The “second wave” of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Arctic: regional and temporal dynamics

Abstract

This article focuses on the "second wave" of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Arctic and examines spatiotemporal patterns between July 2020 and January 2021. We analyse available COVID-19 data at the regional (subnational) level to elucidate patterns and typology of Arctic regions with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic. This article builds upon our previous research that examined the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic between February and July 2020. The pandemic's "second wave" observed in the Arctic between September 2020 and January 2021 was severe in terms of COVID-19 infections and fatalities, having particularly strong impacts in Alaska, Northern Russia and Northern Sweden. Based on the spatiotemporal patterns of the "second wave" dynamics, we identified 5 types of the pandemic across regions: Shockwaves (Iceland, Faroe Islands, Northern Norway, and Northern Finland), Protracted Waves (Northern Sweden), Tidal Waves (Northern Russia), Tsunami Waves (Alaska), and Isolated Splashes (Northern Canada and Greenland). Although data limitations and gaps persist, monitoring of COVID-19 is critical for developing a proper understanding of the pandemic in order to develop informed and effective responses to the current crisis and possible future pandemics in the Arctic. Data used in this paper are available at https://arctic.uni.edu/arctic-covid-19.

Characteristics of the COVID-19 patients treated at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, Northern Uganda: A cross-sectional study

“…These authors argue that this information was not wholly new. Similar ndings in many studies conducted elsewhere in the world show that younger persons were least susceptible to severe COVID-19 and hospitalization [13,14,17].…”

“…The Ugandan Ministry of Health speci ed two waves of the COVID-19: one in 2020 and another in June 2021. This Ugandan Ministry of Health report is not surprising as regional waves of COVID-19 have been reported in many studies [11,12,13,14]. This nding has implications on how Uganda could respond to the COVID-19 waves as the regional approach to managing and controlling the pandemic has become eminent.…”

The second year of pandemic in the Arctic: examining spatiotemporal dynamics of the COVID-19 “Delta wave” in Arctic regions in 2021

“…The Arctic occupies a special place in COVID-19 research given its remoteness, difficult socioeconomic conditions, population composition, and prevalent health characteristics [ 26 , 33 ]. Pre-existing vulnerabilities combined with the tragic history of pandemic deaths and neglect from respective governments have encouraged the Arctic Indigenous communities to take precautionary measures [ 34 , 35 ].…”

“…At the same time, the Arctic benefits from pandemic resilience capacities related to Indigenous knowledge and practices. Many Arctic communities have relied on a unique combination of Indigenous knowledge, leadership, self-determination, and rapid vaccination to curtail the impact of the pandemic [ 33 ]. Proactive community leadership anchored in the principles of self-determination and Indigenous knowledge has made some Indigenous communities remarkably resilient to COVID-19 [ 36 ].…”

“…Within the scientific community, there has also been a focus on the resiliency of Indigenous people that could alleviate the negative impact of a disease outbreak. The Arctic Council 46 ,and Petrov et al Petrov et al [ 33 , 47 ] acknowledged the importance of self-sufficiency (e.g. livelihood based on subsistence activities] and Indigenous knowledge in contending with the challenges created by COVID-19.…”