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Athapaththu DV, Ambagaspitiya TD, Chamberlain A, Demase D, Harasin E, Hicks R, McIntosh D, Minute G, Petzold S, Tefft L, Chen J. Physical Chemistry Lab for Data Analysis of COVID-19 Spreading Kinetics in Different Countries. JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION 2024; 101:2892-2898. [PMID: 39081459 PMCID: PMC11286257 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has passed. It gives us a real-world example of kinetic data analysis practice for our undergraduate physical chemistry laboratory class. It is a great example to connect this seemingly very different problem to the kinetic theories for chemical reactions that the students have learned in the lecture class. At the beginning of the spring 2023 semester, we obtained COVID-19 kinetic data from the "Our World in Data" database, which summarizes the World Health Organization (WHO) data reported from different countries. We analyzed the effective spreading kinetics based on the susceptible-infectious-recovered-vaccinated (SIR-V) model. We then compared the effective rate constants represented by the real-time reproduction numbers (R t ) underlining the reported data for these countries and discussed the results and the limitations of the model with the students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepani V. Athapaththu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Nanoscale & Quantum Phenomena Institute, Ohio University, Athens Ohio 45701
| | - Tharushi D Ambagaspitiya
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Nanoscale & Quantum Phenomena Institute, Ohio University, Athens Ohio 45701
| | - Andrew Chamberlain
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Nanoscale & Quantum Phenomena Institute, Ohio University, Athens Ohio 45701
| | - Darrion Demase
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Nanoscale & Quantum Phenomena Institute, Ohio University, Athens Ohio 45701
| | - Emily Harasin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Nanoscale & Quantum Phenomena Institute, Ohio University, Athens Ohio 45701
| | - Robby Hicks
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Nanoscale & Quantum Phenomena Institute, Ohio University, Athens Ohio 45701
| | - David McIntosh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Nanoscale & Quantum Phenomena Institute, Ohio University, Athens Ohio 45701
| | - Gwen Minute
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Nanoscale & Quantum Phenomena Institute, Ohio University, Athens Ohio 45701
| | - Sarah Petzold
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Nanoscale & Quantum Phenomena Institute, Ohio University, Athens Ohio 45701
| | - Lauren Tefft
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Nanoscale & Quantum Phenomena Institute, Ohio University, Athens Ohio 45701
| | - Jixin Chen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Nanoscale & Quantum Phenomena Institute, Ohio University, Athens Ohio 45701
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Zubcoff JJ, Olcina J, Morales J, Mazón JN, Mayoral AM. Usefulness of open data to determine the incidence of COVID-19 and its relationship with atmospheric variables in Spain during the 2020 lockdown. TECHNOLOGICAL FORECASTING AND SOCIAL CHANGE 2023; 186:122108. [PMID: 36284609 PMCID: PMC9584861 DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2022.122108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the spread of the COVID-19 disease led to a lockdown being imposed in Spain to minimise contagion from 16 March 2020 to 1 May 2020. Over this period, measures were taken to reduce population mobility (a key factor in disease transmission). The scenario thus created enabled us to examine the impact of factors other than mobility (in this case, meteorological conditions) on the incidence of the disease, and thus to identify which environmental variables played the biggest role in the pandemic's evolution. Worthy of note, the data required to perform the study was entirely extracted from governmental open data sources. The present work therefore demonstrates the utility of such data to conduct scientific research of interest to society, leading to studies that are also fully reproducible. The results revealed a relationship between temperatures and the spread of COVID-19. The trend was that of a slightly lower disease incidence as the minimum temperature rises, i.e. the lower the minimum temperature, the greater the number of cases. Furthermore, a link was found between the incidence of the disease and other variables, such as altitude and proximity to the sea. There were no indications, however, in the study's data, of a relationship between incidence and precipitation or wind.
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Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Daily Lives, Agricultural Working Lives, and Mental Health of Farmers in Northern Thailand. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14031189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study aims to determine the impact of COVID-19 on the daily lives, agricultural working lives, and mental health of farmers in northern Thailand. This cross-sectional study was carried out in September and October 2021 by interviews. From the stratified random sampling, 2046 farmers responded. There were five sections on the interview form, including demographics, daily life, agricultural working life, stress, and depression experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results show that COVID-19 negatively affected the daily lives of the farmers, making it worse by 61.2%. COVID-19 increased the cost of planting (57.4%) and the cost of agrochemicals and fertilizers (69.9%). It also decreased the prices of agricultural products (73.5%) as well as agricultural extensions (66.5%). The markets and logistics of agricultural products during the pandemic were more difficult than before it (72.8% and 65.1%, respectively). Half of the farmers (50.3%) had moderate stress, and the highest scores were for the loss of household income (mean ± SD = 3.92 ± 0.94) and increased household expenses (mean ± SD = 3.92 ± 0.98). With regard to depression, 19.6% of farmers had depressive symptoms, and the multivariate analysis shows that the mental health of farmers was associated with the changes in their daily and agricultural working lives, as well as with financial problems. The remarkable findings indicate that the farmers who had high and extremely high stress levels had a higher prevalence of depression than the farmers who had no stress (adj.OR = 10.10 and 22.45, respectively). Our results lead to the conclusion that the COVID-19 crisis had an impact on the daily lives, agricultural working lives, and mental health of farmers. The results of this study can be used to provide pertinent guidance, and they have implications for government and other relevant organizations in their COVID-19 efforts to improve agricultural systems and sustain the mental health of farmers.
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Maltezou HC, Krumbholz B, Mavrouli M, Tseroni M, Gamaletsou MN, Botsa E, Anastassopoulou C, Gikas A, Fournarakou E, Kavieri M, Koureli A, Mandilara D, Marinopoulou A, Theodorikakou A, Tsiahris P, Zarzali A, Pournaras S, Lourida A, Elefsiniotis I, Vrioni G, Sipsas NV, Tsakris A. A study of the evolution of the third COVID-19 pandemic wave in the Athens metropolitan area, Greece, through two cross-sectional seroepidemiological surveys: March, June 2021. J Med Virol 2021; 94:1465-1472. [PMID: 34812522 PMCID: PMC9011894 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
We studied the third coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic wave in Athens metropolitan area (3 738 901 inhabitants) through two seroepidemiological surveys. Persons presenting in 12 healthcare facilities across Athens in March and June 2021 were studied (764 and 901, respectively). Immunoglobulin G antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) spike protein were measured by a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. In March the seroprevalence rate was 11.6%, meaning that 435 208 residents of Athens had evidence of immunity. The respective values in June were 55.7% and 2 082 568 residents. The highest seroprevalence rates attributed to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection were recorded in persons <18 years (16.3% in March and 31.6% in June), while immunity was mainly vaccine‐induced in persons 18–64 years and >65 years. Infection‐attributed immunity also increased in older‐age groups. Wide ranges in seroprevalence rates were noted across areas in March and June. The highest seroprevalence rates were recorded in Piraeus (47.2%) and West Attica (37.5%). However, the highest increase (>5 times) occurred in Piraeus and the South Section of Athens, which are among the most densely populated areas in Athens. In both study periods, history of COVID‐19 or febrile episode, and having a cohabitant with COVID‐19 were associated with increased risk for seropositivity among unvaccinated persons (p values <0.001 for all). Residing in Piraeus, the South Section or West Attica was associated with increased risk for seropositivity in June (p values <0.001). Wide heterogeneity in seroprevalence rates was found across areas in Athens, which is mainly attributed to population density. The impact of population mobility and socioeconomic status should be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena C Maltezou
- Directorate of Research, Studies, and Documentation, National Public Health Organization, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Maria Mavrouli
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Tseroni
- Directorate of Epidemiological Surveillance of Infectious Diseases, National Public Health Organization, Athens, Greece
| | - Maria N Gamaletsou
- Department of Pathophysiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, and General Hospital of Athens Laiko, Athens, Greece
| | - Evanthia Botsa
- First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Cleo Anastassopoulou
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | | | | | | | | | - Dionysia Mandilara
- Academic Department of Internal Medicine, General Oncology Hospital of Kifisia "Agioi Anargyroi", National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | | | | | | | | | - Spyridon Pournaras
- Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, Attikon University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Athanasia Lourida
- Infection Control Committee, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Ioannis Elefsiniotis
- Academic Department of Internal Medicine, General Oncology Hospital of Kifisia "Agioi Anargyroi", National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Georgia Vrioni
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos V Sipsas
- Department of Pathophysiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, and General Hospital of Athens Laiko, Athens, Greece
| | - Athanasios Tsakris
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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