scholarly journals Flaws In Medicine Must Be Corrected: An Open Report to National Governments amid the COVID-19 Catastrophe

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianqing Wu
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Public Health Intervention ◽  
Medical Evidence ◽  
Editorial Policies ◽  
Societal Needs ◽  
Peer Reviewers ◽  
National Governments ◽  
The U.S

It is a common question why society is hopeless in the war against COVID-19. Based on well documented evidence, the business model of traditional medical publishers is like a covert extortion against involuntary parties; researchers, academics, libraries, societies, editors, and peer reviewers. Each article is produced by the collective efforts of all involved parties. The publishers make profits by charging access fees and subscription fees. The unique position of the publishers arise from its power to decide article merit and societal needs to access articles. By examining their editorial policies, review practices, rejection reasons, etc., I found that their editorial policies are formulated to improve their financial positions but not medical merit. Strong support is found from analyzing several selected articles published by three key publishers. I found that their practices have the effects of perpetuating medical flaws and mistakes and promoting only profitable but inferior treatments. By engaging those practices for long times, they have created a pool of incomplete evidence that does not reflect human real ability to fight the disease. By relying on such incomplete evidence, governments cannot formulate sound public health intervention policies and society could not use cheap and more powerful methods to fight the disease. Most of the deaths and most of the severe economic damages to the U.S. could have been avoided. The mankind is paying ultimate prices in human lives and economy because government and society blindly rely on the incomplete evidence. By continuing relying on the incomplete evidence, humans continue various activities that have the effect of brewing future civilization catastrophes. I urge all governments to take legal actions necessary to protect disruptive medical discoveries, encourage competing arts, and expand medical evidence without regarding its form and source.

scholarly journals Partisan polarization and resistance to elite messages: Results from survey experiments on social distancing

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Syon P. Bhanot ◽  
Daniel J. Hopkins
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Online Surveys ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Partisan Polarization ◽  
Survey Experiments ◽  
Party Decline ◽  
The U.S ◽  
Health Experts

COVID-19 compelled government officials in the U.S. and elsewhere to institute social distancing policies, shuttering much of the economy. At a time of low trust and high polarization, Americans may only support such disruptive policies when recommended by same-party politicians. A related concern is that some may resist advice from “elite” sources such as government officials or public health experts. We test these possibilities using novel data from two online surveys with embedded experiments conducted with approximately 2,000 Pennsylvania residents each, in spring 2020 (Study 1 in April and Study 2 in May-June). We uncover partisan differences in views on several coronavirus-related policies, which grew larger between surveys. Yet overall, Study 1 respondents report strong support for social distancing policies and high trust in medical experts. Moreover, an experiment in Study 1 finds no evidence of reduced support for social distancing policies when advocated by elites, broadly defined. A second experiment in Study 2 finds no backlash for a policy described as being backed by public health experts, but a cross-party decline in support for the same policy when backed by government officials. This suggests that, in polarized times, public health experts might be better advocates for collectively beneficial public policies during public health crises than government officials.

The Affective Politics of Karma among Buddhist Cancer Charities in Vietnam

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 33-62
Author(s):  
Sara Swenson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Global Existence ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Public Health Intervention ◽  
Health Intervention ◽  
Moral Failure ◽  
Cancer Rates ◽  
Charity Work

In this article, I explore how Buddhist charity workers in Vietnam interpret rising cancer rates through understandings of karma. Rather than framing cancer as a primarily physical or medical phenomenon, volunteers state that cancer is a product of collective moral failure. Corruption in public food production is both caused by and perpetuates bad karma, which negatively impacts global existence. Conversely, charity work creates merit, which can improve collective karma and benefit all living beings. I argue that through such interpretations of karma, Buddhist volunteers understand their charity at cancer hospitals as an affective and ethical form of public health intervention.

HIV

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua M. Sharfstein
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Drug Administration ◽  
Food And Drug Administration ◽  
Research Process ◽  
National Institutes Of Health ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
Act Up ◽  
The U.S

The emergence of AIDS in the early 1980s caused a profound crisis for federal health agencies, particularly the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Activists in ACT UP, charging that these agencies were failing patients with AIDS, initiated a series of escalating protests. NIH officials, led by Dr. Anthony Fauci, began to talk with the advocates and make major changes in the research process. However, over at the FDA, a protest involving the arrest of hundreds of AIDS activists undermined the agency’s public health image. Eventually, under a new commissioner, the FDA earned back the trust of activists.

scholarly journals A Panel Evaluation of the Changes in the General Public’s Social-Media-Following of United States’ Public Health Departments during COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215013272199545
Author(s):  
Areej Khokhar ◽  
Aaron Spaulding ◽  
Zuhair Niazi ◽  
Sikander Ailawadhi ◽  
Rami Manochakian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
State Level ◽  
The State ◽  
Public Health Department ◽  
Health Departments ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Departments ◽  
The Social ◽  
The U.S

Importance: Social media is widely used by various segments of society. Its role as a tool of communication by the Public Health Departments in the U.S. remains unknown. Objective: To determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social media following of the Public Health Departments of the 50 States of the U.S. Design, Setting, and Participants: Data were collected by visiting the Public Health Department web page for each social media platform. State-level demographics were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention was utilized to collect information regarding the Governance of each State’s Public Health Department. Health rankings were collected from “America’s Health Rankings” 2019 Annual report from the United Health Foundation. The U.S. News and World Report Education Rankings were utilized to provide information regarding the public education of each State. Exposure: Data were pulled on 3 separate dates: first on March 5th (baseline and pre-national emergency declaration (NED) for COVID-19), March 18th (week following NED), and March 25th (2 weeks after NED). In addition, a variable identifying the total change across platforms was also created. All data were collected at the State level. Main Outcome: Overall, the social media following of the state Public Health Departments was very low. There was a significant increase in the public interest in following the Public Health Departments during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: With the declaration of National Emergency, there was a 150% increase in overall public following of the State Public Health Departments in the U.S. The increase was most noted in the Midwest and South regions of the U.S. The overall following in the pandemic “hotspots,” such as New York, California, and Florida, was significantly lower. Interesting correlations were noted between various demographic variables, health, and education ranking of the States and the social media following of their Health Departments. Conclusion and Relevance: Social media following of Public Health Departments across all States of the U.S. was very low. Though, the social media following significantly increased during the early course of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it still remains low. Significant opportunity exists for Public Health Departments to improve social media use to engage the public better.

scholarly journals Public Health Workforce Burnout in the COVID-19 Response in the U.S.

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 4369
Author(s):  
Kahler W. Stone ◽  
Kristina W. Kintziger ◽  
Meredith A. Jagger ◽  
Jennifer A. Horney
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The U.S

While the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline health care workers have been well described, the effects of the COVID-19 response on the U.S. public health workforce, which has been impacted by the prolonged public health response to the pandemic, has not been adequately characterized. A cross-sectional survey of public health professionals was conducted to assess mental and physical health, risk and protective factors for burnout, and short- and long-term career decisions during the pandemic response. The survey was completed online using the Qualtrics survey platform. Descriptive statistics and prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals) were calculated. Among responses received from 23 August and 11 September 2020, 66.2% of public health workers reported burnout. Those with more work experience (1–4 vs. <1 years: prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.08−3.36; 5–9 vs. <1 years: PR = 1.89, CI = 1.07−3.34) or working in academic settings (vs. practice: PR = 1.31, CI = 1.08–1.58) were most likely to report burnout. As of September 2020, 23.6% fewer respondents planned to remain in the U.S. public health workforce for three or more years compared to their retrospectively reported January 2020 plans. A large-scale public health emergency response places unsustainable burdens on an already underfunded and understaffed public health workforce. Pandemic-related burnout threatens the U.S. public health workforce’s future when many challenges related to the ongoing COVID-19 response remain unaddressed.

scholarly journals Comparison of the second and third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea: Importance of early public health intervention

2021 ◽  
Vol 104 ◽  
pp. 742-745
Author(s):  
Hye Seong ◽  
Hak Jun Hyun ◽  
Jin Gu Yun ◽  
Ji Yun Noh ◽  
Hee Jin Cheong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Public Health Intervention ◽  
Health Intervention

Measuring the Efficacy of a Pilot Public Health Intervention for Engaging Communities of Puerto Rico to Rapidly Write Hurricane Protection Plans

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Mark E. Keim ◽  
Laura A. Runnels ◽  
Alexander P. Lovallo ◽  
Margarita Pagan Medina ◽  
Eduardo Roman Rosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Puerto Rico ◽  
User Satisfaction ◽  
National Guard ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Public Health Intervention ◽  
Health Intervention ◽  
Project Work ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Community Based

Abstract Objective: The efficacy is measured for a public health intervention related to community-based planning for population protection measures (PPMs; ie, shelter-in-place and evacuation). Design: This is a mixed (qualitative and quantitative) prospective study of intervention efficacy, measured in terms of usability related to effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction, and degree of community engagement. Setting: Two municipalities in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are included. Participants: Community members consisting of individuals; traditional leaders; federal, territorial, and municipal emergency managers; municipal mayors; National Guard; territorial departments of education, health, housing, public works, and transportation; health care; police; Emergency Medical Services; faith-based organizations; nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); and the private sector. Intervention: The intervention included four community convenings: one for risk communication; two for plan-writing; and one tabletop exercise (TTX). This study analyzed data collected from the project work plan; participant rosters; participant surveys; workshop outputs; and focus group interviews. Main Outcome Measures: Efficacy was measured in terms of ISO 9241-11, an international standard for usability that includes effectiveness, efficiency, user satisfaction, and “freedom from risk” among users. Degree of engagement was considered an indicator of “freedom from risk,” measurable through workshop attendance. Results: Two separate communities drafted and exercised ~60-page-long population protection plans, each within 14.5 hours. Plan-writing workshops completed 100% of plan objectives and activities. Efficiency rates were nearly the same in both communities. Interviews and surveys indicated high degrees of community satisfaction. Engagement was consistent among community members and variable among governmental officials. Conclusions: Frontline communities have successfully demonstrated the ability to understand the environmental health hazards in their own community; rapidly write consensus-based plans for PPMs; participate in an objective-based TTX; and perform these activities in a bi-lingual setting. This intervention appears to be efficacious for public use in the rapid development of community-based PPMs.

A Canal Treaty out of the Dark Ages

Worldview ◽  
1976 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 4-8
Author(s):  
Martha Bennett Stiles
Keyword(s):  
Strong Support ◽  
Panama Canal ◽  
Ford Administration ◽  
Canal Zone ◽  
Dark Ages ◽  
Panama Canal Zone ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The U.S

Seventy-three years ago the U.S. connived in the secession of the Republic of Panama from Colombia in return for the privilege of building a canal across the Panamanian Isthmus "on a strip of land leased in perpetuity." Within this 533-square-mile zone the U.S. was to exercise, forever, all those rights that it "would possess and exercise if it were the sovereign of the territory..." Today the significance of that "if" is much debated.Although Ronald Reagan's campaign position—that the Panama Canal Zone is as much a part of the U.S. as is Alaska—has been deplored by the Ford Administration, it maintains strong support in the Senate.

scholarly journals An economic and disease transmission model of human papillomavirus and oropharyngeal cancer in Texas

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengxue Zhong ◽  
Li Xu ◽  
Ho-Lan Peng ◽  
Samantha Tam ◽  
Li Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Human Papillomavirus ◽  
Oropharyngeal Cancer ◽  
Hpv Vaccine ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Quality Adjusted Life ◽  
The U.S

AbstractIn 2017, 46,157 and 3,127 new oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) cases were reported in the U.S. and Texas, respectively. About 70% of OPC were attributed to human papillomavirus (HPV). However, only 51% of U.S. and 43.5% of Texas adolescents have completed the HPV vaccine series. Therefore, modeling the demographic dynamics and transmission of HPV and OPC progression is needed for accurate estimation of the economic and epidemiological impacts of HPV vaccine in a geographic area. An age-structured population dynamic model was developed for the U.S. state of Texas. With Texas-specific model parameters calibrated, this model described the dynamics of HPV-associated OPC in Texas. Parameters for the Year 2010 were used as the initial values, and the prediction for Year 2012 was compared with the real age-specific incidence rates in 23 age groups for model validation. The validated model was applied to predict 100-year age-adjusted incidence rates. The public health benefits of HPV vaccine uptake were evaluated by computer simulation. Compared with current vaccination program, increasing vaccine uptake rates by 50% would decrease the cumulative cases by 4403, within 100 years. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of this strategy was $94,518 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Increasing the vaccine uptake rate by 50% can: (i) reduce the incidence rates of OPC among both males and females; (ii) improve the quality-adjusted life years for both males and females; (iii) be cost-effective and has the potential to provide tremendous public health benefits in Texas.

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