Role of social distancing in tackling COVID-19 during the first wave of pandemic in Nordic region:Evidence from daily deaths,infections and needed hospital resources

Objectives:To measure the effect of social distancing on reducing daily deaths,infections and hospital resources needed for coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)patients during the first wave of the pandemic in Nordic countries.Methods:The observations of social distancing,daily deaths,infections along with the needed hospital resources for COVID-19 patient hospitalizations including the numbers of all hospital beds,beds needed in ICUs and infection wards,nursing staffs needed in ICUs and infection wards were collected from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation(IHME)by the University of Washington.The observations of social distancing were based on the reduction in human contact relative to background levels for each location quantified by cell phone mobility data collected from IHME.The weighted data per 100,000 population gathered in a 40-day period of the first wave of the pandemic in Denmark,Finland,Iceland,Norway and Sweden.Statistical technique of panel data analysis is used to measure the associations between social distancing and COVID-19 indicators in long-run.Results:Results of dynamic long-run models confirm that a 1%rise in social distancing by reducing human contacts may decline daily deaths,daily infections,all hospital beds needed,beds/nurses needed in ICUs and beds/nurses needed in infection wards due COVID-19 pandemic by 1.13%,15.26%,1.10%,1.17%and 1.89%,respectively.Moreover,results of error correction models verify that if the equilibriums between these series are disrupted by a sudden change in social distancing,the lengths of restoring back to equilibrium are 67,62,40,22 and 49 days for daily deaths,daily infections,all hospital beds needed,nurses/beds needed in ICUs and nurses/beds needed in infection wards,respectively.Conclusion:Proper social distancing was a successful policy for tackling COVID-19 with falling mortality and infection rates as well as the needed hospital resources for patient hospitalizations in Nordic countries.The results alert governments of the need for continuously implementing social distancing policies while using vaccines to prevent national lockdowns and reduce the burden of patient hospitalizations.

A Scenario-Based Evaluation of COVID-19-Related Essential Clinical Resource Demands in China

The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic is a global crisis,and medical systems in many countries are overwhelmed with supply shortages and increasing demands to treat patients due to the surge in cases and severe illnesses.This study aimed to assess COVID-19-related essential clinical resource demands in China,based on different scenarios involving COVID-19 spreads and interventions.We used a susceptible–exposed–infectious–hospitalized/isolated–removed(SEIHR)transmission dynamics model to estimate the number of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations with corresponding essential healthcare resources needed.We found that,under strict non-pharmaceutical interventions(NPIs)or mass vaccination of the population,China would be able to contain community transmission and local outbreaks rapidly.However,under scenarios involving a low intensity of implemented NPIs and a small proportion of the population vaccinated,the use of a peacetime–wartime transition model would be needed for medical source stockpiles and preparations to ensure a normal functioning healthcare system.The implementation of COVID-19 vaccines and NPIs in different periods can influence the transmission of COVID-19 and subsequently affect the demand for clinical diagnosis and treatment.An increased proportion of asymptomatic infections in simulations will not reduce the demand for medical resources;however,attention must be paid to the increasing difficulty in containing COVID-19 transmission due to asymptomatic cases.This study provides evidence for emergency preparations and the adjustment of prevention and control strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic.It also provides guidance for essential healthcare investment and resource allocation.

Impact of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease on COVID-19 hospitalizations:A propensity-matched analysis of the United States

BACKGROUND Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease(MASLD),formally known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease,is the most common chronic liver disease in the United States.Patients with MASLD have been reported to be at a higher risk of developing severe coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)and death.However,most studies are single-center studies,and nationwide data in the AIM To study the influence of MASLD on COVID-19 hospitalizations during the initial phase of the pandemic.METHODS We retrospectively analyzed the 2020 National Inpatient Sample(NIS)database to identify primary COVID-19 hospitalizations based on an underlying diagnosis of MASLD.A matched comparison cohort of COVID-19 hospit-alizations without MASLD was identified from NIS after 1:N propensity score matching based on gender,race,and comorbidities,including hypertension,heart failure,diabetes,and cirrhosis.The primary outcomes included inpatient mortality,length of stay,and hospitalization costs.Secondary outcomes included the prevalence of systemic complications.RESULTS A total of 2210 hospitalizations with MASLD were matched to 2210 hospitalizations without MASLD,with a good comorbidity balance.Overall,there was a higher prevalence of severe disease with more intensive care unit admissions(9.5%vs 7.2%,P=0.007),mechanical ventilation(7.2%vs 5.7%,P=0.03),and septic shock(5.2%vs 2.7%,P<0.001)in the MASLD cohort than in the non-MASLD cohort.However,there was no difference in mortality(8.6%vs 10%,P=0.49),length of stay(5 d vs 5 d,P=0.25),and hospitalization costs(42081.5$vs 38614$,P=0.15)between the MASLD and non-MASLD cohorts.CONCLUSION The presence of MAFLD with or without liver cirrhosis was not associated with increased mortality in COVID-19 hospitalizations;however,there was an increased incidence of severe COVID-19 infection.This data(2020)predates the availability of COVID-19 vaccines,and many MASLD patients have since been vaccinated.It will be interesting to see if these trends are present in the subsequent years of the pandemic.

COVID-19 associated liver injury:A general review with special consideration of pregnancy and obstetric outcomes

Liver injury is an increasingly recognized extra-pulmonary manifestation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)infection.Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)associated liver injury(COVALI)is a clinical syndrome encompassing all patients with biochemical liver injury identified in the setting of SARS-CoV-2 infection.Despite profound clinical implications,its pathophysiology is poorly understood.Unfortunately,most information on COVALI is derived from the general population and may not be applicable to individuals under-represented in research,including pregnant individuals.This manuscript reviews:Clinical features of COVALI,leading theories of COVALI,and existing literature on COVALI during pregnancy,a topic not widely explored in the literature.Ultimately,we synthesized data from the general and perinatal populations that demonstrates COVALI to be a hepatocellular transaminitis that is likely induced by systemic inflammation and that is strongly associated with disease severity and poorer clinical outcome,and offered perspective on approaching transaminitis in the potentially COVID-19 positive patient in the obstetric setting.

A Case of COVID-19 Related Myasthenic Crisis: Lessons Learned

Background: COVID-19 was initially described to affect the respiratory system, it is now known to affect other systems and present in a myriad of ways. This has often proved to be a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to clinicians and stretched healthcare resources, sometimes with poor outcomes. We report on an atypical presentation of SARS-CoV-2 infection as an acute exacerbation of myasthenia gravis in a low resource setting. Case Presentation: A middle aged male with myasthenia gravis presented with a three weeks’ history of worsening generalized weakness and three days’ history of new-onset dysphagia with no history of fever and cough. After a few days of apparent improvement, the patient developed progressive respiratory distress. Further evaluation confirmed bilateral pneumonia and COVID-19. Conclusion: There is a need for clinicians and health service providers to have a low threshold for suspicion and testing for COVID-19 in patients with pre-existing medical conditions and immunomodulatory therapy such as Myasthenia gravis.

Human Rights and Social Justice through Open Educational Resources and Lifelong Learning

A landmark in the realization of UNESCO’s Sustainability Goals,Education for All(SDG4),was passed when the organization’s Recommendation of Open Educational Resources(OER)was uniformly adopted in 2019.Now it is time to transfer from the consciousness of OER to their mainstream realization at all levels,micro,meso,and macro,including all stakeholders,such as governments,institutions,academics,teachers,administrators,librarians,students,learners,and the civil service.The OER Recommendation includes five areas:building capacity and utilizing OER;developing supportive policies;ensuring effectiveness;promoting the creation of sustainable OER models;promoting and facilitating international collaboration;monitoring and evaluation.OER are valued as a catalyst for innovation and the achievement of UNESCO’s SDG 4,education for all,lifelong learning,social justice,and human rights.The OER Recommendation will be a catalyst for the realization of several other SDGs.Because access to quality OER concerns human rights and social justice,this Recommendation is vital.In 2020,the effects of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic clearly demonstrated the importance of opening up education and the access to internationally recognized,qualified learning resources.This article describes and discusses how the promise of resilient,sustainable quality open education can be fulfilled in the new normal and the next normal.

Semiotic Resourcefulness in Crisis Risk Communication: The Case of COVID-19 Posters

The unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19 presents a public health crisis on a global scale.Various measures have been taken to communicate crisis risks to the general public.These measures are meant to keep the public well informed,stay alert,and take precautionary measures to help curb the spread of the virus.The current study is part of an ongoing project aimed at exploring patterns of communication in the COVID-19 crisis discourse.Based on a collection of posters designed for public use during the outbreak,this paper analyses the richness of semiotic resources that combine to construct and convey the intended message of the posters.Drawing from scholarly insights into understanding the situatedness of meaning-making,the paper revisits some of the classical concerns about the relationship between text and image in semiotic artefacts and reveals the meaningmaking patterns in the semiotic designs of risk communication posters.The patterns are found to rest upon a host of textual and graphic features that contribute to the essential semiotic encoding of entity,condition,action,and sentiment.The findings are summarized by conceptualizing the assemblages of resources in the poster as a semiotic ensemble where the coordination and collaboration among semiotic resources can work to reduce potential ambiguities and amplify the communicative effect.

Reduction in COVID-19 related resource loss and decline in prevalence of probable depression in Chinese adults:an application of the Conservation of Resource Theory

Background The levels of resource losses due to coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)and mental distress may change during the pandemic period.Based on the Conservation of Resource(COR)Theory,this study investigated such changes and the mediation between survey time(Round 2 versus Round 1)and depression via resource losses.Methods Two serial random population-based telephone surveys interviewed 209 and 458 Hong Kong Chinese adults in April 2020 and May 2021,respectively.Probable depression was defined as 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire(PHQ-9)score≥10.The validated Conservation of Resources Scale for COVID-19(CORS-COVID-19)scale was used to assess resource losses due to COVID-19.Multivariable logistic regression analysis,hierarchical logistic regression analysis,and structural equation modeling(SEM)was conducted to test the association,interaction,and mediation hypotheses,respectively.Results The prevalence of probable depression declined from 8.6%to 1.0%over time,together with reductions in losses of financial resource(Cohen’s d=0.88),future control(Cohen’s d=0.39),social resource(Cohen’s d=0.60),and family resource(Cohen’s d=0.36)due to COVID-19.All the overall scale/subscales of the CORS-COVID-19 were positively and associated with probable depression[adjusted odds ratio(aOR)ranged from 2.72 to 42.30].In SEM,the survey time was negatively associated with the latent variable of resource loss(β=−0.46),which in turn was positively associated with probable depression(β=0.73).In addition,the direct effect of survey time on probable depression was statistically non-significant(β=−0.08),indicating a full mediation effect of resource losses.Conclusions The lessening of the resource losses might have fully accounted for the significant decline in probable depression from Month 3 to 15 since the first COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong,China.The level of depression might have increased during the first phase of the pandemic,but might decline in the later phases if resources losses could be lessened.All stakeholders should hence work together to minimize individuals’COVID-19-related resource losses to prevent depression in the general population,as COVID-19 might be lasting.

医学特藏资源的构建及其在医学人文素质教育中的价值

医学特藏资源是医学图书馆提供差异化服务的突破点,也是医学图书馆参与医学人文素质教育的重要资源。在抗击肆虐全球的新冠肺炎疫情的过程中,医学界和其他社会各界都产生了大量有价值的史料,复旦大学图书馆医学馆抓住机会建设抗击新冠肺炎疫情专题史料库相关特藏资源并展出,取得了很好的传播效果。通过介绍这一专题特藏资源的建设经验,为同行建设医学特藏资源、促进医学人文素质教育提供借鉴。

重大疫情下医院空间资源弹性应急转换策略:以上海市级综合医院向临时定点医院的功能转换为例

以新型冠状病毒肺炎(以下简称“新冠肺炎”)疫情期间,上海6家市级综合医院向临时新冠肺炎定点医院的快速功能转换为例,总结分析其在时间和空间资源有限的情况下,在建筑空间、医疗设备、人力资源等方面应急转换的实践经验及存在的不足。提出基于弹性理念的医院空间应急转换框架,表明从综合医院向定点医院的平疫功能转换应以空间资源的弹性转换为前提,同步在医疗设备、人力资源、物资储备管理等方面做好弹性配置,以提升时间上的转换速度和空间上的利用效率。建议优化医院空间规划、加强应急队伍建设以及完善物资储备体系,以更加有力地应对未来可能发生的突发公共卫生事件。

US-China Relations:Nationalism,the Trade War,and COVID-19

The trade war between the USA and China has shocked many across the world.A disruption to the interdependence of the two largest economies seemed unfathomable.However,in an effort to thwart China’s economic practices and boost the US economy,President Trump’s administration levied tariffs on Chinese imports shortly after taking office,moving US foreign economic policy from liberalism,practiced for decades,to protectionism.China has retaliated,and the trade war continues today.With conceptual insights from the nationalism literature,we explore the nationalist roots of the trade war from both the US and Chinese perspectives.In the USA,the Trump administration’s plan to achieve energy autonomy,decrease reliance on foreign resources,and reinvigorate the manufacturing sector has led to protectionist policies,the othering of China,and hence the trade war.Although reluctant to enter the conflict,China has rebuffed the USA,resisting and counterattacking US actions,owing to a long-felt sense of persecution in the global space and an eagerness to participate fully,and lead in some issue areas,in international affairs.The conflict continues into the COVID-19 era,marked by US scapegoating of China and hits to economic performance.Until both sides are convinced they have achieved their goals,or the USA undergoes an administration change,the conflict will likely continue.

非定点收治新型冠状病毒肺炎医院建立发热门诊与隔离病房的应对策略

[目的]探讨非定点收治新型冠状病毒肺炎医院建立发热门诊与隔离病房的应对策略。[方法]医院应对新型冠状病毒肺炎暴发期间总体部署感染防控,通过对防控部门进行选址、布局,组建护理人力资源应急储备库与应急梯队,对护理人员采用多维度防控知识培训及考核,完善全院的疫情防控管理,加强后勤保障工作等一系列严密的防控措施健全医院防控体系。[结果]经过一系列有效的临床防控实施,在疫情防控工作方面取得了一定的成效,有效地控制了传染源、切断传播途径,防止疫情扩散蔓延,确保了医护人员和病人的安全。截至目前实现了医院内零感染,无医护人员与病人发生感染,防止了社区疫情扩散。[结论]医院在防治新型冠状病毒肺炎的特殊时期,医院领导精准施策、统一部署,通过早规划、早布置、早防控,实行全员培训,确保整个防控体系科学有序高效地进行,在传染病疫情暴发期间防止医院内感染效果明显。

专精特新“小巨人”认定、信贷资源配置与企业创新绩效——基于我国科创板、创业板和北交所市场的经验证据

在新发展格局下,推动中小微企业向“专精特新”方向发展,已经提升至国家战略层面。本文选取2019—2022年我国科创板、创业板和北交所上市的专精特新“小巨人”企业样本,实证研究了专精特新“小巨人”认定与企业创新绩效的关系及影响机理,并探讨了一系列外部环境和企业内部特征因素对专精特新“小巨人”认定与企业创新绩效关系的影响。研究发现,专精特新“小巨人”的认定提高了企业创新绩效,且这一促进效应在科创板和北交所市场更加显著。机制检验发现,企业专精特新“小巨人”认定后信贷资源得到进一步配置,从而为企业创新绩效的提升提供了路径和保障。以上结论经过内生性和稳健性检验后仍然成立。拓展性检验发现,新冠疫情降低了专精特新“小巨人”认定对企业创新绩效的提高效应;在民营企业和机构投资者持股比例高的企业中,专精特新“小巨人”认定发挥了更强的作用。

Coordination and Cooperation are Essential: A Call for a Global Network to Enhance Integrated Human Health Risk Resilience Based on China’s COVID-19 Pandemic Coping Practice

More than a year after its appearance and still rampant around the world,the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted tragically how poorly the world is prepared to handle systemic risks in an increasingly hyper-connected global social-ecological system.The absence or clear inadequacy of global governance arrangements and mechanisms is painfully distinct and obvious.In this short article,we summarize a set of COVID-19 pandemic-related analyses and lessons that are inspired by Chinese practice.First,strong government response is one of the most important methods to control a pandemic.Second,countries should be concerned about human-to-frozen goods-to-human transmission.Third,sharing resources and experiences through cooperation is crucial to ensure an adequate health response.Based on these insights,we stress the critical importance of coordination and cooperation,and call for a global network to enhance integrated human health risk resilience.

Assessment of renewable energy:Status,challenges,COVID-19 impacts,opportunities,and sustainable energy solutions in Africa

Today’s more focus and efforts are being put by all the energy leaders towards power generation using renewable energy resources.Fortunately,these resources are becoming affordable to facilitate a swift shift towards green and clean energy.Possible strategic assets are an add-on for all the developing nations in terms of economy.The technological advancement and power market revolution resulting in an adequate reduction of renewable energy cost and affordability.This paper mainly focusing on Covid-19 impacts in the African energy sector.Also,analyzing recent developments in African renewable energy generation that holds the immense capacity for im-provisation.This paper highlighting the recommendations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic for the African renewable energy sector.This paper is a result of rigorous analysis based on major issues governing sustainable solutions for Africa.This review paper comes up with effective conclusions to address the challenges in the cur-rent pandemic situation.In Africa abundance of resources is found with huge potential for the generation of power.But still,Africa undergoing a phase of serious crises because they are not able to tap its huge capital of renewable energies.There is a subsequent need for power grid restructuring,energy storage technologies,and parallel mitigation of environmental factors with seasonal variations.Proposed review analysis bringing a better opportunity for all issues towards sustainable solutions,that will ease the renewable energy status in Africa.It is observed that there is an inevitable need to focus on having strong government policy frameworks and proper regulations.The various recommendations are required to swing towards renewable energy development.Com-bined efforts are required in luring foreign investments and to address feasible issues like setting-up targets.This paper demonstrated a smart energy system using a proposed machine learning-based framework for enhancing the PV forecasting and up-gradation in available technologies.

Optimal resource allocation with spatiotemporal transmission discovery for efective disease control

Background:The new waves of COVID-19 outbreaks caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant are developing rapidly and getting out of control around the world,especially in highly populated regions.The healthcare capacity(especially the testing resources,vaccination coverage,and hospital capacity)is becoming extremely insufcient as the demand will far exceed the supply.To address this time-critical issue,we need to answer a key question:How can we efectively infer the daily transmission risks in diferent districts using machine learning methods and thus lay out the corresponding resource prioritization strategies,so as to alleviate the impact of the Omicron outbreaks?Methods:We propose a computational method for future risk mapping and optimal resource allocation based on the quantitative characterization of spatiotemporal transmission patterns of the Omicron variant.We collect the publicly available data from the ofcial website of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region(HKSAR)Government and the study period in this paper is from December 27,2021 to July 17,2022(including a period for future prediction).First,we construct the spatiotemporal transmission intensity matrices across diferent districts based on infection case records.With the constructed cross-district transmission matrices,we forecast the future risks of various locations daily by means of the Gaussian process.Finally,we develop a transmission-guided resource prioritization strategy that enables efective control of Omicron outbreaks under limited capacity.Results:We conduct a comprehensive investigation of risk mapping and resource allocation in Hong Kong,China.The maps of the district-level transmission risks clearly demonstrate the irregular and spatiotemporal varying patterns of the risks,making it difcult for the public health authority to foresee the outbreaks and plan the responses accordingly.With the guidance of the inferred transmission risks,the developed prioritization strategy enables the optimal testing resource allocation for integrative case management(including case detection,quarantine,and further treatment),i.e.,with the 300,000 testing capacity per day;it could reduce the infection peak by 87.1% compared with the population-based allocation strategy(case number reduces from 20,860 to 2689)and by 24.2% compared with the case-based strategy(case number reduces from 3547 to 2689),signifcantly alleviating the burden of the healthcare system.Conclusions:Computationally characterizing spatiotemporal transmission patterns allows for the efective risk mapping and resource prioritization;such adaptive strategies are of critical importance in achieving timely outbreak control under insufcient capacity.The proposed method can help guide public-health responses not only to the Omicron outbreaks but also to the potential future outbreaks caused by other new variants.Moreover,the investigation conducted in Hong Kong,China provides useful suggestions on how to achieve efective disease control with insufcient capacity in other highly populated countries and regions.

图书馆新冠专题资源应急保障成效评估研究——以中国科学院文献情报中心为例

[目的/意义]通过评估图书馆新冠专题资源应急保障效果,发现并改进当前新冠专题信息服务存在的问题,为图书馆开展专题资源应急保障成效评估提供有益参考。[方法/过程]基于专题资源应急保障成效评估的概念及方法,研究以中国科学院文献情报中心的新冠专题信息服务为例,在"资源应急保障成效评估框架"的基础上构建具体的专题资源应急保障成效评估指标体系,且借此开展服务成效的实证评估。[结果/结论]基于评估结果分析服务中出现的问题,并借鉴其他图书馆同类服务的优秀实践经验,为改进服务问题提出针对性建议。