Epidemic Prevention Research Articles

Perceived barriers and influencing factors of psychological help-seeking amongst Chinese nurses exposed to COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused psychological problems among nurses worldwide. However, their willingness to seek professional help is relatively low, due to perceived barriers that have remained unknown. This study analysed the potential barriers and influencing factors of psychological help-seeking among nurses participating in community COVID-19 epidemic prevention work. Five variables - depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress syndrome, social support and mental health literacy - were measured from a sample of 667 nurses. Latent class analysis identified homogeneous classes about psychological help-seeking barriers and multinomial logistic regression identified factors associated with potential grouping outcomes. Three categories were identified: major barriers (N = 17, 2.5%), stigma and accessibility barriers (N = 132, 21.2%) and low barriers (N = 518, 76.4%). Mental health literacy was significantly correlated with the 'low barriers' class (OR = 0.953, B = -0.047, p = 0.03), whereas depression (OR = 1.091, B = 0.085, p = 0.011) had a slightly positive effect on being in the 'stigma and accessibility barriers' class. During pandemics or other social health crises, nurses may experience psychological barriers to help seeking. Communities and hospitals should consider increasing the resources available for psychological counselling services, improving mental health awareness and literacy that may help reduce depression levels and promote mental health.

Associations between genetic mutations in different SARS-CoV-2 strains and negative conversion time of viral RNA among imported cases in Hangzhou: A cross-sectional study

PurposePrevious studies on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have focused on factors that influence the achievement of negative conversion of viral RNA. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the genetic mutations in different SARS-CoV-2 strains on the negative conversion time (NCT) among imported cases in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, in order to provide valuable insights for developing targeted epidemic prevention guidelines. MethodsThis retrospective study involved 146 imported SARS-CoV-2 cases in Hangzhou from 8 April 2021 to 11 June 2022. We compared the SARS-CoV-2-specific indicators, clinical indexes, and NCT among the wild-type (WT), Delta, and Omicron groups. Spearman correlation analysis was used to identify the correlations of NCT with mutation types/frequencies. ResultsThe mean age of the imported cases was 35.3 (SD: 12.3) years, with 71.92 % males and 28.08 % females. The mean cycle threshold (Ct) values of open reading frame 1ab (ORF1ab) and nucleocapsid (N) RNA were 25.17 (SD: 6.44) and 23.4 (SD: 6.76), respectively. The mutations of SARS-CoV-2 strains were mainly located in N, membrane (M), spike (S), ORF1a, ORF1b, ORF3a, ORF6, and ORF9b genes among the WT, Delta, and Omicron groups. NCT was significantly prolonged in the WT and Delta groups compared to the Omicron group. T lymphocyte, white blood cell, eosinophil, and basophil counts were dramatically higher in the WT group than the Delta group. White blood cell, red blood cell, and basophil counts were significantly lower in the Delta group than the Omicron group. Spearman correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation between the NCT of viral RNA and mutation types of viral genes of WT and Omicron strains. Additionally, NCT was markedly negatively correlated with the frequencies of five mutations in Omicron strains (ORF1b:P1223L, ORF1b:R1315C, ORF1b:T2163I, ORF3a:T223I, and ORF6:D61L). ConclusionsThis study indicates that five mutations in Omicron strains (ORF1b:P1223L/R1315C/T2163I, ORF3a:T223I and ORF6:D61L) shortened NCT in imported SARS-CoV-2 cases.

Advancements in Research on Duck Tembusu Virus Infections.

Duck Tembusu Virus (DTMUV) is a pathogen of the Flaviviridae family that causes infections in poultry, leading to significant economic losses in the duck farming industry in recent years. Ducks infected with this virus exhibit clinical symptoms such as decreased egg production and neurological disorders, along with serious consequences such as ovarian hemorrhage, organ enlargement, and necrosis. Variations in morbidity and mortality rates exist across different age groups of ducks. It is worth noting that DTMUV is not limited to ducks alone; it can also spread to other poultry such as chickens and geese, and antibodies related to DTMUV have even been found in duck farm workers, suggesting a potential risk of zoonotic transmission. This article provides a detailed overview of DTMUV research, delving into its genomic characteristics, vaccines, and the interplay with host immune responses. These in-depth research findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the virus's transmission mechanism and pathogenic process, offering crucial scientific support for epidemic prevention and control.

Mathematical Model for COVID-19

Since the end of 2019, novel coronavirus has started to spread around the world and continue to mutate. From the initial Alpha to Delta and Omicron, it continues to affect our economic, social and spiritual life. In the process of prevention and control of COVID-19, many people are constantly questioning the prevention and control measures taken in China, such as wearing masks when going in and out of public places, washing hands frequently when going out and back home, regular disinfection in public places, the necessity of building large-scale shelter hospitals, fixed-point isolation of close contacts and infected persons, and universal vaccination. In this paper, the mathematical models, Si, Sir, SEIR, SEIRD, are used to scientifically reveal the transmission link and future development trend of novel coronavirus; At the same time, through mathematical analysis, the necessity of the above new crown epidemic prevention measures is explained in detail.

SQEAIR: an Improved Infectious Disease Dynamics Model

The Covid-19 pandemic poses a significant threat to human health and life. Timely and accurate prediction of the epidemic’s trajectory is crucial for devising effective prevention and control strategies. Traditional infectious disease models may not capture the complexity of modern epidemics, especially when governments implement diverse policies. Drawing from China’s epidemic prevention strategies and Covid-19 transmission characteristics, this study introduces two distinct categories quarantined cases and asymptomatic cases to enhance the traditional SEIR model in depicting disease dynamics. To address the intricate nature of prevention and control efforts, the quarantined cases are further segmented into three subgroups: exposed quarantined, asymptomatic quarantined, and infected quarantined cases. Consequently, a novel SQEAIR model is proposed to model the dynamics of Covid-19. Evaluation metrics such as the Akaike information criterion (AIC) and Absolute Percentage Error (MAE) are employed to assess the efficacy and accuracy of both the newly proposed and traditional models. By fitting the models to the number of infected cases in Shanghai (March to May 2022) and Guangzhou (November 2022), it was observed that the SQEAIR model exhibited a lower AIC value compared to the SEIR model, indicating superior fitting accuracy for Covid-19 infections. Moreover, the high accuracy of the SQEAIR model enabled precise predictions of confirmed cases in Guangzhou. Leveraging the SQEAIR model, various parameters were tested to simulate the impact of different influencing factors, enabling the evaluation of defense strategies. These findings underscore the effectiveness of key epidemic control measures, such as quarantining exposed cases, in enhancing public health and promoting awareness of personal protection.

Difference in Rumor Dissemination and Debunking Before and After the Relaxation of COVID-19 Prevention and Control Measures in China: Infodemiology Study.

The information epidemic emerged along with the COVID-19 pandemic. While controlling the spread of COVID-19, the secondary harm of epidemic rumors to social order cannot be ignored. The objective of this paper was to understand the characteristics of rumor dissemination before and after the pandemic and the corresponding rumor management and debunking mechanisms. This study aimed to provide a theoretical basis and effective methods for relevant departments to establish a sound mechanism for managing network rumors related to public health emergencies such as COVID-19. This study collected data sets of epidemic rumors before and after the relaxation of the epidemic prevention and control measures, focusing on large-scale network rumors. Starting from 3 dimensions of rumor content construction, rumor propagation, and rumor-refuting response, the epidemic rumors were subdivided into 7 categories, namely, involved subjects, communication content, emotional expression, communication channels, communication forms, rumor-refuting subjects, and verification sources. Based on this framework, content coding and statistical analysis of epidemic rumors were carried out. The study found that the rumor information was primarily directed at a clear target audience. The main themes of rumor dissemination were related to the public's immediate interests in the COVID-19 field, with significant differences in emotional expression and mostly negative emotions. Rumors mostly spread through social media interactions, community dissemination, and circle dissemination, with text content as the main form, but they lack factual evidence. The preferences of debunking subjects showed differences, and the frequent occurrence of rumors reflected the unsmooth channels of debunking. The χ2 test of data before and after the pandemic showed that the P value was less than .05, indicating that the difference in rumor content before and after the pandemic had statistical significance. This study's results showed that the themes of rumors during the pandemic are closely related to the immediate interests of the public, and the emotions of the public accelerate the spread of these rumors, which are mostly disseminated through social networks. Therefore, to more effectively prevent and control the spread of rumors during the pandemic and to enhance the capability to respond to public health crises, relevant authorities should strengthen communication with the public, conduct emotional risk assessments, and establish a joint mechanism for debunking rumors.

Trust in Acquaintances, Strangers and Institutions among Individuals of Different Socioeconomic Statuses during Public Health Emergencies: The Moderation of Family Structure and Policy Perception.

Trust plays a crucial role in effectively responding to public health emergencies. Drawing on COVID-19 survey data conducted in Hubei, China, during August 2020 with a sample size of 5494, this study investigated the influence of individuals' socioeconomic status on trust in acquaintances, strangers and institutions, and how this relationship is moderated by epidemic prevention, policy perception and family structure. The findings showed that individuals with higher socioeconomic status tend to have higher levels of trust. Those with higher income but being married demonstrate higher trust. When perceiving epidemic prevention policies as stringent, those with higher income display increased trust in acquaintances and institutions; similarly, those with lower education levels exhibit heightened trust in acquaintances and strangers. Individuals working in social organizations express higher trust in strangers; however, their trust is compromised under stringent epidemic prevention policies due to potentially heavier work burdens.

Dilemmas and Countermeasures of Preschool Children's Right to Education in States of Emergency

The right to education is an inherent and inalienable fundamental human right. The importance of preschool education as the starting point of education cannot be overstated. The sudden onset of COVID-19 has disrupted traditional offline education. Furthermore, online distance learning has become a natural response to the normalization of epidemic prevention and control, and preschool education is naturally among them. Nevertheless, there are gaps in the current institutional framework, and preschool children face additional pedagogical risks in implementing online education, which makes realizing preschool children's right to education a dilemma of low quality and inequity. Therefore, addressing the existing practical difficulties is not only a matter of urgency to guarantee the realization of the right to education for preschool children in an emergency but also a matter of necessity to improve the emergency response system.

A dynamics model of the emergency medical supply chain in epidemic considering deprivation cost

Emergency medical supplies are the basic resources for epidemic prevention and reducing disaster losses. If the supplies cannot be provided in time, the victims will suffer psychological or physical pain. This paper uses the deprivation cost (DC) to measure the victims’ suffering in COVID-19 cases. After analyzing the dynamic relationship between epidemic control and supplies providing, a system dynamics (SD) model of emergency medical supply chain considering the deprivation cost is proposed. , based on the case of epidemic prevention in Wuhan, China, in early 2020, we explore the influence of the strength of the mobilization policy (SMP), concerns about data reliability (CDR), and public confidence in emergency response (PCER) on the operation of the supply chain, by which the effective strategies can be found to improve the efficiency of emergency supplies support. The results show that: at the late stage of epidemic control, concerns about data reliability will inhibit the growth of the demand fulfillment rate (DFR), while enhancing the strength of the mobilization policy can appropriately improve the demand fulfillment rate. Restoring public confidence in emergency response can delay personnel panic and contribute to epidemic control, but it has no significant effect on demand fulfillment rate and deprivation cost.

China’s policies: post-COVID-19 challenges for the older population

ABSTRACT On 7 December 2022, the State Council of China released ‘Measures to Further Optimize the Implementation of the Prevention and Control of the New Coronavirus Epidemic’. The previous three-year dynamic zero epidemic prevention policy was then replaced with a full liberalization policy. On 5 May 2023, the World Health Organization declared that COVID-19 no longer constituted a ‘public health emergency of international concern.’ However, given the ongoing prevalence of coronavirus, emerging mutations, and the liberalization of restrictions, there are increased risks of vulnerable people contracting new variants. Low vaccination coverage among older people with compromised immune systems, puts them at further risk. The policy shift will increase pressure on already stretched health infrastructure and medical resources. This short article adds to the current debate arguing that the Chinese government should take commensurate preventive measures, including strengthening medical facilities and equipment and targeting ongoing vaccination in older people.

Tight or Loose: Analysis of the Organization Cognition Process of Epidemic Risk and Policy Selection

In the context of Disease X risks, how governments and public health authorities make policy choices in response to potential epidemics has become a topic of increasing concern. The tightness of epidemic prevention policies is related to the effectiveness of the implementation of measures, while the organizational cognition of epidemic risks is related to the rationality of policy choices. During the three years of COVID-19, the Chinese government constantly adjusted the tightness of its prevention policies as awareness of the epidemic risk improved. Therefore, based on the epidemic risk organizational cognition model, the key nodes that affect the tightness of epidemic prevention policies can be explored to find the organizational behavior rules behind the selection of prevention policies. Firstly, through observing the adjustments made to the Chinese government’s prevention strategies during the epidemic, a time-series cross-case comparative analysis reveals how policy tightness shifted from stringent to lenient. This shift coincided with the organizational cognition of epidemic risk evolving from vague to clear. Secondly, by building the “knowledge-cognition” coordinate system to draw the organizational cognition spiral of epidemic risk, it is clear that the changes in the tightness of the prevention policies mainly came from the internalization and externalization of knowledge such as epidemic risk characteristics to promote the level of organizational cognition, which is manifested as expansion and deepening. Thirdly, the node changes in the interaction between organizational cognition development and policy choice proved that different stages of the epidemic had diverse environmental parameters. Moreover, as the epidemic nears its end, the focus of policy tightness is shifting from policy objectives to policy implementation around governance tools. The results indicate that organizational cognition of epidemic risk exhibits significant stages and periodicity. Additionally, epidemic risk characteristics, environmental coupling, and governance tools are crucial factors in determining the tightness of epidemic prevention policies.

Construction and reflections on the disease prevention and control system of aquatic organisms based on management perspective

Disease prevention and control are a crucial aspect of fishery management, as they ensure the sustainability of aquacultural systems. With a specific focus on Shandong Province, China, this study outlines the occurrence of diseases in aquatic organisms. It summarizes dynamics that drive disease prevention and control and supports technology, work mode, and emergency prevention and control. In addition, this study also delves into the role of epidemic prevention and control institutions, the upgrading of the social service of disease prevention systems, and insufficient technical support for new species and models. Overall, the findings outlined in this study are intended to achieve the following aims: enhance organizational management of disease prevention and control, standardize the implementation of social services, improve research into prevention and control technologies, and highlight the importance of information technology in disease prevention and control. Based on practical aquaculture production, our aim is to comprehensively analyze the situation of the construction of a disease prevention and control system, strengthen guidance on epidemic prevention technologies, establish a robust animal epidemic prevention system, and propose development strategies, serving as a reference for competent authorities to enhance the disease prevention and control of aquatic organisms.

The relationship between preschool teachers’ sense of teaching efficacy and turnover intention during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mediation model

ABSTRACT During the COVID-19 pandemic period, preschool teachers experienced a hard time in which they were required to implement relevant epidemic prevention policies to ensure the health of young children, increasing their work engagement, work stress, and turnover intention. This study examined the relationship between Chinese preschool teachers’ sense of teaching efficacy and turnover intention based on the JD-R model, with work engagement and work stress serving as the mediators during the COVID-19 pandemic. Altogether 388 Chinese preschool teachers were recruited and surveyed online. The results indicated that (1) preschool teachers’ teaching efficacy was not associated with turnover intention directly; (2) preschool teachers’ teaching efficacy was associated with turnover intention indirectly through work engagement and work stress. These findings implied that preschool principals should take measures to improve preschool teachers’ teaching efficacy and work engagement, provide support to help them better cope with work stress, leading to decreased turnover intention, and getting through difficult times.

Viral invasion, incubation, and outbreak under the normalized operation of urban systems: a spatial cognition-driven transmission model of infectious diseases

ABSTRACT Large-scale epidemics, such as COVID-19, pose significant threats to human health and social stability due to their rapid and covert transmission, emerging as one of the main challenges to maintaining a well-functioning urban system. During the pandemic, the spatial transmission mechanisms and their influencing factors of infectious diseases have received as a central topic. Scholars concentrated on researching the phase of extensive dissemination and mandatory intervention, utilizing multiple datasets. However, there remains a notable gap in the investigation of virus spatial transmission mechanisms under normalized urban operations due to limitations in detection timeliness and data collection issues. Moreover, compared to various intervention strategies, the influence of human behavioral dynamics and spatial cognition remains understudied. The paper simulates invasion, incubation, and outbreak of the Omicron variant in Zhuhai City in 2022, validating the results against real-world epidemic data. By comparing spatial diffusion patterns under three levels of spatial cognition, it sheds light on the delayed impact of human spatial cognitive abilities on urban pandemic outbreaks and their influence on virus invasion orders. The simulation model and revealed diffusion mechanisms will provide important guidance for the proactive prevention and control of unpredictable large-scale epidemics in future urban systems.

What we learned from the infection control and what we need in the future: A quantitative and qualitative study on hospital infection prevention and control practitioners (HIPCPs) in Tianjin, China

In December 2022, the epidemic prevention and control policy was upgraded, and China entered a different stage of epidemic control. This study aims to identify implications for better infection control and health care supply during the epidemic. A longitudinal quantitative and qualitative study was performed based on 2 comprehensive questionnaire surveys among 497 hospital infection prevention and control practitioners (HIPCPs) before and during the epidemic peak in Tianjin, China. The workload (8.2hours vs 10.14hours, P=0) and self-reported mental health problems (23.5% vs61.8%, P<.05) among the HIPCPs increased significantly in the peak period. Ward reconstruction and resource coordination were the most needed jobs in hospital infection control, and rapidly increased medical waste during the epidemic needs to be considered in advance. Community support for healthcare personnel and their families, maintaining full PPE to reduce simultaneous infection of medical staff, and clinical training of infectious diseases for medical staff, especially doctors, in advance are the most important things we learned. Although it has been 4 years since the first outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019, more improvements should be made to prepare for the next epidemic of potential diseases.

The Impact of Coping Styles on the Mental Health of Outstanding Physical Education Students in Shanghai During the Normalization Epidemic: The Chain Mediation Role of Meaning in Life and Prosocial Behavior.

The continuous spread of the epidemic has inflicted serious harm upon individual's mental well-being, and effective coping mechanisms are associated with positive mental health outcomes. Prosocial behavior and a sense of meaning in life can enhance individuals' subjective well-being, which can subsequently positively impact their mental health. Thus, in the context of epidemic prevention and control, this study investigates the relationship between the meaning in life, prosocial behavior, and coping styles of outstanding physical education students and the impact on their mental health. The study involved a questionnaire survey on 498 outstanding physical education students, consisting of 297 boys (mean age = 13.16) and 201 girls (mean age = 12.87 years). Subsequently, the data was analyzed using the mediating effect and Bootstrap tests. The coping style positively predicted the meaning in life (β=0.294) and prosocial behavior (β=0.293). Conversely, mental health was predicted in a negative direction (β=-0.494). Mental health negatively predicted prosocial behavior (β=-0.810), although prosocial behavior positively predicted meaning in life (β=0.644). Finally, prosocial behavior negatively predicted mental health (β=-0.513). Additionally, the interplay between prosocial behavior and meaning in life is established in terms of both the individual and chain mediating roles. This study demonstrates that coping styles during a normalized epidemic prevention and control situation directly impact the mental health of Shanghai's outstanding physical education students. Additionally, these coping styles indirectly influence mental health through the mediating effects of meaning in life and prosocial behaviors. Furthermore, meaning in life and prosocial behaviors act as chain mediators in this relationship.

Contagion dynamics in time-varying metapopulation networks with node's activity and attractiveness.

The metapopulation network model is a mathematical framework used to study the spatial spread of epidemics with individuals' mobility. In this paper, we develop a time-varying network model in which the activity of a population is correlated with its attractiveness in mobility. By studying the spreading dynamics of the SIR (susceptible-infectious-recovered)-type disease in different correlated networks based on the proposed model, we theoretically derive the mobility threshold and numerically observe that increasing the correction between activity and attractiveness results in a reduced mobility threshold but suppresses the fraction of infected subpopulations. It also introduces greater heterogeneity in the spatial distribution of infected individuals. Additionally, we investigate the impact of nonpharmaceutical interventions on the spread of epidemics in different correlation networks. Our results show that the simultaneous implementation of self-isolation and self-protection is more effective in negatively correlated networks than that in positively correlated or non-correlated networks. Both self-isolation and self-protection strategies enhance the mobility threshold and, thus, slow down the spread of the epidemic. However, the effectiveness of each strategy in reducing the fraction of infected subpopulations varies in different correlated networks. Self-protection is more effective in positively correlated networks, whereas self-isolation is more effective in negatively correlated networks. Our study will provide insights into epidemic prevention and control in large-scale time-varying metapopulation networks.

The views of scientists-police officers on the problem of epidemic prevention

The subject of the study is the provisions formulated by foreign and domestic jurists in the field of policeistics regarding the prevention of epidemic threats. The article provides a comparative legal analysis of the views of cameralist authors on these issues in antithesis with the views of representatives of social Darwinism. The aim of the study is the scientific reconstruction of the political and legal model of the functioning of state power structures, namely the executive and medical police for the prevention of epidemic diseases, presented in the works of scientists-police officers of the late XVIII – early XX centuries. Abstraction, comparative legal and content analysis were chosen as the methods of study, with the help of which the works of political scientists were studied. The scope of application of the results and their novelty lies in the awareness of the value of the accumulated social and state-legal experience in the prevention of various kinds of epidemics. In the context of the emergence of a new coronavirus infection, the problem of determining and promptly applying a set of effective anti–epidemic measures has become particularly acute, many of which had deep historical roots and were reanimated as living conditions and everyday life, on the one hand, and the imperious dictates of the state, on the other. The conclusions and results of the work were accumulated on the basis of studying the works of representatives of the science of the police state and law. It was revealed that the stated problems are historically imperishable. The complex of preventive measures of an anti-epidemic nature was developed which historically spontaneously and entered into the usual norms of everyday life in Russia since ancient times. Since the XIV century, all kinds of quarantine and other restrictive measures have been taken to counteract mass diseases. At the same time, these diverse measures had a common focus despite the various sources of origin and development.

A face recognition and temperature compensation system based on Raspberry Pi

Abstract In the post-epidemic era, for quickly and accurately screening people with abnormal body temperature in small crowds and providing efficient methods for epidemic control, a multi-functional identification thermometer was designed and produced. The device uses the Raspberry PI GIS camera to accurately locate the face and identify the identity information of the measured person. The device uses the AMG8833 infrared array thermal sensor for infrared temperature measurement and the HC-SR04 ultrasonic ranging module for temperature compensation. Through multiple temperature compensation experiments, the measurement error is maintained between ±0.2°C. Based on the mathematical model of temperature compensation, the device can match the identity of people with abnormal body temperature through the database. The research results show that the device is of great significance for improving the efficiency of epidemic prevention and management cost control.

Investigating the influence of risk perception on females’ public service motivation during public health emergencies

Since the inception of Public Service Motivation (PSM) by Perry and Wise, substantial research has been conducted in this domain. However, there is a dearth of scholarly investigation into the impact of changing public service environments, specifically the perception of workplace risk, on public service motivation. Recent public health crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have necessitated significant changes in frontline public employees’ work environments. As they frequently engage in epidemic prevention and control activities, which entail direct exposure to the virus, their motivation may fluctuate based on their perceived risks. Female employees, in particular, facing the dual pressures of work and family responsibilities, are more prone to being affected. Drawing upon the human behavioral motivation and Stress-Strain-Outcome framework, this study examines the influence mechanism of risk perception on public service motivation among 214 female employees who participated in epidemic control during the 2022 lockdown period in Shanghai. As the findings indicate, risk perception detrimentally affects their public service motivation both directly and indirectly through emotional exhaustion or anxiety-emotional exhaustion dual mediation, whereas anxiety does not mediate such a relationship. The study’s theoretical significance lies in its potential to broaden the scope of antecedent research on public service motivation and address the research gap about the mechanisms through which risk perception influences public service motivation during public health emergencies. Practically, these insights may assist public organizations in mitigating the adverse effects of risk perception, thereby enhancing their employees’ well-being and service effectiveness.