Small Islands, resilience and social control: how the Falkland Islands handled COVID-19

Matheson, Kate

doi:10.1080/00358533.2022.2036027

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…In the years since this research was conducted, it is important to note that the world has become a very different place due to coronavirus. Communities that in 2019 seemed cut off from services and provisions became their own, protective ecosystems with natural quarantine measures and significant social distancing (Matheson, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Psychological Perspectives on Islandness: Identities, Vulnerabilities and Precarities

Matheson,

Pawson,

Clegg

2024

Island Studies Journal

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Although there are many widely perceived attractions to living on a small island, island life is not without its challenges. The physical aspects of these are well rehearsed. The psychological ones, less so. Drawing on social psychological theories, we analyse the experience of living on small islands, with a focus on two small British islands. Data were collected through ethnographic fieldwork, involving observations and interviews with small island inhabitants. We found a range of factors impacting them psychologically, including several that suggest identity and social identity theories may provide a useful psychological lens for understanding these communities. There were also other psychological features identified that suggest a self-perception of vulnerability. These were reflected in concerns around the precarity of employment, but also evident in islanders’ discourses around health (both physical and mental). These findings echo previous authors’ assertions concerning the existence of an ‘island psychology’ evident in the experiences of island residents, but also contribute to discussions around its origins and mechanisms of influence - which we argue have been hitherto, relatively atheoretical. Importantly, a better understanding of island experience, and the relevant theoretical frameworks, can assist in supporting the wellbeing of islanders and the sustainability of their communities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Psychological Perspectives on Islandness: Identities, Vulnerabilities and Precarities

Matheson,

Pawson,

Clegg

2024

Island Studies Journal

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Section: Covid-19 and Small Island Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The COVID-19 pandemic rendered small island communities, such as FI, vulnerable due to limited health services, a reliance on imported goods and the importance of international tourism [3]. However, these communities were also somewhat protected, with geographical isolation acting as a natural barrier, and controlled entry points allowing for the implementation of strict border controls [3,4]. Border closure proved to be a crucial strategy for many small Islands, resulting in the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic being less severe than observed elsewhere in the world, with a number of islands not reporting a single case in 2020 [5,6].…”

Section: Covid-19 and Small Island Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of COVID-19 transmission during the first community outbreak in a remote island population, Falkland Islands, April to June 2022

Wynne,

Bale,

Edwards

et al. 2024

PLOS Glob Public Health

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After 2 years of no community outbreaks of COVID-19, the Falkland Islands (FI) reported their first community case in April 2022. Because of high vaccine coverage (88% of entire population), no specific control measures were instigated, and cases spread rapidly. We undertook a retrospective cohort study to determine the extent of transmission and the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine in a population with limited natural immunity. We extracted data on age, sex, and vulnerability for the FI registered population from a patient information system and linked to COVID-19 case line-list and vaccination datasets. Cases were individuals with positive SARS-CoV-2 PCRs or Lateral Flow Devices (LFDs), from 26 April to 30 June 2022. Univariable analyses compared case risk factors to non-cases. Relative vaccine effectiveness was calculated using Poisson regression with robust error variance, comparing against individuals with vaccination more than the 20 weeks prior to the outbreak. Models were adjusted for age, sex, extreme vulnerability, and previous infection. Of the 3,343 registered population, 44% (n = 1,467) were cases, with no COVID-19 hospitalisations or deaths. In univariable analysis, being female (RR 1.12, p = 0.004) and under 18 years (RR 1.70, p<0.001) were associated with increased COVID-19 risk. Relative vaccine effectiveness was 39.0% (95% CI, 1.03 to 62.5) and 33.0% (95% CI, 8.3 to 51.0) 1 to 9 weeks after receiving 2nd and 1st boosters respectively. We showed widespread transmission in a small island population with limited natural immunity, disproportionately affecting children and women, indicative of transmission in educational and household settings. Despite limited natural immunity, our findings suggested that vaccination was effective protecting against severe disease and booster doses provided additional short-term protection against infection. We would recommend optimizing coverage with boosters of vaccine in remote island populations such as FI. Follow-up would be needed to assess duration of protection after booster vaccination.

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“…Community values and identities can contribute to stopping the spread of pandemics, as shown by the response in the Falkland/Malvinas islands [65]. Here, the self-organisation of community members was enabled through 'social control' and positive behaviour reinforcement, adhering to rules and norms of protecting the island from COVID-19 spread.…”

Section: Community Actionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the case of the Falkland/Malvinas, the island community identities acted as a glue and created virtuous behaviour, reducing the risks coming from the spread of the COVID-19. Doubts remain, however, on the capacity of the community to preserve such responses given the changes in demographics due to immigration and the new dynamics that could occur [65].…”

Section: Community Actionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving Sustainability, Climate Resilience and Pandemic Preparedness in Small Islands: A Systematic Literature Review

Moncada,

Nguyen

2024

Sustainability

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Small islands are often disproportionately impacted by external shocks, and the manner in which they build resilience is increasingly important in the face of climate change and health crises, thus impacting the attainment of their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper discusses the results of a systematic literature review (PRISMA protocol) that set out to examine which resilience-building measures are adopted by small islands to overcome the incidence of two shocks happening simultaneously: climate change and COVID-19. This is in line with the objectives set by SDG 13 (targets 13.1/13.3) and SDG 3 (targets 3.8/3.d). While 16,369 studies fulfilled the criterion of jointly assessing pandemic, health and climate, only 662 of these mentioned small islands. Moreover, 42 studies fulfilled additional screening criteria. Within these studies, we examined whether a planetary health approach, which recognises the links between environment and health systems, was adopted. The results show that in small islands, and for such shocks in tandem, a planetary health approach is scarcely considered. However, specific actions to strengthen resilience were documented to have been effective when facing climate and health crises, which we categorised as: (i) the management of short-term risks; (ii) community actions; (iii) local government support; and (iv) long-term strategic planning.

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Small Islands, resilience and social control: how the Falkland Islands handled COVID-19

Cited by 7 publications

References 20 publications

Social Psychological Perspectives on Islandness: Identities, Vulnerabilities and Precarities

Social Psychological Perspectives on Islandness: Identities, Vulnerabilities and Precarities

Investigation of COVID-19 transmission during the first community outbreak in a remote island population, Falkland Islands, April to June 2022

Improving Sustainability, Climate Resilience and Pandemic Preparedness in Small Islands: A Systematic Literature Review

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