Risk Perception of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Influencing Factors and Implications for Environmental Health Crises.

BACKGROUND: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and climate change are two simultaneously occurring large scale environmental health crises. This provides an opportunity to compare the risk perception of both crises in the population. In particular, whether experiencing the acute pandemic sensitizes people to the risks of ongoing climate change. METHODS: Panel participants answered a web-based questionnaire. The risk perception of SARS-CoV-2 and influencing factors were assessed. Differences of risk perception dimensions regarding SARS-CoV-2 and climate change were analyzed as well as associations between dimensions. RESULTS: The results show that an economic impact by the pandemic is associated with more dimensions of SARS-CoV-2 risk perception than an experienced health impact. Moreover, dimensions of risk perception of the pandemic and climate change are perceived differently. Furthermore, the affective dimension of pandemic risk perception is significantly associated with all dimensions of climate change risk perception. CONCLUSIONS: Emotional-based coping with the risks of SARS-CoV-2 is associated with risk perception of climate change as well as various factors that shape the individuals' risk perception. It is currently necessary and will be increasingly necessary in the future to solve coexisting crises, not selectively, but in a common context within the framework of a social-ecological and economic transformation.

COVID-19 after the first wave of the pandemic among employees from a German university hospital: prevalence and questionnaire data.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has changed lives around the world. In particular, healthcare workers faced significant challenges as a result of the pandemic. This study investigates the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in March-April 2020 in Germany among healthcare workers and relates it to questionnaire data. In June 2020, all employees of the reporting hospital were offered a free SARS-CoV-2 antibody test. The first 2,550 test results were sent along with study documents. The response rate was 15.1%. The COVID-19 PCR test prevalence amongst health care workers in this study was 1.04% (95% CI 0.41-2.65%), higher by a factor of 5 than in the general population (p=0.01). The ratio of seroprevalence to PCR prevalence was 1.5. COVID-19-associated symptoms were also prevalent in the non-COVID-19-positive population. Only two symptoms showed statistically significant odds ratios, loss of smell and loss of taste. Health care workers largely supported non-pharmaceutical interventions during the initial lockdown (93%). Individual behavior correlated significantly with attitudes toward policy interventions and perceived individual risk factors. Our data suggest that healthcare workers may be at higher risk of infection. Therefore, a discussion about prioritizing vaccination makes sense. They also support offering increased SARS-CoV-2 testing to hospital workers. It is concluded that easier access to SARS-CoV-2 testing reduces the number of unreported cases. Furthermore, individual attitudes toward rules and regulations on COVID-19 critically influence compliance. Thus, one goal of public policy should be to maintain high levels of support for non-pharmaceutical interventions to keep actual compliance high.

[The COVID-19 Pandemic as an Opportunity for Teletherapy? - A Survey of non-medical therapy professionals in the health sector]. / Die COVID-19-Pandemie als Chance für Teletherapie? ­ Eine Umfrage bei Vertreter*innen von Gesundheitsfachberufen.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate the use of teletherapy during the corona pandemic by three non-medical therapy professionals in the health sector. METHOD: As part of a questionnaire-based online survey, 282 participants from the field of ergotherapy, physiotherapy and speech therapy were asked about usage behavior, challenges, potentials, and general conditions of teletherapy. RESULTS: Especially ergo and speech therapists used teletherapy during the corona pandemic. From their point of view, teletherapy also had a potential to be used as an alternative form of therapy, regardless of the coronavirus pandemic, adding that there was a great need for further assistance and training in the field of teletherapy. CONCLUSION: To implement this form of therapy on a long-term basis, in addition to technical requirements and training opportunities, accounting formalities need to be clarified.