Pandemic Recovery Research Articles

Does Trust Mediate the Relationship Between Experiences of Discrimination and Health Care Access and Utilization Among Minoritized Canadians During COVID-19 Pandemic?

We sought to determine if trust in government institutions mediate the relationship between experiences of discrimination and health care utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used datafrom Statistics Canada's Crowdsourcing Data: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians-Experiences of Discrimination. We used generalized linear latent and mixed models (Gllamm) with a binomial and logit link function as well as generalized structural equation modeling (GSEM) to determine if reported discrimination and trust were associated with difficulties in accessing health services, health care, and the likelihood of experiencing negative health impacts. We also examined if trust mediated the relationship between experiences of discrimination and these health outcomes. Our analytical sample consisted of 2568 individuals who self-identified as belonging to a visible minority group. The multivariate results indicate that experiences of discrimination during COVID-19 were associated with higher odds of reporting difficulties in accessing general health services (OR = 1.99, p ≤ 0.01), receiving care (OR = 1.65, p ≤ 0.01), and higher likelihood of reporting negative health impacts (OR = 1.68, p ≤ 0.01). Our mediation analysis indicated that trust in public institutions explained a substantial portion of the association between reported discrimination and all the health outcomes, although the effects of experiencing discrimination remain significant and robust. The findings show that building and maintaining trust is important and critical in a pandemic recovery world to build back better.

Current Status of Quang Ninh Tourism Promotion in Electronic Newspaper and Some Policy Implications (Survey of Quang Ninh Electronic Newspapers, Tien Phong, Labor, Youth)

Newspapers in general, and electronic newspapers in particular, play an indirect role as a "push" for the continuous development of Vietnamese tourism. During the COVID-19 pandemic recovery era, electronic newspapers are an important channel for the tourism industry to promote information and tourism services, as well as position the industry. How have electronic newspapers contributed to tourism promotion? From June 2022 to June 2023, a survey was conducted with 455 news articles from four electronic newspapers: Quang Ninh, Tien Phong, Lao Dong, and Thanh Nien, using the quantitative method of analyzing newspaper content with an analysis code table to answer the above research question within the scope of tourism promotion in Quang Ninh province. From the survey results, the authors initially identified the current situation and proposed solutions to improve the quality of advertising on electronic newspapers because Quang Ninh has such rich tourism resources, unique potential, and outstanding opportunities to develop all types of tourism, contributing to the overall growth of the tourism industry.

Significant increase in anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies after administration of heterologous mRNA-based vaccine booster in individuals receiving two doses of inactivated COVID-19 vaccine: A single-center study in healthcare workers in Jakarta, Indonesia

BackgroundVaccine plays an important role in breaking SARS-CoV-2 transmission and accelerating the path to pandemic recovery. Currently, there is still limited data on heterologous COVID-19 booster vaccination efficacy and effectiveness in Indonesia. MethodsAntibody response was retrospectively analyzed from 156 serum collected from healthcare workers that have received mRNA-1273 vaccine as the booster against SARS-CoV-2. These individuals had previously received the full two doses of inactivated anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Serological analysis was performed to measure total antibody, as well as IgA and IgG antibodies specific to spike (S) protein using ECLIA and ELISA methods. ResultsA significant increase in total, IgA, and IgG antibody titers was reported in vaccine receiving a third heterologous booster dose of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine following two doses of inactivated type. ConclusionThe third heterologous booster dose of vaccine may be beneficial to individuals with or without previous history of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

OTONOMI DESA ADAT: SEBUAH FATAMORGANA? KASUS DARI DESA ADAT INTARAN, BALI, INDONESIA

This study examines the empirical experience of indigenous village autonomy in Indonesia as normatively regulated in the 1945 Constitution and the recent 2014 Law on Regional Government. The prolonged debate by many on the issue has mainly focused on how autonomous indigenous villages have actually been due to various forms of state intervention (also referred to as "stateization"). This study specifically identifies a number of empirical practices of autonomy in the Desa Adat Intaran of Bali Province. The case study provides a fertile ground for a variety of information related to the subject matter amidst the recent developments in the COVID-19 pandemic recovery efforts and the strong resistance of village communities to the LNG Terminal development project on Mertasari Beach by the Central Government and Bali Province in 2022 within the territory of Desa Adat Intaran. This study is particularly important in terms of adding current data and information to the current debate on the practice of indigenous village autonomy in Indonesia. This research utilizes qualitative research methods with a series of interviews, Focus Group Discussions as well as literature studies as data collection techniques. Triangulation techniques were also used to validate the qualitative data. The study argues that there has been noticeable state intervention in the implementation of autonomy of Desa Adat Intaran both in terms of institutions, programs and the allocated village budget. This finding confirms that there is a large gap between normative indigenous village autonomy and actual practice.

The Human Rights Framework for Covid-19 Pandemic Recovery

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) contribute to the realization of economic, social, and cultural rights. However, the progress of these goals now faces a significant setback due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in Indonesia. This article discusses the impact of the social restriction policy, which results in setbacks in several goals that have further implications for fulfilling the rights to employment and social security. Also, this article elaborates on the role of the human rights approach in recovery efforts that the state must undertake due to the pandemic’s impact. By using the Maastricht Guidelines and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights as the theoretical framework, it can be concluded that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused setbacks in some of the realizations of the SDGs, particularly in economic, social, and cultural rights. These setbacks must be anticipated with recovery policies such as reform of the social security system and improving data collection system. Recovery efforts must be implemented promptly in a measured strategy to prevent the more fatal setbacks that lead to human rights violations.
 Keywords: COVID-19, Human rights, SDGs

Tax deduction or financial subsidy during crisis?: Effectiveness of fiscal policies as pandemic mitigation and recovery measures

Economic analysis of the tourism industry is a critical tool for local industries and governments to estimate, understand, and forecast the tourism potential and economic performance of a destination, especially amidst a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we take Macao as a case study, perform an analysis using an input-output framework. By constructing a tourism satellite account and a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model, we estimate the contribution of the tourism industry to the economy of Macao and assess the ramifications of several government policies to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. Our findings provide the Macao government and local industrial stakeholders with critical information for pandemic mitigation and recovery strategies.

What Got You through Lockdown?

What Got You through Lockdown?

Voluntary Disclosure Program (PPS) Reviewed from the Perspective of State Administration Law and Its Effectiveness in Encouraging National Economic Improvement

The voluntary disclosure program (PPS) was created to increase taxpayer compliance and the need for large funds to overcome financial deficits due to the pandemic and post-Covid economic recovery. The purpose of this research is to discuss how the legal perspective of state administration views the voluntary disclosure program (PPS). In addition, it also examines how the effectiveness of voluntary disclosure programs (PPS) in encouraging National economic improvement. The results obtained from this research are that in terms of procedures and principles, the voluntary disclosure program already represents the implementation of tax law which is part of state administrative law. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the implementation of the voluntary disclosure program (PPS) is considered ineffective. This is due to several obstacles, both in terms of the variables supporting its successful tax amnesty, which have not been implemented optimally, and the conditions of business actors who experience several obstacles, including high tariffs, limited investment instruments, many tax assets that are not liquid, and economic recovery that has not been maximized.

Assessment of consumers’ knowledge, attitude and perception of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on household food security in Caribbean Small Island Developing States

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic and recent international crises including the Russia-Ukraine conflict have resulted in significant disruptions along multiple segments of the Caribbean’s agri-food system, thus compromising regional food security. These impacts are still ongoing with the potential to worsen. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of sociodemographic factors on consumers’ knowledge of food security along with their attitude, and perception towards the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on household food security in the Caribbean Small Island Developing States.MethodA cross-sectional on-line survey was conducted between January 1 and November 30, 2021. The sampled population included consumers from nine Caribbean countries (Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines). Survey data were analyzed using Chi-square, one way analysis of variance, and univariate logistic regression.Results and discussionA total of 237 consumers participated in the survey. Consumers were generally knowledgeable about food security and had favorable attitudes and perceptions of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on household food security. Significant associations (p<0.05) and significant differences (p<0.05) were obtained for consumers’ knowledge, attitude and perception among the sociodemographic variables assessed. The results suggest that there were different levels of vulnerability to food insecurity associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among economically vulnerable households. Policies that support disadvantaged households and ensure adequate employment opportunities are important to support Caribbean consumers throughout and post the COVID-19 pandemic recovery.

Rapid Expansion of a Teledermatology Web Application for Digital Dermatology Assessment Necessitated by the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Evaluation.

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a change in the provision of outpatient care in dermatology. A novel, asynchronous, digital consultation platform was codeveloped with 2 National Health Service dermatology teams to improve access and enhance choice in outpatient care. The rollout of the platform was accelerated during the initial COVID-19 lockdown, and its wider use across 2 Scottish health boards was retrospectively evaluated. Integrated with the hospital booking system and electronic patient record, the platform provides an alternative to face-to-face consultations, using information and images submitted by the patients. In total, 297 new patient consultations and 108 return patient consultations were assessed, and 80% (324/405) of the images submitted were of satisfactory quality. The consultations were, on average, 3 minutes shorter than equivalent face-to-face interactions, and a total of 5758 km of patient travel was avoided. Outcomes included web-based reviews (66/405, 16.3%), face-to-face reviews (190/405, 46.9%), biopsies (46/405, 11.4%), discharge (89/405, 22%), and other treatments or investigations (14/405, 3.5%). High levels of patient satisfaction (92/112, 82.1%) were reported. Digital dermatology assessments are now included in the choices for consultation types that are available to patients, helping to augment service capacity during pandemic recovery.

A PESTEL Analysis of The Impacts of COVID-19 Crisis on Air Transportation Sector's Future

In this study, the Covid-19 pandemic, which has significantly impacted the aviation industry, is examined from six external factors including political, economic, sociological, technological, environmental, and legal using a PESTEL analysis. Initially, flight restrictions were implemented due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and airline companies were also affected by government-imposed social distancing measures. Economically, the Covid-19 pandemic has been particularly damaging to passenger transportation, with some countries experiencing a recovery but others facing employment issues in the industry. Sociologically, there has been an increase in reluctance to fly and changes in consumer behavior and habits, with a decrease in demand for unnecessary products. This process has also led to a number of positive developments from a technological standpoint, such as the rapid development and deployment of new vaccines and health monitoring technologies, as well as a decrease in emissions from the industry. This study is original in its examination of the Covid-19 pandemic impacts on the aviation industry using a PESTEL analysis. Based on the study's findings, strategies should focus on restructuring the aviation industry for Covid-19 pandemic readiness and recovery, including promoting restructured travel packages, low-cost flights, and popular routes. Emphasis on energy efficiency and environmental sustainability is crucial.

Moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity among U.S. adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study

Only 16.1% percent of U.S. adolescents meet the recommendation of at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) per day. Studies report declined levels of adolescent MVPA in early stages of the pandemic, but gaps remain in understanding changes beyond the initial three months of the pandemic. This study aims to describe and compare self-reported adolescent MVPA levels at multiple timepoints before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among 11,865 9-11-year-old U.S. adolescents from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, including pre-pandemic (September 2016-October 2018), early (May, June, and August 2020), and later (October and December 2020, March 2021) stages of the pandemic. Poisson regression models with robust error variance were used to estimate crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (APRs) of the proportion of adolescents meeting national MVPA guidelines during early and later stages of the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic. The proportion of adolescents meeting MVPA guidelines decreased from pre (16.4%), early (11.0%), and later (4.7%) COVID-19 pandemic timepoints. Adolescent MVPA guideline adherence at early- and later-pandemic stages was 24% lower (APR 0.76, 95% CI 0.62, 0.93) and 68% lower (APR 0.32, 95% CI 0.24, 0.43) than pre-pandemic adherence, respectively. Weekly MVPA duration decreased throughout May 2020 to March 2021 (χ2 = 488.9, p < 0.0001). Study findings build upon existing evidence that the low achievement of national MVPA guidelines before the pandemic became even lower during the pandemic, demonstrating the need to support and improve access to adolescent MVPA opportunities during COVID-19 pandemic recovery efforts and in future pandemics.

Perceptions of Global Health Engagements in Relation to the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Kenyan Health Care Workers and Administrators in Western Kenya: Protocol for Multi-stage Qualitative Study.

There has been significant interest in global health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) among individuals living in high-income countries (HICs) over the past 30 years. Much of the literature on global health engagements (GHEs) has been presented from the perspective of individuals from HIC participants. Local stakeholders such as health care workers and health care administrators represent critical constituencies for global health activities, yet their perspectives are under-represented in the literature. The purpose of this study is to examine local health worker and administrator experiences with GHEs in Kenya. We will explore the perceived role GHEs play in preparing the health system to address a public health crisis, as well as their role in pandemic recovery and its aftermath. The aim of this study is to 1) examine how Kenyan health care workers and administrators interpret experiences with global health engagements as having advantaged or hindered them and the local health system to provide care during an acute public health crisis and 2) to explore recommendations to reimagine GHEs in a post-pandemic Kenya. This study will be conducted at a large teaching and referral hospital in western Kenya, with a long history of hosting GHEs in support of its tripartite mission of providing care, training, and research. This qualitative study will be conducted in three phases. In Phase 1, in-depth interviews (IDIs) will be conducted to capture participants' lived experience in relation to their unique understandings of the pandemic, GHEs, and the local health system. In Phase 2, group discussions, using nominal group technique (NGTs) will be conducted to determine potential priority areas to reimagine future GHEs. In Phase 3, IDIs will be conducted to explore these priority areas in greater detail to explore potential recommendations for potential strategies, policies, and other actions that might be employed to achieve the priorities determined to be of highest importance. Study activities will commence late summer 2022, with findings to be published in 2023. It is anticipated that findings from this study will provide insight into the role GHEs play in a local health system in Kenya, and provide critical stakeholder and partner input, from persons hitherto ignored in the design, implementation, and management of GHEs. This qualitative study will examine perspectives of global health engagements in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic among Kenyan health care workers and health care administrators in western Kenya using a multi-stage protocol. Using a combination of in-depth interviews and nominal group techniques this study aims to shed light on the roles global health activities are perceived to play in preparing health care professionals and the health system to address an acute public health crisis. PRR1-10.2196/41836.

Post-COVID-19 Recovery: An Integrated Framework of Construction Project Performance Evaluation in China

With the lifting of the COVID-19 lockdown, the construction industry is gradually moving towards a new normality. This study aims to evaluate the construction project performance in the post-COVID-19 pandemic context and proposes a roadmap framework to achieve project recovery in China. This paper follows a sequential mixed methodology with three core steps. First, the critical success factors (CSFs) and key performance indicators (KPIs) are derived from literature reviews and expert interviews. Second, the study conducts a questionnaire survey with 150 experts. Third, the research implements factor analysis and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) analysis for CSFs and characteristics and comparative analysis for KPIs. Based on the results, the study employs structural equational modelling (SEM) to connect the CSFs and KPIs and develop a roadmap towards the post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery of the construction projects. The study identifies 32 CSFs and 25 KPIs and categorises them into five clusters, respectively. The SEM analysis suggests that management and technological innovation significantly contribute to achieving enterprise strategic goals and advancing industrial development. The consistency of project goals and external expectations also positively affect the satisfaction level of stakeholders and social impact. In addition, the AHP clarifies that the stability of the external environment, the internal support, and the adequacy of resources are critical drivers to the post-COVID-19 recovery of construction projects. This research proffers a roadmap towards the project recovery of the construction industry in the post-COVID-19 era by connecting the performance indicators and their critical success drivers. The findings would guide comprehensive design and construction, project life cycle management, and assist in dealing with public health emergencies in construction project management to maximise the organisation’s profits and positive social impact.

Disability-a chronic omission in health equity that must be central to Canada's post-pandemic recovery.

As Canada begins to recover and learn from the COVID-19 pandemic, health equity and public health policies must be a central tenet of reform. Recent work has begun to provide guidance on an equitable pandemic recovery in Canada, which highlights many important groups that require specific consideration in recovery policies.1 There is a key omission in many of these guidelines and, in fact, most health equity efforts-people with disabilities.

Evaluating sustainable development practices in a zero‑carbon university campus: A pre and post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery study

This paper aims to understand the critical areas for sustainable behavioural change on a university campus in order to achieve the net zero‑carbon ambition pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery. For this purpose, the current empirical study is the first attempt to statistically examine the whole campus as a system, considering staff and student views (campus users), by developing an index measuring propensity for sustainable behavioural change to achieve a net zero‑carbon campus. The novelty of this study is based on the following: (i) The impact of environmental sustainability measures due to COVID-19 is examined on three themes: physical activity routines on a daily basis, research, and teaching and learning, and (ii) the index that is compatible with quantifying the behavioural change. A multi-indicator questionnaire is used to collect empirical data for each of the three themes. Based on 630 responses, descriptive statistical analysis, normality tests, significance tests, and t-tests are performed using statistical and graphical software, and conducting uncertainty and sensitivity analyses on this quantitative data. The study found that 95 % of campus users agreed to use reusable materials on campus, and 74 % were willing to pay more for sustainable products. In addition, 88 % agreed to seek alternative and sustainable transportation for short research trips, while 71 % prioritised online conferences and project meetings for sustainable hybrid working. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the frequency of reusable material usage among campus users, as indicated by the index analysis, which showed a significant decrease from 0.8536 to 0.3921. The statistical findings show that campus users are more likely to initiate and endorse environmental sustainability measures in research and daily life than in teaching and learning, and there is no difference in their propensity for change. This research provides net zero‑carbon sustainability researchers and leaders with a crucial baseline for scientific advances in the sustainability field. It also offers practical guidelines for implementing a net zero‑carbon campus, engaging users from various disciplines, which has important implications and contributions.

Codesigning a user-centred digital psychoeducational tool for youth mental well-being with families in Canada: study protocol for a sequential exploratory mixed methods study

IntroductionOn 11 March 2020, WHO declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease a global pandemic. Governments globally implemented physical distancing measures and closure of public institutions that resulted in varying implications...

In this together? Support for European fiscal integration in the COVID-19 crisis

ABSTRACT European fiscal integration is highly controversial and is assumed to lead to a Eurosceptic backlash among the public. Yet, in a historical decision in July 2020, European governments agreed on the ambitious recovery package ‘Next Generation EU’, establishing an unprecedented fiscal stabilisation capacity to address the economic and healthcare challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. We study the mass politics of European fiscal integration in a survey experiment on public support for a European Pandemic Recovery Fund (PRF) in five European countries in 2020. We find remarkably high support for a joint European fiscal instrument, which, however, is sensitive to policy design. While cross-country differences reflect collective self-interest, citizens’ left-right orientations, their EU positions, and perceived economic risk from COVID-19 structure differences within countries.

Age-based spatial disparities of COVID-19 incidence rates in the United States counties.

COVID-19 incidence disparities have been documented in the literature, but the different driving factors among age groups have yet to be explicitly explained. This study proposes a community-based COVID-19 spatial disparity model, considering different levels of geographic units (individual and community), various contextual variables, multiple COVID-19 outcomes, and different geographic contextual elements. The model assumes the existence of age nonstationarity effects on health determinants, suggesting that health effects of contextual variables vary among place and age groups. Based on this conceptual model and theory, the study selected 62 county-level variables for 1,748 U.S. counties during the pandemic, and created an Adjustable COVID-19 Potential Exposure Index (ACOVIDPEI) using principal component analysis (PCA). The validation was done with 71,521,009 COVID-19 patients in the U.S. from January 2020 through June 2022, with high incidence rates shifting from the Midwest, South Carolina, North Carolina, Arizona, and Tennessee to the West and East coasts. This study corroborates the age nonstationarity effect of health determinants on COVID-19 exposures. These results empirically identify the geographic disparities of COVID-19 incidence rates among age groups and provide the evidentiary guide for targeting pandemic recovery, mitigation, and preparedness in communities.

Motivating COVID-19 Vaccination through Persuasive Communication: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

ABSTRACT Vaccination is a vital defense against COVID-19 infections and outbreaks, yet vaccine hesitancy poses a significant threat to pandemic response and recovery. We conducted a systematic review of published randomized controlled trials (N = 47) assessing the persuasive effects of COVID-19 communication on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Individual vs. collective appeals and gain vs. loss frames are among the most frequently assessed message features, but they generally do not make a difference in persuasion. Normative messages that highlight higher (vs. lower) prevalence of vaccine acceptance are more persuasive. Message sources overall have limited impact on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, but sources that have a shared identity with the message receivers tend to be persuasive. More engaging message channels such as interactive chatbots and videos are promising communication tools but are generally under-utilized and under-studied. Compared to no communication or irrelevant communication, COVID-19 vaccine messages generally have a small advantage in increasing COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Messages that include 1) vaccine safety and/or efficacy information; 2) collective appeals combined with embarrassment appeals; and 3) political leaders’ vaccine endorsement are among the most effective messaging strategies. There is no evidence of any backfire effects of COVID-19 vaccine messages. We discuss the implications of our findings for persuasive message design in pandemic vaccine communication.