cord-031747-tnprxtoh	2020	Letter to the Editor Sinophobia as the disease and palaeopathology as the cure: response to Adja et al. 1 on the social and xenophobic stigma suffered by the Italian Chinese community after the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, which later became a pandemic. 2 However, concur with the authors and additionally stress that an in-depth scrutiny of the past of diseases and their historical interaction with human populations can help people understand that such a xenophobic response is not something new. In light of the presented facts and wishing to corroborate the authors'' stance, we strongly believe that a comprehensive study of the history of medicine and palaeopathology, the science that examines diseases in past populations providing information on both chronic and infectious conditions, 5,6 can help biomedical scientists and the general public understand that such disease-related xenophobic events are nothing new and can be effectively tackled in their early stages.
cord-252218-jrgl0x06	2020	
cord-254904-4eduslpb	2020	To facilitate mature debate, we needed to help public health, primary care and healthcare professionals see that gambling is not necessarily a harmless pastime, and to understand that gambling harms contribute to many of the social and economic inequalities that are determinants of health and well-being for individuals, their families and the communities in which they live. What we did not discuss was how you present a special issue of Public Health on what some are coming to see as an epidemic of gambling-related harms, when the world is experiencing a global pandemic. If we are to have the sort of mature discussion around building the public health response to gambling harms, this is an important time to start. Competing interests P.M. reports serving as an advisor to the Scottish Chief Medical Officer and the Scottish Government on the public health response to gambling harms.
cord-255078-jfwzax5l	2020	The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has revived the long-standing discussion regarding the potential hazards of infectious disease transmission through the shared communion cup. It should be noted that all authors have focused their investigations on bacterial isolation from the chalice or the sacramental wine and none has investigated the viability and transmissibility of viral agents via the common communion cup. In summary, the common communion cup may theoretically serve as a vehicle of transmitting infection, but the potential risk of transmission is very small. Currently, available data do not provide any support for the suggestion that the practice of sharing a common communion cup can contribute to the spread of COVID-19 because SARS-CoV-2 transmission from a COVID-19 patient or asymptomatic carrier to other people has not been reported.
cord-257325-pvf0uon3	2020	
cord-258842-vuxzv6eu	2009	
cord-259727-u2zj7zf6	2016	These families were then organized by LEW and AP into a tiered public health capacity framework where capacity within each tier builds upon the capacities within the preceding tiers, and moves from the individual to the systems level. Here, we present this framework of public health capacity that identifies individual components and suggests how they relate to and support one another for the purpose of enhancing overall capacity in public health systems. This framework arranges the components of public health capacity from the individual to the systems level. As the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology noted, "Capacity enhancement is a broad term which encompasses a number of areas: surveillance systems; Fig. 1 e Tiered framework of public health capacity and its components. The framework is based on government and governmentcommissioned SARS reports that reviewed the Canadian and Ontario public health systems with an emphasis on community public health outbreaks and emergencies.
cord-262577-70ifjvkf	2020	
cord-263057-1pty32l1	2020	title: Children''s mortality from COVID-19 compared with all-deaths and other relevant causes of death: epidemiological information for decision-making by parents, teachers, clinicians and policymakers We examined age-specific data on COVID-19 deaths which had been collated from official government sources for seven countries up to 8-19 May 2020 6 . We obtained estimated numbers of deaths from other causes from Global Burden of Disease estimates 7 except for influenza for which we examined official government statistical websites and extracted age-specific death counts for up to the last five years (2015-2019). For this time period, in these seven countries combined, 44 COVID-19 deaths were reported in 42,846 confirmed cases (this latter number is likely to be a massive underestimate; data were not available for France) in those aged 0-19 years (0-14 in USA). In children, at least in this wave of the pandemic and hopefully in the future, COVID-19 is a comparatively rare cause of death.
cord-263255-zdufwtn4	2020	
cord-263659-9i5qws5h	2010	
cord-263719-a9mnjr3s	2020	At this stage, the global spread of COVID-19 acute respiratory disease continues to grow, and the full extent and severity of this outbreak remains to be seen. 7 Once the pathogen has landed in a new country, the likelihood of contagion and spread is dependent on local transmission pathways and the strength of local health protection systems. 8 High-income countries such as the United States and United Kingdom have well-developed health protection systems to detect and respond to communicable disease threats. The other component of well-developed health protection systems are strong infectious disease surveillance systems. The current concerns then regarding the 2019-nCoV outbreak must be for low-and middle-income countries where health protection systems tend to be weaker. In these settings, laboratory resources may be lacking, notification of infectious diseases are often not timely or complete, and their public health infrastructure is often weak. Global infectious disease surveillance and health intelligence
cord-265996-97xxpe8m	2020	title: Delays in polio vaccination programs due to COVID-19 in Pakistan: a major threat to Pakistan''s long war against polio virus Letter to the Editor Delays in polio vaccination programs due to COVID-19 in Pakistan: a major threat to Pakistan''s long war against polio virus The disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have devastating impact over vaccination programs around the globe especially in underdeveloped countries. 2 The immunization campaigns have been paused or delayed in various countries as the local health-care authorities are putting all their efforts to control coronavirus. The WHO is ready to resume the vaccination plans but as Pakistan is witnessing an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, with the next few weeks crucial, the resumption of polio vaccination campaigns might be delayed. The health-care experts in Pakistan, agree to resume the polio vaccination campaigns, otherwise the COVID-19 would destroy all the progress being carried out in the last thirty years against the polio virus.
cord-269575-hdqa12es	2010	
cord-270278-d61n3v90	2009	
cord-276394-s9y11oep	2007	Summary Objective To review the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in Beijing using basic epidemiological principles omitted from the original analysis. Previously excluded cases were included for plotting on an epidemic curve, and basic spot mapping for distribution of cases was used from attack rates recalculated for age, gender, occupation, residential location, date of onset of illness and demographics. If a spot map of incidence density rates was used during the early phase of the outbreak, the inner city might have been identified as a major risk factor requiring rapid quarantining. 8 Re-analysis included an epidemic curve for ''probable'' SARS cases only and calculations of the Beijing population-based rate, stratified by age and sex, using the Fifth General Census of China (version 2000). The import phase of the Beijing epidemic occurred rapidly, between 1 and 10 March, with 14 cases admitted with an acute pneumonia of unknown cause without history taken for exposure to a case of respiratory illness or environmental contact.
cord-279032-plj9kg42	2020	Abstract The temperatures may have influence on the spread of COVID-19, However, we believe that government regulation and cooperation of public play a more important role. The temperatures may have influence on the spread of COVID-19, However, we believe that 2 government regulation and cooperation of public play a more important role. Even the situation in American is still worse, more young people do not want stay at 38 home anymore, Data from the American CDC shows that the average age of COVID-19 infection 39 in the United States was significantly reduced. In summary, we believe environment temperature may 48 affect viral activity (the source of infection), but government regulation and cooperation of public 49 play a more important role in blocking route of transmission and protecting susceptible population 50 [4] . Can the summer temperatures reduce COVID-19 cases?
cord-280800-g25z8xzt	2020	
cord-281241-k1adcls8	2020	Objective: With the current SARS-CoV2 outbreak, countless tests need to be performed on potential symptomatic individuals, contacts and travellers. Objective: With the current SARS-CoV2 outbreak, countless tests need to be performed on potential symptomatic individuals, contacts and travellers. We therefore evaluated a rapid antibody IgG/IgMebased testing system in the community setting for its ability, specificity and sensitivity to reliably identify infected individuals. Thirty-nine randomly selected individuals at the centre were tested simultaneously using the SARS-CoV-2 rapid test and the gold standard RT-qPCR method (Altona Diagnostics). The rapid test used for evaluation is a qualitative IgG/IgM detection system to test for a current or past infection of SARS-CoV-2.
cord-281645-vvucoiqd	2010	
cord-283467-bgxc3ti8	2020	
cord-283553-n06og3cw	2020	However, there are several aspects related to the journalistic infrastructure on the one hand and on the reliance on news media as agents of information on the other that may (in)directly and inadvertently endanger the public''s health in several ways. The public''s reliance on news media coverage to convey accurate information (i.e. more than statistics) increases during times of uncertainty and crisis -especially in the current context with large shares of the population working or locked down in their homes 4 . A weakened journalistic infrastructure, during times where people heavily lean on news media to provide them with facts and opinions, bringing expertise and explanations to the table, will potentially lead to increased reporting of ''alternative'' or dubious content, which may result in the dissemination of 3 potentially ''dangerous'' views that jeopardize public health (e.g., faux COVID-19 treatments) 1 . The novel Coronavirus (COVID-2019) outbreak: Amplification of public health consequences by media exposure.
cord-285928-gl4jfb3z	2020	
cord-286290-85l99l13	2005	
cord-286361-wh6aaqlu	2009	
cord-288616-7i1kukmn	2020	
cord-290173-r3ikazrt	2020	title: Re: Letter to the Editor of Public Health in response to ''Nipah virus infection: gaps in evidence and its public health importance'' Re: Letter to the Editor of Public Health in response to ''Nipah virus infection: gaps in evidence and its public health importance'' I agree; emerging infectious diseases remain the most suitable candidates to warrant the search for novel agents against them. Recent EBOLA crisis has highlighted the need for coordinated and better preparedness to tackle these possible and inevitable public health ''tsunamis.'' Pandemic Emergency Finance FacilityÀ2017, 3 World Bank initiative for expediting funds to the crisis hit countries acknowledge rapid mobilization of resources for effective containment of these outbreaks. Beyond doubt, a lack of effective vaccination, antiviral agent, and treatment strategies are a public health emergency. Please cite this article as: Acharya Y, Re: Letter to the Editor of Public Health in response to ''Nipah virus infection: gaps in evidence and its public health importance
cord-293316-kip8mrjo	2009	Since the turn of the century, the World Health Organization (WHO) has documented a historically unprecedented number of emerging infectious disease outbreaks, and lessons drawn from their management have confirmed the critical importance of effective communications, specifically through formal channels such as WHO and in the public domain. Instant and global transmission of information has become a powerful ally, along with peer pressure, for WHO in ensuring that member states comply with new obligations to swiftly declare outbreaks considered to be of public health importance. There is now significant global attention and accompanying investment which should, the authors suggest, be used as an opportunity to improve strategic and operational communication capacity to respond not only to pandemic influenza but also to other public health threats. 4 Ultimately, the debate is centred on the boundary between the governance of risk communication and risk management, the former now being mandated through international laws, with the latter remaining, to a large degree, a national sovereignty responsibility.
cord-294884-6l25y6fw	2020	
cord-297197-klr208kp	2020	ABSTRACT Introduction As part of the COVID-19 outbreak response, numerous technology-based solutions have been created to enable contact tracing, track movements of the population and ensure social control. The bracelet would facilitate 3 functions; screening on a population level, digital contact tracing and real-time immunity status tracking. The bracelet would employ the IoT to transfer data over a network to an interactive web-based dashboard that tracks COVID-19 in real-time. If an individual then tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the database could automatically trace back anyone they had come in contact with in the past 14 days using a GPS feature (described below). In this instance, the biometric bracelet''s GPS feature would continuously track movements of individuals within a geographical area and communicate back to the Covid-19 database platform saving input on the population whereabouts at each timepoint. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, some Privacy Commissioners are lifting data restrictions for health officials to keep track of the outbreak.
cord-298652-96l3h3ih	2020	
cord-301426-i9a5g86x	2020	METHODS: An ecological analysis was used to estimate associations between these variables and age-standardised Covid-19 mortality rates at the local authority level. RESULTS: Ethnicity, population density and overweight/obesity were all found to have strong independent associations with Covid-19 mortality, at the local authority level. 9 We have conducted an ecological analysis to assess possible associations with a range of sociodemographic variables using routinely available data for local authorities e ethnicity, overweight and obesity, population density, deprivation and pollution. 9 Although it is widely reported that older people and men are at increased risk, these variables are not included in this analysis (because the mortality rates are age standardised and because we would not expect to see sufficient variation in the percentage of local authority populations who are men). Of the variables considered, we found that the strongest predictors of the rate of deaths involving Covid-19 at the local authority level were population density and ethnicity.
cord-302272-ahwyfn1n	2020	Letter to the Editor Recommendations for ''responsible behaviour'' is not a sufficient policy tool in public health emergencies In response to the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, several countries including the USA, the UK, and Sweden initially relied on recommendations for ''responsible behaviour'' of their citizens in reducing the spread of infection. 1 Most countries (e.g., Italy, France, Denmark, Lithuania and so on) deemed unrealistic that the required majority of the population will be responsible enough to adhere to such recommendations voluntarily and imposed enforced restrictions of movement, including large fines for violation of social distancing regimes. 4 As these mortality comparisons suggest, recommendations for responsible behaviour alone is not a viable policy tool in public health emergencies such as pandemics of highly contagious and deadly diseases such as COVID-19.
cord-303414-fwamdr08	2020	
cord-303861-qn8yifcd	2008	
cord-307520-8zmwh9ch	2020	
cord-308821-j4vylbhy	2009	The individual nation states within Europe are signatories to the International Health Regulations 2005, but the capacity of states to undertake measures to control communicable disease is constrained by their obligations to comply with EU law. To assist in drawing together national responses to pandemic disease, the PHLawFlu project c was funded to develop public health law expertise across Europe, 2 and to examine the legal underpinning of pandemic disease preparedness across the EU and five further European states. In an attempt to identify the extent to which there is variation in public health legal powers and the consequences of such variation for public health in Europe, the PHLawFlu project is examining the role of national laws in the control of and protection against pandemic human influenza across Europe.
cord-311636-8l7jlvvj	2020	
cord-312646-hfv7ce3f	2020	title: Comment to Döhla et al., Rapid point-of-care testing for SARS-CoV2 in a community screening setting shows low sensitivity In this manuscript, a point-of-care rapid test for assessment of anti-SARS-CoV-2 virus antibodies (IgG/IgM) is evaluated for sensitivity and specificity to detect the viral infection. They found that the antibody rapid test only detects 36.4 % of the samples identified as positive by means of RT-PCR, and conclude that this POCT is not recommendable for community screenings. In case that recent reports are confirmed that people with past infections may become asymptomatic carriers of the SARS-CoV-2 virus [3] , the antibody tests may be the only way to differentiate PCR-positive subjects into two groups: i.) patients who are freshly infected and may soon develop clinical symptoms (negative IgG result) and ii.) patients who have developed antibodies and may now be asymptomatic virus spreaders (positive IgG result). Rapid point-of-care testing for SARS-CoV-2 in a community screening setting shows low sensitivity
cord-315217-sg6vnur0	2020	title: The Ethics of Scare: COVID-19 and the Philippines'' Fear Appeals The Ethics of Scare: COVID-19 and the Philippines'' Fear Appeals COVID-19 took the world by surprise; and, as of early April 2020, the virus has already claimed more than 80000 lives and infected more than a million people around the globe. 7 Fear appeals have also permeated public health campaigns. While fear appeals and scare tactics have been used in clear and present public health emergencies like COVID-19, the ethics of such public health communication interventions needs to be scrutinized. 13 In a time of the uncertainties of a global health crisis like COVID-19, however, a utilitarian may question this suggestion''s moral acceptability. Effective and ineffective use of fear in health promotion campaigns A meta-analysis of fear appeals: Implications for effective public health campaigns. COVID19 -The need for Public Health in a time of emergency
cord-318737-b32tk5ze	2020	
cord-324650-rsp72rx8	2020	title: Policy determinants of COVID-19 pandemic-induced fatality rates across nations In this paper, we assessed tests as a policy instrument and policy enactment to contain COVID-19 and potentially reduce mortalities. Delaying policy enactment led to a higher case fatality rate (p = 0.0013). A 10% delay time to act resulted in a 3.7% higher case fatality rate. This study found that delaying policies for international travel restrictions, public information campaigns, and testing policies increased the fatality rate. Tests also impacted the case fatality rate, and nations with 10% more cumulative tests per million people resulted in a 2.8% lower mortality rate. Here, we assessed tests as a policy instrument and the start of policy enactment to contain 29 and potentially reduce mortalities across 121 nations. Estimating case fatality rates of COVID-19
cord-326852-gm98s8a3	2020	Conclusions An important global border control measure to implement quickly, will be to expand the symptom list to isolated sore throat, and/or a prior history of recent symptoms (resolved). Following the instructions on the information sheet from Singapore Global Network (a division in the Singapore Economic Development Board which broadens and deepens the overseas network of Singapore citizens) available online, 2 the patient and his family contacted the People''s Association (a government-supported statutory board to promote racial harmony and social cohesion in Singapore) to clarify the symptom of a resolved sore throat, and highlighted patient''s contact history with an Italy-returning medical student during a fencing sparring. Staff at People''s Association rapidly facilitated the patient to be picked up in a dedicated ambulance to National Center of Infection Disease, Singapore, where a chest x-ray done was normal, and the swab test was positive for COVID-19 (Day 8 of initial symptoms).
cord-328662-kpx73ki2	2020	
cord-332142-lk95akg5	2020	We argue that 30 correct understanding of individuals'' risks of becoming infected and dying is a prerequisite 31 for people and communities to take responsibility and engage in prevention practices, both 32 for self and others; and also to reduce unnecessary anxieties and other unintended negative 33 outcomes. • Freely avail health services and equipment to assist risk-reducing practices Panel: Considerations and recommendations to communicate risk in the COVID-19 response • Avoid over-simplified ''one-size-fits-all'' risk messages • Distinguish between risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and risk of severe COVID-19 disease • Target risk messages to people according to their levels of risk and capacity to adopt alternative prevention methods • Communicate the uncertainty of risk estimates and that new data may lead to changes • Avoid over-simplified ''one-size-fits-all'' risk messages • Distinguish between risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and risk of severe COVID-19 disease • Target risk messages to people according to their levels of risk and capacity to adopt alternative prevention methods • Communicate the uncertainty of risk estimates and that new data may lead to changes
cord-333532-vrfduv5a	2020	We believe the current isolation guidelines need to be revisited and clinicians should counsel COVID-19 patients to practice contact precautions for longer durations given new evidence suggesting the possibility of a fecaloral route of transmission. Furthermore, a recent case reported an asymptomatic COVID-19 patient who retested positive for SARS-CoV-2 despite being discharged after two negative consecutive respiratory nucleic acid tests at least 24 hours apart, raising concern for inadequate discharge protocol. With consideration of its high virulence, high infectivity, and the concern for a fecal-oral route of transmission, we suggest modifying guidelines to extend isolation and/or contact precautions in the best interest of patients, healthcare workers, and the global community as a whole. Key words: COVID 19; SARS CoV-2; Gastrointestinal; Isolation; Fecal-oral; transmission; precautions
cord-334401-i5dz7ufc	2020	Italians were taking no precautions at that time and this worried the Chinese community who knew how serious the situation was and that it was fundamental to adopt non-pharmaceutical public health measures to mitigate the risk of COVID-19. Public Health 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 The behavior of the Chinese community may have played an important role in avoiding the spread of the virus, and had their conduct been taken as an example from the start, nobody knows what the history of the pandemic could have been.
cord-337096-ulc7mnwb	2020	
cord-339822-cewpqddk	2007	
cord-344425-27q9x6hb	2020	title: Reply to D.G. Barten et al "Re: Non-COVID-19 visits to emergency departments during the pandemic: the impact of fear" We read with interest the reply letter of DG Barten et al 1 to our manuscript 2 and we do strongly agree with the Authors about some indirect effects of the lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as social distancing, reduction of working hours, and traffic movements as co-responsible for the reduced access to the emergency departments by non-COVID-19 patients. In this perspective, streamline the workflow in Emergency Departments and non-COVID Departments as well as effective communication by the health-care system of different countries becomes fundamental in order to provide patients with COVID-free pathways, thus reducing delay in diagnosis and treatment. Non-COVID-19 visits to emergency departments during the pandemic: the impact of fear Non-COVID-19 visits to emergency departments during the pandemic: the impact of fear
cord-346160-n9i0blv1	2020	
cord-346370-jdfsacds	2020	Strict isolation and social distancing measures can flatten the coronavirus infectious curve, and the use of facemask needs to be encouraged and facilitated in crowded places, particularly in hospitals where the 6-feet social distancing cannot be adopted because of physical barriers. I If most people wear a mask in public at any time the transmission rate can easily decrease beneath 1.0, thus stopping the spread of the disease and limit the long-standing Lockdown measures 13 . It is important to emphasize that while a protective mask may reduce the likelihood of infection, it will not eliminate the risk, particularly when a disease has more than one route of transmission, as identified in SARS-Cov-2. While strict isolation and social distancing measures can flatten the infectious curve, the use of facemask needs to be encouraged and facilitated where the 6-feet social distancing cannot be implemented because of physical barriers.
cord-347261-d6012uem	2020	title: COVID-19 in South Africa: lockdown strategy and its effects on public health and other contagious diseases African countries, with previous experiences on the outbreaks of other infectious disease and pandemic situations, including HIV, Malaria, and Ebola, have limited financial, physical, and medical resources. Although lockdown strategies across many countries have been effective for decreasing the spread rate of contagious viruses, there have been other negative impacts reported globally; these concerns become worse in countries across Africa, including South Africa. In South Africa, the government announced a national-wide lockdown to manage the pandemic situation and decrease the spread rate of the COVID-19 outbreak. With regard to the current global situation during the covid-19 pandemic, different concerns in the public health system of South African people have been raised. Second, the lockdown strategy, social distancing rules, and community containment measures for COVID-19 have negatively impacted the diagnosing and treatment of other contagious diseases, including HIV and Malaria [5, 6] .
cord-351065-nyfnwrtm	2020	title: Integrating GIS technique with Google Trends data to analyse COVID-19 severity and public interest Some studies suggest that health related issues can cause anxiety which may lead to increased public attention, typically manifested by online information search. Adams et al.''s (2020) GIS-based study points out the shortcomings of using unnormalized COVID-19 demographic data in choropleth mapping, and their use of the normalized data (confirmed cases per 100,000 people) presents a more accurate visualisation of pandemic severity. The COVID-19 case data were retrieved from the US health authority (https://cdc.gov/covid-datatracker). Public interest was captured by people''s Google search data in each state. 7 The data were acquired from the Google Trends service, which uses a normalized relative search volume The role of health anxiety in online health information search The disguised pandemic: The importance of data normalization in COVID-19 web mapping
cord-352649-6yzddeua	2020	
cord-354318-gzdy25vv	2020	title: US deportation policies in the time of COVID-19: A public health threat to the Americas By failing to promptly putting an end to deportations, the U.S Administration risks becoming the most influential factor in the spread of COVID-19 in some vulnerable countries in the Americas. In this time of pandemic, international solidarity, one of the strong pillars of global health, is more than necessary. In the present situation, it is important that the World Health Organization and the PAHO remain vigilant to LMICs in the Americas'' needs, and support them in better managing deportations in an effort to contain this new threat. The vulnerability of low-and middle-income countries facing the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of Haiti PAHO prepares 8 Caribbean countries for laboratory diagnosis of new coronavirus [Internet]. COVID-19 and US deportation threat for the Americas 4 COVID-19 and US deportation threat for the Americas 4
cord-354989-k0qktzor	2020	title: NON-COVID-19 VISITS TO EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS DURING THE PANDEMIC: THE IMPACT OF FEAR The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and the resulting infection, COVID-19, is posing an enormous threat and huge workload to emergency departments (EDs) worldwide 1 . The COVID-19 pandemic is a major health emergency that is impacting the behaviour of entire populations in response to a direct threat to both individuals and communities. We compared ED visits in two major referral hospitals in the North of Italy from the 21st February to 16th April with COVID-19 daily mortality data from the Italian Civil Protection Department 4 (see Figure 1 ). It emerges that the two curves almost mirror one another, with a meeting point on the 16th of March and the lowest peak of ED visits corresponding with the highest peak in the COVID-19 daily mortality trend.
cord-355869-r68fccx0	2020