Major Pandemics Research Articles

Burnout in Infection Control Practitioners During Public Health Crisis Events: A Mixed Methods Systematic Review Protocol

Background Infection prevention and control work environments are highly complex in nature and have long been associated with crisis events including serious infectious disease outbreaks. The role of infection control practitioners shifted exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic and with this rapid and nebulous change came anxiety, emotional exhaustion and ultimately burnout. Burnout at work generally occurs as a response to chronic and prolonged exposure to emotionally challenging events, causing emotional exhaustion, feelings of cynicism, and lack of accomplishment at work. This systematic review aims to investigate burnout in infection control practitioners during public health crisis events (major outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics) in upper-middle and high-income countries on a global scale. Methods A mixed-methods systematic review will be carried out and will include qualitative, quantitative and primary mixed-methods studies that investigate the different elements of burnout, during public health crisis events. After an initial scoping literature search, up to six databases will be searched for studies on burnout in relation to infection prevention practitioners. Study quality will be checked using standardised JBI critical appraisal tools. The proposed review will follow the JBI convergent integrated approach for mixed methods systematic reviews. Following data extraction, quantitative data will then be converted into ‘qualitized data’ in the form of textual descriptions. Discussion It is well documented that adverse conditions during public health crisis events can lead to burnout. This systematic review will investigate of burnout in infection control practitioners in upper-middle and high-income countries during public health crisis events. The findings will inform healthcare professionals, senior policy makers and researchers and will help contribute to a richer understanding of burnout and associated factors in infection control practitioners. Protocol registration number PROSPERO 2024 CRD42024508996.

The Impact of United Kingdom SARS-CoV-2 Spike Mutations on Spike-ACE2 Interactions Investigated Through Molecular Dynamic Simulation

Background: A newly emergent betacoronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, poses a tremendous global threat and causes severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2, a major pandemic that began worldwide in 2019. The trimeric spike glycoprotein (S) is located on the envelope of the virus and facilitates the fusion of viral and host cell membranes by interacting with a cellular receptor called angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). In the United Kingdom (UK), a variant of SARS-CoV-2 has been detected using sequencing technology. There has been a significant surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in South East England. These lineages are significantly more transmissible than previously circulating variants. Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of UK SARS-CoV-2 spike mutations on its interactions with ACE2. Methods: In this study, the structure of the UK spike protein with multiple mutations, including deletion 69 - 70, deletion 144, N501Y, A570D, T716I, D614G, P681H, S982A, and D1118H, was investigated. The research focuses on studying the impact of these mutations on spike function and its interactions with ACE2 through molecular dynamic simulation. Results: The results indicated that hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonds, and double/triple bonds are more prevalent in the mutated spike-ACE2 complex. Additionally, the UK spike-ACE2 complex maintained a consistent conformation throughout the simulation, experiencing minimal changes in structure. The mutant spike protein structure is less stable compared to the wild-type spike structure. Conclusions: Multiple mutations, including deletion 69 - 70, deletion 144, N501Y, A570D, T716I, D614G, P681H, S982A, and D1118H in the spike protein of UK SARS-CoV-2, can affect its interaction with the ACE2 receptor and the transmissibility of this variant of SARS-CoV-2.

Understanding the impact of the pandemic on university students: Changes in sleep, eating patterns, and psychological well-being

BACKGROUND: Covid-19 is one of the world’s major pandemics. It has affected millions of people in various ways. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the influence of pandemic-induced shifts in eating and sleeping behaviors on the psychological well-being of university students. METHODS: The study adopted a cross-sectional research design. A total of 604 students participated in the study. The Personal Form, the Psychological Well-Being Index, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used to collect data. The research was conducted between October 2021 and December 2022. RESULTS: The participants reported a mean psychological well-being score of 40.76±9.38, alongside a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score of 7.46±3.30. Analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between the mean psychological well-being scores and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores (p < 0.01). Throughout the pandemic, the participants experienced a decline in physical activity, an increase in their body weight, and a change in their eating habits. While psychological well-being remained relatively high, sleep quality was notably poor. Notably, improvements in psychological well-being corresponded with enhancements in sleep quality, suggesting a reciprocal relationship between the two variables. CONCLUSIONS: The pandemic negatively impacted the physical activity and body weight of young adults. This study highlights the importance of promoting physical activity among university students during pandemics and similar crises to reduce adverse effects on body weight. It also highlights the importance of educating students about the importance of healthy sleep and how to maintain good sleep hygiene.

Lifestyle approaches to hypertension for prevention of stroke and vascular cognitive impairment: a realist review protocol

IntroductionStroke and vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) are major global public health pandemics. The increased incidence of stroke and VCI is in part due to modifiable risk factors (MRFs), with hypertension...

Recent Advances in DNA Nanotechnology-Based Sensing Platforms for Rapid Virus Detection.

Several major viral pandemics in history have significantly impacted the public health of human beings. The COVID-19 pandemic has further underscored the critical need for early detection and screening of infected individuals. However, current detection techniques are confronted with deficiencies in sensitivity and accuracy, restricting the capability of detecting trace amounts of viruses in human bodies and in the environments. The advent of DNA nanotechnology has opened up a feasible solution for rapid and sensitive virus determination. By harnessing the designability and addressability of DNA nanostructures, a range of rapid virus sensing platforms have been proposed. This review overviewed the recent progress, application, and prospect of DNA nanotechnology-based rapid virus detection platforms. Furthermore, the challenges and developmental prospects in this field were discussed.

Environmental Materialities and the History of Pandemics.

Over the last several decades, a growing group of environmental and medical historians have argued that engagement with the materiality of disease is critical to eroding the false boundaries between environment and health, and especially to the historical study of major epidemics and pandemics. This article evaluates the ways in which environmental and medical historians have engaged materiality when thinking through questions of infectious disease. It argues that far from eschewing cultural constructions of disease and analysis of medical systems, these works demonstrate that engagement with materiality in the study of disease articulates the stakes of medical regimes and practices of healing, and renders legible the multiple scales at which epidemics occur. Addressing key controversies in the use of sources, it provides examples of works that incorporate material objects, biological ideas and actors, and non-humans without falling prey to the extremes of "biological determinism" or "constructivism." It argues that commonalities in the methods employed by these works - utilization of scientific frameworks and data, multispecies analysis, attention to scale, and spatial thinking - reveal unseen and untold aspects of past pandemics. It concludes with a brief example of how these frameworks come together in practice through a case study on the history of enteric fever in Dublin, Ireland.

Post-COVID-19: Time to Change Our Way of Life for a Better Future.

Background and Objectives: From the year 1 anno Domini until 1855, with the third plague, major pandemics occurred on average every 348 years. Since then, they have occurred on average every 33 years, with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) now underway. Even though current technologies have greatly improved the way of life of human beings, COVID-19, with more than 700,000,000 cases and 6,950,000 deaths worldwide by the end of 2023, reminds us that much remains to be done. This report looks back at 18 months of COVID-19, from March 2020 to August 2021, with the aim of highlighting potential solutions that could help mitigate the impact of future pandemics. Materials and Methods: COVID-19 data, including case and death reports, were extracted daily from the Worldometer platform to build a database for the macroscopic analysis of the spread of the virus around the world. Demographic data were integrated into the COVID-19 database for a better understanding of the spatial spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in cities/municipalities. Without loss of generality, only data from the top 30 (out of 200 and above) countries ranked by total number of COVID-19 cases were analyzed. Statistics (regression, t-test (p < 0.05), correlation, mean ± std, etc.) were carried out with Excel software (Microsoft® Excel® 2013 (15.0.5579.1001)). Spectral analysis, using Matlab software (license number: 227725), was also used to try to better understand the temporal spread of COVID-19. Results: This study showed that COVID-19 mainly affects G20 countries and that cities/municipalities with high population density are a powerful activator of the spread of the virus. In addition, spectral analysis highlighted that the very first months of the spread of COVID-19 were the most notable, with a strong expansion of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. On the other hand, the following six months showed a certain level of stability, mainly due to multiple preventive measures such as confinement, the closure of non-essential services, the wearing of masks, distancing of 2 m, etc. Conclusion: Given that densely populated cities and municipal areas have largely favored the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, it is believed that such a demographic context is becoming a societal problem that developed countries must address in a manner that is adequate and urgent. COVID-19 has made us understand that it is time to act both preventatively and curatively. With phenomenological evidence suggesting that the next pandemic could occur in less than 50 years, it may be time to launch new societal projects aimed at relieving congestion in densely populated regions.

Spatial–temporal transmission dynamics of HIV-1 CRF01_AE in Indonesia

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) remains a serious health threat in Indonesia. In particular, the CRF01_AE viruses were the predominant HIV-1 strains in various cities in Indonesia. However, information on the dynamic transmission characteristics and spatial–temporal transmission of HIV-1 CRF01_AE in Indonesia is limited. Therefore, the present study examined the spatial–temporal transmission networks and evolutionary characteristics of HIV-1 CRF01_AE in Indonesia. To clarify the epidemiological connection between CRF01_AE outbreaks in Indonesia and the rest of the world, we performed phylogenetic studies on nearly full genomes of CRF01_AE viruses isolated in Indonesia. Our results showed that five epidemic clades, namely, IDN clades 1–5, of CRF01_AE were found in Indonesia. To determine the potential source and mode of transmission of CRF01_AE, we performed Bayesian analysis and built maximum clade credibility trees for each clade. Our study revealed that CRF01_AE viruses were commonly introduced into Indonesia from Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand. The CRF01_AE viruses might have spread through major pandemics in Asian countries, such as China, Vietnam, and Laos, rather than being introduced directly from Africa in the early 1980s. This study has major implications for public health practice and policy development in Indonesia. The contributions of this study include understanding the dynamics of HIV-1 transmission that is important for the implementation of HIV disease control and prevention strategies in Indonesia.

Anxiety and fear of COVID-19 as potential mechanisms to explain vaccine hesitancy among adults.

Vaccine hesitancy is a significant global problem resulting from the interaction of multiple factors, including mental health factors. However, the association of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy with mental health has not been well-examined, especially in Arab culture. This study aims to identify the correlation between anxiety/fear of COVID-19 and vaccine hesitancy among Saudi adults. An online-based survey was administered to 558 participants from all regions of Saudi Arabia using the snowball technique. However, this sample may not be representative of the Saudi adult population. Participants responded to the Questionnaire of Vaccine Hesitancy, the COVID-19-Anxiety Questionnaire (C-19-A), and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). Data were analyzed on vaccine uptake, vaccine hesitancy, coronavirus infection, and demographic variables. The predictive factors of vaccine hesitancy were examined in one model using multiple regression analysis by the Enter method (P= 0.05). COVID-19 anxiety and fear have significant correlations with vaccine hesitancy (Phi=0.33, P=0.017; Phi=0.29, P=0.013, respectively). Anxiety and fear were higher among unhesitating participants (t =2.469, P=0.014; t=2.025, P=0.043, respectively). Participants who had previously been infected with coronavirus were more likely to be hesitant (X2=23.126, P=0.000). Participants who scored high in anxiety were more likely to be vaccinated (F=3.979, P=0.019) and have a secondary school or college education (F=4.903 P=0.002). COVID-19 anxiety, gender, and coronavirus infection significantly predicted vaccine hesitancy. Anxiety and fear of COVID-19 are among the most important factors correlated with vaccine hesitancy; unhesitant people are more likely to have anxiety and fear. COVID-19 anxiety significantly predicted vaccine hesitancy. We recommend integrating psychological care into vaccination plans to help increase the uptake rate during potential subsequent pandemics. Relevant intervention programs can be designed to help increase vaccine acceptance, deal with vaccine hesitancy, and relieve psychological symptoms during major pandemics. Psychologists can provide awareness messages, counselling seminars, online mentoring, or telemental health outreach.

Factors Impacting Chinese Older Adults' Intention to Prevent COVID-19 in the Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Era: Survey Study.

Understanding the factors influencing individuals' health decisions is a dynamic research question. Particularly, after China announced the deregulation of the COVID-19 epidemic, health risks escalated rapidly. The convergence of "no longer controlled" viruses and the infodemic has created a distinctive social period during which multiple factors may have influenced people's decision-making. Among these factors, the precautionary intentions of older individuals, as a susceptible health group, deserve special attention. This study aims to examine the intention of older adults to engage in preventive behaviors and the influencing factors, including social, media, and individual factors, within the context of the postepidemic era. Drawing upon the structural influence model of communication, this study tests the potential mediating roles of 3 different types of media exposure between cognitive and structural social capital and protective behavior intention, as well as the moderating role of negative emotions between social capital and media exposure. In this study, a web survey was used to collect self-reported quantitative data on social capital, media exposure, negative emotions, and the intention to prevent COVID-19 among older adults aged ≥60 years (N=399) in China. The results indicate that cognitive social capital significantly influenced protective behavior intention (P<.001), with cell phone exposure playing an additional impactful role (P<.001). By contrast, newspaper and radio exposure and television exposure mediated the influence of structural social capital on protective behavior intention (P<.001). Furthermore, negative emotions played a moderating role in the relationship between cognitive social capital and cell phone exposure (P<.001). This study suggests that using tailored communication strategies across various media channels can effectively raise health awareness among older adults dealing with major pandemics in China, considering their diverse social capital characteristics and emotional states.

Food supply chain resilience in major disruptions

PurposeCorona Virus Disease (Covid-19) is a global pandemic that emerged at the end of 2019 and caused disruptions in global supply chains, particularly in the food supply chains that exposed the vulnerability of today’s food supply chain in a major disruption which provided a unique research opportunity. This review explores the current research direction for food supply chain resilience and identifies gaps for future research in preparing for future major global pandemics.Design/methodology/approachThis article presents a review of food supply chain resilience followed a systematic literature review of the business and management-based studies related to the food supply chain in Covid-19 published between December 2019 and December 2021 to identify the immediate issues and responses that need to be addressed in the event of future disruptions in food supply chains due to new global health threats.FindingsThe study revealed the need for more literature on food supply chain resilience, particularly resilience to a major global pandemic. The study also uncovered the sequence of events in a major pandemic and identified some strategies for building resilience to potential future risks of such an event.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations of this study are apparent. Firstly, the selection of databases is not comprehensive. Due to time limitations, authoritative publishers such as Springer, Emerald, Wiley and Taylor & Francis were not selected. Secondly, a single author completed the literature quality testing and text analysis, possibly reducing the credibility of the results due to subjective bias. Thirdly, the selected literature are the studies published during the immediate event of Covid-19, and before January 2022, other research studies may have been completed but were still in the state of auditing at this time.Originality/valueThis paper is the first study that provides a detailed classification of the immediate challenges to the food supply chain faced in both upstream and downstream nodes during a major global disruption. For researchers, this clearly shows the immediate difficulties faced at each node of the food supply chain, which provides research topics for future studies.

Overview of Emerging Viruses, Other Viruses and Great Pandemic of the 21st Century

The 21st century witnessed the emergence of pivotal viral outbreaks, shaping global health and demanding robust responses. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Influenza H1N1 pdm 2009 (swine flu), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic reshaped public health strategies, emphasizing international collaboration and preparedness. Alongside these major pandemics, viruses like Ebola, Zika, Chikungunya, and Dengue garnered attention due to their significant impacts. Each virus posed unique challenges, affecting diverse regions and populations globally. Understanding their origins, transmission, symptoms, impacts, and control measures has been crucial. These outbreaks underscored the necessity for proactive global health measures, highlighting the interconnectedness of healthcare systems and the imperative for coordinated responses to mitigate the effects of emerging infectious diseases, shaping a new paradigm for future preparedness and response strategies.

Pandemic preparedness: On the efficacy of non-pharmaceutical interventions in COVID-19 and about approaches to predict future pandemic viruses.

With three major viral pandemics over the last 100 years, namely the Spanish flu, AIDS and COVID-19 each claiming many millions of lives, pandemic preparedness has become an important issue for public health. The economic, social and political consequences of the upheaval caused by such pandemics also represent a major challenge for governments with respect to sustainable development goals. The field of pandemic preparedness is vast and the current article can only address selected aspects. The article looks first backwards and addresses the question of the efficacy of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) on the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic. The article looks then forward by asking to what extent viral candidates for future pandemics can be predicted by virome analyses from metagenome and transcriptome sequencing, by focusing on the virome from specific animal species and using ecological and epidemiological data about spillover viral infections in veterinary and human medicine. As a comprehensive overview on pandemic preparedness is beyond the capacity of a single reviewer, only selected topics will be discussed using recent key scientific publications. Since COVID-19 has not run its course, a computational program able to predict the future evolution of SARS-CoV-2 is mentioned that could assist proactive mRNA vaccine developments against possible future variants of concern. Ending the COVID-19 epidemic necessitates mucosal vaccines that can suppress the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and therefore this article closes by discussing a promising and versatile protein nanoparticle experimental vaccine approach for inhalation that does not depend on needles nor a cold chain for distribution.

Preventing and mitigating risks of rumours during major pandemics in the era of artificial intelligence: A perspective on vulnerability

AbstractThe sudden outbreak of a major pandemic often leads to the widespread dissemination of rumours related to the event. The public serves as both disseminators and regulators of rumours. Enhancing the public's capability to defend against rumours and strengthening their resilience are crucial for turning the tide of the pandemic. This study focuses on the rumours surrounding the COVID‐19 event and explores their impact on public vulnerability. Researching rumours during the pandemic reveals that in the era of artificial intelligence, the public's information needs, scepticism towards government resilience, and distrust in social relationships can deepen vulnerability, resulting in a proliferation of rumours. Therefore, it is proposed that governments should utilize new technologies, break away from traditional governance systems, and construct a rumour resolution system focusing on demand‐oriented approaches, employing artificial intelligence techniques, and precision repairing of social trust. This approach aims to reduce public vulnerability during significant pandemics and enhance the government's capabilities in rumour prevention and emergency management.

Historicising the nexus between transportation and pandemics with reference to major pandemics of the world

Historicising the nexus between transportation and pandemics with reference to major pandemics of the world

From historical pandemics to the COVID-19 crisis: lessons learned, challenges faced, and future directions in global health

This study aims to assess the coping strategies employed during major historical pandemics and their implications for mental health. An integrative literature review was conducted, encompassing the following databases: SciELO, PubMed, Lilacs, and Google Scholar. Scientific studies were identified using relevant Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS) and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) combined with Boolean operators AND and OR. Seventeen publications that met the eligibility criteria and were published between 2003 and January 2023 were selected for analysis. The findings revealed that 9 articles (52.94%) focused on COVID-19, 2 articles (11.76%) discussed the Black Death, 3 articles (17.64%) explored the Spanish flu, 4 articles (23.52%) addressed H1N1, 1 article (5.88%) examined Perinthus cough, and 6 articles (35.29%) investigated mental health in pandemic scenarios. The study demonstrates that coping strategies have significantly improved with advancements in scientific and technological knowledge, leading to a better understanding of the transmission and prevention of pandemics, as well as the promotion of mental well-being.

Antimicrobial therapies administrated during the Third Plague Pandemic in Europe.

Plague raged in Europe for over 1400 years and was responsible for three major pandemics. Today, plague still poses a serious threat to global public health and surveillance is imperative. Plague is still present in natural reservoirs on several continents, including Africa, Asia and the Americas, and sometimes causes local cases and epidemics. The Third Plague Pandemic caused millions of deaths worldwide, including in Europe. Plague arrived in Europe in the autumn of 1896 mostly through maritime trade routes, where it spread with several epidemic events until 1945, when, in the port city of Taranto, the last known outbreak was recorded. In this paper, we present an overview of the natural history and pathogenicity of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium responsible for plague, its spread from Asia to Europe during the Third Pandemic, and the therapies used to treat and prevent the disease in Europe, with particular focus on the case of Taranto. In Taranto, the Pasteur Institute's antiserum antimicrobial therapy, and vaccination were used to treat and stop the advance of the bacterium, with mixed results.

Від епідемій минулого до сьогодення і хвороби х, досвід боротьби та перспективи

People have faced epidemics and pandemics since ancient times, without yet understanding either their nature, their consequences, or how to protect themselves and prevent their spread. Each infectious disease has its own history, features related to the virulence of the pathogen, the mechanism of its transmission, contagiousness, which depend on the epidemic potential of the pathogen, the intensity of the epidemic process of infection, and the consequences for eachindividual and society in general. Every year, new human microorganisms appear, among which viruses play a leading role,new parasitic systems are formed or already existing parasitic systems change, in which a person becomes the biological host of one or another pathogen. It is shown that zoonotic microorganisms prevail among human pathogens, in particular among emergent ones. Viruses predominate among pathogens with epidemic and pandemic potential. The article examines the chronology of major epidemics and pandemics, starting with an unknown disease in China 5,000 years ago and ending with monkeypox, the spread of which began in May 2022. Considerable attention is paid to current infectious diseases with pandemic potential, namely zoonotic influenza, emerging coronavirus infections (SARS, MERS, COVID-19), Ebola and Zika diseases, re-emerging monkeypox. A list of 10 potentially pandemic infectious diseases, which WHO has identified as priority, is provided, which also includes disease X. Taking into account the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, all countries, including Ukraine, need to make a lot more efforts to achieve a truly adequate level of preparedness for preventing biological threats and responding to future challenges. It is noted that preparations are currently underway for the adoption of the WHO Convention, an agreement or another international document on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, the draft of which is currently undergoing the coordination stage. The implementation of its provisions at the international and national levels will contribute to increasing the effectiveness of international and national biosecurity systems and strengthening the potential for combating biological threats. It is emphasized that the national biosafety system in Ukraine needs significant improvement in the direction of strengthening the system of epidemiological surveillance of infectious diseases. Key words: epidemic, pandemic, emergent infection, pathogen, MERS, COVID-19, monkeypox, disease X.

Prevalence of obesity among undergraduate medical students in tertiary care hospital, Nandyal

Background: Obesity is widely regarded as a major as a major global pandemic. It is associated with numerous comorbidities such as increased cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Over 650 million adults of 18 years and older were obese. Methods: A cross sectional study was done among 1st, 2nd, 3rd year undergraduate medical students of a tertiary care hospital, Nandyal during August 2022 to September 2022. Sample size was 300. Weight and height of the participants were measured and data was collected using predesigned semi structured questionnaire and data was analysed using SPSS version 2022. Results: Out of 300 study participants,133 were males and 167 were females. 21 (7%) students had BMI&lt;18.5 of which 16 students of age group 20-23 years were under weight, 5 students of age group 18-19 years were thin (BMI for age ≤2SD), 195 (65%) students were normal, 60 (20%) students were overweight and 24 (8%) students were obese. Conclusions: The prevalence of overweight and obesity were high in medical students. Prevalence of overweight and obesity were higher in females compared to males.

Post-Pandemic Public Space: How COVID-19 May Permanently Alter the Public Realm

This research looks at the impact that pandemics can have on public space. The goal of the research was to learn from the past to anticipate the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the public realm. The research involved exploring the history of the effects of two major global pandemics – the 19th C. Cholera and the 20th C Influenza pandemics – as well as documenting the effects of COVID-19 as they occurred. The main finding of the research is that pandemics have long-lasting impacts on public space, although each has a somewhat different effect, depending upon whether it is bacterial or viral-based and how different countries and cultures respond. The research also shows that COVID-19 has been unique in rebalancing what we do in-person or remotely, physically or digitally, which will likely have profound effects on the use of public as well as private space. This, in turn, will demand a re-evaluation of public policies, many of which are based on pre-pandemic assumptions about in-person interactions as the primary way in which people work, shop, learn, and live.