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Older Persons and the Right to Health in the Nordics during COVID-19
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Katharina Ó Cathaoir; Henriette Sinding Aasen; Hrefna D. Gunnarsdottir; Kaisa-Maria Kimmel; Mirva Lohiniva-Kerkelä; Ida Gundersby Rognlien; Lotta Vahlne Westerhäll;
doi: 10.1163/15718093-bja10052
Abstract We reflect on the extent to which Nordic countries have safeguarded the right to health of older persons during the pandemic in 2020. All Nordic states have ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and thereby committed to recognising the right to health. We use the AAAQ framework developed by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to draw attention to aspects of the respective states' responses. The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on the health of older persons, from the direct effects of the virus, such as illness and death, to indirect impacts, like isolation and loneliness. We find that Nordic states have at times failed to prioritise the full realisation of the core obligations of the right to health for older persons, namely, non-discrimination and provision of essential healthcare. Resource constraints cannot justify discrimination or failure to respect autonomy, integrity and human dignity.
Publication . Research . 2021
A nationwide study of Chlamydia trachomatis infections in Denmark during the COVID-19 pandemic
Hedley, Paula L.; Hoffmann, Steen; Lausten-Thomsen, Ulrik; Voldstedlund, Marianne; Bjerre, Karsten Dalsgaard; Hviid, Anders; Krebs, Lone; Jensen, Jørgen S.; Christiansen, Michael;
Publisher: medRxiv
Objectives COVID-19 policies have been employed in Denmark since March 2020. We examined whether COVID-19 restrictions had an impact on Chlamydia trachomatis infections compared with 2018 and 2019.Methods This retrospective nation-wide Danish observational study was performed using monthly incidences of laboratory confirmed chlamydia cases and number of tests, obtained from nation-wide surveillance data. Additionally, Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker data, and Google COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports were used to contextualise the behavioural adaptions seen as a result of COVID-19 policies. Testing rates were compared using Poisson regression and test positivity rates were compared using logistic regression.Results The crude incidence rate (IR) of laboratory confirmed chlamydia infections was reduced to 66.5 per 105 during the first (March-April 2020) lockdown period as compared to 88.3 per 105 in March-April 2018-2019, but the testing rate was also reduced (Rate ratio 0.72 95% CI 0.71 – 0.73), whereas the odds ratio for a positive test between the two periods was 0.98 (95% CI 0.96 – 1.00). The period of eased COVID 19 restrictions (May – December 2020) and the second lockdown period (December 2020 – March 2021) were characterised by marginally increased crude IRs, while the number of tests performed, and test positivity rates returned very close to the levels seen in 2018-2019. These results were independent of sex, age group, and geographical location.Conclusion The first Danish COVID-19 lockdown resulted in a reduction in the number of chlamydia tests performed and a consequent reduction in the number of laboratory-identified cases. This period was followed by a return of testing and test positivity close to the level seen in 2018 – 2019. Altogether the Danish COVID-19 restrictions have had negligible effects on laboratory confirmed C. trachomatis transmission.
SARS-COV-2 TRANSMISSION CHAINS FROM GENETIC DATA:A DANISH CASE STUDY
Bluhm, Andreas; Christandl, Matthias; Gesmundo, Fulvio; Klausen, Frederik Ravn; Mancinska, Laura; Steffan, Vincent; Stilck França, Daniel; Werner, Albert H.;
Background: The Covid-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus started in China in December and has since spread globally. Many countries have instated measures to slow the spread of the virus. Information about the introduction of the virus to a country and its further spread can inform the gradual opening of a country and the avoidance of a second wave of infections. Denmark has seen first cases in late February and is currently opening up. Methods: Sequenced virus genome can be used to reconstruct transmission events. We perform a phylogenetic analysis of 742 publicly available Danish SARS-CoV-2 sequences and put them into context using sequences from other countries. Results:Our findings are consistent with several introductions of the virus to Denmark from independent sources, the majority from a ski area in Austria. We identify several chains of mutations that occurred in Denmark and in at least one case find evidence that it spread from Denmark to other countries. There is a number of the Danish mutations that are non-synonymous, and in general there is a considerable variety of strains circulating in Denmark.Conclusion:The introduction of the virus from the Austrian ski area happened after Iceland had declared this area high-risk, thereby giving an independent assessment of the effectiveness of the early identification of high-risk areas.The likely further spread of the virus from Denmark challenges the common narrative that Denmark only got infected from abroad, highlighting that Denmark was part of a network of countries among which the virus was being transmitted. Furthermore, our broad analysis of the mutations does not indicate that the virus underwent a systematic change in virulence in Denmark. We believe that the methods used can be a valuable tool to identifying and validating transmission chains during the reopening
Preserving job matches during the COVID-19 pandemic:firm-level evidence on the role of government aid
Bennedsen, Morten; Larsen, Birthe; Schmutte, Ian; Scur, Daniela;
We analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and government policies on firms' aid take-up, layoff and furlough decisions. We collect new survey data for 10,642 small, medium and large Danish firms, and match to government records of all aid-supported furloughed workers during the pandemic as well as administrative accounting data. This is the first representative sample of firms reporting the pandemic's impact on their revenue and labor choices, showing a steep decline in revenue and a strong reported effect of labor aid take-up on lower job separations. Relative to a normal year, 30 percent more firms have experienced revenue declines. Comparing firms' actual layoff and furlough decisions to their reported counterfactual decisions in the absence of aid, we estimate 81,000 fewer workers were laid off and 285,000 workers were furloughed. Our results suggest the aid policy was effective in preserving job matches at the start of the pandemic.
Interest Representation during the Corona Virus Crisis:Results from the European Union and Nine European Countries
Junk, Wiebke Marie; Crepaz, Michele; Hanegraaff, Marcel; Berkhout, Joost; Aizenberg, Ellis;
The Interest Representation during the Coronavirus Crisis (InterCov) Project set out to assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on interest representation and political advocacy.In this report, we summarise important descriptive patters in the data collected through a cross-country online survey, which we conducted in June and July 2020 in nine European countries (Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, France) and at the EU level.In the report, we discuss initial findings on six questions that we expect to be of interest to both interest organisations and scholars alike:- Did Covid-19 change the involvement of interest organisations in decision-making and public debates?- For whom did access to policy discussions change under the spread of Covid-19?- Who faced mobilisation problems during the Covid-19 crisis?- How did lobbying intensity on different Coronavirus-related policy vary?- How do organisations perceive their impact on crisis management policies in Covid-19 times?- What potential insights we can use to develop sustainable advocacy and public affairs strategies in the near future?These findings were also communicated in a series of Zoom Events for survey respondents and other interested parties in October 2020.For more information, see: https://www.wiebkejunk.com/intercov-project