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Pan J, Villalan AK, Ni G, Wu R, Sui S, Wu X, Wang X. Assessing eco-geographic influences on COVID-19 transmission: a global analysis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11728. [PMID: 38777817 PMCID: PMC11111805 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62300-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 has been massively transmitted for almost 3 years, and its multiple variants have caused serious health problems and an economic crisis. Our goal was to identify the influencing factors that reduce the threshold of disease transmission and to analyze the epidemiological patterns of COVID-19. This study served as an early assessment of the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 using the MaxEnt species distribution algorithm using the maximum entropy model. The transmission of COVID-19 was evaluated based on human factors and environmental variables, including climate, terrain and vegetation, along with COVID-19 daily confirmed case location data. The results of the SDM model indicate that population density was the major factor influencing the spread of COVID-19. Altitude, land cover and climatic factor showed low impact. We identified a set of practical, high-resolution, multi-factor-based maximum entropy ecological niche risk prediction systems to assess the transmission risk of the COVID-19 epidemic globally. This study provided a comprehensive analysis of various factors influencing the transmission of COVID-19, incorporating both human and environmental variables. These findings emphasize the role of different types of influencing variables in disease transmission, which could have implications for global health regulations and preparedness strategies for future outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Pan
- Key Laboratory for Wildlife Diseases and Bio-Security Management of Heilongjiang Province, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150040, People's Republic of China
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150040, People's Republic of China
| | - Arivizhivendhan Kannan Villalan
- Key Laboratory for Wildlife Diseases and Bio-Security Management of Heilongjiang Province, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150040, People's Republic of China
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150040, People's Republic of China
| | - Guanying Ni
- HaiXi Animal Disease Control Center, Qinghai Province, Delingha, 817099, People's Republic of China
| | - Renna Wu
- HaiXi Animal Disease Control Center, Qinghai Province, Delingha, 817099, People's Republic of China
| | - ShiFeng Sui
- Zhaoyuan Forest Resources Monitoring and Protection Service Center, Shandong Province, Zhaoyuan, 265400, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaodong Wu
- China Animal Health and Epidemiology Center, Shandong Province, Qingdao, 266032, People's Republic of China.
| | - XiaoLong Wang
- Key Laboratory for Wildlife Diseases and Bio-Security Management of Heilongjiang Province, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150040, People's Republic of China.
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150040, People's Republic of China.
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Grant C, Sams K. Global narratives on unequal outcomes produced by lockdown in Africa: A social science perspective on the “one-size-fits all” COVID-19 response. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1046404. [PMID: 37064673 PMCID: PMC10095145 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1046404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
IntroductionLockdown measures were introduced worldwide to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and several studies showed the positive impacts of these policies in places such as China and Europe. Many African governments also imposed lockdowns at the beginning of the pandemic. These lockdowns met with mixed reactions; some were positive, but others focused on concerns about the consequences of lockdowns.MethodsIn this article, we use social listening to examine social media narratives to investigate how people balanced concerns about preventing the spread of COVID-19 with other priorities. Analyzing social media conversations is one way of accessing different voices in real time, including those that often go unheard. As internet access grows and social media becomes more popular in Africa, it provides a different space for engagement, allowing people to connect with opinions outside of their own conceptual frameworks and disrupting hierarchies of how knowledge is shaped.ResultsThis article indicates which narratives were favored by different organizations, stakeholders, and the general public, and which of these narratives are most dominant in policy discourses. The range of narratives is found to be reflective of the blindness to inequality and social difference of much decision-making by policymakers.DiscussionThus, contrary to the “we are all in this together” narrative, diseases and public health responses to them clearly discriminate, accentuating long-standing structural inequalities locally, nationally, and globally, as well as interplaying with multiple, dynamic, and negotiated sources of marginalization. These and other insights from this article could play a useful role in understanding and interpreting how social media could be included in pandemic preparedness plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Grant
- Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Catherine Grant
| | - Kelley Sams
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, France and School of Health Sciences, Walden University, Columbia, MD, United States
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de Jong FC, GeurtsvanKessel CH, Molenkamp R, Bangma CH, Zuiverloon TCM. Sewage surveillance system using urological wastewater: Key to COVID-19 monitoring? Urol Oncol 2023; 41:70-75. [PMID: 33127302 PMCID: PMC7553066 DOI: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2020.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Since December 2019, the emergence of a new Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome- coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has led to a global coronavirus pandemic disease (COVID-19), with devastating consequences for all healthcare worldwide, including urological care. COVID-19 has led to concern among urological healthcare workers about viral presence, detection and routes of transmission during routine clinical practice. The potential presence of (active) virus in bodily fluids of COVID-19 patients remains a continuing topic of debate. Therefore, we highlight viral detection methods and review the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in urine, feces, and semen. Finally, we discuss how excretion of virus particles through urological bodily fluids might be pivotal to epidemiologic monitoring and control of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florus C de Jong
- Department of Urology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Chris H Bangma
- Department of Urology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Engels D, Tang SL, Butler CD, Oduola AMJ, de Araujo-Jorge TC, Gao GF, Utzinger J, Zhou XN. A decade of innovation to deepen the understanding of infectious diseases of poverty and foster their control and elimination. Infect Dis Poverty 2022; 11:110. [PMID: 36274165 PMCID: PMC9589687 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-022-01037-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dirk Engels
- grid.3575.40000000121633745World Health Organization (Retired), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sheng-lan Tang
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Duke University, Durham, USA
| | - Colin D. Butler
- grid.1001.00000 0001 2180 7477Australia National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Ayoade M. J. Oduola
- grid.9582.60000 0004 1794 5983University of Ibadan Research Foundation, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Tania C. de Araujo-Jorge
- grid.418068.30000 0001 0723 0931Institute Oswaldo Cruz, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - George F. Gao
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jürg Utzinger
- grid.416786.a0000 0004 0587 0574Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland ,grid.6612.30000 0004 1937 0642University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Xiao-Nong Zhou
- grid.508378.1National Institute of Parasitic Diseases at Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China ,grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293One Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University-The University of Edinburgh, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
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5
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Levandowski BA, Miller SB, Ran D, Pressman EA, Van der Dye T. Piling it on: Perceived stress and lack of access to resources among US-based LGBTQ+ community members during the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271162. [PMID: 35802684 PMCID: PMC9269365 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES While the LGBTQ+ community has been disproportionally impacted by COVID-19 medical complications, little research has considered non-medical impact. METHODS We conducted a secondary analyses of USA-based respondents from a global cross-sectional online mixed-methods survey collecting sexual orientation, gender identity, and the perceived stress scale (PSS). Bivariate and multivariate ordinal regression statistics were performed. RESULTS Fourteen percent (n = 193,14.2%) identified as LGBTQ+. Variables significantly associated with LGBTQ+ included: COVID testing/treatment affordability, canceled activities, stocking food/medications, quitting job, lost income, and inability to procure groceries/cleaning supplies/medications. Adjusting for Hispanic ethnicity and income, BIPOC LGBTQ+ individuals had twice the odds (OR:2.02;95%CI:1.16-3.53) of moderate compared to low PSS scores, and high compared to moderate PSS scores, compared to white non-LGBTQ+ individuals. Adjusting for Hispanic ethnicity, income, age, and education, deaf LGBTQ+ individuals had twice the odds (OR:2.00;95%CI:1.12-3.61) of moderate compared to low PSS scores, and high compared to moderate PSS scores, compared to hearing non-LGBTQ+ individuals. CONCLUSION The LBGTQ+ community has increased stress due to COVID-19. Public health interventions must mitigate stress in BIPOC and deaf LGBTQ+ communities, addressing their intersectional experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke A. Levandowski
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Susan B. Miller
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Davy Ran
- Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Eva A. Pressman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Timothy Van der Dye
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States of America
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Gandy M. THE ZOONOTIC CITY: Urban Political Ecology and the Pandemic Imaginary. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF URBAN AND REGIONAL RESEARCH 2022; 46:202-219. [PMID: 35874453 PMCID: PMC9299822 DOI: 10.1111/1468-2427.13080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic this article takes a longer view of the evolving relationship between urbanization and the range of zoonotic diseases that have spread from animals to humans. I suggest that the existing interpretation of epidemiological transitions remains overly Eurocentric and requires a more nuanced conception of global environmental history. Similarly, the conceptualization of urban space within these teleological schemas has relied on a narrow range of examples and has failed to fully engage with networked dimensions to urbanization. At an analytical level I consider the potential for extending the conceptual framework offered by urban political ecology to take greater account of the epidemiological dimensions to contemporary urbanization and its associated pandemic imaginary. I examine how contemporary health threats intersect with complex patterns of environmental change, including the destruction of biodiversity (and trade in live animals), the co-evolutionary dynamics of viruses and other pathogens, and wider dimensions to the global technosphere, including food production, infrastructure networks, and the shifting topographies of peri- or ex-urban contact zones.
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Macedo ASM, Lopez JP, Passerat de Silans T. Sample size effects for Lévy flight of photons in atomic vapors. Phys Rev E 2021; 104:054143. [PMID: 34942778 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.104.054143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Lévy flight superdiffusion consists of random walks characterized by very long jumps that dominate the transport. However, the finite size of real samples introduces truncation of long jumps and modifies the transport properties. We measure typical Levy flight parameters for photon diffusion in atomic vapor characterized by a Voigt absorption profile. We observe the change of Lévy parameter as a function of truncation length. We associate this variation with size-dependent contributions from different spectral regions of the emission profile with the Doppler core dominating the transport for thin samples and Lorentz wings for thick samples. Monte Carlo simulations are implemented to support the interpretation of results.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S M Macedo
- Departamento de Física, CCEN, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Caixa Postal 5008, 58051-900 João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
| | - J P Lopez
- Departamento de Física, CCEN, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Caixa Postal 5008, 58051-900 João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
| | - T Passerat de Silans
- Departamento de Física, CCEN, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Caixa Postal 5008, 58051-900 João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
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Dye TD, Barbosu M, Siddiqi S, Pérez Ramos JG, Murphy H, Alcántara L, Pressman E. Science, healthcare system, and government effectiveness perception and COVID-19 vaccination acceptance and hesitancy in a global sample: an analytical cross-sectional analysis. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e049716. [PMID: 34815278 PMCID: PMC8611238 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-049716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance are complex; how perceptions of the effectiveness of science, healthcare and government impact personal COVID-19 vaccine acceptance is unclear, despite all three domains providing critical roles in development, funding and provision, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccine. OBJECTIVE To estimate impact of perception of science, healthcare systems, and government along with sociodemographic, psychosocial, and cultural characteristics on vaccine acceptance. DESIGN We conducted a global nested analytical cross-sectional study of how the perceptions of healthcare, government and science systems have impacted COVID-19 on vaccine acceptance. SETTING Global Facebook, Instagram and Amazon Mechanical Turk (mTurk) users from 173 countries. PARTICIPANTS 7411 people aged 18 years or over, and able to read English, Spanish, Italian, or French. MEASUREMENTS We used Χ2 analysis and logistic regression-derived adjusted Odds Ratios (aORs) and 95% CIs to evaluate the relationship between effectiveness perceptions and vaccine acceptance controlling for other factors. We used natural language processing and thematic analysis to analyse the role of vaccine-related narratives in open-ended explanations of effectiveness. RESULTS After controlling for confounding, attitude toward science was a strong predictor of vaccine acceptance, more so than other attitudes, demographic, psychosocial or COVID-19-related variables (aOR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.8 to 2.5). The rationale for science effectiveness was dominated by vaccine narratives, which were uncommon in other domains. LIMITATIONS This study did not include participants from countries where Facebook and Amazon mTurk are not available, and vaccine acceptance reflected intention rather than actual behaviour. CONCLUSIONS As our findings show, vaccine-related issues dominate public perception of science's impact around COVID-19, and this perception of science relates strongly to the decision to obtain vaccination once available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D Dye
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Monica Barbosu
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Shazia Siddiqi
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - José G Pérez Ramos
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Hannah Murphy
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Lisette Alcántara
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Eva Pressman
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
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Soriano-Arandes A, Gatell A, Serrano P, Biosca M, Campillo F, Capdevila R, Fàbrega A, Lobato Z, López N, Moreno AM, Poblet M, Riera-Bosch MT, Rius N, Ruiz M, Sánchez A, Valldepérez C, Vilà M, Pineda V, Lazcano U, Díaz Y, Reyes-Urueña J, Soler-Palacín P. Household SARS-CoV-2 transmission and children: a network prospective study. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 73:e1261-e1269. [PMID: 33709135 PMCID: PMC7989526 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciab228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The role of children in household transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains uncertain. Here, we describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of children with COVID-19 in Catalonia (Spain) and investigate the dynamics of household transmission. Methods Prospective, observational, multicenter study performed during summer and school periods (1 July-31 October, 2020), in which epidemiological and clinical features, and viral transmission dynamics were analyzed in COVID-19 patients <16 years. A pediatric index case was established when a child was the first individual infected within a household. Secondary cases were defined when another household member tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 before the child. The secondary attack rate (SAR) was calculated, and logistic regression was used to assess associations between transmission risk factors and SARS-CoV-2 infections. Results The study included 1040 COVID-19 patients <16 years. Almost half (47.2%) were asymptomatic, 10.8% had comorbidities, and 2.6% required hospitalization. No deaths were reported. Viral transmission was common among household members (62.3%). More than 70% (756/1040) of pediatric cases were secondary to an adult, whereas 7.7% (80/1040) were index cases. The SAR was significantly lower in households with COVID-19 pediatric index cases during the school period relative to summer (p=0.02), and when compared to adults (p=0.006). No individual or environmental risk factors associated with the SAR were identified. Conclusions Children are unlikely to cause household COVID-19 clusters or be major drivers of the pandemic even if attending school. Interventions aimed at children are expected to have a small impact on reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoni Soriano-Arandes
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunodeficiencies Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Gatell
- Equip Pediatria Territorial Alt Penedès-Garraf, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pepe Serrano
- Equip Pediatria Territorial Alt Penedès-Garraf, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Ferran Campillo
- Hospital d'Olot i Equip Pediàtric Territorial Garrotxa i Ripollès (EPTGiR), Girona, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Núria López
- Hospital Universitari del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Miriam Poblet
- Equip Territorial Pediàtric Sabadell Nord, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Neus Rius
- Hospital Universitari San Joan de Reus, Tarragona, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - Valentí Pineda
- Hospital Universitari Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Uxue Lazcano
- Agencia de Qualitat i Avaluació Sanitaria de Catalunya, AQuAS, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yesika Díaz
- Centre Estudis Epidemiològics sobre les Infeccions de Transmissió Sexual i Sida de Catalunya (CEEISCAT), Departament de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Badalona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Badalona, Spain
| | - Juliana Reyes-Urueña
- Centre Estudis Epidemiològics sobre les Infeccions de Transmissió Sexual i Sida de Catalunya (CEEISCAT), Departament de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Badalona, Spain.,CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Pere Soler-Palacín
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunodeficiencies Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
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10
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Araújo MO, de Silans TP, Kaiser R. Lévy flights of photons with infinite mean free path. Phys Rev E 2021; 103:L010101. [PMID: 33601531 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.103.l010101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Multiple scattering of light by resonant vapor is characterized by Lévy-type superdiffusion with a single-step size distribution p(x)∝1/x^{1+α}. We investigate Lévy flight of light in a hot rubidium vapor collisional-broadened by 50 torr of He gas. The frequent collisions produce Lorentzian absorptive and emissive profiles with α<1 and a corresponding divergent mean step size. We extract the Lévy parameter α≈0.5 in a multiple-scattering regime from radial profile of the transmission and from violation of the Ohm's law. The measured radial transmission profile and the total diffusive transmission curves are well reproduced by numerical simulations for Lorentzian line shapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle O Araújo
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Physique de Nice, F-06560 Valbonne, France
| | - Thierry Passerat de Silans
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Physique de Nice, F-06560 Valbonne, France.,Departamento de Física/CCEN, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Caixa Postal 5008, 58051-900 João Pessoa, PB, Brazil
| | - Robin Kaiser
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Physique de Nice, F-06560 Valbonne, France
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David KB, Aborode AT, Olaoye DQ, Enang NV, Oriyomi AK, Yunusa I. Increased Risk of Death Triggered by Domestic Violence, Hunger, Suicide, Exhausted Health System during COVID-19 Pandemic: Why, How and Solutions. FRONTIERS IN SOCIOLOGY 2021; 6:648395. [PMID: 34169112 PMCID: PMC8219049 DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2021.648395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections, just like many other public health emergencies, is a well-established global health burden that has resulted in several changes in routines and lifestyles of people globally. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has directly or indirectly involved in the loss of lives of more than 3.24 million as of 6th May, 2021. The increasing threats posed by this pandemic were subsided by the swift and drastic measures put in place by different countries. As other causes of death before the emergence of COVID-19 still exist, the pandemic has further worsened their impact. The increased risks of COVID-19 deaths are not only due to the health burden it possesses, but also due to some other factors. These factors include domestic violence that becomes rampant, especially during lockdowns; hunger due to low economic development, unemployment, and loss of jobs; suicide due to depression; exhausted health system due to high level of COVID-19 cases and inability to contain it. As we move from the response phase into recovery, the pandemic's direct and broader impacts on individuals, households, and communities will influence the capacity to recover. An understanding of these impacts is therefore required to develop priorities to support recovery. This paper identifies other causes of death amidst the pandemic, such as domestic violence, hunger, suicide, and exhausted health system, and how to minimize their effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Bitrus David
- Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Heslington, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kaduna State University, Kaduna, Nigeria
- *Correspondence: Kenneth Bitrus David, Abdullahi Tunde Aborode,
| | - Abdullahi Tunde Aborode
- Department of Chemistry, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
- *Correspondence: Kenneth Bitrus David, Abdullahi Tunde Aborode,
| | | | | | - Aboaba Kazeem Oriyomi
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
| | - Ismaeel Yunusa
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Outcomes Sciences, University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy, Columbia, SC, United States
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12
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Dye TD, Alcantara L, Siddiqi S, Barbosu M, Sharma S, Panko T, Pressman E. Risk of COVID-19-related bullying, harassment and stigma among healthcare workers: an analytical cross-sectional global study. BMJ Open 2020; 10:e046620. [PMID: 33380488 PMCID: PMC7780430 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Essential healthcare workers (HCW) uniquely serve as both COVID-19 healers and, potentially, as carriers of SARS-CoV-2. We assessed COVID-19-related stigma and bullying against HCW controlling for social, psychological, medical and community variables. DESIGN We nested an analytical cross-sectional study of COVID-19-related stigma and bullying among HCW within a larger mixed-methods effort assessing COVID-19-related lived experience and impact. Adjusted OR (aOR) and 95% CIs evaluated the association between working in healthcare settings and experience of COVID-19-related bullying and stigma, controlling for confounders. Thematic qualitative analysis provided insight into lived experience of COVID-19-related bullying. SETTING We recruited potential participants in four languages (English, Spanish, French, Italian) through Amazon Mechanical Turk's online workforce and Facebook. PARTICIPANTS Our sample included 7411 people from 173 countries who were aged 18 years or over. FINDINGS HCW significantly experienced more COVID-19-related bullying after controlling for the confounding effects of job-related, personal, geographic and sociocultural variables (aOR: 1.5; 95% CI 1.2 to 2.0). HCW more frequently believed that people gossip about others with COVID-19 (OR: 2.2; 95% CI 1.9 to 2.6) and that people with COVID-19 lose respect in the community (OR: 2.3; 95% CI 2.0 to 2.7), both which elevate bullying risk (OR: 2.7; 95% CI 2.3 to 3.2, and OR: 3.5; 95% CI 2.9 to 4.2, respectively). The lived experience of COVID-19-related bullying relates frequently to public identities as HCW traverse through the community, intersecting with other domains (eg, police, racism, violence). INTERPRETATION After controlling for a range of confounding factors, HCW are significantly more likely to experience COVID-19-related stigma and bullying, often in the intersectional context of racism, violence and police involvement in community settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D Dye
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Lisette Alcantara
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Shazia Siddiqi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Monica Barbosu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Saloni Sharma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Tiffany Panko
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Eva Pressman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
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Vega Ocasio D, Pérez Ramos JG, Dye TDV. Conducting an immersive community-based assessment of post-hurricane experience among Puerto Ricans: lived experience of medical ecology in an environmental disaster and migration. BMC Public Health 2020; 20:1628. [PMID: 33121460 PMCID: PMC7596926 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-020-09735-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Two devastating sequential hurricanes impacted Puerto Rico during September of 2017. The hurricanes were traumatic and created social and ecological upheaval throughout Puerto Rico, and subsequently in communities of Central Florida where affected Puerto Ricans migrated. The 2017 hurricane season exposed and exacerbated previous long-standing socio-political, economic, environmental, and health crises, generating a humanitarian emergency in the country. The consequences of these human-ecological disasters destroyed much of Puerto Rico’s residential and environmental infrastructure, displacing thousands of people and resulting in an unprecedented migration to the United States. We report on the lived experience of the investigator team and partnership in conducting community-based formative research subsequent to this disaster, research that aimed to identify salient issues relating to the impact of Hurricanes Irma and María on Puerto Rican communities both in Puerto Rico and in Central Florida. Discussion The challenges faced during the conduct of this research include but are not limited to (1) emotional distress of participants and team members, (2) access to affected populations, and (3) precarious environmental factors, such as unstable infrastructure. To address these challenges, the researchers applied a Critical Medical Ecological paradigm along with qualitative methods to assist constructing explanatory models while obtaining internally-valid (from the community perspective), cathartic narrative accounts of the lived experience of hurricane survivors. The experience of the research team may help inform other investigators conducting applied research during a humanitarian crisis. Conclusion Lessons learned in this research included: (1) usefulness of applying the Critical Medical Ecological model in the development of the project, (2) incorporating participation and methods that prioritize authenticity, (3) understanding the trauma experience and using study methods sensitive to it, and (4) innovating with best approaches to conduct the study given the challenges in post-hurricane Puerto Rico. These lessons could provide new insights on how to conduct in-depth participatory health research with community members who have been traumatized and – often – displaced. This research also demonstrates the value of pre-existing partnerships, critical consciousness in the field team, and medical ecological modeling as experiential for organizing complex, inter-related, multi-level variables that explain community and individual impact of environmental disasters.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Vega Ocasio
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 668, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
| | - J G Pérez Ramos
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 668, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - T D V Dye
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 668, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
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