Pandemic Policy Research Articles

Increase in presentations with new-onset psychiatric disorders in a psychiatric emergency department in Berlin, Germany during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic - a retrospective cross-sectional study.

While numerous studies have identified an increase in symptoms of depression as well as anxiety and distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic, relatively few studies have investigated the new-onset of psychiatric diseases during the pandemic. This study focuses on the number of psychiatric new-onset diagnoses in a psychiatric emergency department (pED) in Berlin, Germany during the second wave of the pandemic (i.e. from 09/15/2020 to 03/01/2021 = COVID-19-period) compared to pre-pandemic times (09/15/2019 to 03/01/2020 = control period). We focused on diagnostic subgroups and performed logistic regression analysis to investigate potential risk groups based on covariables such as age, gender, homelessness, attending in police custody and familial relationship. Overall, there was a 59.7% increase in new-onset psychiatric diagnoses during the COVID-19-period. Increases in the following diagnoses were observed: new-onset of substance-related and addictive disorders (+192.5%), depressive disorders (+115.8%), schizophrenia spectrum and psychotic disorders (+113.3%) and anxiety disorders (+63.6%). These diagnostic subgroups, together with attending in police custody, were found to predict pED presentations with new-onset during the COVID-19-period. Interestingly, in the group of new-onset psychiatric diseases in the COVID-19-period, higher amounts of job loss and living alone as well as a relative decrease in familial relationships were observed. COVID-19 infections and post-COVID-19 syndrome are unlikely to have played a substantial role in the increase of new-onset diseases in this study. Conclusion: Our findings underline the role of indirect factors in new-onset of psychiatric diseases during the pandemic and should be a caveat for future pandemic control policies.

Timing is everything: Territorial stigmatization, immobility policy, and the COVID-boom in Hong Kong’s Sham Shui Po

ABSTRACT This article examines a peculiar case of neighborhood change in Sham Shui Po, one of Hong Kong’s densest and poorest neighborhoods. Based on two mixed-methods research projects conducted in 2021 and early 2022, we use social media analysis and data gathered through a four-component “aesthetic survey” methodology to demonstrate the drastic transformation of a particular section of this neighborhood in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. A key question of this research is why such a transformation should be taking place in this exact moment, as previous attempts have been made to stimulate precisely the sorts of changes now observed over the course of the last decade or so, all to no avail. We argue that this unexpected “boom” is the result of a conjunction of pandemic mitigation policy implemented by the Hong Kong government (which we label “immobility policy”) and the widespread and enduring reputation of Sham Shui Po in the city’s cultural geography (which we explore through the concept of “territorial stigma”). This case therefore stands to contribute substantially to ongoing debates on the nature and pace of urban change, especially at crucial historico-geographical junctures.

Paths 2 play: teacher’s play facilitation in Colombia

IntroductionThe quality of early childhood programs is essential for improving outcomes for children, and play-based practices are a vital component. However, the field is still trying to understand the role of teachers in facilitating play and their beliefs and practices related to play, as well as how to best support these practices.MethodsData was collected remotely between June and December 2021 using surveys from 55 teachers and video observations and interviews with directors, teachers, and parents at two aeioTU centers in Cartagena, Colombia. The study aimed to comprehend teachers’ understanding and practices of learning through play within a Reggio Emilia inspired program and its professional development supports.ResultsThe study found that trainers, teachers, and parents generally viewed learning through play as a joyful, engaging, and socially interactive activity with a natural component. However, the study identified a misalignment between the sophisticated language on play used by trainers and teachers and the examples they provided for learning through play. Additionally, the study revealed a gap between the aeioTU curriculum’s comprehensive conceptualization of play and how teachers practice and self-report learning through play in their classrooms. The COVID-19 pandemic and limited policy definitions of play may have contributed to these findings.DiscussionThe study recommends that professional development programs focus on building teachers’ knowledge of play facilitation, helping them develop a nuanced understanding of play and its full spectrum and how it maps to their role in classrooms, and tracking the connection between playful experiences and children’s learning.

Telehealth policy guide for nurse practitioners: A compliance checklist.

Telehealth expanded health care delivery since the start of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). In early 2020, emergency declarations and subsequent policy changes resulted in telehealth flexibilities to support health care providers limit the spread of disease and maintain access to health services. Pandemic policies affected provider licensing requirements, cross-state practice, telemedicine modality, prescribing rules, privacy and security discretions, and reimbursement. On January 30, 2023, the Biden Administration announced it would end the PHE on May 11, 2023, which means some telehealth flexibilities in effect since 2020 will expire at various times through December 31, 2024, in the absence of permanent legislation. It can be challenging for nurse practitioners (NPs) to remain up to date on telehealth rules and regulations in a changing regulatory environment. The purpose of this article is to discuss telehealth policy and propose a checklist, developed specifically for NPs, to guide compliance with federal and state laws. Nurse practitioners using telehealth must work within their scope of practice and follow discipline-specific guidance to avoid potential malpractice.

The Influence of the Covid - 19 Pandemic and Government Policy on Hotel Room Occupancy Rates

The Covid-19 pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to the tourism sector. Restrictions on travel and in-person meetings have caused the transportation and lodging accommodation sector to drop drastically. Several policies, regulations and requirements for traveling are also obstacles for the hotel industry to be able to receive guests. An increase in the number of Covid-19 sufferers in an area will be followed by restrictions on travel regulations and policies, which will not only impact the local community, but also other residents who want to come or cross the area. These conditions directly affect the occupancy rate of hotel rooms in an area. This study used a secondary research method based on existing data. Sources of data come from daily and weekly reports on the occupancy rate of hotel rooms in the city of Bogor, as well as data obtained from other sources. The purpose of this study is to serve as a dashboard for future policy makers, especially on the impact of a policy on the occupancy rate of hotel rooms.
 
 Keywords: Pandemic, Room Occupancy Rate, Government Policy

64 Consensus Practice Recommendations Regarding Parental Presence in Canadian NICUs to Inform Ongoing and Post Pandemic Policies

Abstract Introduction/Background In March 2020, parental presence restriction policies were introduced in Canadian NICUs as institutions aimed to prevent COVID-19 transmission during the emerging global pandemic. However, parental presence in NICUs is necessary for maximizing parent and infant health outcomes, and there continues to be significant variation in parental restriction across Canadian NICUs. Objectives To identify the impact of parental restriction policies in Canadian NICUs on parents, infants, and healthcare providers and co-create practice recommendations for ongoing pandemic management and post-pandemic policies. Design/Methods A national survey was conducted to assess the impact of Canadian NICU restriction policies. Recommendations were developed through Delphi and Values and Preferences research methods. For the first Delphi survey, participants rated 50 items of importance from the national survey on a scale from 1 (very low importance) to 5 (very high). On the second Delphi survey, participants ranked the top 20 items from highest relative to lowest importance. A literature review was conducted for the top 10 items, and evidence of known benefits and harms was presented to the panel of decision-makers during the Values and Preferences consensus meetings. Participants voted on the inclusion of each item as a national recommendation and discussed additional caveats. A vote of 80% or more was deemed a consensus. Results Parents (n=426) and healthcare providers (n=205) completed a national survey, from which a list of reported impacts was derived. After two separate Delphi rounds (n=39, and n=20), a series of 10 recommendations with the highest rated importance were identified. A representative panel of decision-makers (n=20), including parents of NICU infants, NICU healthcare providers and managers, and infectious disease and public health policy-makers, took part in a Values and Preferences task. Items of importance included 7 strong recommendations (parents as essential caregivers, providing skin-to-skin contact, direct or mothers’ own expressed milk feeding, attending medical rounds, mental health and psychosocial services access, food and drink access, and inclusion of parent partners in pandemic response planning) and 6 conditional recommendations (providing hands-on care tasks, touch, two parents present at the same time, use of communication devices, and in-person access to medical rounds and mental health and psychosocial services). Consensus was reached on all items in favour of inclusion in national recommendations for Canadian NICUs. Conclusion These recommendations will guide ongoing and future pandemic management and policies with respect to parental presence and involvement in their infants’ care.

Learning from Latin America: Coordinating Policy Responses across National and Subnational Levels to Combat COVID-19

We provide policy lessons for governments across Latin America by drawing on an original dataset of daily national and subnational non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) during the COVID-19 pandemic for eight Latin American countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru. Our analysis offers lessons for health system decision-making at various levels of government and highlights the impact of subnational policy implementation for responding to health crises. However, subnational responses cannot replace coordinated national policy; governments should emphasize the vertical integration of evidence-based policy from national to local levels while tailoring local policies to local conditions as they evolve. Horizontal policy integration across sectors and jurisdictions will also improve coordination at each level of government. The Latin American experiences with policy and politics during the COVID-19 pandemic project glocal health policy recommendations that connect global considerations with local needs.

The COVID-19 pandemic and social policy narratives in Costa Rica: the story of a (fleeting) opportunity

The COVID-19 pandemic and social policy narratives in Costa Rica: the story of a (fleeting) opportunity

Research on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Medical Industry in China

From the end of 2019 when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in China to the end of 2022 when the Chinese government announced the removal of the containment of the pandemic situation, the 3-year-long pandemic has caused a large impact on the medical industry. Through a study on the trend of PE (price to earnings ratio) value of A shares in the medical industry and a linear regression analysis, this paper explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the medical industry as well as its correlation to the severity of the pandemic situation and Chinas pandemic prevention policy. It was found that, on the whole, the PE value of the medical industry and the industry valuation increased significantly in comparison with that before the pandemic. Although its changing pattern in the past three years has no obvious correlation with the severity of the pandemic situation in China, it is quite consistent with the three stages of China's pandemic prevention divided according to the pandemic prevention and control policies.

Chinas Labor Market Dynamics under Covid-19 Pandemic: Youth, Adult, and Overall

At the end of 2019, COVID-19 suddenly emerged in various countries around the world. Its rampant global spread has resulted in immeasurable loss and effect for most nationalities and citizens. Unfortunately, the indeterminacy elements of economic development and environment increased dramatically especially in China caused by the pandemic situation, the depression of economy further highlighted contradiction of the employment structure. Citizens of different ages faced divergent challenges like staff reduction, great competitive pressure of obtaining occupation, and so on. As a consequence, diverse elevation of unemployment rate occurred in all citizens, youths, and adults respectively. In this article, three divergent unemployment rates for overall citizens, youths, and adults respectively are selected and the data from January 2018 to October 2022 are extracted. This research applies ARIMA Model to structure and analyze data in order to study the scope of addition and subtraction of three separate unemployment rates on account of serious pandemic. Meanwhile, based on the prediction of future trend of Chinas unemployment rates from January 2022 to October 2022 and contrasting it with the actual data, it can be seen obviously that over unemployment rate increases dramatically as a result of pandemic, and the most heavily affected part is one in young citizens. Finally, this paper furnishes referential recommendations for pandemic policy in economic progress and employment aspects.

Engaging Agamben on the Time that Remains

Giorgio Agamben's work at the intersection of political theology, biblical exegesis, and culture criticism is taken up appreciatively. In an argument framed by Paul's Damascus Road experience, key texts such as 1 Corinthians 7 and Romans 9–11 are explored with Agamben, new proposals being made, to set the stage for a discussion of 2 Thessalonians 2. Successful treatment of this last text, and of the dialectic of law and lawlessness as it appears there, requires more attention to context than Agamben affords. That includes the Thessalonian correspondence as a whole, the teaching of Jesus, and the book of Daniel that underlies both. It also includes an appreciation of the narrative and liturgical framing of Pauline eschatology. While Agamben is questioned on this score, and his reading of 2 Thessalonians 2 challenged, common cause is made in critique of church/state alliances around pandemic policy, alliances based on a lawless use of law.

Facing a dual threat: Pandemic stress and immigration policy vulnerability on mental health among Latinx immigrant parents.

Exclusionary immigration policies rooted in structural racism threaten the wellbeing of Latinx families, increasing stress, anxiety, depression, and distress among immigrant parents. The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating and disproportionate impacts on communities of color with unique impacts on Latinx immigrant parents in mixed-status families. From a syndemic theory lens, we explored the convergence of structural racism and the COVID-19 pandemic to explore if the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic may compound harmful immigration-related policies. Our community-based participatory research cross-sectional study administered 145 surveys among Latinx immigrant parents in mixed-status families in Georgia. We examined the relationship of pandemic stress and perceived statewide immigration policy vulnerability to depressive, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms. We conducted multiple linear regression analyses to test these relationships and their interaction. We found that that greater perceived policy immigration vulnerability and reported pandemic stress were associated with higher symptoms of depression. Increased PTSD symptoms were also associated with immigration policy vulnerability, but not pandemic stress. Tests to assess if pandemic stress strengthened the relationship between policy vulnerability on depressive, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms revealed no statistically significant interactions. Our findings suggest that stress of the COVID-19 pandemic and longstanding anti-immigrant policies in Georgia were salient for and related to the mental health of these Latinx immigrant parents.

Risk Perception and Public Pandemic Fatigue: The Role of Perceived Stress and Preventive Coping.

This study explores the status of pandemic fatigue, predictors, and their mechanisms of action based on a stress-response framework and a parallel model of future-oriented response. Study 1 investigated 8426 Chinese adult residents' understanding of and willingness to cooperate with the pandemic prevention and control policies and Study 2 surveyed 1635 Chinese residents on their activeness of pandemic prevention and control (APPC), pandemic risk perception, perceived stress, and future-oriented coping. Study 1 found that public understanding of and willingness to cooperate with prevention policies were significantly lower in 2022 than in 2020 and 2021. Study 2 found that risk perception negatively predicted the APPC; perceived stress and preventive coping significantly mediated the relationship between risk perception and APPC; but perceived stress and proactive coping did not significantly mediate the relationship between risk perception and APPC. This revealed an increase in public fatigue in the third year of the pandemic. Pandemic fatigue can be predicted by pandemic risk perception, but the direct pathway of action is not significant and requires the mediation of perceived stress and preventive coping.

Does Agricultural Zoning Policy Impact on Price Spatial Dependence?: Red Chili Pepper Price In Java Island During COVID-19 Pandemic

A sustainable equal distribution of price stability is the goal of agricultural zone policy. By performing an empirical study comparison of the districts on Java Island, 2,066 before and after the implementation of the policy, this research aims to demonstrate it. The spatial effects of agricultural zone policy on red chili pepper price are used to measure the policy’s impact. The findings of the estimation revealed that the price of red chili peppers, which serves as a gauge of the degree of spatial dependence, is significantly influenced by factors related to the world economy. Once the COVID-19 pandemic policy was put into place, there has been a strengthening of spatial dependence, and the price variations of red chili peppers in the agricultural development zone are relatively better than in the others.

Under What Conditions Can People With Severe Dementia in Nursing Homes Benefit From a Multicomponent Psychosocial Intervention?

The majority of psychosocial interventions are considered effective in the treatment of dementia symptoms. However, there are hardly any evaluated concepts for people with severe dementia. An RCT study of patients with severe dementia in nursing homes during the Covid-19 pandemic found no effect of the newly developed multi-component intervention MAKS-s (motor, activities of daily living, cognitive, social version for persons with severe dementia) on patients' quality of life, behavioural and psychological symptoms. At the end of the controlled phase, 6 months after beginning of the study, the nursing staff of the control groups were also trained in MAKS-s. They were then free to decide whether and how often they wanted to use MAKS-s (open phase). By means of a written follow-up survey, conducted with trained therapists, after another 6 months, predictors for positive effects of the intervention on people with severe dementia were to be identified. The survey also aimed to identify predictors of therapy fidelity. Data acquisition based on a self-developed questionnaire, assessing the therapists' subjective ratings of the three areas of structure, process and outcome quality of the MAKS-s intervention. Apart from descriptive evaluations, the predictors of benefit for people with severe dementia were analysed using a linear regression model and the predictors of therapy fidelity by using a binary logistic regression model. The more pronounced the normative restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic were, the more frequently manual deviations were observed. Fewer deviations from the manual were significantly associated with positive effects on people with severe dementia. The results indicate the importance of therapy fidelity for the success of MAKS-s intervention. Therapy fidelity is decisive for the extent of the positive effects of MAKS-s, experienced by the therapists. Furthermore, the survey results show that activity-restricting pandemic policies in nursing homes negatively influenced the perceived effectiveness.

Expert knowledge for global pandemic policy: a chorus of evidence or a clutter of global commissions?

Abstract “Global Commissions of Inquiry” have usually been associated with the multilateral initiatives of governments and international organizations. However, various styles of “global commission” have emerged over time. During the COVID-19 pandemic, global commissions have been a key aspect of the COVID-19 international policy landscape, quickly emerging, in 2020 and 2021, to corral knowledge and evidence. These include “formal” commissions, such as the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response and the Global Commission for Post-Pandemic Policy, and “informal” commissions, including the Reform for Resilience and The Lancet Covid Commissions. This paper considers whether these Commissions have been engines for new ideas and global policy knowledge or whether this “chorus” of COVID Commissions represented a “clutter” of ideas at a time when global policy focus was needed. Global Commissions, in general, deserve greater scholarly attention to their design and the construction of their legitimate authority as hybrid and private commissions enter global policy making alongside official commissions.

How COVID-19 pandemic affected nutrition behaviors

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had started as a global pandemic and public health emergency back in year 2020. Starting in year 2023, which was a little more than three years afterwards, World Health Organization (WHO) removed COVID-19’s public health emergency status.1 During the past three years, the pandemic, quarantine, and lockdown policy had changed many aspects in life, sosio-economic and public health alike. This included nutrition behaviors which significantly affected the global population’s nutritional status. A study to adults and elderly living independently in Amsterdams revealed an increase of nutritional behavior presdisposing to overnutrition, such as more snacking and decreased physical activity to those who had not been in quarantine. Whereas those who were in quarantine, behavior changes related to undernutrition, such as eating less, skipping meals, and drinking more alcoholic beverages, were more seen in the study results.2 An online survey study to lockdown countries e.g Europe, North-Africa, Western Asia, and United States showed a decrease in both frequency and the duration of physical activity, included an increase of time spent in sedentary behavior. The study also revealed a significant increase in consuming unhealthy food, eating out of control, snacking between meals, alcohol binge drinking, and number of main meals per day.3An online study to students in Indonesia showed changes in eating patterns consisted of increased meal portions and snacks. The sedentary behavior was also excalated.4 What factors contributed to these changes? As we all aware, confinement influence our daily activities and mental health. Those who usually commute to the office had to work from home thus limiting physical activities. We also saw the increased numbers of anxiety, depression, and boredom which may led to more snackings or skipping meals.We had learned that the restriction to stay at home had influenced dietary and physical activity. These changes may or may not expected, however, they surely altered global nutritional status. The numbers of overweight and obesity are more prevalent post-pandemic thus may lead to the increase of non-communicable diseases.We certainly hope that there will be no more pandemic which warrants lockdown in the future, however the future itself is not a certainty. In the present, we will have to tackle many nutritional-related problems in any population. Within the course of time, if a similar pandemic should occur, we might have to compile a public health, nutrition, mental health, and physical activity policy to minimize the problems.

Psychology, stress, insomnia, and resilience of medical staff in China during the COVID-19 policy opening: a cross-sectional survey.

Since 8 January 2023 China has liberalized its control of COVID-19. In a short period of time, the infection rate of COVID-19 in China has risen rapidly, which has brought a heavy burden to medical staff. This study aimed to investigate the psychological status, stress, insomnia, effort-reward imbalance, resilience, and influencing factors of medical staff in China during the period of epidemic policy liberalization. This survey was conducted from 6 February to 27 March 2023 with non-random sampling. An online questionnaire survey was conducted using HADS, PSS-14, ISI, ERI, and the resilience assessment scale for medical staff. The levels of psychological, stress, insomnia, effort-reward imbalance, and resilience of medical staff during the pandemic policy opening period were measured. A total of 2,038 valid questionnaires were collected. 68.5% and 53.9% of medical staff had different degrees of anxiety and depression, respectively. Excessive stress, insomnia, and high effort and low reward were 40.2%, 43.2%, and 14.2%, respectively. Gender, Profession, education level, and age are important factors that lead to anxiety and depression. Women, nurses, higher education, longer working years and hours, high effort, and low reward are risk factors for the above conditions. There was a certain correlation among the five scales, among which anxiety, depression, stress, insomnia, effort-reward imbalance, and other factors were positively correlated, while resilience was negatively correlated with these factors. This study found that anxiety, depression, stress, insomnia, and other psychological problems of medical staff in China during the policy opening period of COVID-19 were more serious than before. At the individual and organizational levels, it is necessary to improve the well-being of medical staff, optimize the allocation of human resources, and promote the mental health of medical staff with a focus on prevention and mitigation, with the entry point of improving resilience and preventing the effort-reward imbalance.

The Effect of Human Resource Competence on Entrepreneurial Intention among Millennial Generation: Mediating Role of Technology

Today, the COVID-19 pandemic impacts declining economic activities due to an increase in the number of unemployed on a large scale. The significant increase in the number of open unemployed is not only caused by a slowdown in economic growth but also due to changes in people's behavior related to the COVID-19 pandemic and social restriction policies, both on a small and large scale. This study investigates the mediating role of technology in the relationship between human resource competence and entrepreneurial intention among the millennial generation. This quantitative study was designed using a survey questionnaire to 97 respondents. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with Partial Least Square (PLS). SEM consists of two sub-models: measurement model (outer model) and structural model (inner model). The result indicates that human resource competence significantly affects the role of technology and entrepreneurial intention. Besides that, this study found that the role of technology mediates the relationship between human resource competence and entrepreneurial intention. In conclusion, this study proves that the role of technology is a significant factor in the relationship between the competence of human resources and the millennial generation's entrepreneurial intention.

The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on prostate cancer screening and diagnosis in Korea

Background: The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which started in early 2020, has had multiple impacts on cancer care. This study assessed how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced prostate cancer (PCa) screening and diagnosis in South Korea. Methods: Patients who visited the outpatient clinic at a single institution for PCa evaluation were included in this study and divided into a pre-COVID-19 group and a COVID-19 pandemic group, based on the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing policies on March 1, 2020. The number of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests, patients with elevated PSA levels, and prostate biopsy results were analyzed. Results: In total, 8,926 PSA tests were administered during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to 15,654 before the pandemic (p<0.05). Of 2,132 patients with high PSA levels, 1,055 (49.5%) received prostate biopsies before the pandemic and 1,077 (50.5%) did so during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic group had a higher detection rate of PC, and increased rates of Gleason scores (GS) 7 and 9–10, while the rate of GS 6 decreased compared to the pre-COVID-19 group (p<0.05). The rate of clinically significant PCa (csPCa) was also higher during the pandemic (p<0.05). In both magnetic resonance imaging-guided and standard biopsies, the GS 6 rate decreased, and the csPCa rate increased during the COVID-19 pandemic (each, p<0.05). Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the detection rate of prostate biopsies and the rate of csPCa increased significantly. Thus, PCa was diagnosed at a more advanced state in Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic.