scholarly journals Containing SARS-CoV-2 in Belize

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle Habet ◽  
Diomne Habet ◽  
Gliselle Marin
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Early Intervention ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Central America ◽  
National Level ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Limited Resources ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Caribbean Country ◽  
Community Transmission

Belize is a small Caribbean country in Central America with limited resources in public health. Amidst a global pandemic, urgent attention was given to mitigating the spread of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) in order to prevent a public health catastrophe. Early intervention on a national level was key to preventing the importation of cases and subsequent community transmission. Limiting the conglomeration of people, implementation of curfews, closures of school and universities, government-mandated social distancing, and extensive contact tracing may have mitigated the exponential spread of COVID-19. Mandatory mask-wearing in public may have helped to prevent spread between asymptomatic carriers to susceptible individuals. A low population density may have also contributed to containing the virus.

scholarly journals Identifying Synergistic Interventions to Address COVID-19 Using a Large Scale Agent-Based Model

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junjiang Li ◽  
Philippe J. Giabbanelli
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Remote Work ◽  
Agent Based Model ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Small Set ◽  
Factorial Design Of Experiments ◽  
The Individual

AbstractThere is a range of public health tools and interventions to address the global pandemic of COVID-19. Although it is essential for public health efforts to comprehensively identify which interventions have the largest impact on preventing new cases, most of the modeling studies that support such decision-making efforts have only considered a very small set of interventions. In addition, previous studies predominantly considered interventions as independent or examined a single scenario in which every possible intervention was applied. Reality has been more nuanced, as a subset of all possible interventions may be in effect for a given time period, in a given place. In this paper, we use cloud-based simulations and a previously published Agent-Based Model of COVID-19 (Covasim) to measure the individual and interacting contribution of interventions on reducing new infections in the US over 6 months. Simulated interventions include face masks, working remotely, stay-at-home orders, testing, contact tracing, and quarantining. Through a factorial design of experiments, we find that mask wearing together with transitioning to remote work/schooling has the largest impact. Having sufficient capacity to immediately and effectively perform contact tracing has a smaller contribution, primarily via interacting effects.

A Critical Analysis of Legal and Policy Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic and its Long-term Impacts in Taiwan

2021 ◽  
Vol SI ◽  
pp. 3-10
Author(s):  
Hsing-Hao Wu ◽  
Chih-Wei Chen
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Governance System ◽  
Personal Protection Equipment ◽  
Global Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted public health and economic and social stability worldwide since the WHO’s Public Health Emergency of International Concerns declaration in early March 2020. The COVID-19 virus was first discovered in December 2019 in Wuhan city, China, and eventually resulted in the global pandemic, of which the cumulative cases have reached 181,367,824 at the time of writing. Taiwan encountered severe public health threats because of the frequent travelers as many as 10 million who commuted annually between mainland China and Taiwan. Recognizing the imminent threats arising from an intensive flow of people from mainland China due to the lockdown policy adopted by the Chinese government, Taiwan has adopted strict border control, sophisticated contact tracing and monitoring measures, and most importantly the securing of sufficient Personal Protection Equipment supply for citizens to prevent community spread. Taiwan’s quick and precise COVID-19 response at the early stage of containing the virus has been proven very successful since the outbreak of the COVID-19 global pandemic in late February 2020. Taiwan is now struggling to fight the recent outbreak for lacking sufficient vaccines and testing capacities and shall learn from other country’s experience for countermeasures against a massive epidemic. This article aims to explore the key elements for the early success of containing the COVID-19 virus, including the comprehensive legal framework for preventing infectious disease, highly trained public health officials and governance system, and citizen self-awareness. The article then discusses the potential legal controversies and their long-term impacts on Taiwan. Finally, this article provides the concluding observation and suggestions for fighting massive infectious diseases.

Use of Masks as a Preventative Public Health Strategy to Limit the Spread of COVID-19

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Wally Bartfay ◽  
Wally Bartfay ◽  
Marina Ali
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Single Layer ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Health Strategy ◽  
Preventative Strategy ◽  
Viral Dose ◽  
Public Health Strategies ◽  
Health Experts

SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (COVID-19) is a respiratory infectious disease that has caused a global pandemic of unprecedented proportions. There has been a lot of discussion and debate in social media and by public health experts about the effectiveness of masks as a preventative strategy to decrease transmission of this virus. There are two modes in which mask may be beneficial: i) To serve as a physical barrier against the virus entering or leaving the oral-nasal passages of mask wearers, and ii) to decrease the risk that the person wearing the mask might pass the virus on to someone else (e.g., via coughing). The focus of this review is on the efficacy of different masks-types, and their demonstrated effectiveness in mitigating transmission from a global perspective. Our findings reveal that the use of commercially manufactured mask greatly decreases the distribution of COVID-19, whereas single layer homemade masks also provide protection by decreasing the viral dose of exposure and limit outward aerosol particle emissions. We argue that masks are a critical component in the arsenal of public health strategies to decrease transmission of viruses, including handwashing, maintaining social distancing (2 meters), limiting large gatherings of people, isolation of suspected cases, screening, and contact tracing.

scholarly journals Test, Trace, and Put on the Blockchain?: A Viewpoint Evaluating the Use of Decentralized Systems for Algorithmic Contact Tracing to Combat a Global Pandemic

10.2196/26460 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. e26460
Author(s):  
Moritz Platt ◽  
Anton Hasselgren ◽  
Juan Manuel Román-Belmonte ◽  
Marcela Tuler de Oliveira ◽  
Hortensia De la Corte-Rodríguez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Asymptomatic Patients ◽  
The Common ◽  
Effective Case ◽  
Close Contacts

The enormous pressure of the increasing case numbers experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a variety of novel digital systems designed to provide solutions to unprecedented challenges in public health. The field of algorithmic contact tracing, in particular, an area of research that had previously received limited attention, has moved into the spotlight as a crucial factor in containing the pandemic. The use of digital tools to enable more robust and expedited contact tracing and notification, while maintaining privacy and trust in the data generated, is viewed as key to identifying chains of transmission and close contacts, and, consequently, to enabling effective case investigations. Scaling these tools has never been more critical, as global case numbers have exceeded 100 million, as many asymptomatic patients remain undetected, and as COVID-19 variants begin to emerge around the world. In this context, there is increasing attention on blockchain technology as a part of systems for enhanced digital algorithmic contact tracing and reporting. By analyzing the literature that has emerged from this trend, the common characteristics of the designs proposed become apparent. An archetypal system architecture can be derived, taking these characteristics into consideration. However, assessing the utility of this architecture using a recognized evaluation framework shows that the added benefits and features of blockchain technology do not provide significant advantages over conventional centralized systems for algorithmic contact tracing and reporting. From our study, it, therefore, seems that blockchain technology may provide a more significant benefit in other areas of public health beyond contact tracing.

scholarly journals Invasive meningococcal disease with fatal outcome in a Swiss student visiting Berlin

2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (45) ◽  
Author(s):  
I Zuschneid ◽  
A Witschi ◽  
L Quaback ◽  
W Hellenbrand ◽  
N Kleinkauf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Meningococcal Disease ◽  
National Level ◽  
Fatal Outcome ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Invasive Meningococcal Disease ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Post Exposure Prophylaxis ◽  
Disease Notification ◽  
Public Health Action

Following the fatal invasive meningococcal disease in a Swiss student who had been visiting Berlin, several public health institutions on local, regional and national level cooperated to ensure that the appropriate measures such as contact tracing and post exposure prophylaxis were taken to prevent further cases. The incidence highlighted the importance of early disease notification and showed that if an infectious disease requiring public health action occurs in an international context, it is vital that relevant information is communicated to all levels of the public health systems of the countries involved.

scholarly journals Estimating COVID Risk During a Period of Pandemic Decline

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy J. J. Inglis ◽  
Benjamin McFadden ◽  
Anthony Macali
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Risk Estimate ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Business Continuity ◽  
Risk Monitoring ◽  
Open Source Data ◽  
Travel Restrictions ◽  
Community Transmission

Background: Many parts of the world that succeeded in suppressing epidemic coronavirus spread in 2020 have been caught out by recent changes in the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2. Australia's early success in suppressing COVID-19 resulted in lengthy periods without community transmission. However, a slow vaccine rollout leaves this geographically isolated population vulnerable to leakage of new variants from quarantine, which requires internal travel restrictions, disruptive lockdowns, contact tracing and testing surges.Methods: To assist long term sustainment of limited public health resources, we sought a method of continuous, real-time COVID-19 risk monitoring that could be used to alert non-specialists to the level of epidemic risk on a sub-national scale. After an exploratory data assessment, we selected four COVID-19 metrics used by public health in their periodic threat assessments, applied a business continuity matrix and derived a numeric indicator; the COVID-19 Risk Estimate (CRE), to generate a daily spot CRE, a 3 day net rise and a seven day rolling average. We used open source data updated daily from all Australian states and territories to monitor the CRE for over a year.Results: Upper and lower CRE thresholds were established for the CRE seven day rolling average, corresponding to risk of sustained and potential outbreak propagation, respectively. These CRE thresholds were used in a real-time map of Australian COVID-19 risk estimate distribution by state and territory.Conclusions: The CRE toolkit we developed complements other COVID-19 risk management techniques and provides an early indication of emerging threats to business continuity.

scholarly journals From Uncoordinated Patchworks to a Coordinated System: MERS-CoV to COVID-19 in Korea

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 736-742 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yushim Kim ◽  
Seong Soo Oh ◽  
Chan Wang
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Management ◽  
National Level ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Coordination Problems ◽  
Geographic Boundaries ◽  
Contagious Nature ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
National Public Health ◽  
Centralized Coordination

South Korea has experienced two national public health crises during this decade. The 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) response’s failure to address coordination problems or authority conflicts provided an opportunity to revise its national disease control system before the 2020 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis. Our reflection on Korea’s MERS-CoV and COVID-19 responses provides a perspective on public health emergency management. It is difficult to project the scale of an emerging infectious disease in advance because of its contagious nature and ability to cross geographic boundaries. In a national epidemic or global pandemic, a centralized coordination effort at the national level is desirable, rather than fragmented local, city, or regional efforts.

scholarly journals Fears of health catastrophe as Nepal reports increasing deaths from COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 001-003
Author(s):  
Chalise Hom Nath
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Early Diagnosis ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Limited Resources ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
First Case ◽  
Increasing Trend

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had affected both developed and developing countries too. The first case in Nepal was confirmed on 23 January 2020. It was also the first recorded case of COVID-19 in South Asia. Nepal reported its first COVID-19 death on May 16. At the end of October, the number of death stood 937 and 1126 on 9 November. In September and October, deaths doubled, and with winter setting in, fatalities may skyrocket. Among the total CP cases in Nepal nearly 50% are from the Capital Kathmandu. So, Kathmandy is the new epicenter of COVID-19 in Nepal. There are no proper community-based isolation centres and ICU beds are also still limited. Due to increasing trend of COVID-19 cases and death people have fear of psychological stress. A study shows at least one symptom of psychological distress whereas 32% suffered from two or more symptoms of psychological distress such as restlessness, fearfulness, anxiety and worry and sadness. Despite limited resources, the government’s major challenges are early diagnosis, management of confirmed cases, contact tracing, and implementing some public health measures to reduce the infection’s transmissibility.

scholarly journals Likely community transmission of COVID-19 infections between neighboring, persistent hotspots in Ontario, Canada

F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 1312
Author(s):  
Eliseos J. Mucaki ◽  
Ben C. Shirley ◽  
Peter K. Rogan
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Time Integration ◽  
Community Level ◽  
Moran’S I ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Moran's I ◽  
Community Transmission

Introduction: This study aimed to produce community-level geo-spatial mapping of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ontario Canada in near real-time to support decision-making. This was accomplished by area-to-area geostatistical analysis, space-time integration, and spatial interpolation of COVID-19 positive individuals. Methods: COVID-19 cases and locations were curated for geostatistical analyses from March 2020 through June 2021, corresponding to the first, second, and third waves of infections. Daily cases were aggregated according to designated forward sortation area (FSA), and postal codes (PC) in municipal regions Hamilton, Kitchener/Waterloo, London, Ottawa, Toronto, and Windsor/Essex county. Hotspots were identified with area-to-area tests including Getis-Ord Gi*, Global Moran’s I spatial autocorrelation, and Local Moran’s I asymmetric clustering and outlier analyses. Case counts were also interpolated across geographic regions by Empirical Bayesian Kriging, which localizes high concentrations of COVID-19 positive tests, independent of FSA or PC boundaries. The Geostatistical Disease Epidemiology Toolbox, which is freely-available software, automates the identification of these regions and produces digital maps for public health professionals to assist in pandemic management of contact tracing and distribution of other resources.  Results: This study provided indicators in real-time of likely, community-level disease transmission through innovative geospatial analyses of COVID-19 incidence data. Municipal and provincial results were validated by comparisons with known outbreaks at long-term care and other high density residences and on farms. PC-level analyses revealed hotspots at higher geospatial resolution than public reports of FSAs, and often sooner. Results of different tests and kriging were compared to determine consistency among hotspot assignments. Concurrent or consecutive hotspots in close proximity suggested potential community transmission of COVID-19 from cluster and outlier analysis of neighboring PCs and by kriging. Results were also stratified by population based-categories (sex, age, and presence/absence of comorbidities). Conclusions: Earlier recognition of hotspots could reduce public health burdens of COVID-19 and expedite contact tracing.

scholarly journals Containing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Belize

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle A. Habet ◽  
Diomne Habet ◽  
Gliselle Marin
Keyword(s):  
National Level ◽  
World Health ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Female Ratio ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
First Case ◽  
Community Transmission ◽  
The Government ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Male To Female

Abstract Objective: To demonstrate how Belize, a small country in Central America with limited resources, contained the spread of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).Methods:Information was gathered from official press releases from the Government of Belize. Statistics were accessed from the Ministry of Health’s website. Additional information was acquired from internet searches on Pubmed and the World Health Organization.Results:Total Cases: 18; Male to female ratio: 1:1; Deaths: 2; Total Tests Done: 1,128; Percentage of positive tests: 1.59%, New cases per day since first case to plateau: 0.812.Conclusion: Early intervention on a national level was key to preventing importation of cases and subsequent community transmission. Limiting the conglomeration of people, curfews, closures of school and universities, government-mandated social distancing, and extensive contact tracing may have mitigated the exponential spread of COVID-19. Mandatory mask-wearing in public may have helped to prevent spread between asymptomatic carriers to susceptible individuals. A low population density may have also contributed to containing the virus.

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