Digital Commons Network^™

Insights From The Front Line: Uplifting Stories Of The Covid-19 Pandemic Through The Eyes Of The Public Health Workforce In Iowa, Heidi Haines, Amanda Sursely, Hanh Pham, Rylee Beltran, Daniel K. Sewell, Lina Tucker Reinders, Natoshia Askelson, Sarah Dixon, Kaitlin Emrich, Christine Estle, Michelle Lewis, Jimmy Reyes

Faculty Publications

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 was declared a pandemic in March 2020. Studies have characterized some of the negative impact of the pandemic on public health workers (PHW), but few have explored the strength and coping strategies used. Our study documents the experiences of PHW in Iowa during the pandemic. Methods: We used an innovative mixed methods data collection tool, SenseMaker^® to gather stories from PHW in Iowa between March and July 2022. Participants provided additional data about their story via structured follow-up questions. We conducted descriptive analyses of the quantitative questions. A qualitative thematic and sentiment analysis was applied to all …

Participant Engagement In A National Longitudinal Study Of Covid-19: Insights From The Inspire Study, Kris Pui Kwan Ma, Tracy Stober, Michael Gottlieb, Rachel E. Geyer, Kristin L. Rising, Sharon Saydah, Michelle Santangelo, Kristyn Gatling, Dylan Grau, Ralph C. Wang, Juan Carlos Montoy, Ahamed Idris, Samuel Macdonald, Mandy J. Hill, Ryan Huebinger, Maria G. Prado, Nicole L. Gentile, Erica Spatz, Caitlin Maliki, Jocelyn Dorney, Joann G. Elmore, Michelle L'Hommedieu, Robert A Weinstein, Arjun K. Venkatesh, Kari A. Stephens

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: To examine participants' motivations and their experiences throughout a decentralized, longitudinal COVID-19 study in the U.S.

METHODS: We recruited 355 participants from the Innovative Support for Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infections Registry (INSPIRE) between November 2022 - March 2023 to answer five qualitative survey questions anonymously. We used an inductive content analysis approach to analyze the data.

RESULTS: We identified five key themes from the analysis, which reflected participants' a) motivations to join the study, b) study benefits, c) perceptions of survey questions, d) experiences with the research process, and e) preferences for disseminating research findings. Participants were motivated to …

Enhanced Restoration Of Covid-19 Ct Scan Images Utilizing Advanced Wiener Filtering Techniques, Warqaa Shaher Alazawee, Marwa Subhi Ibrahim, Raghda Salam Al Mahdawi, Ali Albu-Rghaif, Ahmed Sabri Altaie

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) and rapidly spread worldwide from late 2019. While Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) is the primary diagnostic tool, its sensitivity ranges from only 60% to 70%, leading to false negatives. Computed Tomography (CT) imaging has emerged as a valuable alternative for accurate diagnosis; however, the quality of CT images is often degraded by motion-induced blur and additive noise, particularly in children, individuals with mental health conditions, or those with phobias of CT scans. This study aims to enhance COVID-19 CT image quality …

Development And Transition In Crisis: The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Division I College Athletes, Grace Kazmierski-Davie, Khalid Ballouli

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

The aim of this study is to explore how Division I college athletes made meaning of their experiences during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020. Though existing literature details various athlete transitions, there is limited knowledge about how athletes navigate unprecedented disruptions like a global pandemic. This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews to gather in-depth data. The study included a diverse sample of 19 college athletes, ranging from freshmen to seniors, representing various sports and academic levels. Findings revealed that athletes employed diverse strategies to maintain readiness and mental sharpness, reflecting both proactive and reactive coping mechanisms. …

Full Issue: The International Undergraduate Journal Of Health Sciences, Volume 5, Issue 1, July 2025

International Undergraduate Journal of Health Sciences

Full Issue: The International Undergraduate Journal of Health Sciences, Volume 5, Issue 1, July 2025.

Mothers’ Plan To Protect Their Children From Covid-19 And Other Viral Illnesses, Miami Kadhum Yossif, Rehab Abdulwehab Jaafer

Iraqi National Journal of Medicine

Background: Mothers play a critical role in safeguarding the health and well-being of their children—a vulnerable population—particularly during outbreaks of infectious diseases. Aim: This study investigated the strategies employed by mothers to protect their children from COVID-19 and other viral illnesses. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the outpatient pediatric clinics of Basra Maternity and Children Hospital and Almawani Teaching Hospital, 118 mothers were enrolled from diverse backgrounds. Data was collected through structured interviews and a standardized questionnaire designed to assess maternal practices, attitudes, and experiences concerning the protection of their children. The key areas explored included hygiene practices, …

The Current And Future Burden Of Long Covid In The United States, Sarah M Bartsch, Kevin L Chin, Ulrich Strych, Danielle C John, Tej D Shah, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Kelly J O'Shea, Mckaylee Robertson, Colleen Weatherwax, Jessie Heneghan, Marie F Martinez, Allan Ciciriello, Sarah Kulkarni, Kavya Velmurugan, Alexis Dibbs, Sheryl A Scannell, Yanhan Shen, Denis Nash, Peter J Hotez, Bruce Y Lee

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Long coronavirus disease (COVID), which affects an estimated 44.69-48.04 million people in the United States, is an ongoing public health concern that will persist as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to spread.

Methods: We developed a computational simulation model representing the clinical course, health effects, and associated costs of a person with long COVID.

Results: Simulations show that the average total cost of a long COVID case can range from $5084-$11 646 (assuming symptoms only last 1 year) with 92.5%-95.2% of these costs being productivity losses. Therefore, the current number of long COVID cases could cost …

Maslow Meets Healthcare: Optimizing Cna Training And Well-Being Through Hierarchical Needs During Covid-19, Jose D. Martinez Herrera

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

This study investigates the relationship between motivation, as defined by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and the performance of Certified Nurse Aides (CNAs) on the Illinois Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation Exam (INACE), with a focus on the impact of gender and motivation during the COVID-19 pandemic. CNAs must meet stringent certification standards, but recent declines in enrollment and increased demands on healthcare workers, exacerbated by the pandemic, necessitate a deeper exploration of factors influencing their success. This research employs a quantitative, non-experimental correlational design, analyzing data from 411 CNA students sampled from community colleges in Illinois. The study examines motivation across …

Impact Of Telehealth On Outcomes In Daily Practice, Shannon Stuebs

Theses and Dissertations

While telepsychology has existed in various forms for years and has been researched since the 1960s (Abrams, 2020), it was not until the COVID-19 pandemic that telepsychology started to be widely used. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, one study found that psychologists conducted only around 7% of their work via telepsychology, a number that jumped to over 85% in response to COVID-19 (Pierce, Perrin, Tyler, et al., 2020). While there has been a significant increase in the research exploring the efficacy of telehealth since the start of the pandemic (Lin et al., 2022), further research regarding long-term impacts and specific …

Rapid Access Chest Pain Assessment Clinic: An Australian Virtual Care Experience, Marwan Shawki, Thalys Sampaio Rodrigues, Hussein Al-Fiadh, Karen Sanders Mnursing, Ali H. Al-Fiadh

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Background: The Rapid Access Chest Pain Assessment Clinic (RACPAC) streamlines the evaluation of low to intermediate-risk chest pain patients, reducing hospitalisation and healthcare costs. However, there is limited data on the virtual model of care for RACPAC.

Aim: We sought to evaluate the structure, cost-effectiveness, and imaging modalities performance of face-to-face and virtual RACPAC in an Australian setting.

Methods:A retrospective analysis of patients attending the RACPAC within a large Australian quaternary hospital between 2012 and 2021. We described the clinic parameters and imaging modality utilisation with parametric and non-parametric descriptive statics. Patterns of diagnostic modality utilisation were assessed with …

Retracted: A Novel Benchmarking Framework For Selecting The Best Deep Learning Model Diagnosing Covid-19 Based On New Development For Dual Mcdm Methods, Mahmood M. Salih, Yousif Raad Muhsen, M.A. Ahmed, Reem D. Ismael, Moceheb Lazam Shuwandy, Z.T. Al-Qaysi

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

COVID-19 was diagnosed using deep learning models by a group of studies. Evaluating and benchmarking these models are essential to achieving the most suitable model for diagnosing coronavirus. Objective: In this investigation, we offer an inclusive valuation of several deep learning models to detect the maximum appropriate and active model which gratifies doctors' requirements and assessment criteria. Method: This study combines Fuzzy decision by the opinion score method (FDOSM) and Fuzzy-Weighted Zero-Inconsistency (FWZIC). According to the advantage of Trapezoidal Intuitionistic fuzzy, we developed FWZIC into Trapezoidal Intuitionistic fuzzy named (TrIF-FWZIC) for weighting criteria and FDOSM into Trapezoidal Intuitionistic fuzzy FDOSM …

Analyzing The Impact Of Covid-19 On The Achievement Gap: The State Of Education In Minnesota From A Superintendent's Perspective, Jillian Stockmo Chapman

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education systems globally, nationally and in Minnesota. This created difficulties but also opportunities for innovation, especially for students most impacted by educational inequities. This dissertation investigates the impacts of the pandemic through three related research questions: (1) In what ways did COVID-19 impact Minnesota’s achievement gap? (2) How do superintendents describe the impact of COVID-19 on their districts and their districts’ disparities? And (3) What have been some of the most innovative opportunities districts’ have explored to recoup learning loss emerging from the COVID-19 crisis?

Using a qualitative research design that is grounded in a transformative …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Maternity Care Services: Lived Experiences Of Midwives In Indonesia, Mergy Gayatri, Oluwadamilare Akingbade, Indhar Wahyu Wira Harjo, Adepegba Folasade Rebecca, Salako Faith Adebola

Journal of Asian Midwives (JAM)

Background: There have been fundamental changes in global maternity care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic across the globe. However, there are limited studies in Indonesia that have explored the changes experienced by midwives in various health facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Method: A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted among midwives with at least three years of clinical experience in midwifery practice and practicing at different levels of healthcare. Semi-structured interviews were conducted through WhatsApp or Phone calls, as face-to-face interviews were impossible during the pandemic. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results: In total, 24 midwives …

Adtnorm: Robust Integration Of Single-Cell Protein Measurement Across Cite-Seq Datasets, Ye Zheng, Daniel P Caron, Ju Yeong Kim, Seong-Hwan Jun, Yuan Tian, Florian Mair, Kenneth D Stuart, Peter A Sims, Raphael Gottardo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cellular Indexing of Transcriptomes and Epitopes by Sequencing (CITE-seq) enables paired measurement of surface protein and mRNA expression in single cells using antibodies conjugated to oligonucleotide tags. Due to the high copy number of surface protein molecules, sequencing antibody-derived tags (ADTs) allows for robust protein detection, improving cell-type identification. However, variability in antibody staining leads to batch effects in the ADT expression, obscuring biological variation, reducing interpretability, and obstructing cross-study analyses. Here, we present ADTnorm, a normalization and integration method designed explicitly for ADT abundance. Benchmarking against 14 existing scaling and normalization methods, we show that ADTnorm accurately aligns populations …

High-Frequency, At-Home Monitoring Of Drug Safety And Tolerability In Clinical Trials: Results From Studies Of Fluvoxamine For Covid-19 Treatment, Eric J Lenze, Madeline Nykamp, J Philip Miller, Angela Stevens, Julia Schweiger, Torie Gettinger, Michael Yingling, Yi Zhang, Ginger E Nicol, Charles F Zorumski, Angela M Reiersen

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Clinical trials are increasingly using remote monitoring techniques at the patient's home. We conducted a secondary analysis of remote safety and tolerability monitoring from two fully-remote clinical trials that tested fluvoxamine for the acute treatment of COVID-19. Both trials assessed pulse and blood pressure daily, and one study assessed symptoms daily via Ecological Momentary Assessment. On average, patients provided data on vital signs on 93% of the study days and provided data on side effects on 81% of the study days. With respect to safety, patients taking fluvoxamine had reduced pulse rate compared to placebo, with the greatest difference-5 points-at …

Does Your Company Care About The Fears Of Pandemic For Salespeople? Insights From Pandemic Demands And Resources, Ihsan Ullah Jan, Seonggoo Ji, Changju Kim

Asia Marketing Journal

The pandemics (e.g., COVID-19) disrupt the roles of all professionals, particularly those of salespeople. This study seeks to empirically examine how fears amidst the pandemic, as pandemic demands, influence salespeople's attitudinal and behavioral outcomes and how organizational and personal resources as pandemic resources mitigate the negative outcomes for salespeople. Building on the job demands-resources (JD-R) model and employing the partial least squares-based structural equation modeling, this study tested the proposed hypotheses using responses from 237 salespeople in South Korea. The results mainly supported hypotheses. As a major theoretical contribution, this study delineates Pandemic fears in terms of salespeople's fear of …

Assessment Of Different Risk Factors Associated With Sars-Cov-2 Infection Among Young Adults Of A Relatively Vulnerable District Of West Bengal, India A Retrospective Study, Tanusri Biswas, Saswati Chattopadhyay, Arindam Dasgupta, Aroni Chatterjee, Debsopan Roy, Suhrita Paul

Indian Journal of Health Sciences and Biomedical Research KLEU

INTRODUCTION:

The observed increased infectivity among young adults in the last few months has made it evident that the SARS-CoV-2 is not only capable of infecting younger adults but can also exhibit severe symptoms in them. The exact role of different risk factors in case of COVID infected young is still very much under debate.

OBJECTIVE:

In this study, we tried to identify different epidemiological and clinical risk factors which might be responsible for increasing the chance of infection among young adults with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

A total of 198 young adults from 18 to 29 years …

Cross-Sectional Study Of Awareness Toward Covid-19 Among Medical Students Of Kumaun Region Of Uttarakhand, Thakkar Hemaben, Sujan Singh, Poonam Kumari, Mohd. Maroof, Maneesh Bhatt

Indian Journal of Health Sciences and Biomedical Research KLEU

Background:

COVID-19 pandemic has been declared as a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization. Being highly contagious in nature, it has become a major concern for healthcare profession.

Aims and Objectives:

The aim of the study is to assess the medical students' awareness regarding risk perception, disease transmission, and prevention of COVID-19 and to study their source of information and activities affected by lockdown.

Materials and Methods:

We conducted an online, descriptive cross-sectional study in April–May 2020, using WhatsApp Messenger. Medical students of 1

st

-year and 3

rd

-year (posted in community medicine department) …

Infection Control Measures During Covid-19 Pandemic – An Otorhinolaryngological And Head-And-Neck Perspective, Santosh Kumar Swain, Sanjay Kumar

Indian Journal of Health Sciences and Biomedical Research KLEU

Otorhinolaryngologists and head-and-neck surgeons are considered as high-risk group of health-care workers due to their nature of work for exposure to the respiratory tract. During routine assessment and treatment of patients, otorhinolaryngologists and head-and-neck surgeons with their assisting staffs inevitably come in contact with secretions of the respiratory tract which may become aerosolized at time of the sneeze or cough. All otorhinolaryngology patients must be considered as potential carriers of COVID-19. A great emphasis must be given on the history such as flu-like symptoms, travel history, and contact history with potential carriers which will help triage patients into high risk. …

Perspective Of Medical Students On Online Teaching-Learning Process During Covid-19 Pandemic, Pradnya Shree Dhotre, Abdul Kayyum Shaikh, Shree Vinayak Dhotre

Indian Journal of Health Sciences and Biomedical Research KLEU

Context:

In India, responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in medical education resulted in closures of medical colleges and adoption of online teaching-learning methods, which is challenging for both faculty and students.

Aim and Objectives:

The aim of this study is to know the perspectives of medical students on online teaching-learning method and to evaluate the efficacy of online teaching-learning process.

Subjects and Methods:

One hundred students of the first MBBS course were included in the study. The present study was conducted in a form of online survey using Google forms.

Results:

A total of 97 students participated willingly in the …

Indoor Airborne Pathogen Transmission And Control: A Role Of Environmental Factors And Material Properties, Eloise Eyo Parry-Nweye

Dissertations - ALL

The transmission of infectious airborne pathogens has severe implications on human health and economic stability. This is evidenced by the re-emergence of global pandemics with high mortality rates, various respiratory diseases, crop damage, incurred nationwide financial costs, etc. These causative pathogens, encompassing viruses, fungal spores, etc., attach to aerosol and droplet particles, enabling their aerial dispersal and leading to a cascade of detrimental events. Developing interventions to control pathogenic transmission requires an in-depth understanding of the various modes of disease transmission. However, existential gaps within the respective disease transmission modalities remained. For instance, while viruses are predominantly transmitted via aerosols, …

Editorial: The Gendered Impact Of Covid-19: Communicating Risks, Hope, Opportunities, And Challenges, Satarupa Dasgupta, Sudeshna Roy, Marissa Joanna Doshi, Ruma Sen

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Adjunctive Homoeopathic Treatment Of Covid-19-Positive Cases Of Geriatric Age Group – A Case Series, Vinitha Edavattath Ramanan, Suhana P. Azis, K.C. Muraleedharan, Divya Babu

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Introduction: The second wave of COVID-19 peaked during May 2021 and had a higher mortality and morbidity rates than the first wave. About 53% of people over 60 years of age died in India due to the pandemic by the end of July 2021. Cases Summary: Twenty reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction-confirmed COVID-19-positive patients belonging to the geriatric age group were successfully treated with Homoeopathy. Seventeen of these consulted through in-person visits at a long-term care facility (LTCF) for the elderly, and three cases belonged to the home-isolated category. Out of those treated, 14 had comorbidities, such as type II …

A Rubric For Assessing Conformance To The Ten Rules For Credible Practice Of Modeling And Simulation In Healthcare, Alexandra Manchel, Ahmet Erdemir, Lealem Mulugeta, Joy Ku, Bruno Rego, Marc Horner, William Lytton, Jerry Myers, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli

Computational Medicine Center Faculty Papers

The power of computational modeling and simulation (M&S) is realized when the results are credible, and the workflow generates evidence that supports credibility for the context of use. The Committee on Credible Practice of Modeling & Simulation in Healthcare was established to help address the need for processes and procedures to support the credible use of M&S in healthcare and biomedical research. Our community efforts have led to the Ten Rules (TR) for Credible Practice of M&S in life sciences and healthcare. This framework is an outcome of a multidisciplinary investigation from a wide range of stakeholders beginning in 2012. …

The Effect Of Sars-Cov-2 Reinfection On Long-Term Symptoms In The Innovative Support For Patients With Sars-Cov-2 Infections Registry (Inspire), John J. Openshaw, Ji Chen, Robert Rodriguez, Michael Gottlieb, Kalyani Mccullough, Michelle Santangelo, Mandy J. Hill, Kristyn Gatling, Ahamed H. Idris, Samuel Mcdonald, Lauren E. Wisk, Jonathan Dyal, Ralph C. Wang, Kristin L. Rising, Efrat Kean, Kelli N. O'Laughlin, Kari A. Stephens, Caitlin Malicki, Zhenqiu Lin, Erica S. Spatz, Huihui Yu, Robert A. Weinstein, Joann Elmore

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The clinical consequences of repeated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are not clear, especially as they relate to long-term symptoms after infection. We analyzed data collected for the Innovative Support for Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infections Registry (INSPIRE) to determine whether reinfection changes the likelihood of symptoms 3-6 months after reinfection compared with the likelihood in individuals experiencing a single infection.

METHODS: Individuals reporting a single SARS-CoV-2 infection or a single reinfection were included in this analysis. A positive SARS-CoV-2 test occurring ≥90 days after a first infection was considered a reinfection. Outcomes included severe fatigue (fatigue …

Exploring Age And Employee Experience Among Healthcare Workers Post-Covid-19 Pandemic, Sheila-Celestine Bonner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study focused on the well-being of healthcare employees and their experience following COVID-19. The pandemic has negatively affected adults over the age of 50 in the United States and limited their ability to return to work. Older adults who have returned to work have faced challenges with discrimination, lack of work, stress, and other factors. A survey of 59 adult healthcare workers, 21 years and older, was conducted to determine whether there is a relation between age and perceptions of organizational support during the pandemic including work factors such as stress, job satisfaction, and age discrimination. A non-experimental research …

How Executive Leaders Build Trust: Navigating Organizational Disruption During The Covid-19 Mega-Crisis, Marji Karish

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic, declared a global health crisis by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020, created a “mega-crisis” characterized by intersecting physiological, economic, political, social, and cultural disruptions. This study examines how senior organizational executives narrate their response to the crisis, focusing on their engagement with organizational stakeholders. Using a constructivist grounded theory methodology, I conducted in-depth interviews with 12 organizational leaders to construct the Theory of Social Crisis Leadership Communication (SCLC).

Findings highlight the centrality of trust as an interdependent relationship in which executive leaders and organizational stakeholders rely on each other to navigate crises successfully. …

The ‘Un-Doing’ And ‘Re-Doing’ Of Nurses’ Derealisation: Exploring The Effects Of The Heroic Keyworker Discourses During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Anna Conolly, Emma Rowland, Ruth Abrams, Ruth Harris, Daniel Kelly, Bridie Kent, Keith Couper, Jill Maben

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Using, and extending, Butler’s theory of recognition and censorship, this article examines the way in which nurses’ subject positions were regulated in the transformative liminality of the COVID-19 pandemic, where normal matrices of power were ‘undone’ and new ones formed. During the pandemic, societal discourses regarding nurses shifted from treating them as less-than-human and their care-work invisible and unrecognised (derealised), to an elevated position where they became appreciated and treated as heroes, then reverting to a derealised state. As part of the building of subjectivities in this liminal period, nurses constructed boundaries against ‘unmoral’ others, either members of the public, …

Importance Of Outbreak Response Research In Bridging Knowledge Gaps On Emerging Infectious Diseases, Robert F Breiman, David Wang, Michael Diamond, Adrianus C M Boon, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

An important outcome of the devastating 2014 West African Ebola virus disease outbreak and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has been the growing promotion of conducting research during outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) as a valuable and acceptable process of acquiring knowledge to enhance our ability to better prevent and control these diseases in the future. Recognising the unique opportunity during outbreaks to leverage increases in cases over a short time interval and in a circumscribed area, we articulate a systematic process of conducting EID outbreak response research, highlighting knowledge gaps that should be prioritised, and measures that can be …

The Effect Of Ex-Ante Government Responsibility For Health On Public Health Financing In Post Pandemic Budgets, Denis Granados, Rylee Roman, Hallie Sidman

Working Papers Series

This paper investigates how pre-pandemic levels of government responsibility for public health financing influenced post-pandemic health spending across selected OECD countries. Using a combination of descriptive analysis and regression modeling, the study examines changes in public health expenditure per capita between 2019 and 2022, focusing on key variables such as the government’s share of health financing, the Total Pandemic Policy Intensity (PPI) index, and GDP per capita. Findings suggest that while all countries increased health spending post-COVID-19, the scale of change varied significantly based on economic capacity, institutional readiness, and political will. Notably, countries with higher pre-pandemic public health investment …