scholarly journals It's Best to Be Prepared: Lessons Learned from the Past Prepared Georgia for Hurricane Michael

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2s) ◽  
pp. 49-55
Author(s):  
Thuy-Vi Nguyen ◽  
Rosmarie Kelly ◽  
Byron Lobsinger ◽  
R. Christopher Rustin
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Environmental Health ◽  
Larval Habitat ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Team Members ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Past ◽  
Health Response ◽  
Hurricane Irma

ABSTRACT Onsite assessments for mosquito larval habitat sites are critical after a hurricane makes landfall. Due to lack of forward assessment activities and the uncertain path of Hurricane Irma, it was difficult to determine what areas would be most affected, making it challenging to determine the availability of Department of Public Health Environmental Health Strike Team members from unaffected areas. However, lessons learned from assessing the public health response to Hurricane Irma (2017) helped improve the response to Hurricane Michael (2018).

scholarly journals 4.C. Round table: Recovering from the COVID-19 Pandemic: Identifying and Acting Upon Lessons Learned

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Health Practice ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Scientific Uncertainty ◽  
Health Practice ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Response ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract   The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed many gaps and vulnerabilities in health systems and pandemic preparedness in European countries. It has also led to innovation and rapid improvements in certain elements of public health practice. One defining characteristic of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the rapid advance of scientific knowledge, accompanied by high degrees of scientific uncertainty. Each phase (or “wave”) of the pandemic has presented unique challenges. This workshop involves public health practitioners from multiple European countries. They will reflect upon some over-arching lessons learned through their experiences in the field, while also alluding to important innovations in public health that should be safeguarded for the future. The panellists will also discuss how lessons learned can be systematically identified and acted upon, through approaches such as after-action reviews (AARs), in order to optimise the public health response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as well as to future ones. The panel discussion format of this workshop adds value to EUPHA 2021 participant through hearing, in a relatively informal format, the experiences from senior staff at national public health agencies from a variety of European countries and contexts. This approach keeps a coherence between speakers will also highlighting the unique challenges posed by specific national contexts. This workshop will also consider how processes such as AARs can be formalised to become routine aspects of public health practice. Particular attention will be paid to challenges and solutions that are similar across national boundaries. During the workshop, the moderator will ensure that the panelists responses are short and succinct. The final 15 minutes will be dedicated to questions from the audience. Speakers/Panelists Flavia Riccardo ISS, Rome, Italy Ute Rexroth RKI, Berlin, Germany Tanya Melillo Directorate of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, MSIDA, Malta Mario Fafangel National Institute of Public Health, Ljubljana, Slovenia Key messages In order to guide the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as to future pandemics, it is essential to systematically identify lessons learned as well as innovative good practices. Identifying lessons learned, however, is only a first step as it is essential to develop action plans that are supported and endorsed across a wide range of stakeholders.

scholarly journals United States response to the COVID-19 pandemic, January–November 2020

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Mathew Alexander ◽  
Lynn Unruh ◽  
Andriy Koval ◽  
William Belanger
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Past ◽  
Health Response ◽  
Physical Infrastructure ◽  
Key Policy ◽  
United States Healthcare

Abstract As of November 2020, the United States leads the world in confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and deaths. Over the past 10 months, the United States has experienced three peaks in new cases, with the most recent spike in November setting new records. Inaction and the lack of a scientifically informed, unified response have contributed to the sustained spread of COVID-19 in the United States. This paper describes major events and findings from the domestic response to COVID-19 from January to November 2020, including on preventing transmission, COVID-19 testing and contact tracing, ensuring sufficient physical infrastructure and healthcare workforce, paying for services, and governance. We further reflect on the public health response to-date and analyse the link between key policy decisions (e.g. closing, reopening) and COVID-19 cases in three states that are representative of the broader regions that have experienced spikes in cases. Finally, as we approach the winter months and undergo a change in national leadership, we highlight some considerations for the ongoing COVID-19 response and the broader United States healthcare system. These findings describe why the United States has failed to contain COVID-19 effectively to-date and can serve as a reference in the continued response to COVID-19 and future pandemics.

scholarly journals Effect of COVID-19 on childhood Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in Chengdu, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Yijie Huang ◽  
Tao Ai ◽  
Jun Luo ◽  
Hanmin Liu
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mycoplasma Pneumoniae ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Serum Antibody ◽  
Pathogen Transmission ◽  
Western China ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Response ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a change in the incidence and transmission of respiratory pathogens was observed. Here, we retrospectively analyzed the impact of COVID-19 on the epidemiologic characteristics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection among children in Chengdu, one of the largest cities of western China. Method M. pneumoniae infection was diagnosed in 33,345 pediatric patients with respiratory symptoms at the Chengdu Women’s & Children’s Central Hospital between January 2017 and December 2020, based on a serum antibody titer of ≥1:160 measured by the passive agglutination assay. Differences in infection rates were examined by sex, age, and temporal distribution. Results Two epidemic outbreaks occurred between October-December 2017 and April-December 2019, and two infection peaks were detected in the second and fourth quarters of 2017, 2018, and 2019. Due to the public health response to COVID-19, the number of positive M. pneumoniae cases significantly decreased in the second quarter of 2020. The number of M. pneumoniae infection among children aged 3–6 years was higher than that in other age groups. Conclusions Preschool children are more susceptible to M. pneumoniae infection and close contact appears to be the predominant factor favoring pathogen transmission. The public health response to COVID-19 can effectively control the transmission of M. pneumoniae.

Survey on the Populationʼs Needs and the Public Health Response During Floods in Germany 2002

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 461-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Schnitzler ◽  
Justus Benzler ◽  
Doris Altmann ◽  
Inge Mücke ◽  
Gérard Krause
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Response

scholarly journals Practical implications of naloxone knowledge among suburban people who use opioids

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin E. Schneider ◽  
Glenna J. Urquhart ◽  
Saba Rouhani ◽  
Ju Nyeong Park ◽  
Miles Morris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Washington Dc ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Baltimore City ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Response ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Practical Implications

Abstract Background Naloxone distribution programs have been a cornerstone of the public health response to the overdose crisis in the USA. Yet people who use opioids (PWUO) continue to face a number of barriers accessing naloxone, including not knowing where it is available. Methods We used data from 173 PWUO from Anne Arundel County, Maryland, which is located between Baltimore City and Washington, DC. We assessed the prevalence of recently (past 6 months) receiving naloxone and currently having naloxone, the type(s) of the naloxone kits received, and the perceived ease/difficultly of accessing naloxone. We also assessed participants knowledge of where naloxone was available in the community. Results One third (35.7%) of participants had recently received naloxone. Most who had received naloxone received two doses (72.1%), nasal naloxone (86.9%), and education about naloxone use (72.1%). Most currently had naloxone in their possession (either on their person or at home; 78.7%). One third (34.4%) believed naloxone was difficult to obtain in their community. Only half (56.7%) knew of multiple locations where they could get naloxone. The health department was the most commonly identified naloxone source (58.0%). Identifying multiple sources of naloxone was associated with being more likely to perceive that naloxone is easy to access. Discussion Our results suggest that additional public health efforts are needed to make PWUO aware of the range of sources of naloxone in their communities in order to ensure easy and continued naloxone access to PWUO.

Not your typical “historian”

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 523-533
Author(s):  
Adrienne Lefevre ◽  
Madison Walter-Garcia ◽  
Kimberly Hanson ◽  
Julia Smith-Easley
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
Health Community ◽  
Health Response ◽  
Decision Making Processes

Purpose In the incident command system (ICS) structure, response documentation is formally found within the planning section. However, longer term emergency responses have demonstrated the need for a flexible and innovative role that encompasses a variety of activities, including response documentation, communications science, real-time evaluation of major themes, and information management. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach This need can be universally met through the functional role of “Historian,” a term specific to ICS, or in the case of public health response, incident management system (IMS). It should be noted that the Historian role discussed is not related to the academic study of history, but to archiving key successes and challenges during a response. Ideally the Historian should be activated at the start of an emergency response and remain active to capture the overall picture of the response, including internal information, such as lessons learned, response activities, and decision-making processes. Findings The Historian compiles details of response activities that inform leadership, donors and external communications products while alleviating pressures on the planning section. The primary, minimum output of an IMS Historian is a response timeline, which notes major internal and external events during a response with emphasis on major themes, lessons learned, and creating a user-friendly interface to display this information (see the list “Abbreviated Example of Hurricane Matthew Response Timeline” in the text). Originality/value In a world with competing priorities and ongoing emergencies, the Historian’s role of archiving details of response efforts can help the international public health community to share lessons learned and contribute to lower morbidity and mortality among those affected by emergencies.

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