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Potential Mechanisms For New Onset Atrial Fibrillation In Covid-19 Patients, Raghav Gupta, Yara Assadi, Shaniece Nicole Lawrence, Erika Jeanie Pitsker, Michael Scott Bickford Jr., Victoria Amber Saniko

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Introduction: This study shows the prevalence of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in COVID-19 patients and highlights the most prevalent explanatory pathologic theories for the correlation.

Methods: The authors carried out a literature review over PubMed using the keywords “atrial fibrillation” and “long-term COVID.” 48 articles were reviewed. Articles relating to new onset of atrial fibrillation in COVID-19 patients were included while articles posted before 2020, not related to COVID and atrial fibrillation were excluded.

Results: The prevalence of atrial fibrillation in COVID patients is often reported to be around 17%, however 44% of patients within Intensive Care units (ICU) have atrial …

Chilling Complications: A Case Of Covid-Associated Cold Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (Aiha), Julian Coz, Kishan Patel

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Cold Agglutinin disease (CAD) also known as Cold Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA) is a form of autoimmune hemolytic anemia wherein cold agglutinins (IgM autoantibodies against red blood cell (RBC) antigens) bind during cold temperatures causing clinical symptoms related to RBC agglutination resulting to hemolytic anemia. Clinicians should recognize that Cold Agglutinin disease can be secondary to an underlying pathology such as COVID-19. Here we describe an unusual case of Cold Agglutinin Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia which was diagnosed in the Emergency Department with the presence of COVID-19 and with a hospital course complicated by acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and bilateral …

Lower Extremity Weakness In The Setting Of Covid Myositis, Christopher Dellmyer, Frank Wheeler

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Bilateral lower extremity weakness has numerable causes including stroke, peripheral neuropathy, deconditioning, Guillain-Barre, Multiple Sclerosis, anterior cord syndrome, trauma, spinal epidural abscess and many more. It is imperative however, that we investigate and understand more rare causes of lower extremity weakness. Here we present the case of a 74-year-old female presented to the ED with a complaint of lower extremity weakness due to Covid myositis causing significant bilateral lower extremity weakness.

Investigating Risk Factors Contributing To The High Incidence Of Covid-19 Among The Diné People Of The Navajo Nation, Elizabeth Lila Reynolds

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: COVID-19 became international news in December 2019 and subsequently impacted global health. The research shows that the Diné people of the Navajo Nation were one of the most severely impacted populations¹. The Navajo Nation is a region spanning Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah that is composed of North American indigenous people known as the Diné. Purpose: To explore the risk factors contributing to the increased rates of COVID-19 infection and severity of infection among the Diné people. Methods: This literature review research process utilized PubMed and JAMA to find scholarly articles on this topic. Search terms …

The Effect Of Covid-19 Pandemic On Sanitation Practices And Anxiety In The General Population, Leah Cliatt, Joanna Petrides

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: Illness anxiety and fear of contracting coronavirus increased considerably during the COVID-19 pandemic. The media, being in lockdown, and cyberchondria had the largest impact on the population’s anxiety surrounding illness. While this kind of reaction to illness is expected during the pandemic, there is limited data on post-pandemic illness anxiety levels in the general population. Patients’ perception of disease impacts medicine at every level; medical professionals need to understand the concerns and fears of their patients in order to treat the post-pandemic patient. We hypothesized that sanitation practices and anxiety surrounding illness have not returned to baseline pre-COVID-19 …

Effect Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Hpv Vaccination Rates, Jennifer Sepede, Kathy Chen

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection that potentiates cancer in both males and females. There are over 200 different types of HPV and while some strains, specifically HPV 6 and 11, may result in genital and skin warts, others remain clinically silent. High risk strains, HPV 16 and 18, are most associated with cervical cancer in women. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was widespread hesitancy and rejection towards vaccination. Similarly, the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine has also been met with distrust since it’s release. Studies have shown that there is a low vaccination rate due to …

Case Report And Brief Review: Co-Infection Covid-19 Virus And Influenza A Virus, James Espinosa, Umar Sannoh, Alan Lucerna

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

We report the case of a 45 year old male who presented to the an emergency department with a complaint of myalgias, chills and sore throat of a two day duration. The patient tested positive for COVID-19 virus as well as Influenza A virus. The purpose of this brief review is to discuss what is known about co-infection of COVID-19 and influenza A.

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Post-Recovery Memory, Chelsea Mcnamara, Alison Mancuso

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for the covid-19 pandemic, has had profound effects on countries worldwide. As the pandemic progressed, clinical and patient data continued to mount. A subset of symptoms named “Long Covid Syndrome” persisted in patients after recovering from infection. One commonly reported but understudied symptom was a deficit in memory function. Although commonly reported, prevalence of ‘brain fog’ has yet to be characterized using patient data. Using Rowan Medicine electronic patient data, we were able to collect information on patients before and after the emergence of the coronavirus. Data was collected on reported memory-related symptoms as well as …

Development Of Schizophrenia In A Genetically Predisposed Individual Following Covid-19, Sung Kang, Jonathan Yuh, Timothy Wong

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

We present a patient who is a 56-year-old female with a psychiatric history of anxiety disorder and a medical history of hypercholesterolemia and hyperthyroidism, who was admitted to the hospital after a witnessed seizure at an inpatient psychiatric facility. This patient’s family history is significant for her mother experiencing unspecified psychotic disorder that required psychiatric hospitalization. Our patient was first admitted to the psychiatric hospital after exhibiting worsening paranoid delusions and hallucinations that began several months prior. The patient had reportedly begun locking herself in the restroom and screaming “get out, they’re spying on me”, referring to her next-door neighbors …

Whole Body Cryotherapy As A Novel Treatment For Long Covid Syndrome Associated Brain Fog, James Mack, Brandon Goodwin, Paras Patel, Kyra Herman, Daniel Casal, Emily Levenson

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

SARS-CoV-2, which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), was first discovered in December 2019 in Wuhan, China when adults began presenting with severe pneumonia of an unknown cause. SARS-CoV-2 can cause a wide range of clinical manifestations. SARS-CoV-2 can penetrate the olfactory mucosa and may enter the brain through the cribriform plate along the olfactory tract, through vagal or trigeminal pathways, or pass through the blood-brain barrier. Once inside the brain, levels of inflammatory cytokines are increased and can lead to altered learning, memory, neuroplasticity, hallucinations, nightmares, cognitive and attention deficits, new-onset anxiety and depression, and psychosis. A theoretical treatment for …

Factors That Influence The Decision To Get Vaccinated Against Covid-19, Rhea Bhargava, Meghan H. Foos, Brandy M. Gotti, Alexandra L. Mulvenna, Taylor O. Smith, Danielle Cooley, Venkateswar Venkataman

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the launch of the vaccine, healthcare workers have been encouraging people to get vaccinated to prevent the spread of the virus. However, there is a significant number of people who are vaccine hesitant, or uncertain about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and its booster. Vaccine hesitancy represents a state of opportunity to make positive change; therefore, it is crucial for healthcare workers to identify those who are in this population. When factors contributing to the vaccine hesitancy, including gender, age, ethnicity, education level, and income were studied, it was found that women, those …

Breaking Down Barriers: Investigating Structural And Systemic Factors That Contribute To Covid-19 Disparities In African American Communities In New Jersey, Fazal Choudhary, Suraj Pothineni

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the lives of millions of Americans; however, minority communities have been hit the hardest as infection rates continue to sky rocket and new variants arise. As of October 5, 2021, the CDC reports that African Americans make up a similar share of cases relative to the overall population, at about 12%, but have a significantly higher rate of deaths compared to the population, at approximately14%. African American communities are being disproportionately affected because of higher incidence of chronic diseases, inadequate access to health care, and poorer living and working conditions, which increases their vulnerability …

The Effects Of The Covid-19 Stay-At-Home Orders On Pain And Mental Health In Omm Patients, Sylvia Orozco Silberman, Philip Collins, Danielle Cooley, James Bailey, Steven M. Brunwasser Phd, Nicholas Averell

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

New Jersey was placed in a state of emergency and a statewide stay-at-home order during the COVID-19 pandemic

Very little has been published examining the effects of chronic pain after stopping osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM), although it seems unethical to stop a treatment shown to work so well that is both minimally invasive and cost effective

We hypothesized OMM patients experienced an increase in pain since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic and closure of OMM/Family Medicine offices

A Case Report On Causes Of Covid-19 Induced Psychosis And Treatments, Jennifer Pires, Steven Sarner

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

COVID-19 is a viral infection that is caused by an RNA virus in a subfamily of Coronaviridae named severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS CoV 2). The family also includes severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS CoV) and middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS CoV) which have previously been shown to cause respiratory symptoms and psychosis with immunoreactivity to IgG.

Case Report: Covid Arm (Covid Vaccine Arm), Joseph Pagano, James Espinosa, Alan Lucerna, Henry Schuitema

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

We report the case of a 38-year-old male physician who was vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine. He experienced arm pain and swelling on the vaccinated arm as well as systemic symptoms, including fever, chills, headache and weakness. The systemic symptoms improved after the use of oral prednisone. A review of the literature on the COVID vaccine is presented.

Evaluating Reasons For Moderna Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy At A Vaccine Distribution Center In South Jersey, Arghyadeep Sarkar, Suzanna Hosein

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

RowanSOM held a student-run vaccine clinic in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite published research stating the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, there were still vaccine-hesitant individuals.

While the CDC reported that hesitancy to receive vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 had decreased, 32.1% of American adults did not intend to get vaccinated as of December 2020.

Understanding reasons for this hesitancy could help create informational ads directed towards people’s concerns.

Evaluating The Relationship And Outcomes Of Ischemic Stroke In Patients With Covid-19 While Also Reviewing Overall Incidence And Mortality Of Stroke In Vulnerable Populations In The Us, Jaime Dougherty

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

COVID-19 has affected the worldwide population since early 2020 and has remained a health issue. Among the various symptoms and outcomes people are encountering when infected with COVID-19, this virus has also been connected to severe vascular insults involving large vessel occlusions.

Current stroke statistics indicate a nearly twice as high risk of stroke in African Americans when compared to whites. This brings into question how social determinants of health are affecting COVID-19 and stroke incidence.

The purpose of this review is to investigate the relationship between COVID-19 and ischemic stroke while advocating for a more robust primary prevention approach …

Arterial Thromboembolism As A Sequela Of Mild Covid-19 Pneumonia With Resultant Gangrene Of The Right Lower Extremity, Sean Coulson, Brian Thomas, Christopher Chhoun

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Hypercoagulable states leading to stroke, pulmonary embolism, and acute limb ischemia are well documented phenomena secondary to moderate-to-severe COVID-19 infections that produce significant respiratory morbidity.

Incidence is largely unknown with additional emerging clinical manifestations including, but not limited to: Viral and secondary bacterial pneumonia, respiratory failure, sepsis, stroke, acute kidney injury, pulmonary embolism, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), as well as arterial and venous thromboembolism.

Bells Palsy: A Late Complication Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection, Rohan Umrani, Sameer Akhtar, Sean Coulson, Brian Thomas, Yvette Wang

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

A 60 year old male with a PMH of SARS-CoV-2, OSA and primary hypogonadism presented with a chief complaint of left sided facial numbness and weakness.

Bells Palsy is commonly caused by HSV, VZV, Lyme disease and less commonly ischemia or local compression. It presents with facial paralysis and loss of taste in anterior 2/3 of tongue.

In the absence of definitive Lyme serologies despite history of tick bite, it is likely that this patient had Bell’s Palsy as a late manifestation of COVID-19.

The Effect Of Covid-19 On Depression In Hispanic Vs. Non-Hispanic Populations In South Jersey, Rana Cheikhali, Daniel Casal

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for Americans and the world as a whole. It has especially taken a toll on mental health. Studies show that the incidence of depression in the United States was three times greater during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic times. One specific community in the United States that has been greatly affected by the pandemic is the Hispanic American community. Many Americans across the country have received federal surveys that aim to determine the social and economic impacts of COVID-19. Results revealed that the Hispanic population had the greatest rise in mental illness, with 40% …

Identifying Motivators For Getting Vaccinated Against Sars-Cov-2 In Those Who Have Been Vaccinated. A Single Center Cross-Sectional Study, Nicole Lacap, Suzanna Hosein

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The purpose of this study is to explore the primary motivations of patients getting vaccinated against SARS-Cov-2 as well as to determine any correlations between demographic information and specific motivators. We hypothesized that generally internal motivators (being in the best interest of oneself) will predominate as the reason for vaccination. The sample consisted of 227 patients vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 at the Rowan Medicine Vaccine Clinic during the month of June 2021. Patients were given an online questionnaire collecting demographic information as well as primary reason for getting vaccinated. Preliminary analysis shows that 63% of participants were motivated by reasons that …

Case Report: Covid-19 Associated Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Matthew Aharonov, Neelesh Parikh, James Espinosa, Alan Lucerna

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

We report a case of a 72-year-old female who presented to the emergency department with a complaint of generalized weakness. The patient was found to have ascending muscle weakness and subsequently diagnosed with Covid-19 related Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Our patient was negative for Campylobacter jejuni. It is noteworthy that the patient did not have fever, respiratory symptoms or loss of the sensation of taste.

Persistent Neurocognitive Impairment And Neurological Complications Following Covid-19: Challenges Of The Long Covid Syndrome, Timothy Wong, Sung Kang, Munaza Khan

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2).(1) As of April 23, 2021, there are close to 150 million cumulative cases, with over 3 million deaths worldwide.(2) In terms of clinical presentation, individuals afflicted with COVID-19 vary greatly in terms of their disease progression and symptomatology.(3,4) During the acute phase of COVID-19, patients may experience flu-like symptoms including fever, cough, dyspnea, headache,(5,7) though gastrointestinal, renal, hepatological, rheumatological, and neurological symptoms and complications have been reported.(8,9) Recently, there has been increasing interest in the chronic sequelae of COVID-19.(10). One …