Article
Urban Studies
Mohammed Amidu, James Kwame Mensah, Albert Ahenkan, Justice Nyigmah Bawole
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has had negative impacts on vulnerable populations in informal settlements in Ghana. However, the relationship and consequences of COVID-19 on these populations remain largely unknown. This study examines the consequences of the pandemic on vulnerable populations in Ghanaian informal settlements, finding an inverse relationship between vulnerability measures and COVID-19 exposure. The study suggests that COVID-19 support initiatives should not be limited to individuals living in informal settlements who are considered vulnerable.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Max Schroeder, Spyridon Lazarakis, Rebecca Mancy, Konstantinos Angelopoulos
Summary: Understanding the extent and evolution of pandemic-induced mortality risk is critical given its wide-ranging impacts on population health and socioeconomic outcomes. We examine empirically the persistence and scale of influenza mortality risk following the main waves of influenza pandemics, a quantitative analysis of which is required to understand the true scale of pandemic-induced risk.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Maria Vender, Mirta Vernice, Antonella Sorace
Summary: This paper discusses the relationship between bilingualism and neurodevelopmental disorders, emphasizing the benefits of bilingualism for children with developmental disorders without exacerbating their difficulties. The article also provides recommendations, highlighting the importance of supporting the family language for the complete and harmonious bilingual growth of children.
Review
Immunology
Nino Rcheulishvili, Dimitri Papukashvili, Cong Liu, Yang Ji, Yunjiao He, Peng George Wang
Summary: Influenza virus, especially influenza A, is a highly emergent virus with pandemic potential. It can cause infections in humans, poultry, and domestic pigs, and its ability to evolve through antigenic drift and shift makes it difficult for the immune system to recognize and defend against new strains and subtypes. Therefore, developing a universal vaccine targeting influenza A virus is of great importance in preventing deadly pandemics.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pragati V. Prasad, Molly K. Steele, Carrie Reed, Lauren Ancel Meyers, Zhanwei Du, Remy Pasco, Jorge A. Alfaro-Murillo, Bryan Lewis, Srinivasan Venkatramanan, James Schlitt, Jiangzhuo Chen, Mark Orr, Mandy L. Wilson, Stephen Eubank, Lijing Wang, Matteo Chinazzi, Ana Pastore Y. Piontti, Jessica T. Davis, M. Elizabeth Halloran, Ira Longini, Alessandro Vespignani, Sen Pei, Marta Galanti, Sasikiran Kandula, Jeffrey Shaman, David J. Haw, Nimalan Arinaminpathy, Matthew Biggerstaff
Summary: When an influenza pandemic occurs, temporary school closures and antiviral treatment can help slow down the virus spread and reduce the overall disease burden by providing more time for vaccine development and administration. The effectiveness of these measures depends on the virus's transmissibility, severity, and the timing of implementation. Research shows that early school closures significantly mitigate early virus transmission and allow for vaccine development and administration.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Thomas Ryan Vernon Price, Sepul Kanti Barua
Summary: Social determinants of health are difficult to map on a fine spatial scale globally, leading to a recent focus on environmental determinants. This framework breaks down environmental features into parts and relates them to human health, enabling fine-scale monitoring of vulnerable populations and transmission pathways.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Mazin AbdelMagid, Yassir AbdelRazig, Dennis Smith, Mark Horner, Juyeong Choi, Kyusik Kim, Billie Ventimiglia
Summary: This study aims to expand the understanding of transportation systems resilience from an equity standpoint by exploring the needs and concerns of vulnerable populations and establishing a conceptual framework connecting the users' needs to the system's performance. The results underscore the importance of user input in equity in resilience planning and propose a planning framework to improve the transportation system's outcomes for vulnerable communities.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
(2023)
Review
Respiratory System
Alex R. Tanner, Robert B. Dorey, Nathan J. Brendish, Tristan W. Clark
Summary: Influenza virus infections cause global epidemics and pandemics, necessitating annual vaccinations. High-risk groups include the elderly, young children, pregnant women, and individuals with chronic health conditions. The elderly often have poor vaccine effectiveness due to immunosenescence, prompting the need for strategies to improve protection for this population.
EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY REVIEW
(2021)
Editorial Material
Medicine, General & Internal
Tivani P. Mashamba-Thompson
Summary: Evidence suggests that vulnerable populations have lower health literacy, which leads to poor health-seeking behavior and uptake of diagnostics. Health literacy, referred to as diagnostics literacy in the context of disease screening and linkage to care, promotes healthcare-seeking behavior. The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted vulnerable populations, resulting in short- and long-term socio-economic consequences. A multi-level diagnostics literacy advocacy model is proposed to enhance diagnostic uptake among vulnerable populations.
Review
Immunology
Ruth A. Purcell, Robert M. Theisen, Kelly B. Arnold, Amy W. W. Chung, Kevin J. Selva
Summary: The efficacy of vaccines determined in clinical trials is usually higher than their real-world effectiveness due to reduced protection in vulnerable populations. Tailored immunisation schedules are recommended for high-risk groups, and considerations of immune response variations are needed for future vaccine design. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of balanced and diverse antibody functions for vaccine-induced protection, especially in immunologically vulnerable populations. This knowledge can be utilized to improve vaccine design for better public health outcomes.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Avelino Nunez-Delgado, Warish Ahmed, Elza Bontempi, Jose L. Domingo
Summary: In this editorial piece, the Editors of the Virtual Special Issue (VSI) "The environment, epidemics, and human health" provide comments on the accepted papers, which have undergone peer-reviewing. While the aim of the VSI goes beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, papers related to COVID-19 are considered highly relevant in the collection of research papers published.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Ivan Sanz-Munoz, Jose M. Eiros
Summary: This review discusses the most relevant aspects of epidemiology, disease burden, diagnosis, and vaccine prevention of influenza, as well as the future challenges.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Zsuzsa Gyorffy, Bence Dobrossy, Nora Rado, Julianna Boros, Sandor Bekasi
Summary: Digital health solutions have the potential to address the needs of vulnerable populations during the ongoing crisis, but several barriers hinder their usage among specific individuals. Through the four-pillar model of techquity, we provide original evidence of the disparity between willingness and ability to adopt healthtech in Hungary. Our findings highlight three underserved segments, including older adults, individuals with long-term activity limitations, and people experiencing homelessness, who could greatly benefit from digital technologies but utilize them less than the general population. We also discuss potential strategic considerations to promote techquity and digital inclusion for individuals in vulnerable situations.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Integrative & Complementary Medicine
Yi-Hsiang Wang, Aniket Limaye, Je-Ruei Liu, Tai-Na Wu
Summary: Influenza, an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses, can lead to mild symptoms or severe complications and death. Annual influenza vaccines are the primary intervention, but their effectiveness is limited, especially in vulnerable populations. Therefore, alternative methods to curb influenza incidence, particularly for at-risk individuals, are needed.
JOURNAL OF TRADITIONAL AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Cynthia E. Ortiz, Haley Maria Dourron, Noah W. Sweat, Albert Garcia-Romeu, Sarah MacCarthy, Brian T. Anderson, Peter S. Hendricks
Summary: Psilocybin-facilitated psychotherapy has the potential to be effective for a range of mental health conditions in vulnerable populations. However, there is a lack of research in this area. This report highlights the challenges and opportunities of evaluating this therapy in vulnerable populations and provides actionable recommendations for future research.