Purpose: To statistically validate the PREM (Pandemic Risk Exposure Measurement) model devised in a previous paper by the authors and determine the model's relationship with the level of current ...COVID-19 cases (NLCC) and the level of current deaths related to COVID-19 (NLCD) based on the real country data. Methods: We used perceived variables proposed in a previous study by the same lead authors and applied the latest available real data values for 154 countries. Two endogenous real data variables (NLCC) and (NLCD) were added. Data were transformed to measurable values using a Likert scale of 1 to 5. The resulting data for each variable were entered into SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) version 26 and Amos (Analysis of a Moment Structures) version 21 and subjected to statistical analysis, specifically exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha and confirmatory factor analysis. Results: The results obtained confirmed a 4-factor structure and that the PREM model using real data is statistically reliable and valid. However, the variable Q14--hospital beds available per capita (1000 inhabitants) had to be excluded from the analysis because it loaded under more than one factor and the difference between the factor common variance was less than 0.10. Moreover, its Factor 1 and Factor 3 with NLCC and Factor 1 with NLCD showed a statistically significant relationship. Conclusion: Therefore, the developed PREM model moves from a perception-based model to reality. By proposing a model that allows governments and policymakers to take a proactive approach, the negative impact of a pandemic on the functioning of a country can be reduced. The PREM model is useful for decision-makers to know what factors make the country more vulnerable to a pandemic and, if possible, to manage or set tolerances as part of a preventive measure. Keywords: COVID-19, pandemic risk exposure, PREM, proactive, vulnerability
How can we identify the epidemiologically high-risk communities in a metapopulation network? The network centrality measure, which quantifies the relative importance of each location, is commonly ...utilized for this purpose. As the disease invasion condition is given from the basic reproductive ratio R.sub.0, we have introduced a novel centrality measure based on the sensitivity analysis of this R.sub.0 and shown its capability of revealing the characteristics that has been overlooked by the conventional centrality measures. The epidemic dynamics over the commute network of the Tokyo metropolitan area is theoretically analyzed by using this centrality measure. We found that, the impact of countermeasures at the largest station is more than 1,000 times stronger compare to that at the second largest station, even though the population sizes are only around 1.5 times larger. Furthermore, the effect of countermeasures at every station is strongly dependent on the existence and the number of commuters to this largest station. It is well known that the hubs are the most influential nodes, however, our analysis shows that only the largest among the network plays an extraordinary role. Lastly, we also found that, the location that is important for the prevention of disease invasion does not necessarily match the location that is important for reducing the number of infected.
Recent data from EU-SILC and Destatis seemed to indicate a dramatic increase in German inequality and poverty in the pandemic year 2020. But Destatis had changed its data collection method. Based on ...several studies, it is likely that the actual rise has been much weaker while the previous data collection by Destatis might have underestimated the true disparities within German society in the past.
Not only since the Covid-19 pandemic, rural areas have
received new attention as supposedly healthier and attractive places of
residence. Regions previously characterized as shrinking are ...experiencing a
highly selective influx of urban middle-class households and an increase in
real estate and rental prices. These influxes and housing market
developments raise the question of value increase and displacement.
English-speaking, and especially British, human geographers have been
studying the phenomenon of ”rural gentrification” for several decades. This
article therefore aims to systematize this state of the art in terms of its
conceptual framework and empirical objects. Based on this, the article
explains possible connections for German research on rural gentrification
and discusses starting points for future research.
The author describes how, during the COVID-19 pandemic, clinicians embraced telehealth for vulnerable children struggling with intense feelings, learning challenges, and isolation. She suggests that ...generating playful engagement, however difficult without the toys and comforts of the traditional office, remains crucial. She discusses the stresses of the telehealth experience and the importance of identifying and mobilizing a child's initiative and agency in this setting. She asserts that, when clinicians maintain empathy and share how they imagine children's experiences, a joining can occur that lessens the children's sense of isolation and emotional hurdles. She then conculdes that, if a clinician's imaginative self becomes engaged with that of a child, spontaneity and forward movement are possible even when employing the medium of telehealth. Key words: clinician's empathy; imaginative play; sense of agency; telehealth.
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