Despite the frequency of disasters in Africa, almost nothing is known about ethnic affiliations in relation to psychopathology after such incidents. This study examined the mental health outcomes of members of 7 major ethnic groups exposed to the 1998 terrorist bombing of the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.

Approximately 8 to 10 months after the disaster, 229 civilian employees, 99 locally engaged staff workers of the US State Department and the US Agency for International Development, and 64 workers of the Kenyan Red Cross Society (total N=392) were assessed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition). Additional data were gathered on demographic characteristics, disaster exposures and injuries, and ethnic affiliations.

Disaster-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was significantly less prevalent among members of the Kikuyu group (28%) and post-disaster major depression was significantly more prevalent among members of the Meru group (64%), compared with all others in the sample. Preexisting psychopathology and disaster injury were independently associated with bombing-related psychopathology.

Further study of disaster-related psychopathology in relation to African ethnic affiliations is needed to better understand these associations and to assist in planning resources and interventions for African disaster survivors. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018; 12: 360–365)

The UK is one of the epicenters of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the world. As of April 14, there have been 93 873 confirmed patients of COVID-19 in the UK and 12 107 deaths with confirmed infection. On April 14, it was reported that COVID-19 was the cause of more than half of the deaths in London.

The present paper addresses the modeling and forecasting of the outbreak of COVID-19 in the UK. This modeling must be accomplished through a 2-part time series model to study the number of confirmed cases and deaths. The period we aimed at a forecast was 46 days from April 15 to May 30, 2020. All the computations and simulations were conducted on Matlab R2015b, and the average curves and confidence intervals were calculated based on 100 simulations of the fitted models.

According to the obtained model, we expect that the cumulative number of confirmed cases will reach 282 000 with an 80% confidence interval (242 000 to 316 500) on May 30, from 93 873 on April 14. In addition, it is expected that, over this period, the number of daily new confirmed cases will fall to the interval 1330 to 6450 with the probability of 0.80 by the point estimation around 3100. Regarding death, our model establishes that the real case fatality rate of the pandemic in the UK approaches 11% (80% confidence interval: 8%–15%). Accordingly, we forecast that the total death in the UK will rise to 35 000 (28 000–50 000 with the probability of 80%).

The drawback of this study is the shortage of observations. Also, to conduct a more exact study, it is possible to take the number of the tests into account as an explanatory variable besides time.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed 15 National Public Health Emergency and Preparedness Response Capabilities (NPHPRCs) to serve as national standards for health-related core capabilities. The objective of this study is to determine the level of federal funding allocated for research related to NPHPRCs during 2008–2017.

An online search of http://www.USAspending.gov was performed to identify federal awards, grants, contracts from 2008–2017 related to research associated with NPHPRCs. Inclusion criteria were identifiable as research and disaster-related; US-based; and specific reference to any of the NPHPRCs. A panel of 3 experts reviewed each entry for inclusion.

The search identified 15 278 transactions representing US $29.2 billion in awards. After exclusions, 93 entries were found to be related to NPHPRCs, averaging US $2 783 136 annually. Funding notably dropped to US $168 684 in 2010 and ceased entirely in 2016. Ten (67%) of NPHPRCs received funding. Eighty-percent of funding focused on 4 capabilities. Three federal agencies funded 80% of research. Sixteen (24%) of the 47 recipients received 80% of all funding.

US federal investments in research and development related to NPHPRCs have been highly variable over the past decade. One-third of NPHPRCs receive no funding. There are notable gaps in funding, content, continuity, and scope of participation.

To explore how evacuees obtained health care information at their evacuation destinations after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

We conducted semi-structured interviews of 11 evacuees who moved to City A in Kyoto Prefecture following the Great East Japan Earthquake. The interviews explored how the evacuees obtained health care information, including the main factors of influence. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed to identify trends by using the constant comparative method.

Four categories emerged from 6 concepts. Mother-children evacuees and family evacuees tended to obtain health care information in different ways. Family evacuees had moved as a family unit and had obtained their health care information from local neighbors. Mother-children evacuees were mothers who had moved with their children, leaving behind other family members. These evacuees tended to obtain information from other mother-children evacuees. At the time of evacuation, we found 2 factors, emotions and systems, influencing how mother-children evacuees obtained health care information.

We found 2 different ways of obtaining health care information among mother-children evacuees and other evacuees. At the time of evacuation, 2 factors, emotions and systems, influenced how mother-children evacuees obtained health care information. Community-building support should be a priority from an early stage after a disaster for health care management. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:729–734)

To evaluate how key aspects of New York State Ventilator Allocation Guidelines (NYSVAG)—Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score criteria and ventilator time trials —might perform with respect to the frequency of ventilator reallocation and survival to hospital discharge in a simulated cohort of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients.

Single center retrospective observational and simulation cohort study of 884 critically ill COVID-19 patients undergoing ventilator allocation per NYSVAG.

In total, 742 patients (83.9%) would have had their ventilator reallocated during the 11-day observation period, 280 (37.7%) of whom would have otherwise survived to hospital discharge if provided with a ventilator. Only 65 (18.1%) of the observed surviving patients would have survived by NYSVAG. Extending ventilator time trials from 2 to 5 days resulted in a 49.2% increase in simulated survival to discharge.

In the setting of a protracted respiratory pandemic, implementation of NYSVAG or similar protocols could lead to a high degree of ventilator reallocation, including withdrawal from patients who might otherwise survive. Longer ventilator time trials might lead to improved survival for COVID-19 patients given their protracted respiratory failure. Further studies are needed to understand the survival of patients receiving reallocated ventilators to determine whether implementation of NYSVAG would improve overall survival.

The objectives of this study were to: validate current capacity estimates for radiological emergency response by collecting time motion observations from stations that would be used for screening and decontaminating populations, and use collected times to evaluate potential impact on current throughput calculations.

Time observations were collected at 11 functional radiation exercises across the country and aggregated for analysis for population monitoring activities, including contamination screening, decontamination, and registration. Collected times were compared to published estimates in current planning guidance, and evaluated to determine the suitability of using exercise observations to estimate throughput capacity.

2532-time observations were collected from 11 functional exercises. Of those, 2380 were validated and used for analysis. Contamination screening times varied greatly from current guidance, ranging from 19% below to 267% above existing estimates. Measurements indicate that capacity to perform contamination screening is significantly overestimated when using current estimates of service times and calculations when compared to observed aggregate service times.i

Aggregate service time data presented in this study can be used to yield a more realistic estimate of capacity to respond to a radiation event.

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted healthcare worker well-being, leading to increased burnout and decreased workplace engagement. To combat expected stressors from the pandemic, our mid-sized academic health center implemented numerous institutional support, such as town halls, and virtual support groups. This study aimed to evaluate faculty utilization of institutional support, its association with perceived organizational support, received organizational support, and burnout.

A retrospective, cross-sectional survey was distributed to 630 faculty employed at our institution in September 2020, assessing participant demographics, institutional support utilized, perceived organizational support, and burnout, through a combination of self-report measures and qualitative responses.

A total of 79 (12.5%) faculty provided complete responses and were included in the analysis. Qualitative analysis identified 4 primary themes: (1) flexibility and adjusted expectations, (2) direct communication, (3) sense of community, and (4) no support felt, with additional subthemes within each larger theme. Increased utilization of institutional support was associated with decreased odds of experiencing burnout.

Flexibility, communication, and sense of community emerged as important strategies for maintaining faculty well-being and engagement during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study suggests that utilization of workplace support is protective against burnout. Perceived support was not beneficial.

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has exerted unprecedented pressure on healthcare systems throughout the world. This study was designed to develop a national health emergency management program based on risk assessment for COVID-19.

Mixed-methods research was used. Based on recommendations of the national epidemiology committee, 2 risk scenarios were used as basic scenarios for risk assessment. Two rounds of Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted between January and May 2020 with 30 representatives of the health system. The data were collected, analyzed, and integrated by the research team.

In the risk matrix, “contamination of environment and individuals” and “burnout of medical staff” occupied the red zone (intolerable risk). “Defects in screening and admissions,” “process disruption in medical care and rehabilitation,” “increased mental disorders,” “social dissatisfaction,” “the decline in healthcare services,” and “loss of medical staff” were identified as the orange zone (significant risk) of the matrix.

The avoidance of environmental and individual contamination and healthcare worker burnout are the priorities in Iran. Attention to intersectoral cooperation, the involvement of non-governmental organizations and private center capacities, integration of information health systems, and developing evidence-based protocols are other measures that can improve the health system’s capacity in the response COVID-19.