scholarly journals Imagining Resilient Courts: from Covid to the Future of Canada’s Court System

2020 ◽  
Vol COVID-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Matyas ◽  
Peter Wills ◽  
Barry Dewitt
Keyword(s):  
Academic Work ◽  
Self Organization ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Court System ◽  
Democratic Institutions ◽  
Administration Of Justice ◽  
The Future ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Business As Usual

The novel coronavirus disease (covid) pandemic has challenged an array of democratic institutions in complex and unprecedented ways. Little academic work, however, has considered the pandemic’s impact on Canada’s courts. This paper aims to partially fill that gap by exploring the Canadian court system’s response to covid and the prospects for administering justice amidst disasters, all through the lens of resilience. After taking a forensic look at how the court system has managed the challenges brought on by covid, we argue that features of resilience like self-organization, flexibility, learning, and reflexive planning can contribute to the administration of justice during future shocks. We propose that the business of judging during shocks can become more integral to the “business as usual” of court systems. Imagining such a resilient court can be a way to step from covid to the future of Canada’s court system.

scholarly journals Working in the world of the pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 97-102
Author(s):  
Luke Tredinnick ◽  
Claire Laybats
Keyword(s):  
The Novel ◽  
The World ◽  
The Future ◽  
Information Professionals ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The Way

This paper compiles a series of responses from key information professionals to the novel coronavirus pandemic of 2020. Respondents were invited to answer the questions how the pandemic has impacted on their work, and how it might change the way of working in the future. Contributors to the article include Scott Brown, Steve Dale, Denise Carter, Alison Day, Hal Kirkwood and Emily Hopkins.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and the future of microfinance: evidence and insights from Pakistan

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S138-S168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kashif Malik ◽  
Muhammad Meki ◽  
Jonathan Morduch ◽  
Timothy Ogden ◽  
Simon Quinn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Commercial Banks ◽  
Policy Reform ◽  
Rapid Response ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Microfinance Institutions ◽  
The Future ◽  
Loan Officers ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic threatens lives and livelihoods, and, with that, has created immediate challenges for institutions that serve affected communities. We focus on implications for local microfinance institutions in Pakistan, a country with a mature microfinance sector, serving a large number of households. The institutions serve populations poorly-served by traditional commercial banks, helping customers invest in microenterprises, save, and maintain liquidity. We report results from ‘rapid response’ phone surveys of about 1,000 microenterprise owners, a survey of about 200 microfinance loan officers, and interviews with regulators and senior representatives of microfinance institutions. We ran these surveys starting about a week after the country went into lockdown to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. We find that, on average, week-on-week sales and household income both fell by about 90 per cent. Households’ primary immediate concern in early April became how to secure food. As a result, 70 per cent of the sample of current microfinance borrowers reported that they could not repay their loans; loan officers anticipated a repayment rate of just 34 per cent in April 2020. We build from the results to argue that COVID-19 represents a crisis for microfinance in low-income communities. It is also a chance to consider the future of microfinance, and we suggest insights for policy reform.

scholarly journals Preparation for Quarantine on the Cruise Ship Diamond Princess in Japan due to COVID-19 (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshihiro Yamahata ◽  
Ayako Shibata
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Cruise Ship ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Ventilator Support ◽  
Cruise Ships ◽  
Asymptomatic Patients ◽  
The Future ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

BACKGROUND Japan implemented a large-scale quarantine on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in an attempt to control the spread of the novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in February 2020. OBJECTIVE We aim to describe the medical activities initiated and difficulties in implementing quarantine on a cruise ship. METHODS Reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for SARS-CoV-2 were performed for all 3711 people (2666 passengers and 1045 crew) on board. RESULTS Of those tested, 696 (18.8%) tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), of which 410 (58.9%) were asymptomatic. We also confirmed that 54% of the asymptomatic patients with a positive RT-PCR result had lung opacities on chest computed tomography. There were many difficulties in implementing quarantine, such as creating a dividing traffic line between infectious and noninfectious passengers, finding hospitals and transportation providers willing to accept these patients, transporting individuals, language barriers, and supporting daily life. As of March 8, 2020, 31 patients (4.5% of patients with positive RT-PCR results) were hospitalized and required ventilator support or intensive care, and 7 patients (1.0% of patients with positive RT-PCR results) had died. CONCLUSIONS There were several difficulties in implementing large-scale quarantine and obtaining medical support on the cruise ship. In the future, we need to prepare for patients’ transfer and the admitting hospitals when disembarking the passengers. We recommend treating the crew the same way as the passengers to control the infection. We must also draw a plan for the future, to protect travelers and passengers from emerging infectious diseases on cruise ships.

scholarly journals Predicting a Pandemic: testing crowd wisdom and expert forecasting amidst the novel COVID-19 outbreak

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emil O. W. Kirkegaard ◽  
Wael Taji ◽  
Arjen Gerritsen
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Crowd Wisdom ◽  
Final Sample ◽  
The Future ◽  
Future Events ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The Individual

Taking countermeasures to protect against future events requires predicting what the future will be like. In late 2019, a novel coronavirus known as NCov-2019 emerged in Wuhan, China, and has since spread to most countries in the world. Anticipatory responses by civilians facing the crisis have included self-isolation measures, extreme stockpiling of food or medical supplies, and other forms of preparation to meet the expected crisis. However, no consensus exists as to the accuracy of civilian expectations, nor toward the relative value of different informational sources used by citizens to build these expectations (e.g. mainstream news as opposed to an educational background in virology). In the present study, we used an online survey (n = 333 in final sample) to collect individual characteristics and general knowledge regarding viruses and the novel coronavirus, in addition to their forecasts for the various outcomes expected to result from it in the near future. This will allow for the individual correlates of accurate forecasting to be known by 2021, which could prove important for assigning relative weights to forecasts for other events in the future.

scholarly journals Patient and Provider Experience With Cystic Fibrosis Telemedicine Clinic

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kalen Hendra ◽  
Fatima Neemuchwala ◽  
Marilynn Chan ◽  
Ngoc P. Ly ◽  
Elizabeth R. Gibb
Keyword(s):  
Cystic Fibrosis ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
The Internet ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Telemedicine Technology ◽  
The Future ◽  
Provider Experience ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Question Survey

In response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, all in-person cystic fibrosis (CF) appointments were converted to telemedicine visits at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. The purpose of our study was to learn about the experiences that patients, families, and providers had with telemedicine visits and to assess their interest in using telemedicine in the future. Our hypothesis was that most patients, families, and providers want to continue telemedicine visits in the future. An anonymous 11-question survey was distributed to patients, families, and providers in November and December 2020. The survey was completed by 46 of 72 families (64% response rate) and 24 of 25 providers (96% response rate). Thirty-seven families (80%) and 21 providers (88%) were satisfied with their telemedicine experience. Thirty-three families (72%) want to have telemedicine visits in the future. Thirty-five families (76%) and 22 providers (92%) were satisfied with their experience using Zoom. Forty families (87%) and 19 providers (90%) want 2 or more visits each year to be via telemedicine. Our study showed that most families and providers were satisfied with telemedicine, would like to continue using telemedicine, and prefer to have at least 2 of the 4 recommended annual CF visits via telemedicine. Our survey identified the following benefits to telemedicine: decreased travel time, decreased cost, and avoiding exposure to COVID. However, we need to ensure that we do not exacerbate existing health disparities for families that do not speak English and/or do not have the internet capabilities to support telemedicine technology.

scholarly journals Covid-19, Fourth industrial revolution and the future of elections in Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Joseph Olusegun Adebayo ◽  
Blessing Makwambeni ◽  
Colin Thakur
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Human Existence ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Fourth Industrial Revolution ◽  
The Future ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Initial Focus ◽  
The Way

The initial focus of this study was on exploring the potential impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) on future elections in Africa. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is fundamentally changing the way we live, work and relate to one another. In its scale and complexity, 4IR could change humanity and human existence as we presently know it. The suddenness with which the novel coronavirus pandemic has shut down life across the globe, including the cancellation and postponement of scheduled elections, led to a realignment of the research goals. The study thus includes ways in which 4IR and unforeseen global emergencies like pandemics can impact future elections, with specific reference to Africa.

scholarly journals The future of conferences: lessons from Europe's largest online geoscience conference

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 437-451
Author(s):  
Hazel Gibson ◽  
Sam Illingworth ◽  
Susanne Buiter
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Discovery ◽  
Environmental Cost ◽  
Widening Participation ◽  
Annual Conference ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Regular Meeting ◽  
The Future ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. In the early months of 2020, as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) swept across the globe, millions of people were required to make drastic changes to their lives to help contain the impact of the virus. Among those changes, scientific conferences of every type and size were forced to cancel or postpone in order to protect public health. Included in these was the European Geosciences Union (EGU) 2020 General Assembly, an annual conference for Earth, planetary, and space scientists, scheduled to be held in Vienna, Austria, in May 2020. After a 6-week period of changing the format to an online alternative, attendees of the newly designed EGU20: Sharing Geoscience Online took part in the first geoscience conference of its size to go fully online. This paper explores the feedback provided by participants following this experimental conference and identifies four key themes that emerged from an analysis of the following questions: what did attendees miss from a regular meeting, and to what extent did going online impact the event itself, both in terms of challenges and opportunities? The themes identified are “connecting”, “engagement”, “environment”, and “accessibility”. These themes include concepts relating to discussions of the value of informal connections and spontaneous scientific discovery during conferences, the necessity of considering the environmental cost of in-person meetings, and the opportunities for widening participation in science by investing in accessibility. The responses in these themes cover the spectrum of experiences of participants, from positive to negative, and raise important questions about what conference providers of the future will need to do to meet the needs of the scientific community in the years following this coronavirus outbreak.

scholarly journals SARS to novel coronavirus – old lessons and new lessons

2020 ◽  
Vol 148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian McCloskey ◽  
David L. Heymann
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Science ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
International Response ◽  
The Future ◽  
Science And Politics ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Abstract The response to the novel coronavirus outbreak in China suggests that many of the lessons from the 2003 SARS epidemic have been implemented and the response improved as a consequence. Nevertheless some questions remain and not all lessons have been successful. The national and international response demonstrates the complex link between public health, science and politics when an outbreak threatens to impact on global economies and reputations. The unprecedented measures implemented in China are a bold attempt to control the outbreak – we need to understand their effectiveness to balance costs and benefits for similar events in the future.

scholarly journals Protecting Healthcare Workers From COVID-19 and the Assaulting Society: Indian Perspective

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nileswar Das ◽  
Priyanka Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
The Novel ◽  
The Future ◽  
Public Behavior ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Indian Perspective

The novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic has created a massive burden on Healthcare Workers (HCWs). Working in a potentially infectious environment, HCWs are at higher risk of physical and psychological illnesses. However, providing adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is necessary to protect HCWs from rising violence in the community due to fear, frustration, and stigma. The authors highlighted this important yet relatively underresearched entity of public behavior that demands further studies in the future.

scholarly journals The Ethics of Speculative Anticipation and the Covid-19 Pandemic

Hypatia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 228-236
Author(s):  
Catherine Kendig ◽  
Wenda K. Bauchspies
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Ethical Frameworks ◽  
Good Working ◽  
Stable Conditions ◽  
The Future ◽  
Ethical Thinking ◽  
To Come ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

The COVID-19 pandemic affects everyone, a statement that is true by definition, yet woefully unhelpful in our understanding of it and its effects today and in the future. Thus we find ourselves in a moment unprepared for the fast-approaching, unanticipated future. Under stable conditions, we might operate with a “good working model of an anticipated ‘future’” to speculate on our preparedness for the possible (Adams, Murphy, and Clarke 2009, 247). Or we may speculate in order to reimagine social relations within new ethical frameworks (Jones 2015). We anticipate what we imagine and envision as possible (Adams, Murphy, and Clarke 2009). We are writing and thinking about this not under stable conditions, but in the early moments of the COVID-19 pandemic when anticipation of and speculation about what is to come is being challenged and contradicted daily in the news cycle by government officials, experts, and everyday citizens. Our thinking, as well as this contribution to the scholarship on the COVID-19 crisis, is defined by an ineluctable tension about what is and what might be. In this musing, we attempt to flesh out just one aspect of the COVID-19 crisis: the anticipatory and speculative nature of COVID-19 thinking. We direct our attention during this time of crisis to how different forms of ethical thinking are joining up, interweaving, and braiding. By framing ethics in the context of anticipation, our aim is to capture threads of anticipation and speculation that may be used to tether attempts to create the future with, after, or beyond the novel coronavirus and/or the next crisis.

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