scholarly journals COVID-19 pandemic spread across geographical and social borders: Can we face it?

Geografie ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 125 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Dagmar Dzúrová ◽  
Jan Jarolímek

The global health threat of the novel coronavirus virus SARS-CoV-2 has been the most severe virus since the (A) H1N1 influenza pandemic of 1918–1920. The aim of this paper is to document the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, on the basis of daily WHO and Chinese CDC data, from the time of the first recorded outbreak of the epidemic. Furthermore, the aim of the paper, based on knowledge of the epidemic cycle in the province of Hubei, is to attempt to simulate the future development of the epidemic in the Czech population. According to the optimistic prediction model, it is expected that the epidemic peak could occur in Czechia in mid-April with a daily number of 700–750 new cases. The total number of people with confirmed disease could reach roughly 20,000 (20% of people may experience serious health complications). The conclusion of the article points to the need for Czechia to build its own infrastructure to cover the needs of the state – especially in the areas of preparedness of medical facilities, medical staff, and the availability of protective equipment and medicines.

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert W. Aldridge ◽  
Dan Lewer ◽  
Sarah Beale ◽  
Anne M. Johnson ◽  
Maria Zambon ◽  
...  

Background: There is currently a pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The intensity and duration of this first and second waves in the UK may be dependent on whether SARS-CoV-2 transmits more effectively in the winter than the summer and the UK Government response is partially built upon the assumption that those infected will develop immunity to reinfection in the short term. In this paper we examine evidence for seasonality and immunity to laboratory-confirmed seasonal coronavirus (HCoV) from a prospective cohort study in England. Methods: In this analysis of the Flu Watch cohort, we examine seasonal trends for PCR-confirmed coronavirus infections (HCoV-NL63, HCoV-OC43, and HCoV-229E) in all participants during winter seasons (2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009) and during the first wave of the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic (May-Sep 2009). We also included data from the pandemic and ‘post-pandemic’ winter seasons (2009-2010 and 2010-2011) to identify individuals with two confirmed HCoV infections and examine evidence for immunity against homologous reinfection. Results: We tested 1,104 swabs taken during respiratory illness and detected HCoV in 199 during the first four seasons. The rate of confirmed HCoV infection across all seasons was 390 (95% CI 338-448) per 100,000 person-weeks; highest in the Nov-Mar 2008/9 season at 674 (95%CI 537-835) per 100,000 person-weeks. The highest rate was in February at 759 (95% CI 580-975) per 100,000 person-weeks. Data collected during May-Sep 2009 showed there was small amounts of ongoing transmission, with four cases detected during this period. Eight participants had two confirmed infections, of which none had the same strain twice. Conclusion: Our results provide evidence that HCoV infection in England is most intense in winter, but that there is a small amount of ongoing transmission during summer periods. We found some evidence of immunity against homologous reinfection.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert W. Aldridge ◽  
Dan Lewer ◽  
Sarah Beale ◽  
Anne M. Johnson ◽  
Maria Zambon ◽  
...  

Background: There is currently a pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The intensity and duration of this first wave in the UK may be dependent on whether SARS-CoV-2 transmits more effectively in the winter than the summer and the UK Government response is partially built upon the assumption that those infected will develop immunity to reinfection in the short term. In this paper we examine evidence for seasonality and immunity to laboratory-confirmed seasonal coronavirus (HCoV) from a prospective cohort study in England. Methods: In this analysis of the Flu Watch cohort, we examine seasonal trends for PCR-confirmed coronavirus infections (HCoV-NL63, HCoV-OC43, and HCoV-229E) in all participants during winter seasons (2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009) and during the first wave of the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic (May-Sep 2009). We also included data from the pandemic and ‘post-pandemic’ winter seasons (2009-2010 and 2010-2011) to identify individuals with two confirmed HCoV infections and examine evidence for immunity against homologous reinfection. Results: We tested 1,104 swabs taken during respiratory illness and detected HCoV in 199 during the first four seasons. The rate of confirmed HCoV infection across all seasons was 390 (95% CI 338-448) per 100,000 person-weeks; highest in the Nov-Mar 2008/9 season at 674 (95%CI 537-835). The highest rate was in February at 759 (95% CI 580-975). Data collected during May-Sep 2009 showed there was small amounts of ongoing transmission, with four cases detected during this period. Eight participants had two confirmed infections, of which none had the same strain twice. Conclusion: Our results provide evidence that HCoV infection in England is most intense in winter, but that there is a small amount of ongoing transmission during summer periods. We found some evidence of immunity against homologous reinfection.


PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11144
Author(s):  
Yohanna Sarria-Guzmán ◽  
Jaime Bernal ◽  
Michele De Biase ◽  
Ligia C. Muñoz-Arenas ◽  
Francisco Erik González-Jiménez ◽  
...  

Background The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is the second global health emergency the world has faced in less than two decades, after the H1N1 Influenza pandemic in 2009–2010. Spread of pandemics is frequently associated with increased population size and population density. The geographical scales (national, regional or local scale) are key elements in determining the correlation between demographic factors and the spread of outbreaks. The aims of this study were: (a) to collect the Mexican data related to the two pandemics; (b) to create thematic maps using federal and municipal geographic scales; (c) to investigate the correlations between the pandemics indicators (numbers of contagious and deaths) and demographic patterns (population size and density). Methods The demographic patterns of all Mexican Federal Entities and all municipalities were taken from the database of “Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía” (INEGI). The data of “Centro Nacional de Programas Preventivos y Control de Enfermedades” (CENAPRECE) and the geoportal of Mexico Government were also used in our analysis. The results are presented by means of tables, graphs and thematic maps. A Spearman correlation was used to assess the associations between the pandemics indicators and the demographic patterns. Correlations with a p value < 0.05 were considered significant. Results The confirmed cases (ccH1N1) and deaths (dH1N1) registered during the H1N1 Influenza pandemic were 72.4 thousand and 1.2 thousand respectively. Mexico City (CDMX) was the most affected area by the pandemic with 8,502 ccH1N1 and 152 dH1N1. The ccH1N1 and dH1N1 were positively correlated to demographic patterns; p-values higher than the level of marginal significance were found analyzing the % ccH1N1 and the % dH1N1 vs the population density. The COVID-19 pandemic data indicated 75.0 million confirmed cases (ccCOVID-19) and 1.6 million deaths (dCOVID-19) worldwide, as of date. The CDMX, where 264,330 infections were recorded, is the national epicenter of the pandemic. The federal scale did not allow to observe the correlation between demographic data and pandemic indicators; hence the next step was to choose a more detailed geographical scale (municipal basis). The ccCOVID-19 and dCOVID-19 (municipal basis) were highly correlated with demographic patterns; also the % ccCOVID-19 and % dCOVID-19 were moderately correlated with demographic patterns. Conclusion The magnitude of COVID-19 pandemic is much greater than the H1N1 Influenza pandemic. The CDMX was the national epicenter in both pandemics. The federal scale did not allow to evaluate the correlation between exanimated demographic variables and the spread of infections, but the municipal basis allowed the identification of local variations and “red zones” such as the delegation of Iztapalapa and Gustavo A. Madero in CDMX.


Author(s):  
Taito Kitano ◽  
Pierre-Philippe Piché-Renaud ◽  
Helen E Groves ◽  
Laurie Streitenberger ◽  
Renee Freeman ◽  
...  

Abstract Visitor restriction policies in pediatric wards during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak are variable. Among 36 hospitals that responded to our survey, 97% allowed at least 1 visitor, with 67% restricting to 1 caregiver. Sixty-nine percent required the visitor to wear personal protective equipment and only 19% allowed non-household visitors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-7
Author(s):  
Prashanth Kulkarni ◽  
Manjappa Mahadevappa

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created an unprecedented global health emergency. This crisis has impacted educational activities worldwide, including India. It is imperative to understand the challenges faced by institutions in imparting resident training when dealing with patients during this pandemic. This correspondence briefly discusses the effect on the cardiology residency program and research activities. It also highlights the measures to impart education safely amid a current pandemic.


Transilvania ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 121-127
Author(s):  
Anca-Simina Martin

Jews as a collective have long served as scapegoats for epidemics and pandemics, such as the Bubonic Plague and, according to some scholars, the 1918–1920 influenza pandemic. This practice reemerged in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, when more and more fake news outlets in the US and Europe started publishing articles on a perceived linkage between Jewish communities and the novel coronavirus. What this article aims to achieve is to facilitate a dialogue between the observations on the phenomenon made by the Elie Wiesel National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania and the latest related EU reports, with a view to charting its beginnings in Romania in relation to other European countries and in an attempt to see whether Romania, like France and Germany, has witnessed the emergence of “grey area” discourses which are not fully covered by International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 1136-1144
Author(s):  
Won Suk Choi ◽  
Min Joo Choi ◽  
Ji Yoon Noh ◽  
Joon Young Song ◽  
Woo Joo Kim ◽  
...  

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