Pandemic Scenario Research Articles

Lessons from the health system resilience testing pilot in Finland

Abstract Finland is a Nordic welfare state with universal access to health care. The health system has recently undergone a major reform and health care and social and rescue services are organized by 21 well-being service counties, the city of Helsinki and Helsinki-Uusimaa Hospital district which all get funding from the state. Publicly funded health services are mainly provided by public health centers and hospitals. The resilience testing tool developed by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies and the OECD was piloted in Finland in the early April 2023. The participants (n = 17) represented e.g. the key ministries, the Prime Minister's Office, Ombudsman for children, well-being service counties, municipalities, and the university hospitals. The tool was piloted by using a pandemic scenario in which those most seriously affected are small children with substantially increased hospitalizations and mortality. The adults are mainly asymptomatic. At population level the spreading of the disease is rapid and overwhelms the service system in waves. The scenario was chosen because it is difficult to predict the onset and cause of the next pandemic, or its effects on the health system. The Covid-19 pandemic placed health systems around the world to a test, but it is important that preparedness to the next pandemic is not developed solely based on the experiences from Covid-19. In this presentation we describe the main lessons learned from the Finnish resilience testing pilot. These include both lessons related to the tool itself and its further development as well as lessons from the discussions based on the pandemic scenario. The discussions by the multi-stakeholder group reflected well the health system subfunctions presented in the resilience testing tool framework. However, the discussions also captured themes that are not currently visible in the framework such as ethical considerations, values, and political determinants of health system response.

Assessing the current and future effects of Covid-19 on energy related-CO2 emissions in the United States using seasonal fractional grey model

Accurate CO2 forecasting plays an important role in energy planning. However, in the annual forecasting studies on CO2 emissions, the seasonal effects cannot be predicted. To overcome this problem, this study proposed a novel prediction model based on the seasonally optimised fractional nonlinear grey Bernoulli model (SOFANGBM(1,1)), combining the seasonal fluctuation technique with optimisation of the background, power index, and fractional order values. The proposed novel model offers two important improvements in prediction performance: (1) This model combined optimised fractional nonlinear grey Bernoulli model (OFANGBM(1,1)) with the seasonal fluctuation technique to enable monthly and quarterly predictions (2) The seasonally optimised fractional nonlinear grey Bernoulli model (SFANGBM(1,1)) was improved by optimising the background value. CO2 emissions had the largest share in global GHG emissions, and the United States was the second largest CO2 emission emitter worldwide after China in 2019. However, cases and deaths from Covid-19 continue in the United States, and important questions arise: How has Covid-19 affected CO2 emissions by fossil fuel type in the past, and how will it reshape them in the future? This study aimed to analyse how Covid-19 affects CO2 emissions from fossil fuels in the U.S., how it will reshape its future, and also contribute to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Quarterly CO2 emissions from coal, natural gas, petroleum, and total CO2 emissions in the U.S. were forecasted using a novel grey prediction model under pandemic and pandemic-free scenarios. The pandemic-free scenario determined the CO2 emissions gap due to Covid-19, and the pandemic scenario presented forecasted results of quarterly and annual CO2 emissions by 2025. The prediction performance was tested from 2022-Q1 to 2022-Q4 by simulated from 2015-Q1 to 2021-Q4. Using the SOFANGBM(1,1), Covid-19 caused 2 %, 2 %, 16 %, and 12 % reductions in CO2 emissions from coal, natural gas, petroleum, and total CO2 emissions, respectively, in 2020. SOFANGBM(1,1) also forecasts that total CO2 emissions will reach 4520.6 Mt by 2025.

Condições de trabalho na atenção primária à saúde na pandemia de COVID-19: um panorama sobre Brasil e Portugal

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has put pressure on public health systems worldwide since 2020. This article aims to discuss working conditions in Primary Health Care (PHC) in Brazil, while dialoguing with primary health care (CSP, Cuidados de Saúde Primários) in Portugal in the pandemic scenario. For that purpose, data from the study “Working conditions of health professionals in the context of COVID-19 in Brazil” are presented, for further discussion with the report produced by “Family Health Units - National Association (USF-AN, Unidades de Saúde Familiar - Associação Nacional)” on the CSP in Portugal. In Brazil, regarding the sample of 3,895 PHC health professionals, it was observed: multiple employment relationships, lack of institutional support and specific training, living with fake news and the lack of political cohesion between health authorities, with significant changes in these workers’ mental health. In Portugal, the increase in the workload and the presence of Burnout Syndrome among FHU professionals was emphasized. The pandemic had a significant impact on the health and daily work of health professionals in PHC and CSP. However, the Brazilian context was more adverse due to fake news and divergences regarding conducts related to the fight against the pandemic, due to the actions and denialism by the federal government.

Electrochemotherapy in plastic surgery: New perspectives from the pandemic experience in the treatment of advanced skin cancers in elderly and frail patients

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the surgical units involved in the treatment of skin cancers could continue their activities, but the reevaluation of cases and the adaptation of the surgical approach, to limit access and hospital stays, proved to be mandatory. The study aims to demonstrate how the electrochemotherapy (ECT) approach guarantees a chance to keep on delivering comprehensive oncologic surgical treatment in a difficult and high-risk cohort of patients. Methods: We collected 35 elderly and frail patients affected by advanced and metastatic skin cancer who were unsuitable for a standard surgical approach. They were submitted to an ECT protocol, while evaluating the impact of ECT on health-related quality of life, using the EuroQol–five dimensions–three levels (EQ-5D-3L) instrument at baseline and after treatment. Results: A general improvement in health status was reported from the preoperative (mean 56.9) to the postoperative period (mean 63.7), according to the EuroQol–visual analog scale measure. The EuroQol–five dimensions descriptive system showed a reduction of the “patients reporting problems” from the baseline, in the domains for self-care (−27%), usual activities (−24%), pain/discomfort (−43%), and anxiety/depression (−11%). Conclusions: Rapid intervention, minimum hospitalization, palliation in selected cases, and postoperative management with telemedicine may represent the only option in the hands of a surgeon to treat advanced oncologic lesions in fragile patients, especially in a pandemic scenario. ECT can be considered a safe and effective procedure, well tolerated by most elderly and “high-risk” patients.

Working conditions in primary health care in the COVID-19 pandemic: an overview of Brazil and Portugal.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put pressure on public health systems worldwide since 2020. This article aims to discuss working conditions in Primary Health Care (PHC) in Brazil, while dialoguing with primary health care (CSP, Cuidados de Saúde Primários) in Portugal in the pandemic scenario. For that purpose, data from the study "Working conditions of health professionals in the context of COVID-19 in Brazil" are presented, for further discussion with the report produced by "Family Health Units - National Association (USF-AN, Unidades de Saúde Familiar - Associação Nacional)" on the CSP in Portugal. In Brazil, regarding the sample of 3,895 PHC health professionals, it was observed: multiple employment relationships, lack of institutional support and specific training, living with fake news and the lack of political cohesion between health authorities, with significant changes in these workers' mental health. In Portugal, the increase in the workload and the presence of Burnout Syndrome among FHU professionals was emphasized. The pandemic had a significant impact on the health and daily work of health professionals in PHC and CSP. However, the Brazilian context was more adverse due to fake news and divergences regarding conducts related to the fight against the pandemic, due to the actions and denialism by the federal government.

Diminished Physical Activity in Older Hospitalised Patients with and without COVID-19.

Acute viral respiratory infections have proven to be a major health threat, even after the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We aimed to check whether the presence or absence of an acute respiratory infection such as COVID-19 can influence the physical activity of older hospitalised patients. We cross-sectionally studied patients aged ≥60 years, hospitalized during the pandemic in the non-COVID-19 and COVID-19 ward at the University Hospital, Kraków, Poland. Using activPAL3® technology, we assessed physical activity for 24 h upon admission and discharge. In addition, we applied the sarcopenia screening tool (SARC-F); measured the hand grip strength and calf circumference; and assessed the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS), age-adjusted Charlson Index, SpO2%, and length of stay (LoS). Data were analysed using SAS 9.4. The mean (min, max) age of the 31 (58% women, eight with COVID-19) consecutive patients was 79.0 (62, 101, respectively) years. The daily time (activPAL3®, median [p5, p95], in hours) spent sitting or reclining was 23.7 [17.2, 24] upon admission and 23.5 [17.8, 24] at discharge. The time spent standing was 0.23 [0.0, 5.0] upon admission and 0.4 [0.0, 4.6] at discharge. The corresponding values for walking were 0.0 [0.0, 0.4] and 0.1 [0.0, 0.5]. SARC-F, admission hand grip strength, calf circumference, and LoS were correlated with physical activity upon admission and discharge (all p < 0.04). For every unit increase in SARC-F, there was a 0.07 h shorter walking time upon discharge. None of the above results differed between patients with and without COVID-19. The level of physical activity in older patients hospitalised during the pandemic was low, and was dependent on muscular function upon admission but not on COVID-19 status. This has ramifications for scenarios other than pandemic clinical scenarios.

Remote Exercise Training Intervention During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Societal measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 (eg, lockdown and contact restrictions) have been associated with decreased health and well-being. A multitude of prepandemic studies identified the beneficial effects of physical exercise on both physical and mental health. We report on the feasibility of a remote physical exercise intervention and its stress-buffering potential in 2 untrained cohorts: a pre-COVID-19 cohort that completed the intervention in 2019 and a lockdown cohort that started the intervention shortly before pandemic-related restrictions were implemented. In a randomized controlled trial, participants were assigned to either an intervention group (IG; pre-COVID-19 cohort: n=7 and lockdown cohort: n=9) or a control group (CG; pre-COVID-19 cohort: n=6 and lockdown cohort: n=6). IG participants received weekly individualized training recommendations delivered via web-based support. The intervention period was initially planned for 8 weeks, which was adhered to in the pre-COVID-19 cohort (mean 8.3, SD 0.5 weeks) but was extended to an average of 17.7 (SD 2.0) weeks in the lockdown cohort. Participants' health parameters were assessed before and after the intervention: aerobic capacity was measured as peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) via cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Depressive symptoms were scored via the depression subscale of the Brief Symptom Inventory-18. Dropout rates were low in both cohorts in the IG (pre-COVID-19 cohort: n=0, 0% and lockdown cohort: n=2, 16.7%) and the CG (pre-COVID-19 cohort: n=0, 0% and lockdown cohort: n=2, 20%). The mean adherence to the training sessions of the IG for both cohorts was 84% (pre-COVID-19 cohort: SD 5.5% and lockdown cohort: SD 11.6%). Aligned rank transform ANOVAs in the lockdown cohort indicated deterioration of VO2peak and depressive symptoms from before to after the intervention in the CG but no longitudinal changes in the IG. Analyses in the pre-COVID-19 cohort revealed significant increases in VO2peak for the IG compared to the CG (P=.04) but no intervention effects on depressive symptoms. With low dropout rates and high adherence, the remote intervention was feasible for healthy adults under regular conditions and in the face of pandemic-related stressors. Moreover, our results hint at a stress-buffering effect as well as a buffering of a lockdown-induced deconditioning of remote physical exercise interventions in the pandemic scenario, which can be used in future studies to overcome equally stressful periods of life. However, due to limited statistical power, these findings should be replicated in similar scenarios. German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00018078; https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00018078.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep bruxism among adolescents in Brazil: A longitudinal study.

To evaluate the immediate and late impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the occurrence of possible sleep bruxism (SB) among adolescents in Brazil. This is a longitudinal study performed with adolescents (11-15 years old) from Southern Brazil. Baseline data were collected before the Brazilian COVID-19 outbreak (T1). Posteriorly, data were collected after 3 (T2) and 15 months under the Brazilian COVID-19 outbreak. The possible SB was evaluated by the question: 'Do you grind your teeth during your sleep?'. Sociodemographic, psychosocial and clinical variables were also collected. Changes in SB were evaluated by multilevel logistic regression models for repeated measures. Of the 290 adolescents assessed at T1, 182 were reassessed at both follow-ups. The prevalence of possible SB was 13% at T1, 11% at T2 and 22% at T3. There were no immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the occurrence of possible SB (T2). Adolescents had odds 2.77 times greater of presented possible SB after 15 months (T3) of COVID-19 pandemic scenarios when compared to T1. There was a considerable and late increase in the possible SB in adolescents in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic.

THE CRISIS OF THE BRAZILIAN PRISON SYSTEM IN THE PANDEMIC

This study deals with the theme of Education and the Brazilian Prison System based on the crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, it cannot be denied that Education has become a Fundamental Right. However, prisoners, in general, already have difficulties accessing this right in a so-called “normal” scenario. In the pandemic scenario, everything becomes more difficult. Even the basic conditions for maintaining the safety and life of those incarcerated were relegated, in several prisons in Brazil, to the background. Pedagogical practices in these prisons have become even more scarce. Therefore, this work seeks to investigate, even if briefly, how COVID-19 impacted Brazilian prisons and, also, the challenges it ended up generating for carrying out Education within prisons.

Tixagevimab and cilgavimab use in Multiple Sclerosis and Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder during anti-CD20 treatment: A single-center experience

BackgroundB-cell-depleting treatments, such as ocrelizumab and rituximab (anti-CD20), reduce humoral response to SARS-CoV-2 in people with Multiple Sclerosis (pwMS) and Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) and are associated with an increased risk of a more severe course of COVID-19 disease. The combination of tixagevimab and cilgavimab was authorized for COVID-19 prevention in immunocompromised subjects at high risk of severe COVID-19 disease, including patients treated with anti-CD20. Few real-world studies are available regarding the use of tixagevimab/cilgavimab in pwMS/NMOSD. In the present study, we describe the use of tixagevimab/cilgavimab for SARS-CoV-2 pre-exposure prophylaxis in a cohort of pwMS and NMOSD, treated with ocrelizumab and rituximab respectively. Methods26 subjects were treated with tixagevimab/cilgavimab, while we used 18 patients as the control group. We collected clinical data at baseline in all patients and during scheduled follow up evaluations. SARS-CoV-2 serological status pre- and post-tixagevimab/cilgavimab treatment was available for 10 patients. ResultsWe observed no adverse events following tixagevimab/cilgavimab treatment. Post-tixagevimab/cilgavimab anti-Spike-1-RBD IgG were significantly higher when compared to baseline values. No difference was found when comparing the percentage of COVID-19 infections between groups. All patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 had mild disease which did not require hospitalization. In patients treated with tixagevimab/cilgavimab, the rate of infection among patients exposed to SARS-CoV-2 was lower, without reaching statistical significance. We observed a significantly longer negativization time in the treated group. ConclusionsOur results are not consistent with what was observed in the registration trial and some more recent studies. We did not observe a difference in COVID-19 incidence nor in disease severity in MS and NMOSD between treated and untreated patients. Our different results may be partially explained by the change in SARS-CoV-2 variants epidemiology (i.e. reduced efficacy of tixagevimab and cilgavimab against the currently dominant variants) as well as different patient selection included in the trial and different dose of tixagevimab/cilgavimab used in other studies. The present report provides a real-life experience with tixagevimab/cilgavimab in pwMS and NMOSD treated with anti-CD20, with findings that are in line with the current SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology and the recent evidence regarding SARS-CoV-2 variants. Our results warrant further research to best treat patients in the present and future pandemic scenario.

Changing the stroke network during pandemic scenarios does not affect the management of patients with a positive Cincinnati prehospital stroke scale.

Time plays a crucial role in the management of stroke, and changing the prehospital emergency network, altering the HUB and spoke relationship in pandemic scenarios, might have an impact on time to fibrinolysis or thrombectomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the time-dependent stroke emergency network in Lombardy region (Italy) by comparing 2019 with 2020 and early 2021. Three parameters were investigated: (i) time of arrival of the first vehicle at the scene, (ii) overall duration of missions, and (iii) number of patients transported by emergency vehicles. Data analysis process conducted using the SAS-AREU portal (SAS Institute, USA). The number of patients with a positive CPSS was similar among the different pandemic waves. Mission duration increased from a mean time (SD) of 52.9 (16.1) min in 2019 to 64.1 (19.7) in 2020 and 55.0 (16.8) in 2021. Time to first vehicle on scene increased to 15.7 (8.4) min in 2020 and 16.0 (7.0) in 2021 compared to 2019, 13.6 (7.2) (P < 0.05). The number of hospital with available stroke units decreased from 46 in 2019 to 10 during the first pandemic wave. The pandemic forced changes in the clinical mission of many hospitals by reducing the number of stroke units. Despite this, the organization of the emergency system allowed to identify strategic hospitals and thus avoid excessive transport time. The result was an adequate time for fibrinolysis/thrombectomy, in agreement with the guidelines. Coordinated management in emergency situations makes it possible to maintain service quality standards, despite the unfavorable scenario.

Remote work and human resources challenges from the Covid-19 pandemic scenario: The cases of Italy and Portugal

This study presents the preliminary results of a European project (EURECA) being carried out in Italy and Portugal. One of its aims is to understand the role of remote work arising from the recent pandemic. The question that drove this research was: What is the role of remote work resulting from the emergent changes of the 2019 pandemic scenario in Portuguese and Italian organisations?. Case studies were used as the methodological approach, and the qualitative and inductive work directed the research, guided by the assumptions of practice-based theory. Thus, interviews were conducted with human resource managers and/or directors of companies/public institutions. So far, the sample comprises 16 organisations. The results show that before the crisis, which lasted about two years, most organisations did not engage in remote work. Afterwards, human resources practices had to adapt to this new reality, and hybrid work (a combination of remote and face-to-face work) is currently present in most of the organisations studied. New challenges are also appearing in this area, including new information systems, career management, and training and performance evaluation, among others. Hence, this new model of work design also brings new challenges to organisations and management. The implications pressing issue are several: practical (for management and organisations); theoretical (new inputs on HR practices, remote working and change management); and methodological (reinforcing the importance of case studies and practice-based theory in a comparative analysis of the Portuguese and Italian contexts). Avenues for further research are also proposed.

Quality of life in families under quarantine: a cross-sectional study in seven countries during the first outbreak of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted human well-being worldwide in unforeseen ways. In early 2020, the spread of the virus left its mark on every affected country, impacting mental health by limiting daily activities and causing fatalities amidst public health strategies to mitigate its impact. The influence of COVID-19 on the quality of life (QoL) may vary between countries, underscoring the need to examine its effects on individuals and families during the mandatory home quarantine. We aimed to assess the QoL of individuals and families during home isolation by COVID-19 lockdown. A cross-sectional study was conducted from February to May 2020. We included adult partners (≥18 years) of families from Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Japan, Peru, Russia, and Venezuela. Using the 26-item World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire we assess the impact of COVID-19 on their partner/family member's QoL. The survey was completed by 466 participants (mean age = 38.59 ± 13.75 years; females = 298) and 76% worked mostly as health professionals from South America (69.2%), Europe (18.4%), and Asia (12.4%). The WHOQOL-BREF mean score from 38.38 ± 11.55 (range = 22.8-43.4). The average quality of life in South America (41.9 ± 1.2) was significantly higher than that of European countries (30.9 ± 11.5) (p = 0.002). The social relations dimension was the only one with values close to 100 (mean = 83.3) in 6/7 evaluated countries, where only Spain had a low score (41 ± 33.12). Women had a slightly lower quality of life than men, but it was not significant (40.2 ± 8.8 vs. 41.5 ± 9.9, p = 0.354), while we found differences in the overall QoL between young and older, and by employment type (p < 0.05). According to family structure, we found differences on QoL between nuclear and siblings' families (p = 0.024). Families from seven countries of three continents reported poor QoL during the first outbreak of COVID-19. The pandemic scenario has dramatically weakened the QoL in 3/4 dimensions, where social relationships have remained high. It is important to fully address the impact of this reduced QoL on families after several waves of infection and to provide comprehensive support in the post-COVID future.

Actigraphic characterization of sleep and circadian phenotypes of PER3 gene VNTR genotypes

ABSTRACT The molecular circadian timing system involves genes known as “clock genes,” such as the PER3 gene. Studies have demonstrated associations among a repeat polymorphism (VNTR) of the PER3 gene with chronotypes, with the occurrence of circadian rhythm disorders and with sleep homeostasis phenotypes. The aim of this study was to investigate, by actigraphy, sleep and circadian rhythm profiles of people with different genotypes for the VNTR polymorphism of the PER3 gene. We genotyped 467 individuals (46,39% male) for the PER3 VNTR polymorphism. The mean age of the participants was 21.84 2.64, ranging from 18 to 30 y old. Actigraphy data were collected from a subsample of 81 subjects with PER3 4-repeats homozygous (PER3 4/4 ) or 5-repeats homozygous (PER3 5/5 ) genotypes from April to June of 2021. From this sample, 48 PER3 4/4 and 33 PER3 5/5 subjects wore a wrist actigraph between 12 and 19 d. The sleep onset (weekdays, p = 0.015; weekend, p = 0.022) and offset (weekdays, p = 0.004; weekend, p = 0.041) of the PER3 5/5 group occurred later than the PER3 4/4 group. Similar results were observed for the mid-sleep phase of weekdays (MSW) (p = 0.008) and free days (MSF) (p = 0.019), and for the mid-sleep phase corrected for sleep debt accumulated over the week (MSFsc) (p = 0.024). Despite the phase differences found between the PER3 4/4 and PER3 5/5 groups, no differences were found in sleep duration and social jet lag. However, the PER3 4/4 group presented, on average, a longer sleep rebound on the days off when compared to the PER3 5/5 (p = 0.002). The PER3 5/5 group showed lower interdaily stability (IS) (p = 0.032) and higher daily activity rhythm variability (IV) (p = 0.035). The findings of the present study revealed associations between the PER3 gene, sleep, and circadian rhythms. In general, we found that the gene is associated with the expression of sleep timing and duration and to the phase of the activity rhythm. The experiments carried out here occurred in the COVID-19 pandemic scenario, which should be considered as an environmental element with potential effects on the results obtained.

FP-CNN: Fuzzy pooling-based convolutional neural network for lung ultrasound image classification with explainable AI

The COVID-19 pandemic wreaks havoc on healthcare systems all across the world. In pandemic scenarios like COVID-19, the applicability of diagnostic modalities is crucial in medical diagnosis, where non-invasive ultrasound imaging has the potential to be a useful biomarker. This research develops a computer-assisted intelligent methodology for ultrasound lung image classification by utilizing a fuzzy pooling-based convolutional neural network FP-CNN with underlying evidence of particular decisions. The fuzzy-pooling method finds better representative features for ultrasound image classification. The FPCNN model categorizes ultrasound images into one of three classes: covid, disease-free (normal), and pneumonia. Explanations of diagnostic decisions are crucial to ensure the fairness of an intelligent system. This research has used Shapley Additive Explanation (SHAP) to explain the prediction of the FP-CNN models. The prediction of the black-box model is illustrated using the SHAP explanation of the intermediate layers of the black-box model. To determine the most effective model, we have tested different state-of-the-art convolutional neural network architectures with various training strategies, including fine-tuned models, single-layer fuzzy pooling models, and fuzzy pooling at all pooling layers. Among different architectures, the Xception model with all pooling layers having fuzzy pooling achieves the best classification results of 97.2% accuracy. We hope our proposed method will be helpful for the clinical diagnosis of covid-19 from lung ultrasound (LUS) images.

Work from home practices as corporate strategy- an integrative review

The Covid 19 pandemic led to major changes at the individual, organisational and institutional levels of policy, productive functions, and organising. During Covid 19 morbidity, public institutions enforced social isolation, mandatory self-isolation, quarantines, and administrative regulatory lockdowns, which led to a movement away from the physical, material world and into an all-consuming digital universe. With growing interest in work-from-home (WFH) opportunities, this article provides an integrative review of 107 papers. It comprises the bibliometric analysis and manual review of the articles, on the basis of which we present an elaborative discussion and agenda for future research. According to the analysis, WFH looks a tad of a double-edged sword in that it may have major but unintended repercussions for institutions, and organizations as well as hidden, positive as well as negative consequences for individuals/employees. One of the significant insight from our analysis was the absence of HR function's strategic or operational input or oversight during corporate WFH strategies. We suggest several theoretical frameworks for further developing, theorizing, and empirically testing various aspects of WFH. Further, we recognise that WFH is becoming increasingly visible as a result of the pandemic scenario and significant technical advancements, which must be reflected in the research. Finally, because WFH represents a significant disruption in how organizations produce work and manage it, we propose employee and managerial consequences as future research agendas.

Indirect Effects on Tourism and Water Quality along the Argentinian Atlantic Coast during COVID-19 Pandemic Scenarios

Indirect Effects on Tourism and Water Quality along the Argentinian Atlantic Coast during COVID-19 Pandemic Scenarios

An Analysis of Crisis Communication Delivered by the Chief Health Officer During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Queensland, Australia

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of Queensland, Australia, had relative success in containing viral transmission, presenting a unique case for potential insights into effective crisis management. Limited research exists into the communication style and effectiveness of Chief Health Officers (CHOs) throughout pandemic scenarios. Using an adapted Crisis Emergency and Risk Communication (CERC) framework based on 12 themes which indirectly assess domains of trust, credibility, transparency, and accountability. A content analysis of 107 press conferences dating from January 30th to December 24th, 2020 was conducted to analyze crisis communication style delivered by the Queensland CHO and guest speakers. Our analysis found that most communication aligned with the CERC framework, suggesting that adherence to CERC themes in crisis communication may have played an important role in the state’s success. However, areas which were lacking included themes relating to efforts to address, search and gather knowledge. Analysis also revealed that some CERC themes overlapped or were missing, thus triggering the development of a modified framework to provide a more succinct coding model. Our findings demonstrate the importance communication plays in successful crisis management and the modified framework can be applied to analyze communication at national and sub-national levels.

Leisure and free time during social isolation in Brazil: psychosocial perspective

The recent pandemic scenario, resulting from infection caused by the new coronavirus, means it is essential to produce knowledge in understanding the disease and its impacts on people's daily lives. Based on this demand, this study aimed to contribute to the production of knowledge about free time and leisure as understood by Brazilians in social isolation. For this purpose, a national survey was carried out, using a multi-method approach, which included a non-probabilistic sample: 2200 Brazilians, who answered an online questionnaire, whose data was analysed using descriptive statistics in the SPSS software and text was analysed by IRaMuTeQ. The results were organized into three classes of evoked words about temporal perception in isolation: Blurred time; Work and obligations; and Life in reflection. Such categories lead us to infer about leisure and free time of Brazilians during social isolation, given the hyperproductivity in the home office and subjective recreations called for.

An attack resistant physical unclonable function smart optical sensors for internet of things for secure remote sensing

COVID-19 pandemic scenario makes extensive use of remote temperature sensors, using IoT devices and communications. Earlier, flexible organic-inorganic luminous inks were used to design and print univocal smart labels based on QRCs (quick response codes) on medical substrates (protective masks and adhesive). Through simultaneous combination of luminescence thermometry and PUFs (physical unclonable functions), temperature measurements in non-contacts, identifications, and connections with IoTs. PUFs are extremely helpful for hardware security, but are open to attacks from MLTs (machine learning techniques) that mimic the behaviours of CRPs (controvert-response pairs). The study suggests ARPUFs architecture that implements two-round controverts to randomise the mapping of CRPs in order to satisfy the unpredictability requirements for resistances, intriguing examples on the usages of organic/inorganic hybrids luminous inks changed by lanthanide ions for creating smart labels with the ability of sensing temperatures including maximal thermal sensitivities up to 1.46%K and uncertainties of 0.2 K, along with authentications like methodology accuracies (98.4%), precisions (99.6%), and recalls (87.7%). Proposed methodology of univocal identifications and monitoring of mobile optical temperatures in individuals, enable control of accesses to restricted areas and medical information transfers for post-medical evaluation results in opening the door to new generations of mobile-assisted eHealths (mHealth-mobile-assisted eHealths).