MayaTech and CDC staff Co-author Article on Feasibility of CDC’s Community Mitigation Guidelines against Pandemic Influenza

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MayaTech and CDC staff Co-author Article on Feasibility of CDC’s Community Mitigation Guidelines against Pandemic Influenza

 

Shelly Kowalczyk, MSPH, CHES and Dr. Suzanne Randolph Cunningham

Silver Spring, MD (August 3, 2022) - A manuscript co-authored with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by two senior MayaTech staff has been accepted for publication in Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness (DMPHP). The co-authors are Shelly Kowalczyk, MSPH, CHES, Senior Technical Vice President and Manager of MayaTech’s Center for Community Prevention and Treatment Research (CPTR), and Chief Science Officer, Dr. Suzanne Randolph Cunningham.

"COVID-19: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Barriers to Implementing Select Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions to Reduce the Transmission of Pandemic Influenza - United States, 2019" was completed under MayaTech's contract with the CDC. In collaboration with CDC and a stakeholder group, MayaTech developed the assessment tool and sampling frames to collect data from state/territory-level public health officials in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and eight territories; and a sample of 800+ local health departments. MayaTech fielded the state/territorial assessment and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) fielded the local-level assessment. MayaTech and CDC analyzed the qualitative and quantitative data, respectively.

The manuscript comes after the release of the CDC’s Community Mitigation Guidelines to Prevent Pandemic Influenza in April 2017, and reports on the assessments of the feasibility and acceptability of implementing recommendations on the use of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) reserved for influenza pandemics (i.e., voluntary home quarantine; use of face masks by ill persons; childcare facility closures; school closures; and social distancing at schools, workplaces, and mass gatherings). Although the assessments were conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings add to our COVID-era observations and provide insights about NPIs as a “first line of defense” for future pandemic planning and preparedness.

One of the manuscript’s reviewers commented: "I am happy to endorse its publication and I thank you for such an important and timely contribution to our community and the readers of this Journal."

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About MayaTech: Since 1985, The MayaTech Corporation has focused on tackling existing and emerging public health challenges through direct engagement with agencies, governments, communities, and individuals. We provide a suite of research, training, evaluation, capacity-building, and other strategic support services aimed at reaching and impacting vulnerable populations, amplifying best practices, and innovating the practice of public health. Learn more at mayatech.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.