scholarly journals The evolution of COVID-19 pandemic wave and optimal levels of vaccination to reduce negative effects in society

Author(s):  
Mario Coccia

Abstract Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to be a pandemic threat with new mutations of the viral agent (SARS-CoV 2) that are generating a constant state of attention in manifold countries. Innovative drugs, such as vaccines can sustain, as far as possible, immunity of people and decrease negative effects in society. The study here, using data of vaccines and confirmed cases of COVID-19 between countries from March to May 2021, clarifies different optimal levels of vaccination associated with the growth of pandemic wave for reducing infected individuals in society. Findings reveal that a vaccination campaign in the initial phase of pandemic wave has a lower optimal level of doses administered per 100 inhabitants, but the growth of pandemic wave moves up the optimal level of vaccines from 58.5 in March to more than 86 doses per 100 people in May 2021. This study suggests that the optimal strategy and response to pandemic crisis is a rapid vaccination rollout, before the takeoff of pandemic wave, for an effective response to reduce numbers of COVID-19 related infected individuals and deaths and negative effects of pandemic crisis on environment and socioeconomic systems.

2002 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 703-729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon W. Anderson ◽  
William N. Lanen

Electronic data interchange (EDI) is an information technology that standardizes the exchange of information between transacting parties. Using data from a major U.S. office furniture manufacturer that adopted EDI primarily to improve the efficiency of accounting transactions, we evaluate whether EDI reduces order-processing time (the time from sales order receipt to sales order scheduling) and whether this improvement is greater for more complex orders. Our measure of complexity reflects both the mix of different products the dealer orders as well as features and options the dealer selects for each product in the order. We find that EDI is associated with faster order processing, independent of complexity, and that EDI mitigates most of the negative effects of complexity on processing time. We also find that dealers learn to submit error-free orders to the manufacturer, and that previous errors provide feedback that helps dealers submit more accurate orders. However, we find only mixed evidence that order complexity impedes learning.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Brolin Låftman ◽  
Y Bjereld ◽  
B Modin ◽  
P Löfstedt

Abstract Background Students who are subjected to sexual harassment at school report lower psychological well-being than those who are not exposed. Yet, it is possible that the occurrence of sexual harassment in the school class is stressful also for those who are not directly targeted, with potential negative effects on well-being for all students. The aim was to examine whether sexual harassment at the student- and at the class-level was associated with students' psychological complaints. Methods Data from the Swedish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) of 2017/18 was used, with information from students aged 11, 13 and 15 years (n = 3,720 distributed across 209 classes). Psychological complaints were constructed as a summative index of four items capturing how often the student had felt low, felt irritable or bad tempered, felt nervous, or had difficulties to fall asleep, during the past six months (Cronbach's alpha=0.78). Sexual harassment at the student-level was measured by one item concerning bullying at school: “Other students have exposed me to sexual jokes”. Students who reported that this had happened at least “2 or 3 times a month” were classified as exposed to sexual harassment at school. Sexual harassment at the class-level was defined as the school class proportion of students exposed to sexual harassment, reported in per cent. Two-level linear regression analysis was applied. Results Students who had been exposed to sexual harassment had higher levels of psychological complaints (b = 2.74, p < 0.001). The proportion of students in the school class who had been exposed to sexual harassment was also associated with higher levels of psychological complaints, even when adjusting for sexual harassment at the student-level, gender and grade (b = 0.03, p = 0.015). Conclusions Sexual harassment is harmful for those who are exposed, but may also affect other students negatively. Thus, a school climate free from sexual harassment will profit all students. Key messages Using data collected among students aged 11, 13 and 15 years, this study showed that sexual harassment at the student- and class-level was associated with higher levels of psychological complaints. Sexual harassment is harmful for those who are exposed, but may also affect other students negatively. Thus, a school climate free from sexual harassment will profit all students.


Author(s):  
MAX SCHAUB

How does poverty influence political participation? This question has interested political scientists since the early days of the discipline, but providing a definitive answer has proved difficult. This article focuses on one central aspect of poverty—the experience of acute financial hardship, lasting a few days at a time. Drawing on classic models of political engagement and novel theoretical insights, I argue that by inducing stress, social isolation, and feelings of alienation, acute financial hardship has immediate negative effects on political participation. Inference relies on a natural experiment afforded by the sequence of bank working days that causes short-term financial difficulties for the poor. Using data from three million individuals, personal interviews, and 1,100 elections in Germany, I demonstrate that acute financial hardship reduces both turnout intentions and actual turnout. The results imply that the financial status of the poor on election day can have important consequences for their political representation.


2021 ◽  
pp. 014544552098613
Author(s):  
Bailee B. Schuhmann ◽  
Sarah N. Henderson ◽  
Ryan A. Black ◽  
Vincent B. Van Hasselt ◽  
Kristin Klimley Margres ◽  
...  

Research has documented a number of acute and chronic stressors unique to the fire service. Due to the rise in mental health concerns in firefighters, there has been increased awareness of the negative effects of unmanaged stress. The present study employed a behavioral-analytic model to construct a brief screening measure of stress for this population: the Firefighter Assessment of Stress Test (FAST). Psychometric properties of the FAST were evaluated using data from active-duty firefighters throughout the United States. Results indicated the FAST has good internal reliability ( α = 0.89), as well as good convergent and discriminant validity. Also, the factor structure of the FAST revealed three significant subscales reflective of stress associated with responding to calls, administrative difficulties, and being overworked. Scoring and interpretation guidelines were established to suggest when further assessment is warranted. The FAST offers a brief and valid method of self-assessment of current stress levels in firefighters. Information obtained from the FAST (i.e., overall stress level and domains) has the potential to facilitate more immediate identification and recognition of stress in firefighters than what has been possible to date. Moreover, heightened awareness of stress and its effects will hopefully culminate in expanded efforts directed toward stress reduction and intervention for firefighters and their families.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3462
Author(s):  
Maider Aldaz Odriozola ◽  
Igor Álvarez Etxeberria

Corruption is a key factor that affects countries’ development, with emerging countries being a geographical area in which it tends to generate greater negative effects. However, few empirical studies analyze corruption from the point of view of disclosure by companies in this relevant geographical area. Based on a regression analysis using data from the 96 large companies from 15 emerging countries included in the 2016 International Transparency Report, this paper seeks to understand what determinants affect such disclosure. In that context, this paper provides empirical evidence to understand the factors that influence reporting on anti-corruption mechanisms in an area of high economic importance that has been little studied to date, pointing to the positive effect of press freedom in a country where the company is located and with the industry being the unique control variable that strengthens this relationship.


2021 ◽  
pp. 0734242X2098082
Author(s):  
Md. Sazzadul Haque ◽  
Shafkat Sharif ◽  
Aseer Masnoon ◽  
Ebne Rashid

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has demonstrated both positive and negative effects on the environment. Major concerns over personal hygiene, mandated and ease in lockdown actions and slackening of some policy measures have led to a massive surge in the use of disposable personal protective equipment (PPE) and other single-use plastic items. This generated an enormous amount of plastic waste from both healthcare and household units, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Apart from the healthcare workers, the general public have become accustomed to using PPE. These habits are threatening the land and marine environment with immense loads of plastic waste, due to improper disposal practices across the world, especially in developing nations. Contaminated PPE has already made its way to the oceans which will inevitably produce plastic particles alongside other pathogen-driven diseases. This study provided an estimation-based approach in quantifying the amount of contaminated plastic waste that can be expected daily from the massive usage of PPE (e.g. facemasks) because of the countrywide mandated regulations on PPE usage. The situation of Bangladesh has been analysed and projections revealed that a total of 3.4 billion pieces of single-use facemask, hand sanitizer bottles, hand gloves and disposable polyethylene bags will be produced monthly, which will give rise to 472.30 t of disposable plastic waste per day. The equations provided for the quantification of waste from used single-use plastic and PPE can be used for other countries for rough estimations. Then, the discussed recommendations will help concerned authorities and policy makers to design effective response plans. Sustainable plastic waste management for the current and post-pandemic period can be imagined and acted upon.


2021 ◽  

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the worst public health crises in Brazil and the world that has ever been faced. One of the main challenges that the healthcare systems have when decision-making is that the protocols tested in other epidemics do not guarantee success in controlling the spread of COVID-19, given its complexity. In this context, an effective response to guide the competent authorities in adopting public policies to fight COVID-19 depends on thoughtful analysis and effective data visualization, ideally based on different data sources. In this paper, we discuss and provide tools that can be helpful using data analytics to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak in Recife, Brazil. We use exploratory data analysis and inferential study to determine the trend changes in COVID-19 cases and their effective or instantaneous reproduction numbers. According to the data obtained of confirmed COVID-19 cases disaggregated at a regional level in this zone, we note a heterogeneous spread in most megaregions in Recife, Brazil. When incorporating quarantines decreed, effectiveness is detected in the regions. Our results indicate that the measures have effectively curbed the spread of the disease in Recife, Brazil. However, other factors can cause the effective reproduction number to not be within the expected ranges, which must be further studied.


2013 ◽  
Vol 103 (6) ◽  
pp. 2296-2327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus Desmet ◽  
Esteban Rossi-Hansberg

We use a simple theory of a system of cities to decompose the determinants of the city size distribution into three main components: efficiency, amenities, and frictions. Higher efficiency and better amenities lead to larger cities but also to greater frictions through congestion and other negative effects of agglomeration. Using data on MSAs in the United States, we estimate these city characteristics. Eliminating variation in any of them leads to large population reallocations, but modest welfare effects. We apply the same methodology to Chinese cities and find welfare effects that are many times larger than those in the US. (JEL H71, O18, P25, R11, R23, R41)


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Lally

This paper considers the costs and benefits of New Zealand's Covid-19 nation-wide lockdown strategy relative to pursuit of a mitigation strategy in March 2020. Using data available up to 28 June 2021, the estimated additional deaths from a mitigation strategy are 1,750 to 4,600, implying a Cost per Quality Adjusted Life Year saved by locking down in March 2020 of at least 13 times the generally employed threshold figure of $62,000 for health interventions in New Zealand; the lockdowns do not then seem to have been justified by reference to the standard benchmark. Using only data available to the New Zealand government in March 2020, the ratio is similar and therefore the same conclusion holds that the nation-wide lockdown strategy was not warranted. Looking forwards from 28 June 2021, if a new outbreak occurs that cannot be suppressed without a nation-wide lockdown, the death toll from adopting a mitigation strategy at this point would be even less than had it done so in March 2020, due to the vaccination campaign and because the period over which the virus would then inflict casualties would now be much less than the period from March 2020; this would favour a mitigation policy even more strongly than in March 2020. This approach of assessing the savings in quality adjusted life years and comparing them to a standard benchmark figure ensures that all quality adjusted life years saved by various health interventions are treated equally, which accords with the ethical principle of equity across people.


2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 469-480
Author(s):  
Giang-Nguyen T. ◽  
Byron Havard ◽  
Barbara Otto

<p>Students drop out of schools for many reasons, and it has negative effects on the individual and society. This paper reports a study using data published in 2015 from the Educational Longitudinal Study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics to analyze the influence of parental involvement on low-achieving U.S. students’ graduation rates from high school. Findings indicate that both students and parents share the same perspective on the need for parental involvement in their academic progress. For low-achieving high school students, parental involvement in academic work is a positive factor influencing students’ graduation from high school.</p>


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document