emergency preparedness

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify the Jordanian nurses' perception of their disaster preparedness and core competencies. METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional research design was used. The data was collected via an online self-reported questionnaire using the disaster preparedness evaluation tool and the core disaster competencies tool. RESULTS: A total of 126 nurses participated in the study. Jordanian nurses had moderate to high levels of core disaster competencies and moderate levels of disaster preparedness...

The war in Ukraine raises concerns for potential hazards of radiological and nuclear incidents. Children are particularly vulnerable in these incidents and may need pharmaceutical countermeasures, including antidotes and cytokines. Searches found no published study comparing pediatric indications and dosing among standard references detailing pediatric medications for these incidents. This study addresses this gap by collecting, tabulating, and disseminating this information to healthcare professionals caring for children...

BACKGROUND: Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are predicted to become the world's seventh leading cause of death by 2030. Given the significant impact of RTAs on public health, effective hospital preparedness plays a pivotal role in managing and mitigating associated health and life-threatening issues. This study aims to meticulously evaluate the preparedness of selected hospitals in western Iran to handle road traffic accidents with mass casualties (RTAs-MC). METHODS: The study employed a descriptive-analytical approach, utilizing a reliable and valid questionnaire to measure hospitals' preparedness levels...

This opinion piece emphasies the critical role of translational research in enhancing the UK's resilience against future pandemics. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the lifesaving potential of scientific innovation, including genomic tracking of SARS-CoV-2, vaccine development, data linkage, modelling, and new treatments. These advances, achieved through collaborations between academic institutions, industry, government, public health bodies, and the NHS, occurred at an unprecedented pace. However, the UK's pandemic preparedness planning, as reflected in the 2016 Exercise Cygnus report, notably lacked provision for scientific innovation...

UNLABELLED: Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) is a mosquito-borne +ssRNA virus belonging to the Togaviridae . VEEV is found throughout Central and South America and is responsible for periodic epidemic/epizootic outbreaks of febrile and encephalitic disease in equines and humans. Endemic/enzootic VEEV is transmitted between Culex mosquitoes and sylvatic rodents, whereas epidemic/epizootic VEEV is transmitted between mosquitoes and equids, which serve as amplification hosts during outbreaks...

OBJECTIVE: During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) funded programs (recipients) experienced significant declines in breast and cervical cancer screening volume. However, 6 recipients maintained breast and/or cervical cancer screening volume during July-December 2020 despite their states' high COVID-19 test percent positivity. We led a qualitative multi-case study to explore these recipients' actions that may have contributed to screening volume maintenance...

INTRODUCTION: The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 triggered a global health emergency, causing > 7 million deaths thus far. Limited early knowledge spurred swift research, treatment, and vaccine developments. Implementation of public health measures such as, lockdowns and social distancing, disrupted economies and strained healthcare. Viral mutations highlighted the need for flexible strategies and strong public health infrastructure, with global collaboration crucial for pandemic control...

Objective : Board certification (BC) in clinical neuropsychology via the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN) is a rigorous process demonstrating clinical competence to practice. While myths about BC have been addressed, barriers to BC have yet to be studied. The aim of this study was to identify barriers to BC among neuropsychology trainees and professionals. Method : Data were collected through pre-webinar surveys administered to 1202 participants across four webinars conducted between 2018 and 2021...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: There is widespread use of emergency preparedness drills in public K-12 schools across the US, but considerable variability exists in the types of protocols used and how these practices are conducted. This review examines research into both "lockdown drills" and "active shooter drills" as it relates to their impact on participants across different outcomes and evaluations of their procedural integrity. RECENT FINDINGS: A number of studies on lockdown drills yielded largely consistent findings about their impacts, whereas findings related to the effects of active shooter drills are less uniform...

OBJECTIVES: Understanding changes in food sufficiency within various demographic groups during emergency situations, such as the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, is crucial in formulating public health policies for future preparedness. This study investigated potential differences between urban and rural residents in food sufficiency trends during the COVID-19 pandemic and examined how these changes varied according to sociodemographic factors. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 19,724 adults aged 20 years and older, utilizing information from the 7th-8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2018-2021)...

Nurses' household preparedness is critical if they are to avoid role conflict and report for duty during an emergency. To date, the alignment between nurses' perceived and actual household preparedness remains under examined. Investigating one of these variables in isolation fails to consider that perceived and actual household preparedness must be high and aligned. If misaligned, vulnerabilities could surface during emergencies, like concerns about family safety, potentially impacting a nurse's commitment to duty during a crisis, or nurses may lack the actual preparedness to continue working long hours during an emergency...

Newcastle disease (ND) is a tremendously contagious avian infection with extensive monetary ramifications for the chicken zone. To reduce the effect of ND on the Saudi rooster enterprise, our analysis emphasizes the necessity of genotype-particular vaccinations, elevated surveillance, public recognition campaigns, and stepped-forward biosecurity. Data show that one-of-a-kind bird species, outdoor flocks, and nearby differences in susceptibility are all vulnerable. The pathogenesis consists of tropism in the respiratory and gastrointestinal structures and some genotypes boom virulence...

The global incidence of infectious diseases has increased in recent years, posing a significant threat to human health. Hospitals typically serve as frontline institutions for detecting infectious diseases. However, accurately identifying warning signals of infectious diseases in a timely manner, especially emerging infectious diseases, can be challenging. Consequently, there is a pressing need to integrate treatment and disease prevention data to conduct comprehensive analyses aimed at preventing and controlling infectious diseases within hospitals...

Climate-driven disasters have disproportionate and often devastating consequences on individuals with disabilities. Warming ocean and air temperatures are fueling more extreme tropical cyclones, further endangering those living in at-risk regions. Although hurricane preparedness is particularly critical for those with functional impairments and/or special medical needs, studies show such persons are less ready for disasters than the general population. This review calls attention to the time-urgent need to improve hurricane readiness among persons with disabilities...

BACKGROUND: In Finland, the yearly number of mechanical thrombectomies for acute stroke is increasing and more patients are transported over 100 km to the comprehensive stroke centre (CSC) for definitive care. This leaves the rural townships without immediate emergency medical services (EMS) for hours. In this study we compare the EMS' estimated return times to own station after the handover of a thrombectomy candidate between two transport methods: (1) using ground transportation with an ambulance to the CSC or (2) using a hydrid strategy starting the transportation with an ambulance and continuing by air with a helicopter emergency medical services unit (HEMS)...

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified discussions on emergency vaccine deployment strategies, with current perspectives often neglecting extensive community involvement in ethical, logistical and political aspects. Existing social science literature predominantly delves into factors influencing trust, overlooking the untapped potential for community engagement.Our study examines community preparedness in Sierra Leone's Kambia District, exploring diverse viewpoints on vaccine deployment strategies, emphasising Ebola and COVID-19 vaccinations...

In July 2022, on the sidelines of the 41st Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union and the 4th Mid-Year Coordination Summit in Lusaka, Zambia, Heads of state and government, and leaders of delegations of African Union Member States called on member states, African Union through Africa CDC, and partners to recognize, prioritize, and accelerate the establishment and strengthening of public health emergency operation centers (PHEOCs) in the context of health security and in line with Africa's new public health order...

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic presents the possibility of future large-scale infectious disease outbreaks. In response, we conducted a systematic review of COVID-19 pandemic risk assessment to provide insights into countries' pandemic surveillance and preparedness for potential pandemic events in the post-COVID-19 era. OBJECTIVE: We aim to systematically identify relevant articles and synthesize pandemic risk assessment findings to facilitate government officials and public health experts in crisis planning...

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused substantial morbidity and mortality, and serious social and economic disruptions worldwide. Unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated older individuals with underlying diseases are especially prone to severe disease. In patients with non-fatal disease, long COVID affecting multiple body systems may persist for months. Unlike SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, which have either been mitigated or remained geographically restricted, SARS-CoV-2 has disseminated globally and is likely to continue circulating in humans with possible emergence of new variants that may render vaccines less effective...

The Immunization Action Package aims to increase the vaccination rate for vaccine-preventable diseases to save lives. To achieve this, member countries of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) must have the capacity to implement sustainable national immunization programs (NIPs) and to respond to emergency vaccination scenarios. This article focuses on 4 major areas of NIP capacity, including in emergency situations: infrastructure capacity, sustainable financing capacity, vaccine access and equity, and vaccination hesitancy...