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Introduction: To curb the COVID-19 pandemic, countries across the globe have adopted either a mitigation or anelimination policy, such as the zero-COVID-19 strategy. However, further research is needed to systematically investigate the advantages of the zero-COVID-19 strategy in the literature. To bridge the research gap, this study examines the zero-COVID-19 strategy in terms of its advantages as a global anti-pandemic framework. Methods: A literature review was conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus to locate academic articles that discussed the advantages of the zero-COVID-19 strategy. Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis approach was adopted to guide the data analysis process. Results: The findings of our study show that the advantages of the zero-COVID-19 strategy range from short-term (e.g., limited virus infections, hospitalizations, and deaths), to medium-term (e.g., reduced presence of other infectious diseases), and long-term (e.g., low incidence of long COVID-19). While local residents mainly leverage these advantages, they also impact the global community (e.g., stable global supply of essentials, such as COVID-19 vaccines). Conclusions: COVID-19 is catastrophic, yet controllable. Our study examined the advantages of the zero-COVID-19 strategy from a nuanced perspective and discussed how these advantages benefit both the local and the global community in pandemic control and management. Future studies could investigate the shortcomings of the zero-COVID-19 strategy, especially its unintended consequences, such as adverse impacts on vulnerable populations’ mental health, so that society could more efficiently, economically, and empathetically capitalize on the potential of the zero-COVID-19 strategy for the betterment of personal and public health.

BackgroundThe first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic required rapid reconfiguration and reallocation of resources. We triaged all cardiac imaging requests from our referral network serving 2.5 million people, to our tertiary centre, performing only clinically urgent studies and cancelling non-urgent studies. Requesters received notification of cancellation in the same format as test reports and were encouraged to repeat their request when pandemic conditions had improved. The impact of this cancellation on patient outcomes is assessed.MethodsRetrospective analysis of routinely collected clinical and administrative data from the institutional data warehouse determined patient outcomes for those with cancelled and performed stress echocardiography, nuclear stress perfusion studies, cardiac CT angiography and cardiac MRI. Mortality data was drawn from the NHS spine. Data analysis was performed using R.Results1600 cardiac studies for 1592 patients were cancelled in April 2020, and 2234 cardiac studies were performed for 2184 patients between April and July 2020, representing high-risk outpatient requests. 41 patients who had cancelled scans died, and 105 patients with performed scans died (table 1). Of cancelled scans, 787 patients had a subsequent scan in some modality, of which 701 were the same modality as the original test. 761 patients had no repeat outpatient testing until October 2021. Mortality was higher in patients for whom scans were performed (log-rank p = 0.03, figure 1A). Non-elective admissions were higher in patients who had scans performed (4% in cancelled vs. 8% performed after 574 days of follow-up, log-rank p <0.001 figure 1B). Over the course of the pandemic, our wait-times for cardiac testing did not exceed the national standard of 16 weeks.Limitations: Data was not collected prospectively, due to the level of emergency; cancellation data may not be complete. All cause mortality under pandemic conditions cannot be extrapolated to non-pandemic situations.Abstract 160 Table 1Demographic and outcome data for patients with cancelled or completed cardiac scans during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemicAbstract 160 Figure 1All cause mortality in patients with cancelled or completed outpatients cardiac tests from the time of the first round of cancellations (18/04/2020) at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinically urgent scans, as triaged by expert clinicians, were completed, and others cancelled. Mortality was greater for those with completed scans detected over a mean follow-up of 581 days. (B) Acute admissions to emergency, cardiac or cardiothoracic services in patients with cancelled or completed cardiac tests after cancellations of low-risk patients. In keeping with triage, patients with completed scans had worse outcomes. Patients with low-risk clinical features had a reassuring rate of admissionConclusionOur approach to diagnostic testing in cardiology during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic accurately identified and tested high-risk patients without causing harm to those at lower risk, demonstrated by higher admission rates in patients in whom tests were performed, and the absence of an adverse impact on mortality. 49% of patients underwent subsequent cardiac testing after a cancelled test. We maintained low waiting times throughout the pandemic.Conflict of InterestNone

During the COVID-19 pandemic, US schools have been encouraged to take a layered approach to prevention, incorporating multiple strategies to curb transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Using survey data representative of US public K-12 schools (N = 437), we determined prevalence estimates of COVID-19 prevention strategies early in the 2021-22 school year and describe disparities in implementing strategies by school characteristics. Prevalence of prevention strategies ranged from 9.3% (offered COVID-19 screening testing to students and staff) to 95.1% (had a school-based system to report COVID-19 outcomes). Schools with a full-time school nurse or school-based health center had significantly higher odds of implementing several strategies, including those related to COVID-19 vaccination. We identified additional disparities in prevalence of strategies by locale, school level, and poverty. Advancing school health workforce and infrastructure, ensuring schools use available COVID-19 funding effectively, and promoting efforts in schools with the lowest prevalence of infection prevention strategies are needed for pandemic preparedness.

We assessed the effect of various COVID-19 vaccination strategies on health outcomes in Ghana by using an age-stratified compartmental model. We stratified the population into 3 age groups: <25 years, 25-64 years, and ≥65 years. We explored 5 vaccination optimization scenarios using 2 contact matrices, assuming that 1 million persons could be vaccinated in either 3 or 6 months. We assessed these vaccine optimization strategies for the initial strain, followed by a sensitivity analysis for the Delta variant. We found that vaccinating persons <25 years of age was associated with the lowest cumulative infections for the main matrix, for both the initial strain and the Delta variant. Prioritizing the elderly (≥65 years of age) was associated with the lowest cumulative deaths for both strains in all scenarios. The consensus between the findings of both contact matrices depended on the vaccine rollout period and the objective of the vaccination program.

A rapid decrease in viral gastroenteritis during winter 2019-20 and a return of norovirus and rotavirus activity during winter 2020-21 were observed while multiple nonpharmaceutical interventions for coronavirus disease were in effect in Hong Kong. The initial collateral benefit of coronavirus disease countermeasures that reduced the viral gastroenteritis burden is not sustainable.

Populist nationalist attacks on health and human rights have been increasing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. These attacks may be used to divert attention from the government’s inability to control the virus, to deflect blame, or even to consolidate power. Authoritarian governments have increased the rhetoric of nationalism, created bogus enemies and alternative narratives, increased the authority of security forces, and banned democratic demonstrations. In this article, we discuss how the Turkish government has hidden the truth about the extent of the disease, spent considerable effort on polishing its own image, promoted the notion of Western jealousy, and fabricated a host of scapegoats to blame for its own failure to protect its people from the ravages of this crippling epidemic.

The pandemic associated with SARS-CoV-2 is a worldwide public health challenge. The WHO has proposed to achieve 70% COVID-19 vaccination coverage in all countries by mid-2022. Nevertheless, the prevention strategy based on COVID-19 vaccination and other applied prevention measures has not been sufficient to prevent SARS-CoV-2 epidemic waves. This study assessed the vaccination coverage that would be required to establish herd immunity against SARS-CoV-2, taking into account virus transmissibility (Ro values from 1.1 to 10) and COVID-19 vaccination effectiveness. The study found that high percentages of vaccination coverage and high levels of vaccination effectiveness are necessary to block the transmission of Omicron and other SARS-CoV-2 variants with greater infectious capacity. COVID-19 vaccination programs could establish herd immunity against SARS-CoV-2, with Ro values ranging from 3 to 10 and levels of COVID-19 vaccination effectiveness of 70–100%. Factors reducing COVID-19 vaccination effectiveness (emergent variants, infections among vaccinated individuals, high risk individuals) and factors increasing SARS-CoV-2 transmissibility (close settings) increased the percentages of vaccination coverage that would be required to establish herd immunity. Two measures should be implemented to establish herd immunity against SARS-CoV-2: (1) achieve ≥ 90% COVID-19 vaccination coverage in all countries worldwide, and (2) increase the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in preventing Omicron infection to at least 88%.

COVID-19 vaccination was launched in March 2021 in Uganda and initially prioritized persons >50 years of age, persons with underlying conditions, healthcare workers, teachers, and security forces. However, uptake remained low 5 months after the program launch. Makerere University's Infectious Diseases Institute supported Uganda's Ministry of Health in optimizing COVID-19 vaccination uptake models by using point-of-care, place of worship, and place of work engagement and the Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment model in 47 of 135 districts in Uganda, where we trained influencers to support mobilization for vaccination outreach under each model. During July-December, vaccination rates increased significantly in targeted regions, from 92% to 130% for healthcare workers, 40% to 90% for teachers, 25% to 33% for security personnel, 6% to 15% for persons >50 years of age, and 6% to 11% for persons with underlying conditions. Our approach could be adopted in other targeted vaccination campaigns for future pandemics.

PurposeCOVID-19 pandemic-related Government restrictions on the movement of people resulted in consumers moving away from retail outlets. However, sporadic instances of an unexpected surge in retail buying happened across the world immediately after the lifting of such restrictions. This uncommon phenomenon, termed revenge buying, offered an opportunity to revive retail businesses. This paper applies Reactance Theory (RCT) and Self-determination Theory (SDT) to model consumers' revenge buying intentions.Design/methodology/approachData was collected from 384 respondents in India using validated scales. The study used structural equation modelling for model testing.FindingsCOVID-19 restrictions resulted in autonomy need frustration in consumers, which induced psychological reactance and perceived stress. Psychological reactance positively impacted, while perceived stress negatively impacted revenge buying intentions. Thus, revenge buying was observed only when the psychological reactance was more than perceived stress.Research limitations/implicationsThis study, conducted in only one country with a limited convenience sample, limits the generalizability of findings.Originality/valueThis research model the psychological consequences of need frustration to explain the sporadic incidences of revenge buying in retail outlets. Further, it proposes sales recovery strategies for retailers in the immediate post-pandemic market scenarios. Retailers' strategies should focus on alleviating stress and anxiety because of health concerns, highlighting the retail buying experience to stimulate the need to visit the outlet and positioning retail buying as a potential reactance response by consumers.

In response to COVID-19, schools across the United States closed in early 2020; many did not fully reopen until late 2021. Although regular testing of asymptomatic students, teachers, and staff can reduce transmission risks, few school systems consistently used proactive testing to safeguard return to classrooms. Socioeconomically diverse public school districts might vary testing levels across campuses to ensure fair, effective use of limited resources. We describe a test allocation approach to reduce overall infections and disparities across school districts. Using a model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in schools fit to data from a large metropolitan school district in Texas, we reduced incidence between the highest and lowest risk schools from a 5.6-fold difference under proportional test allocation to 1.8-fold difference under our optimized test allocation. This approach provides a roadmap to help school districts deploy proactive testing and mitigate risks of future SARS-CoV-2 variants and other pathogen threats.