scholarly journals Characterizing Online Media on COVID-19 during the Early Months of the Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry Dambanemuya ◽  
Haomin Lin ◽  
Ágnes Horvát
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Multimedia Data ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Online Media ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Observed Information ◽  
Sharing Patterns

The 2019 coronavirus disease had wide-ranging effects on public health throughout the world. Vital in managing its spread was effective communication about public health guidelines such as social distancing and sheltering in place. Our study provides a descriptive analysis of online information sharing about coronavirus-related topics in 5.2 million English-language news articles, blog posts, and discussion forum entries shared in 197 countries during the early months of the pandemic. We illustrate potential approaches to analyze the data while emphasizing how often-overlooked dimensions of the online media environment play a crucial role in the observed information-sharing patterns. In particular, we show how the following three dimensions matter: (1) online media posts’ geographic location in relation to local exposure to the virus; (2) the platforms and types of media chosen for discussing various topics; and (3) temporal variations in information-sharing patterns. Our descriptive analyses of the multimedia data suggest that studies that overlook these crucial aspects of online media may arrive at misleading conclusions about the observed information-sharing patterns. This could impact the success of potential communication strategies devised based on data from online media. Our work has broad implications for the study and design of computational approaches for characterizing large-scale information dissemination during pandemics and beyond.

Current State of (Dis)Integration: Public Health and Fusion Centers

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cody Minks ◽  
Anke Richter
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Homeland Security ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Fusion Centers ◽  
Public Health Emergencies ◽  
Public Health Information

AbstractObjectiveResponding to large-scale public health emergencies relies heavily on planning and collaboration between law enforcement and public health officials. This study examines the current level of information sharing and integration between these domains by measuring the inclusion of public health in the law enforcement functions of fusion centers.MethodsSurvey of all fusion centers, with a 29.9% response rate.ResultsOnly one of the 23 responding fusion centers had true public health inclusion, a decrease from research conducted in 2007. Information sharing is primarily limited to information flowing out of the fusion center, with little public health information coming in. Most of the collaboration is done on a personal, informal, ad-hoc basis. There remains a large misunderstanding of roles, capabilities, and regulations by all parties (fusion centers and public health). The majority of the parties appear to be willing to work together, but there but there is no forward momentum to make these desires a reality. Funding and staffing issues seem to be the limiting factor for integration.ConclusionThese problems need to be urgently addressed to increase public health preparedness and enable a decisive and beneficial response to public health emergencies involving a homeland security response.

New Models of Content Creation and Scholarship at the Intersection of Library Spaces, Technologies, and Expertise

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Nutt ◽  
Gregory Raschke
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Interactive Media ◽  
Scholarly Communication ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Organizational Capabilities ◽  
High Definition ◽  
Content Creation ◽  
Full Life Cycle ◽  
Digital Scholarship ◽  
Digital Objects

Library spaces that blend collaboration areas, advanced technologies, and librarian expertise are creating new modes of scholarly communication. These spaces enable scholarship created within high-definition, large-scale visual collaborative environments. This emergent model of scholarly communication can be experienced within those specific contexts or through digital surrogates on the networked Web. From experiencing in three dimensions the sermons of John Donne in 1622 to interactive media interpretations of American wars, scholars are partnering with libraries to create immersive digital scholarship. Viewing the library as a research platform for these emergent forms of digital scholarship presents several opportunities and challenges. Opportunities include re-engaging faculty in the use of library space, integrating the full life-cycle of the research enterprise, and engaging broad communities in the changing nature of digitally-driven scholarship. Issues such as identifying and filtering collaborations, strategically managing staff resources, creating surrogates of immersive digital scholarship, and preserving this content for the future present an array of challenges for libraries that require coordination across organizations. From engaging and using high-technology spaces to documenting the data and digital objects created, this developing scholarly communication medium brings to bear the multifaceted skills and organizational capabilities of libraries.

The Swiss Prison Study (SWIPS): Protocol for Establishing a Public Health Registry of Prisoners in Switzerland (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Gaisl ◽  
Naser Musli ◽  
Patrick Baumgartner ◽  
Marc Meier ◽  
Silvana K Rampini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Medical History ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
International Classification Of Diseases ◽  
Disease Prevalence ◽  
Vulnerable Population ◽  
International Classification ◽  
Classification Of Diseases ◽  
Health Registry

BACKGROUND The health aspects, disease frequencies, and specific health interests of prisoners and refugees are poorly understood. Importantly, access to the health care system is limited for this vulnerable population. There has been no systematic investigation to understand the health issues of inmates in Switzerland. Furthermore, little is known on how recent migration flows in Europe may have affected the health conditions of inmates. OBJECTIVE The Swiss Prison Study (SWIPS) is a large-scale observational study with the aim of establishing a public health registry in northern-central Switzerland. The primary objective is to establish a central database to assess disease prevalence (ie, International Classification of Diseases-10 codes [German modification]) among prisoners. The secondary objectives include the following: (1) to compare the 2015 versus 2020 disease prevalence among inmates against a representative sample from the local resident population, (2) to assess longitudinal changes in disease prevalence from 2015 to 2020 by using cross-sectional medical records from all inmates at the Police Prison Zurich, Switzerland, and (3) to identify unrecognized health problems to prepare successful public health strategies. METHODS Demographic and health-related data such as age, sex, country of origin, duration of imprisonment, medication (including the drug name, brand, dosage, and release), and medical history (including the International Classification of Diseases-10 codes [German modification] for all diagnoses and external results that are part of the medical history in the prison) have been deposited in a central register over a span of 5 years (January 2015 to August 2020). The final cohort is expected to comprise approximately 50,000 to 60,000 prisoners from the Police Prison Zurich, Switzerland. RESULTS This study was approved on August 5, 2019 by the ethical committee of the Canton of Zurich with the registration code KEK-ZH No. 2019-01055 and funded in August 2020 by the “Walter and Gertrud Siegenthaler” foundation and the “Theodor and Ida Herzog-Egli” foundation. This study is registered with the International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number registry. Data collection started in August 2019 and results are expected to be published in 2021. Findings will be disseminated through scientific papers as well as presentations and public events. CONCLUSIONS This study will construct a valuable database of information regarding the health of inmates and refugees in Swiss prisons and will act as groundwork for future interventions in this vulnerable population. CLINICALTRIAL ISRCTN registry ISRCTN11714665; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN11714665 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/23973

scholarly journals Public Health Workforce Burnout in the COVID-19 Response in the U.S.

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 4369
Author(s):  
Kahler W. Stone ◽  
Kristina W. Kintziger ◽  
Meredith A. Jagger ◽  
Jennifer A. Horney
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The U.S

While the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline health care workers have been well described, the effects of the COVID-19 response on the U.S. public health workforce, which has been impacted by the prolonged public health response to the pandemic, has not been adequately characterized. A cross-sectional survey of public health professionals was conducted to assess mental and physical health, risk and protective factors for burnout, and short- and long-term career decisions during the pandemic response. The survey was completed online using the Qualtrics survey platform. Descriptive statistics and prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals) were calculated. Among responses received from 23 August and 11 September 2020, 66.2% of public health workers reported burnout. Those with more work experience (1–4 vs. <1 years: prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.08−3.36; 5–9 vs. <1 years: PR = 1.89, CI = 1.07−3.34) or working in academic settings (vs. practice: PR = 1.31, CI = 1.08–1.58) were most likely to report burnout. As of September 2020, 23.6% fewer respondents planned to remain in the U.S. public health workforce for three or more years compared to their retrospectively reported January 2020 plans. A large-scale public health emergency response places unsustainable burdens on an already underfunded and understaffed public health workforce. Pandemic-related burnout threatens the U.S. public health workforce’s future when many challenges related to the ongoing COVID-19 response remain unaddressed.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Pandemic Optimism and Vaccine Willingness among an Online Sample of US Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 745
Author(s):  
Rob Stephenson ◽  
Stephen P. Sullivan ◽  
Renee A. Pitter ◽  
Alexis S. Hunter ◽  
Tanaka MD Chavanduka
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Binary Outcomes ◽  
Sex Partners ◽  
Black African ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Public Health Messages ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
Living With Hiv

This paper presents data from an online sample of U.S gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), to explore the factors associated with three dimensions of vaccine beliefs: perception of the likelihood of a COVID-19 vaccine becoming available, perception of when a COVID-19 vaccine would become available, and the likelihood of taking a COVID-19 vaccine. Data are taken from the Love and Sex in the Time of COVID-19 study, collected from November 2020 to January 2021. A sample of 290 GBMSM is analyzed, modeling three binary outcomes: belief that there will be a COVID-19 vaccine, belief that the COVID-19 vaccine will be available in 6 months, and being very likely to take the COVID-19 vaccine. In contrast to other studies, Black/African Americans and GBMSM living with HIV had higher levels of pandemic optimism and were more likely to be willing to accept a vaccine. Men who perceived a higher prevalence of COVID-19 among their friends and sex partners, and those who had reduced their sex partners, were more likely to be willing to take a COVID-19 vaccine. There remained a small percentage of participants (14%) who did not think the pandemic would end, that there would not be a vaccine and were unlikely to take a vaccine. To reach the levels of vaccination necessary to control the pandemic, it is imperative to understand the characteristics of those experiencing vaccine hesitancy and then tailor public health messages to their unique set of barriers and motivations.

scholarly journals Salmonella in Captive Reptiles and Their Environment—Can We Tame the Dragon?

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1012
Author(s):  
Magdalena Zając ◽  
Magdalena Skarżyńska ◽  
Anna Lalak ◽  
Renata Kwit ◽  
Aleksandra Śmiałowska-Węglińska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Detection Rate ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Isolation And Identification ◽  
Epidemiological Analysis ◽  
High Occurrence ◽  
Salmonella Serovars ◽  
Floor Surfaces

Reptiles are considered a reservoir of a variety of Salmonella (S.) serovars. Nevertheless, due to a lack of large-scale research, the importance of Reptilia as a Salmonella vector still remains not completely recognized. A total of 731 samples collected from reptiles and their environment were tested. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of Salmonella in exotic reptiles kept in Poland and to confirm Salmonella contamination of the environment after reptile exhibitions. The study included Salmonella isolation and identification, followed by epidemiological analysis of the antimicrobial resistance of the isolates. Implementation of a pathway additional to the standard Salmonella isolation protocol led to a 21% increase in the Salmonella serovars detection rate. The study showed a high occurrence of Salmonella, being the highest at 92.2% in snakes, followed by lizards (83.7%) and turtles (60.0%). The pathogen was also found in 81.2% of swabs taken from table and floor surfaces after reptile exhibitions and in two out of three egg samples. A total of 918 Salmonella strains belonging to 207 serovars and serological variants were obtained. We have noted the serovars considered important with respect to public health, i.e., S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium, and S. Kentucky. The study proves that exotic reptiles in Poland are a relevant reservoir of Salmonella.

scholarly journals Population subgroup differences in the use of a COVID-19 chatbot

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura C. Schubel ◽  
Deliya B. Wesley ◽  
Ethan Booker ◽  
John Lock ◽  
Raj M. Ratwani
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Subgroup Differences ◽  
Symptom Screening ◽  
Population Subgroup

AbstractCOVID-19 chatbots are widely used to screen for symptoms and disseminate information about the virus, yet little is known about the population subgroups that interact with this technology and the specific features that are used. An analysis of 1,000,740 patients invited to use a COVID-19 chatbot, 69,451 (6.94%) of which agreed to participate, shows differences in chatbot feature use by gender, race, and age. These results can inform future public health COVID-19 symptom screening and information dissemination strategies.

Synthetic reflection seismograms in three dimensions by a locked‐mode approximation

Geophysics ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 350-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Nolet ◽  
R. Sleeman ◽  
V. Nijhof ◽  
B. L. N. Kennett
Keyword(s):  
Finite Difference ◽  
Born Approximation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Layered Medium ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Simple Algorithm ◽  
Realistic Model ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Acoustic Response ◽  
Many Sources

We present a simple algorithm for computing the acoustic response of a layered structure containing three‐dimensional (3-D) irregularities, using a locked‐mode approach and the Born approximation. The effects of anelasticity are incorporated by use of Rayleigh’s principle. The method is particularly attractive at somewhat larger offsets, but computations for near‐source offsets are stable as well, due to the introduction of anelastic damping. Calculations can be done on small minicomputers. The algorithm developed in this paper can be used to calculate the response of complicated models in three dimensions. It is more efficient than any other method whenever many sources are involved. The results are useful for modeling, as well as for generating test signals for data processing with realistic, model‐induced “noise.” Also, this approach provides an alternative to 2-D finite‐difference calculations that is efficient enough for application to large‐scale inverse problems. The method is illustrated by application to a simple 3-D structure in a layered medium.

Toolkit for Epidemiologic Response to an Acute Chemical Release

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 631-632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Anne Duncan ◽  
Maureen F. Orr
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Technical Assistance ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Toxic Substances ◽  
Public Health Action ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Chemical Release ◽  
State And Local ◽  
The Many

AbstractWhen a large chemical incident occurs and people are injured, public health agencies need to be able to provide guidance and respond to questions from the public, the media, and public officials. Because of this urgent need for information to support appropriate public health action, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) of the US Department of Health and Human Services has developed the Assessment of Chemical Exposures (ACE) Toolkit. The ACE Toolkit, available on the ATSDR website, offers materials including surveys, consent forms, databases, and training materials that state and local health personnel can use to rapidly conduct an epidemiologic investigation after a large-scale acute chemical release. All materials are readily adaptable to the many different chemical incident scenarios that may occur and the data needs of the responding agency. An expert ACE team is available to provide technical assistance on site or remotely. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:631–632)

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