Future Disaster Response Research Articles

Harnessing text information for enhanced hurricane resilience and public engagement: Unveiling disaster perspectives through social media

The recent disaster by hurricane Otis in Acapulco, Mexico, exemplifies how natural disasters, particularly hurricanes, can often arrive with a force that defies prediction despite technological advancements. Their impact, coupled with secondary disasters, underscores the urgency for efficient preemptive measures. Resilience research in the face of such calamities necessitates the creation of a safeguard before incurring irreversible losses. This research leverages big data, explicitly harnessing information obtained from social media about hurricanes, to bolster the efficacy of hurricane response efforts. The focus lies in amplifying the dissemination of adequate warnings and enhancing rescue operations. Concurrently, the research aims to delve into potential disaster rescue suggestions by tracking and analyzing high-interaction discussions on social media — X. This exploration seeks to unveil public focal points during hurricane disasters and identify valuable perspectives for future disaster response strategies. The research findings show that dynamic public discussions on X failed to adequately focus on crucial aspects such as hurricane rescue and warnings. Instead, certain discussions tended to target specific groups and individuals. By unveiling these trends, this research highlights the need to develop a nuanced understanding of interpreting and engaging with social media discussions during significant hurricane events.

The Role of Local Governments in The Context of Disaster Communication and Social Media: The Example of 06 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquake

The February 06, 2023, Kahramanmaraş earthquake brought great destruction and loss of life to the region. In times of crisis, effective disaster communication is crucial to ensure public safety and facilitate response efforts. Local governments play a critical role in managing and disseminating information during disasters using various communication channels, including social media. This research aims to analyze the role of local governments in disaster communication during the Kahramanmaraş earthquake. In particular, it examined how local governments use social media for disaster communication, the strategies they use to manage information dissemination, and the effectiveness of their communication efforts. By exploring these key issues, this study aims to provide insights into the vital role of local governments in disaster communication and contribute to improving future disaster response efforts. In this context, using the case study method, the posts of Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality on X accounts were analyzed between February 06, 2023, and March 09, 2023.

The application of PTR-MS and non-targeted analysis to characterize VOCs emitted from a plastic recycling facility fire.

On April 11th, 2023, the My Way Trading (MWT) recycling facility in Richmond, Indiana caught fire, mandating the evacuation of local residents and necessitating the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct air monitoring. The EPA detected elevated levels of plastic combustion-related air pollutants, including hydrogen cyanide and benzene. We aimed to identify these and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present as well as to identify the potential hazard of each compound for various human health effects. To identify the VOCs, we conducted air monitoring at sites within and bordering the evacuation zone using proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) and non-targeted analysis (NTA). To facilitate risk assessment of the emitted VOCs, we used the EPA Hazard Comparison Dashboard. We identified 46 VOCs, within and outside the evacuation zone, with average detection levels above local background levels measured in Middletown, OH. Levels of hydrogen cyanide and 4 other VOCs were at least 1.8-fold higher near the incidence site in comparison to background levels and displayed unique temporal and spatial patterns. The 46 VOCs identified had the highest hazardous potential for eye and skin irritation, with approximately 45% and 39%, respectively, of the VOCs classified as high and very high hazards for these endpoints. Notably, all detected VOC levels were below the hazard thresholds set for single VOC exposures; however, hazard thresholds for exposure to VOC mixtures are currently unclear. This study serves as a proof-of-concept that PTR-MS coupled with NTA can facilitate rapid identification and hazard assessment of VOCs emitted following anthropogenic disasters. Furthermore, it demonstrates that this approach may augment future disaster responses to quantify additional VOCs present in complex combustion mixtures.

Land deformation due to earthquake in Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia: A multisensor-multitemporal study

Background The Java Island is located in a seismically active region, which makes it vulnerable to earthquakes. On 21 November 2022, an earthquake of magnitude 5.6 struck Java, with its epicentre located in Cianjur, West Java. The earthquake caused significant damage to the buildings and infrastructure in the region, and several injuries and fatalities. Methods In this study, we used multisensor and multitemporal data to investigate the land deformation. Multi-pairs of Sentinel-1 SAR and aerial orthomosaic photos are used. Sentinel-1 SAR data were acquired from the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem and the SNAP software was used to do inSAR analysis, while aerial orthomosaic data were acquired using DJI Drone Mavic Pro. Results Our results show that the earthquake caused significant land deformation in the area, with surface displacements of up to 9.8 cm and 11 cm for land uplift and land subsidence, respectively. We also found that deformation was primarily concentrated in the south-eastern and north-western parts of the study area. We identified the possibility of an unmapped fault that could trigger earthquakes in the future. Conclusions Our findings highlight the usefulness of radar and remotely sensed optical data in studying the effects of earthquakes. This data can be used to effectively design future disaster response and recovery efforts.

Exploring hospital resilience protective or risk factors: lessons for future disaster response efforts.

Hospital resilience is essential in responding to disasters, but current research focuses mainly on frameworks and models rather than the protection of resilience and analysis of risk factors during public health emergencies. This study aims to examine the development of resilience in Chinese frontline hospitals during the initial COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, providing insights for future disaster response efforts. We conducted interviews with 26 hospital staff members who were involved in the initial response to the COVID-19 outbreak in China. We used a semi-structured interview approach and employed purposive sampling and snowball sampling techniques. The interview outline was guided by the 'Action Framework' proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) for responding to infectious disease emergencies. This framework includes dimensions such as command, surveillance, risk communication, medical response, and public health response. We analyzed the collected data using Colaizzi's seven-step data analysis method and the template analysis method. WHO's 'action framework' effectively highlights the factors that contribute to hospital resilience. While medical response, including the availability of materials and facilities, the use of information technology, and the capacity for infectious disease diagnosis and treatment, remains crucial, other important aspects include awareness and beliefs about infections, treatment experience, interdisciplinary collaboration, and more. Additionally, it is essential to establish an intelligent command system, foster trusting partnerships between teams, improve monitoring capabilities for infectious disease agents, enhance risk communication through information synchronization and transparency, strengthen infection control planning, and improve environmental disinfection capabilities for effective public health emergency response. These contradictions significantly impact the enhancement of hospital resilience in dealing with major infectious disease outbreaks. In responding to sudden major infectious diseases, hospitals play a vital role within the healthcare system. Enhancing hospital resilience involves more than just improving treatment capabilities. It also requires effective command coordination at the hospital level, infection control planning, and the deployment of intelligent equipment. Additionally, planning for effective communication and coordination between hospitals, communities, and the national healthcare system can further enhance hospital resilience.

Experiences and psychosocial challenges of volunteer nurses in Turkey devastating earthquake zones: Lessons to be learnt for prevention of health system problems in disasters: A qualitative study.

This research aimed to investigate the experiences and psychosocial challenges encountered by volunteer nurses who provided care in the zones affected by the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey in 2023. This qualitative study involved semistructured, in-depth interviews with 15 volunteer nurses who were actively working in earthquake-affected regions. The study was conducted between June 2023 and July 2023. Participants were selected from diverse provinces (Hatay, Gaziantep, Adıyaman, Kahramanmaraş, and Malatya) affected by the earthquake, ensuring maximum variability. Individual online interviews were conducted using Google Meet, with data collection continuing until saturation was achieved. The study adhered to the COREQ checklist for reporting qualitative research. Three main themes and eight subthemes were developed: (1) Management and Coordination (failure to meet basic needs, bureaucracy, duty, and authority issues, problems with supplies and equipment); (2) Professional Experiences (working conditions, education, perspective on the profession); and Psychosocial Problems and (3) Coping Methods (psychological problems, methods of coping with problems). The study showed that volunteer nurses encountered management and organizational obstacles, were profoundly impacted by the disaster's psychosocial aspects, and often struggled with inadequacies in handling psychological challenges. Despite these challenges, the nurses reported a sense of competence in delivering care services. The insights derived from this study hold valuable lessons for future disaster response strategies. For this reason, it is recommended to plan the necessary training and initiatives to professionally strengthen the field of disaster nursing.

Mitigating Psychological Problems Associated with the 2023 Wildfires in Alberta and Nova Scotia: Six-Week Outcomes from the Text4Hope Program

Background: In 2023, wildfires led to widespread destruction of property and displacement of residents in Alberta and Nova Scotia, Canada. Previous research suggests that wildfires increase the psychological burden of impacted communities, necessitating population-level interventions. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)-based text message interventions, Text4HopeAB and Text4HopeNS, were launched in Alberta and Nova Scotia, respectively, during the 2023 wildfire season to support the mental health of impacted individuals. Objectives: The study examines the effectiveness of Text4HopeNS and Text4HopeAB in alleviating psychological symptoms and improving wellbeing among subscribers. Methods: The study involved longitudinal and naturalistic controlled trial designs. The longitudinal study comprised subscribers who completed program surveys at baseline and six weeks post-enrolment, while the naturalistic controlled study compared psychological symptoms in subscribers who had received daily supportive text messages for six weeks (intervention group) and new subscribers who had enrolled in the program during the same period but had not yet received any text messages (control group). The severity of low resilience, poor mental wellbeing, likely Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), likely Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), likely Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and suicidal ideation were measured on the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), the World Health Organization-5 Wellbeing Index (WHO-5), Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) scale, PTSD Checklist–Civilian Version (PCL-C), and the ninth question on the PHQ-9, respectively. The paired and independent sample t-tests were employed in data analysis. Results: The results from the longitudinal study indicated a significant reduction in the mean scores on the PHQ-9 (−12.3%), GAD-7 (−14.8%), and the PCL-C (−5.8%), and an increase in the mean score on the WHO-5, but not on the BRS, from baseline to six weeks. In the naturalistic controlled study, the intervention group had a significantly lower mean score on the PHQ-9 (−30.1%), GAD-7 (−29.4%), PCL-C (−17.5%), and the ninth question on the PHQ-9 (−60.0%) which measures the intensity of suicidal ideation, and an increase in the mean score on the WHO-5 (+24.7%), but not on the BRS, from baseline to six weeks compared to the control group. Conclusions: The results of this study suggests that the Text4Hope program is an effective intervention for mitigating psychological symptoms in subscribers during wildfires. This CBT-based text messaging program can be adapted to provide effective support for individuals’ mental health, especially in the context of traumatic events and adverse experiences such as those induced by climate change. Policymakers and mental health professionals should consider these findings when shaping strategies for future disaster response efforts, emphasizing the value of scalable and culturally sensitive mental health interventions.

Measuring mental health outcomes in Walbridge Fire 2020.

In August 2020, Sonoma County experienced the Walbridge Fire (part of the Lake-Napa Unit Complex Fire). Following the repopulation of evacuated residents, the Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management circulated a Resident Experience Survey to learn from stakeholders how the fire impacted their lives, how emergency response to the fire met their needs, and to gather information to improve future disaster response activities. A total of 1,583 English and 55 Spanish surveys were completed. This paper describes a mixed-method research using survey data to understand broader mental health implications of the Walbridge Fire on residents. This study developed a quantitative Global Worry Model to explore which survey factors contributed to poorer mental health outcomes. Quantitative analytics looked at how language, loss, emergency alerts, and family size were measured for significance with a survey reported on a mental health questionnaire. Open-ended survey responses surrounding previous disaster experience, pre-existing health issues, and environmental conditions (smoke and the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic) were contributory to responder's stress and anxiety. Final data analysis concluded that those who faced immediate loss presented with significant self-declared stress and anxiety.

Reinvestigating social vulnerability from the perspective of Critical Disaster Studies (CDS): directions, opportunities and challenges in Aotearoa disaster research

ABSTRACT This article argues that resilience has been overemphasised in popular and scholarly discourse, while social vulnerability has been comparatively overlooked. We therefore need to shift the focus from resilience and adaptation towards vulnerability and the various structures that engender and maintain systemic inequality and disadvantage. This necessitates a shift from strict hazard management and resilience building to considerations of social justice. People should not have to be resilient to ongoing marginalisation and stigmatisation, and, in focusing on individual resilience, systemic disadvantage is obscured. Disaster scholars here must also reckon with the structural violence of colonisation. Aotearoa New Zealand has a unique hazard profile, and it has unique social infrastructures that can help deal with them. The best disaster mitigation and recovery programmes are inclusive and equity driven. Greater attention to Indigenous Knowledge – Mātauranga Māori – and Indigenous institutions, such as marae and the myriad relationships and connections that such institutions support, might potentially play a crucial role in future disaster mitigation and response. Glossary of Māori words: Aotearoa: New Zealand; Awa: stream, River; Hapū: a division of people, Community; Iwi: tribe; Mātauranga Māori: Indigenous knowledge; Kāinga: home; Manaakitanga: respect and care for others; Marae: communal and sacred facility; Ōtautahi: Christchurch; Raupatu: conquest and confiscation; Rohe: home territory; Rongomau Taketake: Indigenous Rights Governance Partner; Tairāwhiti: Gisborne district; Te Kāhui Tika Tangata: Human Rights Commission; Te Tari Taiwhenua: Department of Internal Affairs; Te Tiriti: The Treaty (of Waitangi); Tiko; Poo; Tino rangatiratanga: self-determination; Tupuna: ancestor; Urupā, Cemetary; Whakapapa: descent, Geneaology, Lineage; Whakawhānaungatanga: the practice of establishing, Maintaining and nurturing relationships; Whenua: land

Economic recovery of the new poor created by COVID-19: evidence from Bangladesh

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 shock resulted in a large number of people becoming newly poor in Bangladesh, for whom recovery was slow and difficult. In response, BRAC implemented a nationwide program – credit, business planning support, and mentoring – targeting the economic recovery of the new poor. This paper estimates its impact using a mixed method and finds that the program had a significant positive effect on employment, income, and assets, indicating a faster economic recovery of program participants. The learnings from this program can have major policy implications for future disaster responses targeting livelihood recovery, specifically during the time-sensitive transitory phase from relief to long-term development.

Activity of a Medical Relief Team from Shizuoka Hospital that was Dispatched to the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in Reiwa 6 (2024).

The present study aimed to report on the activity of a medical relief team from Juntendo Shizuoka Hospital that was dispatched to the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in Reiwa 6. Narrative report. The activities conducted on-site in the Noto Peninsula involved multiple deployments of the Juntendo University Shizuoka Hospital Disaster Medical Assistance Team (JS-DMAT). The first deployment from January 2nd to January 6th faced challenges due to damaged infrastructure, particularly roads, affecting mobility. The team focused on hospital medical support, patient transportation, and DMAT headquarters assistance. The second deployment, from January 8th to January 12th, encountered persistently damaged roads, leading to incidents but no significant vehicle damage. The team engaged in screening, zoning, medical examinations, and DMAT headquarters support in evacuation shelters. The third team's planned activities in early February were canceled by Shizuoka Prefecture.Additionally, on January 7, 2024, personnel from Juntendo Shizuoka Hospital participated in the Shizuoka Prefectural DMAT Coordination Headquarters activity, documenting DMAT activities and assessing team members' health. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's request for the fourth Shizuoka Prefecture DMAT dispatch led to the selection of the second JS-DMAT for deployment. The activities related to the Noto Peninsula earthquake by JS-DMAT were reported. Lessons from this disaster are being sought to guide future disaster response preparations.

Information Challenges Associated With Accessing and Sharing of Patient Information in Disasters: A Qualitative Analysis.

As disasters increase in frequency and severity, so too does the health impact on affected populations. Disasters exacerbate the already challenging health information-sharing landscape. A reduced capacity to access and share patient information may have negative impacts on providers' ability to care for patients individually and to address disaster health outcomes at the population level. Between October 2018 and July 2019, we conducted 21 semistructured interviews with physicians experienced in providing healthcare during disasters to understand the challenges related to patient information sharing in disaster responses. Key informants noted challenges with patient information management-including accessing, sharing, and transferring information-and that it was a barrier to providing effective clinical care in disasters. Three major areas were identified as challenges: (1) lack of systematic mechanisms for patient information sharing during disaster handoffs, (2) lack of access to a patient's past medical history, and (3) population-level impacts of patient information-sharing breakdowns in disasters. Reducing barriers to effective patient information sharing is a critical need during disasters. Requirements generally fall to overburdened clinicians, and novel solutions that ease this responsibility and leverage existing infrastructure should be explored. Work conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic may inform new solutions. Integrated approaches that support information sharing in real time will improve patient care at the individual level and can support operational improvements to current and future disaster responses.

Disaster response readiness assessment of public hospitals in Addis Ababa City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Introduction: Due to its diverse geography, climate, and political instability, Ethiopia is one of the countries most affected by disasters. However, there is a lack of evidence-based assessments of disaster preparedness, especially in Addis Ababa, where most tertiary-level referral hospitals are located. This study aims to evaluate disaster readiness in public hospitals in Addis Ababa using WHO standards, focusing on hospital characteristics, disaster plans, infrastructure, and human resources availability. Ultimately, the findings are expected to provide actionable recommendations for improving disaster preparedness in public hospitals in the city. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was utilized using quantitative and qualitative methods to assess disaster response readiness among public hospitals in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. Results: This study assessed ten public referral hospitals in Addis Ababa. In the last two years, all but one of the ten public referral hospitals in Addis Ababa have experienced a disaster. Road traffic accidents are responsible for half of all disasters. While 50% of the hospitals have trauma-specific plans, there are no disaster-specific guidelines for the remaining hospital. Moreover, all facilities and ambulances lack communication networks to receive assistance during disasters. A total of 88.8% of emergency and disaster facility level representatives (n=18) stated that their emergency care areas need improvement to be able to manage patients during disasters more effectively. While seven hospitals (70%) have separate disaster medication and equipment storage, only three (43%) are regularly restocked. Furthermore, nearly half of the respondents (44%) reported that their hospital does not have a functional disaster management team, and 61% are unprepared to handle a disaster. Lastly, 33% of the respondents mentioned the Ministry of Health and hospital leaders' commitment as an enabling factor to improve future disaster response readiness. Conclusion: Public referral hospitals in Addis Ababa have significant gaps in disaster management preparedness and response. A comprehensive disaster response plan, including staff training, regular restocking of medication and equipment, and functional communication networks, should be implemented in every public referral hospital. It is imperative that all stakeholders work together, including local government authorities, emergency response teams, and community members, to ensure hospitals are well-equipped to deal with disasters.

On-site response issues in disaster recovery of public civil engineering facilities based on the experience of the 2011 Kii Peninsula flood

Nearly 10 years have passed since the 2011 Kii Peninsula flood, and assessing the disaster response at that time is crucial for developing a future disaster response system. This study is based on questionnaire and interview surveys of construction managers, i.e., heads of local construction administrations in charge of disaster recovery for public civil engineering facilities in Wakayama Prefecture. We clarify the situational judgments and decisions that are made in the field response of disaster recovery, check whether they were undertaken to extract issues, examine the characteristics, and consider issues for future disaster response.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic response on the Emergency Medical Services workforce, Texas, USA

Introduction: The physical and mental health impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response on healthcare workers has been extensively studied; less is known about impacts specific to the prehospital Emergency Medical Service’s (EMS) workforce. However, given data about the physical and psychological impacts to EMS workers participating in prior emergencies and disasters, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic likely increased risk among the EMS workforce.
 Methods: EMS agencies in the State of Texas were stratified according to agency structure, eg, fire-based, nonfire-based governmental, hospital-based private, nonhospital-based private, and other. A systematic sample of 10 agencies was selected from each of the five strata. An interview guide was developed to collect information about prior experience with disaster or emergency response, professional roles since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and alternations to professional roles and EMS systems during both prior responses and the COVID-19 response. Interviews were transcribed and inductively coded to identify themes.
 Results: Five themes were identified in qualitative interviews. These included 1) early pandemic lessons, 2) protocol changes, 3) personal stressors, 4) professional stressors, and 5) lessons learned. Increased workloads, operational changes, fear of transmission to friends and family, and fatigue from working conditions were emphasized by participants. However, adaptations are being identified that could help EMS agencies and their workforces maintain resilience, even during an ongoing emergency response.
 Discussion: The COVID-19 response created unique professional and personal stressors to the EMS workforce and limited access to coping mechanisms previously used to reduce stress. Targeted studies are needed to guide the implementation of evidence-based interventions to protect the well-being of EMS personnel now and during future public health emergency and disaster responses.

Line-Specific Energy Modeling Framework for Urban Rail Transit Systems: A Case Study of Boston

Urban rail transit systems play an essential role in improving mobility and efficiency. A complex rail transit network serves the Boston metropolitan area, U.S., which costs $38 million for the 422 GWh of system electricity consumed annually. With the aim of developing a tool for energy and cost reduction decision support, we propose a comprehensive machine learning framework to investigate line-specific contributions to energy. This effort builds on prior work in estimating a system-wide energy model for the Boston network. By introducing line-specific train movement and operation variables, we obtain a higher-performing model [Formula: see text]. Furthermore, the model better explains the relationship between energy and train movement, ridership, and weather variables. Most importantly, the model facilitates analyses of how each line contributes to system consumption at the hour level. We found that the non-line-specific variables made a contribution of −2.7% to the average hourly energy of consumption of −5.4 MWh with a baseline energy consumption of 39 MWh. The Red Line dominates the energy consumption among line-specific variables, contributing 2.3% to the hourly average. Our model could be further enhanced to evaluate the energy and cost impacts of line-specific strategies that may be required for future planning and disaster response, as well as for real-time energy monitoring by line.

Mental Health Needs Due to Disasters: Implications for Behavioral Health Workforce Planning During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Public health emergencies impact the well-being of people and communities. Long-term emotional distress is a pervasive and serious consequence of high levels of crisis exposure and low levels of access to mental health care. At highest risk for mental health trauma are historically medically underserved and socially marginalized populations and frontline health care workers (HCWs). Current public health emergency response efforts provide insufficient mental health services for these groups. The ongoing mental health crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic has implications for the resource-strained health care workforce. Public health has an important role in delivering psychosocial care and physical support in tandem with communities. Assessment of US and international public health strategies deployed during past public health emergencies can guide development of population-specific mental health care. The objectives of this topical review were (1) to examine scholarly and other literature on the mental health needs of HCWs and selected US and international policies to address them during the first 2 years of the pandemic and (2) to propose strategies for future responses. We reviewed 316 publications in 10 topic areas. Two-hundred fifty publications were excluded, leaving 66 for this topical review. Findings from our review indicate a need for flexible, tailored mental health outreach for HCWs after disasters. US and global research emphasizes the dearth of institutional mental health support for HCWs and of mental health providers who specialize in helping the health care workforce. Future public health disaster responses must address the mental health needs of HCWs to prevent lasting trauma.

Japan Disaster Medical Assistance Team Boot Camp for the Trainer in KOBE : Corona Era Experience of Hyogo Emergency Medical Center

Introduction:Japan Disaster Medical Assistance Team (JDMAT) consists of four personnel. They are selected in 47 local governments in Japan, and after the completion of a four day boot camp, they are registered in the list of JDMAT. Hyogo Emergency Medical Center (HEMC) has been playing an important role as one of the oldest boot camps with Disaster Medical Center in Tachikawa. The boot camp's significance is obvious, but the JDMAT system requires a trainer for the course. Many courses were discontinued and affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic.Method:Retrospective, single institute data, observed in the number of participants for instruction. The periods are from March 2019 to September 2022. Instructing members of this boot camp consist of three categories of Drs, Nurses, and logisticians.Results:In FY2019, from April to March during the pre-pandemic year, a boot camp was held nine times. During those days, the total number of instructors, including potential ones, was 659 persons, and fortunately 75 people participated for the very first time. However, during the Corona era, in FY2020, the boot camp was held only four times. The total number of instructors was 161 persons, and 14 people participated for the first time. In FY2021, the boot camp was held only three times. The total number of instructors was 141 persons, and 11 people participated for the first time. In FY2022, after two quarters passed, the boot camp was held five times according to the schedule. The total number of instructors was 256 persons, and 18 people participated for the very first time.Conclusion:Officers were not trained for future disaster response for two years because of the pandemic.

Influence of ICU Surge and Capacity on COVID Mortality Across U.S. States and Regions During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

To describe the influence of COVID-19 caseload surges and overall capacity in the intensive care unit (ICU) on mortality among US population and census divisions. A retrospective analysis of the national COVID ActNow database between January 1, 2021 until March 1, 2022. The main outcome used was COVID-19 weekly mortality rates, which were calculated and incorporated into several generalized estimation of effects models with predictor variables that included ICU bed capacity, as well as ICU capacity used by COVID cases while adjusting for ratios of vaccinations in populations, case density, and percentage of the population over the age of 65. Each 1% increase in general ICU capacity is correlated with approximately 5 more weekly deaths from COVID-19 per 100,000 population and each percentage increase in the number of patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU resulted in approximately 10 more COVID-19 deaths per week per 100,000 population. Significant differences in ability to handle caseload surges were observed across US census divisions. A strong association was observed between COVID-19 ICU surges, overall ICU surge, and increased mortality. Further research is needed to reveal best practices and public health measures to prevent ICU overcrowding amidst future pandemics and disaster responses.

Income loss and gender-based violence during the COVID-19 pandemic among female entertainment workers in Cambodia: a cross-sectional phone survey

BackgroundIn Cambodia, female entertainment workers (FEWs) are disproportionately affected by global and local disasters, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the government imposed tight restrictions, including closures of entertainment venues, such as karaoke bars, beer gardens, nightclubs, or massage parlors, leading FEWs to face economic and social disruptions. This study aims to assess the relationship between income loss during the pandemic and gender-based violence (GBV) among FEWs in Cambodia to inform future disaster response programs.MethodsWe conducted a phone survey in August 2021 with 369 randomly sampled FEWs from a national organization’s email list. We used a structured questionnaire to ask the participants about job and income loss, food security, mental health, access to health services, and GBV. We fit a linear regression model to examine the differences in GBV experience between FEWs who lost all their income and those who lost partial income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key covariables comprised the number of dependents, smartphone ownership, internet access, food security, and mental health. Multivariable linear regression analysis was conducted.ResultsThe mean age (31.6 vs. 30.6), years of formal education (6.3 vs. 6.3), marital status (24.2 vs. 23.8 never married), and the number of children (1.3 vs. 1.1) of women reporting having lost all income were not significantly different from those who experienced partial income loss. Overall, GBV experiences were significantly higher in FEWs who lost all income than in those who lost partial income (62.9% vs. 47.4%, p = 0.03). Controlling for the number of dependents, smartphone ownership, and food security, the adjusted odds ratio for GBV was significant in the adjusted model (AOR = 1.23 (1.08–1.40), p = 0.001) indicating that those who experienced total income loss were more likely to experience GBV than those who experienced partial income loss. In addition, they were significantly less likely to be food secure (p = 0.04), less likely to own a smartphone (p = 0.02), and had more dependents (p < 0.001).ConclusionDisaster response programs should consider the implications of safety measures and government support for both formal and informal workers regarding safety, food access, and mental health support. Food assistance programs should target the most vulnerable informal sector workers during crises.