scholarly journals Monitoring online media reports for the early detection of unknown diseases: insights from a retrospective study of COVID-19 emergence

Authorea ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Valentin ◽  
Aliz Mercier ◽  
Renaud Lancelot ◽  
Mathieu Roche ◽  
Elena Arsevska
Author(s):  
Ali Işın ◽  
Adnan Turgut ◽  
Amy E. Peden

Drowning is a public-health threat and a leading cause of injury-related death. In Turkey, drowning results in 900 fatalities annually, and the rate is rising. As data on rescue-related drowning are scarce, this retrospective study explores the epidemiology of fatal drowning among rescuers in Turkey. As there are no routinely collected death registry data on drowning in Turkey, data were sourced from media reports of incidents between 2015 and 2019. Rescuer fatalities were analysed by age, sex, activity prior to rescue, location, incident day of week and season, and place of death. Statistical analyses comprised X2 tests of significance (p < 0.05) and calculation of relative risk (95% confidence interval) using fatality rates. In total, 237 bystander rescuers drowned (90% male; 35% 15–24 years). In 33% of cases, the primary drowning victim (PDV) was successfully rescued, while in 46% of cases the rescue resulted in multiple drowning fatalities (mean = 2.29; range 1–5 rescuers). Rescues were more likely to be successful in saving the PDV if undertaken at the beach/sea (X2 = 29.147; p < 0.001), while swimming (X2 = 12.504; p = 0.001), or during summer (X2 = 8.223; p = 0.029). Risk of bystander rescue-related fatal drowning was twice as high on weekdays compared to on weekends (RR = 2.04; 95%CI: 1.56–2.67). While bystanders play an important role in reducing drowning, undertaking a rescue is not without risk and can lead to multiple drowning incidents. Training in rescue and resuscitation skills (especially the prioritization of non-contact rescues) coupled with increasing awareness of drowning risk, are risk-reduction strategies which should be explored in Turkey.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 36-40
Author(s):  
Md Ershad Ul Quadir ◽  
Munshi Md Mojibur Rahman ◽  
Md Mahbubur Rahman

Introduction: There is no exact statistics about the incidence of colorectal cancer in Bangladesh. According to National Cancer Institute, London, it is the 2nd most common cancer affecting more than 30,000 people in each year. As many patients with colon cancer do not develop symptoms until it is advanced and detection in early stage can only be achieved by screening of asymptomatic person. Maximum patients present lately with distance metastases when there is nothing to treat except palliative therapy. Objectives: To identify the risk factors, early symptoms, signs, treatment modalities, operative outcome, morbidity and mortality rate. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was carried out at CMH Dhaka during August 2002 to August 2004. A total of 50 patients were taken as study sample. All the patients were admitted in different surgical units of CMH Dhaka for surgical treatment. Detailed history were taken on admission by a questionnaire and examined thoroughly and findings regarding Anaemia, Jaundice, Dehydration, Oedema, Lymphadenopathy, Nutritional status and abnormal signs like ascites, distension, rigidity, organomegaly recorded. Digital rectal examination were done in all cases and finally examined by Proctoscope, Sigmoidoscope and with Colonoscope. FOBT (Fecal Occult Blood Test), serum tumour marker was also assessed. Results: Out of 50 cases 22 were rectal carcinoma and next common site was caecum and number was 10. There was a variation in the sex ratio. Out of 50 cases 33 were male and 17 were female. The highest incidence was among people of 6th decade (28%) and next highest was in 4th decade (24%). Majority of patient with right colon cancer presented with abdominal pain 12 out of 22 cases (56%) and weight loss 15 cases (68%). For left colon cancer commonest symptom was weight loss and weakness and altered bowel habit. Almost all cases with rectal carcinoma presented with bleeding per rectum. Conclusion: About 50% of lesions were found in recto-sigmoid junction and male: female ratio was 1.9:1. All efforts and modern technology should be applied for early detection and treatment. The survival rate is usually very poor in rectal carcinoma. In this study most of the cases were subjected to post operative Chemo and Radiotherapy, but more were treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation for down staging. The need for early detection of Colorectal Carcinoma (CRC) should be stressed in the form of screening patient awareness and understanding about symptomatology. Early diagnosis and definitive treatment are thereby increasing expectation of higher survival and better prognosis in patient of colorectal carcinoma. Journal of Armed Forces Medical College Bangladesh Vol.11(2) 2015: 36-40


2020 ◽  
pp. 002076402097579
Author(s):  
Sonika Raj ◽  
Abhishek Ghosh ◽  
Babita Sharma ◽  
Sonu Goel

Background: The content and nature of media reports could influence suicide prevention measures. Aim: To evaluate contemporary online media reports’ compliance with guidelines for responsible reporting of suicidal acts from Indian resources. Methods: We included English and Hindi articles for reports concerning suicide, published by local and national media sources for 30 consecutive days from the day of death of a celebrity by alleged suicide. The search was performed in Google News with predefined search queries and selection criteria. Two independent investigators did data extraction. Subsequently, each news report was assessed against guidelines for the responsible reporting of suicide by the WHO and the Press Council of India. Results: We identified 295 articles (Hindi n =  172, English n =  123). Results showed more than 80% of the media reports deviated from at least one criterion of the recommendations. A maximum breach was seen in the news article’s headlines, sensational reportage and detailed suicide methods description. Significant differences were seen in the quality of English and Hindi reporting and reporting celebrity and noncelebrity suicide. Additional items revealed were reporting suicide pacts, linking multiple suicides in a single news report, allowing user-generated threads and linking Religion and suicide. Conclusion: Measures are required to implement reporting recommendations in the framework of a national suicide prevention strategy.


2020 ◽  
pp. 216747952093559
Author(s):  
Jamie Cleland ◽  
Daryl Adair ◽  
Keith Parry

This article explores the implications of widely publicized national anthem protests by several Indigenous rugby league players in Australia during 2019. With a goal of doing justice to these Indigenous voices (and in this case also their silence), a critical race theory framework was deployed to both listen to and interpret the reasons behind the protests. The data source was online media reports that centered on the perspectives of players and rugby league officials, along with responses to the protests by prominent journalists and politicians via online opinion pieces. The findings indicate that the voices of Indigenous athletes in Australia are important in raising concerns about nationalist rituals and symbols that, by their colonialist nature, subjugate Aboriginal peoples. Importantly, the Indigenous rugby league players were not alone in their campaign. The Recognition in Anthem Project, which began in 2017, indicates that the perspectives of these protesting rugby players were part of a wider discussion about change. The movement for a new national anthem, therefore, was not just isolated to sport, and this appears to have provided the Indigenous rugby players—as social commentators—with atypical influence.


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 460-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olaniyi O. Olayinka ◽  
Tesfaye M. Bayleyegn ◽  
Rebecca S. Noe ◽  
Lauren S. Lewis ◽  
Vincent Arrisi ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectiveWe evaluated the usefulness and accuracy of media-reported data for active disaster-related mortality surveillance.MethodsFrom October 29 through November 5, 2012, epidemiologists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tracked online media reports for Hurricane Sandy–related deaths by use of a keyword search. To evaluate the media-reported data, vital statistics records of Sandy-related deaths were compared to corresponding media-reported deaths and assessed for percentage match. Sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), and timeliness of the media reports for detecting Sandy-related deaths were calculated.ResultsNinety-nine media-reported deaths were identified and compared with the 90 vital statistics death records sent to the CDC by New York City (NYC) and the 5 states that agreed to participate in this study. Seventy-five (76%) of the media reports matched with vital statistics records. Only NYC was able to actively track Sandy-related deaths during the event. Moderate sensitivity (83%) and PPV (83%) were calculated for the matching media-reported deaths for NYC.ConclusionsDuring Hurricane Sandy, the media-reported information was moderately sensitive, and percentage match with vital statistics records was also moderate. The results indicate that online media-reported deaths can be useful as a supplemental source of information for situational awareness and immediate public health decision-making during the initial response stage of a disaster. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:460–466)


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