The Intervention of the Social Service in the Multidisciplinary Teams to Combat COVID-19. The Case of the Municipality of Amadora (Portugal)

The creation of Multidisciplinary Teams to monitor patients with COVID-19 and those infected with SARS-CoV-2 in a situation of home confinement was one of the measures established by the Portuguese government to help stop the spreading of the infection in the parishes of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area more affected by the pandemic. To know its way of functioning and acting, as well as the role of social workers in the context of crisis and public health emergency, a qualitative study was developed based on interviews by focus groups and document analysis. It was found that the Multidisciplinary Teams and the intervention model carried out were fundamental in helping to break the transmission chains and prevent the growth of new contamination, with social workers having a crucial role in supporting the most vulnerable households in a containment situation.

Understanding the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on vulnerable populations in Malaysia through an ethical lens: A study of non-state actors involved in aid distribution

Background: Globally, vulnerable populations have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent responses, such as lockdown measures and mass vaccinations. Numerous ethical challenges have arisen at different levels, be it at the policy-making level or on the ground. For example, policymakers have to contain a highly contagious disease with high morbidity using scarce resources, while minimizing the medium- to long-term social and economic impacts induced by containment measures. This study explores the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations in Malaysia by using an intersectional framework that accounts for overlapping forms of marginalization. Methods: This study utilizes in-depth qualitative data obtained from 34 individuals and organizations to understand the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on vulnerable populations in Malaysia. We utilize four principles of ethics to guide our coding and interpretation of the data – namely beneficence, non-maleficence, justice and autonomy. We utilize a frequency analysis to roughly understand the types of ethical issues that emerged. Using hermeneutic content analysis (HCA), we then explore how the principles interact with each other. Results: Through the frequently analysis, we found that although beneficence was very prevalent in our dataset, so was a significant amount of harm – as perpetuated through injustice, the removal or lack of autonomy and maleficence. We also unearthed a worrying landscape of harm and deep systemic issues associated with a lack of support for vulnerable households – further exacerbated during the pandemic. Conclusions: Policy recommendations for aid organizations and society to mitigate these ethical problems are presented, such as long overdue institutional reforms and stronger ethical practices rooted in human rights principles, which government agencies and aid providers can then use in the provision of aid to vulnerable populations.

Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 into and within immigrant households: nationwide registry study from Norway

BackgroundMinority groups and immigrants have been hit disproportionally hard by COVID-19 in many developed countries, including Norway.MethodsUsing individual-level registry data of all Norwegian residents, we compared infections across all multiperson households. A household with at least one member born abroad was defined as an immigrant household. In households where at least one person tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 from 1 August 2020 to 1 May 2021, we calculated secondary attack rates (SARs) as the per cent of other household members testing positive within 14 days. Logistic regression was used to adjust for sex, age, household composition and geography.ResultsAmong all multiperson households in Norway (n=1 422 411), at least one member had been infected in 3.7% of the 343 017 immigrant households and 1.4% in the 1 079 394 households with only Norwegian-born members. SARs were higher in immigrant (32%) than Norwegian-born households (20%). SARs differed considerably by region, and were particularly high in households from West Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa and Eastern Europe, also after adjustment for sex and age of the secondary case, household composition and geography.ConclusionSARS-CoV-2 is more frequently introduced into multiperson immigrant households than into households with only Norwegian-born members, and transmission within the household occurs more frequently in immigrant households. The results are likely related to living conditions, family composition or differences in social interaction, emphasising the need to prevent introduction of SARS-CoV-2 into these vulnerable households.

Targeting ‘highly vulnerable’ households during strict lockdowns

In this brief article, we attempt to quantify the number of households in the country which are ‘highly vulnerable’ to hunger and poverty due to sudden and highly restrictive lockdowns, such as the enhanced community quarantine, and other social distancing measures, as well as estimate the budget that will be needed to address their vulnerability. ‘Highly vulnerable’ households are defined in this study as those unlikely to have incomes during strict lockdown periods because of the employment characteristics of their employed members and which likely have little or no savings to tide them over. Using nationally-representative household data, we define a job loss index to identify the employment characteristics that are most sensitive to the lockdown measures, and given these employment characteristics, identify the ‘highly vulnerable’ households. Depending on the pre-lockdown income threshold eligibility used, we estimate the number of ‘highly vulnerable’ households in the country at anywhere from 7.4 million to 11.3 million. At ₱5,000 per ‘highly vulnerable’ household, the estimated costs amount to ₱36.9 billion to ₱56.5 billion, again depending on the income threshold used. We also propose a way for the government to operationalize the process of identifying and helping ‘highly vulnerable’ households.

Food (in) Security Among the Community at the Indonesia-Malaysia Border at Pandemic COVID-19 era: A Human Security Perspective

This article aims to examine food security issue among the community at the Indonesia - Malaysia border at Pandemic COVID-19 era by using the theory of interdependence and the human security approach. The study is conducted using a qualitative research method to collect and analyze both primary and secondary data. Primary data were obtained through official documents and an in-depth interview with key informants among Indonesia households of the communities in Indonesia - Malaysia border and local leaders. Meanwhile, published materials and online documents such as books, journal articles and reports served as a secondary source of data. The findings indicate that pandemics COVID-19 create vulnerability to food insecurity at border community. Realizing this fact, the government should consider adopting the human security concept, which emphasizes community empowerment as a framework in policymaking, with the aims to eradicate food insecurity among vulnerable households and to ensure the well-being of every Indonesian.

Are Energy-Vulnerable Households More Prone to Informative, Market, and Behavioral Biases?

The present paper focuses primarily on investigating whether energy-vulnerable households are more prone to informative, market, and behavioral biases. In this direction, a stated preference approach was used to elicit information about human behavior and cognitive barriers in the context of energy poverty based on both subjective and objective indicators. For the purposes of the survey, a questionnaire was developed that included around 40 questions about housing conditions and information, market, and behavioral barriers related to energy efficiency, energy vulnerability, etc., and specific survey hypotheses were tested employing non-parametric tests. The survey was carried out between November 2020 and January 2021 involving residents of Metsovo, a mountain settlement in Greece. In total, 303 participants took place in the survey through personal interviews, which were conducted remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic-related distancing measures, using a video platform. The analysis shows that households that face thermal discomfort or are in arrears on energy bills seem to be more prone to certain behavioral and other biases. This conclusion is not confirmed for households that face condensation, mold and damp problems or are classified as energy-poor under the “ten percent rule”. The main conclusion drawn is that the income status of the household plays a greater role compared to its classification as energy vulnerable. Nevertheless, the findings of the study need to be confirmed by future research, because the research specifically on how energy poverty affects people’s decision making is extremely limited. In any case, the results are worrisome and illustrate the need for more effective energy poverty policies that will take into account the effects of scarcity on household decision making.

Understanding the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on vulnerable populations in Malaysia through an ethical lens: A study of NGOs and organizations involved in aid distribution

Background: Globally, vulnerable populations have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent responses, such as lockdown measures and mass vaccinations. Numerous ethical challenges have arisen at different levels, be it at the policy-making level or on the ground. For example, policymakers have to contain a highly contagious disease with high morbidity using scarce resources, while minimizing the medium- to long-term social and economic impacts induced by containment measures. This study explores the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations in Malaysia by using an intersectional framework that accounts for overlapping forms of marginalization. Methods: This study utilizes in-depth qualitative data obtained from 34 individuals and organizations to understand the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on vulnerable populations in Malaysia. We utilize four principles of ethics to guide our coding and interpretation of the data – namely beneficence, non-maleficence, justice and autonomy. We utilize a frequency analysis to roughly understand the types of ethical issues that emerged. Using hermeneutic content analysis (HCA), we then explore how the principles interact with each other. Results: Through the frequently analysis, we found that although beneficence was very prevalent in our dataset, so was a significant amount of harm – as perpetuated through injustice, the removal or lack of autonomy and maleficence. We also unearthed a worrying landscape of harm and deep systemic issues associated with a lack of support for vulnerable households – further exacerbated during the pandemic. Conclusions: Policy recommendations for aid organizations and society to mitigate these ethical problems are presented, such as long overdue institutional reforms and stronger ethical practices rooted in human rights principles, which government agencies and aid providers can then use in the provision of aid to vulnerable populations.

Household Decision-Making: Implications for Production, Consumption, and Sale of Nutrient-Rich Foods

Household decision-making influences choices related to the production, sale, purchase, and consumption of nutrient-rich foods. The present study assessed the effect of household decision-making in two regions of Ethiopia within two groups of households, most vulnerable households and model farmer households. The study focused on identifying barriers and facilitators relating to decisions about nutrient-rich foods—in this case fruits, vegetables, and animal source foods. The results provide insights into how future agricultural programs can affect key aspects of decision-making to maximize the positive impacts on diet and food security.