International Health Emergency Research Articles

Enhancing port preparedness in Germany in the event of infectious diseases – a best practice study

Abstract Background The maritime sector is exposed to specific risks in the area of communicable diseases. In Germany, five ports are designated to enforce the International Health Regulations (IHR) and must have certain core capacities to respond immediately to cross-border health threats. A joint external evaluation conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed a need to reinforce central structures in Germany. The overarching objective of the study is to harmonize and consolidate the requisite capacities for maritime health security. Methods Qualitative interviews (n = 35) at baseline were conducted with various stakeholders, including port medical services, port authorities and other stakeholders. The parameters to be analysed included specific activities and interfaces during infectious incidents, experience with past infection incidents, training and exercise, and the need for action. Furthermore, a document analysis was conducted, during which the existing contingency plans and standard operating procedures were reviewed. Results In essence, the initial challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic have led to the establishment of well-defined procedures and interfaces between the various stakeholders involved. There is a necessity for enhanced interpersonal communication between the various stakeholders and the implementation of sustainable training practices. Furthermore, greater transparency and standardisation of regulations in international health emergencies is desired. Conclusions Given the infrequency of cross-border infection incidents on board ships, targeted preparation within stakeholders is often given a lower priority than other work priorities. The participatory study design is intended to develop comprehensive concepts in collaboration with the IHR ports in the ongoing project. Subsequently, these concepts will be tested in tabletop exercises and incorporated into training formats for public health actors. Key messages • The qualitative interview study at baseline revealed a substantial need for sustained communication and training practices among stakeholders for infectious disease preparedness in German IHR ports. • The document analysis revealed relevant differences in the extent and scope of contingency plans of German ports designated under the International Health Regulations.

Medical News, Digidemic And Health Crisis. When Journalism Creates Prevention And Community Safety

Recent national and international health emergencies have repeatedly highlighted the role that local information must play in synthesizing the various social and cultural policies proposed by public authorities in order to manage panic and correctly represent the living conditions of local citizens, overcoming national media logics that are often based on the speed and spectacularisation of (health) disasters. By analyzing and comparing the most recent national and international literature on the subject, the article attempts to reconstruct the path taken by community journalism from a socio-media point of view, referring to three perspectives that seem to hinder and at the same time promote community information in the digital society: technological change and the information market; the transformation of the audience; the impact of recent global crises on news traffic. Rethinking these dimensions can transform news reporting into a cultural field capable of creating awareness and an emergency culture among citizens and security for communities in times of crisis.

Urgent pandemic messaging of WHO, World Bank, and G20 is inconsistent with their evidence base

AbstractWhen international agencies make claims of an “existential threat” to humanity and advocate for urgent action from countries, it should be a safe assumption that they are consistent with their own data. However, a review of the data and evidentiary citations underlying the claims of the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank, and the Group of Twenty (G20) reveals a troubling picture in which the stated urgency and burden of infectious disease outbreaks, namely those of pandemic threat, is grossly misrepresented. These discrepancies in key documents and subsequent recitations in pandemic preparedness proposals have significant policy and financial implications. Disproportionate pandemic preparedness based on these false premises risks a significant opportunity cost through unnecessary diversion of financial and political resources away from global health priorities of higher burden. As WHO Member States plan to transform the way international health emergencies are managed at the World Health Assembly in May 2024, there is a crucial need to pause, rethink, and ensure future policy reflects evidence of need.

A Longitudinal Study of the Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Anxiety and Stress among Medical University Students

(1) Background: The COVID-19 pandemic was declared an international health emergency by the World Health Organization. The dramatic, widespread transmission of the virus, high mortality, and lack of specific drugs caused the development of panic attacks and anxiety. Healthcare professionals, including medical students, were challenged to provide medical care to patients in need, often exposing themselves to the virus. (2) Methods: This study aimed to assess anxiety and stress levels in medical students, both at the beginning and after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The STAI and PSS-10 questionnaires were used. (3) Results: This study showed a decrease in anxiety levels among medical students after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. In both 2020 and 2022, female students were found to experience higher stress levels than male students. Anxiety levels were similar among students of different medical-related faculties. (4) Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic caused stress and anxiety among medical students, which decreased throughout the duration of the pandemic.

Social networking usage and mental health problems in the Kurdistan region of Iraq during the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown

The COVID-19 outbreak, as an international health emergency, led to uncertainty. Pandemics can be stressful and anxiety-producing for community individuals. Moreover, due to lockdown measures implemented to slow down the spread of the disease, an increase in the usage of social media was reported. Therefore, this study aims to find the prevalence of mental health problems and the level of social media usage during the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Kurdistan region, Iraq. Furthermore, the relationship between mental health problems (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) and social media usage is explored. The study was cross-sectional; the data was collected through a snowball sampling method in which 355 participants completed an online questionnaire. Social networking usage questionnaire, Hopkins Symptom Checklist-15 (HSCL-25), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were used as measurement tools. The results showed that the level of social networking usage was moderate. As for mental health problems, 76.5% of the respondents showed moderate to high stress levels, 56.4% reported experiencing depression, and 37.4% reported experiencing anxiety. Significant gender differences were found in depression, anxiety, and stress, with females scoring higher in all categories. In the mental health problem domains, only depression scores positively correlated with social media usage. The findings also showed social networking usage is associated with higher depression and anxiety; however, the effect sizes were small. Therefore, more research into this matter is necessary in the cultural context of the Kurdistan region to reach conclusive results.

"Who Takes Care of Carers?": Experiences of Intensive Care Unit Nurses in the Acute Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic caused an international health emergency situation where nursing took on a fundamental role. The high number of patients in hospital ICUs led to a shift in nurses' working conditions and workload. Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the experiences of nurses who worked in ICUs during the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: A qualitative, descriptive study was carried out, with the participation of 21 nurses who worked in the ICU during the pandemic. Data collection took place between May and July 2021 through 21 in-depth interviews. Results: Three main themes emerged: (1) COVID-19 in ICUs: nurses on the frontline. (2) United against adversity: teamwork. (3) New optics of critical care and the nursing profession. COVID-19 was perceived with harshness, and the lack of knowledge about the virus generated confusion, anxiety and fear due to the risk of transmission to family members and relatives. The pandemic marked a shift in the management of human, material and economic resources. Novice nurses learned critical care at an accelerated pace, with significant physical and psychological strain. Expert nurses carried the burden of training new nurses. Although there were tense situations, experiencing these adverse situations as a team led to feelings of increased belonging, togetherness and professional bonding for nurses. While the participants noted an increase in motivation to continue in their profession, they also had a feeling of not having been cared for as they deserve by healthcare institutions.

Crisis Management and the Organisational Learning of Local Travel Agencies: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT The travel agency, as an important player in the tourism industry, has been largely ignored in current crisis management literature. Based on 28 in-depth semi-structured interviews, this study explored the crisis management strategies employed, and the organizational learning achieved, by Chinese travel agencies during two temporal stages (lockdown and post-lockdown) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It not only identified five coping strategies but also revealed three lessons that Chinese travel agencies have learned during this period of disruption. Theoretically, this study extends the literature on crisis management and organizational learning from a micro perspective and acknowledges the temporal dimension as well as the importance of tour guides. Practically, the study provides implications that will assist travel agencies to deal with future crises, especially international health emergencies such as COVID-19.

How to Study Global Lawmaking: Lessons from Intellectual Property Rights and International Health Emergencies

International agreements on Intellectual Property (IP) have proven to be a good example to study global lawmaking. Beginning by looking at the 1990s Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement and into the negotiation and implementation of regional and national trade agreements, this article reflects on the intricate relationship between international IP agreements and public health. The comprehensive analysis of these international rules and their effect provides valuable insights into the dynamic interplay between domestic and international factors in shaping health policies. Building upon the IP case, we categorize existing scholarship on global lawmaking into three methodological approaches: ( a) methodological internationalism, ( b) methodological nationalism, and ( c) the interplay between domestic and international factors. We close with a call for researchers to advocate and integrate into their methods a co-constitutive approach that considers the simultaneous shaping of domestic and international elements.

Challenges of conducting an international observational study to assess immunogenicity of multiple COVID-19 vaccines.

The International Study on COVID-19 Vaccines to Assess Immunogenicity, Reactogenicity, and Efficacy is an observational study to assess the immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines used in Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Indonesia, Liberia, Mali, Mexico, and Mongolia. The study, which has enrolled 5,401 adults, is prospectively following participants for approximately two years. This study is important as it has enrolled participants from resource-limited settings that have largely been excluded from COVID-19 research studies during the pandemic. There are significant challenges to mounting a study during an international health emergency, especially in resource-limited settings. Here we focus on challenges and hurdles encountered during the planning and implementation of the study with regard to study logistics, national vaccine policies, pandemic-induced and supply chain constraints, and cultural beliefs. We also highlight the successful mitigation of these challenges through the team's proactive thinking, collaborative approach, and innovative solutions. This study serves as an example of how established programs in resource-limited settings can be leveraged to contribute to biomedical research during a pandemic response. Lessons learned from this study can be applied to other studies mounted to respond rapidly during a global health crisis and will contribute to capacity for stronger pandemic preparedness in the future when there is a crucial need for urgent response and data collection.

Optimized Face Mask Recognition with Edge Deployment Framework in Guard Bot using Deep Learning

The most recent outbreak to prompt an international health emergency is coronavirus illness. It primarily spreads via airborne transmission from person to person. The number of cases worldwide has increased as a result of community transmission. Several machine learning-based techniques have been used in the health field. Lack of data is one problem preventing machine learning techniques from discovering COVID-19 cases. A Mask-RCNN that can accurately identify face masks can alert users to wear one. To do this, Mask-RCCN employs two cutting-edge techniques. First, we present a unique residual context attention module (RCAM) to extract rich context data, focus on key face mask related regions, and detect mask region from the face using RPN. To develop more distinguishing traits for faces with and without masks, second. This method can distinguish between masked and uncovered faces, making it easier to utilize face masks and keeping an eye out for safety violations.

A Comparative Study for COVID-19 Forecasting Models

The COVID-19 was declared as an international health emergency concern by World HealthOrganization (WHO) in 2020. It caused about 7 million deaths and has taken interest in various disciplines.On the other hand, modeling infectious diseases can provide critical planning to control the outbreak andpublic health research. In this work, we consider three classical epidemic models, namely, the SI(Susceptible, Infectious) model, SIS (Susceptible, Infectious, Susceptible) model and SIR (Susceptible,Infectious, Recovered) model to simulate the spread of COVID-19 in Türkiye. We compare theirperformances by applying recent data of COVID-19 outbreak. We present numerical experiments toindicate which models can reproduce the epidemic dynamics qualitatively and quantitatively forforecasting.

Impact of COVID19 pandemic on patients with rare diseases in Spain, with a special focus on inherited metabolic diseases

IntroductionThe Covid-19 pandemic soon became an international health emergency raising concern about its impact not only on physical health but also on quality of life and mental health. Rare diseases are chronically debilitating conditions with challenging patient care needs. We aimed to assess the quality of life and mental health of patients with rare diseases in Spain, with a special focus on inherited metabolic disorders (IMD). MethodsA prospective case-control study was designed, comparing 459 patients suffering from a rare disease (including 53 patients with IMD) and 446 healthy controls. Quality of life (QoL) and mental health were assessed using validated scales according to age: KINDL-R and the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) for children and the WhoQoL-Bref questionnaire, GAD and PHQ-9 in adults. ResultsFirst, children and adults (but not adolescents) with IMD showed greater psychological effects than controls (p = 0.022, p = 0.026 respectively). Second, when comparing QoL, only adult patients with IMD showed worse score than controls (66/100 vs 74,6/100 respectively, p = 0.017). Finally, IMD had better quality of life than other rare neurological and genetic diseases (p = 0.008) or other rare diseases (p < 0.001 respectively) but similar alteration of the mental status. ConclusionsOur data show that the pandemic had a negative impact on mental health that is more evident in the group of patients with IMD. Young age would behave as a protective factor on the perception of QoL. Furthermore, patients with IMD show a better QoL than other rare diseases.

Enhancing awareness to break the stigma among LGBTQ+ health care workers to curb monkeypox transmission: correspondence.

Dear Editor, In July 2022, WHO proclaimed monkeypox (MPX) an international health emergency, and at the time of writing this letter, 83 539 cases were reported in 110 countries across the globe (https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/index.html). The population that has close contact with individuals infected with MPX is at elevated risk of contracting the infection. Health care workers are strongly linked to the assessment, management, and direct treatment of patients with MPX infection, whether suspected or proven1. Developed countries possess a well-organized health care system with appropriate training to the workers and sensitizing them about MPX. However, in developing and less developed countries, health care workers are not trained adequately and lack the confidence to curb MPX transmission. Additionally, to gain public attention through sensationalism, the media has started to define the relationship among Men having sex with men, MPX, and HIV. This has the propensity to further stigmatize MPX carriers2. Stigma causes people to hide diseases, which spreads them untraceably and worsens outbreaks. The rise in stigma in society has disturbed the health care sector, especially health care workers. Health care professionals, particularly those belonging to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning(LGBTQ)+ community, who are exposed to the MPX can conceal their disease status due to the stigma in the early phases of the disease3. Another stigma is the fake narrative that MPX is a ‘gay disease’. Employers in the workplace would assume that individuals who disclose they are infected with MPX are LGBTQ+ or vice versa. This provides a risk of transmitting the infection inside the hospital settings. Apart from this, in countries like India, primary health care workers are regarded as the foundation of the health care system, and they are essential for delivering health care needs to rural areas. The societal stigma and improper training will further weaken the health care system recovering from the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and may pose the risk of MPX transmission at a faster rate in rural areas. Hence, a vast lacuna is generated in how to fight the stigma that is linked with MPX among health care workers. We propose the following strategies that would assist the existing guidelines and recommendations framed by government and health care bodies to combat MPX transmission: Conducting one day workshop/awareness programs in hospitals and primary health care centers to sensitize health care workers and general public on MPX (strong emphasis on symptoms and transmission). Placing wall posters, pamphlets and displaying advertisements both in TV and radio emphasizing that MPX could affect anyone irrespective of gender, sex, age or sexual orientation and not only LGBTQ+. This could partially stop the circulation of fake narratives. Framing strict rules to refrain media sources from using emotionally charged language, incorrect contents, fake news, and sensational headlines pointing LGBTQ community to attain social media traffic. The gay and bisexual communities, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in general, should not be held responsible for the spread of the disease because this would further stigmatize them. In order to communicate with them, a comprehensive strategy should be combined with the use of specific channels, such as websites, dating apps, and media programmes. Overall, effective communication about MPX is crucial in combating the disease and avoiding fear and stigma. The use of polite language with patients, fostering the distribution of reliable scientific knowledge, and giving accurate and timely information on MPX symptoms and preventative techniques are crucial. This will create an environment where the disease and its effects may be discussed freely and honestly to effectively curb the outbreak. Ethical approval Not applicable. Sources of funding NIL. Author contribution Dr R.S.K., Dr S.S. performed literature search and drafted the letter. Conflicts of interest disclosure The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests. Research registration unique identifying number (UIN) Name of the registry: not applicable. Unique identifying number or registration ID: not applicable. Hyperlink to your specific registration (must be publicly accessible and will be checked): not applicable. Guarantor The submission is a correspondence. No new study was performed. All authors accept full responsibility for the submitted letter. Data statement The correspondence is based exclusively on resources that are publicly available on the internet and duly cited in the ‘References’ section. No primary data was generated and reported in this manuscript. Therefore, data has not become available to any academic repository.

Opportunities and Challenges for Psychological Research Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned from a Group of Early-Career Researchers in Quito, Ecuador

In less than a year, the COVID-19 pandemic obliged the international community of academics and researchers to modify their ways of doing research. Affected by the same international health emergency, academia turned its efforts into obtaining as much knowledge as possible about COVID-19, its causes, its prevention, its treatment, and its consequences. This common ground sparked a series of international research projects to identify ways to face the pandemic. This article seeks to describe the experience of three early-career researchers in Quito, Ecuador, who participated in three international collaborations. In this manuscript, we will explain how these projects were born, and address the series of challenges and opportunities that arise from collaborating with different teams, the benefits of connecting through technology, and the limitations of collecting data amid mobility restrictions. We believe our experiences highlight what can be accomplished through effective communication and will also provide insight on how to overcome some of the barriers that international collaborative research poses.

Healthcare workers’ willingness to report to work during a pandemic in southeastern Nigeria: A hypothetical case using Ebola virus disease

Background: The Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak of 2014–2016 in West Africa was the world’s deadliest to date, and the World Health Organization declared it an international health emergency. It adversely affected the health system with many healthcare workers (HCWs) being worried about going to work. Objective: This study therefore aimed at determining the willingness of HCWs to report to work in an outbreak of EVD. Materials and Methods: A semi-structured, self-administered, questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 360 doctors, nurses, and medical laboratory workers in public and private health facilities in Enugu Metropolis. Results: Seventy-three percent (73%) of our respondents were willing to report to work during an outbreak of EVD. Nurses were about five times more likely to be willing to work than other categories of staff [odd ratio (OR) = 4.999; confidence interval (CI)= 2.15–11.597; P < 0.001] and female HCWs were about 1.3 times more likely to be willing to work than males during an EVD outbreak (OR =1.275; CI=0.743–2.815; P = 0.049). Availability of vaccination for healthcare staff (88.6%) and family members (79.2%) were the greatest personal and family-related motivating factors for willingness to work, whereas the provision of antiviral treatment for staff with unprotected exposure to an ill patient (78.1%) was the greatest work motivating factor. However, passion for work surpassed increased remuneration (61.4%) as a personal motivating factor for HCWs willingness to report to work during an EVD outbreak. Conclusion: Our study showed that HCWs were largely willing to work during an EVD outbreak. Personal vaccination for staff and family members and provision of antivirals were the major motivating factors.

SARS-CoV-2-induced myopathy: Clinical aspects, paraclinical changes, and therapeutic options

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has made a considerable global effect, posing notable challenges for clinicians, the pandemic becoming one of the most imperative international health emergencies lately. Among other more frequent manifestations, SARS-CoV-2 disease may also give rise to skeletal muscle involvement. Viral-induced skeletal muscle involvement is a potentially severe manifestation of COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) and may be either acute, or in the context of “long-COVID”. The present review aimed to illustrate few aspects about pathomechanisms, clinical and paraclinical frames, and treatment options for SARS-CoV-2-induced muscle involvement. Notably, it has been stated that SARS-CoV-2 may have the ability to invade muscle myocytes directly, the disease having a variety of clinical manifestations, from myalgia and muscle weakness to rhabdomyolysis. Nevertheless, it is also important to take into account that most of patients with severe forms receiving mechanical ventilation for more than one week may have complications such as CIM (critical illness myopathy) and/or CIP (critical illness polyneuropathy) that may be clinically similar to SARS-CoV-2-induced myositis, yet may be differentiated paraclinically from it. Additionally, it was hypothesized that SARS-CoV-2 infection may constitute a trigger for autoimmune diseases such as polymyositis/ dermatomyositis. Presently, there are no diagnosis criteria and no specific therapeutic strategy for SARS-CoV-2-induced myositis.

Monkeypox vaccination—an opportunity for HIV prevention

Monkeypox vaccination—an opportunity for HIV prevention

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.

Monkeypox: tracking the global health emergency.

Canada confirmed more than 680 cases of monkeypox across five provinces on the heels of the World Health Organization declaring the global outbreak an international health emergency. Monkeypox stems from the same family of viruses that causes smallpox; it spreads through respiratory emissions and

Sexual behaviours and clinical course of human monkeypox in Spain

Sexual behaviours and clinical course of human monkeypox in Spain