3/17—A 30-item checklist for evaluating crisis communication
Evaluating Crisis Communication. A 30-item Checklist for Assessing Performance during COVID-19 and Other Pandemics
No consolidated checklist exists for assessing the effectiveness of crisis communication at all levels during pandemics. A literature review was conducted, encompassing articles on crisis communication during SARS, swine flu, H1N1, ZIKA, Ebola, and/or COVID-19. Based on the review, a comprehensive checklist was developed to enable researchers and evaluators to assess and review all important aspects of crisis communication during pandemics.
Encouraging COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Through Effective Health Communication
We investigated the effectiveness of three different health communication frames hypothesized to increase vaccine intention; emphasizing either 1) personal health risks, 2) economic costs, or 3) collective public health consequences of not vaccinating. In a large (N = 7,064) and demographically representative survey experiment, we randomly assigned respondents to read pro-vaccine communication materials featuring one of the frames listed above. We find that messages emphasizing the personal health risks and collective health consequences of not vaccinating significantly increase Americans’ intentions to vaccinate.
The Ethics of COVID-19 Risk Communication
The US CDC has recommended six core principles to guide “Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication”: (1) be first, (2) be right, (3) be credible, (4) express empathy, (5) promote action, and (6) show respect. While these guidelines are instructive, risk communication raises deeper issues. For example, discussions of risk communication typically assume two aims, which can come into conflict. One is to enable individuals to make informed decisions in line with their values. The other is to encourage behavior change. Determining how to balance these ethical values underlying the aims of risk communication becomes especially complicated in the COVID-19 context. A core ethical dilemma concerns whether, when, and to what extent the predictable effects of communicating a certain way can be leveraged to promote better outcomes.
Just 2% of SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals carry 90% of the virus circulating in communities
[Preprint.] We analyze data from the Fall 2020 pandemic response efforts at the University of Colorado Boulder (USA), where more than 72,500 saliva samples were tested for SARS-CoV-2 using quantitative RT-PCR. All samples were collected from individuals who reported no symptoms associated with COVID-19 on the day of collection. From these, 1,405 positive cases were identified. The distribution of viral loads within these asymptomatic individuals was indistinguishable from what has been previously reported in symptomatic individuals. We find that, at any given time, just 2% of individuals carry 90% of the virions circulating within communities, serving as viral “super-carriers” and possibly also super-spreaders.
Public health statement on deferral of second dose of COVID-19 vaccine in BC
There is strong scientific evidence from clinical trials and real world experience to support deferral of the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine. We currently have a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccines and ongoing community transmission, but we have only protected a small proportion of the population to date. Providing a first dose now to as many people as possible will save more lives and avoid more cases and hospitalizations and support a return to essential functions in our communities.