The Impact of COVID-19 on Pedestrian Flow Patterns in Urban POIs—An Example from Beijing

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major challenge for society as a whole, and analyzing the impact of the spread of the epidemic and government control measures on the travel patterns of urban residents can provide powerful help for city managers to designate top-level epidemic prevention policies and specific epidemic prevention measures. This study investigates whether it is more appropriate to use groups of POIs with similar pedestrian flow patterns as the unit of study rather than functional categories of POIs. In this study, we analyzed the hour-by-hour pedestrian flow data of key locations in Beijing before, during, and after the strict epidemic prevention and control period, and we found that the pedestrian flow patterns differed greatly in different periods by using a composite clustering index; we interpreted the clustering results from two perspectives: groups of pedestrian flow patterns and functional categories. The results show that depending on the specific stage of epidemic prevention and control, the number of unique pedestrian flow patterns decreased from four before the epidemic to two during the strict control stage and then increased to six during the initial resumption of work. The restrictions on movement are correlated with most of the visitations, and the release of restrictions led to an increase in the variety of unique pedestrian flow patterns compared to that in the pre-restriction period, even though the overall number of visitations decreased, indicating that social restrictions led to differences in the flow patterns of POIs and increased social distance.

Download Full-text

The epidemic burden on prisons in Lombardy (Italy) during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: the transmission and measures of prevention in detention facilities

International Journal of Prisoner Health ◽

10.1108/ijph-11-2020-0091 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Ruggero Giuliani ◽

Sara Mazzilli ◽

Teresa Sebastiani ◽

Giorgia Cocca ◽

Raffaella Bortolotti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Prevention And Control ◽

Control Measures ◽

Prevention Measures ◽

Content Type ◽

Lombardy Region ◽

Prevention And Control Measures ◽

And Control ◽

The Impact ◽

Detention Facilities

Purpose Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientific community highlighted a potential risk of epidemics occurring inside prisons. Consequently, specific operational guidelines were promptly released, and containment measures were quickly implemented in prisons. This paper aims to describe the spread of COVID-19 in detention facilities within the Lombardy region of Italy during March to July 2020, and the impact of the prevention and control measures implemented. Design/methodology/approach A descriptive retrospective analysis of case distribution was performed for all COVID-19 cases identified among people in detention (PiD) and prison officers (POs). A comparison of the epidemic burden affecting different populations and a correlation analysis between the number of cases that occurred and prevention measures implemented were also carried out. Findings From this study, it emerged that POs were at a high risk of contracting COVID-19. This study observed a delay in the occurrence of cases among PiD and substantial heterogeneity in the size of outbreaks across different prisons. Correlation between reported cases among PiD and registered sick leave taken by POs suggested the latter contributed to introducing the infection into prison settings. Finally, number of cases among PiD inversely correlated with the capacity of each prison to identify and set up dedicated areas for medical isolation. Originality/value Prevention and control measures when adopted in a timely manner were effective in protecting PiD. According to the findings, POs are a population at high risk for acquiring and transmitting COVID-19 and should be prioritized for testing, active case finding and vaccination. This study highlights the critical importance of including prison settings within emergency preparedness plans.

Download Full-text

Impact of the Inflow Population From Outbreak Areas on the COVID-19 Epidemic in Yunnan Province and the Recommended Control Measures: A Preliminary Study

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2020.609974 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Zhong Sun ◽

Guozhong He ◽

Ninghao Huang ◽

Hongyu Chen ◽

Shuwei Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prevention And Control ◽

Yunnan Province ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Control Measures ◽

Proper Management ◽

Outbreak Areas ◽

Prevention And Control Measures ◽

And Gender ◽

And Control ◽

The Impact

Background: COVID-19 developed into a global pandemic in 2020 and poses challenges regarding the prevention and control capabilities of countries. A large number of inbound travelers from other regions could lead to a renewed outbreak of COVID-19 in the local regions. Globally, as a result of the imbalance in the control of the epidemic, all countries are facing the risk of a renewed COVID-19 outbreak brought about by travelers from epidemic areas. Therefore, studies on a proper management of the inbound travelers are urgent.Methods: We collected a total of 4,733,414 inbound travelers and 174 COVID-19 diagnosed patients in Yunnan province from 21 January 2020 to 20 February 2020. Data on place of origin, travel history, age, and gender, as well as whether they had suspected clinical manifestations for inbound travelers in Yunnan were collected. The impact of inbound travelers on the local epidemic was analyzed with a collinear statistical analysis and the effect of the control measures on the epidemic was evaluated with a sophisticated modeling approach.Results: Of the 174 COVID-19 patients, 60.9% were not from Yunnan, and 76.4% had a history of travel in Hubei. The amount of new daily cases in Yunnan was significant correlated with the number of inbound travelers from Hubei and suspected cases among them. Using Susceptible–Exposed–Infectious–Recovered (SEIR) model analysis, we found that the prevention and control measures dropped the local R0 down to 1.07 in Yunnan province.Conclusions: Our preliminary analysis showed that the proper management of inbound travelers from outbreak areas has a significantly positive effect on the prevention and control of the virus. In the process of resettlement, some effective measures taken by Yunnan province may provide an important reference for preventing the renewed COVID-19 outbreak in other regions.

Download Full-text

The Effectiveness of a Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak Control Programme in Thailand 2008–2015: Case Studies and Lessons Learned

Veterinary Sciences ◽

10.3390/vetsci5040101 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 101 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Terdsak Yano ◽

Sith Premashthira ◽

Tosapol Dejyong ◽

Sahatchai Tangtrongsup ◽

Mo D. Salman

Keyword(s):

Prevention And Control ◽

Animal Movement ◽

Foot And Mouth Disease ◽

Control Programme ◽

Mouth Disease ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Control Measures ◽

Prevention Measures ◽

Foot And Mouth ◽

And Control

Three Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreaks in northern Thailand that occurred during the implementation of the national FMD strategic plan in 2008–2015 are described to illustrate the lessons learned and to improve the prevention and control of future outbreaks. In 2008, during a FMD outbreak on a dairy farm, milk delivery was banned for 30 days. This was a part of movement management, a key strategy for FMD control in dairy farms in the area. In 2009, more than half the animals on a pig farm were affected by FMD. Animal quarantine and restricted animal movement played a key role in preventing the spread of FMD. In 2010, FMD infection was reported in a captive elephant. The suspected source of virus was a FMD-infected cow on the same premises. The infected elephant was moved to an elephant hospital that was located in a different province before the diagnosis was confirmed. FMD education was given to elephant veterinarians to promote FMD prevention and control strategies in this unique species. These three cases illustrate how differences in outbreak circumstances and species require the implementation of a variety of different FMD control and prevention measures. Control measures and responses should be customized in different outbreak situations.

Download Full-text

A Cross-sectional Study on the Impact of the Prevention and Control Response of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children's Orthopedic Trauma in Shanghai

10.21203/rs.3.rs-118305/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Chuang Qian ◽

Yiming Zheng ◽

Junrong Meng ◽

Hao Li ◽

Dahui Wang

Keyword(s):

Radial Head ◽

Prevention And Control ◽

Control Measures ◽

Chinese Government ◽

Study Cohort ◽

Orthopedic Trauma ◽

Control Response ◽

Open Injuries ◽

And Control ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: The Chinese government has taken strong prevention and control measures against the COVID-19 pandemic, and has achieved phased victory in the fight against it. The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to study the influence of governmental prevention and control response on orthopedic trauma in children.Methods: We collected and reviewed data on orthopedic trauma from the first half of 2018, 2019, and 2020. The data were divided according to the time of prevention and control response level in 2020. By comparing the relevant data from orthopedic emergency and operating rooms from the past three years, the influence of governmental pandemic prevention measures on orthopedic trauma in children was analyzed. Results: A total of 36301 children were included in the study cohort. Before the prevention and control response, the data of the orthopedic emergency department in 2020 was the same as the previous two years. Under the first-level response, the number of fractures, open injuries, radial head subluxation, and surgery were significantly reduced, and the severity of patients with surgery was also significantly reduced. Under the second-level response, the number of operations began to increase, and the severity of the disease also began to rise. Under the third-level response control, the number of fractures, open injuries, and operations have returned to the levels of the previous two years. The severity of the operation has also returned to its previous level. The number of subluxations of the radial head is still different from before.Conclusion: The pandemic of COVID-19 has affected the social activities of Shanghai residents and reduced the incidence of orthopedic trauma in children. With the control of the pandemic, the living conditions of Shanghai residents have basically recovered.Level of Evidence: Retrospective study Level II

Download Full-text

Changes in Prevalence of Nosocomial Infection Pre- and Post-COVID-19 pandemic from a Tertiary Hospital in China

10.21203/rs.3.rs-228202/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Chunmei Su ◽

Zhiqin Zhang ◽

Xu Zhao ◽

Hanlin Peng ◽

Yi Hong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nosocomial Infection ◽

Nosocomial Infections ◽

Prevention And Control ◽

Control Measures ◽

Gastrointestinal Infections ◽

Effective Prevention ◽

Oral Infections ◽

Prevention And Control Measures ◽

And Control ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: Nosocomial infections (NIs) are an important cause of mortality, and increasing evidence reveals that the prevalence of NIs can be reduced through effective prevention and control measures. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the prevention and control measures for the COVID-19 pandemic on NIs.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the prevalence of NIs before and after COVID-19 pandemic for six months in the Children’s Hospital of Soochow University.Results: A total of 39,914 patients in 2019 and 34,645 patients in 2020 were admitted to the hospital during the study. There were 1.39% (481/34645) of patients with NIs in 2020, which was significantly lower than the 2.56% (1021/39914) of patients in 2019. The rate of critical and fatal cases was also decreased. Except for the ICU, the prevalence of nosocomial infection in most departments decreased from 2019 to 2020. Regarding the source of infections, a significant reduction was mainly observed in respiratory (0.99% vs 0.42%, p=0.000) and digestive tract (0.63% vs 0.14%, p=0.000). The microorganism analysis of respiratory infections indicated an obvious decline in acinetobacters and fungi. The most significant decline of pathogens in gastrointestinal infections was observed for rotavirus. The comparison of catheter-related nosocomial infections between 2019 and 2020 did not show significant differences. Conclusions: The prevention and control measures for the COVID-19 pandemic have reduced the nosocomial infection in almost all departments, except the ICU, mainly regarding respiratory, gastrointestinal, and oral infections, while catheter-related infections did not show any differences.

Download Full-text

The impact of management practices to prevent and control mycotoxins in the European food supply chain: MyToolBox project results

World Mycotoxin Journal ◽

10.3920/wmj2020.2588 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 139-154

Author(s):

M. Focker ◽

H.J. van der Fels-Klerx ◽

N. Magan ◽

S.G. Edwards ◽

M. Grahovac ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Impact Assessment ◽

Prevention And Control ◽

Control Measures ◽

Economic Losses ◽

Crop Losses ◽

Mycotoxin Contamination ◽

Prevention And Control Measures ◽

And Control ◽

The Impact

The presence of mycotoxins in cereals has led to large economic losses in Europe. In the course of the European project MyToolBox, prevention and control measures to reduce mycotoxin contamination in cereals were developed. This study aimed to estimate the impact of these prevention and control measures on both the reduction in crop losses and the increased volume of crops suitable for food and/or feed. It focused on the following measures: the use of fungicides during wheat cultivation, the use of resistant maize cultivars and/or biocontrol during maize cultivation, the use of real time sensors in storage silos, the use of innovative milling strategies during the pasta making process, and the employment of degrading enzymes during the process of bioethanol and Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles (DDGS) production. The impact assessment was based on the annual volume of cereals produced, the annual levels of mycotoxin contamination, and experimental data on the prevention and control measures collected in the course of the MyToolBox project. Results are expressed in terms of reduced volumes of cereals lost, or as additional volumes of cereals available for food meeting the current European legal limits. Results showed that a reduction in crop losses as well as an increase in the volume of crops suitable as food and/or feed is feasible with each proposed prevention or control measure along the supply chain. The impact was the largest in areas and in years with the highest mycotoxin contamination levels but would have less impact in years with low mycotoxin levels. In further research, the impact assessment may be validated using future data from more years and European sites. Decision makers in the food and feed supply chain can use this impact assessment to decide on the relevant prevention and control strategies to apply.

Download Full-text

Analysis of Policies Based on the Multi-Fuzzy Regression Discontinuity, in Terms of the Number of Deaths in the Coronavirus Epidemic

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9020116 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 116

Author(s):

Xianghui Wang ◽

Chang Chen ◽

Yan Du ◽

Yang Zhang ◽

Chengliang Wu

Keyword(s):

Regression Discontinuity ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Control Measures ◽

Fuzzy Regression ◽

Prevention Measures ◽

Global Epidemic ◽

The Face ◽

Low Sensitivity ◽

And Control ◽

The Impact

It has been a year since the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic 2019 (COVID-19). In the face of the global epidemic, governments in all countries have taken different prevention measures, such as social isolation, mandatory health protection, and the closure of schools and workplaces. The situation of the epidemic has clearly varied from country to country. In this context, research on the impact of policies for the control of the spread of the global epidemic is of great significance. In this paper, we examined data from a sample of 212 countries between 31 December 2019, and 21 May 2020, using multi-fuzzy regression discontinuity. We found that developed countries had relatively low sensitivity to the policy stringency index; however, policy control measures had a significant effect on epidemic control. In addition, the trend analysis showed that the corresponding management and control came into play only after the policy stringency index reached 50 or the policy management reached level II, and the robustness was optimal at this time. Therefore, the governments in all countries should realize that epidemic prevention and control are of great importance. They can strengthen policy stringency to control the spread of the epidemic, considering their national conditions in terms of the economy and health system.

Download Full-text

An Investigation on the Public's Acceptance of Prevention and Control Measures for COVID-19 in China

10.21203/rs.3.rs-99541/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ao Zhang ◽

Xiang Wu ◽

Jingqi Gao ◽

Yongbao Zhang

Keyword(s):

Prevention And Control ◽

Control Measures ◽

Public Acceptance ◽

Prevention Measures ◽

The Public ◽

Epidemic Period ◽

The Difference ◽

The Government ◽

Prevention And Control Measures ◽

And Control

Abstract Background: China has basically succeeded in controlling the COVID-19 epidemic, which is due to the cooperation and acceptance of epidemic prevention measures by the public. However, few studies have examined the measures China has taken to combat COVID-19 in order to reflect on its success in curbing the the spread of epidemic.Methods: In this study, the public acceptance questionnaire was designed based on the epidemic prevention measures adopted in China, to investigate the difference of public acceptance of epidemic prevention measures. The survey data was collected from 2,062 samples with different demographic characteristics from March 8, 2020 to April 9, 2020. And SPSS was used to analyze the data collected in the questionnaire, such as one-way variance, so as to draw conclusions.Results: The results show that age and educational level have a significant influence on public acceptance. In contrast gender and occupation field has no significant impact on it. The acceptance of the emergency prevention and control measures taken by the government during the epidemic period is generally high. With the development of the epidemic, the acceptability is increasing. And the public acceptance of traffic measures was highest. Conclusions: Rapid deployment of epidemic prevention measures and appropriate methods in transportation, economy and education are the key to China's effective containment of the epidemic. Measures such as shutting down cities and encouraging the wearing of masks deserve to be copied by other countries. This study summed up China's scientific experience in the fight against COVID-19 and differences in public acceptance. It can provide a positive reference for the development of epidemic prevention measures in other countries.

Download Full-text

Crisis analysis and prevention and control of financial leverage imbalance in shareholder equity pledge based on DANP model

Journal of Intelligent & Fuzzy Systems ◽

10.3233/jifs-189929 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Fang Fang

Keyword(s):

Internal Control ◽

Early Warning ◽

Prevention And Control ◽

Control Measures ◽

Evaluation Index System ◽

Evaluation Index ◽

Financial Leverage ◽

Constant Weight ◽

And Control ◽

The Impact

The process of economic globalization is accelerating, and the financial risks that listed companies need to face are more complicated. In order to clarify the impact of shareholder equity pledge on financial leverage imbalance crisis, this study explores financial leverage imbalance crisis of shareholder equity pledge based on DANP model. Fully consider the financial leverage effect and the potential risks of shareholder equity pledge, use the DANP financial leverage imbalance early warning model to analyze the impact of shareholder equity pledge on the financial leverage imbalance crisis, establish a financial leverage imbalance early warning evaluation index system, and preprocess the early warning evaluation indicators. Determine the constant weight of each evaluation index, and obtain the final financial leverage imbalance crisis early warning evaluation value based on the determined constant weight. Results show that the DANP model can accurately analyze the financial leverage imbalance crisis in the case of shareholder equity pledges, clarify the company’s financial status in the case of shareholder equity pledges, and propose to standardize equity pledge behavior and improve the company’s internal control system in response to the crisis of shareholder equity pledge financial leverage imbalances. Improve the three prevention and control measures of the independent director system to enhance the ability of enterprises to resist the crisis of financial leverage imbalance.

Download Full-text

Shortages of hospital beds exacerbate severity of COVID-19 outbreaks

10.21203/rs.3.rs-24862/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Weike Zhou ◽

Aili Wang ◽

Xia Wang ◽

Robert A Cheke ◽

Sanyi Tang

Keyword(s):

Prevention And Control ◽

Reproduction Number ◽

Control Strategies ◽

Threshold Value ◽

Control Measures ◽

Unknown Parameters ◽

Health Authorities ◽

Hospital Beds ◽

And Control ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: The global outbreak of COVID-19 has caused worrying concern amongst the public and health authorities. The first and foremost problem that many countries face is a shortage of medical resources. The experience of Wuhan, China, in fighting against COVID-19 provides a model for other countries to learn from. Methods: We formulated a piecewise smooth model to describe the limitation of hospital beds, based on the transmission progression of COVID-19, and the strengthening prevention and control strategies implemented in Wuhan, China. We used data of the cumulative numbers of confirmed cases, cured cases and deaths in Wuhan city from 10 January to 20 March, 2020 to estimate unknown parameters and the effective reproduction number. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to investigate the impact of a shortage of hospital beds on the COVID-19 outbreak. Results: Even with strong prevention and control measures in Wuhan, slowing down of the supply rate, reducing the maximum capacity and delaying the intervention time of supplementing hospital beds aggravated the outbreak severity by magnifying the cumulative numbers of confirmed cases and deaths, prolonging the period of the outbreak in Wuhan, enlarging the value of the effective reproduction number during the outbreak and postponing the time when the threshold value is reduced to 1. Conclusions: The quick establishment of the Huoshenshan and Leishenshan Hospitals in a short time and the deployment of mobile cabin hospitals played important roles in containing the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, providing a model for other countries to provide more hospital beds for COVID-19 patients faster and earlier.

Download Full-text