When COVID-19, constitutional crisis, and political deadlock meet: the Israeli case from a disproportionate policy perspective

The Israeli health system's rapid responses during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic posed numerous challenges to health systems around the world. In addressing many of those challenges, Israel responded quite rapidly. While quick action is not an end in it itself, it can be important in responding to disease outbreaks. Some of Israel's rapid responses to the pandemic contributed significantly to population health and provided important learning opportunities for other countries.

MAIN BODY

Some of the most prominent Israeli rapid responses were related to vaccination. Israel led the world in the pace of its initial vaccine rollout, and it was also the first country to approve and administer booster vaccines to broad segments of the population. In addition, Israeli scholars published a series of timely reports analyzing vaccination impact, which informed policy in Israel and other countries. Israel was a rapid responder in additional areas of public health. These include the partial closure of its borders, the adoption of physical distancing measures, the use of digital surveillance technology for contact tracing, the use of wastewater surveillance to monitor viral spread, and the use of vaccine certificates ("green passes") to facilitate a return to routine in the face of the ongoing pandemic. Many factors contributed to Israel's capacity to repeatedly respond rapidly to a broad array of COVID-19 challenges. These include a national health insurance system that promotes public-private coordination, a system of universal electronic health records, a high level of emergency preparedness, a culture of focusing on goal attainment, a culture of innovation, and the presence of a strong scientific community which is highly connected internationally. In addition, some of the rapid responses (e.g., the rapid initial vaccination rollout) facilitated rapid responses in related areas (e.g., the analysis of vaccination impact, the administration of boosters, and the adoption of green passes). While rapid response can contribute to population health and economic resilience, it can also entail costs, risks, and limitations. These include making decisions and acting before all the relevant information is available; deciding without sufficient consideration of the full range of possible effects, costs, and benefits; not providing enough opportunities for the involvement of relevant groups in the decision-making process; and depleting non-renewable resources.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on our findings, we encourage leaders in the Israeli government to ensure that its emergency response system will continue to have the capacity to respond rapidly to large-scale challenges, whether of a military or civilian nature. At the same time, the emergency response systems should develop mechanisms to include more stakeholders in the fast-paced decision-making process and should improve communication with the public. In addition, they should put into place mechanisms for timely reconsideration, adjustment, and-when warranted-reversal of decisions which, while reasonable when reached, turn out to have been ill-advised in the light of subsequent developments and evidence. These mechanisms could potentially involve any or all branches of government, as well as the public, the press, and professional organizations. Our findings also have implications for health system leaders in other countries. The Israeli experience can help them identify key capacities to develop during non-emergency periods, thus positioning themselves to respond more rapidly in an emergency. Finally, health system leaders in other countries could monitor Israel's rapid responses to future global health emergencies and adopt selected actions in their own countries.

Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Outcomes for Israelis With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the Community

This study is among the first pre-post examinations to explore differences in subjective well-being, adaptive and maladaptive behavior, close relationships, community integration, family members' satisfaction with residential and community living settings, and family contact before and after the COVID-19 outbreak. Participants demonstrated better life satisfaction and adaptive behavior before COVID-19 than after COVID-19. Participants reported closer relationships with family members and peers before COVID-19 and closer relationships with staff members after COVID-19. The findings reveal mixed, although mostly negative, effects of the pandemic on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the community in Israel, in accord with extant comparative research.

When Public Health Goes Wrong: Toward a New Concept of Public Health Error

Studies of public health decisions that have had harmful effects tend to disagree about what constitutes a public health error. Debates exist about whether public health errors must be culpable or not, as well as about what the criteria for judging public health errors should be.

Corona hotels in Israel: Care and abandonment under the auspices of digital medicine

Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Israel established a number of 'corona hotels' - hybrid spaces that were neither fully treatment-oriented nor fully incarcerational, in which people known or suspected to be infected with the coronavirus were confined, sometimes for prolonged and indefinite periods. This paper describes the experience of 25 people who were confined in corona recovery and isolation hotels between March and July 2020. The corona hotels exemplify how remote medical technology and digital medicine together enable a new 'technogeography of care', where care and abandonment are inextricably linked. The paper adds to the growing number of critical studies on digital health by showing how the employed technologies impact the concepts of human embodiment, subjectivity and social relations, as well as how the occupants negotiated the meaning of these technologies and resisted their effects.

Exploring the Process of Policy Overreaction: The COVID-19 Lockdown Decisions

Policy overreaction is a common phenomenon, especially in complex and emergency situations where politicians are led to make decisions fast. In these emergency decisions, emotions run generally high and cognitive processes are often impaired. The conditions of policy overreaction are in place as emotions overwhelm decision makers' rational processes. Drawing on the response patterns of three countries to the COVID-19 pandemic, we develop a process model of policy overreaction which describes the effects of negative emotions and institutional isomorphism on policy decision-making. Our model highlights four critical stages: negative emotions buildup, propagation of fear, isomorphic decision-making, and leading to an intractable crisis. This article shows precisely how the cascading effect of negative emotions, particularly fear, is contagious and spreads to generate crowd effects, which bend considerably policy makers' ability to make rational decisions. Our theory provides a better understanding of the process by which policy overreaction takes place.

A 16-month longitudinal investigation of risk and protective factors for mental health outcomes throughout three national lockdowns and a mass vaccination campaign: Evidence from a weighted Israeli sample during COVID-19

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 is an ongoing global crisis, with a multitude of factors that affect mental health worldwide. We explored potential predictors for the emergence and maintenance of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in the general population in Israel.

METHODS

Across the span of 16 months, 2478 people completed a repeated self-report survey which inquired psychiatric symptoms and pandemic related stress factors (PRSF). We applied mixed-effects models to assess how each stressor contributes to depression, anxiety and PTSS at each time point, and longitudinally assessed participants who completed at least two consecutive surveys (n = 400). We weighted our sample to increase representativeness of the population.

RESULTS

Fatigue was the strongest predictor for depression, anxiety and PTSS at all time points, and predicted deterioration overtime. Financial concerns associated with depression and anxiety at all time points, and with their deterioration overtime. Health related concerns were uniquely associated with anxiety and PTSS at all time points and their deterioration, but not with depression. Improvement in sense of protection overtime associated with decrease in depression and anxiety. Hesitancy towards vaccination was associated to higher financial concerns and lower sense of protection by the authorities.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings accentuate the multitude of risk factors for psychiatric morbidity during COVID-19, and the centrality of fatigue in determining mental health outcomes.

Public conformism with health regulation is crumbling as COVID-19 becomes a chronic threat: Repeated Cross-sectional Studies

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study is to analyze the long terms trends in public attitudes toward the COVID-19 pandemic and compliance with self-quarantine regulations.

METHODS

Repeated cross-sectional studies looking into data collected from nationally representative samples (N = 2568) of the adult population in Israel at five points in time representing the five morbidity waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined public trust in Israeli health regulations, levels of public panic, feelings of personal worry, and compliance with health regulations, specifically self-quarantine.

RESULTS

Public trust in health regulations in January 2022 is at an all-time low (25%) compared to the maximum value of nearly 75% measured in March 2020. While reported worry is steadily reducing, the perception of public panic is increasing. In earlier rounds, public compliance with self-quarantine was reported close to 100%; however, it has dropped to 38% by January 2022 when compensation is not assumed. Regression analysis suggests that trust is a major predictor of compliance with health regulations.

CONCLUSIONS

The "fifth wave" of the COVID-19 pandemic brought about an all-time low in public trust in health regulations. The Israeli public, normally a highly compliant one, is showing signs of crumbling conformity.

Timing, extent and outcomes of public health measures in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel and a comparative analysis by socioeconomic indices

BACKGROUND

Early in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, governments implemented exceptional public health measures (PHMs) in the face of uncertainty. This study aimed to compare mitigation policies implemented by Israel and their timing in the first wave of the pandemic to those of other countries, and to assess whether country characteristics such as democracy, trust, education, economic strength and healthcare reserve were associated with decision-making.

METHODS

PHMs and pre-pandemic characteristics, using internationally accepted indices, of 50 countries were collected from 1/1/2020-30/06/2020; and associations between them were assessed. Time to implementation of these measures was compared among the Organisation for Economic Co-operation (OECD) nations. Log-rank test was used for univariate analysis. Cox regression was performed to assess the independent contribution of pre-pandemic characteristics to time-to-implementation of measures. Correlations between timing of specific measures and COVID-19 mortality at 60 days were assessed.

RESULTS

Israel ranked in the upper third of the OECD in swiftness to implementation of eight of the ten measures compared. In univariate survival analysis, countries with an education level below the OECD median were more likely to implement a lockdown (p-value = 0.043) and to close restaurants and entertainment venues (p-value = 0.007) when compared to countries above the OECD median. In Cox regression models, controlling for geographic location, democracy level above the OECD median was associated with a longer time-to-implementation of a lockdown (HR=0.35, 95% CI=0.14-0.88, p-value=0.025). Similarly, a high level of GDP per capita was inversely associated with closing schools; and a high level of education inversely associated with closure of restaurants and entertainment venues. Earlier initiation of all PHMs was associated with lower mortality at 60 days, controlling for geographic location.

CONCLUSIONS

Israel's initial response to the pandemic was relatively quick, and may have been facilitated by its geographic isolation. Countries with lower pre-pandemic socio-economic indices were quicker to initiate forced social distancing. Early initiation of PHMs was associated with reduced mortality in the short run. Timing of initiation of measures relative to the country-specific spread of disease is a significant factor contributing to short-term early local pandemic control, perhaps more than the exact measures implemented. It is important to note that this study is limited to the initial pandemic response. Furthermore, it does not take into account the broader long-term effects of certain PHMs, which should be a focus of further research.

A general framework for optimising cost-effectiveness of pandemic response under partial intervention measures

The COVID-19 pandemic created enormous public health and socioeconomic challenges. The health effects of vaccination and non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) were often contrasted with significant social and economic costs. We describe a general framework aimed to derive adaptive cost-effective interventions, adequate for both recent and emerging pandemic threats. We also quantify the net health benefits and propose a reinforcement learning approach to optimise adaptive NPIs. The approach utilises an agent-based model simulating pandemic responses in Australia, and accounts for a heterogeneous population with variable levels of compliance fluctuating over time and across individuals. Our analysis shows that a significant net health benefit may be attained by adaptive NPIs formed by partial social distancing measures, coupled with moderate levels of the society's willingness to pay for health gains (health losses averted). We demonstrate that a socially acceptable balance between health effects and incurred economic costs is achievable over a long term, despite possible early setbacks.

The Politics of Covid-19 Containment Policies in europe

Do partisan preferences, the electoral system, checks on government, political fragmentation, civil liberties and trust contribute to explaining the stringency of containment policies in European countries? Empirical studies suggest that political science theories have helped very little in understanding European democracies' political response to the pandemic's first wave. We argue in this article that the negligible effect of politics, broadly defined, is confined to the first wave and that during subsequent waves over the autumn 2020 to spring 2021 season some of the above political factors contribute to our understanding of variation in countries' response. Employing a sample of 26 European democracies analyzing daily data on the stringency of adopted containment policies we provide evidence that politics does not matter during the first wave but is substantively important during later waves.

The “Ambassadorial” Journalist: Twitter as a Performative Platform for Ultra-Orthodox Journalists during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Journalists can play a pivotal role in promoting a population’s security amid a health crisis such as a global pandemic. This role becomes of enhanced importance for marginalized populations as they face a compounded threat due to preexisting social inequalities and exclusion. This study focuses on the utilization of Twitter by ultra-Orthodox journalists during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel. The study applies a thematic analysis of 23,110 tweets from the 20 most popular ultra-Orthodox journalists on Twitter. Findings reveal that ultra-Orthodox journalists utilized Twitter in an “ambassadorial” role to advocate their community’s security through six strategies: (1) explaining the challenges endangering ultra-Orthodox Jews during COVID-19, (2) dispelling COVID-19 accusations directed against ultra-Orthodox Jews, (3) encouraging social distancing and health guidelines, (4) highlighting the social contributions of ultra-Orthodox Jews to the general public during the pandemic, (5) criticizing wrongdoers who violated the health guidelines, and (6) calling out acts of hatred and bigotry that have been directed toward ultra-Orthodox Jews. These findings reveal the professional ethos of ultra-Orthodox journalists and their aspiration to protect their community. Furthermore, these findings shed light on the vital role Twitter can play in journalistic work through inter-social interactivity and the enablement of capabilities, particularly the capability “to be secure.” Lastly, this study expands the understanding of the social media resource contributing to policymakers tasked with formulating its fair distribution in society in accordance with the capabilities approach and its objective of promoting well-being.

Resilience at Work, Burnout, Secondary Trauma, and Compassion Satisfaction of Social Workers Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Social workers during the COVID-19 pandemic are at risk due to exposure to varied populations in need, which may impact their resilience, burnout, secondary trauma, and compassion satisfaction. The study assessed resilience at work, burnout, secondary trauma, and compassion satisfaction among social workers in Israel during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (May to June 2020). A convenience sample of 332 social workers (291 women (87.6%)) filled out an online, structured questionnaire that included demographics, a professional quality of life scale (ProQOL) (including three subscales), and resilience at work (RAW) (including seven subscales). The overall mean of the RAW was medium (M = 71, SD ± 8.9) compared to standardized scores. The mean scores of two of the subscales of the RAW, maintaining perspective and staying healthy, were low. The mean scores of the sub-scales of ProQOL were: compassion satisfaction was close to the 50th percentile (M = 48.25); burnout (M = 30.18) and secondary trauma (M = 26.27) were below the 25th percentile. Significant low to medium positive associations were found between all the dependent variables, except for staying healthy. A negative association was identified between compassion satisfaction and burnout, as well as between compassion satisfaction and secondary trauma. High levels of compassion satisfaction and contentment, low levels of secondary trauma, and having a managerial position were predicted to be 40% of the RAW. Lower levels of maintaining perspective, secondary trauma, and being younger predicted 27% of burnout. Higher levels of finding your calling, living authentically, maintaining perspective, interacting cooperatively, being older, and not being a manager predicted 58% of compassion satisfaction. Lower levels of burnout, maintaining perspective, and being younger predicted 36% of secondary trauma. As the COVID-19 pandemic still challenges most societies, policymakers should consider ways to integrate mechanisms that will enhance social workers’ resilience at work.

Learning from Others' Disasters? A Comparative Study of SARS/MERS and COVID-19 Responses in Five Polities

The ability to successfully manage disasters is a function of the extent to which lessons are learned from prior experience. We focus on the extent to which lessons from SARS/MERS have been learned and implemented during the first wave of COVID-19, and the extent to which the source affects governance learning: from a polity's own experience in previous episodes of the same disaster type; from the experience of other polities with regard to the same disaster type; or by cross-hazard learning - transferring lessons learned from experience with other types of disasters. To assess which types of governance learning occurred we analyze the experience of four East Asian polities that were previously affected by SARS/MERS: South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong-Kong. Their experience is compared with that of Israel. Having faced other emergencies but not a pandemic, Israel could have potentially learned from its experience with other emergencies, or from the experience of others with regard to pandemics before the onset of COVID-19. We find that governance learning occurred in the polities that experienced either SARS or MERS, but not cross-hazard or cross-polity learning. The consequences in the 5 polities at the end of the first six months of Covid-19, reflected by the numbers of infected and deaths, on one hand, and by the level of disruption to normal life, on the other, verifies these findings. Research insights point to the importance of modifying governance structures to establish effective emergency institutions and necessary legislation as critical preparation for future unknown emergencies.

The Effects of COVID-19 on Wellbeing: Evidence from Israel

Many aspects of wellbeing have been studied in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, studies that measure a comprehensive, multi-faceted conceptualization of wellbeing are rare. Using a broad conceptualization of wellbeing, based on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) wellbeing indicators and a theoretical model of wellbeing developed previously, this study empirically assesses the wellbeing effects of COVID-19 in Israel. A representative sample of the adult population in Israel was surveyed and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the impacts of the pandemic on a number of wellbeing indicators. Relationships among indicators were also analyzed. The study’s findings highlight the importance of social interactions, economics, mental health, and leisure on wellbeing. The study can be used by policymakers to fully understand the impact of various COVID-19 response policies on the wellbeing of the population.

Encapsulation: Governing actual uncertainty in the coronavirus pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has revived scholarly engagement with the concept of biopolitics, with interpretations diagnosing either the widespread adoption of a classic biopolitical regime or the full-blown emergence of totalitarian repression (or both of these simultaneously). Relying on a close analysis of different interventions taken by Israeli authorities in response to the pandemic, this article argues that, rather than classic biopolitical strategies, such governmental interventions are better understood in relation to a problem of actual uncertainty. The case of Israel demonstrates how state apparatuses responded to actual uncertainty with technologies that are linked to different rationalities and how these technologies enabled the creation and management of a new milieu. The article further argues that, in making and intervening upon this milieu, state apparatuses employed a particular normalisation strategy that is tied to a form of power that we term encapsulation.

Paying for Sex During COVID-19 Pandemic: The Experiences of Israeli Men

INTRODUCTION

This qualitative study explored the experiences of men who pay women for sex (MWPWS) during the COVID-19 pandemic, which poses radical and profound challenges to various aspects of people's intimate, sexual, and financial experiences.

METHODS

The study was based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 10 Israeli MWPWS who regularly visit various prostitution venues. The interviews were conducted between April and July 2020, between the first and the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Israel.

RESULTS

The findings focus on four major aspects of the participants' experiences: the participants' inability to pay for sex, the difficulties imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic to participants' sex-for-pay experiences, the positive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their sex-for-pay experiences, and the insignificance of COVID-19 pandemic to their sex-for-pay experiences.

CONCLUSIONS

I conclude that COVID-19 pandemic triggers various sexual, emotional, and gendered experiences for MWPWS. Accordingly, MWPWS may reevaluate their engagement in sex-for-pay, and their experiences of it may be reshaped in light of the pandemic. I discuss the findings' contribution to sexuality and masculinity studies, and the methodological possibilities that they raise for qualitative scholars studying social phenomena during the COVID-19 pandemic.

POLICY IMPLICATIONS

The study highlights the significance of developing ad hoc prostitution policy that supports the individuals involved in the sex industry-both MWPWS and the women who are paid for sex-during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, it suggests that prostitution policy should address the diverse experiences of MWPWS, beyond viewing them as merely offenders who should be punished, or re-educated.

Trajectories of depression and anxiety during COVID-19 associations with religion, income, and economic difficulties

OBJECTIVE

The current study examined trajectories of anxiety and depression symptoms at three-time points during the COVID-19 pandemic and examined correlates of those trajectories.

DESIGN

Data were collected at three time points during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PARTICIPANTS

The sample in the current study consisted of 804 respondents who had completed the online questionnaire at all three time points designed for the study.

RESULTS

Using Latent Growth Mixture Modeling (LGMM) we identified four trajectories: (a) A resilient group reported consistently low levels of symptoms (62% anxiety and 72% depression), (b) a chronic group reported consistently high levels of symptoms (12% anxiety and 14% depression), (c) an emerging group reported low initial symptoms that increased steadily across time (20% anxiety and 13% depression), and (d) an improving group reported high initial symptoms that decreased across time (6% anxiety and 3% depression).

CONCLUSIONS

The salient conclusion that emerged from these results is that even in a severe and prolonged crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the most common outcome in the population is that of resilience. Moreover, examining predictors of these trajectories, we found that the resilience trajectory was associated with fewer economic difficulties due to the COVID-19, greater income, and self-identification as religious.

Urban attributes and the spread of COVID-19: The effects of density, compliance and socio-political factors in Israel

Current debates identifying urban population density as a major catalyst for the spread of COVID-19, and the praise for de-densification and urban sprawl that they entail, may have dire environmental consequences. Juxtaposing competing theories about the urban antecedents of COVID-19, our key argument is that urban political attributes overshadow the effects of cities' spatial characteristics. This is true even when considering levels of compliance with movement restrictions and controlling for demographic and socio-economic conditions. Taking advantage of Israel as a living lab for studying COVID-19, we examine 271 localities during the first 3 months of the outbreak in Israel, a country where over 90% of the population is urban. Rather than density, we find social makeup and politics to have a critical effect. Cities with some types of political minority groups, but not others, exhibit higher infection rates. Compliance has a significant effect and density's influence on the spread of the disease is contingent on urban political attributes. We conclude with assessing how the relationship between the politics of cities and the spread of contagious diseases sheds new light on tensions between neo-Malthusian sentiments and concerns about urban sprawl and environmental degradation.

Risk perception, health stressors and reduction in sharing cannabis products during the COVID-19 outbreak: a cross-sectional study

Purpose

This study aimed to understand the extent to which cannabis-related risk perception and COVID-19-related health worries were associated with the reported reduction in sharing cannabis smoking products to mitigate the risk of the coronavirus transmission or infection. This association was tested in two different periods in terms of toughness of national lockdown policy imposed in the first months of the pandemic in Israel.

Design/methodology/approach

The study population included adult recreational cannabis users who completed one of the two online cross-sectional surveys dedicated to COVID-19 and the cannabis use situation in Israel in the first half of the 2020. The two surveys were conducted six weeks apart. One survey was conducted in the period when strict lockdown measures were in place (N1 = 376). The other survey was conducted in the period when many lockdown measures were lifted (N2 = 284). Differences between the samples regarding risk perception, health stressors and reduction in sharing cannabis products were assessed using t-test. Regression analysis was used to test the independent correlates of reported reduction in sharing cannabis products.

Findings

Means of risk perception, health stressors and reported reduction in sharing cannabis products were higher in the sample surveyed in the period of the strict lockdown measures than in the sample surveyed in the period of eased lockdown measures. Risk perception was associated with reported reduction in sharing cannabis products only in the sample surveyed in the period of strict lockdown measures. In contrast, health stressors were related to reported reduction in sharing cannabis products in both samples.

Social implications

Health stressors may represent a more stable mechanism by which cannabis users engage in protective behavior during the pandemic than risk perceptions.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the current research is one of the first studies that examine the associations among risk perception, primary stressors and protective behavior in recreational cannabis users while referring to cannabis-related behavior other than use.

Data Empowerment of Decision-Makers in an Era of a Pandemic: Intersection of "Classic" and Artificial Intelligence in the Service of Medicine

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 outbreak required prompt action by health authorities around the world in response to a novel threat. With enormous amounts of information originating in sources with uncertain degree of validation and accuracy, it is essential to provide executive-level decision-makers with the most actionable, pertinent, and updated data analysis to enable them to adapt their strategy swiftly and competently.

OBJECTIVE

We report here the origination of a COVID-19 dedicated response in the Israel Defense Forces with the assembly of an operational Data Center for the Campaign against Coronavirus.

METHODS

Spearheaded by directors with clinical, operational, and data analytics orientation, a multidisciplinary team utilized existing and newly developed platforms to collect and analyze large amounts of information on an individual level in the context of SARS-CoV-2 contraction and infection.

RESULTS

Nearly 300,000 responses to daily questionnaires were recorded and were merged with other data sets to form a unified data lake. By using basic as well as advanced analytic tools ranging from simple aggregation and display of trends to data science application, we provided commanders and clinicians with access to trusted, accurate, and personalized information and tools that were designed to foster operational changes and mitigate the propagation of the pandemic. The developed tools aided in the in the identification of high-risk individuals for severe disease and resulted in a 30% decline in their attendance to their units. Moreover, the queue for laboratory examination for COVID-19 was optimized using a predictive model and resulted in a high true-positive rate of 20%, which is more than twice as high as the baseline rate (2.28%, 95% CI 1.63%-3.19%).

CONCLUSIONS

In times of ambiguity and uncertainty, along with an unprecedented flux of information, health organizations may find multidisciplinary teams working to provide intelligence from diverse and rich data a key factor in providing executives relevant and actionable support for decision-making.

Pandemic Fatigue: The Effects Of The COVID-19 Crisis On Public Trust And Compliance With Regulations In Israel

Social resilience and trust are two major components of the mitigation of the spread of contagious diseases. Although measures such as the imposition of national lockdowns and self-quarantines have been proven to be effective in reducing morbidity, their efficacy is dependent on public trust and compliance. The purpose of this study was to assess public attitudes toward the COVID-19 outbreak over the course of a year. A cohort study of the adult population in Israel was conducted during three waves of COVID-19 morbidity in that country, with February 2020 as the baseline, March 2020 for the first wave, August 2020 for the second, and January 2021 for the third. The results suggest that there is a relationship between risk perception and compliance with health regulations. Moreover, trust is a major component in public compliance. Fluctuations in risk perception and trust were found to affect compliance with regulations. The failure of decision makers to appropriately address the economic constraints imposed on the public during prolonged disasters, such as the COVID-19 outbreak, is likely to lead to a reduction in public trust in the government and to a decrease in societal resilience.

Using Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Attitudes of Adult Health Care Consumers in Israel

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected health care services worldwide due to lockdowns, prevention measures, and social distancing. During this period, patients, including older adults and those with chronic conditions, need ways to obtain medical attention other than going physically to the clinic, such as telemedicine services. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate attitudes toward telemedicine during the COVID-19 lockdown in Israel, assess willingness to use such services in the future, and evaluate the extent to which consumers have changed their minds regarding these services. Method: A cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational study was conducted among adults (age 20-90) using social media networks (N = 693). Data were collected using an online questionnaire explicitly designed to measure attitudes toward telemedicine. Results: Most of the participants had to use telemedicine during the lockdown and were satisfied therewith. The majority also stated that they would continue using telemedicine in the future. However, only a third stated that they had changed their minds regarding telemedicine. The main predictors of willingness to use telemedicine in the future were the necessity of using such services during lockdown, preference for going to a clinic, and satisfaction with telemedicine, alongside gender and having a chronic illness. Importantly, we found that a preference for visiting the clinic was negatively correlated with willingness to use telemedicine in the future. Education and being single were predictors of the change of mind regarding telemedicine. Participants with chronic conditions are more likely to use these services, and specific attention should be directed to their needs. A small portion of the study sample prefers live appointments with a physician. Conclusions: Telemedicine use is rapidly changing. It is vital for health care providers to identify non-telemedicine users and their common characteristics. Monitoring patients' attitudes regarding telemedicine is essential in the future after the pandemic ends. Targeted outreach plans should be formulated. These plans should be directed at identifying barriers to using telemedicine, and they should generate specific, focused plans.

Fluctuations in National Resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The current study measured national resilience (NR) in three different time frames during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Israel (N = 804). We investigated two main issues: first, the direction and extent of NR changes during the crisis, and second, the predictors of NR. The results show the following: (a) the average NR score declined significantly across the three repeated measures, with a medium-size effect. (b) Three of the four identified NR factors declined significantly across the three measurements: belief in the government and the prime minister (large effect size); belief in civil society; and patriotism (medium effect size); while trust in Israeli national institutions was the lowest and did not weaken significantly. (c) Analyzing the prediction of NR factors indicated that the levels of the three NR factors mainly reflected one's political attitudes, sense of political and economic threats, rather than health threats. One conclusion concerns the importance of trust in leadership as the most sensitive component in the decline of national resilience following a crisis.

Trust and Compliance with COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors during the Pandemic

This study examined the role of trust in lay people's health behaviors related to the current pandemic. A total of 376 Israelis completed an online questionnaire during the second lockdown. A latent profile analysis was conducted to identify profiles of individuals based on their levels of trust in the various institutions and stakeholders examined in this study. A three-profile solution was deemed most appropriate. The largest profile (N = 178) was characterized by low levels of trust in the government, but high levels of trust in science and one's primary care provider. Next, was the generally low trust profile (N = 108), characterized by low levels of trust directed towards all stakeholders and institutes. The third profile (N = 79) was characterized by high levels of trust. Results are discussed in relation to the important role of trust in determining people's response to the current pandemic and the unique features of Israeli society.

Social Workers during COVID-19: Do Coping Strategies Differentially Mediate the Relationship between Job Demand and Psychological Distress?

The consequences of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have raised many challenges in the social services workforce. The current study aimed to examine the associations between job demands, coping strategies (i.e. emotion-focused coping and problem-focused coping) and psychological distress exhibited by social workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the mediating role of different coping strategies was investigated for the associations revealed. The participants were 615 social workers, working in various organisations and with diverse populations in Israel. Each completed a validated self-report questionnaire. Results revealed that job demands were significantly associated with higher psychological distress, and that coping strategies, especially emotion-focused coping was associated with higher psychological distress and with job demands. In addition, emotion-focused coping strategies were found to mediate the association between job demands and psychological distress, especially ventilation of emotion beyond other strategies, which relate to emotion-focused coping. These findings are discussed with relation to a stress and coping theory, suggesting that in social work practice there is a need for intervention measures to improve social workers’ coping strategies during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.