scholarly journals Reopening schools without strict COVID-19 mitigation measures risks accelerating the pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepti Gurdasani ◽  
Nisreen Alwan ◽  
Trisha Greenhalgh ◽  
Zoë Hyde ◽  
Luke Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Development ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Children And Families ◽  
Cdc Guidelines ◽  
Community Transmission ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Returning To School ◽  
The Impact

On 22nd February, the UK government announced schools in England would fully reopen on the 8th March 2021. While returning to school as soon as possible is imperative for the education, social development, and mental and physical welfare of children, not enough has been done to make schools safer for students and staff. Multi-layered mitigations can substantially reduce the risk of transmission within schools and into households. In the Appendix we outline a set of recommendations, in line with CDC guidelines and practiced in many countries, to reduce the risk of transmission in schools and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on children and families. Making schools safer goes hand in hand with reducing community transmission, and is essential to allow schools to safely reopen and remain open.

scholarly journals Modelling the impact of lockdown easing measures on cumulative COVID-19 cases and deaths in England

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Ziauddeen ◽  
N Subramaniam ◽  
D Gurdasani
Keyword(s):  
Bayesian Model ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Reproductive Number ◽  
Baseline Scenario ◽  
Community Transmission ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Incident Cases ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Death Data

AbstractBackgroundAs countries begin to ease the lockdown measures instituted to control the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a risk of a resurgence of the pandemic. The UK started easing lockdown in England when levels of community transmission remained high, which could have a major impact on case numbers and deaths. Using a Bayesian model we assessed the potential impacts of successive lockdown easing measures in England, focussing on scenarios where the reproductive number (R) remains ≤1 in line with the UK government’s stated aim.MethodsWe developed a Bayesian model to infer incident cases and R in England, from incident death data from the Office of National Statistics. We then used this to forecast excess cases and deaths in multiple plausible scenarios in which R increases at one or more time points, compared to a baseline scenario where R remains unchanged by the easing of lockdown.FindingsThe model inferred an R of 0.81 on the 13th May when England first started easing lockdown. In the most conservative scenario where R increases to 0.85 as lockdown was eased further on 1st June and then remained constant, the model predicts an excess 400 (95% CI 34-1988) deaths and 56,019 (95% CI 4768-278,083) cumulative cases over 90 days. In the scenario with maximal increases in R (but staying ≤1) with successive easing of lockdown, the model predicts 1,946 (95% CI 165-9,667) excess cumulative deaths and 351,460 (95% CI 29,894-1,747,026) excess cases.InterpretationWhen levels of transmission are high, even small changes in R with easing of lockdown can have significant impacts on expected cases and deaths, even if R remains ≤1. This will have a major impact on tracing systems and health care services in England. This model can be updated with incoming death data to refine predictions over time.FundingNone.Research in contextEvidence before this studyThe impact of social distancing and lockdown measures on controlling the COVID-19 pandemic has been studied extensively over the last few months. However there has been little examination of the likely impact of easing lockdown measures in a staged manner as is being currently carried out in England, UK. We searched PubMed, medRxiv, bioRxiv, arXiv, and Wellcome Open Research for peer-reviewed articles, preprints, and research reports using the terms “COVID-19”, “United Kingdom” and “lockdown” for research examining these impacts, but found no relevant research that could inform the impact of phased easing of lockdown within England, UK.Added value of this studyDecisions around timing of easing lockdown need to be informed by current scientific evidence. In this context, this study provides urgently needed information about the potential impact of lockdown easing at this point within the COVID-19 pandemic in England. Using an epidemiological approach with Bayesian inference, we specifically assess several plausible scenarios of increase in R from baseline as a result of easing lockdown measures at levels of current community transmission, even when the R is maintained ≤1, which is the stated aim of the UK government. We provide a comparison of these scenarios, with a baseline scenario where R remains constant, as well as against elimination strategies, where transmission is aggressively suppressed to the lowest level possible. As our code is publicly available, these methods can be easily applied to accruing data, and to any number of scenarios to better understand the implications for public health policy.Implications of all the available evidenceEasing lockdown at a point of relatively high community transmission within the UK would lead to substantial excesses of deaths, and cases, even if R is maintained at ≤1. As expected, these increases are more marked, when R rises above 1, which is a distinct possibility, given recent estimates of R by a UK government advisory group.1 Our findings suggest that an elimination strategy would be more appropriate at this point, to allow suppression of community transmission to a point where easing of lockdown would not have the same impact, as with current transmission, and would likely not overwhelm systems of test, trace and isolate, and health services within England.

UK initiatives to reduce antimicrobial resistant infections, 2013-2018

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 131-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Hopkins
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Government Policy ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight the local, national and global actions from the UK to reduce the impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on human health. Design/methodology/approach – Synthesis of UK government policy, surveillance and research on AMR. Findings – Activities that are taking place by the UK government, public health and professional organisations are highlighted. Originality/value – This paper describes the development and areas for action of the UK AMR strategy. It highlights the many interventions that are being delivered to reduce antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistant infections.

Prospects for a close EU-UK trade deal are not good

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Transition Period ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Limited Period ◽  
The Eu

Subject UK-EU trade talks. Significance The United Kingdom will leave the EU on January 31, 2020, but will abide by EU rules as part of the transition period, which runs to December 31, 2020. During this limited period of time, London and Brussels will seek to negotiate a permanent trading relationship. While the transition deadline can be extended, the UK government has committed not to seek an extension. Impacts The impact of no trade deal or a 'thin' one may force the UK government to increase taxes in order to meet spending pledges. UK financial services will rely on an equivalence deal with the EU; London hopes to agree this by mid-2020. The EU’s future trade policy will focus on having stronger sanction powers as well as legal ones for those that unfairly undercut EU firms.

Personal social services for children and families in the UK: a historical review

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 72-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Bullock ◽  
Roy Parker
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Historical Review ◽  
Children And Families ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to chart the history of personal social services for children and families in the UK and examine the factors that have influenced it. Special attention is given to changing perceptions of rights, the impact of scandals and the contribution of child development research. Design/methodology/approach Analysis of historical documents and research reports using four methods: a timeline of milestones, demarcation of distinct developmental periods, trends in policy and practice and comparisons of children’s needs and experiences at different times. Findings The evolution of services has not been linear. In policy, there have been reform and retrenchment, amalgamation and differentiation. Practice has been shaped by the emergence of new problems and the disappearance of old ones as well as by legislation, extreme events, research and finance, all occurring in specific political, moral and economic contexts. Originality/value An analysis of developments in children’s services in their political, economic, moral and research contexts.

scholarly journals Gambling in COVID-19 Lockdown in the UK: Depression, Stress, and Anxiety

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Sharman ◽  
Amanda Roberts ◽  
Henrietta Bowden-Jones ◽  
John Strang
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Potential Problem ◽  
Anxiety Scale ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

To combat the spread of COVID-19, the UK Government implemented a range of “lockdown” measures. Lockdown has necessarily changed the gambling habits of gamblers in the UK, and the impact of these measures on the mental health of gamblers is unknown. To understand the impact of lockdown on gamblers, in April 2020, after ~6 weeks of lockdown, participants (N = 1,028, 72% female) completed an online questionnaire. Gambling engagement data was collected for pre-lockdown via the Brief Problem Gambling Screen (BPGS) allowing participants to be classified as Non-Gamblers (NG), Non-Problem Gamblers (NPG) or Potential Problem Gamblers (PPG). The Depression, Stress, and Anxiety Scale (DASS21) was used to measure depression, stress, and anxiety scores both pre- and during-lockdown. Results indicate that depression, stress and anxiety has increased across the whole sample. Participants classified in the PPG group reported higher scores on each sub scale at both baseline and during lockdown. Increases were observed on each DASS21 subscale, for each gambler group, however despite variable significance and effect sizes, the magnitude of increases did not differ between groups. Lockdown has had a significant impact on mental health of participants; whilst depression stress and anxiety remain highest in potential problem gamblers, pre-lockdown gambler status did not affect changes in DASS21 scores.

The public's opinion regarding the impact of equine passports on the industry

2006 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 255-258
Author(s):  
S. N. Turnbull ◽  
D. M. Abraham
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Disease Rates ◽  
Crucial Information ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

The equine passport legislation is a comparatively new scheme that requires all horses to have a passport by 28th February 2005 (Defra, 2004). The equine passport is thought to have had a major impact on the industry in the United Kingdom, however the extent of this is, as yet, unknown due to the lack of current research. The UK Government hopes that the passport scheme will monitor horses that have been treated with medication and guarantee that they are not slaughtered for human consumption (Frank, 2003, Defra, 2004). Whilst the scheme originated from European food safety legislation (Ellis, 2003), the UK Government believes that there are other benefits attached to the equine passport, such as gaining comprehensive records about the equine population in the UK, which is crucial information required for epidemiological reasons (Mellor et al., 1999). The information will provide a denominator for the assessment of disease rates, and which areas of the country may be under threat.

The Changing Nature of Ministry amongst Children and Families in the UK during the Covid-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 073989132110099
Author(s):  
Sarah E. Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Data ◽  
Faith Formation ◽  
Family Ministry ◽  
Children And Families ◽  
Faith Journeys ◽  
Significant Change ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Children's Activities ◽  
The Church

Empirical data was gathered from parents, grandparents, and practitioners, which revealed the impact of Covid-19 on UK children and family ministry. Prevailing restrictions and associated needs caused significant change in the nature of this ministry, and may not be temporary. Key observations were reduction in engagement of families with the church, shift in the volunteer structure for church-based children’s activities, increased focus on family faith formation activities, and diversified individual faith journeys of children.

scholarly journals A multi-centre service evaluation of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on presentation of newly diagnosed cancers and type 1 diabetes in children in the UK

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Gemma Williams ◽  
Ross McLean ◽  
Jo-Fen Liu ◽  
Timothy Ritzmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type 1 Diabetes ◽  
Disease Severity ◽  
Delayed Diagnosis ◽  
Service Evaluation ◽  
Newly Diagnosed ◽  
Children And Families ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Diagnostic Intervals

AbstractBackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in patterns of presentation to Emergency Departments (ED). Child health professionals were concerned that this could contribute to the delayed diagnosis of life-threatening conditions, including childhood cancer (CC) and type 1 diabetes (T1DM). Our multicentre, UK-based service evaluation assessed diagnostic intervals and disease severity for these conditions.MethodsWe collected presentation route, timing and disease severity for children with newly diagnosed CC in three principal treatment centres, and T1DM in four centres between 1stJanuary – 31st July 2020 and the corresponding period in 2019. We assessed the impact of lockdown on total diagnostic interval (TDI), patient interval (PI), system interval (SI) and disease severity.FindingsFor CCs and T1DM, the route to diagnosis and severity of illness at presentation were unchanged across all time periods. Diagnostic intervals for CCs during lockdown were comparable to that in 2019 (TDI 4.6, PI 1.1 and SI 2.1 weeks), except for an increased PI in Jan-Mar 2020 (median 2.7 weeks). Diagnostic intervals for T1DM during lockdown were similar to that in 2019 (TDI 16 vs 15 and PI 14 vs 14 days), except for an increased PI in Jan-Mar 2020 (median 21 days).InterpretationThere is no evidence of diagnostic delay or increased illness severity for CC or T1DM, during the first phase of the pandemic across the participating centres. This provides reassuring data for children and families with these life-changing conditions.Research in ContextEvidence before this studyThis project was initiated after the first national lockdown in March 2020 during COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. At the design stage, Medline was searched (with no language limit), using the keywords ((Cancer) OR (neoplasm) OR (Type 1 diabetes mellitus)) AND ((Covid-19) OR (SARS-CoV-2) OR (Pandemics)) AND ((Emergency department attendances) OR (diabetes ketoacidosis) OR (Delayed diagnosis) OR (interval) OR (wait)) to identify publications reporting the impact of the pandemic and public health measures on both overall and paediatric healthcare services. Significant changes in service utilisation in the UK were reported following the commencement of the first lockdown, including a 49% reduction in emergency department attendances in the week following the lockdown; and two adult studies reported that referral via the urgent two-week wait cancer referral diagnoses decreased by 84% from Mar-May and 60% in June 2020. As for Type 1 diabetes (T1DM), a 30 patient UK-study reported an increase in newly diagnosed T1DM during the first six weeks of lockdown. Increased proportions of severe diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at presentation were also reported in an Italian survey involving 53 paediatric diabetes centres. Through the search we identified a need for multi-centre, more thorough assessment on referral pathways, time taken from symptom onset to diagnosis, and its association with severity at presentation for children diagnosed with life-changing conditions during the national lockdown.Added value of this studyOur findings suggest that the first national lockdown in the UK were not associated with delayed diagnosis of childhood cancer or type 1 diabetes at participating centres. This provides reassuring information for children and families with these life-changing conditions.ImplicationWe believe that our study can play a key role in allaying parental and professional concern. it is important to establish whether subsequent public health measures have impacted the diagnostic interval in the context of an evolving backlog of patient referrals across the UK.

Assessing the Compliance of Telematics Automotive Products with the European Principles of Human–Machine Interaction

2001 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mrs A. C. Board ◽  
A. Stevens
Keyword(s):  
European Commission ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Human Machine Interaction ◽  
Safety Requirements ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
Vehicle Information ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Machine Interaction

In December 1999, the European Commission adopted the European ‘Statement of Principles’ (SoP) in acknowledgement of the importance of the human-machine interaction (HMI) for in-vehicle telematics. In recommending adherence to the Statement of Principles, the EC urges the European motor manufacturing and supply industries to comply with a number of basic safety requirements concerning the design of, and driver interaction with, in-vehicle information, communication and entertainment systems. When the SoP was published, Member States were invited to undertake work to assess industry knowledge about, and compliance with, the Statement of Principles. TRL are currently undertaking this work for the UK Government in support of their work to assess the impact of the SoP and develop future policies concerning HMI. This paper discusses the results of a widespread UK consultation with individuals identified as working in the field of in-vehicle information, communication and entertainment systems (IVIS). It also outlines work undertaken to establish a method for assessing the extent to which a specific IVIS complies with the SoP. It describes the development and design of a HMI safety checklist that can provide an initial assessment of whether a specific IVIS is in accordance with the Principles.

Creativity in Business/Business in Creativity

2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 209-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Penaluna ◽  
Kathryn Penaluna
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Art And Design ◽  
Business Environments ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
Personal Skills ◽  
Uncertain Future ◽  
Business Acumen ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Recent guidance for UK government policy makers has warned that HEIs face an uncertain future and has advocated transdisciplinary curricula. Earlier, in 2005, two other UK government papers highlighted the advantages of integrating design-related strategies into business environments and addressed the impact creativity could have on business performance. A key recommendation was to strengthen the relationships between businesses, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and creative professionals from design disciplines who could positively affect business performance and provide digital media, industrial design, packaging, graphic design, branding and advertising. If the successful entrepreneur has personal skills, attributes and behaviours that extend beyond the purely commercial, HEIs need to develop students with capabilities that meet the entrepreneurial challenges of the knowledge economy. This paper draws on entrepreneurship and business education strategies that have evolved out of art and design disciplines at Swansea Metropolitan University in the UK. The authors argue that curriculum development should incorporate ‘business’ acumen in all programmes outside business schools and should develop the fundamental skills for developing and exploiting ‘creativity’ in programmes within them. The provision of a symbiotic experience of business and creativity across the curriculum has many benefits, not least because it responds to calls from entrepreneurship educators for a paradigm shift to develop right-brain entrepreneurial capabilities as well as left-brain analytical skills. Such pedagogies are well-established in the design disciplines and the evidence suggests that they are important as a wide-reaching, cross-disciplinary enabling strategy.

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