Articles: pandemics.
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The world is currently facing an unprecedented global pandemic caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Predicting the next source of the pandemic can be very challenging. ⋯ As the traditional method of vaccine development takes many years for a vaccine to be available to the society, the vaccine development for SARS-CoV-2 should be speeded up using a pandemic approach with fast-track approvals from the regulatory authorities. Various challenges associated with developing a vaccine during the pandemic such as technological hurdles, clinical development pathways, regulatory issues, and support from global funding agencies are expressed here.
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JMIR Public Health Surveill · May 2020
Emergency Response to COVID-19 in Canada: Platform Development and Implementation for eHealth in Crisis Management.
Public health emergencies like epidemics put enormous pressure on health care systems while revealing deep structural and functional problems in the organization of care. The current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic illustrates this at a global level. The sudden increased demand on delivery systems puts unique pressures on pre-established care pathways. These extraordinary times require efficient tools for smart governance and resource allocation. ⋯ Data and web-based approaches in response to a public health crisis are key to evidence-driven oversight and management of public health emergencies.
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · May 2020
Identification and Monitoring of International Travelers During the Initial Phase of an Outbreak of COVID-19 - California, February 3-March 17, 2020.
The threat of introduction of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) into the United States with the potential for community transmission prompted U. S. federal officials in February 2020 to screen travelers from China, and later Iran, and collect and transmit their demographic and contact information to states for follow-up. During February 5-March 17, 2020, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) received and transmitted contact information for 11,574 international travelers to 51 of 61 local health jurisdictions at a cost of 1,694 hours of CDPH personnel time. ⋯ Effectiveness of COVID-19 screening and monitoring in travelers to California was limited by incomplete traveler information received by federal officials and transmitted to states, the number of travelers needing follow-up, and the potential for presymptomatic and asymptomatic transmission. More efficient methods of collecting and transmitting passenger data, including electronic provision of flight manifests by airlines to federal officials and flexible text-messaging tools, would help local health jurisdictions reach out to all at-risk travelers quickly, thereby facilitating timely testing, case identification, and contact investigations. State and local health departments should weigh the resources needed to implement incoming traveler monitoring against community mitigation activities, understanding that the priorities of each might shift during the COVID-19 pandemic.