Quarantine System Research Articles

SARS-CoV-2 Infection Risk Imposed by Fully-vaccinated Air Travelers Attending an Island-confined Quarantine System Enabling Tourism During the Pandemic: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

This study aimed to identify the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among fully vaccinated air travelers participating in an island-confined quarantine system (Phuket Sandbox Program). It also compared the differential risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection across different COVID-19 vaccines and the difference in time-to-detection periods between asymptomatic and symptomatic cases. This retrospective cohort study determined the cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among 63,052 air travelers who participated in a quarantine program from July 1 to October 31, 2021. Using Poisson regression with robust standard errors, we estimated the relative risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection across different brands and types of COVID-19 vaccines, adjusting for relevant covariates. We visualized the time-to-detection periods for SARS-CoV-2 infection using Kaplan-Meier failure curves and compared these curves for asymptomatic and symptomatic travelers using the log-rank test. The overall incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 0.3%. Individuals vaccinated with Ad26.COV2.S, Gam-COVID-Vac, CoronaVac, and replicating viral vector vaccines faced a significantly higher risk of infection than those who received the BNT162b2 and mRNA vaccines. The time-to-detection periods for asymptomatic and symptomatic cases did not differ significantly. Despite the relatively low risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, a risk of breakthrough cases remained with certain vaccines. Given the high proportion of asymptomatic cases, quarantine and intermittent testing should be implemented. The mandatory quarantine system proved effective in managing positive cases without necessitating a complete shutdown of travel. Implementing an island quarantine could be a viable strategy for reintroducing travel and tourism during a future COVID-19 outbreak or a new pandemic.

The establishment, development and change to the modern quarantine system at Swatow seaport

The right of seaports to quarantine in modern China was lost to western colonists in the 1880s. The establishment of the quarantine system at Swatow seaport made Swatow the first city in modern Guangdong to have such a system. This paper examines the content and development of the quarantine system at Swatow seaport and found the two main periods of the quarantine system development. 1883 -1926 was the period for the preliminary development of the quarantine system, which was under the management of the westerners. 1926 - 1949 was the period when it was regained by the then Chinese government but it was caught in a bid of multiple political powers before new China evolved. In such a process of power shifts and system changes, the benefits to the public were not valued and guaranteed. The development history of the quarantine system in modern Swatow seaport in the Republic of China Period mirrored the development of the quarantine system in China at that time.

Меры российских властей по развитию здравоохранения на Северо-Западном Кавказе в 20–30-е годы XIX века

The measures taken by Russian authorities to solve epidemic problems in the North-West Caucasus in the 1820s-1830s are considered. The landscape and climate features of the region, the difficulties of acclimatization of the personnel of the Russian Army, and the unstable military and political situation hindered the development of healthcare in this territory. The losses of the Russian Army personnel from diseases were greater than on the battlefields. To overcome the difficulties that arose, the authorities took a set of measures aimed at creating medical institutions, pharmacies, and a quarantine system. Methods for disease prevention were developed and implemented. First of all, attention was paid to sanitary and hygienic procedures, nutrition appropriate to the needs of a weakened organism, introduction of clothing and footwear suitable for the local climate. An extensive network of quarantine outposts was created to prevent the spread of epidemics. Doctors were sent to the region to provide assistance to those in need, regardless of their nationality. All this made it possible, if not to completely normalize the epidemiological situation, then to significantly reduce the risk of the spread of virulent diseases.

Biosecurity practices in the dairy farms of southern Brazil.

Biosecurity refers to a set of practices that prevents and/or controls the introduction, spread, and elimination of harmful biological agents in a production system. In this study, we aimed to survey the biosecurity practices and determine their correlation with the size of production systems. A biosecurity assessment form was provided to 69 farms in the Campos Gerais region of Paraná, Brazil. The questionnaire was divided into two sections: general and bovine viral diarrhea virus- and bovine herpesvirus type-1-specific sections. The general section covered topics on traffic control, quarantine and animal isolation, hygiene practices, carcass disposal, and disease monitoring/control. The specific section consisted of questions on the reproductive and respiratory factors, use of antimicrobials, and vaccination schedule. The 69 farms were also classified into small (≤ 61), medium (62-201), and large (≥ 202) size farms based on the number of lactating cows. Moreover, multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was performed between the biosecurity measures and farm size. The main risk factors and variability were related to the traffic control of people, animals, and vehicles/equipment, animal quarantine/isolation, and hygiene practices. MCA revealed that the small farms exhibited a lack of biosecurity measures, including those related to traffic control, animal quarantine, and hygiene. In medium-size farms, contact between bovine animals of different ages and difficulty in animal isolation in the quarantine system were among the main risk factors. In contrast, isolation of sick animals was easy, but the need to frequently purchase cattle was an important risk factor in large farms. These results highlight the relationship between biosecurity measures and farm size, providing valuable insights for the development of better biosecurity plans for production systems.

Estimating the impact of test–trace–isolate–quarantine systems on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in Australia

Background:Australian states and territories used test–trace–isolate–quarantine (TTIQ) systems extensively in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021. We report on an analysis of Australian case data to estimate the impact of test–trace–isolate–quarantine systems on SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Methods:Our analysis uses a novel mathematical modelling framework and detailed surveillance data on COVID-19 cases including dates of infection and dates of isolation. First, we directly translate an empirical distribution of times from infection to isolation into reductions in potential for onward transmission during periods of relatively low caseloads (tens to hundreds of reported cases per day). We then apply a simulation approach, validated against case data, to assess the impact of case-initiated contact tracing on transmission during a period of relatively higher caseloads and system stress (up to thousands of cases per day). Results:We estimate that under relatively low caseloads in the state of New South Wales (tens of cases per day), TTIQ contributed to a 54% reduction in transmission. Under higher caseloads in the state of Victoria (hundreds of cases per day), TTIQ contributed to a 42% reduction in transmission. Our results also suggest that case-initiated contact tracing can support timely quarantine in times of system stress (thousands of cases per day). Conclusion:Contact tracing systems for COVID-19 in Australia were highly effective and adaptable in supporting the national suppression strategy from 2020–21, prior to the emergence of the Omicron variant in November 2021. TTIQ systems were critical to the maintenance of the strong suppression strategy and were more effective when caseloads were (relatively) low.

Analysis of Prevention, Detection, and Response Measures of Major Infectious Diseases by Modern Chinese Seaport Quarantine Institutions: A Case Study of Modern Tianjin Seaport Quarantine

During the late Qing Dynasty, Tianjin Customs gradually established the seaport quarantine system to prevent the spread of epidemics from Japan, Hong Kong, and the Northeast. The major infectious diseases inspected by the quarantine institution of Tianjin Port include cholera, plague, smallpox, typhus and yellow fever, of which cholera is the most frequent and influential infectious disease in modern Tianjin, followed by plague and smallpox, and no large-scale epidemics of typhus and yellow fever have been found.In the process of preventing the spreading of foreign infectious diseases, the quarantine institution of Tianjin Port has gradually developing. A set of business system has been established, which is based on ship inspection and takes preventive injection, rat flea research and disease diagnosis and treatment as the core.In conclusion,the seaport quarantine institutions in Tianjin played an active role in the prevention, detection, and response to major infectious diseases ,opened up a precedent for Chinese people to independently handle border health quarantine.Its historical practice and quarantine mode are a window for understanding the development history of quarantine infectious diseases in modern China, which has very important reference value.

Analysis of Livestock Mobility and Implications for the Risk of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Spread in Iran

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is endemic in Iran and associated with a large impact on the livestock industry. Livestock mobility is recognized as one of the most important risk factors for FMD and other infectious livestock diseases’ introduction and dissemination. The description of temporal and spatial aspects of livestock mobility networks in Iran provides insights into FMD epidemiology. It also assists in the formulation of recommendations to mitigate the risk of animal disease transmission through livestock movements. This study is the first spatiotemporal description of official/registered cattle, sheep, goat, and camel movements in Iran, using records related to the period from March 2020 to August 2021 extracted from the Iran Veterinary Organization (IVO) Quarantine system. It shows that the static networks drawn by the movements of small ruminants, cattle, and camels to farms or slaughterhouses are complex and highlights the predominance of a few provinces and towns. In particular, the results show that Razavi Khorasan and West Azerbaijan provinces, major provinces for the Iranian livestock sector, are provinces where significant volumes of small ruminants and cattle are moved (from, to, or within) and, therefore, should be prioritized for targeted and timely risk reduction interventions. This study produces some of the necessary inputs for the risk assessment of FMD and similar transboundary animal diseases (TADs) spread within Iran, which is needed to regularly update the national risk-based control strategy for FMD and other TADs.

19세기 영국의 중국차 인식과 차 시장의 변화

This study aims to examine the perception of Chinese tea in Britain in and around the 19th century and its effect on the tea market. The findings are summarized as follows: First, in the 19th century, an error of judgment by the Chinese tea producers and immoral British tea merchants brought about the import of adulterated tea into Britain. In the wake of the abolition of the monopoly of the British East India Company, there was a widespread negative view of Chinese tea and China itself due to the lack of quarantine facilities and the outbreak of the Opium War. Second, to eradicate the import of adulterated tea, the British government introduced a new custom quarantine system, along with amendments. Scientific research and publications, and the advertising of tea by merchants, helped to improve consumer awareness regarding food safety and establish good tea standards. Third, after the discovery of tea trees in Assam in India, the tea industry in India and Sri Lanka grew and saw better productivity due to the invention of the tea rolling machine and tea drier. Advertisements promoting pureness gained the widespread trust of consumers, and the tea industry in both these countries surpassed China in the 1880s and led the global tea trade.

B-230 Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 Subvariants for Evaluation of the Diagnostic Kit’s Annealing Site Using Nanopore Sequencing

Abstract Background Currently, various diagnostic kits are being developed to aid in the rapid diagnosis or detection of SARS-CoV-2, but viruses continue to evolve through mutations resulting in phenotypic changes such as increased infectivity and pathogenicity, or vaccine evasion. Over time, such alterations in sequence may also occur at the annealing sites of the primers and probes in the diagnostic kit, leading to false-negative results. To prevent this, a continuous mutation monitoring is required. The authors performed SARS-CoV-2 Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) and then compared and monitored the difference between actual experimental and public data from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) datasets for each mutant strain. Methods WGS was performed by using GridION (Oxford Nanopore Technologies, UK) on 1500 nasopharyngeal swab SARS-CoV-2 positive samples requested for testing at SCL from January 2020 to December 2022. Experimental data were aligned through epi2me and analyzed using the Nextclade platform (Fig. 1A). For public data, 119 sequences reported in Korea (Fig. 1B) were retrieved from the NCBI database, reanalyzed using Nextclade platform, and compared. Results In numerous samples tested, mutation, insertion, and deletion were found to occur over time. In particular, in the case of Omicron subvariants, a common Gap (region 1; Gap: 11288–11296, region 2; Gap: 28362–28370) were identified in orf1ab (RdRP), the target gene for the majority of existing diagnostic kits, and in N gene (Fig. 1). Therefore, while designing a diagnostic kit, this region should not be included in the annealing site. Conclusion In order to maintain an effective diagnosis and quarantine system for COVID-19, mutations affecting the annealing site of primers and probes must be identified through a continuous genome monitoring. The results obtained from the continuous genome monitoring can be utilized to upgrade the existing commercially available kits as well as to develop new kits.

Smallpox Prevention and Public Healthcare in China in the 1920s and 1930s: Focusing on the Cases of Shanghai and Beijing.

Beijing and Shanghai, representative modern cities in China, witnessed the development of various urban infrastructures and quarantine systems in the 1920s and 1930s. Both cities established Health Demonstration Stations in the 1930s, as part of their implementation of modern health administration. This foundation played a pivotal role for making health administration more practical. Huang Zi-fang (1899-1940) and Hu Hung-ji (1894-1932), the inaugural directors of the health bureau in the respective cities, were both graduates of the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health in the United States. They shared a similar view of public health. Active exchanges occurred between the heads of the health administration in the two cities who were the leading forces in the health reform, encompassing various health experiments including the Health Demonstration Station. During the 1930s in China, state medicine gained prominence as the most ideal medical model for constructing a modern state. As such, the quarantine activities they promoted were also considered the most ideal model. The public health care centered on Health Demonstration Stations in the 1920s and 1930s that developed in large Chinese cities such as Beijing and Shanghai pursued similar goals by strengthening quarantine administration through free medical treatment and modern spatial control. Nonetheless, each city exhibited differences in terms of the subjects and targets of quarantine, as well as the primary bases of quarantine, which were either Health Demonstration Stations or hospitals. Both municipal governments and the civilian sector led the sanitary infrastructure development. While Shanghai showed stronger development in terms of the number of vaccinations, Shanghai's dualized quarantine system did not necessarily create a better health environment than Beijing in terms of spatial control. In the 1940s, the Japanese occupation government implemented measures to inherit and further develop existing health administrations in Beijing and Shanghai. Existing international settlements were incorporated into the Japanese occupation government, and the occupation government pursued homogenization of urban space and tried to maintain the existing urban policy as much as possible to preserve the status quo. However, the intensification of the Anti-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War brought an end to the health experiment centered around the Health Demonstration Station in China in the first half of the twentieth century.

The Role and Policy of Korean Medicine Doctor for the Prevention and Management of Infectious Diseases: A Mixed-Methods Approach

Objectives: This study investigated the role of Korean medicine doctors in the national quarantine system and the status of their duties through questionnaire surveys and in-depth interviews with Korean medicine staff who participated in COVID-19 work.Methods: We developed a questionnaire survey to investigate the status and perception of Korean medicine doctors’ participation in responding to infectious diseases, and the results were derived by conducting frequency analysis and T-test using SPSS program. The measurement variables of this study were the status of COVID-19 related work participation and perception of Korean medicine doctors’ role in infectious diseases, and the maximum significance level was 0.05.Results: There were 300 respondents to the survey, and as for the COVID-19 related work, Korean medicine treatment for COVID-19 patients accounted for the most(52.7%), and various preventive and treatment tasks such as epidemiological investigations and specimen collection were conducted.Conclusion: According to this study, it was confirmed that there are sufficient legal and administrative grounds for Korean medicine doctors to perform specimen collection and epidemiological investigations. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a policy framework to solidify the status of Korean medicine doctors in national infectious diseases in the future.

Strategies to Operationalize Health Equity in Island Area Health Departments.

Strategies to Operationalize Health Equity in Island Area Health Departments.

Optimal post-border surveillance against invasive pests to protect a valuable nature reserve and island asset

Harmful and often catastrophic damages from the introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS) are widely acknowledged. While preventing the introduction of NIS through border and pre-border measures has been the first line of defence, post-border surveillance has recently attracted considerable attention as it increases the likelihood that small invasive populations will be found and eradicated quickly before they become widespread. We develop a novel and practical optimal surveillance model across space and a number of surveillance techniques for four different invasive pests, determining where and how to best allocate resources to detect and eradicate these pests. Our focus is on Barrow Island, a Class A Nature Reserve in Australia, home to thousands of native plants and animals, many endemic to the island, where limited industrial activity and environmental protection coexist. It is also home to the world's largest non-government quarantine and surveillance system. Our results provide a unique platform that finds the maximum net benefit from post-border surveillance expenditures across species, locations, and surveillance methods, thus protecting a key environmental asset.

Mental Health Responses to Covid and Lock-down in Auckland, New Zealand

IntroductionThe Government of New Zealand closed the borders and introduced a number of restrictions following the first reported case of Covid-19 in February 2020. Comprehensive measures to control the outbreak included a strict managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) system and rolling lockdowns that restricted movement. There were concerns about the mental health impact on the population. This presentation will outline the approach to maintaining social cohesion and supporting the psycho-social needs of the population through the pandemic.ObjectivesAn overview of the Covid-19 response will be presented, including the Covid-19 alert systems and the strategies to support particular populations.MethodsThis will include:1. The mental health support for the 229,000 people subjected to managed isolation and quarantine in government facilities2. Psycho-social interventions for our Maori and Pacific populations3. Specific approaches for people with severe mental disorders, including vaccination strategies and supporting people in the community with Covid-194. Interventions for homeless and socially vulnerable populationsResultsReflections and learnings from our apprach will be shared.ConclusionsThe government ended the Covid-19 Framework in September 2022 and retrurned to fully open borders in October 2022. There have been over 1.8 million cases and 2000 deaths during the period of restrictions.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

The relationship between depression, anxiety, e-health literacy, and health-promoting behavior in nursing students during COVID-19.

The purpose of this study was to identify the correlation between depression, anxiety, e-health literacy (eHL), and health-promoting behaviors among nursing students during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and to identify the factors affecting health-promoting behaviors. A cross-sectional study was conducted online, recruiting 301 nursing students recruited from 4 universities in the Chungcheng Province and Daejeon Metropolitan City in South Korea between May 28 and June 30, 2021. Data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 27.0. The general characteristics of the study participants were analyzed by frequency and percentage, and the degree of depression, anxiety, eHL, and health-promoting behaviors were calculated as averages and standard deviations. Differences in health-promoting behaviors according to general characteristics were analyzed using independent t tests and analysis of variance, and a post hoc Scheffe test was conducted. Correlations between depression, anxiety, eHL, and health-promoting behaviors were measured using Pearson correlation matrices. Stepwise multiple regression was performed to identify factors affecting health-promoting behaviors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the average level of depression and anxiety was reported to be 3.93 (4.71) and 3.40 (4.30), respectively; 33.2% of nursing students experienced more than mild depression and 29.2% experienced anxiety. The average eHL level was 3.91 (0.56), and the average of health-promoting behaviors was 2.43 (0.45). Depression was positively correlated with anxiety (R = 0.734, P < .001) and negatively correlated with health-promoting behaviors (r = -0.198, P = .001), whereas eHL had a positive correlation with health-promoting behaviors (R = 0.347, P < .001). The factors affecting health-promoting behaviors were religion (β = -0.160, standard error [SE] = 0.048), current health status (β = -0.097, SE = 0.032), frequency of searching the Internet for health-related information in a week (β = -0.070, SE = 0.026), interest in health (β = -0.191, SE = 0.039), and critical eHL (β = 0.243, SE = 0.040); the explanatory power was 27.4%. Results demonstrate that during the COVID-19 pandemic, higher depression and anxiety among nursing students decreased health-promoting behaviors, while higher eHL increased health-promoting behaviors, and eHL was a major factor affecting health-promoting behaviors. These results contribute to the provision of basic data for the development of nursing intervention programs and educational strategies that can establish correct health-promoting behaviors by managing depression and anxiety among nursing students and improving eHL.

CITRUS GREENING: A MAJOR THREAT TO CITRUS GROWERS IN NEPAL

Citrus is a high-value horticultural crop belonging to the family Rutaceae, contributing 27.27% of the total fruit area in Nepal. In recent years, citrus decline has been a multifaceted issue for most of the citrus growers, with abated production and productivity. Among the various causes of citrus decline, citrus greening is considered the most devastating, rapidly expanding, and highly incurable disease, which has wreaked havoc on the citrus industry across the globe. Citrus psylla is the major insect vector to spread this malady worldwide. There are still no proper strategies to cope with the impact of citrus greening. However, integrated pest management strategies could be adopted in Nepal like the use of tolerant rootstocks, a proper quarantine system, guava intercropping, nutrient management, the use of yellow sticky traps, and vector control methods to reduce the greening infestation in citrus trees. This study aims to review all the relevant information regarding citrus greening, including its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and management practices that are pivotal for citrus growers.

COVID-19 diseases, understanding and treatments

Seobuk Hospital is a hospital directly operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and has mainly served as a tuberculosis hospital. It is a Seoul city governmental public hospital which primarily provides inpatients and out patients treatment to the elderly, many of them suffering from dementia patients and the marginalized, such as the homeless and the disabled. From March 2nd, 2020, to May 31th, 2022 Seobuk hospital was appointed to treat COVID-19 patients that required stationary treatment. South Korea’s COVID-19 mortality rate has below 0.1% while in other countries such as the United States and in Europe the mortality rate varies between 1 and 2 %. We believe that it is due to the quarantine system which was put in place right from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Febuary 2020. Patients testing positive for COVID-19 were hospitalized free of charge and they were hospitalized usually in early period (2 - 3 days after COVID -19 testing) of COVID-19 disease. In this paper we analyzed the disease patterns of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 using the data from the 4,531 patients charts which received treatment in Seobuk hospital between March 2nd, 2020 and May 31st, 2022 by looking at their clinical features and medication history and medications for treatment. The key element of the guideline of our treatment was to administer Veklury (Remdesivir) or Paxlovid despite its high cost in the early period of the COVID-19 disease when oxygen saturation dropped below 94%. Nowadays we administer Veklury and Paxlovid right after COVID-19 is daignosed free of charge for the proper patient. It is believed that the current quarantine system in South Korea which allows patients to be treated with Veklury (Remdesivir) in hospitals at the initial stage of the infection and with an early Paxlovid administration in home treatment has contributed to lowering the death rate in South Korea.

Pembinaan Pembelajaran Kaligrafi Al-Qur’an Berbasis Pembelajaran Kooperatif

This paper aims to describe the pattern of fostering Al-Qur'an calligraphy learning. The research method uses descriptive qualitative. Data collection techniques were interviews, observation, and documentation. The informants of this study were trainers and students in fostering Al-Qur'an calligraphy learning at the Development Institute for Tilawatil Qur’an (LPTQ) West Sumatra. The results of this study found that the pattern of coaching learning of Al-Qur'an calligraphy includes aspects of strict quality management and quality starting from input, process, and output. Quality input indicators are the qualifications of students and trainers. In the learning process aspect, two essential indicators support the achievement of higher-quality output: the quarantine system and the application of cooperative learning strategies. In addition, cooperative learning-based Al-Qur'an calligraphy development pattern has six work steps, including determining tasks, determining partners, implementing, investigating the correction team, products, and awards.

A computational supervised neural network procedure for the fractional SIQ mathematical model.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1140/epjs/s11734-022-00738-9.

Protecting mental health in quarantine: Exploring lived experiences of healthcare in mandatory COVID-19 quarantine, New South Wales, Australia

ObjectivesIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia implemented mandatory hotel quarantine for returned international travellers from March 2020–November 2021. Healthcare was rapidly transformed and scaled up to facilitate delivery of face-to-face and virtual healthcare within quarantine facilities. We sought to understand, from the patient perspective, what a virtual model of healthcare may need to be aware of to respond to, protect, and mitigate people's mental health within a ‘public health protection’ context of quarantine. DesignQualitative study design using in-depth semi-structured interviews exploring experiences of the virtual model of healthcare in quarantine. SettingSpecial Health Accommodation (SHA) quarantine facilities following Australian Federal and New South Wales (NSW) State quarantine policy, NSW, Australia. Participants25 returned international travellers aged 18 years or older of any COVID-19 status who quarantined within SHA between October 2020–March 2021. ResultsParticipants identified three broad areas of concern. Firstly, their potential to transmit COVID-19, that created anxiety for all participants. Secondly, the effects of losing personal freedoms in quarantine to protect the wider Australian community. Thirdly, many participants entered quarantine during intense biographical moments in their lives, compounding the stress of their experience. Participants felt lost within the ‘faceless’ quarantine administrative system they navigated prior to their actual arrival in Australia and during their mandated quarantine period. This cumulative experience compromised their expectations and experiences of person-centred care once in quarantine. ConclusionsQuarantine has been a critical public health measure for managing COVID-19 in Australia. The pandemic provides opportunities to learn from quarantine implementation. Participants struggled to separate healthcare provision from the broader quarantine systems and processes. Due to this confusion, blame was directed at healthcare providers for many, and in some cases all difficulties, including those encountered getting into and once within quarantine. Valuable lessons can be learnt from engaging with patients’ perspectives to adapt and strengthen future quarantine to deliver responsive, person-centred healthcare.