TY - JOUR
T1 - Multidisciplinary approach to COVID-19 risk communication
T2 - a framework and tool for individual and regional risk assessment
AU - Parajuli, Rishi Ram
AU - Mishra, Bhogendra
AU - Banstola, Amrit
AU - Ghimire, Bhoj Raj
AU - Poudel, Shobha
AU - Sharma, Kusum
AU - Dixit, Sameer Mani
AU - Sah, Sunil Kumar
AU - Simkhada, Padam
AU - van Teijlingen, Edwin
PY - 2020/12/10
Y1 - 2020/12/10
N2 - The COVID-19 pandemic has exceeded over sixty-five million cases globally. Different approaches are followed to mitigate its impact and reduce its spreading in different countries, but limiting mobility and exposure have been de-facto precautions to reduce transmission. However, a full lockdown cannot be sustained for a prolonged period. An evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach on risk zoning, personal and transmission risk assessment in near real-time, and risk communication would support the optimized decisions to minimize the impact of coronavirus on our lives. This paper presents a framework to assess the individual and regional risk of COVID-19 along with risk communication tools and mechanisms. Relative risk scores on a scale of 100 represent the integrated risk of influential factors. The personal risk model incorporates age, exposure history, symptoms, local risk and existing health condition, whereas regional risk is computed through the actual cases of COVID-19, public health risk factors, socioeconomic condition of the region, and immigration statistics. A web application tool ( http://www.covira.info ) has been developed, where anyone can assess their risk and find the guided information links primarily for Nepal. This study provides regional risk for Nepal, but the framework is scalable across the world. However, personal risk can be assessed immediately from anywhere.
AB - The COVID-19 pandemic has exceeded over sixty-five million cases globally. Different approaches are followed to mitigate its impact and reduce its spreading in different countries, but limiting mobility and exposure have been de-facto precautions to reduce transmission. However, a full lockdown cannot be sustained for a prolonged period. An evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach on risk zoning, personal and transmission risk assessment in near real-time, and risk communication would support the optimized decisions to minimize the impact of coronavirus on our lives. This paper presents a framework to assess the individual and regional risk of COVID-19 along with risk communication tools and mechanisms. Relative risk scores on a scale of 100 represent the integrated risk of influential factors. The personal risk model incorporates age, exposure history, symptoms, local risk and existing health condition, whereas regional risk is computed through the actual cases of COVID-19, public health risk factors, socioeconomic condition of the region, and immigration statistics. A web application tool ( http://www.covira.info ) has been developed, where anyone can assess their risk and find the guided information links primarily for Nepal. This study provides regional risk for Nepal, but the framework is scalable across the world. However, personal risk can be assessed immediately from anywhere.
KW - Risk factors
KW - Natural hazards
KW - COVID-19
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85097497883&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41598-020-78779-0
DO - 10.1038/s41598-020-78779-0
M3 - Article
C2 - 33303910
VL - 10
JO - Scientific Reports
JF - Scientific Reports
SN - 2045-2322
IS - 1
M1 - 21650
ER -
