Non-pharmaceutical personal protective (NPP) measures such as face masks use, and hand and respiratory hygiene can be effective measures for mitigating the spread of aerosol/airborne diseases, such ...as COVID-19, in the absence of vaccination or treatment. However, the usage of such measures is constrained by their inherent perceived cost and effectiveness for reducing transmission risk. To understand the complex interaction of disease dynamics and individuals decision whether to adopt NPP or not, we incorporate evolutionary game theory into an epidemic model such as COVID-19. To compare how self-interested NPP use differs from social optimum, we also investigated optional control from a central planner's perspective. We use Pontryagin's maximum principle to identify the population-level NPP uptake that minimizes disease incidence by incurring the minimum costs. The evolutionary behavior model shows that NPP uptake increases at lower perceived costs of NPP, higher transmission risk, shorter duration of NPP use, higher effectiveness of NPP, and shorter duration of disease-induced immunity. Though social optimum NPP usage is generally more effective in reducing disease incidence than self-interested usage, our analysis identifies conditions under which both strategies get closer. Our model provides new insights for public health in mitigating a disease outbreak through NPP.Non-pharmaceutical personal protective (NPP) measures such as face masks use, and hand and respiratory hygiene can be effective measures for mitigating the spread of aerosol/airborne diseases, such as COVID-19, in the absence of vaccination or treatment. However, the usage of such measures is constrained by their inherent perceived cost and effectiveness for reducing transmission risk. To understand the complex interaction of disease dynamics and individuals decision whether to adopt NPP or not, we incorporate evolutionary game theory into an epidemic model such as COVID-19. To compare how self-interested NPP use differs from social optimum, we also investigated optional control from a central planner's perspective. We use Pontryagin's maximum principle to identify the population-level NPP uptake that minimizes disease incidence by incurring the minimum costs. The evolutionary behavior model shows that NPP uptake increases at lower perceived costs of NPP, higher transmission risk, shorter duration of NPP use, higher effectiveness of NPP, and shorter duration of disease-induced immunity. Though social optimum NPP usage is generally more effective in reducing disease incidence than self-interested usage, our analysis identifies conditions under which both strategies get closer. Our model provides new insights for public health in mitigating a disease outbreak through NPP.
COVID-19: emerging protective measures Balachandar, V; Mahalaxmi, I; Kaavya, J ...
European review for medical and pharmacological sciences,
03/2020, Letnik:
24, Številka:
6
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose. COVID-19 is predominantly considered as an unavoidable pandemic, and scientists are ...very curious about how to provide the best protection to the public before a vaccine can be made available. There is an urge to manufacture a greater number of masks to prevent any aerosol with microbes. Hence, we aim to develop an efficient viral inactivation system by exploiting active compounds from naturally occurring medicinal plants and infusing them into nanofiber-based respiratory masks. Our strategy is to develop fibrous filtration with three-layered masks using the compounds from medicinal plants for viral deactivation. These masks will be beneficial not just to healthcare workers but common citizens as well. In the absence of vaccination, productive masks can be worn to prevent transmission of airborne pathogenic aerosols and control diseases.
Introduction: The use of personal protective measures holds relevance despite mass immunization coverage of COVID-19 vaccination in the population. This is because vaccination only gives protection ...from severe COVID-19 and does not prevent the risk of infection. Medical students can be vital in training people in infection control practices. The study aimed to assess the practices of undergraduate medical students regarding personal protective measures against COVID-19. Methods: A cross-sectional study was done among first to final-year students at a private medical college in Mangalore. Data were collected using a Microsoft form. Results: The mean age of the 302 participants was 21.2±1.6 years. The majority of them were females 179 (59.3%). Face mask was worn by 295(97.7%) participants. Non-recommended types of face masks like using cloth masks 108 (36.6%) and handkerchiefs 7 (2.4%) were reported by participants. 35 (11.9%) of them wore the face mask incorrectly. Periodicity of replacement of disposable type masks was not done every day by 181(61.4%) participants. 142(48.1%) of them did not dispose of masks whenever they became moist on every occasion. Only 79 (26.8%) always practiced proper disposal of face masks. Hand sanitizer to disinfect hands was always used by 102 (33.8%) participants. Only 42 (13.9%) participants practiced correct practice of hygiene hand wash always. Only 58 (19.2%) participants had a good level of practice. Practice level was significantly poorer among males and first-year students. Conclusion: Several gaps in preventive practices against COVID-19 were identified, particularly among males and first-year students. These issues need to be addressed among medical students in future training programs.
The COVID-19 outbreak is a global pandemic, during which the community preventive and protective behaviors play a crucial role in the containment and control of infection. This study was designed to ...contribute to the existing knowledge on how risk communication (RC) and risk perception (RP) affect protective and preventive behaviors (PPB) during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The required data were extracted from a national online survey of Iranian adults aged 15 and older during March 15-19, 2020 (n=3213). Data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling.
The study findings reveal that RC has direct and indirect positive effects on PB. Furthermore, this study also provides new evidence indicating that RP mediates the relationship between RC and PB and there is a two-way relationship between RC and RP. These interactions may have impact on risk communication strategies which should be adopted during this pandemic.
The study findings have remarkable implications for informing future communications as well as interventions during this ongoing outbreak and subsequent national risk events.
BACKGROUND: Health protocol compliance among family members can help curb the spread of COVID-19. However, not all families or family members can easily navigate the changes brought about by the ...pandemic; hence, minimizing virus transmission remains a challenge.
AIM: Therefore, observing how families implement health protocols in daily life will reveal the challenges and opportunities, and inform public health policies.
METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study by collecting data through phone interviews from November 2020 to February 2021. Eighteen families with a total of 30 individuals participated in this study. The interview data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis.
RESULTS: The analysis shows that participants were actively involved in implementing protective measures to prevent transmission among their family members. Five themes emerged from the data, namely fundamental concerns, restraints and constraints, pandemic roles, compromises, and intergenerational attitudes. The themes described the families’ lives during the pandemic, their efforts in protecting family members, and the dynamic within the families related to the implementation of COVID-19 protective measures.
CONCLUSION: This study indicates that families could play a key role in both protecting and compromising the health of their family members. Families respond to the health crisis actively, but at times increase the risk to virus exposure because they have to continue going about their daily lives.
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