Tag: coronavirus

COVID-19: From Pandemic to Endemic

Course Objective

  • Differentiate between “Pandemic” and “Endemic,” with examples from COVID-19 and other infectious diseases
  • Describe examples from the HIV epidemic that may apply to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Explain implications for public health practice as the field transitions from a pandemic to endemic response to COVID-19

Date: April 5th, 2022

Presenter:
Dr. Jessica Justman
 Associate Professor of Medicine in Epidemiology
Columbia University Irving Medical Center


In this month’s Log-in2Learn, Dr. Jessica Justman, Associate Professor of Medicine in Epidemiology at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center, goes over epidemiology concepts and skills as illustrated by the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic. She starts by defining the terms epidemic, pandemic, and endemic as they relate to infectious diseases. She then explains how COVID-19 went from an outbreak to an epidemic, and reviews the progression and classification of epidemics. In addition to the example of COVID-19, she speaks to the toll and spread of other pandemics in history. In particular, she highlights the similarities between HIV and COVID-19 pandemics, including spread, overall burden and disparities, public health and community-driven responses, communication challenges, and issues of uncertainty and fear. Finally, she summarizes lessons learned from the progression and response to COVID-19, commenting on how we could have been better prepared.

Participants will be able to:

  1. Differentiate between “Pandemic” and “Endemic,” with examples from COVID-19 and other infectious diseases
  2. Describe examples from the HIV epidemic that may apply to the COVID-19 pandemic
  3. Explain implications for public health practice as the field transitions from a pandemic to endemic response to COVID-19
Buprenorphine Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Course Objective

  • Explain regulatory updates regarding buprenorphine treatment during a public health emergency
  • Describe practice-level changes in buprenorphine treatment throughout COVID-19
  • Discuss common issues affecting patients in buprenorphine treatment during COVID-19

Date: July 7th, 2020

Presenter:
Tiffany Lu, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Montefiore Medical Center / Albert Einstein School of Medicine


In this month’s Log-in2Learn Dr. Tiffany Lu provides an overview of buprenorphine treatment prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges associated with treatment for opioid use disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Lu describes the communities hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and how the pandemic paved the way for regulation updates regarding buprenorphine treatment such as reduced restrictions and an increased use of telemedicine to treat opioid use disorders. The webinar also addresses some other measures put in place with buprenorphine treatment due to the public health emergency, including: longer prescriptions, halted urine drug testing (self reports), access to naloxone and harm reduction supplies. The presenter also shares available resources to support clinical providers as they face the challenges associated with buprenorphine treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participants will be able to:

  1. Explain regulatory updates regarding buprenorphine treatment during a public health emergency
  2. Describe practice-level changes in buprenorphine treatment throughout COVID-19
  3. Discuss common issues affecting patients in buprenorphine treatment during COVID-19
Social Inequality and Health Disparities in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Course Objective

  • Identify key trends in health disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic to date
  • Describe how the pandemic exacerbates existing social inequalities
  • Examine several proposed interventions to address health disparities in the pandemic response

Date: June 2nd, 2020

Presenter:
Alexandra Zenoff, MPH.
Senior Program Manager
East-West Management Institute, Inc. (EWMI)


In this month’s Log-in2Learn webinar Alexandra Zenoff discusses the role of structural racism in health disparities, how this affects health outcomes and the need to address it. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated social inequalities and considering the social determinants of health is crucial to alleviating this issue. Drawing insights from historic and current public health efforts can help with designing responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The importance of building on existing best practices like community consultations and appropriate data collection is discussed. Participants are provided with articles for further learning and resources such as the COVID-19 racial tracker and CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index.

Participants will learn about the following:

  1. Identify key trends in health disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic to date
  2. Describe how the pandemic exacerbates existing social inequalities
  3. Examine several proposed interventions to address health disparities in the pandemic response
COVID-19: Where are we and Where are we going

Course Objective

Date: May 5, 2020

Presenter:
Wafaa M. El-Sadr, MD, MPH, MPA
Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine at Columbia University,
Director of ICAP at Columbia University,
Director of the Global Health Initiative at the Mailman School of Public Health

In this month’s Log-in2Learn Dr. Wafaa M. El-Sadr presents an overview of the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Current statistics (as at the day of the webinar) show that racial/ethnic background, age and the presence of comorbidities lead to severity of outcomes. Participants are informed about known modes of transmission (droplets and contact) and the development process of future vaccines is discussed. Participants will understand the impacts of COVID-19 on the health system including a decrease in health services. As knowledge of COVID-19 continues to evolve, easing of mitigation measures needs to be done carefully to sustain progress that has been made.

After the webinar, participants will be able to:

  1. List key milestones in the spread of COVID-19
  2. Identify where New York City/NYS is in relation to the Whitehouse’s Guidelines for Opening Up America Again
  3. Describe what is being forecast for the next 6 months in relation to COVID-19
COVID19: Using a Health Equity and Human Rights Lens to Protect Vulnerable Populations during this Pandemic and Beyond

Course Objective

  • Discuss why COVID-19 is a health equity issue
  • Identify key principles of the health equity and human rights frameworks to protect vulnerable and marginalized populations during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond
  • Describe the role of community engagement and advocacy during this pandemic and beyond
  • List sample strategies for transformative and long-lasting change

Date: April 7th, 2020

Presenter:
Renata Schiavo, PhD, MA, CCL
Senior Lecturer, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Sociomedical Sciences
Founder and President, Board of Directors, Health Equity Initiative


In this month’s Log-in2Learn Webinar Dr. Renata Schiavo discusses the challenges faced during COVID-19 through a health equity lens. Pandemics are complex circumstances that thrive on inequalities and weak health and social systems. Vulnerable populations are not able to adequately adhere to safety measures and bear the burden of pandemic impacts. The webinar explores how a Social Determinants of Health approach should be implemented to address inequalities during a pandemic.The course also highlights risk communication, community engagement and advocacy as key strategies to support this agenda.

Participants will will be able to:

      1. Discuss why COVID-19 is a health equity issue
      2. Identify key principles of the health equity and human rights frameworks to protect vulnerable and marginalized populations during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond
      3. Describe the role of community engagement and advocacy during this pandemic and beyond
      4. List sample strategies for transformative and long-lasting change
Region 2 Public Health Training Center