COVID-19 Health Crisis Research Articles

Environmental Policy vs. the Reality of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Top Emitting Countries

The 21st century climate crisis has been compounded by the COVID-19 health crisis and the Russian war. What at first appeared to be an opportunity to move towards sustainable growth and development has turned into the opposite. In this context, it seems necessary to pause and analyze what countries are doing and where they are heading in order to ensure that their environmental efforts are not in vain. This article analyzes the environmental policies of the seven countries emitting the most GHGs from 1990 to the present day and compares them with the reality of their emissions. These behaviors are extrapolated into the future and, finally, conclusions are drawn as to which countries are not fully living up to their commitments, which have implemented the most effective measures, and where particular attention needs to be directed for maximum efficiency in decarbonizing the energy mix.

Prevalence and Impact of Stress in the Indian Population: A Retrospective Survey Analysis

Post-COVID-19 pandemic, individuals are experiencing various forms of stress. This study assessed the prevalence of stress among Indian adults, examined its physical and psychological impacts, and investigated stress management strategies, aiming to fill existing gaps in research. This retrospective observational study utilized an online survey from March 16, 2023, to July 30, 2023, using snowball sampling to target the Indian population. Respondents aged ≥18 years participated in the study. The survey collected data on demographic information, self-reported stress levels, and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) scores. The chi-square test was applied for statistical analysis, and results with a p-value under 0.05 were considered significant. Among 1,479 respondents (638 males, 841 females; mean age: 23.7±7.7 years), 76.0% of respondents resided in Karnataka. Out of 1,479 respondents, 9.6% experienced mild stress, 84.9% experienced moderate stress, and 5.5% experienced severe stress according to the PSS. Females experienced significantly higher stress levels when compared with males (p=0.047), but both experienced moderate stress levels. Financial problems (20.7%) and studies (36.4%) were the most common stressors among respondents. They most frequently manage stress through personal strategies, such as sleeping and listening to music. The present study's findings indicate that, following the COVID-19 health crisis, moderate levels of stress are significantly prevalent in the Indian population, primarily due to academic and job-related pressures.

Love’s Labor Lost: Evaluating Child Care Workers’ Motivations to Stay in the Field Using Content Analysis

This paper evaluates child care workers’ descriptions of their motivations for working in the field using content analysis. The results are drawn from a large data set of child care workers collected by Utah’s state workforce and child care agencies. Our findings demonstrate the primacy of intrinsic motivations over extrinsic motivations for child care workers. Worker-expressed intrinsic motivations, including making a contribution to society, having a sense of purpose, and feelings of love and joy, dominated the survey responses. In contrast, extrinsic motivations including earning a wage or accommodating scheduling concerns were relatively rare. The motivations of this workforce attracted the interest of policy makers following large losses in child care employment during the COVID-19 health crisis and have implications for child care labor supply decisions and child care labor market policies. We use this policy lens to contextualize our findings by reviewing issues of recruitment and retention in child care services and ultimately argue that a sustainable child care workforce depends on worker well-being supported by both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards.

Public Health Literacy: a concept to develop – Qualitative study among public health professionals

Abstract Background Health literacy can be defined as individuals’ motivation and skills to access, understand, evaluate, and utilize information to make decisions about their health. Despite Sorensen’s widely used definition encompassing both individual and population levels, also known as Public Health Literacy, it remains poorly detailed and is rarely taken into account by measurement tools. As evidenced by the Covid-19 health crisis, limited public health literacy impacts reluctance to accept government recommendations, vaccine hesitancy, and fosters mistrust of science and conspiracy theories in the health field. The main objective of this study was to derive specific public health knowledge and skills from public health professionals for the general population constituted the first step of the development of a public health literacy measurement tools. Methods A qualitative study, based on ten semi-structured interviews with public health professionals from various settings (academic, hospital, health prevention, and promotion), working across various public health fields (nutrition, sexual health, mental health), has been conducted since March 2024. Results Preliminary analysis identified three main themes: (1) fundamental concepts including identification of health determinants, epidemiology and the purpose of public health interventions, (2) critical skills including the assessment of the level of evidence and reliability of public health information, and (3) civic orientation including environmental impact on health and community approach to interventions. Conclusions These detailed insights will guide the creation of a valid measurement tool for public health literacy. This will facilitate the investigation of specific impacts on people’s adherence to public health interventions or messages and the development of actions targeting literacy in a more holistic manner. Key messages • Specific public health dimensions have been identified to enrich the existed definition of health literacy. • Public health concepts, reliability of public health information and community approach constitute the core of public health literacy.

What is hidden under our pontoons? Abundance and distribution of filter feeders (bivalves and tunicates) in the port area revealed. Artificial intelligence: an interesting analysis tool?

Urbanization is particularly prevalent along the coast, causing a considerable change in the ecology of the habitats found there. Ports, docks and all the structures linked to this anthropization modify the coastal environment by providing new niches, but also new constraints. Thus, ports are ecosystems in their own right, although they are rarely studied as such. In Europe’s largest marina (La Rochelle, France), among the multitude of organisms inhabiting it, four taxa seem particularly interesting to study: Mytilidae, Ostreïdae, Pectinidae and ascidiacea. Because these taxa, which belong to the bivalve and tunicate groups, are the stewards of the health of the port environment both as bio-indicators and as engineering species. The establishment of a systematic and regular census allows us to study the evolution of their populations and to determine what influences their distribution. To have as less impact as possible on the fauna studied, the census was carried out by underwater photography. The study shows that the populations are partly conditioned by the hydrodynamics of the environment and by the anthropic activity which is carried out there. Indeed, this study, which was carried out in a particular context (before and after the COVID-19 health crisis), shows the importance of anthropic pressure, particularly on the bivalve communities. A large amount of data is needed to understand what precisely governs bivalve and tunicate populations. Therefore, an innovative method, using artificial intelligence to automate the analyses, was tested in this study. This promising method should facilitate the census by reducing the analysis time.

Corporate Philanthropy and Corporate Reputation During a Global Health Crisis

The aim of the study is to examine the nexus between corporate philanthropy (CP) and corporate reputation (CR) from the perspective of a global health emergency, cultural orientation, and African context. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design. A purposive sampling procedure was adopted in the selection of 200 respondents and data were collected from the 200 respondents (Recipients of palliatives) through a structured questionnaire. Considering organizations as the unit of analysis, the data were aggregated, averaged and analyzed through paired (dependent-sample) t-tests, multivariate regression and moderation analysis. The results demonstrate that corporate philanthropy before and during the pandemic had a positive effect on corporate reputation, there was a significant difference in the perceived corporate reputation before and during the COVID-19 pandemic while cultural orientation and COVID-19 health crisis orientation moderated the relationship between CP and CR during the pandemic. This study is the first of its kind to empirical examine the link between CP and CR from the lens of cultural milieu, global health emergency of COVID-19 and in African context. The study contributed to management theory and practice through critical findings from the dimension of a global health crisis.

The Financial Consequences of the Covid-19 Health Crisis on Walloon Municipalities in the short term, and the Resulting Changes in the longer term

The Financial Consequences of the Covid-19 Health Crisis on Walloon Municipalities in the short term, and the Resulting Changes in the longer term

Examining the spread of disinformation on Facebook during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic: A case study in Switzerland

Abstract Disinformation poses a significant threat to democratic societies, particularly in the context of the Covid-19 health crisis. This study delves into the prevalence and nature of disinformation in social media by analyzing Facebook accounts of political actors and alternative media within the unique Swiss landscape during the first wave of the pandemic. Using standardized quantitative content analysis, we categorize posts as either accurate, reconfigured, or fabricated. Our findings reveal a disconcerting pattern: Disinformation was shared more frequently than accurate information. Notably, right-wing politicians and parties, alongside alternative media sources, emerged as the most prolific disseminators of disinformation. Digging deeper, we discovered that the predominant form of disinformation shared on social media was reconfigured disinformation, signifying manipulated or contextually distorted information. This prevalence of reconfigured disinformation on social media platforms raises pressing concerns about the public’s ability to discern fact from fiction. Moreover, our study shines a spotlight on the inadvertent or perhaps deliberate contributions of right-wing politicians and parties and alternative media sources to the propagation of disinformation. By examining this phenomenon within the Swiss context during the initial wave of the pandemic, we provide valuable insights into the dynamics of disinformation and its implications for society during crisis situations.

Stock Market and Employment During the COVID-19 Health Crisis

Stock Market and Employment During the COVID-19 Health Crisis

In Good Times and in Bad, in Sickness and in Health: The Continuous Rise in Adoption of Labour-Saving Agricultural Technologies in Myanmar

Agriculture is rapidly transforming in many low- and middle-income countries – most often driven by the adoption of new agricultural technologies – but changes remain poorly understood in fragile and conflict-affected states. We look at the case of Myanmar, a prime example of such a state. After decades of isolationism and economic stagnation, it opened its economy in the beginning of the 2010s, leading to rapid economic growth. But the COVID-19 health crisis and a military coup in the beginning of 2021 – leading to heightened conflicts, forced displacements, and increased migration – dramatically reversed that outlook. Based on large-scale farm surveys, we find that adoption of labour-saving agricultural technologies – measured by the use of mechanization, herbicides, and direct seeding of rice – increased rapidly over the economic growth period and that the increase surprisingly persisted during the crisis years, but at a slower rate. This uptake was lower, however, for households in the most conflict-affected areas, partly due to differential agricultural input availability. Smallholders and more remote farmers also participated less. This finding suggests an increasing labour productivity gap for remote and conflict-affected smallholders, with important implications for their welfare.

Work engagement and organizational justice of nursing staff during COVID-19

During COVID-19 health crisis, the working conditions for nursing personnel in public hospitals were modified, nevertheless some factors remained present contributing to maintain their willingness to accomplish their duties. This article aims to analyze the effect of the pandemic on the Work Engagement and Organizational Justice of nursing staff in a public hospital. A quantitative correlational study that applied an online questionnaire to nursing personnel who remained active during the COVID-19 pandemic at a public hospital located in northwestern Mexico. In this study the 17-item Utrecht Work Engagement Scale was used to assess Work Engagement, and the 40-item Colquitt scale was used to assess Organizational Justice. For test the differences between before and during the pandemic an ANOVA for repeated measurements or a t-Student test was used. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. A SPSS v21 software was used for statistical calculations. During the pandemic, a slight decrease in the Work Engagement of the nursing staff, without changes in the Engajamento no Trabalho were observed. For staff with lower academic degrees, the decrease in Work Engagement was greater. In Work Engagement`s dimensions vigor and dedication decreased significantly; these dimensions decreased to a greater degree among nursing staff with a lower academic degree or a lower job status. The nursing staff showed few variations in their levels of Work Engagement and Organizational Justice during the COVID-19 health crisis, confirming what other authors have found about their high level of vocational sense. Also, the perception of nursing personnel regarding what is fair from managers remained despite the pandemic. The COVID pandemic had a mild effect on Work Engagement and Organizational Justice in nursing staff of a public hospital.

CEO power and firm risk at the onset of the 2007 financial crisis and the COVID-19 health crisis: international evidence

AbstractWe investigate the association between CEO power and firm risk at the onset of the global financial crisis in 2007 and the COVID-19 pandemic health crisis in 2020. Examining an international sample of publicly listed firms in the G7 nations between 2006 and 2021, we show that firms led by CEOs with greater power are exposed to higher risk than firms led by CEOs with lesser power. The result is primarily driven by the impact of CEO power on idiosyncratic risk rather than systematic risk. Further, we find that powerful CEOs tend to be more cautious and conservative during crises that they have no reference for or experience of, as in the case of the pandemic, during which the positive power–risk associations are less pronounced. Nevertheless, the power–risk association remains relatively unchanged during the more familiar financial crisis. This study has important implications for firms, investors, regulators, and policymakers.

Impact of the COVID-19 health crisis on psychotropic drug use in children and adolescents in France

BackgroundIn 2019, the world faced a pandemic brought about by a severe acute respiratory infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus. The spread of this virus has profoundly affected societies, particularly in terms of their economic, human and social dimensions, as well as their healthcare systems. Several restrictive measures (reduced social interaction, periodic school closures,…) had to be taken to contain the spread of the virus. These measures have had an impact on the psychological well-being of both adults and children. The aim of this study was to assess the changes in psychotropic drugs prescriptions for children and adolescents living in Limousin, a French region, over the period 2018 to 2021.MethodsThe consumption of psychotropic drugs was studied using a national database of drug reimbursement. These data were extracted and supplied from the nationwide French reimbursement healthcare system database (SNDS). The following therapeutic classes were studied: N05A (antipsychotics), N05B (anxiolytics), N05C (hypnotics and sedatives), N06A (antidepressants) and N06B (psychostimulants). Data were collected for insured persons under the age of 18 who received at least one reimbursement for a psychotropic drug between 2018 and 2021.ResultsOver a 4-year period, 7949 patients under the age of 18 were included with an average age of 12.1 years and a sex ratio of 0.97 M/F. The number of patients increased from 2018 to 2021, as did the number of reimbursements. We observed a statistically significant difference of means of patients reimbursed per week for on five therapeutic classes, with the greatest difference in 2021 (p < 0.0001). An increase in the number of patients of between + 20.7% and + 689% was observed, depending on the drug classes studied. Comparisons between the COVID-19 and pre-COVID-19 periods showed a significantly higher COVID average for psychotropic drugs reimbursements in general and individually for all classes except psychostimulants.ConclusionThe results show a significant increase in the consumption of psychotropic drugs among youth. The increase in psychotropic drug use was continuous and progressive throughout the pandemic. All five classes were increased, but particularly anxiolytics and antidepressants. The COVID-19 context may have been at the origin of a deterioration in the mental health of children and adolescents, or of a heightened awareness of psychiatric care among young people.

Public health communication during the COVID-19 health crisis: sustainable pathways to improve health information access and reach among underserved communities

This study aims to explore the perspectives of community leaders (CL) on trusted sources of health information, examine their roles, challenges, and needs in disseminating COVID-19 health information, and identify opportunities to improve public health reach and access for underserved communities. This qualitative study included seven focus groups conducted via online video conferencing from April-June 2021. The participants (n = 9) were CL recruited from the Texas Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) for their experience working with underserved communities in Dallas, Texas. Data were coded deductively and analyzed thematically. The analysis resulted in three themes: (1) Information fatigue, mistrust, and desensitization were experienced by community members and leaders; (2) CL were expected to process, verify, and share accurate and timely COVID-19 health information; (3) CL identified potential strategies to improve COVID-19 health info access and reach. CLs were critical in addressing mis/disinformation and fostering trust in public health communication, particularly in underserved communities. They acted as vital intermediaries for health information, striving to debunk mis/disinformation and disseminate accurate health information. Public health strategies could benefit from prioritizing the integration of CL in communicating health information during crises and rebuilding trust within historically and racially marginalized and underserved communities. Supporting CLs, for example, through resources and training programs to counter misinformation and provide access to culturally and linguistically tailored health resources, may significantly enhance the access and reach of evidence-based health communication during health crises.

Bienestar laboral y condiciones ocupacionales en docentes de carreras de Ciencias de la Salud durante la crisis sanitaria por COVID-19

BackgroundStudent well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, and its relationship to personal and academic factors, has been extensively studied. However, there are few studies regarding this phenomenon in teachers. ObjectiveTo evaluate the relationship between occupational conditions and teachers’ wellbeing at work, in terms of their engagement and burnout, in health career teachers during the COVID-19 health crisis in Chile. MethodsQuantitative study, with an observational and cross-sectional design and relational scope, with a non-probabilistic sampling strategy and by convenience, a sample of 234 health science teachers was obtained, who answered the UWES-17 Work Engagement Scale, the Maslach Burnout Inventory HSS version, a Scale of resources available for teaching and a sociodemographic questionnaire and working conditions, after reading and accepting an informed consent. ResultsTeachers reported high work engagement in its dimensions of vigor, absorption and dedication, moderate emotional exhaustion and less depersonalization and lack of personal fulfillment. Burnout and engagement showed inverse correlations with each other in almost all their factors (p<0.05), except in the case of absorption. In addition, both variables showed a relationship with gender, age of the teachers and access to quiet places to work (p<0.05). ConclusionsThe sociodemographic characteristics of teachers showed to be more associated with their reported well-being than their academic conditions. In terms of available resources, quiet spaces for work were more important than access to technology.

The role of telemedicine during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: shaping our future health organisations and practices

Purpose In France, telemedicine was integrated into the Code of Public Health in 2009, but adoption and use were slow until the beginning of the COVID-19 health crisis, when telemedicine arguably became the only way to ensure continuity of care for non-COVID patients, reduce viral transmission and streamline strained medical resources. Despite growing enthusiasm, criticism persists. Design/methodology/approach User satisfaction will be essential for the sustainability and development of telemedicine, yet this remains an under-researched area. Framed by the first lockdown in France (March–May 2020), this two-step mixed-methods study uses secondary quantitative data (n users = 2,511; n doctors = 254; n nurses = 248) and primary qualitative interviews (n = 5) among healthcare professionals and patients in France to analyse satisfaction levels among telemedicine users. Implementing an inductive approach, it identifies key themes in the adoption and use of telemedicine, the impact on user satisfaction and evolution in perceptions over time. Findings The findings contribute to the literature by identifying and explaining the shift in telemedicine practices and offering recommendations for addressing ongoing obstacles through pragmatic strategies. Originality/value This research addresses a gap in knowledge to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the uptake, perception and satisfaction of telemedicine experienced by users. Recognising telemedicine as a complex innovation in conceptual and practical terms, this paper investigates the degree of acceptance among users and the process of assimilation in the system.

NEW MANAGEMENT PARADIGMS DETERMINED BY THE PANDEMIC: THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION IN THE OPERA SECTOR

This paper analyses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the digitization process of the opera sector under the impact of the COVID-19 health crisis. Surviving in a time of humanitarian disaster was a great challenge for opera houses, which faced new challenges. Most of the world’s opera houses survived this crisis, but in different ways. The authors identify three different categories of approach of digital technologies in response to the hostility of the environment, depending on the status and brand power of each opera house, the sustainable validity of competitive advantages, and the loyalty of audiences. Evidence collected from personal observations are presented. A comparative analysis of the management of opera houses in different areas of the globe was conducted to examine how they have embraced digitization to stay in touch with audiences during the pandemic. We have identified solutions like online concerts, broadcasting shows and concerts on radio and TV, using shows from the archives, and organising online museum tours. These provided joy in hard times to the public, hope and motivation, to escape the dark and sad reality. The results are discussed with reference to two ideal types of pandemic-induced pathways: back to the old normal vs. forward to the new normal. The influences that determine the differences in strategies are also considered: tradition, national context, leadership, knowledge, digital capability of the staff, etc. From an academic perspective, this article enriches the current understanding of the adaptation of the management model of opera houses in a hostile environment and provides managers with concrete guidelines on the systematic adaptation of their business models in hostile situations.

Aesthetics of friendship during the COVID-19 pandemic: An exploratory analytic study

During the covid-19 pandemic, the social and health crisis - which already configured the reality of the Brazilian population - worsened and deepened their precarious life conditions. This study seeks to analyze the conditions of possibility for nurses to establish their care practices in the context of the covid-19 pandemic, articulating with some issues brought up by the ethics of care. To this end, inspired by Michel Foucault's genealogical method, as well as supported by Feminist and Gender Studies, we approach the power relations in their interface with the role of nursing in contemporary society. We then take the reports that 59 Primary Health Care nurses gave to a national survey entitled Nursing Practices in the Context of Primary Health Care: A National Study of Mixed Methods, which investigated the overload and precariousness of the work of nurses in Primary Health Care, during the covid-19 pandemic, to articulate with a brief genealogy of health care. Thus, we reflect about care practices from a perspective situated by gender and race issues, as a way of knowing, creating and recreating care practices ethically oriented by an aesthetic of friendship, as Foucault suggested in his studies on care of the self for practices of freedom.

COVID-19 Vaccines Breakthrough Infections and Adverse Effects Reported by the Birzeit University Community in Palestine.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines play an essential role in boosting immunity, preventing severe diseases, and alleviating the Covid-19 health crisis. This study aimed to explore the type and severity of short-term adverse reactions associated with BNT162 (Pfizer-BioNTech), mRNA 1273 (Moderna), and viral vector vaccines and to compare the incidence of post-vaccination Covid-19 infection among the Birzeit University community in Palestine. This questionnaire-based retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among individuals who were vaccinated with at least one dose of any COVID-19 vaccine offered in Palestine during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study included participants aged 18 years and older who were vaccinated with Pfizer, Moderna, Sputnik Light, or Sputnik v. A total of 558 participants who were administered COVID-19 vaccine were included in the study. Sputnik (239), Pfizer vaccine recipients (236), and Moderna vaccine recipients (83). Of the viral vector vaccine recipients, 57 (23.8%) had a post-vaccination infection, compared to 30 (12.7%) for Pfizer and seven (8.4%) for Moderna. Furthermore, the reported adverse effects in the viral victor group were higher than those in the Moderna and Pfizer groups (71.7, 66.3, and 61.9%, respectively). Chills, headache, fatigue, abdominal pain, and joint pain were significantly higher in the Viral Vector vaccine group than the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine. Vomiting, tiredness, and fatigue were significantly less likely to be complained of by Pfizer vaccine recipients compared to Moderna and Viral Vector vaccine recipients (p < 0.05). Breakthrough infections were associated with both viral vectors and mRNA; however, the mRNA vaccine had less reported post-vaccine infection. Furthermore, the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine group reported fewer commonly reported side effects (fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle pain, joint pain, nausea, and dizziness), followed by the Moderna and viral vector vaccines. Females and underweight participants experienced more adverse effects with both vaccines, and fewer common side effects were reported by all participants.

Demographics and job satisfaction as predictors of mental well-being of Filipino teachers

Teachers worldwide have had to change how they work because of the COVID-19 health crisis. These work changes and pandemic challenges have affected teachers in one way or another. There is a need to investigate teachers' welfare and how contented they are with their jobs two years after the onset of the pandemic and nationwide lockdown. This study examined the factors predicting the subjective mental well-being of teachers in the Philippines. Using a cross-sectional study design, the survey responses of 218 Filipino teachers were analyzed. Data were gathered electronically using the demographic profile form, a short version of the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, and the Short Index of Job Satisfaction. Results indicated that the majority of teachers had average to high job satisfaction and average subjective mental well-being. Regression analysis revealed that the type of school employed, residence, and job satisfaction were significant predictors of the mental well-being of teachers. This study affirms that certain demographic variables and satisfaction at work exert a positive influence on the mental health of teachers. Continuously making improvements in the working conditions of teachers and devising ways to enhance their well-being are vital.