International Emergency Research Articles

A Bibliometric Analysis of English Literature on Campus Emergency Management

Introduction: We adopt the method of bibliometrics to analyze the annual volume of papers and author distribution in the field of campus emergency management in the past 43 years, to evaluate the main population and types of emergency in this study of campus emergency management, and to discuss the existing management methods. Thus, we explore the research hotspot, research gaps and provide reference for future research. Method: We made a statistical analysis of published literature through bibliometrics, searched relevant papers on campus emergency management in PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases and included 364 valid literature works after screening. The characteristics were analyzed from multiple perspectives. Results: The research on campus emergency management is divided into three stages: “incubation period”, “fluctuating growth period” and “rapid development period”. Studies vary widely from continent to continent. There are many differences in the focus groups of different school types in the literature. The proportion of emergencies is divided into wound, disaster, school violence, illness and bombshell and others, accounting for 34.17%, 16.94%, 16.11%, 12.78%, 4.44% and 15.56%, respectively. Conclusion: Through the statistical analysis of English literature on campus emergency management from 1977 to 2020, it can be seen that the uneven distribution of research areas is very serious, and there is not much attention to special types of schools. The subdivision and management of the population are in continuous improvement. The research on campus emergency management has been continuously carried out and improved, with a promising prospect. Practical applications: This study can help explain the current situation and development trend of international campus emergency management, and provide reference for further research.

Abstracts from international emergency medicine journals

Editor’s note: EMJ has partnered with the journals of multiple international emergency medicine societies to share from each a highlighted research study, as selected by their editors. This edition will...

The prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy of the broadly active antiviral ribonucleoside N4-Hydroxycytidine (EIDD-1931) in a mouse model of lethal Ebola virus infection

The unprecedented magnitude of the 2013–2016 Ebola virus (EBOV) epidemic in West Africa resulted in over 11 000 deaths and spurred an international public health emergency. A second outbreak in 2018–2020 in DRC resulted in an additional >3400 cases and nearly 2300 deaths (WHO, 2020). These large outbreaks across geographically diverse regions highlight the need for the development of effective oral therapeutic agents that can be easily distributed for self-administration to populations with active disease or at risk of infection. Herein, we report the in vivo efficacy of N4-hydroxycytidine (EIDD-1931), a broadly active ribonucleoside analog and the active metabolite of the prodrug EIDD-2801 (molnupiravir), in murine models of lethal EBOV infection. Twice daily oral dosing with EIDD-1931 at 200 mg/kg for 7 days, initiated either with a prophylactic dose 2 h before infection, or as therapeutic treatment starting 6 h post-infection, resulted in 92–100% survival of mice challenged with lethal doses of EBOV, reduced clinical signs of Ebola virus disease (EVD), reduced serum virus titers, and facilitated weight loss recovery. These results support further investigation of molnupiravir as a potential therapeutic or prophylactic treatment for EVD.

Rlip Protein: A Potential Target for COVID-19.

On January 30, 2020, the COVID-19 epidemic was declared an international public health emergency by the World Health Organization. Given the growing impact of the pandemic, there is great interest in finding potential targets for treating infected or hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Therapeutic studies have been conducted on pre-existing drugs, which vary by country, including anti-malarial agents, antiviral agents, and convalescent plasma. However, many of these agents are ineffective at reducing mortality or only shorten the severity or duration of COVID-19 illness in hospitalized patients. As such, other alternatives for treating COVID-19 are being investigated. One such target of interest has been clathrin-dependent endocytosis (CDE). Clathrin-dependent endocytosis is the most commonly observed mechanism of viral entry into cells. However, there have been no published studies to date on CDE inhibition strategies against COVID-19. One such target is Rlip or RLIP76 (human gene RALBP1, 18p11.22). Among its many functions, Rlip is a stress-protective, Ral-regulated ATPase of the mercapturic acid pathway that transports glutathione-electrophile conjugates of electrophilic toxins, which are precursors of mercapturic acid that precedes de-glutamylation by gamma-glutamyl transferase. Rlip is also regulated by several G-proteins that coordinate movement of cells, organelles, membranes, cytoskeleton, macromolecules, and other small molecules. Previous studies have link Rlip in the pathogenesis of several viral illness. In this paper, we want to propose that RLIP76 (Rlip or RALBP1) may be a novel target for treating SARS-CoV-2 viral infections.

The Massive Influx of Global Refugees from Developing Nations; An existing Gap in the United Nations role in promoting Universal Human Rights.

Purpose: Refugee issues are international emergency significantly disrupting socio-economic structure of the receiving States and governments struggling to manage the impact of a nearby conflict and addressing development challenges. This study is aimed at analyzing the global predicament of refugees, assess the existing legal framework at global, regional and national scale through the existing organizations and their roles like United Nation and African Union. Since every State has a responsibility of protecting the rights of its citizens, they are forced to flee for safety in case of threats prompting the host country to step in ensuring ‘refugees’ basic rights are protected as per international protection of human rights (the 1951 Convention and 1967 protocol). Humanity’s protection is longstanding traditions and shared value in our cross-cultural traditions, beliefs and now part of international law as per the United Nations’ Declaration of Refugees and Migrants 2016 reaffirming the fundamental principle of refugee protection, at a time when the population seeking safety is burgeoning.
 Methodology: This is a desk research where data was collected from the existing information.
 Findings: The findings indicate that over 66 million people displaced by conflict, violence and persecution, a third this group has fled across borders as refugees, the magnitude and complexity of forced displacement is linked to prevalence, scale and longevity of today’s conflicts, and the inability of the international community to find the unity of purpose necessary to resolve them. About 80 per cent of people running away from their countries, 60 per cent of them are children in comparison to around one third of the world’s general population.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: The study adopted an interlink of the ‘Contemporary Migration Theories’ which states that high fragmentation of migration is due to either micro, macro, and political causes and effects on one hand, and between micro-individual and macro-structural approaches on the other. A lot must be done to reduce the daily increasing number refugees around the world. Specifically, the study takes keen interest in discussing the plight of Rohingya people in Myanmar.

Resiliency of a US Pacific Island Territory with a Type 1 EMT

Background/Introduction:The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a chain of 14 Pacific islands with a population of around 50,000 and a United States territory, experienced two major typhoons exceeding 150 mph/240 kmph in three years. The resiliency of the people of the CNMI is evident, and has been supplemented through support from international Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs). As a US territory, support is available from the United States federal government and international partners, but an island territory far from the US mainland, the CNMI requires strong local emergency response capacity.Objectives:To describe:How the CNMI health system conducted an environmental scan to identify and address gaps in out-patient support in disasters;How the health system improved and expanded its capacity to respond to emergencies with a significant impact on the community’s health; andHow leveraging the integration of clinical and public health capacities contributed to the development of a multidisciplinary local Type 1 EMT in the CNMI.Method/Description:The CNMI brought together key local agencies involved in emergency response. Because of multiple recent disaster response efforts, agencies had deep knowledge and experience, and gaps were easily identified.Results/Outcomes:The territory’s experience with international EMTs guided the creation of a local EMT in the CNMI, engaging local agencies, physicians, nurses, and public health and preparedness staff from the territory’s health system to establish an EMT for local and potentially for regional response.Conclusion:Building local capacity using multi-sectoral agencies and multi-disciplinary individuals improves health system resiliency in health emergency response.

Investigation of the Receiving United States National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) Disaster Medical Assistant Team (DMAT) in Japan: Development of Standard Operation Procedures for Receiving International Medical Teams

Background/Introduction:Japan DMAT and US DMAT have been collaborating in the past to prepare for expected and unexpected disasters in Japan. Japan is predicting overwhelming disasters on Japanese soil soon, which needs efficient and optimum use of resources in medical assistance, including additional support from overseas, particularly from the US. The Japanese government established a large-scale Earthquake/Tsunami Disaster Emergency Response protocol in 2020. However, this protocol does not include any standard operation procedure (SOP) to receive an international medical team.Objectives:Establishing the SOP of receiving medical assistance from US-DMAT based on the WHO International Emergency Team (EMT) initiative.Method/Description:Collaborated with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) of the United States Health and Human Services, tabletop exercises assuming that a large-scale earthquake occurred during hosting the 2025 Osaka Expo was conducted online meeting system.Results/Outcomes:Provisional SOP was formed by the Japan research team and ASPR representatives. Even though Japan had several disaster medical assistance collaborations with US DMAT and is well-familiarized with the Classification and Minimum Standards for Emergency Medical Teams, many issues need to be prepared to accept US DMAT.Conclusion:Numerous procedures need to be conducted to receive US DMAT assistance during a large-scale earthquake in Japan. With this SOP, receiving US medical team assistance will be conducted promptly, eventually saving many lives. This SOP can be modified for other international teams’ acceptance in Japan. It could reference other countries seeking to have SOPs for receiving international medical team assistance in the near future.

Prognostic value of hematological along with biochemical, and inflammatory parameters in COVID-19 infection

Background and objective: Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), first detected in patients in Wuhan, China, and soon became an international emergency concern. Since, blood tests can play a pivotal role in the early diagnosis and management the present study aimed to investigate any possible association between hematological and biochemical markers and the prognosis in these patients. Methods: The study was conducted in 60 confirmed COVID-19 patients (31 males, 29 females; mean age 64.43 ± 17.52. The data were extracted from available medical records. COVID-19 patients were assigned to two groups: A “recovered” group and a “deceased” group. Examinations involved Complete Blood Count (CBC) and serum biochemical factors. Inflammatory indicators, including C-reactive protein (CRP), Neutrophil-To-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) was assessed in terms of age and gender in groups. The parameters were assessed again at the time of discharge and compared with those at admission. Results: Elevated Neutrophil (NEUT), NLR, and Sodium were significantly correlated with adverse outcomes (P= 0.030 and 0.037, and 0.032 respectively). Low Levels Of Lymphocyte (LYMP) increased the occurrence of death in females (P= 0.011). Low platelet counts increased death rate in patients older than 60 years old (P= 0.021). In addition, higher ages were significantly associated with poor clinical outcome (P=0.031). Conclusion: Among previously mentioned routine laboratory parameters NEUT, LYMP, NLR, PLT, and Na were valuable indicators for a prediction of severity and prognosis of COVID-19 patients upon hospital admission as well as during therapeutic interventions.

Post COVID-19 Symptoms?

The SARS-COV-2 rapid spread caused an international public health emergency with unprecedented rates of morbidity and mortality. Post COVID-19 condition occurs as a spectrum of symptoms that present four or more weeks after acute infection with SARS-CoV-2. Most published data to date state 50-70% of hospitalized patients experienced at least one post-acute COVID-19 symptom up to 3 months after discharge. Commonly reported symptoms include; neurocognitive post COVID-19 (fatigue, dizziness, inattention, and brain fog), respiratory post-COVID (dyspnea, chest pain, and cough), and mental health related symptoms (insomnia, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder). Additionally, gastro-intestinal post COVID-19 (diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain) along with decline in quality of life and decreased ability to perform activities of daily living were reported. The response to post COVID-19 symptoms is still in its infancy despite being an emerging crisis as scientific evidence and robust data are nonetheless required for clear definition, identification of time frame, classification and management of the condition. New studies are needed to identify total and individual incidence/prevalence rates of different clinical presentations of post COVID-19 symptoms. These future studies will help us to o improve early recognition of long term symptoms after acute infection of COVID-19.

Abstracts from international emergency medicine journals

Editor’s note: EMJ has partnered with the journals of multiple international emergency medicine societies to share from each a highlighted research study, as selected by their editors. This edition will...

Fighting SARS-CoV-2 infection: experience and prospects

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is an international emergency. The Military Medical Academy, including the Department and Clinic of Infectious Diseases (with a course in medical parasitology and tropical diseases) are actively involved in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and are also studying the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of this disease.
 AIM: to systematize the work done at the Military Medical Academy in relation to the fight against a new coronavirus infection.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: This article provides a brief description of the studies conducted in relation to COVID-19.
 RESULTS: The departments view of the infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 is presented, the main indicators of the work of the clinic of infectious diseases in the fight against COVID-19 are briefly reflected, and their own research in the field of this infectious disease is demonstrated.
 CONCLUSION: Based on our scientific work, our experience in treating patients with a new coronavirus infection, the main conclusions and recommendations are formulated:
 
 It is necessary to take into account the clinical feature of COVID-19 a long initial period (up to 8 days), which creates the illusion of imaginary well-being and contributes to late hospitalization.
 PCR is not an ideal diagnostic method, which creates the possibility of obtaining a false negative result. In this regard, clinical, epidemiological and radiological diagnostics are decisive.
 The organization of early active detection of patients with all clinical forms of infection caused by SARS-CoV-2, and their timely hospitalization helps to reduce the risk of developing a severe course, complications and epidemiological danger of patients.
 Complex antiviral and anticoagulant therapy should be early (up to 5 days from the clinical manifestation), proactive, aimed at reducing the likelihood of developing pneumonia with respiratory failure and thrombosis of the LA branches.
 Anti-inflammatory therapy increases the survival of patients with severe COVID-19 and should be administered as early as possible with a preventive goal at the first minimal clinical and laboratory signs of a hyperinflammatory response.

A major outbreak of the COVID-19 on the Diamond Princess cruise ship: Estimation of the basic reproduction number.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which broke out in Wuhan, China, in 2019, was declared an international public health emergency by the World Health Organization on January 31, 2020. The outbreak on the Diamond Princess cruise ship had appeared first as a cluster infection outside China during the early pandemic. The incident occurred on February 1, 2020, involved an 80-year-old Hong Kong man who was diagnosed with COVID-19. The cruise ship docked in Yokohama, Japan, for 14 days of onboard quarantine; however, cluster infection outbroke rapidly. We constructed a SIR mathematical model and conducted an epidemiological study of the COVID-19 outbreak on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, covering the period from February 5 (start of quarantine) to February 20 (completion of 14-day quarantine). We estimated the basic reproduction number (R 0 ) using a novel method of nonlinear least-squares curve fitting under Microsoft Excel Solver. The 95% confidence interval (CI) values were estimated by the jackknife procedures. Six hundred thirty-four (17.1%) cases were diagnosed in a total population of 3711 cruise passengers, and 328 (51.7%) cases were asymptomatic. As of April 24, 2020, 712 cases had been diagnosed and 14 (1.96%) deaths had occurred. The R 0 with 95% CI of the COVID-19 outbreak was 3.04 (2.72-3.36). Without an evacuation plan for passengers and crew, we estimated the total number of cumulative cases would reach 3498 (CI, 3464-3541). If the R 0 value was reduced by 25% and 50%, the cumulative cases would be reduced to 3161 (CI, 3087-3254) and 967 (CI, 729-1379), respectively. The abovementioned R 0 value was estimated from the original Wuhan strain. Cruise conditions would accelerate the spread of infectious diseases and were not suitable for onboard quarantine. Early evacuation and isolation of all passengers and crew members would reduce the R 0 value and avoid further infections.

Ukraine and the Emergency Powers of International Institutions

AbstractAs global crises become more frequent, international organizations increasingly invoke emergency powers to address them. But the study of international organization emergency governance remains in its infancy. We consider the EU response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The EU built on the emergency to accelerate EU integration and introduce unprecedented reforms in defense and security, migration and asylum, and energy. We map the techniques the EU deployed to achieve this and argue that they are not as alarming as critics have suggested.

Lessons Learned from the Ebola Virus Disease and COVID-19 Preparedness to Respond to the Human Monkeypox Virus Outbreak in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the human monkeypox virus disease an international health emergency. In the past decades, infectious disease epidemics have significantly impacted low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) being the most recent. LMICs, particularly in Africa and Asia, responded reasonably well by strengthening health systems, including infection prevention and control strategies, laboratory systems, risk communication, and training of essential healthcare workers for surge capacity in preparation for and response to COVID-19. With the possibility of other epidemics, such as the current epidemic of human Monkeypox, a consolidated global response is required. This article discusses lessons learned from previous Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks and also provides recommendations on how these lessons can be useful to strengthen monkeypox disease outbreak preparedness and response in LMIC.

High efficacy of activated carbon fabric filters and masks developed to prevent the inhalation of microorganisms and particles associated with respiratory tract infections

As a major international public health emergency, COVID-19 has posed many challenges for healthcare professionals who have been heavily exposed to contamination. This article describes the development of a high-filtration capacity mask consisting of filter-element layers interspersed with super-activated carbon fiber fabric, non-woven polypropylene for dental–medical–hospital use and antiviral polyamide with nanostructured SiO2 thin film coating. The study found 98.18% particle filtration efficiency and determined 2.11 mmH2O/cm2 differential pressure, while fluid repellency complied with Brazilian standard NBR ABNT 15052:2004.

Research on hot topics and trends of China's emergency management research based on bibliometrics

This study summarized 2446 literatures in the field of emergency management research of CNKI from 2003 to 2022. Literature measurement was carried out by CiteSpace and VOSviewer software. From the perspectives of annual publication, institution distribution, journal distribution, author distribution, research topic and research trend, etc., This paper studies the overall development sequence, research hotspots and development trend of the field, and systematically studies the key words, topic evolution state and dynamic evolution path in the field of international emergency management in the past two decades.

Abstracts from international emergency medicine journals

Editor’s note: EMJ has partnered with the journals of multiple international emergency medicine societies to share from each a highlighted research study, as selected by their editors. This edition will...

Does potential antibody-dependent enhancement occur during SARS-CoV-2 infection after natural infection or vaccination? A meta-analysis

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to constitute an international public health emergency. Vaccination is a prospective approach to control this pandemic. However, apprehension about the safety of vaccines is a major obstacle to vaccination. Amongst health professionals, one evident concern is the risk of antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE), which may increase the severity of COVID-19. To explore whether ADE occurs in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections and increase confidence in the safety of vaccination, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the relationship between post-immune infection and disease severity from a population perspective. Databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, SinoMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Cochrane Library, were searched for articles on SARS-CoV-2 reinfection published until 25 October 2021. The papers were reviewed for methodological quality, and a random effects model was used to analyse the results. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic. Publication bias was evaluated using a funnel plot and Egger’s test. Eleven studies were included in the final meta-analysis. The pooled results indicated that initial infection and vaccination were protective factors against severe COVID-19 during post-immune infection (OR = 0.55, 95%CI = 0.31–0.98). A subgroup (post-immune infection after natural infection or vaccination) analysis showed similar results. Primary SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination provide adequate protection against severe clinical symptoms after post-immune infection. This finding demonstrates that SARS-CoV-2 may not trigger ADE at the population level.

A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY TO EVALUATE THE ROLE OF LABORATORY BIOMARKERS IN DETERMINING THE DISEASE SEVERITY AND EARLY DETECTION OF PROGRESSION TO ADVANCED STAGE IN COVID 19 PATIENTS

Novel corona virus epidemic started in Dec 19 in Wuhan,China and soon it spread globally and became an international emergency Our objective was to study the role of hematological and biochemistry markers in assessing the disease severity and prognosis of laboratory confirmed,hospitalized Covid 19 patients.130 patients were included in this crosssectional retrospective study and divided into mild/moderate and severe/critical group.Correlation analysis was done for laboratory biomarkers.We found that mean age,lactate dehydrogenase (LDH),S.ferritin,urea,uric acid,D-dimer and S.creatinine of severely ill patients were significantly higher than those of patients with non-severe illness. Leucopenia and neutropenia were also associated with disease severity.Males were affected more than females with both mild and severe illness. Following parameters like S. Ferritin, LDH,TLC, neutrophil % can help in identifying the progression of disease from mild to severe and help in adopting appropriate measures in the management so that progression can possibly be prevented. Rising levels of some parameters like D.dimer, urea, uric acid and creatinine also help in explaining the prognosis of patient.

Multidimensional racism classification during COVID-19: stigmatization, offensiveness, blame, and exclusion

Transcending the binary categorization of racist texts, our study takes cues from social science theories to develop a multidimensional model for racism detection, namely stigmatization, offensiveness, blame, and exclusion. With the aid of BERT and topic modelling, this categorical detection enables insights into the underlying subtlety of racist discussion on digital platforms during COVID-19. Our study contributes to enriching the scholarly discussion on deviant racist behaviours on social media. First, a stage-wise analysis is applied to capture the dynamics of the topic changes across the early stages of COVID-19 which transformed from a domestic epidemic to an international public health emergency and later to a global pandemic. Furthermore, mapping this trend enables a more accurate prediction of public opinion evolvement concerning racism in the offline world, and meanwhile, the enactment of specified intervention strategies to combat the upsurge of racism during the global public health crisis like COVID-19. In addition, this interdisciplinary research also points out a direction for future studies on social network analysis and mining. Integration of social science perspectives into the development of computational methods provides insights into more accurate data detection and analytics.