scholarly journals COVID-19 Pandemic: How Effective Are Preventive Control Measures and Is a Complete Lockdown Justified? A Comparison of Countries and States

COVID ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-46
Author(s):  
Franz Konstantin Fuss ◽  
Yehuda Weizman ◽  
Adin Ming Tan
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Average Duration ◽  
Time Derivative ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Reproductive Number ◽  
Preventive Control ◽  
Whitney Test ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Effective Phase ◽  
Case Data

For fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, countries used control measures of different severity, from “relaxed” to lockdown. Drastic lockdown measures are considered more effective but also have a negative impact on the economy. When comparing the financial value of lost lives to the losses of an economic disaster, the better option seems to be lockdown measures. We developed a new parameter, the effectiveness of control measures, calculated from the 2nd time derivative of daily case data, for 92 countries, states and provinces. We compared this parameter, and also the mortality during and after the effective phase, for countries with and without lockdowns measures by means of the Mann–Whitney test. We did not find any statistically significant difference in the effectiveness between countries with and without lockdowns (p > 0.76). There was also no significant difference in mortality during the effective phase (p > 0.1); however, a significant difference after the effective phase, with higher mortality for lockdown countries, was identified. The effectiveness correlated well with a parameter derived from the reproductive number (R2 = 0.9480). The average duration of the effective phase was 17.3 ± 10.5 days. The results indicated that lockdown measures are not necessarily superior to relaxed measures, which in turn are not necessarily a recipe for failure. Relaxed measures are, however, more economy-friendly.

scholarly journals COVID19 Pandemic: How Effective Are Interventive Control Measures and Is A Complete Lockdown Justified? A Comparison of Countries and States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franz Konstantin Fuss ◽  
Yehuda Weizman ◽  
Adin Ming Tan
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Average Duration ◽  
Time Derivative ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Reproductive Number ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Small Effect Size ◽  
Effective Phase ◽  
Case Data ◽  
Effectiveness Parameter

Abstract Background For fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, countries used control measures of different severity, from ‘relaxed’ to lockdown. Drastic lockdown measures are considered more effective, but also have a negative impact on the economy. When comparing the financial value of lost lives to the losses of an economic disaster, the better option seems to be lockdown measures.Methods We developed a new parameter, the effectiveness of control measures, calculated from the 2nd time derivative of daily case data, and normalised to the average of the daily case data during the effective phase; and also calculated from the derivative of the logarithm of the reproductive number. We calculated this parameter and two associated parameters, i.e. effectiveness, duration of effective phase, and ratio of the 2 former parameters, for 92 countries, states and provinces, whose effective phase ended the latest on 15 May 2020. We compared these effectiveness parameters, and also the mortality during and after the effective phase, for countries with and without lockdown measures by means of the Mann-Whitney test.Results We did not find any statistically significant difference in the three effectiveness parameters, between countries with and without lockdown (p > 0.76; very small effect size). There was also no significant difference in mortality during the effective phase (p > 0.1; very small to small effect sizes), however a significant difference after the effective phase, with higher mortality for lockdown countries. The effectiveness parameter derived from the daily case data correlated well with the parameter derived from the reproductive number (R2 = 0.9480). The average duration of the effective phase was 17.3 ± 10.5 days.Conclusions The results indicate that lockdown measures are not necessarily superior to relaxed measures, which in turn are not necessarily a recipe for failure. Relaxed measures are, however, more economy-friendly. The higher mortality of lockdown countries is explained from the fact that, in our database, more lockdown countries than no-lockdown countries have higher mortality already during the effective phase that became significant only after the effective phase.

scholarly journals Sustainability Consumption: Perubahan Perilaku Mengonsumsi Daging

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 249
Author(s):  
Waluyo Budi Atmoko ◽  
Nang Among Budiadi
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Method ◽  
Behavioral Change ◽  
Production Efficiency ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Meat Consumption ◽  
Health Production ◽  
Whitney Test ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Control

<em>Excessive meat consumption has negative impact on many areas of life, such as: health, production efficiency, environment, and social and ethics. This negative impact has encouraged the effort to change the behavior in consuming meat. This study is expected to contribute to the creation of public awareness, the need to establish the balance between consuming meat behavior and its consequences. The study used the experimental method. Hypothesis tested by Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney test. The result of the study stated there was a significant difference between stimuli of information about negative impact of meat consumption on health, environment, social and ethics and control. Meanwhile, there was no significant difference between stimuli of information about negative impact of meat consumption on production efficiency and control. Conclusion of the study is information about negative impact of meat consumption on health, environment, social and ethics can cause behavioral change.</em>

Comparison of Time spent between an electronic and a paper-based laboratory information system by laboratorians at a polyclinic in Greater Accra, Ghana: A time-motion study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Boakye
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Laboratory Information System ◽  
Time Motion ◽  
Accessible Information ◽  
Motion Study ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Significant Negative Impact ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Motion Studies

The acceptance of electronic laboratory information system (LIS) is gradually increasing in developing countries. However, the issue of time effectiveness due to computerization is less clear as there is fewer accessible information. One of the key issues for laboratorians is their indecision with LISs’ would-be effect of time on their work. A polyclinic in Ghana was in the process of implementing electronic LIS. Several of the laboratorians did not have knowledge and skill in computing and there were disagreeing views on the time effectiveness of the LIS after implementation. The management of the polyclinic laboratory was concerned to assess time advantageousness of recording data when using the electronic LIS compared with paper-based LIS. <div><br></div><div>Five randomly selected laboratorians were provided two sheets of paper with tables to document the time they spent for both paper-based and electronic LIS. Data were collected for a total of 230 records,115 electronic LIS and 115 paper-based LIS. The t-test (mean-comparison test) was computed to compare the means of both electronic and paperbased LIS times. </div><div><br></div><div>There was a statistical significant difference in the time spent between electronic and paper-based LIS. The time spent between paper-based and electronic LIS was 0.41 minutes (95% CI 0.15 to 0.66) longer than in electronic LIS. </div><div><br></div><div>LIS can be adopted in polyclinics without having significant negative impact on time spent between electronic and paper-based LIS. More time–motion studies that include laboratorians are however necessary in order to get a more complete picture of time spent between electronic and paper-based LIS. </div>

Candida auris and Nosocomial Infection

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 365-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sweety Dahiya ◽  
Anil K. Chhillar ◽  
Namita Sharma ◽  
Pooja Choudhary ◽  
Aruna Punia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Pathogenic Fungus ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Whole Genome Sequence ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Drug Resistant ◽  
Candida Auris ◽  
Preventive Control ◽  
Identification Techniques ◽  
Sensitivity Profile

The existence of the multi-drug resistant (MDR) pathogenic fungus, Candida auris came to light in 2009. This particular organism is capable of causing nosocomial infections in immunecompromised persons. This pathogen is associated with consistent candidemia with high mortality rate and presents a serious global health threat. Whole genome sequence (WGS) investigation detected powerful phylogeographic Candida auris genotypes which are specialized to particular geological areas indicating dissemination of particular genotype among provinces. Furthermore, this organism frequently exhibits multidrug-resistance and displays an unusual sensitivity profile. Identification techniques that are commercialized to test Candida auris often show inconsistent results and this misidentification leads to treatment failure which complicates the management of candidiasis. Till date, Candida auris has been progressively recorded from several countries and therefore its preventive control measures are paramount to interrupt its transmission. In this review, we discussed prevalence, biology, drug-resistance phenomena, virulence factors and management of Candida auris infections.

scholarly journals Dynamics analysis of an online gambling spreading model on scale-free networks

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Kong ◽  
Tao Li ◽  
Yuanmei Wang ◽  
Xinming Cheng ◽  
He Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Network Topology ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Online Gambling ◽  
Basic Reproductive Number ◽  
Reproductive Number ◽  
Scale Free ◽  
Spreading Model ◽  
Spreading Dynamics ◽  
Scale Free Networks ◽  
Gambling Policy

AbstractNowadays, online gambling has a great negative impact on the society. In order to study the effect of people’s psychological factors, anti-gambling policy, and social network topology on online gambling dynamics, a new SHGD (susceptible–hesitator–gambler–disclaimer) online gambling spreading model is proposed on scale-free networks. The spreading dynamics of online gambling is studied. The basic reproductive number $R_{0}$ R 0 is got and analyzed. The basic reproductive number $R_{0}$ R 0 is related to anti-gambling policy and the network topology. Then, gambling-free equilibrium $E_{0}$ E 0 and gambling-prevailing equilibrium $E_{ +} $ E + are obtained. The global stability of $E_{0}$ E 0 is analyzed. The global attractivity of $E_{ +} $ E + and the persistence of online gambling phenomenon are studied. Finally, the theoretical results are verified by some simulations.

scholarly journals Avoidance of Healthcare Utilization in South Korea during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 4363
Author(s):  
Minjung Lee ◽  
Myoungsoon You
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Healthcare Utilization ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
First Case ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Health Related

Avoidance of healthcare utilization among the general population during pandemic outbreaks has been observed and it can lead to a negative impact on population health. The object of this study is to examine the influence of socio-demographic and health-related factors on the avoidance of healthcare utilization during the global outbreak of a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in 2020. Data were collected through an online survey four weeks after the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) confirmed the first case in South Korea; 1000 subjects were included in the analysis. The logit model for regression was used to analyze the associations between sociodemographic and health-related factors regarding the avoidance of healthcare utilization. Among the participants, 73.2% avoided healthcare utilization, and there was no significant difference in the prevalence of healthcare avoidance between groups with (72.0%) and without (74.9%) an underlying disease. Sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., gender, age, income level, and residential area) were related to healthcare avoidance. Among the investigated influencing factors, residential areas highly affected by COVID-19 (i.e., Daegu/Gyeoungbuk region) had the most significant effect on healthcare avoidance. This study found a high prevalence of healthcare avoidance among the general population who under-utilized healthcare resources during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the results reveal that not all societal groups share the burden of healthcare avoidance equally, with it disproportionately affecting those with certain sociodemographic characteristics. This study can inform healthcare under-utilization patterns during emerging infectious disease outbreaks and provide information to public health emergency management for implementing strategies necessary to improve the preparedness of the healthcare system.

scholarly journals Assessing Stability of Crutch Users by Non-Contact Methods

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 3001
Author(s):  
Achilles Vairis ◽  
Suzana Brown ◽  
Maurice Bess ◽  
Kyu Hyun Bae ◽  
Jonathan Boyack
Keyword(s):  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Time Derivative ◽  
Assistive Devices ◽  
Signal To Noise ◽  
Physically Disabled ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Novice Users ◽  
Noise Ratio ◽  
Physically Disabled People

Enhancing gait stability in people who use crutches is paramount for their health. With the significant difference in gait compared to users who do not require an assistive device, the use of standard gait analysis tools to measure movement for temporary crush users and physically disabled people proves to be more challenging. In this paper, a novel approach based on video analysis is proposed as non-contact low-cost solution to the more expensive alternative with the data collected from processed videos, two values are calculated: the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of acceleration, and the Signal to Noise Ratio of the jerk (time derivative of acceleration), to assess the user’s stability while they walk with crutches. The adopted methodology has been tested on a total of 10 participants. Five are temporary users of assistive devices with one being a long-term user and the other four novice users, and five are disabled participants who use those assistive devices permanently. Preliminary results show differences between novice users, long-term users, and physically disabled users. The approach is promising and could improve the assessment of crutch user stability, allowing for the correction of gait for individuals while using an inexpensive non-contact setup and preventing unnecessary falls.

scholarly journals Heterogeneity and effectiveness analysis of COVID-19 prevention and control in major cities in China through time-varying reproduction number estimation

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qing Cheng ◽  
Zeyi Liu ◽  
Guangquan Cheng ◽  
Jincai Huang
Keyword(s):  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Reproduction Number ◽  
Correlation Method ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Prevention And Control Measures ◽  
And Control

AbstractBeginning on December 31, 2019, the large-scale novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in China. Tracking and analysing the heterogeneity and effectiveness of cities’ prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic is essential to design and adjust epidemic prevention and control measures. The number of newly confirmed cases in 25 of China’s most-affected cities for the COVID-19 epidemic from January 11 to February 10 was collected. The heterogeneity and effectiveness of these 25 cities’ prevention and control measures for COVID-19 were analysed by using an estimated time-varying reproduction number method and a serial correlation method. The results showed that the effective reproduction number (R) in 25 cities showed a downward trend overall, but there was a significant difference in the R change trends among cities, indicating that there was heterogeneity in the spread and control of COVID-19 in cities. Moreover, the COVID-19 control in 21 of 25 cities was effective, and the risk of infection decreased because their R had dropped below 1 by February 10, 2020. In contrast, the cities of Wuhan, Tianmen, Ezhou and Enshi still had difficulty effectively controlling the COVID-19 epidemic in a short period of time because their R was greater than 1.

scholarly journals The Impact of COVID-19 on Surgical Training: the Past, the Present and the Future

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Yiasemidou
Keyword(s):  
Infection Control ◽  
Surgical Training ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Elective Surgery ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Surgical Services ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic and infection control measures had an unavoidable impact on surgical services. During the first wave of the pandemic, elective surgery, endoscopy, and ‘face-to-face’ clinics were discontinued after recommendations from professional bodies. In addition, training courses, examinations, conferences, and training rotations were postponed or cancelled. Inadvertently, infection control and prevention measures, both within and outside hospitals, have caused a significant negative impact on training. At the same time, they have given space to new technologies, like telemedicine and platforms for webinars, to blossom. While the recovery phase is well underway in some parts of the world, most surgical services are not operating at full capacity. Unfortunately, some countries are still battling a second or third wave of the pandemic with severely negative consequences on surgical services. Several studies have looked into the impact of COVID-19 on surgical training. Here, an objective overview of studies from different parts of the world is presented. Also, evidence-based solutions are suggested for future surgical training interventions.

scholarly journals Risk Perception of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Implementation of Various Protective Measures by Dentists Across Various Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5848
Author(s):  
Anand Marya ◽  
Mohmed Isaqali Karobari ◽  
Siddharthan Selvaraj ◽  
Abdul Habeeb Adil ◽  
Ali A. Assiry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Perception ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Clinical Implementation ◽  
Protective Measures ◽  
Modes Of Transmission ◽  
Infection Control Measures ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
General Dentists ◽  
Uv Lamps

Objective: Healthcare workers in general are at a high risk of potential infections with COVID-19, especially those who work with aerosol generating procedures. Dentists fall in this category, as not only do they operate with aerosol generating procedures but also operate within a face-to-face contact area. Methods: A structured self-administered questionnaire was developed at Najran University and provided to the participants for data collection. The data collected included information on risk perception and incorporation of measures for protection against COVID-19 to gauge the attitude of dentists during this period. Also, clinical implementation of various protective measures was reviewed. Results: Of the n = 322 dentists that answered the questions, 50% were general dentists and 28.9% were dentists working at specialist clinics, while the remaining 21.1% of dentists were employed in academic institutions. Among the newer additions to the clinic, 36.3% of dentists answered that they had added atomizers to their practices, followed by 26.4% of dentists that had incorporated the use of UV lamps for sterilization. We found that 18.9% dentists were using HEPA filters in their clinics, while 9.9% of dentists were making use of fumigation devices to control the risk of infection. One-way ANOVA was also carried out to demonstrate that there was a statistically significant difference (p = 0.049) between groups of dentists utilizing HEPA filters, UV lamps, atomizers, and fumigation devices to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV2 across their workplaces. Conclusion: Dentists are aware of recently updated knowledge about the modes of transmission of COVID-19 and the recommended infection control measures in dental settings. A better understanding of the situation and methods to prevent it will ensure that the dental community is able to provide healthcare services to patients during the pandemic.

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