scholarly journals Study protocol for the COvid-19 Toolbox for All IslaNd (CONTAIN) project: A cross-border analysis in Ireland to disentangle psychological, behavioural, media and governmental responses to COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
Catherine D. Darker ◽  
Nicola O'Connell ◽  
Martin Dempster ◽  
Christopher D. Graham ◽  
Cliodhna O'Connor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
List Item ◽  
Policy Transfer ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
List Type ◽  
Incidence And Mortality ◽  
Media Messaging ◽  
Health Messaging

COVID-19 represents a serious challenge to governments and healthcare systems. In addition to testing/contact tracing, behavioural and social responses such as handwashing and social distancing or cocooning are effective tools for mitigating the spread of the disease. Psychological (e.g., risk perceptions, self-efficacy) and contextual factors (government, public health messaging, etc.) are likely to drive these behaviours. Collated real-time information of these indicators strengthens local, national and international public health advice and messaging. Further, understanding how well public health and government messages and measures are understood, communicated via (social) media and adhered to is vital. There are two governments and public health jurisdictions on the island of Ireland, the Republic of Ireland (ROI) and Northern Ireland (NI). This represents an opportunity to explore implications of differing measures and messaging across these two jurisdictions as they relate to COVID-19 on two similar populations. The expert research team are drawn from a range of disciplines in the two countries. This project has four nested studies: Assessment of key behavioural, social and psychological factors through a large, prospective representative telephone survey of individuals aged over-18 on a weekly basis over eight weeks (n=3072); and conduct qualitative focus groups over the same period.Interrogation of social media messaging and formal media responses in both jurisdictions to investigate the spread of (mis)information.Modelling data from Studies 1 and 2, plotting the psychosocial/behavioural and media messaging information with international, ROI and NI incidence and mortality data. Conducting an assessment of health policy transfer in an attempt to incorporate the most significant public health and political insights from each jurisdiction. The CONTAIN project will develop an evidence-based toolbox for targeting public health messaging and political leadership and will be created for use for the anticipated second wave of COVID-19, and subsequently for future epidemics/pandemics.

scholarly journals Study protocol for the COvid-19 Toolbox for All IslaNd (CONTAIN) project: A cross-border analysis in Ireland to disentangle psychological, behavioural, media and governmental responses to COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
Catherine D. Darker ◽  
Nicola O'Connell ◽  
Martin Dempster ◽  
Christopher D. Graham ◽  
Cliodhna O'Connor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
List Item ◽  
Policy Transfer ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
List Type ◽  
Incidence And Mortality ◽  
Media Messaging ◽  
Health Messaging

COVID-19 represents a serious challenge to governments and healthcare systems. In addition to testing/contact tracing, behavioural and social responses such as handwashing and social distancing or cocooning are effective tools for mitigating the spread of the disease. Psychological (e.g., risk perceptions, self-efficacy) and contextual factors (government, public health messaging, etc.) are likely to drive these behaviours. Collated real-time information of these indicators strengthens local, national and international public health advice and messaging. Further, understanding how well public health and government messages and measures are understood, communicated via (social) media and adhered to is vital. There are two governments and public health jurisdictions on the island of Ireland, the Republic of Ireland (ROI) and Northern Ireland (NI). This represents an opportunity to explore implications of differing measures and messaging across these two jurisdictions as they relate to COVID-19 on two similar populations. The expert research team are drawn from a range of disciplines in the two countries. This project has four nested studies: Assessment of key behavioural, social and psychological factors through a large, prospective representative telephone survey of individuals aged over-18 on a weekly basis over eight weeks (n=3072); and conduct qualitative focus groups over the same period.Interrogation of social media messaging and formal media responses in both jurisdictions to investigate the spread of (mis)information.Modelling data from Studies 1 and 2, plotting the psychosocial/behavioural and media messaging information with international, ROI and NI incidence and mortality data. Conducting an assessment of health policy transfer in an attempt to incorporate the most significant public health and political insights from each jurisdiction. The CONTAIN project will develop an evidence-based toolbox for targeting public health messaging and political leadership and will be created for use for the anticipated second wave of COVID-19, and subsequently for future epidemics/pandemics.

scholarly journals Why did the children stop coming? Reasons for paediatric emergency department attendance decrease during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom: A qualitative study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Breckons ◽  
Sophie Thorne ◽  
Rebecca Walsh ◽  
Sunil Bhopal ◽  
Stephen Owens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Substantial Reduction ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Urgent Care ◽  
List Type ◽  
Paediatric Emergency Department ◽  
Paediatric Emergency ◽  
Health Messaging

AbstractObjectiveTo explore parent’s experiences and views relating to their use of children’s emergency healthcare services during the Covid-19 pandemic.DesignQualitative telephone interview study using in-depth interviews, based on the principles of grounded theory. Recorded, transcribed verbatim, managed in NVivo version 12, analysed by thematic analysis.SettingNorth East England, United Kingdom.ParticipantsParents of children aged 0-8 years.FindingsThree major themes emerged from the interview data: Risk to children and families, Sources of Information, and Making Healthcare-seeking Decisions. These themes encompassed a range of intellectual and emotional responses in the way that parents interpreted information related to Covid-19, and their sense of responsibility towards family and wider society.ConclusionsTogether these themes aid understanding of the changes in paediatric emergency department attendances reported in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK. The analysis suggests that public health messaging directed at those seeking urgent care for children may be inadequate and lead to adverse consequences, the impacts of which require further study and refinement.What is known about the subjectFollowing lockdown, there was a substantial reduction in the number of children taken to unscheduled medical care across the countryDelays in presentation can impact on children’s healthIt is not known what parents’ views are on accessing emergency health services in a pandemic situationWhat this study addsParents had to weigh up a number of information sources before deciding on whether to take their child to hospitalPublic health messaging directed at those seeking urgent care for children may lead to a reduction in use of emergency healthcare servicesFuture lockdowns should implement focussed strategies, optimising use of emergency healthcare services, whilst avoiding harm.

Public Health Messaging in an Era of Social Media

JAMA ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raina M. Merchant ◽  
Eugenia C. South ◽  
Nicole Lurie
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Messaging

scholarly journals Going Viral: The 3 Rs of Social Media Messaging during Public Health Emergencies

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhavini Patel Murthy ◽  
Tanya Telfair LeBlanc ◽  
Sara J. Vagi ◽  
Rachel Nonkin Avchen
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Public Health Emergencies ◽  
Media Messaging

scholarly journals Oscillations in USA COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality Data reflect societal factors

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aviv Bergman ◽  
Yehonatan Sella ◽  
Peter Agre ◽  
Arturo Casadevall
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Disease Incidence ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Susceptible Population ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Incidence And Mortality ◽  
The Us ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Alternative Hypotheses

The COVID-19 pandemic currently in process differs from other infectious disease calamities that have previously plagued humanity in the vast amount of information that is produces each day, which includes daily estimates of the disease incidence and mortality data. Apart from providing actionable information to public health authorities on the trend of the pandemic, the daily incidence reflects the process of disease in a susceptible population and thus reflects the pathogenesis of COVID-19, the public health response and diagnosis and reporting. Both daily new cases and daily mortality data in the US exhibit periodic oscillatory patterns. By analyzing NYC and LA testing data, we demonstrate that this oscillation in the number of cases can be strongly explained by the daily variation in testing. This seems to rule out alternative hypotheses such as increased infections on certain days of the week as driving this oscillation. Similarly, we show that the apparent oscillation in mortality in the US data is mostly an artifact of reporting, which disappears in datasets that record death by episode date, such as the NYC and LA datasets. Periodic oscillations in COVID-19 incidence and mortality data reflect testing and reporting practices and contingencies. Thus, these contingencies should be considered first prior to suggesting social or biological mechanisms.

scholarly journals Development of a Codebook of Online Anti-Vaccination Rhetoric to Manage COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Hughes ◽  
C. Miller-Idriss ◽  
R. Piltch-Loeb ◽  
K. White ◽  
M. Creizis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Communication ◽  
User Generated Content ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Public Health Communication ◽  
Effective Public Health ◽  
Pandemic Vaccine ◽  
Qualitative Coding ◽  
Health Messaging

AbstractVaccine hesitancy (delay in obtaining a vaccine, despite availability) represents a significant hurdle to managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccine hesitancy is in part related to the prevalence of anti-vaccine misinformation and disinformation, which are spread through social media and user-generated content platforms. This study uses qualitative coding methodology to identify salient narratives and rhetorical styles common to anti-vaccine and COVID-denialist media. It organizes these narratives and rhetorics according to theme, imagined antagonist, and frequency. Most frequent were narratives centered on “corrupt elites” and rhetorics appealing to the vulnerability of children. The identification of these narratives and rhetorics may assist in developing effective public health messaging campaigns, since narrative and emotion have demonstrated persuasive effectiveness in other public health communication settings.

scholarly journals Regional and Age Epidemiological Analysis of Hepatitis A Viral in China, 2004-2017

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Xu ◽  
Ruiti Tang ◽  
Weiming Li
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Data Center ◽  
Hepatitis A ◽  
Hepatitis A Virus ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Health Science ◽  
Morbidity And Mortality ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Incidence And Mortality

Abstract Background: To describe the prevalence features, including age, regions, morbidity and mortality of hepatitis A viral in China from 2004 to 2017 by searching the China Public Health Sciences Data Center with the keyword “Hepatitis A virus (HAV)”.Methods: In this study, HAV morbidity and mortality data were retrieved from China Public Health Science Data Center (CPHSD) using HAV as a keyword. HAV infection data from 2004 to 2017, HAV cases and HAV-related deaths were retrieved from 31 regions in China, except Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. SPSS 18 is used for statistical analysis. GraphPad Prism 5 is used to draw line graphs and histograms. Microsoft PowerPoint 2016 and Adobe Illustrator CS 6 are used for drawing geographically distributed China maps.Results: From 2004 to 2017, the rates of hepatitis A viral morbidity and mortality in China were keeping decrease annually (7.1997 and 3.0772 in 2004; 2.6430 and 0.2997 in 2010; 1.3679 and 0.2899 in 2017, respectively, 1/100,000) (p<0.001). The HAV infection rate of children (0-10 years old) was higher than that of the elderly (>50 years old) (p<0.001). The geographical distribution of HAV prevalence showed significant regional differences which showed that hepatitis A patients were more prevalent in Sichuan and Xinjiang provinces (averaged number >4,000/ year). HAV-related death does not differ much between regions (averaged number 0~2.1/ year)Conclusions: Our analysis of viral hepatitis A prevalence features over past 14 years suggests that the incidence and mortality of HAV are decreased annually in China.

scholarly journals Modifications to the delivery of NHS face-to-face general practice consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic in England

F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 261
Author(s):  
Lorna J. Duncan ◽  
Kelly F.D. Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
General Practice ◽  
List Item ◽  
Home Visits ◽  
List Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Delivery Models ◽  
Beneficial Elements

Background: To minimise transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, delivery of English general practice consultations was modified in March 2020 to enable separation of diagnosed or suspected COVID-19 patients from others. Remote triage and consultations became the default, with adapted face-to-face contact used only when clinically necessary. This study aimed to identify the modified face-to-face delivery models used nationwide in spring/summer 2020. Information was also sought concerning COVID-19 outbreaks linked to English general practice. Methods: In June 2020, a survey was sent by email to the 135 Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in England to identify local organisation of face-to-face general practice consultations since March 2020. An email was  sent to Public Health England (PHE) requesting data on COVID-19 outbreaks linked to general practice. Results: All CCGs responded. Between March and July 2020, separation of COVID-19 patients from others was achieved using combinations of the following models: zoned surgeries (reported by 47% of CCGs), where COVID-19 and other patients were separated within their own practice;‘hot’ or ‘cold’ hubs (reported by 90% of CCGs), separate sites where COVID-19 or other patients registered at one of several collaborating practices were seen;‘hot’ and ‘cold’ home visits (reported by 70% of CCGs). One of seven combinations of these models was used across each CCG, with some flexibility shown according to changing demand through hub availability. PHE data indicated 25 possible or confirmed COVID-19 outbreaks or clusters in English general practice to July 31st 2020. Conclusions: Varied, flexible ways of delivering face-to-face general practice consultations were identified.  Analysis of the modified delivery in terms of management of COVID-19 and other conditions, and impacts on staff and patients, together with learning from investigations into confirmed COVID-19 outbreaks, may both aid future pandemic management and identify beneficial elements for practice beyond this.

scholarly journals Oscillations in U.S. COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality Data Reflect Diagnostic and Reporting Factors

mSystems ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aviv Bergman ◽  
Yehonatan Sella ◽  
Peter Agre ◽  
Arturo Casadevall
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Public Health System ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Periodic Oscillations ◽  
The Public ◽  
Incidence And Mortality

ABSTRACT The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic currently in process differs from other infectious disease calamities that have previously plagued humanity in the vast amount of information that is produced each day, which includes daily estimates of the disease incidence and mortality data. Apart from providing actionable information to public health authorities on the trend of the pandemic, the daily incidence reflects the process of disease in a susceptible population and thus reflects the pathogenesis of COVID-19, the public health response, and diagnosis and reporting. Both new daily cases and daily mortality data in the United States exhibit periodic oscillatory patterns. By analyzing New York City (NYC) and Los Angeles (LA) testing data, we demonstrate that this oscillation in the number of cases can be strongly explained by the daily variation in testing. This seems to rule out alternative hypotheses, such as increased infections on certain days of the week, as driving this oscillation. Similarly, we show that the apparent oscillation in mortality in the U.S. data are mostly an artifact of reporting, which disappears in data sets that record death by episode date, such as the NYC and LA data sets. Periodic oscillations in COVID-19 incidence and mortality data reflect testing and reporting practices and contingencies. Thus, these contingencies should be considered first prior to suggesting biological mechanisms. IMPORTANCE The incidence and mortality data for the COVID-19 data in the United States show periodic oscillations, giving the curve a distinctive serrated pattern. In this study, we show that these periodic highs and lows in incidence and mortality data are due to daily differences in testing for the virus and death reporting, respectively. These findings are important because they provide an explanation based on public health practices and shortcomings rather than biological explanations, such as infection dynamics. In other words, when oscillations occur in epidemiological data, a search for causes should begin with how the public health system produces and reports the information before considering other causes, such as infection cycles and higher incidences of events on certain days. Our results suggest that when oscillations occur in epidemiological data, this may be a signal that there are shortcomings in the public health system generating that information.

scholarly journals Employing Media Messaging Strategies to Respond to COVID-19 Misinformation

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Field ◽  
Gul Saeed ◽  
Mariana Villada Rivera ◽  
Sabrina Campanella ◽  
Lauren Tailor
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
World Health ◽  
Wide Audience ◽  
University Of Toronto ◽  
Public Health Information ◽  
Media Messaging ◽  
Health Organization

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed critical gaps in the public’s knowledge of infectious diseases. Experts, including the World Health Organization, acknowledge that an “infodemic” of misinformation is spreading at the same time as the pandemic. Furthermore, 13% of Canadians age 50 and younger reported using social media as their primary source of information about COVID-19. Thus, in January 2020, the Infectious Disease Working Group (IDWG) was formed by a group of students at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. The IDWG’s Media Messaging Team (MMT) uses Knowledge Translation (KT) strategies to increase access to evidence-based information related to public health and COVID-19. Specifically, MMT uses virtual platforms, including Twitter and Instagram (@infectious_info), to disseminate information to a wide audience. Objectives: The MMT aims to produce content to dispel pervasive and harmful myths about COVID-19, raise public awareness, and advocate for health equity. Methods: The team creates 2-4 pieces of original content per week on topics such as Ontario Government legislation updates, myth-busting series, and “Wednesday Series” (summaries of novel research findings). The IDWG employs an equity lens to ensure that the content takes into account the experiences and needs of diverse groups, and that graphics are representative of a diverse audience. Health communication strategies are used to promote audience engagement through compelling and bold content design. Results: The Instagram account has over 4,400 followers, with some posts surpassing 50,000 views. Qualitative feedback from social media followers indicates that this project is addressing an emerging gap in knowledge resulting from unclear messaging from official bodies, the spread of mis/disinformation, and disparities in health literacy levels. Conclusions: The findings can inform the development and implementation of KT strategies to reach a wide audience and increase the uptake of public health information.

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