Assessing Impacts to National Park Visitation From COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Jenkins ◽  
Felber Arroyave ◽  
Madeline Brown ◽  
Jullianna Chavez ◽  
Johnny Ly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
The Novel ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Visitor Experiences ◽  
Case Count ◽  
Park Visitation ◽  
Reservation System ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Entry Restrictions ◽  
Permit System

Yosemite National Park is a popular tourist destination with high visitation levels that have increased throughout the summer season over the past several decades. Like with other protected areas, high visitation levels pose challenges for coordinating resources, infrastructural capacity, and visitor experiences. Use limits, including rationing vehicle entry at gates by reservation, are one possible strategy to manage visitation levels. After an initial full closure, the park chose to operationalize a multiphased permit system for day-use and overnight entry over the course of the pandemic in accordance with local and national guidelines for operational safety. While park closures and other entry restrictions have been common in recent years due to wildland fires and other natural hazards, the pandemic-related entry limits represent a nearly yearlong experiment. The prolonged entry ration along with restrictions to group activities has limited visitation and potentially reduced transmission of the novel coronavirus. We review the per capita COVID-19 case count in surrounding counties given the flow of tourism from outside the region, assess the changes in access to the park with the novel reservation system, compare monthly visitation during the 2020 use limits with prior decadal averages, detail how high visitation levels and crowding persist, and review the Park’s plans for an ongoing day-use permit system. We conclude with the ongoing challenges managers face in light of continued high visitation. Readers will be able to debate the efficacy of use limits and what may be a sustainable level of visitation for the park.

scholarly journals The Importance of Building Community Trust for Sustained Malaria Elimination Interventions During Unforeseen Major Disruptive Events Such as COVID-19: A Cambodia Case Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitra Feldman ◽  
Lieven Vernaeve ◽  
James Tibenderana ◽  
Leo Braack ◽  
Mark Debackere ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Malaria Elimination ◽  
The Novel ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Patients At Risk ◽  
Building Community ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
High Level ◽  
First Time

Abstract Background Impressive progress in reducing malaria trends combined with the 2018 report of no malaria related deaths for the first time, puts Cambodia well on track to reaching its malaria elimination goals. However, the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic presents a potential challenge to this goal. The path towards malaria elimination is dependent on sustained interventions to prevent rapid resurgence, which can quickly set back any gains achieved. Methods Mobile Malaria Workers (MMWs) need to have a strong understanding of the local geography and, most importantly, build and maintain trust among the communities they serve. To achieve this, Malaria Consortium uses a peer-to-peer approach for the MMWs and ensures the same level of trust operates between the MMWs and Malaria Consortium. Malaria Consortium’s policy during COVID-19 has been to follow national guidelines while continuing to support community-based malaria services via the MMWs / mobile malaria posts (MPs) with as minimal disruption as possible. A risk assessment was carried out by Malaria Consortium, with a mitigation plan quickly developed and implemented, to ensure MMWs were able to continue providing services without putting themselves or their patients at risk. Results Malaria Consortium ensured the MMW/ mobile MP program is built on trust, relevance to, and connection with the communities being served. An overall decline in malaria testing was reported from Health Centres and VMWs among all three provinces in March and April, not seen in previous years and possibly attributable to fear of COVID-19. However, Malaria Consortium supported MMWs have not reported any such decline in the utilization of their services and attribute this to the trust they have among the communities. Conclusion Malaria Consortium has effectively demonstrated care and solidarity with and among the MMWs and communities being served. This has ensured a high level of trust, and therefore willingness among the MMWs and communities to continue providing and utilising malaria services as usual despite the fear of COVID-19. Building trust among rural communities builds resilience and ensures uninterrupted and effective malaria elimination activities can continue even during a potential extraneous disruptive force, such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals TP10.2.3Restarting Elective Orthopaedic Surgery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences and Patient Outcomes

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anuhya Vusirikala ◽  
Marwan Saleh ◽  
Edward Laurent ◽  
Ranjith Kuzhupilly ◽  
Amr Fahmy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Orthopaedic Surgery ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
The Novel ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Post Operative Period ◽  
Physical Status Classification ◽  
Hospital Deaths ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Surgical Pathway

Abstract Aim The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) resulted in postponing all non- emergency elective surgeries from April 2020. Restarting elective orthopaedic surgery is important to help people with chronic disabilities. Our hospital successfully restarted elective orthopaedic surgery during the pandemic to help improve the quality of life of patients. This study describes the development of local protocols and pathways to allow for a safe restart of elective orthopaedic surgery in a COVID-19 free ‘green’ site. It also includes the morbidity and mortality outcomes of those patients who underwent non-emergency orthopaedic operations during this time. Methods A prospective cohort study evaluating patients undergoing non- emergency orthopaedic procedures through a COVID-19 free surgical pathway in a National Health Service acute general hospital in the United Kingdom from 18th May 2020- 10th July 2020. 104 patients were identified and their outcomes during the 2 week post-operative period was recorded. Results No patients developed COVID-19 infection in the two-week post-operative period. There were no intensive care unit admissions or in- hospital deaths during our study time frame. There was no statistical difference found in the development of complications for age (< 70 or >70), gender, body mass index or ASA physical status classification system grades. Conclusions This study describes a roadmap to setting up a protocolised elective operating service for orthopaedic surgery. It has shown that standardised protocols in a COVID-19 free ‘green’ site, pre-operative COVID-19 testing and adherence to national guidelines on self-isolation can help prevent developing COVID-19 infection post-operatively.

scholarly journals The importance of building community trust for sustained health interventions during disruptive events such as COVID-19: A Cambodia case study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitra Feldman ◽  
Lieven Vernaeve ◽  
James Tibenderana ◽  
Mark Debackere ◽  
Leo Braack ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Malaria Elimination ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
The Novel ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Building Community ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
High Level ◽  
First Time

Abstract Cambodia has made impressive progress in reducing malaria trends and, in 2018, reported no malaria related deaths for the first time. However, the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic presents a potential challenge to the country’s goal for malaria elimination by 2025. The path towards malaria elimination is dependent on sustained interventions to prevent rapid resurgence, which can quickly set back any gains achieved. Malaria Consortium supported Mobile Malaria Workers (MMWs) engage with target communities to promote acceptance, trust, and resilience. During the COVID-19 pandemic Malaria Consortium’s policy has been to follow national guidelines while continuing to support community-based malaria services via the MMWs / mobile malaria posts (MPs) with as minimal disruption as possible. A COVID-19 risk assessment was carried out by Malaria Consortium, with a mitigation plan quickly developed and implemented, to ensure MMWs were able to continue providing services without putting themselves or their patients at risk.In general, Health Centres and village malaria workers at District level saw an overall decline in malaria testing in March and April; however, Malaria Consortium-supported MMWs did not report any such decline in the utilization of their services. They attribute this to the trust they have among the communities especially regarding Covid-19 mitigation measures that were implemented, and their consequent ability to continue working safely thanks to Malaria Consortium’s rapid response and continued support.By effectively demonstrating care and solidarity with and among the MMWs and communities being served, the rapid and effective Covid-19 mitigation measures and community messaging have ensured a high level of trust, and therefore willingness to continue providing and utilising malaria services as usual, despite the fear of COVID-19. By building trust among rural communities, resilience was strengthened, and effective malaria elimination activities were able to continue uninterrupted, even during an extraneous disruptive force such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Adjusting confirmed COVID-19 case counts for testing volume

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Favero
Keyword(s):  
Disease Prevalence ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Reporting Standards ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Case Count ◽  
The Us ◽  
Viral Testing ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Relative Prevalence ◽  
Testing Coverage

AbstractWhen assessing the relative prevalence of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), observers often point to the number of COVID-19 cases that have been confirmed through viral testing. However, comparisons based on confirmed case counts alone can be misleading since a higher case count may reflect either a higher disease prevalence or a better rate of disease detection. Using weekly records of viral test results for each state in the US, I demonstrate how confirmed case counts can be adjusted based on the percentage of COVID-19 tests that come back positive. A regression analysis indicates that case counts track better with future hospitalizations and deaths when employing this simple adjustment for testing coverage. Viral testing results can be used as a leading indicator of COVID-19 prevalence, but data reporting standards should be improved, and care should be taken to account for testing coverage when comparing confirmed case counts.

Comparative docking of SARS-CoV-2 receptors antagonists from repurposing drugs

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Micael Davi Lima de Oliveira ◽  
Kelson Mota Teixeira de Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organisation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Lung Cells ◽  
The Novel ◽  
High Modulation ◽  
Main Protease ◽  
The World ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Viral Receptors ◽  
Theoretical Results

According to the World Health Organisation, until 16 June, 2020, the number of confirmed and notified cases of COVID-19 has already exceeded 7.9 million with approximately 434 thousand deaths worldwide. This research aimed to find repurposing antagonists, that may inhibit the activity of the main protease (Mpro) of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, as well as partially modulate the ACE2 receptors largely found in lung cells, and reduce viral replication by inhibiting Nsp12 RNA polymerase. Docking molecular simulations were performed among a total of 60 structures, most of all, published in the literature against the novel coronavirus. The theoretical results indicated that, in comparative terms, paritaprevir, ivermectin, ledipasvir, and simeprevir, are among the most theoretical promising drugs in remission of symptoms from the disease. Furthermore, also corroborate indinavir to the high modulation in viral receptors. The second group of promising drugs includes remdesivir and azithromycin. The repurposing drugs HCQ and chloroquine were not effective in comparative terms to other drugs, as monotherapies, against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

SARS-COV2 virus and Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 977-982
Author(s):  
Mohamed J. Saadh ◽  
Bashar Haj Rashid M ◽  
Roa’a Matar ◽  
Sajeda Riyad Aldibs ◽  
Hala Sbaih ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Close Contact ◽  
Antiviral Agents ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Fatal Disease ◽  
Mild Disease ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

SARS-COV2 virus causes Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and represents the causative agent of a potentially fatal disease that is of great global public health concern. The novel coronavirus (2019) was discovered in 2019 in Wuhan, the market of the wet animal, China with viral pneumonia cases and is life-threatening. Today, WHO announces COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. COVID-19 is likely to be zoonotic. It is transmitted from bats as intermediary animals to human. Also, the virus is transmitted from human to human who is in close contact with others. The computerized tomographic chest scan is usually abnormal even in those with no symptoms or mild disease. Treatment is nearly supportive; the role of antiviral agents is yet to be established. The SARS-COV2 virus spreads faster than its two ancestors, the SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), but has lower fatality. In this article, we aimed to summarize the transmission, symptoms, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and vaccine to control the spread of this fatal disease.

Coronavirus: Towards controlling of the pandemic - Indian scenario

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 462-468
Author(s):  
Latika kothari ◽  
Sanskruti Wadatkar ◽  
Roshni Taori ◽  
Pavan Bajaj ◽  
Diksha Agrawal
Keyword(s):  
Control Measures ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Medical Treatments ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The Public ◽  
Infection Control Measures ◽  
The Social ◽  
Asking Questions ◽  
The Government ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a communicable infection caused by the novel coronavirus resulting in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV). It was recognized to be a health crisis for the general population of international concern on 30th January 2020 and conceded as a pandemic on 11th March 2020. India is taking various measures to fight this invisible enemy by adopting different strategies and policies. To stop the COVID-19 from spreading, the Home Affairs Ministry and the health ministry, of India, has issued the nCoV 19 guidelines on travel. Screening for COVID-19 by asking questions about any symptoms, recent travel history, and exposure. India has been trying to get testing kits available. The government of India has enforced various laws like the social distancing, Janata curfew, strict lockdowns, screening door to door to control the spread of novel coronavirus. In this pandemic, innovative medical treatments are being explored, and a proper vaccine is being hunted to deal with the situation. Infection control measures are necessary to prevent the virus from further spreading and to help control the current situation. Thus, this review illustrates and explains the criteria provided by the government of India to the awareness of the public to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Association and treatment of diabetes in patients affected by Covid-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 1198-1201
Author(s):  
Syed Yasir Afaque
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Prognostic Value ◽  
Heart Diseases ◽  
The Novel ◽  
The World ◽  
Treatment Of Diabetes ◽  
Coronavirus Infection ◽  
Composite Outcomes ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The Impact

In December 2019, a unique coronavirus infection, SARS-CoV-2, was first identified in the province of Wuhan in China. Since then, it spread rapidly all over the world and has been responsible for a large number of morbidity and mortality among humans. According to a latest study, Diabetes mellitus, heart diseases, Hypertension etc. are being considered important risk factors for the development of this infection and is also associated with unfavorable outcomes in these patients. There is little evidence concerning the trail back of these patients possibly because of a small number of participants and people who experienced primary composite outcomes (such as admission in the ICU, usage of machine-driven ventilation or even fatality of these patients). Until now, there are no academic findings that have proven independent prognostic value of diabetes on death in the novel Coronavirus patients. However, there are several conjectures linking Diabetes with the impact as well as progression of COVID-19 in these patients. The aim of this review is to acknowledge about the association amongst Diabetes and the novel Coronavirus and the result of the infection in such patients.

The role and relationship of mindreading and social attunement in HRI – position statements of interdisciplinary researchers. Workshop HRI'20

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Wykowska ◽  
Jairo Pérez-Osorio ◽  
Stefan Kopp
Keyword(s):  
Mental States ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Artificial Agents ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Robot Interaction ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

This booklet is a collection of the position statements accepted for the HRI’20 conference workshop “Social Cognition for HRI: Exploring the relationship between mindreading and social attunement in human-robot interaction” (Wykowska, Perez-Osorio & Kopp, 2020). Unfortunately, due to the rapid unfolding of the novel coronavirus at the beginning of the present year, the conference and consequently our workshop, were canceled. On the light of these events, we decided to put together the positions statements accepted for the workshop. The contributions collected in these pages highlight the role of attribution of mental states to artificial agents in human-robot interaction, and precisely the quality and presence of social attunement mechanisms that are known to make human interaction smooth, efficient, and robust. These papers also accentuate the importance of the multidisciplinary approach to advance the understanding of the factors and the consequences of social interactions with artificial agents.

The Political Impact of Affective Polarization: How Partisan Animus Shapes COVID-19 Attitudes

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Druckman ◽  
Samara Klar ◽  
Yanna Krupnikov ◽  
Matthew Levendusky ◽  
John B. Ryan
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
American Politics ◽  
The Other ◽  
Policy Discourse ◽  
The Political ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Political Impact ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Citizens Attitudes

Affective polarization is a defining feature of 21st century American politics—partisans harbor considerable dislike and distrust of those from the other party. Does this animus have consequences for citizens’ opinions? Such effects would highlight not only the consequences of polarization, but also shed new light onto how citizens form preferences more generally. Normally, this question is intractable, but the outbreak of the novel coronavirus allows us to answer it. We find that affective polarization powerfully shapes citizens’ attitudes about the pandemic, as well as the actions they have taken in response to it. However, these effects are conditional on the local severity of the outbreak, as the effects decline in areas with high caseloads—threat vitiates partisan reasoning. Our results clarify that closing the divide on important issues requires not just policy discourse but also attempts to reduce inter-partisan hostility.

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