Development of a workforce self-assessment tool for public health emergency preparedness.

BACKGROUND: In collaboration with six European public health agencies as part of the PANDEM-2 consortium, we have developed and validated a self-assessment tool that captures the workforce capacities and capabilities needed at the institutional level within National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs) to deal with public health emergencies. METHODS: The work carried out in this study included (i) a review of existing tools for workforce assessment, (ii) focus group discussions and interviews to map the experiences and needs of NPHI's, (iii) the development of a tool for NPHI's to assess their workforce capacity and capabilities in public health emergency preparedness (PHEP) and (iv) refinement of the assessment tool via a Delphi study. RESULTS: Capacity markers were identified to assess the workforce required for PHEP functions and the availability of surge capacity during a public health emergency. The tool also enables NPHIs to analyze gaps in PHEP staff competencies. The assessment scores can assist NPHI pandemic preparedness by identifying and prioritizing training and recruitment needs. CONCLUSIONS: In line with EU Regulation 2022/2371 on serious cross-border threats to health, article 11 Training of healthcare staff and public health staff, Member States (MS) are tasked with assessing current workforce capacity and capability gaps. The PANDEM-2 workforce self-assessment tool aligns with this requirement and will support effective planning and development to strengthen the public health workforce capacity in EU MS.

Effectiveness of public health measures to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 at mass gatherings: A rapid review.

Mass gatherings play an important role in society, but since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, they have generally been restricted in order to mitigate transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The aim of this study was to summarise the evidence regarding the effectiveness of public health measures at preventing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 at mass gatherings, and hence inform guidance on the organisation of these events. A rapid review was undertaken in Cochrane, Embase (OVID), Medline (OVID), Google, Web of Science and Europe PMC from 1 January 2020 to 3 June 2021. Of the identified 1,624 citations, 14 articles referring to 11 unique studies were included. This rapid review found evidence from 11 studies (involving approximately 30,482 participants) that implementing a range of measures may reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission at mass gatherings; however, it is unlikely that this risk can be eliminated entirely. All studies adopted a layered mitigation approach involving multiple measures, which may be more effective than relying on any single measure. The number and intensity of measures implemented varied across studies, with most implementing resource intense measures. Importantly, all included studies were only of 'fair' to 'poor' quality. In conclusion, there is currently limited evidence on the effectiveness of measures to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission at mass gatherings. As mass gatherings recommence, continued adoption of known mitigation measures is required to limit the risk of transmission, as well as ongoing research and surveillance to monitor the potential impact of these events on the wider population and healthcare system.

Airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via aerosols.

A key consideration in the Covid-19 pandemic is the dominant modes of transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus. The objective of this review was to synthesise the evidence for the potential airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via aerosols. Systematic literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, Europe PMC and National Health Service UK evidence up to 27 July 2020. A protocol was published and Cochrane guidance for rapid review methodology was adhered to throughout. Twenty-eight studies were identified. Seven out of eight epidemiological studies suggest aerosol transmission may occur, with enclosed environments and poor ventilation noted as possible contextual factors. Ten of the 16 air sampling studies detected SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid; however, only three of these studies attempted to culture the virus with one being successful in a limited number of samples. Two of four virological studies using artificially generated aerosols indicated that SARS-CoV-2 is viable in aerosols. The results of this review indicate there is inconclusive evidence regarding the viability and infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in aerosols. Epidemiological studies suggest possible transmission, with contextual factors noted. Viral particles have been detected in air sampling studies with some evidence of clinical infectivity, and virological studies indicate these particles may represent live virus, adding further plausibility. However, there is uncertainty as to the nature and impact of aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and its relative contribution to the Covid-19 pandemic compared with other modes of transmission.

PANDEM-Source, a tool to collect or generate surveillance indicators for pandemic management: a use case with COVID-19 data.

Introduction: PANDEM-Source (PS) is a tool to collect and integrate openly available public health-related data from heterogeneous data sources to support the surveillance of infectious diseases for pandemic management. The tool may also be used for pandemic preparedness by generating surveillance data for training purposes. It was developed as part of the EU-funded Horizon 2020 PANDEM-2 project during the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of close collaboration in a consortium of 19 partners, including six European public health agencies, one hospital, and three first responder organizations. This manuscript describes PS's features and design to disseminate its characteristics and capabilities to strengthen pandemic preparedness and response. Methods: A requirement-gathering process with EU pandemic managers in the consortium was performed to identify and prioritize a list of variables and indicators useful for surveillance and pandemic management. Using the COVID-19 pandemic as a use case, we developed PS with the purpose of feeding all necessary data to be displayed in the PANDEM-2 dashboard. Results: PS routinely monitors, collects, and standardizes data from open or restricted heterogeneous data sources (users can upload their own data). It supports indicators and health resources related data from traditional data sources reported by national and international agencies, and indicators from non-traditional data sources such as those captured in social and mass media, participatory surveillance, and seroprevalence studies. The tool can also calculate indicators and be used to produce data for training purposes by generating synthetic data from a minimal set of indicators to simulate pandemic scenarios. PS is currently set up for COVID-19 surveillance at the European level but can be adapted to other diseases or threats and regions. Conclusion: With the lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to keep building capacity to monitor potential threats and develop tools that can facilitate training in all the necessary aspects to manage future pandemics. PS is open source and its design provides flexibility to collect heterogeneous data from open data sources or to upload end users's own data and customize surveillance indicators. PS is easily adaptable to future threats or different training scenarios. All these features make PS a unique and valuable tool for pandemic management.

Biosafety Issues in Patient Transport during COVID-19: A Case Study on the Portuguese Emergency Services.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, first responders faced significant biosafety challenges, especially while handling patient transport, potentially exposing them to infection. The PANDEM-2 (European project on pandemic preparedness and response) project, funded by the Horizon 2020 program, sought to investigate the challenges confronting Emergency Medical Systems throughout the EU. First responders from Portugal's National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) were considered as a representative operational model of the national first responder agencies of European member states because they played a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, they were asked to complete an online survey about their COVID-19 pandemic-related professional activities. The survey focused on their perspectives on current biosafety guidelines and their operational practices. It covered opinions on existing protocols, technical concerns during patient transport, and issues after the patients arrived at the hospital. The key findings revealed concerns about risk assessment, the inadequacy of guidelines, and disparities in equipment access. This survey emphasizes the importance of developing streamlined, adaptable biosafety protocols, better coordination between prehospital and in-hospital services, and the development of scalable, cost-effective biosafety solutions. Based on our findings, we propose improvements to national and European biosafety directives and advocate for streamlined adaptation during pandemics.

Communicable diseases in complex emergencies: impact and challenges.

Communicable diseases, alone or in combination with malnutrition, account for most deaths in complex emergencies. Factors promoting disease transmission interact synergistically leading to high incidence rates of diarrhoea, respiratory infection, malaria, and measles. This excess morbidity and mortality is avoidable as effective interventions are available. Adequate shelter, water, food, and sanitation linked to effective case management, immunisation, health education, and disease surveillance are crucial. However, delivery mechanisms are often compromised by loss of health staff, damage to infrastructure, insecurity, and poor co-ordination. Although progress has been made in the control of specific communicable diseases in camp settings, complex emergencies affecting large geographical areas or entire countries pose a greater challenge. Available interventions need to be implemented more systematically in complex emergencies with higher levels of coordination between governments, UN agencies, and non-governmental organisations. In addition, further research is needed to adapt and simplify interventions, and to explore novel diagnostics, vaccines, and therapies.

Challenges for communicable disease surveillance and control in southern Iraq, April-June 2003.

The recent war in Iraq presents significant challenges for the surveillance and control of communicable diseases. In early April 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) sent a team of public health experts to Kuwait and a base was established in the southern Iraqi governorate of Basrah on May 3. We present the lessons learned from the communicable disease surveillance and control program implemented in the Basrah governorate in Iraq (population of 1.9 million) in April and May 2003, and we report communicable disease surveillance data through June 2003. Following the war, communicable disease control programs were disrupted, access to safe water was reduced, and public health facilities were looted. Rapid health assessments were carried out in health centers and hospitals to identify priorities for action. A Health Sector Coordination Group was organized with local and international health partners, and an early warning surveillance system for communicable disease was set up. In the first week of May 2003, physicians in hospitals in Basrah suspected cholera cases and WHO formed a cholera control committee. As of June 29, 2003, Iraqi hospital laboratories have confirmed 94 cases of cholera from 7 of the 8 districts of the Basrah governorate. To prevent the transmission of major communicable diseases, restoring basic public health and water/sanitation services is currently a top priority in Iraq. Lack of security continues to be a barrier for effective public health surveillance and response in Iraq.

Epidemics after natural disasters.

The relationship between natural disasters and communicable diseases is frequently misconstrued. The risk for outbreaks is often presumed to be very high in the chaos that follows natural disasters, a fear likely derived from a perceived association between dead bodies and epidemics. However, the risk factors for outbreaks after disasters are associated primarily with population displacement. The availability of safe water and sanitation facilities, the degree of crowding, the underlying health status of the population, and the availability of healthcare services all interact within the context of the local disease ecology to influence the risk for communicable diseases and death in the affected population. We outline the risk factors for outbreaks after a disaster, review the communicable diseases likely to be important, and establish priorities to address communicable diseases in disaster settings.

Conflict and emerging infectious diseases.

Detection and control of emerging infectious diseases in conflict situations are major challenges due to multiple risk factors known to enhance emergence and transmission of infectious diseases. These include inadequate surveillance and response systems, destroyed infrastructure, collapsed health systems and disruption of disease control programs, and infection control practices even more inadequate than those in resource-poor settings, as well as ongoing insecurity and poor coordination among humanitarian agencies. This article outlines factors that potentiate emergence and transmission of infectious diseases in conflict situations and highlights several priority actions for their containment and control.