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Assessing Acceptability Of Covid-19 Vaccine Booster Dose Among Adult Americans: A Cross-Sectional Study, Tesfaye Yadete, Kavita Batra, Dale M. Netski, Sabrina Antonio, Michael J. Patros, Johan C. Bester Dec 2021

Assessing Acceptability Of Covid-19 Vaccine Booster Dose Among Adult Americans: A Cross-Sectional Study, Tesfaye Yadete, Kavita Batra, Dale M. Netski, Sabrina Antonio, Michael J. Patros, Johan C. Bester

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Given the emergence of breakthrough infections, new variants, and concerns of waning immunity from the primary COVID-19 vaccines, booster shots emerged as a viable option to shore-up protection against COVID-19. Following the recent authorization of vaccine boosters among vulnerable Americans, this study aims to assess COVID-19 vaccine booster hesitancy and its associated factors in a nationally representative sample. A web-based 48-item psychometric valid survey was used to measure vaccine literacy, vaccine confidence, trust, and general attitudes towards vaccines. Data were analyzed through Chi-square (with a post hoc contingency table analysis) and independent-sample t-/Welch tests. Among 2138 participants, nearly 62% intended …


Acute Macular Neuroretinopathy Associated With Covid-19 Infection, James A. David, George D. Fivgas Dec 2021

Acute Macular Neuroretinopathy Associated With Covid-19 Infection, James A. David, George D. Fivgas

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Purpose: To report a case of bilateral acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMN) associated with a COVID-19 infection. Observations: A 22-year-old female was referred for evaluation of bilateral scotomas concurrent with a mildly symptomatic COVID-19 infection. Exam showed normal visual acuity, bilateral reddish-brown petaloid retinal lesions which were hyporeflective on near infrared (NIR) optical coherence tomography (OCT), and had associated hypoperfusion of the deep vascular plexus on OCT-angiography (OCT-A) consistent with bilateral AMN. At follow-up, scotomas and retinal findings on near infrared imaging and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography had only slightly improved. Conclusions: COVID-19 has been documented to be the etiology of …


Structural Barriers Associated With The Intersection Of Traumatic Stress And Gun Violence: A Case Example Of New Orleans, Rahn Kennedy Bailey, Chikira H. Barker, Amit Grover Dec 2021

Structural Barriers Associated With The Intersection Of Traumatic Stress And Gun Violence: A Case Example Of New Orleans, Rahn Kennedy Bailey, Chikira H. Barker, Amit Grover

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Gun violence drastically increased in urban cities following the ease of shutdown restric-tions associated with the Coronavirus Pandemic. The association of gun violence and COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of taking a public health perspective, particularly as it relates to impacts on the Black community. In this article we discuss macro-level factors and community traumas in the city of New Orleans, an area that has had longstanding issues related to gun violence. Community structural issues, traumatic stress from disasters, and recommendations to address disparities in social determinants of health are discussed.


Passive Immunity Trial For Our Nation (Passiton): Study Protocol For A Randomized Placebo-Control Clinical Trial Evaluating Covid-19 Convalescent Plasma In Hospitalized Adults, Wesley H. Self, Thomas G. Stewart, Allison P. Wheeler, Wissam El Atrouni, Amanda J. Bistran-Hall, Jonathan D. Casey, Vince D. Cataldo, James D. Chappell, Claudia S. Cohn, Jessica B. Collins, Mark R. Denison, Marjolein De Wit, Sheri L. Dixon, Abhijit Duggal, Terri L. Edwards, Magali J. Fontaine, Adit A. Ginde, Michelle S. Harkins, Thelma Harrington, Estelle S. Harris Dec 2021

Passive Immunity Trial For Our Nation (Passiton): Study Protocol For A Randomized Placebo-Control Clinical Trial Evaluating Covid-19 Convalescent Plasma In Hospitalized Adults, Wesley H. Self, Thomas G. Stewart, Allison P. Wheeler, Wissam El Atrouni, Amanda J. Bistran-Hall, Jonathan D. Casey, Vince D. Cataldo, James D. Chappell, Claudia S. Cohn, Jessica B. Collins, Mark R. Denison, Marjolein De Wit, Sheri L. Dixon, Abhijit Duggal, Terri L. Edwards, Magali J. Fontaine, Adit A. Ginde, Michelle S. Harkins, Thelma Harrington, Estelle S. Harris

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Convalescent plasma is being used widely as a treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the clinical efficacy of COVID-19 convalescent plasma is unclear. Methods: The Passive Immunity Trial for Our Nation (PassITON) is a multicenter, placebo-controlled, blinded, randomized clinical trial being conducted in the USA to provide high-quality evidence on the efficacy of COVID-19 convalescent plasma as a treatment for adults hospitalized with symptomatic disease. Adults hospitalized with COVID-19 with respiratory symptoms for less than 14 days are eligible. Enrolled patients are randomized in a 1:1 ratio to 1 unit (200–399 mL) of COVID-19 convalescent plasma that has …


Severe Covid-19 Is Characterized By An Impaired Type I Interferon Response And Elevated Levels Of Arginase Producing Granulocytic Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cells, Matthew J. Dean, Juan B. Ochoa, Maria Dulfary Sanchez-Pino, Jovanny Zabaleta, Jone Garai, Luis Del Valle, Dorota Wyczechowska, Lyndsey Buckner Baiamonte, Phaethon Philbrook, Rinku Majumder, Richard S. Vander Heide, Logan Dunkenberger, Ramesh Puttalingaiah Thylur, Bobby Nossaman, W. Mark Roberts, Andrew G. Chapple, Jiande Wu, Chindo Hicks, Jack Collins, Brian Luke Jul 2021

Severe Covid-19 Is Characterized By An Impaired Type I Interferon Response And Elevated Levels Of Arginase Producing Granulocytic Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cells, Matthew J. Dean, Juan B. Ochoa, Maria Dulfary Sanchez-Pino, Jovanny Zabaleta, Jone Garai, Luis Del Valle, Dorota Wyczechowska, Lyndsey Buckner Baiamonte, Phaethon Philbrook, Rinku Majumder, Richard S. Vander Heide, Logan Dunkenberger, Ramesh Puttalingaiah Thylur, Bobby Nossaman, W. Mark Roberts, Andrew G. Chapple, Jiande Wu, Chindo Hicks, Jack Collins, Brian Luke

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

COVID-19 ranges from asymptomatic in 35% of cases to severe in 20% of patients. Differences in the type and degree of inflammation appear to determine the severity of the disease. Recent reports show an increase in circulating monocytic-myeloid-derived suppressor cells (M-MDSC) in severe COVID 19 that deplete arginine but are not associated with respiratory complications. Our data shows that differences in the type, function and transcriptome of granulocytic-MDSC (G-MDSC) may in part explain the severity COVID-19, in particular the association with pulmonary complications. Large infiltrates by Arginase 1+ G-MDSC (Arg+G-MDSC), expressing NOX-1 and NOX-2 (important for production of reactive oxygen …


Covid-19 Vaccines And Thrombosis—Roadblock Or Dead-End Street?, Kenneth Lundstrom, Debmalya Barh, Bruce D. Uhal, Kazuo Takayama, Alaa A.A. Aljabali, Tarek Mohamed Abd El-Aziz, Amos Lal, Elrashdy M. Redwan, Parise Adadi, Gaurav Chauhan, Samendra P. Sherchan, Gajendra Kumar Azad, Nima Rezaei, Ángel Serrano-Aroca, Nicolas G. Bazan, Sk Sarif Hassan, Pritam Kumar Panda, Pabitra Pal Choudhury, Damiano Pizzol, Ramesh Kandimalla Jul 2021

Covid-19 Vaccines And Thrombosis—Roadblock Or Dead-End Street?, Kenneth Lundstrom, Debmalya Barh, Bruce D. Uhal, Kazuo Takayama, Alaa A.A. Aljabali, Tarek Mohamed Abd El-Aziz, Amos Lal, Elrashdy M. Redwan, Parise Adadi, Gaurav Chauhan, Samendra P. Sherchan, Gajendra Kumar Azad, Nima Rezaei, Ángel Serrano-Aroca, Nicolas G. Bazan, Sk Sarif Hassan, Pritam Kumar Panda, Pabitra Pal Choudhury, Damiano Pizzol, Ramesh Kandimalla

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Two adenovirus-based vaccines, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and Ad26.COV2.S, and two mRNA-based vaccines, BNT162b2 and mRNA.1273, have been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and are invaluable in preventing and reducing the incidence of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Recent reports have pointed to thrombosis with associated thrombocytopenia as an adverse effect occurring at a low frequency in some individuals after vaccination. The causes of such events may be related to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein interactions with different C-type lectin receptors, heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) and the CD147 receptor, or to different soluble splice variants of the spike protein, adenovirus vector interactions with the …


Efficiency Of Prolonged Prone Positioning For Mechanically Ventilated Patients Infected With Covid-19, Elizabeth M. Parker, Edward A. Bittner, Lorenzo Berra, Richard M. Pino Jul 2021

Efficiency Of Prolonged Prone Positioning For Mechanically Ventilated Patients Infected With Covid-19, Elizabeth M. Parker, Edward A. Bittner, Lorenzo Berra, Richard M. Pino

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Hypoxemia of the acute respiratory distress syndrome can be reduced by turning patients prone. Prone positioning (PP) is labor intensive, risks unplanned tracheal extubation, and can result in facial tissue injury. We retrospectively examined prolonged, repeated, and early versus later PP for 20 patients with COVID-19 respiratory failure. Blood gases and ventilator settings were collected before PP, at 1, 7, 12, 24, 32, and 39 h after PP, and 7 h after completion of PP. Analysis of variance was used for comparisons with baseline values at supine positions before turning prone. PP for >39 h maintained PaO2/FiO2 (P/F) ratios when …


Cardiac Transplant Recipient With Covid-19 Induced Acute Hypoxic Respiratory Failure: A Case Report, Ariyon Schreiber, Kalaimani Elango, Kimberly Hong, Chowdhury Ahsan Jun 2021

Cardiac Transplant Recipient With Covid-19 Induced Acute Hypoxic Respiratory Failure: A Case Report, Ariyon Schreiber, Kalaimani Elango, Kimberly Hong, Chowdhury Ahsan

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Heart transplant recipients represent a particularly vulnerable patient population to the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to chronic immunosuppression and high rates of comorbidities. Currently, data are limited and evidence to guide management of heart transplant recipients with COVID-19 is sparse. In this case report, we provide a summary of the current literature as well as an in-depth analysis of our clinical decision-making. Case summary: A 67-year-old female who underwent cardiac transplantation 1 year prior was found to have acute hypoxic respiratory failure due to COVID-19. Her immunosuppressant medications were modulated with discontinuation of mycophenolate and titration of …


Microrna Heterogeneity, Innate-Immune Defense And The Efficacy Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection—A Commentary, Walter J. Lukiw Jun 2021

Microrna Heterogeneity, Innate-Immune Defense And The Efficacy Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection—A Commentary, Walter J. Lukiw

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), a member of the genus Betacoronavirus in the family Coronaviridae, possesses an unusually large single-stranded viral RNA (ssvRNA) genome of about ~29,811 nucleotides (nt) that causes severe and acute respiratory distress and a highly lethal viral pneumonia known as COVID-19. COVID-19 also presents with multiple ancillary systemic diseases and often involves cardiovascular, inflammatory, and/or neurological complications. Pathological viral genomes consisting of ssvRNA, like cellular messenger RNA (mRNA), are susceptible to attack, destruction, neutralization, and/or modulation by naturally occurring small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) within the host cell, some of which are known as microRNAs (miRNAs). …


Helping Mothers Survive: Program Evaluation And Early Outcomes Of Maternal Care Training In The Dominican Republic, Meghan Smith, Alexandra Leader, Wanny Roa, Ericka Jaramillo, Davina Lazala, Jose Flores, Claudia Cadet, Ruraj Vazifedan, Suzanne Bentley, Lloyd Jensen Jun 2021

Helping Mothers Survive: Program Evaluation And Early Outcomes Of Maternal Care Training In The Dominican Republic, Meghan Smith, Alexandra Leader, Wanny Roa, Ericka Jaramillo, Davina Lazala, Jose Flores, Claudia Cadet, Ruraj Vazifedan, Suzanne Bentley, Lloyd Jensen

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: In 2017, approximately 295,000 women died during and immediately following pregnancy and childbirth worldwide, with 94% of these deaths occurring in low-resource settings. The Dominican Republic (DR) exhibits one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean despite the fact that 99% of registered births in the country are reportedly attended by a skilled birth attendant. This paradox implies that programs to support healthcare worker knowledge and skills improvement are vital to improving maternal health outcomes in the DR. Helping Mothers Survive (HMS) is a provider training program developed by Jhpiego and …


Knowledge, Protective Behaviors And Risk Perception Of Covid-19 Among Dental Students In India: A Cross-Sectional Analysis, Kavita Batra, Yashashri Urankar, Ravi Batra, Aaron F. Gomez, Meru S., Pragati Kaurani May 2021

Knowledge, Protective Behaviors And Risk Perception Of Covid-19 Among Dental Students In India: A Cross-Sectional Analysis, Kavita Batra, Yashashri Urankar, Ravi Batra, Aaron F. Gomez, Meru S., Pragati Kaurani

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Objective: This study’s objective was to examine the knowledge, performance in practicing protective behaviors, and risk perception of Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) among dental students of India. Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted from 10–30 August 2020, involving 381 dental students that were enrolled at the Uttaranchal Dental and Medical Research Institute in India. A web-based structured questionnaire assessed the COVID-19 related knowledge, protective behaviors, and risk perception performance. The independent-samples-t and analysis of variance tests were used to analyze the differences in knowledge, protective behaviors, and perception across the groups. Results: Of the dental students surveyed, 83% had adequate …


Neurological Complications Of Covid19 During March 2020 At Lcmc Health University Medical Center: Dataset, David Chachkhiani, Michael Y. Soliman, Delphi Barua, Marine Isakadze, Nicole R. Villemarette-Pittman, Deidre J. Devier, Jesus F. Lovera Mar 2021

Neurological Complications Of Covid19 During March 2020 At Lcmc Health University Medical Center: Dataset, David Chachkhiani, Michael Y. Soliman, Delphi Barua, Marine Isakadze, Nicole R. Villemarette-Pittman, Deidre J. Devier, Jesus F. Lovera

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

We reviewed the electronic medical records (EMR) of patients hospitalized during the peak of the pandemic, March 1st through March 31st, to document the type and frequency of neurological problems seen in patients with COVID-19 at presentation to the emergency room. Secondary aims were to determine: 1) the frequency of neurological complaints during the hospital stay; 2) whether the presence of any neurological complaint at presentation or any of the individual types of neurological complaints at admission predicted three separate outcomes: death, length of hospital stay, or the need for intubation; and 3) if the presence of any neurological complaint …