scholarly journals A Laissez-Faire Strategy Marked by Blinkers to Fulfill Established Pandemic Goals—The Case of Sweden

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (18) ◽  
pp. 9551
Author(s):  
Göran Svensson ◽  
Rocio Rodriguez
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Advance Study ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
Time Periods ◽  
Laissez Faire ◽  
Post Hoc ◽  
Shed Light

Objectives: To examine (i.e., contextualize and visualize) the consequences of a laissez-faire strategy characterized by blinkers to fulfill established pandemic goals. The aim is to shed light on the implementation of pandemic measures based on post hoc (after-the-fact) reactions and actions instead of pre hoc ones (in advance). Study Design: This study is based on weekly updates of pandemic variables (i.e., cases, tests, percentage of positive tests, hospitalizations, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admissions, deceased, and 7- and 14-day incidence) in Sweden from the start of the pandemic in March 2020 until March 2021. Method: This study reports the empirical findings based on Swedish pandemic variables during 52 consecutive weeks, related to the pandemic, all of which has been divided into three time periods to separate the 1st and 2nd waves of the pandemic, and considers them all together as one time period. Results: The findings illustrate the implementation of pandemic measures and the subsequent consequences of a laissez-faire strategy characterized by blinkers. People become diseased and then deceased. This reveals strong associations between the assessed pandemic variables and its subsequent consequences on morbidity and mortality, based on post hoc reactions and actions. Conclusions: The implementation of a pandemic strategy should react and act pre hoc, and to take the safe with the unsafe. Governments and public health agencies should take into account the inevitable associations between pandemic variables. Intertwined pre hoc measures of prevention, enforcement, and monitoring should be implemented in society to avoid the implementation of a laissez-faire strategy based on post hoc reactions and actions.

The Perils of Partnership

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan H. Marks
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Separation Of Powers ◽  
Public Health Research ◽  
Noncommunicable Diseases ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
Public Bodies

Collaboration with industry has become the paradigm in public health. Governments commonly develop close relationships with companies that are creating or exacerbating the very problems public health agencies are trying to solve. Nowhere is this more evident than in partnerships with food and soda companies to address obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases. The author argues that public-private partnerships and multistakeholder initiatives create webs of influence that undermine the integrity of public health agencies; distort public health research and policy; and reinforce the framing of public health problems and their solutions in ways that are least threatening to the commercial interests of corporate “partners.” We should expect multinational corporations to develop strategies of influence. But public bodies need to develop counter-strategies to insulate themselves from corporate influence in all its forms. The author reviews the ways in which we regulate public-public interactions (separation of powers) and private-private interactions (antitrust and competition laws), and argues for an analogous set of norms to govern public-private interactions. The book also offers a novel framework that is designed to help public bodies identify the systemic ethical implications of their existing or proposed relationships with industry actors. The book makes a compelling case that, in public health, the paradigm public-private interaction should be at arm’s length: separation, not collaboration. The author calls for a new paradigm to protect and promote public health while avoiding the ethical perils of partnership with industry.

scholarly journals International Perspectives on COVID-19 Communication Ecologies: Public Health Agencies’ Online Communication in Italy, Sweden, and the United States

2021 ◽  
pp. 000276422199283
Author(s):  
Serena Tagliacozzo ◽  
Frederike Albrecht ◽  
N. Emel Ganapati
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
The United States ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Communication Ecology ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
National Public Health

Communicating during a crisis can be challenging for public agencies as their communication ecology becomes increasingly complex while the need for fast and reliable public communication remains high. Using the lens of communication ecology, this study examines the online communication of national public health agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, Sweden, and the United States. Based on content analysis of Twitter data ( n = 856) and agency press releases ( n = 95), this article investigates two main questions: (1) How, and to what extent, did national public health agencies coordinate their online communication with other agencies and organizations? (2) How was online communication from the agencies diversified in terms of targeting specific organizations and social groups? Our findings indicate that public health agencies relied heavily on internal scientific expertise and predominately coordinated their communication efforts with national government agencies. Furthermore, our analysis reveals that agencies in each country differed in how they diversify information; however, all agencies provided tailored information to at least some organizations and social groups. Across the three countries, information tailored for several vulnerable groups (e.g., pregnant women, people with disabilities, immigrants, and homeless populations) was largely absent, which may contribute to negative consequences for these groups.

scholarly journals Non-woven materials for cloth-based face mask inserts: Relationship between material properties and sub-micron aerosol filtration

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leigh Crilley ◽  
Brian Malile ◽  
Andrea Angelucci ◽  
Cora Young ◽  
Trevor C. VandenBoer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Material Properties ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Respiratory Viruses ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Aerosol Filtration ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
Current Guidance

Current guidance by leading public health agencies recommends wearing a 3-layer cloth-based face mask with a middle non-woven material insert to reduce the transmission of infectious respiratory viruses like SARS-CoV-2....

scholarly journals A tale of two parts of Switzerland: regional differences in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on parents

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Seiler ◽  
Georg Staubli ◽  
Julia Hoeffe ◽  
Gianluca Gualco ◽  
Sergio Manzano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Regional Differences ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Pediatric Emergency ◽  
The South ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
The North ◽  
Regional Strategies ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background We aimed to document the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on regions within a European country. Methods Parents arriving at two pediatric emergency departments (EDs) in North of Switzerland and two in South of Switzerland completed an online survey during the first peak of the pandemic (April–June 2020). They were asked to rate their concern about their children or themselves having COVID-19. Results A total of 662 respondents completed the survey. Parents in the South were significantly more exposed to someone tested positive for COVID-19 than in the North (13.9 and 4.7%, respectively; P <  0.001). Parents in the South were much more concerned than in the North that they (mean 4.61 and 3.32, respectively; P <  0.001) or their child (mean 4.79 and 3.17, respectively; P <  0.001) had COVID-19. Parents reported their children wore facemasks significantly more often in the South than in the North (71.5 and 23.5%, respectively; P <  0.001). Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant regional differences among families arriving at EDs in Switzerland. Public health agencies should consider regional strategies, rather than country-wide guidelines, in future pandemics and for vaccination against COVID-19 for children.

scholarly journals Preparedness and response of a tertiary hospital to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria: challenges, opportunities and lessons

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darlington E Obaseki ◽  
Iriagbonse I Osaigbovo ◽  
Esohe O Ogboghodo ◽  
Omokhoa Adeleye ◽  
Obehi A Akoria ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Tertiary Hospital ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Scientific Journals ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
Individual Healthcare

Abstract Africa was the last continent to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Much of the discourse on Africa's response captured in scientific journals revolves around nations, public health agencies and organizations, but little is documented about how individual healthcare facilities have fared. This article reports the challenges faced in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria, including space constraints, diagnostic challenges, shortages in personal protective equipment and health worker infections. The opportunities and strengths that aided the response are also highlighted. The lessons learned will be useful to similar facilities. More information about health facility response at various levels is needed to comprehensively assess Africa's response to the pandemic.

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