COVID-19 Containment Measures Research Articles

The micro-economic effects of COVID-19 containment measures: A simple model and evidence from China.

Optimizing the trade-off between economic growth and public health is a major goal of public administration, especially during public health events. Although containment measures are widely used to combat the Covid-19 outbreak, it is still debated how the measures affect the economy. Using a simplified susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) model, this study investigates the dynamic impact of lockdown policy on social costs during the epidemic and the underlying mechanism, revealing that the lockdown policy has both a "shutdown effect" and an "anti-epidemic effect", and should be implemented and lifted in a timely manner. Based on a micro-level dataset of 57,547 private enterprises in China in 2020, this study provided empirical evidence for the presence of negative "shutdown effect" and positive "anti-epidemic effect" of lockdown on reopening, both of which are in part mediated by labor input, factor mobility, and market demand recovery. Furthermore, the shutdown effect is weaker in regions with sufficient testing and quarantine resources, government capacity and preference for targeted response, whereas the anti-epidemic effect is stronger in densely populated areas with relatively low public compliance. Additionally, digital measures can aid in the containment of epidemics. The findings not only contribute to a better understanding of the rationality and effectiveness of the lockdown policy, but also provides practical evidence and implications for the government to improve the synergistic efficiency of epidemic control tools and strengthen the resilience of local economic growth.

Business resilience: Lessons from government responses to the global COVID-19 crisis

This study explores the survival of firms across countries, and what factors contribute to their ability to withstand large-scale exogenous shocks, focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic. Using corporate default risk as a measure of non-resilience, our empirical results from 97 countries reveal that stringent COVID-19 containment measures created a significant resilience test for businesses worldwide. Further tests suggest that cash holdings, knowledge assets, international sales, and access to foreign capital markets are crucial for global businesses to pull through exogenous shocks. Country-level institutional qualities also play an essential role in shaping business resilience during a crisis. Our study is the first to comprehensively analyze the drivers of business resilience across diverse countries using the COVID-19 outbreak as a major global crisis, providing a nuanced understanding of this topic in international business.

Effect of COVID-19 containment measures on access to snakebite care in India.

The extensive spread of COVID-19 meant action to address the pandemic took precedence over routine service delivery, thus impacting access to care for many health conditions, including the effects of snakebite. We prospectively collected facility-level data from several health facilities in India, including number of snakebite admissions and snakebite envenoming admissions on modality of transport to reach the health facility. To analyse the effect of a health facility being in cluster-containment zone, we used negative binomial regression analysis. Our findings suggest that that health facilities located within a COVID containment zone saw a significant decrease in total snakebite admissions (incidence rate ratio 0.64 (0.43-0.94), standard error 0.13, p≤0.02)) and envenoming snakebite admissions (incidence rate ratio 0.43 (0.23-0.81), standard error 0.14, p≤0.01) compared to when health facilities were not within a COVID containment zone. There was no statistically significant difference in non-envenoming admissions and modalities of transport used to reach health facilities. This article provides the first quantitative estimate of the impact of COVID-19 containment measures on access to snakebite care. More research is needed to understand how containment measures altered care-seeking pathways and the nature of snake-human-environment conflict. Primary healthcare systems need to be safeguarded for snakebite care to mitigate effects of cluster-containment measures.

HIV policy legacies, pandemic preparedness and policy effort to address COVID-19.

That the world was unprepared for a major infectious disease outbreak is now readily apparent to all credible observers. However, some countries were more prepared than others and we have seen a variety of responses to COVID-19 emerge across nations. While recognizing that the sources of variation in country responses to COVID-19 are many and varied, in this study we seek to examine how policy legacies from national responses to HIV have influenced countries' responses to COVID-19. The aim of this study was to examine whether countries with a more conducive HIV policy environment were better prepared for COVID-19 and have therefore had more preemptive and rights-based responses. Using data from the Oxford Covid-19 Government Response Tracker, we develop measures of country effort to respond to COVID-19 including early containment and closure policies, prevention policies, economic policies, and health system policies. We combine this with data from the HIV Policy Lab and correlate overall and disaggregated country HIV Policy scores with COVID-19 Policy scores. We find that the COVID-19 Containment and Closure Measures Index was negatively correlated with supportive social policies related to HIV in the early stages of the pandemic, but the association did not persist as time went on. The COVID-19 Economic Support Measures had prolonged positive associations with supportive social policies related to HIV and negative association with clinical and treatment policies. Countries with stronger structural responses to HIV have been less inclined towards involuntary measures and more prepared for the social and economic elements of COVID-19 pandemic response.

Conditional on the Environment? The Contextual Embeddedness of Age, Health, and Socioeconomic Status as Predictors of Remote Work among Older Europeans through the COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 era lockdown measures resulted in many workers performing their employment tasks remotely. While identifying individual-level predictors of COVID-19 era remote work, scholarship has neglected heterogeneity based on contextual characteristics. Using the first COVID-19 module (2020) of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe ( N = 8,121) and multinomial logistic regression analyses, this study examined how country-level digitalization, stringency of government COVID-19 containment measures, and COVID-19 era excess mortality moderated how individual-level age, health, education, and income affected working partly or fully remotely among older Europeans (50-89 years) continuing to work through the pandemic. The central findings are that higher societal digitalization reduced the positive association between education and fully remote work, and greater country-level excess mortality accentuated how more education and poorer health increased the probability of fully remote work. These findings are interpreted through the fundamental cause theory of health and the health belief model. They further lead to recommendations that during future epidemics, policies and programs should address the remote working capabilities of older persons with fewer years of education, with fewer skills with modern digital technologies, and in worse health, especially within nations that are less digitally developed and harder hit by the epidemic in question.

Life course psychosocial precursors of parent mental health resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic: A three-decade prospective cohort study

BackgroundThere has been widespread interest in the implications of COVID-19 containment measures on the mental health of parents. Most of this research has focused on risk. Much less is known about resilience; yet such studies are key to protecting populations during major crises. Here we map precursors of resilience using life course data spanning three decades. MethodsThe Australian Temperament Project commenced in 1983 and now follows three generations. Parents (N = 574, 59 % mothers) raising young children completed a COVID-19 specific module in the early (May–September 2020) and/or later (October–December, 2021) phases of the pandemic. Decades prior, parents had been assessed across a broad range of individual, relational and contextual risk and promotive factors during childhood (7–8 years to 11–12 years), adolescence (13–14 years to 17–18 years) and young adulthood (19–20 years to 27–28 years). Regressions examined the extent to which these factors predicted mental health resilience, operationalised as lower than expected anxiety and depressive symptoms during the pandemic relative to pre-pandemic symptoms. ResultsParent mental health resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic was consistently predicted by several factors assessed decades before the pandemic. These included lower ratings of internalizing difficulties, less difficult temperament/personality traits and stressful life events, and higher ratings of relational health. LimitationsThe study included 37–39-year-old Australian parents with children age between 1 and 10 years. DiscussionResults identified psychosocial indicators across the early life course that, if replicated, could constitute targets for long-term investment to maximise mental health resilience during future pandemics and crises.

Impact of COVID-19 containment measures on children with cancer in Indonesia

Containment measures to limit COVID-19 spreading profoundly impact children around the globe, especially in low- and middle-income countries such as Indonesia. The aim of this case series study is to uncover the impact that COVID-19 measures have on Indonesian children with cancer and their families. A case series study was conducted in July 2021. Investigators identified three children diagnosed with cancer at an Indonesian referral hospital and studied their medical records. Caretakers were interviewed inside the hospital by an independent interviewer using a semi-structured questionnaire. This study presents three children with cancer and their families. Access to proper healthcare was hindered during COVID-19 pandemic due to mobility restrictions, medical staff shortage, limited chemotherapy and blood products availability, postponed medical procedures, and delayed or modified treatment administration. Financial hardships resulted because caretakers lost their jobs due to lockdowns and medication costs were no longer fully covered by health-insurance. Children and their relatives suffered from mental health issues. Anxiety, depression, stress and loneliness were caused by the fear of receiving suboptimal cancer treatment, serious concerns about financial difficulties, and restricted social interactions. All families believed that COVID-19 measures worsened their children’s survival chances. COVID-19 measures adversely impact children with cancer and their families in Indonesia, and most likely in other low- and middle-income countries as well. Disruptions in timely and adequate childhood cancer treatment administration may importantly deteriorate survival chances. Governments and policymakers should take these indirect effects into account to protect vulnerable children and their families.

Depression, suicidality, substance-use and associated factors among people living with HIV the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda.

Mental disorders are common in people living with HIV (PLHIV) but they are often unrecognized and untreated. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the already limited mental health services in low resource countries such as Uganda, and yet the extent to which the COVID-19 mitigation measures have affected the mental health of PLHIV is not fully known. We aimed to determine the burden of depression, suicidality, substance use and associated factors among adult PLHIV who were seeking care at two HIV clinics in northern and southwestern Uganda. We conducted a phenomenological qualitative and quantitative cross-sectional study among 431 PLHIV to determine the burden of depression, suicidality and substance-use disorders at two HIV clinics, at Lira Regional Referral Hospital and Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in northern and southwestern Uganda respectively, during the COVID-19 lockdown. We used the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to assess for depression and suicidality, and the Michigan Assessment-Screening Test for Alcohol and drugs (MAST-AD) to assess for substance use disorder. We conducted descriptive statistics analysis to determine the burden of the disorders, and logistic regression to determine the associated factors. For the qualitative method we conducted in-depth interviews with 30 PLHIV and did thematic analysis. Of the 431 PLHIV surveyed, mean age was 40.31 ± 12.20 years; 53.1% (n = 229) had depression; 22.0% (n = 95) had suicidality; and 15.1% (n = 65) had substance-use disorder. Female gender (PR = 1.073, 95%CI 1.004-1.148, P = 0.038), lack of formal education (PR = 1.197, 95% CI 1.057-1.357, P = 0.005), substance-use disorder (PR = 0.924, 95%CI 0.859-0.994, P = 0.034) and suicidality (PR = 0.757, 95%CI 0.722-0.794, p = 0.000) were associated with depression after adjusting for confounders. Further analysis showed that being female (PR = 0.843, 95% CI 0.787-0.903, P = 0.000*) and having depression (PR = 0.927, 95% CI 0.876-0.981, P = 0.009) and owning a large business (PR = 0.886, 95% CI 0.834-0.941, p = 0.000*) were significantly associated with having a substance-use disorder. Only depression was independently associated with suicidality after adjusting for confounding factors (PR 0.108, 95%CI 0.054-0.218, p = 0.000*). For the qualitative results, there were three apriori themes: a) Burden of depression, b) substance-use, and c) suicidality among the PLHIV during the COVID-19 containment measures. There was high prevalence of depression, suicidality and substance-use disorder in adult PLHIV in Uganda during the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated lockdown measures. The three mental health problems seem to have bidirectional relationships and gender has a lot of contribution to the relationships. Interventions aimed at any of the disorders should consider these bidirectional relationships.

Navigating the Energy Trilemma: Oil and Gas Industry Making Strides

_ Energy is vital to human flourishing. Since the dawn of time, humans have sought to find more efficient ways to power and propel their lives forward. With each generation, we’ve made progress in unlocking energy density—moving from burning wood for warmth inside caves thousands of years ago through our current age, where a revolution in modern energy is transpiring. However, recent global events have certainly tested the upstream oil and gas sector’s “can-do” attitude and spirit of innovation. In the 3 years since West Texas Intermediate Crude (WTI) futures dipped below zero—dropping more than 300%—to settle at negative $37.63/bbl, there has been a global COVID-19 pandemic and recovery, supply chain and logistical challenges, and a war. The oil and gas industry is more adept at riding the market volatility wave than in the past. WTI futures climbed out of the negative, reaching as high as $123.70/bbl on 8 March 2022, as the pandemic began to ease, and the lockdown ended in many regions worldwide. Geopolitical tension with Russia and its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the first half of 2022 contributed to the crude oil price increases. Also contributing to higher pricing in the first half were concerns over supply levels. The Russian invasion of Ukraine came during eight consecutive quarters of crude oil level decreases, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). In the year since, the price has dropped but not nearly as profoundly, with recent prices ping-ponging in the mid-$60 to mid-$80/bbl range. The EIA cited as reasons for the lower price concerns over a possible economic recession and China’s severe COVID-19 containment measures as keeping global demand lower. The Russian invasion of Ukraine turned global markets upside down. The International Energy Agency (IEA) cited it as the trigger of a worldwide energy crisis that “has the potential to hasten the transition to a more sustainable and secure energy system,” in its World Energy Outlook 2022. “Energy markets and policies have changed as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, not just for the time being, but for decades to come,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol at the time of the outlook’s release. “Even with today’s policy settings, the energy world is shifting dramatically before our eyes.” Transition and Trilemma The energy transition changes how the world views and uses oil and gas. While it is not the first energy transition the world has faced, it is proving to be the most significant and complicated. “It is needed if we are to prevent the 1.5°C increase in temperature,” Kjetil Hove, the executive vice president of development and production in Norway for Equinor, said during his keynote address at the SPE/IADC International Drilling Conference and Exhibition held in Stavanger on 7 March. “The future carbon intensity of the energy mix needs to be reduced significantly. Last year’s energy crisis and the war in the middle of Europe showed that the energy transition needs to be done wisely and that it addresses the energy trilemma,” he said.

COVID-19 Containment Measures—a Step Back for Walking Mobility? A 2-Year, 60-Country Analysis of the Apple Mobility Data

COVID-19 containment measures curb viral spread but may hamper walking mobility. As a low daily step count is associated with increased noncommunicable diseases and mortality, assessing the relationship between pandemic responses and walking mobility can help trade-off public health measures. We investigated the association between containment stringency and walking mobility across 60 countries in the period between January 21, 2020 and January 21, 2022 and modeled how this could impact mortality hazard. Walking mobility was measured through the Apple Mobility Trends, containment measures stringency index through the Oxford COVID-19 response tracker (which considers local policies on closures, healthcare, and economy), and meteorological data by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather stations. Walking mobility was regressed over stringency in a mixed-effect model with weather variables as covariates. The impact of stringency on all-cause mortality due to reduced mobility was modeled based on regression results, prepandemic walking mobility, and the association between step count and all-cause mortality hazard. Across the 60 countries, the average stringency was 55 (9) (mean [SD]) out of 100. Stringency was negatively associated with walking mobility; a log-linear model fitted data better than a linear one, with a regression coefficient for stringency on ln (walking mobility) (95% confidence interval) of -1.201 × 10-2 (-1.221 × 10-2 to -1.183 × 10-2). Increasing stringency, thus decreasing walking mobility, nonlinearly incremented the modeled all-cause mortality hazard by up to ∼40%. In this study, walking mobility was negatively associated with containment measures stringency; the relationship between stringency, mobility, and the subsequent impact on health outcomes may be nonlinear. These findings can help in balancing pandemic containment policies.

The German Influenza Gap 2021 - A Multifactorial View

The end of the 2019/2020 influenza season was already registered in early summer 2020, and in the following season. There was an nearly complete absence of influenza. So far, the sometimes strict Covid-19 containment measures with contact restrictions and the obligation to wear a mask have been mentioned as reasons. The further processing of this influenza gap showed multifactorial reasons also the lack of registration of influenza cases This study looks for further reaseons and from several perspectives in order to develop strategies for a representative recording of influenza cases derive. For Evaluation the data of GrippeWeb, the RKI’s Survstat® tool and the RKI’s reporting data on the new coronavirus were used. In addition, an evaluation of billing data from the EBM from 2017 to 2022 for the GOP 32816 as well as an evaluation of data on sick leave and illness statistics from 2019 to 2021 and the consideration of inpatient and outpatient health costs based on the data requested in writing from the Federal Ministry of Health was performed. In contrast to influenza A/B, the other viral respiratory pathogens (adenovirus, parainfluenza virus and RS virus) do not show any significant reduction. From 2020, the number of reports of respiratory infections to the RKI increased from an average of 300,000 annual reports by 2019 to 1,985,985 reports in 2020, over 5,453,017 reports in 2021 and to 29,681,158 in 2022. On the other hand cases of incapacity to work due to respiratory infections fell from 31.0% in 2019 to 15.3% in 2021. Influenza-specific diagnoses (ICD: J10.1-3) were encrypted 33,727 times in 2021, in 2020 there were still 109,846. In the outpatient sector in particular, the treatment costs are falling from 2019 to 2021. The reduction in influenza A and B from 2020 as a result of the comprehensive Covid-19 control measures, including the obligation to wear masks, cannot be considered a major reason; rather, the aspect of underreporting of influenza cases plays a significant role. Therefore, the reporting quantity of the sentinal practices should be considered and the recording of incapacity diagnoses should be taken into account.

The impact of COVID-19 on the European short-term rental market.

The diffusion of COVID-19 and related containment measures practically halted tourism flows, which in many countries generate a significant share of GDP. By leveraging Airbnb data covering the main touristic destinations in Europe, we investigate the impact of the pandemic on the market for short-term rentals up to early 2021. We find that the epidemic reduced dramatically both the supply of apartments available for rents and customers' demand, with travellers cancelling many reservations and reducing new bookings even many months in advance. Accommodations relying relatively more on foreign tourism were the hardest hit and reacted by cutting prices. By exploiting the different timing of the epidemic spread across Europe and the timelines and intensity of the measures adopted to contain it, we show that government mandated restrictions had a stronger impact than the spread of the infection itself. All in all, our results point to a persistent and heterogeneous impact of COVID-19 on the accommodation industry.

Citizens’ perceptions of ethical issues in covid-19 containment measures: A comparative quantitative study

Citizens’ perceptions of ethical issues in covid-19 containment measures: A comparative quantitative study

Resurgence of the respiratory syncytial virus epidemic in infants after the easing of the COVID-19 containment measures: a retrospective cohort study from Tuscany Region, Italy

Resurgence of the respiratory syncytial virus epidemic in infants after the easing of the COVID-19 containment measures: a retrospective cohort study from Tuscany Region, Italy

Predictors of changing patterns of adherence to containment measures during the early stage of COVID-19 pandemic: an international longitudinal study

BackgroundIdentifying common factors that affect public adherence to COVID-19 containment measures can directly inform the development of official public health communication strategies. The present international longitudinal study aimed to examine whether prosociality, together with other theoretically derived motivating factors (self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility and severity of COVID-19, perceived social support) predict the change in adherence to COVID-19 containment strategies.MethodIn wave 1 of data collection, adults from eight geographical regions completed online surveys beginning in April 2020, and wave 2 began in June and ended in September 2020. Hypothesized predictors included prosociality, self-efficacy in following COVID-19 containment measures, perceived susceptibility to COVID-19, perceived severity of COVID-19 and perceived social support. Baseline covariates included age, sex, history of COVID-19 infection and geographical regions. Participants who reported adhering to specific containment measures, including physical distancing, avoidance of non-essential travel and hand hygiene, were classified as adherence. The dependent variable was the category of adherence, which was constructed based on changes in adherence across the survey period and included four categories: non-adherence, less adherence, greater adherence and sustained adherence (which was designated as the reference category).ResultsIn total, 2189 adult participants (82% female, 57.2% aged 31–59 years) from East Asia (217 [9.7%]), West Asia (246 [11.2%]), North and South America (131 [6.0%]), Northern Europe (600 [27.4%]), Western Europe (322 [14.7%]), Southern Europe (433 [19.8%]), Eastern Europe (148 [6.8%]) and other regions (96 [4.4%]) were analyzed. Adjusted multinomial logistic regression analyses showed that prosociality, self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility and severity of COVID-19 were significant factors affecting adherence. Participants with greater self-efficacy at wave 1 were less likely to become non-adherence at wave 2 by 26% (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.74; 95% CI, 0.71 to 0.77; P < .001), while those with greater prosociality at wave 1 were less likely to become less adherence at wave 2 by 23% (aOR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.75 to 0.79; P = .04).ConclusionsThis study provides evidence that in addition to emphasizing the potential severity of COVID-19 and the potential susceptibility to contact with the virus, fostering self-efficacy in following containment strategies and prosociality appears to be a viable public health education or communication strategy to combat COVID-19.

New Media, Pandemic, and Discourse on Religious Moderation

The websites of NU and Muhammadiyah effectively reconcile religious beliefs with the practicalities of government policies during the pandemic. These organizations have crafted legal frameworks that streamline religious rituals amidst COVID-19 restrictions and containment measures. This study explores how their discourse promotes a harmonious fusion of religious and state values, particularly within organizations known for their moderate approach to religious matters. Utilizing discursive practice and discourse analysis, the study reveals that both NU and Muhammadiyah establish pandemic-specific worship guidelines aligned with government policies. While NU's approach relies on classical Fiqh arguments, Muhammadiyah adopts a more pragmatic and progressive stance. Nevertheless, both organizations share the common goal of ensuring ease and accessibility for the public to practice their faith during these challenging times. This facilitation, grounded in sound reasoning, incorporates adaptations to state policies when selecting thematic approaches. This alignment highlights that NU and Muhammadiyah's moderation concept not only considers the applicability of religious texts to local circumstances but also supports government initiatives aimed at public welfare and addressing the COVID-19 crisis.

Pet ownership and lifestyle behaviours of immunosuppressed individuals and their relatives in the context of COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic and containment measures will likely have a detrimental impact on immunosuppressed individuals’ lifestyle behaviours. Increasing evidence suggests that pet ownership is positively associated with healthier lifestyle. Yet, no study has investigated the potential benefits of pet ownership on lifestyle behaviours of immunosuppressed individuals, a population at increased risk of COVID-19 complications. This study aims to examine 1) changes in light, moderate and vigorous intensity physical activity (LPA, MPA, VPA), sedentary time (SED), and sleep duration, assessed by comparing “before COVID-19 pandemic” and “past 7 days” (i.e., current, during pandemic) self-reported behaviours in immunosuppressed individuals and their relatives; 2) to assess if changes in lifestyle behaviours are associated with pet ownership status and whether age is a moderator of these associations. A convenience sample of 132 participants (65.2% female, 41.3% ≥55 years of age) provided self-reported LPA, MPA, VPA (days/week), SED and sleep (min/day) and pet ownership status using an online questionnaire (May-August 2020). Descriptive analyses, paired T-tests, Cohen’s d effect size and linear regressions were conducted. Results show that participants reported a decrease in VPA (−0.56 days/week, d = 0.34; p < 0.01) and an increase in SED (106.79 min/day, d = −0.81; p < 0.01). Stratified analysis revealed that having at least one dog, compared to not owning pets, is associated with a reduced decline in LPA, MPA and VPA and an increase in sleep in participants aged < 55 years old only. Having a dog appears to be positively associated with healthy lifestyle behaviours in younger and middle age immunosuppressed individuals.

Poor health status before the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with unfavourable changes in health-related lifestyle.

The effects of COVID-19 containment measures on health-related lifestyle have been both favourable and unfavourable for health. Factors predisposing to unfavourable changes are still poorly known. In this short communication, we aimed to examine which socioeconomic and health-related factors predicted unfavourable lifestyle changes based on data from the same individuals before (2017) the pandemic and during the second wave (2020) of the pandemic in Finland. This individual-level follow-up study was based on a nationally representative, two-stage stratified cluster sample of Finnish adults from the FinHealth 2017 Study, conducted in Spring 2017, and its follow-up survey, conducted in Autumn 2020. A total of 3834 men and women aged 25-69 years at baseline had information of selected lifestyle factors (vegetable consumption, leisure-time physical activity, sleeping problems and nightmares) available at both time points. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for unfavourable lifestyle changes (yes/no) according to socioeconomic and health-related factors were calculated using logistic regression models taking into account the sampling design and non-response. We found that those having poor health (i.e. psychological distress, poor self-rated health or chronic diseases) or disadvantaged socioeconomic background before the pandemic were prone to unfavourable lifestyle changes during the follow-up. Observed unfavourable lifestyle changes in vulnerable population groups may accelerate health inequalities. Targeted health promotion actions are needed to prevent this unfavourable development.

How good is the diagnostic test accuracy of telehealth assessment for dementia and mild cognitive impairment? A Cochrane Review summary with commentary.

It is estimated that 50% to 80% of people living with dementia worldwide remain undiagnosed and undocumented and have no access to care and treatment. Telehealth services can be utilized as one of the options to improve access to a diagnosis, especially for people living in rural areas or affected by COVID-19 containment measures. To assess the diagnostic accuracy of telehealth assessment for dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A summary of the Cochrane Review by McCleery et al. 2021, with comments from a rehabilitation perspective. Three cross-sectional diagnostic test accuracy studies (N = 136) were included. Participants were referred from primary care when presenting with cognitive symptoms or were identified as being at high risk of having dementia on a screening test in the care homes. The studies found that telehealth assessment correctly identified 80% to 100% of the people who were diagnosed with dementia during face-to-face assessment and also correctly identified 80% to 100% of people who did not have dementia. Only one study (N = 100) focused on MCI; 71% of participants who had MCI and 73% of participants who did not have MCI were correctly identified via telehealth assessment. Telehealth assessment in this study correctly identified 97% of the participants who had either MCI or dementia, but correctly identified only 22% of those who did not have either. Telehealth assessment for diagnosing dementia seems to have a good level of accuracy when compared to face-to-face assessment, although the small number of studies and small sample sizes and differences between the included studies indicate that the results are uncertain.

Economic Activity, Fiscal Space and Types of COVID-19 Containment Measures.

This paper argues that the type of COVID-19 containment measures affects the trade-offs between infection cases, economic activity and sovereign risk. Using local projection methods and a year and a half of high-frequency daily data covering 44 advanced and emerging economies, we find that smart (e.g. testing) as opposed to physical (e.g. lockdown) measures appear to be best placed to tackle these trade-offs. Initial conditions also matter whereby containment measures can be less disruptive when public health response time is fast and public debt is low. We also construct a database of daily fiscal announcements for Euro area countries, and find that sovereign risk is improved under a combination of large support packages and smart measures.