Epidemic History Research Articles

Historical Epidemics and the Effects of COVID-19 Restrictions on Human Health

Historical Epidemics and the Effects of COVID-19 Restrictions on Human Health

Home Learning for Children in Low-Income Contexts during a Pandemic: An Analysis of 2020 Survey Results from Syria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Prior to 2020, empirical research and reports on approaches to education during health crises were limited. They focused primarily on reporting local-level response and provided only limited analysis. Various historic epidemics, like SARS, Ebola, and HIV/AIDS, provided important lessons about educational efficacy during major health emergencies. However, the sudden emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic led to an explosion of research on educating during a worldwide health crisis. This integrative literature review (Torraco 2005) uses the INEE Minimum Standards framework to conceptualize the response to pandemics and epidemics from 1990 to 2020. The research analyzes 124 empirical studies, practitioner and governmental reports, and historic accounts of Ebola, SARS, and other epidemics, as well as early responses to COVID-19, in order to understand how education stakeholders continued educating during the spread of highly communicable illnesses. The high-level themes that emerged included the foundational role of context and community support; access to an equitable education in the digital age; the social-emotional wellbeing of teachers and students; teachers' role in adapting curriculum and pedagogy; the need for additional training and support for teachers; and the opportunity for a creative shift in practices and policies in education.

Back to the future: lethal respiratory pandemics in New Guinea.

Lethal respiratory epidemics have torn through Papua New Guinea (PNG) since records began in the 19th century. Such historical epidemics were likely caused by influenza but often exacerbated by secondary bacterial pneumonias. Although PNG largely escaped the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic, major lethal waves were recorded in 1921, 1925, 1931 and 1964. As recently as 1969, thousands died in the PNG highlands from H3N2 influenza and subsequent pneumococcal pneumonias. This pre-independence crisis was met by a major deployment of the Australian Defence Force personnel and aircraft. Currently, vaccination efforts aided by the Australian Government are trying to cope with the COVID-19 crisis.

Educating during a Health Emergency: An Integrative Review of the Literature from 1990 to 2020

Prior to 2020, empirical research and reports on approaches to education during health crises were limited. They focused primarily on reporting local-level response and provided only limited analysis. Various historic epidemics, like SARS, Ebola, and HIV/AIDS, provided important lessons about educational efficacy during major health emergencies. However, the sudden emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic led to an explosion of research on educating during a worldwide health crisis. This integrative literature review (Torraco 2005) uses the INEE Minimum Standards framework to conceptualize the response to pandemics and epidemics from 1990 to 2020. The research analyzes 124 empirical studies, practitioner and governmental reports, and historic accounts of Ebola, SARS, and other epidemics, as well as early responses to COVID-19, in order to understand how education stakeholders continued educating during widespread communicable illnesses. The high-level themes that emerged included the foundational role of context and community support; access to an equitable education in the digital age; the social-emotional wellbeing of teachers and students; teachers' role in adapting curriculum and pedagogy; the need for additional training and support for teachers; and the opportunity for a creative shift in practices and policies in education.

БОЛЕЗНИ, ЭПИДЕМИИ И ПАНДЕМИИ В ГЛОБАЛЬНОЙ ИСТОРИИ. ЧАСТЬ 2

A review of a thematic issue of the «Journal of global history» presents both traditional and new approaches to the study of histories of disease and epidemics. Epidemics and pandemics are presented as a lens within global and other areas of historical scholarship. A selection of articles in this issue demonstrates different interdisciplinary approaches to the study of these phenomena.

БОЛЕЗНИ, ЭПИДЕМИИ И ПАНДЕМИИ В ГЛОБАЛЬНОЙ ИСТОРИИ. ЧАСТЬ 1

A review of a thematic issue of the Journal of global history presents traditional and new approaches to the study of histories of disease and epidemics. Epidemics and pandemics are presented as a kind of lens within global and other areas of historical scholarship. Different interdisciplinary approaches to the study of these phenomena are also offered.

Lòk: Pandemics and (Im)mobility in Northern Haiti

Rumors of a new respiratory disease began to reach northern Haiti through reports from relatives from the diaspora; the subject soon took over radio stations, virtual communication apps, and everyday conversations in rural neighborhoods and popular markets. The need for social distancing, however, was met with skepticism—not out of disbelief in its effectiveness, but out of resignation to a situation that did not seem new. In this article, I look at the history of past epidemics in Haiti and how these experiences shaped the way people reacted to the arrival of COVID-19 in the country. Through ethnographic data and recent conversations with Haitian friends, I argue that the general feeling of immobility caused by the pandemic intensified a political and existential situation defined as lòk. Nevertheless, it was through a popular epidemiology centered around the household (lakou) that people were able to cope with this new virus. While discussing creative forms of dealing with this sense of stagnation, I try to show that mobility is a form of vitality, creating and structuring life even in situations of radical uncertainty.

Optimising health and economic impacts of COVID-19 vaccine prioritisation strategies in the WHO European Region: a mathematical modelling study.

SummaryBackgroundCountries in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region differ in terms of the COVID-19 vaccine supply conditions. We evaluated the health and economic impact of different age-based vaccine prioritisation strategies across this demographically and socio-economically diverse region.MethodsWe fitted age-specific compartmental models to the reported daily COVID-19 mortality in 2020 to inform the immunity level before vaccine roll-out. Models capture country-specific differences in population structures, contact patterns, epidemic history, life expectancy, and GDP per capita.We examined four strategies that prioritise: all adults (V+), younger (20-59 year-olds) followed by older adults (60+) (V20), older followed by younger adults (V60), and the oldest adults (75+) (V75) followed by incrementally younger age groups. We explored four roll-out scenarios (R1-4) — the slowest scenario (R1) reached 30% coverage by December 2022 and the fastest (R4) 80% by December 2021. Five decision-making metrics were summarised over 2021-22: mortality, morbidity, and losses in comorbidity-adjusted life expectancy, comorbidity- and quality-adjusted life years, and human capital. Six vaccine profiles were tested — the highest performing vaccine has 95% efficacy against both infection and disease, and the lowest 50% against diseases and 0% against infection.FindingsOf the 20 decision-making metrics and roll-out scenario combinations, the same optimal strategy applied to all countries in only one combination; V60 was more or similarly desirable than V75 in 19 combinations. Of the 38 countries with fitted models, 11-37 countries had variable optimal strategies by decision-making metrics or roll-out scenarios. There are greater benefits in prioritising older adults when roll-out is slow and when vaccine profiles are less favourable.InterpretationThe optimal age-based vaccine prioritisation strategies were sensitive to country characteristics, decision-making metrics, and roll-out speeds. A prioritisation strategy involving more age-based stages (V75) does not necessarily lead to better health and economic outcomes than targeting broad age groups (V60). Countries expecting a slow vaccine roll-out may particularly benefit from prioritising older adults.FundingWorld Health Organization, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Medical Research Council (United Kingdom), the National Institute of Health Research (United Kingdom), the European Commission, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (United Kingdom), Wellcome Trust

Intervista a Walter Panciera: Insegnare il metodo storico e la sua utilità

The interview with one of the major specialists in Didactics of modern italian History concerns the subject of teaching the discipline, renewed since the late nineties of the XIX centurythanks to the emergence of new historiographical addresses, advancements in the legislative field and the contribution of pedagogical disciplines. The manual, a controversial but valuable literary genre, remains a useful teaching tool for a new teaching profession, which contemplates a more precise awareness of the historical method and its implications. The history laboratory appears to be the place where the use of sources, experimentations, interdisciplinarity and problematicity are highlighted; further, today the problem arises of breaking into the educational systems from everyday reality. Thus, even the Eighteenth-century cultural debate, such as the history of colonization or epidemics, can undoubtedly contribute to the formation of a citizen who is aware and oriented on the level of historical vision.

Digging the frontier, tackling the epidemics. Researches on Bran Pass

The area next to the village Fundata, the former frontier between the Romanian Kingdom and Austria-Hungary, is located on the Rucăr-Bran corridor, between Piatra Craiului and Bucegi Mountains. Due to the configuration of the terrain, it was a good place to try an archaeological excavation in quest for the Roman road of <em>Limes Transalutanus</em>. Looking at the LiDAR based terrain-model I found yet the ruins of an unknown frontier checkpoint from modern times. That was only the first step towards a complex research, involving archives, modern history of mass epidemics, quarantine facilities and legislation, the rebirth of the Romanian Army, in the 19th century, cartography, but also landscape archaeology and the test excavations. The research was accomplished with the financial and logistic support of the HiLands Project, committed to mountain archaeology, but also a cherished backup of friends with certain knowledge in modern military history, modern architecture, or archival research. The test digging have intersected a group of buildings, very likely a frontier checkpoint operative between 1850-1880, preceding the later and better known frontier station from the Mount Giuvala, before the First World War. I would be pleased if the effort done within this research, as well as its publication in an archaeological periodical as this, would be a stimulus for Romanian archaeologists to look with more consideration to both mountain archaeology and modern archaeological sites which escaped till now to the radar of science, which are plenty.

How Antibodies Recognize Pathogenic Viruses: Structural Correlates of Antibody Neutralization of HIV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and Zika.

The H1N1 pandemic of 2009-2010, MERS epidemic of 2012, Ebola epidemics of 2013-2016 and 2018-2020, Zika epidemic of 2015-2016, and COVID-19 pandemic of 2019-2021, are recent examples in the long history of epidemics that demonstrate the enormous global impact of viral infection. The rapid development of safe and effective vaccines and therapeutics has proven vital to reducing morbidity and mortality from newly emerging viruses. Structural biology methods can be used to determine how antibodies elicited during infection or vaccination target viral proteins and identify viral epitopes that correlate with potent neutralization. Here we review how structural and molecular biology approaches have contributed to our understanding of antibody recognition of pathogenic viruses, specifically HIV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and Zika. Determining structural correlates of neutralization of viruses has guided the design of vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and small molecule inhibitors in response to the global threat of viral epidemics.

Understanding the Impact of Plague Epidemics on the Muslim Mind during the Early Medieval Period

Diseases and viruses have always been a part of human history. In present, due to the frightening rise of the coronavirus globally, many people are understandably concerned about protecting themselves. According to Islam, as the religion is perceived by the majority of Muslims today, it is not only important to care for yourself, safeguarding larger communities and the most helpless is also of great importance. This study briefly surveyed the history of plague epidemics in the Muslim world, highlighting how Muslims throughout history, including the Prophet Muhammad and his companions, responded to the spread of contagious diseases, the strategies that were adopted for protection during outbreaks, and how these actions influenced modern-day responses to diseases by Muslim countries. Keeping in view the current international COVID-19 scenario, that is an unprecedentedly serious pandemic, it is high time to investigate the religions’ guidelines about contagious diseases and the adopted strategies used for protection during outbreaks in Muslim history. Furthermore, an analytical approach, along with a qualitative research methodology, was applied in this study to reach objective conclusions. The article concluded that religion can provide comprehensive guidelines relating to preventive and restorative aspects of health, and that these guidelines, in their original form, still remain applicable in terms of responding to epidemic outbreaks.

A Deeper Insight into Evolutionary Patterns and Phylogenetic History of ASFV Epidemics in Sardinia (Italy) through Extensive Genomic Sequencing.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is the etiological agent of the devastating disease African swine fever (ASF), for which there is currently no licensed vaccine or treatment available. ASF is defined as one of the most serious animal diseases identified to date, due to its global spread in regions of Africa, Europe and Asia, causing massive economic losses. On the Italian island of Sardinia, the disease has been endemic since 1978, although the last control measures put in place achieved a significant reduction in ASF, and the virus has been absent from circulation since April 2019. Like many large DNA viruses, ASFV mutates at a relatively slow rate. However, the limited availability of whole-genome sequences from spatial-localized outbreaks makes it difficult to explore the small-scale genetic structure of these ASFV outbreaks. It is also unclear if the genetic variability within outbreaks can be captured in a handful of sequences, or if larger sequencing efforts can improve phylogenetic reconstruction and evolutionary or epidemiological inference. The aim of this study was to investigate the phylogenetic patterns of ASFV outbreaks between 1978 and 2018 in Sardinia, in order to characterize the epidemiological dynamics of the viral strains circulating in this Mediterranean island. To reach this goal, 58 new whole genomes of ASFV isolates were obtained, which represents the largest ASFV whole-genome sequencing effort to date. We provided a complete description of the genomic diversity of ASFV in terms of nucleotide mutations and small and large indels among the isolates collected during the outbreaks. The new sequences capture more than twice the genomic and phylogenetic diversity of all the previously published Sardinian sequences. The extra genomic diversity increases the resolution of the phylogenetic reconstruction, enabling us to dissect, for the first time, the genetic substructure of the outbreak. We found multiple ASFV subclusters within the phylogeny of the Sardinian epidemic, some of which coexisted in space and time.

Increasingly expanded future risk of dengue fever in the Pearl River Delta, China.

BackgroundIn recent years, frequent outbreaks of dengue fever (DF) have become an increasingly serious public health issue in China, especially in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) with fast socioeconomic developments. Previous studies mainly focused on the historic DF epidemics, their influencing factors, and the prediction of DF risks. However, the future risks of this disease under both different socioeconomic development and representative concentration pathways (RCPs) scenarios remain little understood.Methodology and principal findingsIn this study, a spatial dataset of gross domestic product (GDP), population density, and land use and land coverage (LULC) in 2050 and 2070 was obtained by simulation based on the different shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs), and the future climatic data derived from the RCP scenarios were integrated into the Maxent models for predicting the future DF risk in the PRD region. Among all the variables included in this study, socioeconomics factors made the dominant contribution (83% or so) during simulating the current spatial distribution of the DF epidemics in the PRD region. Moreover, the spatial distribution of future DF risk identified by the climatic and socioeconomic (C&S) variables models was more detailed than that of the climatic variables models. Along with global warming and socioeconomic development, the zones with DF high and moderate risk will continue to increase, and the population at high and moderate risk will reach a maximum of 48.47 million (i.e., 63.78% of the whole PRD) under the RCP 4.5/SSP2 in 2070.ConclusionsThe increasing DF risk may be an inevitable public health threat in the PRD region with rapid socioeconomic developments and global warming in the future. Our results suggest that curbs in emissions and more sustainable socioeconomic growth targets offer hope for limiting the future impact of dengue, and effective prevention and control need to continue to be strengthened at the junction of Guangzhou-Foshan, north-central Zhongshan city, and central-western Dongguan city. Our study provides useful clues for relevant hygienic authorities making targeted adapting strategies for this disease.

Global Contexts: How Countries Shape the COVID-19 Experience of Amish and Mennonite Missionaries Abroad

Across the globe, governments restricted social life to slow the spread of COVID-19. Several conservative Protestant sects resisted these policies in the United States. We do not yet know if theology shaped the resistance or if it was more a product of a polarized national political context. We argue that the country context likely shapes how conservative Protestants’ moral worldview affects their perceptions of the pandemic and government restrictions. Countries implementing more regulations, those with limited access to healthcare, food, and other essential services, and those with past histories of epidemics may all shape residents’ perceptions. Drawing on the case of American Amish and Mennonite missionaries stationed abroad, we content-analyzed accounts of the pandemic from an international Amish and Mennonite correspondence newspaper. We found that the missionaries’ perceptions of the pandemic and governmental restrictions differ from those of their U.S. counterparts, which suggests that context likely shapes how religious moral worldviews express themselves concerning public health interventions.

Reappraisal of the historical myopia epidemic in native Arctic communities.

This study was developed to explain the extraordinary rise in myopia prevalence beginning after 1950 in Indigenous Arctic communities considering recent findings about the risk factors for school myopia development. Myopia prevalence changed drastically from a historical low of less than 3% to more than 50% in new generations of young adults following the Second World War. At that time, this increase was attributed to concurrent alterations in the environment and way of life which occurred in an aggressive programme of de-culturalization and re-acculturation through residential school programmes that introduced mental, emotional and physical stressors. However, the predominant idea that myopia was genetic in nature won the discussion of the day, and research in the area of environmental changes was dismissed. There may have also been an association between myopia progression and the introduction of extreme mental, emotional and physical stressors at the time. Since 1978, animal models of myopia have demonstrated that myopiagenesis has a strong environmental component. Furthermore, multiple studies in human populations have shown since 2005how myopia could be produced by a combination of limited exposure to the outdoors and heavy emphasis on academic subjects associated with intense reading habits. This new knowledge was applied in the present study to unravel the causes of the historical myopia epidemics in Inuit communities. After reviewing the available published data on myopia prevalence in circumpolar Inuit populations in the 20th century, the most likely causes for the Inuit myopia epidemic were the combination of increased near work (from almost none to daily reading) and the move from a mostly outdoor to a much more indoor way of life, exacerbated by fewer hours of sunshine during waking hours, the lower illuminance in the Arctic and the extreme psychophysical stress due to the conditions in the Residential Schools.

Psychological Effects Resulting From COVID-19 and Rehabilitation Intervention: A Review of Literature

Background and Aims: Considering that only about a year and a half have passed since the COVID-19 epidemic and the priority of the health care system has been to pay attention to symptoms and physical problems of this disease to prevent its further spread, there is insufficient evidence about psychological issues resulting from COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to partially review psychological problems caused by COVID-19 in patients and treatment staff and rehabilitation strategies to solve this problem. Methods: A search through in Medline, Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases was performed by combining keywords related to COVID-19 (such as coronavirus), restrictive measures (such as quarantine, segregation, social distancing), and psychological outcomes (such as psychosis, depression) and instructions (such as guidance, management, rehabilitation). All articles were written in English and aimed at the psychological disorders and factors associated with the coronavirus. Given that only about a year and a half has passed since the introduction of COVID-19, the period of the reviewed articles was selected between 2019 and 2021. Results: Reviewing related studies, 18 original articles were considered. Overall, the literature showed that COVID-19 had changed the lifestyle. COVID-19, in addition to physical symptoms and mortality, has adverse psychological effects such as anxiety, depression, loneliness, stress, fear, and excitement. However, these symptoms are not very severe in most cases. Psychological problems can be more severe in specific groups, such as pregnant women or people with underlying issues. In countries with a history of epidemics, internet-based systems have been developed to assess and treat psychological problems in patients with COVID-19. Rehabilitation intervention can also positively improve the patient's breathing, thereby reducing psychological issues. Conclusion: COVID-19 can cause psychological problems for the patient and physical symptoms. On the other hand, changes in people's lifestyles following the outbreak of COVID-19, such as travel restrictions, quarantine, social distancing, and business sluggishness, may also contribute to the psychological disorders following the COVID-19 pandemic. The psychological problems caused by COVID-19 in some special groups, such as pregnant women, health care providers, and children, need to be addressed. Rehabilitation interventions and raising public awareness can effectively improve the psychological situation.

HF01-10 THE PLAGUE DOCTOR, THE PANDEMIC DOCTOR, AND SURGICAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

You have accessJournal of UrologyHistory of Urology Forum I (HF01)1 Sep 2021HF01-10 THE PLAGUE DOCTOR, THE PANDEMIC DOCTOR, AND SURGICAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING Alexis Steinmetz, and Ronald Rabinowitz Alexis SteinmetzAlexis Steinmetz More articles by this author , and Ronald RabinowitzRonald Rabinowitz More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000001992.10AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Infectious diseases have tormented humans for thousands of years, and severe outbreaks have led to the devastation of entire communities. Even before globalization, parasites and pathogens traveled along trade routes along with their human hosts. The protective clothing worn by physicians during epidemics serves as a powerful historical record chronicling accepted theories of disease transmission and treatments. The materials and designs of modern-day protective equipment reflect the contributions of surgeons to the ways doctors protected themselves and their patients during epidemics. METHODS: Texts and journal articles were reviewed regarding the history, epidemiology, and pathophysiology of epidemics of plague, influenza, and coronavirus. RESULTS: The Justinian Plague of the 540s CE was the first pandemic to be fully documented and began the long history of plagues through the Black Death of the Middle Ages. Believing that the etiology was foul-smelling bad air (miasma), doctors protected themselves by wearing dramatic head-to-toe coverings. Heavy boots, pants, long coats, gloves, and brimmed hats were made of leather sealed with animal fat. Most important was the infamous face mask with glass eye coverings and a long beak filled with aromatics intended to purify disease-causing vapors. An appreciation of droplet theory in the 19th century made beaked masks obsolete, replacing them with cloth face masks. Surgeons continued to pioneer the development of gloves and gowns, initially to protect themselves and later to protect their patients. Their outfits were worn by healthcare workers during the epidemics of the 20th century. Similar to the plague doctors, present-day physicians treating patients suffering from COVID-19 don themselves in head-to-toe protective outwear, although heavy leather and beaked-masks have long since been replaced by disposable fabrics and the N95 respirator. CONCLUSIONS: The evolution of physicians’ protective wear from the iconic beaked mask of the 17th century plague doctor to the hazmat-esque suits of the COVID-19 pandemic doctor reflects a century of substantial advancements in the detection, treatment, and containment of communicable diseases. Much of this is due to the dedicated efforts of surgeons to better safeguard their patients. Source of Funding: None © 2021 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 206Issue Supplement 3September 2021Page: e231-e231 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2021 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Alexis Steinmetz More articles by this author Ronald Rabinowitz More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Loading ...

Intensity and frequency of extreme novel epidemics

Observational knowledge of the epidemic intensity, defined as the number of deaths divided by global population and epidemic duration, and of the rate of emergence of infectious disease outbreaks is necessary to test theory and models and to inform public health risk assessment by quantifying the probability of extreme pandemics such as COVID-19. Despite its significance, assembling and analyzing a comprehensive global historical record spanning a variety of diseases remains an unexplored task. A global dataset of historical epidemics from 1600 to present is here compiled and examined using novel statistical methods to estimate the yearly probability of occurrence of extreme epidemics. Historical observations covering four orders of magnitude of epidemic intensity follow a common probability distribution with a slowly decaying power-law tail (generalized Pareto distribution, asymptotic exponent = -0.71). The yearly number of epidemics varies ninefold and shows systematic trends. Yearly occurrence probabilities of extreme epidemics, Py, vary widely: Py of an event with the intensity of the "Spanish influenza" (1918 to 1920) varies between 0.27 and 1.9% from 1600 to present, while its mean recurrence time today is 400 y (95% CI: 332 to 489 y). The slow decay of probability with epidemic intensity implies that extreme epidemics are relatively likely, a property previously undetected due to short observational records and stationary analysis methods. Using recent estimates of the rate of increase in disease emergence from zoonotic reservoirs associated with environmental change, we estimate that the yearly probability of occurrence of extreme epidemics can increase up to threefold in the coming decades.

Research review of epidemic history, causes and problems during epidemics

Trouble is the result of man's evil deeds. It is known from Qur'an and Sunnahthat the troubles that befell human beings are man's own deeds When these negative effects exceed the limit, then the deadly effects begin to appear and there is no specific way to prevent them. These are the motivesDue to which we are suffering from an epidemic like Corona virus.Islamic teachings contain guidance for every age and every issuebecause the guidance of Allah is sufficient for whole living world This guidance is obtained by each person according to divine mercy from his knowledge and observation. The solution to the problems encountered during this dangerous virus in modern times is also present in the Qur'an and Sunnahwhich guides us and in order to seek guidance in this regard, Muslims must seek the knowledge of scholars who know the Qur'an and Sunnah