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An analysis of the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on wildlife protection in protected areas of Zimbabwe in 2020.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic brought about unprecedented effects on the conservation and protection of wildlife in protected areas. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Zimbabwe imposed lockdown measures to prevent and control the spread of the pandemic. The inability of researchers to conduct field-based research led to office-based research to determine the impacts of the pandemic on conservation. The objective of this study was to find out how the pandemic had affected the security of wildlife in protected areas of Zimbabwe in 2020. The researchers divided 2020 into three periods, 'no' lockdown, 'full' lockdown, and 'partial' lockdown. Data on wildlife protection, illegal activities and tourism performance was collected at the station level using a similar format and submitted to a central place for consolidation and analysis. Parametric and non-parametric tests were conducted based on the normality status of the data variables. The study findings are that (i) The number of rangers conducting law enforcement activities in 2020 remained the same, (ii) Rise in local poaching of wildlife with a peak in the dry season, increase in illegal fishing, and illegal mining activity during the period of 'full' lockdown, (iii) Tourist arrivals and revenue generated from regional and international tourism showed a significant decline during 'full' lockdown and 'partial' lockdown (iv) Domestic arrivals increased as expected during 'partial' lockdown. This study corroborates the potential negative implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on wildlife protection which would continue to worsen with the prolonging pandemic. One lesson from this study is that the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA) wildlife protection efforts in 2020 were sustained using financial reserves as a safety net and support from conservation partners. There is a need to ensure conservation safety nets through diversifying funding sources and creating financial reserves for conservation.

SUBMITTER: Ndlovu M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8557114 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundThe COVID-19 disease has overwhelmed and disrupted healthcare services worldwide, particularly healthcare workers (HCW). HCW are essential workers performing any job in a healthcare setting who are potentially directly or indirectly exposed to infectious materials. Our retrospective cohort study aimed to determine the prevalence of COVID-19 infections among HCW in Jakarta and neighbouring areas during the first three months of the pandemic.MethodsNasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swab specimens from HCW working at private and public hospitals in Jakarta and neighbouring areas were screened for SARS-CoV-2 between March and May 2020. Data on demography, clinical symptoms, contact history, and personal protective equipment (PPE) use were collected using standardised forms.ResultsAmong 1201 specimens, 7.9% were confirmed positive for SARS-CoV-2 with the majority coming from medical doctors (48.4%) and nurses (44.2%). 64.2% of the positive cases reported to have contact with suspect/confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 32 (52.2%) with patient and 3 (6.6%) with co-worker. The symptomatic HCW had a significantly lower median Ct value as compared to their asymptomatic counterpart (p < .001). Tendency to have a higher prevalence of pneumonia was observed in the age group of 40 - 49 and ≥50 years old.ConclusionOur findings highlighted the necessity to implement proper preventive and surveillance strategies for this high-risk population including adherence to strict PPE protocol and appropriate training.Key MessageHealthcare workers (HCW), defined as those handling any job in a healthcare setting, are at the frontline of risk of infection as SARS-CoV-2 is easily transmitted through airborne droplets and direct contact with contaminated surfaces. The aim of our study is to attain a more comprehensive and accurate picture of the impact of COVID-19 on HCW during the earlier phase of the outbreak in Indonesia to develop effective strategies that protect the health and safety of this workforce. Our findings highlighted that COVID-19 infections in HCW were mostly acquired in healthcare settings, with significant consequences of pneumonia and hospitalisation occurring across all age groups.

Dataset Information

An analysis of the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on wildlife protection in protected areas of Zimbabwe in 2020.

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