Health Protection Measures Research Articles

Influencing the attitude towards hand hygiene and face masks by pathogen visualisation during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Pupils need to develop habits of using self-protective and non-pharmaceutical measures in the face of health-threatening conditions. This study set out to investigate pupils’ attitudes towards health-protective measures, such as handwashing and face masks, during the COVID-19 pandemic and compared their connotative meanings after experiencing GloGermTM activities, which visualise the micro world and the way microorganisms spread. The study involved 241 students aged 11–15 who completed a semantic differential before and after participating in practical activities. Factor analysis and non-parametric tests were used to characterise and identify shifts in the pupils’ attitudes. The findings show a noticeable shift in attitude, particularly among girls, towards wearing face masks. The factors identified include connotative meanings such as giving credit to potency, achieving quick results, acknowledging purpose, experiencing uncertainty before the intervention, and evaluating the purpose after the intervention. Personal comfort was also identified as a factor that persisted before and after the intervention. Infectious diseases and pandemic awareness are crucial in today’s world and will remain so in the future. We believe that modelling safe experiences with potential pathogens, particularly in promoting healthy behaviours, can reduce health threats. The results indicate that such an approach has the potential to influence attitudes.

Post–crises capability development – the silver lining: learning from e-tailers’ adaptation to greater protection needs

Purpose This study draws lessons from e-tailer adaptations to the enhanced protection needs of employees and customers and capability development, during events such as social distancing causing crises (SDCC) and provides a conceptual framework. Design/methodology/approach A grounded theory-based approach has been used wherein 130 news articles and 48 journal papers were analyzed to understand the real-world measures and impact. Findings E-tailers adapt to provide their workforce an environment that caters to their increased need for physical and mental well-being and take measures for customers health protection. They also take initiatives toward mitigation of the high incidence of cyber fraud faced by the vulnerable customers. In the process, they develop several capabilities during and post-crises. Research limitations/implications The study focuses only on the impact of COVID-19 on e-tailing. This is a limitation and other industries and crises may be studied in the future. Practical implications The study holds significant potential for future research as the three research propositions offered can enable hypothesis generation for larger quantitative studies. The adaptation to the enhanced protection needs of employees and customers result in the development of several capabilities such as a more equitable work environment, a more loyal, productive and adaptable workforce, increased customer retention and acquisition and a better image. Hence this study has several organizational development practical implications as it provides managers lessons to survive and thrive from future crises. Originality/value Few studies have investigated e-tailers adaptations for enhanced protection needs of employees and customers and its impact during and after SDCC. This empirical study extends a body of literature which is scarce.

School teachers’ perceptions of intersectoral working with health in the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the challenge for teachers to integrate protective health measures into their academic daily responsibilities. The aim of this abstract is to analyse how school teachers’ views on intersectoral collaboration with health professionals during COVID-19 vary by country, seeking insights for future directions. Methods In 2021, an online survey was conducted in 6 languages with education and health professionals, followed by optional online semi-structured interviews. We explored the: 1-effect of the pandemic on schools/pupils/teachers; 2-reorganisation of schools; 3-experience of implementing infection control measures in schools; 4-intersectoral working; 5-important resources for keeping schools open. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and translated into English. Analysis of a survey question seeking professionals’ rating of intersectoral working led to a directed content analysis of transcripts and free-text survey responses regarding intersectoral working experiences. Results Data were analysed from 1046 school teacher survey responses from 6 countries/territories and 21 follow-up interviews. Ratings varied considerably across countries. A large majority of teachers in Taipei (83%) reported excellent or good collaboration with health professionals, about half in China (53%) and Portugal (51%), and far fewer in Brazil (38%), Morocco (29%) and France (15%). Taipei respondents cited the key role of school nurses as a positive factor; others added clear national guidelines and local protocols. Negative ratings related to health professionals’ rare visits or absence. Conclusions The direct support of health professionals in schools was offered as explanation for teachers’ positive ratings of intersectoral working in the pandemic. Policy and practice varied geographically; thus, understanding contextual factors that influence the effectiveness of intersectoral working in schools is crucial to orient future public health strategies. Key messages • This highlights the importance of understanding contextual factors that influence the effectiveness of intersectoral working in implementing protective health measures in schools. • This suggests that policy support and the presence of dedicated health personnel within schools play a pivotal role in ensuring effective collaboration between the education and health sectors.

Health perceptions of adverse weather in older adults in England: analysis of 2019/20 survey data.

Risks to older adults (OA) (aged 65+ years) associated with hot and cold weather in the UK are well-documented. The study aim is to explore OA perception of health risks from high and low temperatures, health-protective measures undertaken, and implications for public health messaging. In 2019/20, Ipsos MORI conducted face-to-face surveys with OA in England (n = 461 cold weather survey, n = 452 hot weather survey). Participants reported temperature-related symptoms, risk perceptions for different groups, and behaviours during hot and cold weather. Analysis involved binomial logistic regression models to assess potential factors (demographics, vulnerability, behaviours) associated with older adults' health risk perception in hot and cold weather. Less than half of OA in both surveys agreed that hot or cold weather posed a risk to their health. OA with higher education, annual income >£25000 or home ownership were less likely to perceive their health at risk during cold weather and regional differences in hot weather were identified. OA who recognized those the same age or living alone as at an increased risk were more likely to perceive their own health as at risk. OA were more likely to self-identify health risks when reporting those aged 65 yrs+ to be at an increased risk in cold weather. Various temperature-related protective behaviours were associated with older adults' risk perception in hot and cold weather. These findings provide evidence for public health agencies to target high risk individuals, and modify temperature-related public health messaging to protect OA.

Environmental Health Attitudes, Practices, and Educational Preferences: A National Survey of Reproductive-Aged Women in Canada

Prenatal exposures to environmental toxicants can adversely affect fetal and child development and lead to increased risk of chronic disease. While regulatory action is essential to reduce sources of environmental toxicants, prenatal care presents an opportunity to educate, mobilize, and support prospective parents to reduce exposures to such hazards. As the first phase of an interdisciplinary research collaboration to inform the development of prenatal environmental health education strategy in Canada, we surveyed reproductive-aged female individuals. The online survey (July–September 2021) yielded a nationally representative sample of 1914 reproductive-aged females living in Canada. The questionnaire topics addressed the respondents’ knowledge and perceptions of environmental health risks, preventive actions and related facilitators and barriers, information sources and preferences, reproductive history, and demographics. The analysis included bivariate and multivariate techniques. Our results suggest broad awareness among reproductive-aged females that exposure to toxicants can be harmful, and that reducing prenatal exposures can benefit child health. However, fewer than half of respondents felt that they had enough knowledge to take protective measures. Despite high levels of preference for prenatal care as an ideal context for learning about environmental health risks and protective measures, fewer than one in four respondents had ever discussed environmental health concerns with a healthcare provider. Our findings reveal a knowledge–action gap and a corresponding opportunity to improve environmental health education and advocacy in prenatal care in the Canadian context.

Ergonomic optimization in forestry harvesting: analysis of indicators and workstation layout for machine operators

The planted tree sector in Brazil plays a significant role in the national economy, driven by technological advancements in forestry machines, especially in harvesting. The interaction between operators and machines has become essential for improving performance and ensuring occupational health. This study analyzed forest harvesting machine operators, focusing on anthropometric surveys and proposing indicators for ergonomic satisfaction and cabin layout. Conducted between May 2022 and July 2023 in a northeastern Brazilian forestry company, data were collected during mechanized harvesting of a six-year-old Eucalyptus spp. stand using the cut-to-length system. A questionnaire was applied to 111 employees to assess their ergonomic satisfaction and health. Two indices were created: the Ergonomic Satisfaction Coefficient and the Occupational Health Coefficient. The anthropometric analysis evaluated operators’ percentiles and BMI, revealing that 77.77% were overweight, highlighting the need for health protection measures. The ergonomic indices proved effective in assessing operator satisfaction. The study also determined an adequate workstation layout for the sample group. From the Ergonomic Work Analysis perspective, FW2 and HV3 machines received a good rating based on the adopted parameters.

Unraveling the nexus: exploring the interplay of mass media, personality traits and social norms in fostering protective behavior against smog

Purpose The rise in industrialization, economic development and urbanization has altered the composition of atmospheric air. Air pollutants have significantly impacted Pakistan's urban areas, resulting in the lowest air quality index readings. To understand disinclined behavior such as using air purifiers and wearing masks, this study aims to explore the relationship between individual personality traits and mass media effects. Design/methodology/approach This study used a cross-sectional survey with a model based on previous theories. Data from 2,000 adults were self-administered and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings PLS-SEM confirmed six hypotheses, revealing mass media's direct and mediating roles in promoting critical psychological perceptions for protective behavior. The empirical results indicate that neuroticism, agreeableness and openness traits reinforce adherence behavior by intensifying threat perception. Practical implications This paper highlights significant implications for media campaign planners and provides more precise and comprehensive theoretical guidance. In the context of environmental challenges like smog, the findings illustrate how an understanding of personality traits can improve the efficacy of public health interventions through adherence to behaviors like mask-wearing and air purifier use. Addressing individual psychological characteristics when creating mass media campaigns to encourage public adherence to health protection measures related to environmental hazards. Originality/value Despite health campaigns and awareness, public compliance with measures like mask-wearing and air purifier use remains minimal. This study explores untapped mass media effects based on individual personality traits to understand this behavior.

Machine learning driven image segmentation and shape clustering of algal microscopic images obtained from various water types

Algae and cyanobacteria are microorganisms found in almost all fresh and marine waters, where they can pose environmental and public health risks when they grow excessively and produce blooms. Accurate identification and quantification of these microorganisms are vital for ecological research, water quality monitoring, and public health safety. However, traditional methods of manually counting and morphologically identifying these microorganisms are time-consuming and prone to human error. Application of the machine learning-driven Fast Segment Anything Model (FastSAM), an image segmentation model, automates and potentially enhances the accuracy and efficiency of cell identification and enumeration from microscopic images. We assessed FastSAM for algal cell image segmentation, and three clustering evaluation metrics. Segmentation of microscopic images of algal and cyanobacterial cells in water and treated wastewater samples using the FastSAM algorithm, which is a Vision Transformer (ViT) based algorithm that utilizes a compact ViT encoder, demonstrated benefits and challenges of this machine learning driven image processing. Notably, the pre-trained algorithm segmented entire elements in all microscopic images used in this study. Depending on the shape, 50–100 % similarity was observed between machine-based segmentation and manual validation of all segmented elements, with 100 % of single cells being correctly segmented by FastSAM. The performance of clustering metrics varied between 57–94 % with the Spectral Angle Mapper achieving the most accurate performance, 84–94 %, compared to the manually chosen clustering benchmarks. Cyanobacterial and algal communities are biologically diverse and have ecological significance. The application of image clustering techniques in studying their cell shapes marks an important advancement in microbial ecology and environmental monitoring. As technology progresses, these methods will become increasingly utilised to decipher the complex roles that algae and cyanobacteria play in our ecosystems supporting mitigation and public health protection measures.

The impact of national strategies for preserving reproductive health on the improvement of the demographic situation in Ukraine

Strategic documents on reproductive health (RH) determine the priority of this component of the general state of the population health in any country, as well as through separate targeted measures – the impact on demographic trends. In particular, measures to respect woman’s rights to protect her health, to exercise reproductive rights, to give birth to a healthy child in decent conditions, and to provide access to preventive and medical-diagnostic technologies.The health status of the population, especially its positive trends, in turn affects the provision of favorable demographic prospects of the country and is an important component of the formation of its demographic potential.The objective: to study the dependence of the state of the population RH in Ukraine on the influence of program strategic measures on its main indicators.Materials and methods. Bibliosemantic, analytical, statistical and conceptual methods were used during the research. The research period is 2002–2023.Results. According to the results of the conducted research on the trends in the state of RH in women in Ukraine, it was established that it has an unsatisfactory character in terms of its main indicators: against the background of positive changes sexually transmitted infections are quite common; regulation of the birth rate in the country takes place by terminating unwanted pregnancies; the unsatisfactory state of health of pregnant women affects the health and life of newborns; the negative dynamics of complicated births and their adverse consequences lead to maternal and infant losses.The social and economic situation of women in Ukraine, the unsatisfactory state of health care and the level of women’s well-being and their integration into social and political and economic life (Ukraine currently ranks 117th place among 177 countries in the world) lead to an annual decrease in the birth rate and negative demographic trends.The results of the study on the presence and impact of domestic strategies on improving the RH state showed that they have not been developed in Ukraine today, despite the recommendations of ratified international strategic documents. Moreover, the analyzed domestic strategies for influencing the RH state with sufficient state funding and political support of power structures in 1995–2015 proved their effectiveness in achieving positive trends both in terms of RH indicators and demographic processes.Conclusions. The conducted research indicates the need to develop a domestic cross-sectoral strategic document at the national level with comprehensive reproductive health protection measures and conditions for its implementation in order to improve the demographic prospects of Ukraine.

Future temperature-related mortality in the UK under climate change scenarios: Impact of population ageing and bias-corrected climate projections

BackgroundExposure to heat and cold poses a serious threat to human health. In the UK, hotter summers, milder winters and an ageing population will shift how populations experience temperature-related health burdens. Estimating future burdens can provide insights on the drivers of temperature-related health effects and removing biases in temperature projections is an essential step to generating these estimates, however, the impact of various methods of correction is not well examined. MethodsWe conducted a detailed health impact assessment by estimating mortality attributable to temperature at a baseline period (2007–2018) and in future decades (2030s, 2050s and 2070s). Epidemiological exposure-response relationships were derived for all England regions and UK countries, to quantify cold and heat risk, and temperature thresholds where mortality increases. UK climate projections 2018 (UKCP18)were bias-corrected using three techniques: correcting for mean bias (shift or SH), variability (bias-correction or BC) and extreme values (quantile mapping or QM). These were applied in the health impact assessment, alongside consideration of population ageing and growth to estimate future temperature-related mortality. FindingsIn the absence of adaptation and assuming a high-end emissions scenario (RCP8.5), annual UK temperature-related mortality is projected to increase, with substantial differences in raw vs. calibrated projections for heat-related mortality, but smaller differences for cold-related mortality. The BC approach gave an estimated 29 deaths per 100,000 in the 2070s, compared with 50 per 100,000 using uncorrected future temperatures. We also found population ageing may exert a bigger impact on future mortality totals than the impact from future increases in temperature alone. Estimating future health burdens associated with heat and cold is an important step towards equipping decision-makers to deliver suitable care to the changing population. Correcting inherent biases in temperature projections can improve the accuracy of projected health burdens to support health protection measures and long-term resilience planning.

Direct Losses and Media Exposure to Death: The Long-Term Effect of Mourning during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The social distancing policies adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic forced many individuals to confront their mortality and worry about losing loved ones, making it impossible to say goodbye to them properly. Those not directly experiencing loss were inundated with information about COVID-19-related deaths throughout social media, leading to vicarious grief. This study delved into the long-term effects of direct and vicarious mourning on people's mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A sample of 171 adults (65% female) aged 19-66 years (Mage = 25.8, SD = 8.57) voluntarily participated in an online survey assessing self-reported psychological measures of complicated grief, stress, depression, dispositional neuroticism, trait anxiety, and situational anxiety. Results: MANOVAs revealed that direct mourning experiences had an extremely severe impact on anxiety, stress, and fear of COVID-19, and a moderate effect on those without personal losses. Indeed, participants reporting high media exposure showed higher scores of depression and stress. Conclusions: Findings from the current study displayed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, people engaged more in proximal defenses than distal ones, taking health-protective measures, experiencing increased anxiety levels toward virus infection, and feeling distressed. Additionally, vicarious mourning was more strongly associated with depression due to emotional empathy with others.

Oligomycin-producing Streptomyces sp. newly isolated from Swiss soils efficiently protect Arabidopsis thaliana against Botrytis cinerea.

This study reports the isolation of new Streptomyces strains with strong plant-protective potential mediated by their production of specialized metabolites. Using the broad host range pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea, we demonstrate that the cell-free filtrate of selected Streptomyces isolates efficiently inhibits different developmental stages of the fungus, including mycelial growth and the epidemiologically relevant spore germination. Beyond in vitro experiments, the strains and their metabolites also efficiently protected plants against the disease caused by this pathogen. This work further identifies oligomycins as active compounds involved in the observed antifungal activity of the strains. This work shows that we can harness the natural ability of soil-borne microbes and of their metabolites to efficiently fight other microbes responsible for significant crop losses. This opens the way to the development of environmentally friendly health protection measures for crops of agronomical relevance, based on these newly isolated strains or their metabolic extracts containing oligomycins.

Post-Pandemic Evolution of Suicide Risk in Children and Adolescents Attending a General Hospital Accident and Emergency Department.

Lockdowns and other health protective measures, such as social distancing, imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic nurtured unprecedented levels of stress and social isolation around the world. This scenario triggered an increase in suicide thoughts and self-harm behaviours among children and young people. However, the longer-term impact of the pandemic on children's and adolescents' mental health, especially with regard to self-harm, is still to be fully discovered. We carried out a retrospective study where we collected data related to suicide ideation and self-harm behaviours in all patients aged under 18 that required on-call psychiatric services at the General Hospital Accident and Emergency (A&E) department in Salamanca, Spain, during 2019 (pre-pandemic) and in both 2021 and 2022 to capture possible variation at different time points during the post-pandemic period. A total of 316 patients aged under 18 were seen by on-call psychiatric services at the A&E department during the three time periods: 78 in 2019, 98 in 2021 and 140 in 2022. The mean age was 15.12 (SD 2.25) and females represented more than twice the number of males each year. More than half of all patients assessed during 2022 disclosed suicide thoughts, whilst in 2019, it was near 25%. This increase in suicide ideation rates was more marked among females (X2 = 15.127; p = 0.001), those aged over 15 (X2 = 16.437; p < 0.001) and/or those with a previous history of mental health problems (X2 = 17.823; p < 0.001). We identified an increase in the proportion of males with suicide ideas, especially between 2021 and 2022 (X2 = 8.396; p = 0.015). Our study suggests that children's and adolescents' demand for urgent mental healthcare and their clinical presentations in A&E departments with suicide thoughts and/or self-injuries do not seem to be declining after the pandemic but increasing over time. More research is warranted to understand possible factors involved in this sustained upward trend.

Factors That Impact Sexual Minority Adolescents' Mental Health and Possible Protective Measures

The article offers an in-depth exploration of the challenges and mental health disparities encountered by sexual minority youth. It underscores the widespread discrimination and prejudice these individuals face in various settings, including family dynamics and educational environments. The study highlights the adverse impact of societal discrimination and the lack of support on the mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being of sexual minority youth. Key findings reveal increased levels of stress, mental health disorders, and a higher likelihood of suicide attempts among these groups, emphasizing the critical need for systemic changes and targeted interventions. In conclusion, the article urges concerted efforts from all sectors of society to tackle the challenges faced by sexual minority youth. The implementation of comprehensive, evidence-based interventions and policies that foster acceptance, inclusivity, and support is essential for their mental health and well-being. The ultimate aim is to cultivate an environment where sexual minority youth feel valued, accepted, and supported, thereby contributing to a healthier and more inclusive society.

Assessment of antibiotic-resistant infection risks associated with reclaimed wastewater irrigation in intensive tomato cultivation

Agricultural irrigation using reclaimed urban wastewater (RWW) represents a sustainable practice to meet the ever-increasing water stress in modern societies. However, the occurrence of residual antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) in RWW is an important human health concern. This study applied for the first time a novel Simple-Death dose-response model to the field data of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas spp. collected from three greenhouses for cultivation of tomatoes irrigated with RWW. The model estimates the risk of infection by enteropathogenic E. coli associated with consumption of tomatoes and the risk of eye-infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cultivation soil through hand-to-eye contacts. The fraction of antibiotic resistant (AR)-E. coli measured in irrigation water and AR-Pseudomonas spp. in soil was incorporated in the model to estimate the survival of ARB and antibiotic susceptible bacteria in the presence of trace level of antibiotics in human body. The results showed that the risk of E. coli infection through consumption of tomatoes irrigated with RWW is within the WHO and USEPA recommended risk threshold (<10−4); Pseudomonas aeruginosa eye-infection risk is at or below the acceptable risk level. The presence of residual antibiotic in human body reduced the overall risk probabilities of infections but selectively enhanced the survival of ARB in comparison to their susceptible counterparts, which resulted in antibiotic untreatable infection. Therefore, the outcomes of this study call for a new risk threshold for antibiotic untreatable infections and highlight the key importance of adopting work safety measures for better human health protection.

Risk perception as a motivational resource during the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of vaccination status and emerging variants

BackgroundPeople’s perceived risk of being infected and having severe illness was conceived as a motivational source of adherence to behavioral measures during the COVID-19 crisis.MethodsWe used online self-reported data, spanning 20 months of the COVID-19 crisis in Belgium (n = 221,791; 34.4% vaccinated; July 2020 - March 2022) to study the association between risk perception and motivation.ResultsBoth perceived infection probability and severity fluctuated across time as a function of the characteristics of emerging variants, with unvaccinated persons perceiving decreasingly less risk compared to vaccinated ones. Perceived severity (and not perceived probability) was the most critical predictor of autonomous motivation for adherence to health-protective measures, a pattern observed at both the between-day and between-person level among both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. An integrated process model further indicated that on days with higher hospitalization load, participants reported being more adherent because risk severity and autonomous motivation for adherence were more elevated on these days.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that risk severity served as a critical and dynamic resource for adherence to behavioral measures because it fostered greater autonomous regulation.

Influent wastewater analysis to investigate emerging trends of new psychoactive substances use in Europe

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) can provide objective and timely information on the use of new psychoactive substances (NPS), originally designed as legal alternatives of internationally controlled drugs. NPS have rapidly emerged on the global drug market, posing a challenge to drug policy and constituting a risk to public health. In this study, a WBE approach was applied to monitor the use of more than 300 NPS, together with fentanyl and its main metabolite norfentanyl, in influent wastewater collected from 12 European cities during March-June 2021. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of NPS in composite 24 h influent wastewater samples were based on solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. In-sample stability tests demonstrated the suitability of most investigated biomarkers, except for a few synthetic opioids, synthetic cannabinoids and phenetylamines. Fentanyl, norfentanyl and eight NPS were quantified in influent wastewater and at least three substances were found in each city, demonstrating their use in Europe. N,N-dimethyltryptamine and 3-methylmethcathinone (3-MMC) were the most common NPS found, with the latter having the highest mass loads (up to 24.8 mg/day/1000 inhabitants). Seven additional substances, belonging to five categories of NPS, were identified in different cities. Spatial trends of NPS use were observed between cities and countries, and a changing weekly profile of use was observed for 3-MMC. WBE is a useful tool to rapidly evaluate emerging trends of NPS use, complementing common indicators (i.e. population surveys, seizures) and helping to establish measures for public health protection.

Technical note: Accurate, reliable, and high-resolution air quality predictions by improving the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service using a novel statistical post-processing method

Abstract. Starting from the regional air quality forecasts produced by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), we propose a novel post-processing approach to improve and downscale results on a finer scale. Our approach is based on the combination of ensemble model output statistics (EMOS) with a spatio-temporal interpolation process performed through the stochastic partial differential equation–integrated nested laplace approximation (SPDE-INLA). Our interpolation approach includes several spatial and spatio-temporal predictors, including meteorological variables. A use case is provided that scales down the CAMS forecasts on the Italian peninsula. The calibration is focused on the concentrations of several air quality pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, and O3) at a daily resolution from a set of 750 monitoring sites, distributed throughout the Italian country. Our results show the key role that conditioning variables play in improving the forecast capabilities of ensemble predictions, thus allowing for a net improvement in the calibration with respect to ordinary EMOS strategies. From a deterministic point of view, the performance of the predictive model shows a significant improvement in the performance of the raw ensemble forecast, with an almost-zero bias, significantly reduced root mean square errors, and correlations that are almost always higher than 0.9 for each pollutant; moreover, the post-processing approach is able to significantly improve the prediction of exceedances, even for very low thresholds, such as those recently recommended by the World Health Organisation. This is particularly significant if a forecasting approach is used to predict air quality conditions and plan adequate human health protection measures, even for low alert thresholds. From a probabilistic point of view, the quality of the forecast was verified in terms of reliability and credible intervals. After post-processing, the predictive probability density functions were sharp and much better calibrated than the raw ensemble forecast. Finally, we present some additional results based on a set of gridded (4 km × 4 km) maps covering the entire Italian country for the detection of areas where pollution peaks occur (exceedances of the current and/or proposed regulatory thresholds).

Protecting mass-gathering events in a pandemic with testing tracks and transparent information: an experimental study with festival guests

Objective. To enable future open-air festivals during a pandemic, model festivals tested restricted access and behavioural rules to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmissions. However, the uptake of health-protective measures depends on informed acceptance, meaning people are more likely to follow measures if they understand their effectiveness and related disease risks. Design and main outcome measures. With a series of online surveys, we studied risk perceptions of 6,500 festival guests and the association of perceived effectiveness of protective behaviours with reported compliance. In a scenario-based online experiment (N = 1,958) among festival guests, we tested the effect of informing transparently about the risk-reducing potential of protective measures at festivals on the intention to attend hypothetical events. Results. We found that guests tended to overestimate infection risks while still perceiving them as low. Self-reported mask wearing and distancing at and around the festivals could not be associated with the understanding of the measures’ effectiveness. However, in addition to protective measures themselves, providing transparent information about their absolute risk-reducing effect increased intentions to attend festivals that employ varying protective measures. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that the acceptance of protected festivals can be influenced by transparent information about the effectiveness of protective measures. This calls for further research on evidence-based public health communications to improve their impact.

The emergence of COVID-19 over-concern immediately after the cancelation of the measures adopted by the dynamic zero-COVID policy in China.

This study aimed to report the prevalence of COVID-19 over-concern and its associated factors after the relaxation of the health-protective measures in China. A team of seven experts in psychiatry and psychology specializing in COVID-19 mental health research from China, Hong Kong, and overseas reached a consensus on the diagnostic criteria for COVID-19 over-concern. Individuals had to meet at least five of the following criteria: (1) at least five physical symptoms; (2) stocking up at least five items related to protecting oneself during the COVID-19 pandemic; (3) obsessive-compulsive symptoms related to the COVID-19 pandemic; (4) illness anxiety related to the COVID-19 pandemic; (5) post-traumatic stress symptoms; (6) depression; (7) anxiety; (8) stress and (9) insomnia. An online survey using snowball sampling collected data on demographics, medical history, views on COVID-19 policies, and symptoms of COVID-19 over-concern. Multivariate linear regression was performed using significant variables from the previous regressions as independent variables against the presence of COVID-19 over-concern as the dependent variable. Breush-Pagan test was used to assess each regression model for heteroskedasticity of residuals. 1,332 respondents from 31 regions in China participated in the study for 2 weeks from December 25 to 27, 2022, after major changes in the zero-COVID policy. After canceling measures associated with the dynamic zero-COVID policy, 21.2% of respondents fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for COVID-19 over-concern. Factors significantly associated with COVID-19 over-concern were poor self-rated health status (β = 0.07, p < 0.001), concerns about family members getting COVID-19 (β = 0.06, p < 0.001), perceived usefulness of COVID-19 vaccine (β = 0.03, p = 0.012), impact on incomes, employment and studies (β = 0.045, p < 0.001) and impact on families (β = 0.03, p = 0.01). After removing measures associated with the dynamic zero-COVID policy in China, approximately one-fifth of respondents met the diagnostic criteria for COVID-19 over-concern.