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Shi S, Wang Z, Chen X, Fu F. Determinants of successful disease control through voluntary quarantine dynamics on social networks. Math Biosci 2024; 377:109288. [PMID: 39222905 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2024.109288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2024] [Revised: 08/04/2024] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
In the wake of epidemics, quarantine measures are typically recommended by health authorities or governments to help control the spread of the disease. Compared with mandatory quarantine, voluntary quarantine offers individuals the liberty to decide whether to isolate themselves in case of infection exposure, driven by their personal assessment of the trade-off between economic loss and health risks as well as their own sense of social responsibility and concern for public health. To better understand self-motivated health behavior choices under these factors, here we incorporate voluntary quarantine into an endemic disease model - the susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) model - and perform comprehensive agent-based simulations to characterize the resulting behavior-disease interactions in structured populations. We quantify the conditions under which voluntary quarantine will be an effective intervention measure to mitigate disease burden. Furthermore, we demonstrate how individual decision-making factors, including the level of temptation to refrain from quarantine and the degree of social compassion, impact compliance levels of voluntary quarantines and the consequent collective disease mitigation efforts. We find that successful disease control requires either a sufficiently low level of temptation or a sufficiently high degree of social compassion, such that even complete containment of the epidemic is attainable. In addition to well-mixed populations, we have also analyzed other more realistic social networks of contacts, including spatial lattices, small-world networks, and real social networks. Our work offers new insights into the fundamental social dilemma aspect of disease control through non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as voluntary quarantine and isolation, where the collective outcome of individual decision-making is crucial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simiao Shi
- Department of Mathematics, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, 10 Xitucheng Road, Beijing, 100876, China.
| | - Zhiyuan Wang
- International School, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing, 100876, China
| | - Xingru Chen
- Department of Mathematics, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, 10 Xitucheng Road, Beijing, 100876, China.
| | - Feng Fu
- Department of Mathematics, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA; Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA.
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2
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Anderson KAM, Creanza N. Internal and external factors affecting vaccination coverage: Modeling the interactions between vaccine hesitancy, accessibility, and mandates. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 3:e0001186. [PMID: 37792691 PMCID: PMC10550134 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0001186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Society, culture, and individual motivations affect human decisions regarding their health behaviors and preventative care, and health-related perceptions and behaviors can change at the population level as cultures evolve. An increase in vaccine hesitancy, an individual mindset informed within a cultural context, has resulted in a decrease in vaccination coverage and an increase in vaccine-preventable disease (VPD) outbreaks, particularly in developed countries where vaccination rates are generally high. Understanding local vaccination cultures, which evolve through an interaction between beliefs and behaviors and are influenced by the broader cultural landscape, is critical to fostering public health. Vaccine mandates and vaccine inaccessibility are two external factors that interact with individual beliefs to affect vaccine-related behaviors. To better understand the population dynamics of vaccine hesitancy, it is important to study how these external factors could shape a population's vaccination decisions and affect the broader health culture. Using a mathematical model of cultural evolution, we explore the effects of vaccine mandates, vaccine inaccessibility, and varying cultural selection trajectories on a population's level of vaccine hesitancy and vaccination behavior. We show that vaccine mandates can lead to a phenomenon in which high vaccine hesitancy co-occurs with high vaccination coverage, and that high vaccine confidence can be maintained even in areas where access to vaccines is limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerri-Ann M. Anderson
- Department of Biological Sciences and Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Nicole Creanza
- Department of Biological Sciences and Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
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Contreras S, Iftekhar EN, Priesemann V. From emergency response to long-term management: the many faces of the endemic state of COVID-19. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. EUROPE 2023:100664. [PMID: 37363798 PMCID: PMC10217566 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Seba Contreras
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Emil N Iftekhar
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Viola Priesemann
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Institute for the Dynamics of Complex Systems, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Institute of Computer Science and Campus Institute Data Science, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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Sornette D, Wu K. Coupled System Approach to Healthy Earth Environments and Individual Human Resilience. SUSTAINABLE HORIZONS 2023:100050. [PMCID: PMC9981524 DOI: 10.1016/j.horiz.2023.100050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has stressed our social organizations, health care systems and economies at a level not experienced since WWII or the last “Spanish flu” pandemic of 1918. This shock provides a real-life test of the resilience of human societies and of individuals, challenging our understanding and level of preparation. While hurried coercive non-pharmaceutical measures and vaccinations were the main responses, for the future, we propose a coupled double-system approach linking efforts to improve both human well-being and Earth environmental health. Concretely, this means linking (i) the build-up of individual health resilience using holistic medical system perspectives applied to each person with (ii) efforts to depollute and achieve more healthy Earth environments that are intrinsic pillars of humans’ health and wealth. The push to fight Earth ecological damages towards environmental sustainability should be rethought as being motivated by recovering an ecosystem in which each own personal biological ecosystem (i.e., each person's homeostatic balance) can strive again. We propose to prioritize Human-Environment-Health initiatives for depolluting the environment and of our immune systems, as well as improving individual responsibility and resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ke Wu
- Corresponding: Institute of Risk Analysis, Prediction and Management (Risks-X), Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, China, 518055. +86 15201128638
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Wernli D, Tediosi F, Blanchet K, Lee K, Morel C, Pittet D, Levrat N, Young O. A Complexity Lens on the COVID-19 Pandemic. Int J Health Policy Manag 2022; 11:2769-2772. [PMID: 34124870 PMCID: PMC9818100 DOI: 10.34172/ijhpm.2021.55] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Didier Wernli
- Geneva Transformative Governance Lab, Global Studies Institute, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Fabrizio Tediosi
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Karl Blanchet
- Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva and Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Kelley Lee
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Chantal Morel
- Geneva Transformative Governance Lab, Global Studies Institute, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Didier Pittet
- Infection Control Programme, University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Levrat
- Geneva Transformative Governance Lab, Global Studies Institute, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Oran Young
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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Vassall A, Sweeney S, Barasa E, Prinja S, Keogh-Brown MR, Tarp Jensen H, Smith R, Baltussen R, M Eggo R, Jit M. Integrating economic and health evidence to inform Covid-19 policy in low- and middle- income countries. Wellcome Open Res 2022; 5:272. [PMID: 36081645 PMCID: PMC9433912 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16380.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Covid-19 requires policy makers to consider evidence on both population health and economic welfare. Over the last two decades, the field of health economics has developed a range of analytical approaches and contributed to the institutionalisation of processes to employ economic evidence in health policy. We present a discussion outlining how these approaches and processes need to be applied more widely to inform Covid-19 policy; highlighting where they may need to be adapted conceptually and methodologically, and providing examples of work to date. We focus on the evidential and policy needs of low- and middle-income countries; where there is an urgent need for evidence to navigate the policy trade-offs between health and economic well-being posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Vassall
- Centre for Health Economics in London, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Sedona Sweeney
- Centre for Health Economics in London, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Edwine Barasa
- Health Economics Research Unit, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kenya and Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Shankar Prinja
- Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Marcus R Keogh-Brown
- Centre for Health Economics in London, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Henning Tarp Jensen
- Centre for Health Economics in London, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Department of Food and Resource Economics, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Richard Smith
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Rob Baltussen
- Radboud University Medical Centre, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rosalind M Eggo
- Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Disease, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Mark Jit
- Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Disease, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Introducing The Lancet Global Health Commission on financing primary health care: putting people at the centre. THE LANCET GLOBAL HEALTH 2022; 10:e20-e21. [DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(21)00510-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
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Wang Y, Li Q, Tarimo CS, Wu C, Miao Y, Wu J. Prevalence and risk factors of worry among teachers during the COVID-19 epidemic in Henan, China: a cross-sectional survey. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e045386. [PMID: 34233970 PMCID: PMC8266429 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the level of worry and its influencing factors during the COVID-19 epidemic among teachers in Henan Province in China. STUDY DESIGN A cross-sectional study was conducted. METHODS We designed a cross-sectional survey that included 88 611 teachers from three cities in Henan Province, China between 4 February 2020 and 12 February 2020. Level of worry was measured using a five-item Likert scale, with 1 being 'not worried' and 5 being 'very worried'. The OR and 95% CI of potential influencing factors for level of worry among study participants were estimated using ordinal logistic regression models. RESULTS About 59% of teachers reported being 'very worried' about the COVID-19 epidemic. The proportion of female teachers was higher than of male teachers (60.33% vs 52.89%). In all age groups considered in this study, a 'very worried' condition accounted for the highest proportion. The age group 40-49 years had the lowest proportion of participants who were very worried, 52.34% of whom were men and 58.62% were women. After controlling for potential confounding factors, age, education level, type of teacher, school location, attention level, fear level, anxiety level and behaviour status were all related to level of worry (all p<0.05). CONCLUSION During the COVID-19 epidemic, there was a high proportion of teachers who were 'very worried' about the situation in Henan Province, China. Our study may remind policymakers to consider factors including age, educational status, type of teacher, school location, source of information on COVID-19, attention level, anxiety level, fear level and behaviour status to alleviate worry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanqing Wang
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Quanman Li
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Clifford Silver Tarimo
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
- Department of Science and Laboratory Technology, Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Cuiping Wu
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yudong Miao
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Jian Wu
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
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Vassall A, Sweeney S, Barasa E, Prinja S, Keogh-Brown MR, Tarp Jensen H, Smith R, Baltussen R, M Eggo R, Jit M. Integrating economic and health evidence to inform Covid-19 policy in low- and middle- income countries. Wellcome Open Res 2020; 5:272. [PMID: 36081645 PMCID: PMC9433912 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16380.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Covid-19 requires policy makers to consider evidence on both population health and economic welfare. Over the last two decades, the field of health economics has developed a range of analytical approaches and contributed to the institutionalisation of processes to employ economic evidence in health policy. We present a discussion outlining how these approaches and processes need to be applied more widely to inform Covid-19 policy; highlighting where they may need to be adapted conceptually and methodologically, and providing examples of work to date. We focus on the evidential and policy needs of low- and middle-income countries; where there is an urgent need for evidence to navigate the policy trade-offs between health and economic well-being posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Vassall
- Centre for Health Economics in London, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Sedona Sweeney
- Centre for Health Economics in London, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Edwine Barasa
- Health Economics Research Unit, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kenya and Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Shankar Prinja
- Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Marcus R Keogh-Brown
- Centre for Health Economics in London, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Henning Tarp Jensen
- Centre for Health Economics in London, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Department of Food and Resource Economics, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Richard Smith
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Rob Baltussen
- Radboud University Medical Centre, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rosalind M Eggo
- Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Disease, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Mark Jit
- Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Disease, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Chen CC, Tseng CY, Choi WM, Lee YC, Su TH, Hsieh CY, Chang CM, Weng SL, Liu PH, Tai YL, Lin CY. Taiwan Government-Guided Strategies Contributed to Combating and Controlling COVID-19 Pandemic. Front Public Health 2020; 8:547423. [PMID: 33194949 PMCID: PMC7609768 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.547423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is highly contagious, and thus has become an emerging health crisis worldwide. The optimal strategies to prevent the spread of this disease are inconclusive, and therefore, the adopted measurements to combat COVID-19 varies in different countries. In mid-March and late-August 2020, we performed internet searches to collect relevant information, from sources such as the website of the World Health Organization. The epidemiological data of COVID-19 from several countries were collected and we found that Taiwan had a comparably successful story for combating the pandemic. As of mid-March, Taiwan had high rates of diagnostic testing (688.5 tests per million citizens) with a lower infection rate (49 cases, 2.1 cases per million people). As of late-August, there were 488 cases (20 cases per million people). Furthermore, Taiwanese government-guided strategies and hospital data were also reviewed. We summarized some important strategies to combat COVID-19, which include: (1) border control; (2) official media channel and press conferences; (3) name-based rationing system for medical masks; (4) TOCC-based rapid triage, outdoor clinics, and protective sampling devices; and (5) social distancing, delaying the start of new semesters, and religious assembly restriction. In conclusion, Taiwan had lower rates of COVID-19 compared with other countries, and Taiwan government-guided strategies contributed to the control of the disease's spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung-Chu Chen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Teaching Center of Natural Science, Minghsin University of Science and Technology, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Yin Tseng
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Center of Infection Control, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Wai-Mau Choi
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Chun Lee
- Center of Infection Control, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Hsien Su
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chin-Yi Hsieh
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Ming Chang
- Department of Nursing, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Shun-Long Weng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Po-Huang Liu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Center of Infection Control, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Lin Tai
- Center of Infection Control, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Pediatrics, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Yu Lin
- Center of Infection Control, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Pediatrics, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
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Abstract
Purpose of review There is a continuing debate regarding contact precaution (CP) usage for endemic multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). In this review, we examine current recommendations for CP and highlight differences in CP use between endemic and non-endemic MDROs. Recent findings The discontinuation of CP had no effect on the incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci. The evidence regarding CP for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae is inconclusive, highlighting the need for more research to determine best infection control strategies. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae maintains a sporadic pattern in the USA, supporting current recommendations to use CP for colonized and infected patients. MDR Acinetobacter baumannii (MDR-AB) is extremely virulent and responsible for outbreaks in healthcare settings, emphasizing the need for CP use with MDR-AB infected patients. Candida auris (C. auris) is often misdiagnosed; it is resistant to UV light and quaternary ammonium low-level disinfection. Because little is known about the transmission of C. auris, significant caution and CP use are necessitated. There is little research on vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA) control strategies due to its rarity; thus, CP is strongly recommended. Summary Contact precautions are frequently part of a bundled infection control approach that involves meticulous hand hygiene, patient decolonization, chlorhexidine gluconate bathing, and reducing the use of invasive devices. Healthcare facilities should continue to utilize CP for non-endemic MDROs and the presence of endemic MDROs; however, CP may not add benefit to the current infection prevention bundle approach.
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Chang CM, Tan TW, Ho TC, Chen CC, Su TH, Lin CY. COVID-19: Taiwan's epidemiological characteristics and public and hospital responses. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9360. [PMID: 32551205 PMCID: PMC7292018 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is a global health threat with significant medical, economic, social and political implications. The optimal strategies for combating COVID-19 have not been fully determined and vary across countries. METHODS By the end of February 2020 in Taiwan, 2,150 patients received diagnostic COVID-19 testing and 39 confirmed cases were detected. This is a relatively lower rate of infection compared to other Asian countries. In this article, we summarize the epidemiological characteristics of the 39 infected patients as well as public and hospital responses to COVID-19. RESULTS Thirty-nine COVID-19 cases and one death have been confirmed in Taiwan. Seventeen of these patients were infected by family members or in hospital wards, emphasizing how COVID-19 is mostly spread by close contact. We examined how hospital have responded to COVID-19, including their implementation of patient route control, outdoor clinics, hospital visit restrictions and ward and staff modifications. We also studied the public's use of face masks in response to COVID-19. These strategies may reduce the spread of COVID-19 in other countries. CONCLUSION The emergence and spread of COVID-19 is a threat to health worldwide. Taiwan has reported lower infected cases and its strategies may contribute to further disease prevention and control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Ming Chang
- Department of Nursing, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Healthcare Management, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Wan Tan
- Department of Nursing, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Tai-Cheng Ho
- Department of Nursing, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Chu Chen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Teaching Center of Natural Science, Minghsin University of Science and Technology, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Hsien Su
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Yu Lin
- Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Pediatrics, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
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Collender PA, Morris C, Glenn-Finer R, Acevedo A, Chang HH, Trostle JA, Eisenberg JNS, Remais JV. Mass Gatherings and Diarrheal Disease Transmission Among Rural Communities in Coastal Ecuador. Am J Epidemiol 2019; 188:1475-1483. [PMID: 31094412 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwz102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mass gatherings exacerbate infectious disease risks by creating crowded, high-contact conditions and straining the capacity of local infrastructure. While mass gatherings have been extensively studied in the context of epidemic disease transmission, the role of gatherings in incidence of high-burden, endemic infections has not been previously studied. Here, we examine diarrheal incidence among 17 communities in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, in relation to recurrent gatherings characterized using ethnographic data collected during and after the epidemiologic surveillance period (2004-2007). Using distributed-lag generalized estimating equations, adjusted for seasonality, trend, and heavy rainfall events, we found significant increases in diarrhea risk in host villages, peaking 2 weeks after an event's conclusion (incidence rate ratio, 1.21; confidence interval, adjusted for false coverage rate of ≤0.05: 1.02, 1.43). Stratified analysis revealed heightened risks associated with events where crowding and travel were most likely (2-week-lag incidence rate ratio, 1.51; confidence interval, adjusted for false coverage rate of ≤0.05: 1.09, 2.10). Our findings suggest that community-scale mass gatherings might play an important role in endemic diarrheal disease transmission and could be an important focus for interventions to improve community health in low-resource settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip A Collender
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
| | - Christa Morris
- Joint Medical Program of University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, and University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Rose Glenn-Finer
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
| | - Andrés Acevedo
- Instituto de Microbiología, Universidad de San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Howard H Chang
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - James A Trostle
- Department of Anthropology, Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut
| | | | - Justin V Remais
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
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15
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Li M, Yu W, Tian W, Ge Y, Liu Y, Ding T, Zhang L. System dynamics modeling of public health services provided by China CDC to control infectious and endemic diseases in China. Infect Drug Resist 2019; 12:613-625. [PMID: 30936725 PMCID: PMC6422414 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s185177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infectious and endemic diseases are a serious public health concern worldwide, and their prevention and treatment are globally controversial. This study aimed to establish an system dynamics (SD) model to analyze the factors influencing public health services provided by the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) to implement infectious and endemic disease control in China, by establishing more effective interventions to provide public health services and thus achieving the goal of controlling infectious and endemic diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS An SD model was constructed using the Vensim DSS program. Intervention experiments were performed using the SD model, which reflected the influences on disease control by adjusting the governmental investment and compensation level for public health products. RESULTS The experimental results showed that increasing the governmental investment in China CDC and compensation level for public health products will significantly increase the public health product rate provided by China CDC. DISCUSSION Problems with infectious and endemic disease prevention and treatment are the result of the system's incomplete functioning and limited health resources. To address the current problems and improve the system, the government should increase its investment in the public health service system and improve the compensation system to ensure smooth implementation of infectious and endemic disease prevention and treatment and, ultimately, improve public health in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meina Li
- Department of Military Health Service Management, College of Military Health Service Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China,
| | - Wenya Yu
- Department of Military Health Service Management, College of Military Health Service Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China,
| | - Wei Tian
- Medical Care Department, Dalian Rehabilitation Center of PLA, Dalian, China
| | - Yang Ge
- School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan Liu
- Department of Military Health Service Management, College of Military Health Service Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China,
| | - Tao Ding
- Department of Military Health Service Management, College of Military Health Service Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China,
| | - Lulu Zhang
- Department of Military Health Service Management, College of Military Health Service Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China,
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16
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION There are 36.7 million people living with HIV with 20.9 million having access to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) remain the 'backbone' of ART. However, the currently available nine NRTIs and five non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) have significant side effects and resistance profiles. Areas covered: We summarize the mechanisms of resistance and other limitations of the existing NRTIs/NNRTIs. GS-9131, MK-8591, Elsulfavirine and Doravirine are four new agents that are furthest along in development. Expert opinion: ART development has evolved with several new promising agents. Longer-acting agents, like MK-8591 are extremely attractive to enhance drug adherence and patient satisfaction. Doravirine offers an NNRTI effective against common mutations that has fewer side effects, limitations on dosing and drug interactions. GS-9131 is very potent and active against a variety of NRTI mutants but it is too early in its development to understand its full risks and benefits. Finally, Elsulfavirine has a long half-life and preliminary data suggests fewer side effects than the most commonly used NNRTI, efavirenz. Each of these new agents shows promise and potential to improve ART in the future. The newer generation of reverse transcriptase inhibitors have longer half-lives, more favorable adverse effect profiles, and fewer drug interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad A Rai
- a Department of Internal Medicine , University of Cincinnati Medical Center , Cincinnati , OH , USA
| | - Sam Pannek
- a Department of Internal Medicine , University of Cincinnati Medical Center , Cincinnati , OH , USA
| | - Carl J Fichtenbaum
- a Department of Internal Medicine , University of Cincinnati Medical Center , Cincinnati , OH , USA
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17
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Lim MD, Brooker SJ, Belizario VY, Gay-Andrieu F, Gilleard J, Levecke B, van Lieshout L, Medley GF, Mekonnen Z, Mirams G, Njenga SM, Odiere MR, Rudge JW, Stuyver L, Vercruysse J, Vlaminck J, Walson JL. Diagnostic tools for soil-transmitted helminths control and elimination programs: A pathway for diagnostic product development. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006213. [PMID: 29494581 PMCID: PMC5832200 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mark D. Lim
- Global Health Division, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Simon J. Brooker
- Global Health Division, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, United States of America
| | | | | | - John Gilleard
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Bruno Levecke
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Lisette van Lieshout
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Graham F. Medley
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Maurice R. Odiere
- Centre for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - James W. Rudge
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jozef Vercruysse
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Johnny Vlaminck
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Judd L. Walson
- Departments of Global Health, Medicine (Infectious Disease), Pediatrics and Epidemiology, University of Washington, United States of America
- Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
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18
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Brown MA. The Evolution of Pediatric Disease-A Moving Target in Public Health. Diseases 2017; 5:E18. [PMID: 28933371 PMCID: PMC5622334 DOI: 10.3390/diseases5030018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a growing threat in the re-emergence of diseases that impact pediatric demographics. While major strides have been made in the field of childhood cancers, there are still more questions than answers. In addition, public resistance to recommended practices related to childhood vaccinations fueled by misinformation has allowed infectious diseases to resurface in developed nations. Meanwhile, climate change and other destabilizing factors are shifting vector populations and driving the emergence of new diseases. Herein we call upon the community of human health researchers to confront the evolving specter of pediatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Brown
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
- Epidemiology Section, Colorado School of Public Health, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
- Department of Ethnic Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
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