scholarly journals Analyzing Twitter Data to Evaluate People’s Attitudes towards Public Health Policies and Events in the Era of COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6272
Author(s):  
Meng Hsiu Tsai ◽  
Yingfeng Wang
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Sentiment Analysis ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Data Preprocessing ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Twitter Data ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
People’S Attitudes

Policymakers and relevant public health authorities can analyze people’s attitudes towards public health policies and events using sentiment analysis. Sentiment analysis focuses on classifying and analyzing text sentiments. A Twitter sentiment analysis has the potential to monitor people’s attitudes towards public health policies and events. Here, we explore the feasibility of using Twitter data to build a surveillance system for monitoring people’s attitudes towards public health policies and events since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we conducted a sentiment analysis of Twitter data. We analyzed the relationship between the sentiment changes in COVID-19-related tweets and public health policies and events. Furthermore, to improve the performance of the early trained model, we developed a data preprocessing approach by using the pre-trained model and early Twitter data, which were available at the beginning of the pandemic. Our study identified a strong correlation between the sentiment changes in COVID-19-related Twitter data and public health policies and events. Additionally, the experimental results suggested that the data preprocessing approach improved the performance of the early trained model. This study verified the feasibility of developing a fast and low-human-effort surveillance system for monitoring people’s attitudes towards public health policies and events during a pandemic by analyzing Twitter data. Based on the pre-trained model and early Twitter data, we can quickly build a model for the surveillance system.

scholarly journals Analyzing Twitter Data to Evaluate the People’s Attitudes to Public Health Policies and Events in the Era of COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng-Hsiu Tsai ◽  
Yingfeng Wang
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Sentiment Analysis ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
The Public ◽  
Twitter Data ◽  
People’S Attitudes

Abstract Background: In the era of a pandemic like COVID-19, monitoring the sentimental changes of the population is an urgent need, especially for the policy makers of the public health. A possible solution is to build a fast and low-cost surveillance system by using the sentiment analysis of Twitter data. Unfortunately, choosing a suitable sentiment classification model is still challenging. The general pre-trained model may be insensitive to the new specific terms of the pandemic. The early-trained model may have a bias issue due to the incomplete specific corpus. Although it is reasonable to assume the late-trained model is relatively reliable, it is usually available months after a pandemic begins. Methods: This paper conducts the sentiment analysis of Twitter data and compares different models. Furthermore, we propose a strategy for using the pre-trained, early-trained, and latetrained models in a surveillance system based on Twitter data. The first two models can be used together in the early stage, while the last model can be used in the late stage. This study also analyzes the relationship between the sentimental changes of COVID-19-related Twitter data and the public health policies and events. Results: Our results indicate that applying the pre-trained model to preprocessing early training samples may improve the early-trained model. Both models can work together by making up each other in the surveillance system in the early stage. Conclusions: A fast and low-cost surveillance system is critical to the policy makers of the public health in a pandemic. This work uses the sentiment analysis of Twitter data to evaluate people’s attitudes to public health policies and events. We propose a strategy to make the surveillance system effective since the early stage. This study also connects the sentimental changes of COVID19-related Twitter data to the public health policies and events.

scholarly journals Simulating the progression of the COVID-19 disease in Cameroon using SIR models

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrich KAMGUEM NGUEMDJO ◽  
Freeman MENO ◽  
Audric DONGFACK ◽  
Bruno VENTELOU
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Basic Reproduction Number ◽  
Reproduction Number ◽  
Sir Model ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Epidemic Curve ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
The Basic Reproduction Number

This paper analyses the evolution of COVID 19 disease in Cameroon over the period March 6 April 2020 using SIR model. Specifically, 1) we evaluate the basic reproduction number of the virus. 2) Determine the peak of the infection and the spread-out period of the disease. 3) Simulate the interventions of public health authorities. Data used in this study is obtained from the Ministry of Health of Cameroon. The results suggest that over the period, the reproduction number of the COVID 19 in Cameroon is about 1.5 and the peak of the infection could occur at the end of May 2020 with about 7.7% of the population infected. Besides, implementation of efficient public health policies could help flattens the epidemic curve.

scholarly journals Imported chikungunya cases in an area newly colonised by Aedes albopictus: mathematical assessment of the best public health strategy

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Sochacki ◽  
Frédéric Jourdain ◽  
Yvon Perrin ◽  
Harold Noel ◽  
Marie-Claire Paty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Economic Cost ◽  
Public Health Strategy ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Laboratory Confirmation ◽  
Health Strategy ◽  
Imported Cases ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Local Transmission

We aimed to identify the optimal strategy that should be used by public health authorities against transmission of chikungunya virus in mainland France. The theoretical model we developed, which mimics the current surveillance system, predicted that without vector control (VC), the probability of local transmission after introduction of viraemic patients was around 2%, and the number of autochthonous cases between five and 15 persons per hectare, depending on the number of imported cases. Compared with this baseline, we considered different strategies (VC after clinical suspicion of a case or after laboratory confirmation, for imported or autochthonous cases): Awaiting laboratory confirmation for suspected imported cases to implement VC had no significant impact on the epidemiological outcomes analysed, mainly because of the delay before entering into the surveillance system. However, waiting for laboratory confirmation of autochthonous cases before implementing VC resulted in more frequent outbreaks. After analysing the economic cost of such strategies, our study suggested implementing VC immediately after the notification of a suspected autochthonous case as the most efficient strategy in settings where local transmission has been proven. Nevertheless, we identified that decreasing reporting time for imported cases should remain a priority.

scholarly journals West Nile Virus Circulation in Mosquitoes in Greece (2010–2013)

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleni Patsoula ◽  
Annita Vakali ◽  
Georgios Balatsos ◽  
Danai Pervanidou ◽  
Stavroula Beleri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
West Nile Virus ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Northern Greece ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Regional Unit ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
The One

Background of the Study. Following a large West Nile virus (WNV) epidemic in Northern Greece in 2010, an active mosquito surveillance system was implemented, for a 3-year period (2011, 2012, and 2013).Description of the Study Site and Methodology. Using mainly CO2mosquito traps, mosquito collections were performed. Samples were pooled by date of collection, location, and species and examined for the presence of WNV.Results. Positive pools were detected in different areas of the country. In 2010, MIR and MLE values of 1.92 (95% CI: 0.00–4.57) and 2.30 (95% CI: 0.38–7.49) were calculated for the Serres Regional Unit in Central Macedonia Region. In 2011, the highest MIR value of 3.71(95% CI: 1.52–5.91) was recorded in the Regions of Central Greece and Thessaly. In 2012, MIR and MLE values for the whole country were 2.03 (95% CI: 1.73–2.33) and 2.15 (95% CI: 1.86–2.48), respectively, forCx. pipiens. In 2013, in the Regional Unit of Attica, the one outbreak epicenter, MIR and MLE values forCx. pipienswere 10.75 (95% CI: 7.52–13.99) and 15.76 (95% CI: 11.66–20.65), respectively.Significance of Results/Conclusions. The contribution of a mosquito-based surveillance system targeting WNV transmission is highlighted through the obtained data, as in most regions positive mosquito pools were detected prior to the date of symptom onset of human cases. Dissemination of the results on time to Public Health Authorities resulted in planning and application of public health interventions in local level.

scholarly journals Ongoing outbreak of hepatitis A in Italy: preliminary report as of 31 May 2013

2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (27) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Rizzo ◽  
V Alfonsi ◽  
R Bruni ◽  
L Busani ◽  
A R Ciccaglione ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Preliminary Report ◽  
Hepatitis A ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Unusual Increase

Since January 2013, an unusual increase in hepatitis A cases has been detected in northern Italy. A total number of 352 cases were reported to the integrated surveillance system between January and the end of May 2013 and this represents a 70% increase compared to the same period of the previous year. The outbreak is ongoing and the public health authorities are continuing their investigations to establish the transmission vehicle and to control the outbreak.

scholarly journals Users’ Beliefs Toward Physical Distancing in Facebook Pages of Public Health Authorities During COVID-19 Pandemic in Early 2020

2021 ◽  
pp. 109019812110144
Author(s):  
Soon Guan Tan ◽  
Aravind Sesagiri Raamkumar ◽  
Hwee Lin Wee
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Belief Model ◽  
United States Public Health ◽  
Health Belief ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Belief Model ◽  
The Health Belief Model

This study aims to describe Facebook users’ beliefs toward physical distancing measures implemented during the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic using the key constructs of the health belief model. A combination of rule-based filtering and manual classification methods was used to classify user comments on COVID-19 Facebook posts of three public health authorities: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States, Public Health England, and Ministry of Health, Singapore. A total of 104,304 comments were analyzed for posts published between 1 January, 2020, and 31 March, 2020, along with COVID-19 cases and deaths count data from the three countries. Findings indicate that the perceived benefits of physical distancing measures ( n = 3,463; 3.3%) was three times higher than perceived barriers ( n = 1,062; 1.0%). Perceived susceptibility to COVID-19 ( n = 2,934; 2.8%) was higher compared with perceived severity ( n = 2,081; 2.0%). Although susceptibility aspects of physical distancing were discussed more often at the start of the year, mentions on the benefits of intervention emerged stronger toward the end of the analysis period, highlighting the shift in beliefs. The health belief model is useful for understanding Facebook users’ beliefs at a basic level, and it provides a scope for further improvement.

scholarly journals Population simulations of COVID-19 outbreaks provide tools for risk assessment and continuity planning

JAMIA Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Peng ◽  
Rowland W Pettit ◽  
Christopher I Amos
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Emergency Response ◽  
Robustness Analysis ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Command Line ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Continuity Planning ◽  
Quantitative Estimates ◽  
Community Infection

Abstract Objectives We developed COVID-19 Outbreak Simulator (https://ictr.github.io/covid19-outbreak-simulator/) to quantitatively estimate the effectiveness of preventative and interventive measures to prevent and battle COVID-19 outbreaks for specific populations. Materials and methods Our simulator simulates the entire course of infection and transmission of the virus among individuals in heterogeneous populations, subject to operations and influences, such as quarantine, testing, social distancing, and community infection. It provides command-line and Jupyter notebook interfaces and a plugin system for user-defined operations. Results The simulator provides quantitative estimates for COVID-19 outbreaks in a variety of scenarios and assists the development of public health policies, risk-reduction operations, and emergency response plans. Discussion Our simulator is powerful, flexible, and customizable, although successful applications require realistic estimation and robustness analysis of population-specific parameters. Conclusion Risk assessment and continuity planning for COVID-19 outbreaks are crucial for the continued operation of many organizations. Our simulator will be continuously expanded to meet this need.

scholarly journals Characterization of death from colorectal cancer in Mato Grosso State/Legal Amazon/Brazil, 2000-2016

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
R S Caló ◽  
B S N Souza ◽  
N D Galvão ◽  
R A G Souza ◽  
J C S Oliveira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
International Classification Of Diseases ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Rectosigmoid Junction ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Classification Of Diseases ◽  
Using Data

Abstract Background Colorectal cancer has been one of the cancers that most contributed to mortality, in both sexes in the world. In Brazil, cancer is among the top five causes of death and colorectal cancer is ranked on the fifth position. Of the Federative Units belonging to the Legal Amazon, Mato Grosso stands out for the higher adjusted incidence of colorectal cancer for both sexes. Thus, the objective is to characterize deaths from colorectal cancer, according to sociodemographic variables in Mato Grosso from 2000 to 2016. Methods A descriptive study was carried out, using data from the Mortality Information System, made available by the Department of Health of the Mato Grosso State. Deaths of all ages were selected, whose basic cause was identified by the codes from the International Classification of Diseases: (C.18) colon cancer, (C.19) rectosigmoid junction cancer, (C.20) rectal cancer or (C.21) anus cancer. Results Between 2000 and 2016, 31,607 deaths from cancer were registered. Of these, 1,750 (5.6%) were due to colorectal cancer. An increased number of deaths was observed at the end of the period, with a variation from 46 deaths in 2000 from 173 in 2016. Highest frequency was verified in men (51.3%), people aged 60 years or older (59.7%), black (54.6%), married (52.3%) and those with primary education (55.2%). According to Brazilian occupation classification options or those answers filled out on the death certificate, highest frequency were for “Retired” (26.2%), “Housewife” (23.1%), Agricultural/Forestry and Fisheries” (11.3%) and “Production of Industrial Goods and Services” (10.3%). Conclusions This study evidenced the increased number of deaths due to colorectal cancer in Mato Grosso State, and identified priority groups for interventions through public health policies which should include screening and early diagnosis to cope with the disease. Key messages Evidenced the increased number of deaths due to colorectal cancer in Mato Grosso State. Identified priority groups for interventions through public health policies.

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