Search results for "OUTBREAK"

An ethical algorithm for rationing life sustaining treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic

2020

The burning ethical question raised by the COVID-19 pandemic is how to deal fairly and ethically with a large number of patients simultaneously becoming critically unwell. Across the world, in both developed and developing countries, health systems are grappling with the possibility or the reality that the demand for intensive medical care will outstrip availability. There is a need for ethical guidelines on how to allocate treatment, but such guidelines are potentially highly controversial.1 In this commentary, we set out a simple algorithm (Figure 1), including what we take to be the essential ethical principles that ought to guide resource allocation in any country or setting as well as …

Toward ‘Vaccine Internationalism’: The Need for an Equitable and Coordinated Global Vaccination Approach to Effectively Combat COVID-19

2021

International audience

Metropolitan wastewater analysis for COVID-19 epidemiological surveillance

2020

The COVID-19 disease, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a rapidly emerging pandemic which has enforced extreme containment measures worldwide. In the absence of a vaccine or efficient treatment, cost-effective epidemiological surveillance strategies are urgently needed. Here, we have used RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2 detection in a series of longitudinal metropolitan wastewaters samples collected from February to April 2020, during the earliest stages of the epidemic in the Region of Valencia, Spain. We were able to consistently detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in samples taken in late February, when communicated cases in that region were only incipient. We also find…

The Rise in Inequality after Pandemics: Can Fiscal Support Play a Mitigating Role?

2021

Abstract Major epidemics of the last two decades (SARS, H1N1, MERS, Ebola, and Zika) have been followed by increases in inequality [Furceri et al. (2020), COVID Economics, 12, 138–157]. In this article, we show that the extent of fiscal consolidation in the years following the onset of these pandemics has played an important role in determining the extent of the increase in inequality. Episodes marked by extreme austerity—measured using either the government’s fiscal balance, health expenditures, or redistribution—have been associated with an increase in the Gini measure of inequality three times as large as in episodes where fiscal policy has been more supportive. We survey the evidence th…

Green Versus Radical Right as the New Political Divide? The European Parliament Election 2019 in Germany

2020

COVID‐19 and tourism: What can we learn from the past?

2020

Abstract The impact of the COVID‐19 crisis on tourism flows is without precedent in terms of speed and severity. In this paper, we try to infer a possible future scenario for the tourism sector, evaluating the medium‐term effects of past pandemics on tourist arrivals. We find that pandemics lead to a persistent decline in tourist arrivals, with the effects being larger in developing and emerging countries. Interestingly, the effects are heterogeneous across countries and episodes, and depend on several economic conditions such as the overall health system performance, the severity of the shock, and the uncertainty induced by the pandemic event.

Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Rollouts and Their Effects on Health Outcomes

2022

Background Vaccination against the coronavirus disease (SARS-CoV-2) is understood to be the key way out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Limited evidence exists on the determinants of vaccine rollouts and their health effects at the country level. Objective Examine the determinants of COVID-19 vaccine rollouts and their effects on health outcomes. Methods Ordinary least squares regressions with standard errors clustered at the country level for Cross-section and Panel daily data of vaccinations and various health outcomes (new COVID-19 cases, fatalities, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions) for an unbalanced sample of about 200 countries during the period 16 December 2020 to 20 June 2021. Results…

Differences in Perceived Occupational Stress by Demographic Characteristics, of European Emergency Medical Services Personnel during the COVID-19 Vir…

2021

Objectives: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought commercial, social, and economic consequences in every country that has experienced substantial SARS-CoV-2 infection rates. The complete change in the environment that took place due to the outbreak of the pandemic can lead to stressful situations, especially among healthcare personnel. Material and methods: The research were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic between the 27 March 2020 and the 20 April 2020. The research included 1984 employees of emergency medical systems in seven European countries. An internet-based questionnaire format was adopted for the study (ΩMc-Donald &gt

Real-time PCR detection of Ochroconis lascauxensis involved in the formation of black stains in the Lascaux Cave, France

2012

A real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay was developed to detect and quantify Ochroconis lascauxensis in the Lascaux Cave in France. This fungus is the principal causal agent of the black stains threatening the Paleolithic paintings of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The black stains outbreak could not be stopped in spite of using intensive biocide treatments. A sensitive and time-saving protocol is needed for determining the extent of the colonization. Sets of primers that target the ITS and RPB2 regions were designed and evaluated for specificity against O. lascauxensis. Genomic DNA extracted from five species of Ochroconis and 13 other fungal species frequently isolated from ca…

Assessment of fungi proliferation and diversity in cultural heritage: Reactions to UV-C treatment.

2018

International audience; Fungi are present in natural and non-touristic caves due to the presence of organic matter provided mainly by insects or animals such as bats. In show caves, however, tourist infrastructure and the visitors themselves are an important source of organic matter. In addition, photosynthetic biofilms provide a high amount of carbon and nitrogen sources for fungi. This study was conducted to identify the fungal communities present in caves along with the potential use of UV-C treatment against their proliferation. Thus, fungal communities proliferating in biofilms in six French and Swiss show caves were analyzed using high throughput sequencing. The results show 385 speci…