aktifias pencegahan dan penanggulangan COVID-19. Kegiatan Pengabdian Masyarakat yang dilakukan selama pandemic COVID-19 diantaranya adalah demontrasi pembuatan handsanitizer, penyemprotan disinfektan, mengirimkan tim relawan pemeriksaan Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) antibodi Cluster Lembang dan relawan Check Point pada kegiatan Pembatasan Sosial Berskala Besar di Kota Bandung. Pemberian donasi kepada masyarakat terdampak pandemik COVID-19 dan donasi Alat Pelindung Diri (APD) ke fasilitas pelayanan kesehatan seperti Rumah Sakit dan Puskesmas. Pelaksanaan Rapid Test Diagnostic (RTD) antibodi dan RTD antigen bagi mahasiswa, dosen dan Karyawan. Stikes Achmad Yani juga berperan serta dalam gebyar Vaksin COVID-19 bagi tenaga kesehatan dan mengirimkan relawan sebagai vaksinator yang diselenggarakan oleh Rumah Sakit Hasan Sadikin berkerjasama dengan PPNI. Partisipasi Stikes Achmad Yani Cimahi dalam berbagai kegiatan yang terkait dengan COVID-19 diharapkan dapat memberikan kontribusi dalam rangka pencegahan penularan, pengendalian dan penanggulangan COVID-19. Kata Kunci: COVID-19, disinfeksi, relawan, Rapid Diagnostic Test  ABSTRACT The World Health Organization recognize the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak as a public health emergency of Internasional Concerns and declared it as a pandemic. The spread and transmission of Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) are very high and reported that over 117 million people have been sufferers worldwide. Several strategies and actions can be carried out to prevention, controlling and overcoming COVID-19. The purpose of community service carried out by Stikes Achmad Yani is to participate in the prevention and control of COVID-19 in Cimahi and Bandung district. The methode used in community services are participatory methods in several activities for prevention and control of COVID-19. Community Service activities carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic included demonstrations of making hand sanitizers, spraying disinfectants, sending a team of volunteers to examine the Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) antibody for the Lembang Cluster, and volunteer Check Points at Large-Scale Social Restrictions activities in Bandung. Providing donations to people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to health service facilities such as hospitals and health centers. Implementation of Rapid Diagnostic Test (RTD) antibody and RDT antigen for students, lecturers, and staff. Stikes Achmad Yani also participated in the COVID-19 Vaccine for health workers and sent volunteers as vaccinators organized by Hasan Sadikin Hospital in collaboration with PPNI. The participation of Stikes Achmad Yani Cimahi in various activities to contribute prevention of disease transmission and controlling COVID-19. Kata Kunci: COVID-19, disinfection, volunteer, Rapid Diagnostic Test


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