• COVID-19
• Publicationsclose
• Frontiers in Public Health close

BackgroundEmbedding evidenced-based programs (EBPs) like PEARLS outside clinical settings can help reduce inequities in access to depression care. Trusted community-based organizations (CBOs) reach older adults who are underserved; however, PEARLS adoption has been limited. Implementation science has tried to close this know-do gap, however a more intentional focus on equity is needed to engage CBOs. We partnered with CBOs to better understand their resources and needs in order to design more equitable dissemination and implementation (D&I) strategies to support PEARLS adoption.MethodsWe conducted 39 interviews with 24 current and potential adopter organizations and other partners (February–September 2020). CBOs were purposively sampled for region, type, and priority older populations experiencing poverty (communities of color, linguistically diverse, rural). Using a social marketing framework, our guide explored barriers, benefits and process for PEARLS adoption; CBO capacities and needs; PEARLS acceptability and adaptations; and preferred communication channels. During COVID-19, interviews also addressed remote PEARLS delivery and changes in priorities. We conducted thematic analysis of transcripts using the rapid framework method to describe the needs and priorities of older adults who are underserved and the CBOs that engage them, and strategies, collaborations, and adaptations to integrate depression care in these contexts.ResultsDuring COVID-19, older adults relied on CBO support for basic needs such as food and housing. Isolation and depression were also urgent issues within communities, yet stigma remained for both late-life depression and depression care. CBOs wanted EBPs with cultural flexibility, stable funding, accessible training, staff investment, and fit with staff and community needs and priorities. Findings guided new dissemination strategies to better communicate how PEARLS is appropriate for organizations that engage older adults who are underserved, and what program components are core and what are adaptable to better align with organizations and communities. New implementation strategies will support organizational capacity-building through training and technical assistance, and matchmaking for funding and clinical support.DiscussionFindings support CBOs as appropriate depression care providers for older adults who are underserved, and suggest changes to communications and resources to better fit EBPs with the resources and needs of organizations and older adults. We are currently partnering with organizations in California and Washington to evaluate whether and how these D&I strategies increase equitable access to PEARLS for older adults who are underserved.

ObjectivesThe low COVID-19 vaccine uptake rate among pregnant women is mainly due to safety concerns about COVID-19 vaccines due to limited safety evidence. Our goal was to evaluate the safety of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy with up-to-date evidence.MethodsA comprehensive search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and clinicaltrials.gov was performed on April 5th, 2022, and updated on May 25th, 2022. Studies evaluating the association of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes were included. Two reviewers independently performed the risk of bias assessment and data extraction. Inverse variance random effect meta-analyses were performed to pool outcome data.ResultsForty-three observational studies were included. COVID-19 vaccination [96,384 (73.9%) BNT162b2, 30,889 (23.7%) mRNA-1273, and 3,172 (2.4%) other types] during pregnancy [23,721 (18.3%) in the first trimester, 52,778 (40.5%) in the second trimester, and 53,886 (41.2%) in the third trimester].was associated with reduced risks of stillbirth or neonatal death (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.60–0.92). Sensitivity analysis restricted to studies in participants without COVID-19 showed that the pooled effect was not robust. COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy was not associated with congenital anomalies (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.63–1.08), preterm birth (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.90–1.06), NICU admission or hospitalization (OR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.84–1.04), an Apgar score at 5 min <7 (OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.86–1.01), low birth weight (OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.88–1.14), miscarriage (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.88–1.11), cesarean delivery (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.96–1.19), or postpartum hemorrhage (OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.81–1.01).ConclusionsCOVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy was not associated with any of the adverse neonatal or maternal outcomes studied. Interpretation of study findings is limited by the types and timing of vaccination. The vaccinations in our study received during pregnancy were primarily mRNA vaccines administered in the second and third trimester. Future RCTs and meta-analysis are warranted to evaluate the efficacy and long-term effects of the COVID-19 vaccines.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022322525, identifier: PROSPERO, CRD42022322525.

IntroductionMaintaining progress in the face of looming burnout during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic was crucial for the health workforce, including those educating the next generation of health professionals. The experiences of students and healthcare practitioners have been explored to a greater degree than the experiences of university-based health professional educators.MethodsThis qualitative study examined the experiences of nursing and allied health academics at an Australian University during COVID-19 disruptions in 2020 and 2021 and describes the strategies that academics and/or teams implemented to ensure course continuity. Academic staff from nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and dietetics courses at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia provided narratives regarding the key challenges and opportunities they faced.ResultsThe narratives highlighted the strategies generated and tested by participants amidst rapidly changing health orders and five common themes were identified: disruption; stress; stepping up, strategy and unexpected positives, lessons, and legacy impacts. Participants noted challenges related to student engagement in online learning and ensuring the acquisition of discipline-specific practical skills during periods of lock-down. Staff across all disciplines reported increased workload associated with converting teaching to on-line delivery, sourcing alternative fieldwork arrangements, and dealing with high levels of student distress. Many reflected on their own expertise in using digital tools in teaching and their beliefs about the effectiveness of distance teaching for health professional training. Ensuring students were able to complete required fieldwork hours was particularly challenging due to constantly changing public health orders and conditions and staffing shortages at health services. This was in addition to illness and isolation requirements further impacting the availability of teaching associates for specialist skills classes.DiscussionSolutions such as remote and blended learning telehealth, and simulated placements were rapidly implemented in some courses especially where fieldwork could not be rescheduled or amended at the health settings. The implications and recommendations for educating and ensuring competence development in the health workforce during times when usual teaching methods are disrupted are discussed.

This research focuses on the research problem of eliminating COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy through web search. A dynamic model of eliminating COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy through web search is constructed based on the Logistic model, the elimination degree is quantified, the elimination function is defined to analyze the dynamic elimination effect, and the model parameter estimation method is proposed. The numerical solution, process parameters, initial value parameters and stationary point parameters of the model are simulated, respectively, and the mechanism of elimination is deeply analyzed to determine the key time period. Based on the real data of web search and COVID-19 vaccination, data modeling is carried out from two aspects: full sample and segmented sample, and the rationality of the model is verified. On this basis, the model is used to carry out dynamic prediction and verified to have certain medium-term prediction ability. Through this research, the methods of eliminating vaccine hesitancy are enriched, and a new practical idea is provided for eliminating vaccine hesitancy. It also provides a method to predict the quantity of COVID-19 vaccination, provides theoretical guidance for dynamically adjusting the public health policy of the COVID-19, and can provide reference for the vaccination of other vaccines.

COVID-19 has been considered the most significant threat since World War II and the greatest global health disaster of the century. Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, reported a new infection affecting residents in December 2019. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been named by the World Health Organization (WHO). Across the globe, it is spreading rapidly, posing significant health, economic, and social challenges for everyone. The content of this paper is solely intended to provide a visual overview of COVID-19 global economic impact. The Coronavirus outbreak is causing a global economic collapse. Most countries have implemented full or partial lockdown measures to slow the spread of disease. The lockdown has slowed global economic activity substantially, many companies have reduced operations or closed down, and people are losing their jobs at an increasing rate. Service providers are also affected, in addition to manufacturers, agriculture, the food industry, a decline in education, the sports industry, and of entertainment sector also observed. The world trade situation is expected to deteriorate substantially this year.

BackgroundPatients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) often require immunosuppressive therapy and are hence susceptible to various opportunistic viral and bacterial infections. In this regard, many studies on IBD and COVID-19 have been conducted. However, no bibliometric analysis has been performed. This study provides a general overview of IBD and COVID-19.MethodsPublications about IBD and COVID-19 from 2020 to 2022 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. Bibliometric analysis was performed using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and HistCite.ResultsA total of 396 publications were retrieved and considered in this study. The maximum number of publications were from the United States, Italy, and England, and the contributions of these countries were significant. Kappelman ranked first in article citations. The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases were the most prolific affiliation and journal, respectively. The most influential research topics were “management”, “impact”, “vaccination”, and “receptor”. The following keywords represented research frontiers: “depression”, “the quality of life of IBD patients”, “infliximab”, “COVID-19 vaccine”, and “second vaccination”.ConclusionsOver the past 3 years, most studies on IBD and COVID-19 have focused on clinical research. In particular, topics such as “depression”, “the quality of life of IBD patients”, “infliximab”, “COVID-19 vaccine”, and “second vaccination” were noted to have received much attention recently. Future research should focus on our understanding of the immune response to COVID-19 vaccination in biologically treated patients, the psychological impact of COVID-19, IBD management guidelines, and the long-term impact of COVID-19 in IBD patients. This study will provide researchers with a better understanding of research trends on IBD during COVID-19.

This expert-opinion-based document was prepared by a group of specialists in pediatric inherited metabolic diseases and infectious diseases including administrative board members of Turkish Society for Pediatric Nutrition and Metabolism to provide guidance for the care of children with lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. The experts reached consensus on key areas of focus regarding COVID-19-based risk status in relation to intersecting immune-inflammatory mechanisms and disease patterns in children with LSDs, diagnostic virus testing, particularly preventive measures and priorities during the pandemic, routine screening and diagnostic interventions for LSDs, psychological and socioeconomic impact of confinement measures and quarantines and optimal practice patterns in managing LSDs and/or COVID-19. The participating experts agreed on the intersecting characteristics of immune-inflammatory mechanisms, end-organ damage and prognostic biomarkers in LSD and COVID-19 populations, emphasizing the likelihood of enhanced clinical care when their interaction is clarified via further studies addressing certain aspects related to immunity, lysosomal dysfunction and disease pathogenesis. In the context of the current global COVID-19 pandemic, this expert-opinion-based document provides guidance for the care of children with LSDs during the COVID-19 pandemic based on the recent experience in Turkey.

ObjectivesThis paper aimed to identify factors associated with COVID-19 preventive behaviors among taxi drivers in Bangkok.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 401 taxi drivers. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The association between predisposing factors, enabling factors, and reinforcing factors with COVID-19 preventive behaviors was analyzed by using analysis of variance and Pearson's Product Moment Correlation. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the influencing factors in predicting COVID-19 preventive behaviors of taxi drivers.ResultsThe present findings revealed that income adequacy, support from family, co-workers, and healthcare professionals, perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, and health motivation, accessibility to personal protective equipment for COVID-19 and preventative measures against COVID-19 from other agencies were associated with good COVID-19 preventive behaviors among taxi-driver in Bangkok during COVID-19 pandemic (R2 = 0.349, p = 0.008). The model could predict 34.9% of variance in COVID-19 preventative behavior among taxi drivers.ConclusionTaxi drivers should be encouraged to engage in appropriate preventive behaviors against COVID-19, emphasizing the individual and organizational levels. There should be a policy by organizations to promote the implementation of COVID-19 safety control standards to ensure safe working conditions. In addition, appropriate welfare benefits should be provided for taxi drivers, such as loans, personal protective equipment, and access to health services to improve COVID-19 preventive behaviors.

ObjectiveClimate and environmental change is a well-known factor causing bronchial asthma in children. After the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), climate and environmental changes have occurred. The present study investigated the relationship between climate changes (meteorological and environmental factors) and the number of hospitalizations for pediatric bronchial asthma in Suzhou before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsFrom 2017 to 2021, data on daily inpatients diagnosed with bronchial asthma at Children's Hospital of Soochow University were collected. Suzhou Meteorological and Environmental Protection Bureau provided daily meteorological and environmental data. To assess the relationship between bronchial asthma-related hospitalizations and meteorological and environmental factors, partial correlation and multiple stepwise regression analyses were used. To estimate the effects of meteorological and environmental variables on the development of bronchial asthma in children, the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model was used.ResultsAfter the COVID-19 outbreak, both the rate of acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma and the infection rate of pathogenic respiratory syncytial virus decreased, whereas the proportion of school-aged children and the infection rate of human rhinovirus increased. After the pandemic, the incidence of an acute asthma attack was negatively correlated with monthly mean temperature and positively correlated with PM2.5. Stepwise regression analysis showed that monthly mean temperature and O3 were independent covariates (risk factors) for the rate of acute asthma exacerbations. The ARIMA (1, 0, 0) (0, 0, 0) 12 model can be used to predict temperature changes associated with bronchial asthma.ConclusionMeteorological and environmental factors are related to bronchial asthma development in children. The influence of meteorological and environmental factors on bronchial asthma may be helpful in predicting the incidence and attack rates.

BackgroundEmergency risk communication (ERC) is key to achieving compliance with public health measures during pandemics. Yet, the factors that facilitated ERC during COVID-19 have not been analyzed. We compare ERC in the early stages of the pandemic across four socio-economic settings to identify how risk communication can be improved in public health emergencies (PHE).MethodsTo map and assess the content, process, actors, and context of ERC in Germany, Guinea, Nigeria, and Singapore, we performed a qualitative document review, and thematically analyzed semi-structured key informant interviews with 155 stakeholders involved in ERC at national and sub-national levels. We applied Walt and Gilson's health policy triangle as a framework to structure the results.ResultsWe identified distinct ERC strategies in each of the four countries. Various actors, including governmental leads, experts, and organizations with close contact to the public, collaborated closely to implement ERC strategies. Early integration of ERC into preparedness and response plans, lessons from previous experiences, existing structures and networks, and clear leadership were identified as crucial for ensuring message clarity, consistency, relevance, and an efficient use of resources. Areas of improvement primarily included two-way communication, community engagement, and monitoring and evaluation. Countries with recurrent experiences of pandemics appeared to be more prepared and equipped to implement ERC strategies.ConclusionWe found that considerable potential exists for countries to improve communication during public health emergencies, particularly in the areas of bilateral communication and community engagement as well as monitoring and evaluation. Building adaptive structures and maintaining long-term relationships with at-risk communities reportedly facilitated suitable communication. The findings suggest considerable potential and transferable learning opportunities exist between countries in the global north and countries in the global south with experience of managing outbreaks.