Digital Commons Network^™

Could There Be A Good Side To Covid-19 Pandemic?, Donna Shaw, Theressa Brahim, Catherina Chang Martinez

Nursing & Health Sciences Research Journal

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, resulting in loss of lives, burnout, anxiety, and depression related to social distancing and quarantine measures, some positive changes have been reported at the individual, interpersonal, and community level. Self-reflection, social connectedness, connectivity, innovation, and resilience have emerged as positive values that have contributed to decrease in burnout during the post-COVID pandemic era.

Examination Of Covid-19 And The Spanish Flu Of 1918, Caden A. Striegle

Honors Projects

COVID-19, for many across the globe, has been a pandemic the likes of which has never been seen before. It has caused many aspects of life to change in order to adapt to the new limitations and cautions brought about by the global spread of a novel virus. However, almost exactly 100 years prior, a strain of the H1N1 influenza virus also known as the Spanish Flu of 1918, similarly uprooted life for millions of people around the globe. These two pandemics, while similarly leading to great disruption of global health, had many differences in the demographics impacted as well …

Combining Community Wastewater Genomic Surveillance With State Clinical Surveillance: A Framework For Sars-Cov-2 Public Health Practice., Ted Smith, Rochelle H. Holm, Ray Yeager, Joseph B. Moore Iv, Eric C. Rouchka, Kevin J. Sokoloski, Daymond Talley, Vaneet Arora, Sarah Moyer, Aruni Bhatnagar

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Study objective: To garner a framework for combining community wastewater surveillance with state clinical surveillance that influence confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 variants within the community, and recommend how the flow of such research evidence could be expanded and employed for public health response. Design, setting, and participants: This work involved analyzing wastewater samples collected weekly from 17 geographically resolved locations in Louisville/Jefferson County, Kentucky from February 10 to November 29, 2021. Genomic surveillance and RT-qPCR platforms were used as screening to identify SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, and state clinical surveillance was used for confirmation. Main results: The results demonstrate increased epidemiological value …

Acceptance Of Covid-19 Vaccine Among General Population In Iraq: Acceptance Of Covid-19 Vaccine Among General Population In Iraq, Hasanain Ghazi, Taqi Taher, Shaymaa Alfadhul, Sumayah Al-Mahmood, Shaimaa Hassan

Iraqi National Journal of Medicine

COVID19 emerged as one of the biggest global public health crises in recent history. Many pharmaceutical companies have raced against time to develop a vaccine, so that the pandemic can be brought under control.  The aim of the current study was to assess the acceptance of the COVID19 vaccine among the general population in Iraq. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1069 respondents from different states of Iraq using questionnaires administered online. Though a total of 77.6% of the respondents agreed to take the COVID19 vaccine when available, a majority (64.3%) said they would wait for some time before taking …

Connecting Communities During Crisis: A Case Study Of Nonprofit Agencies, People With Disabilities And Access To Covid-19 Vaccines, Brittany R.. Blomquist

Honors Capstones

Individuals with disabilities often face unique challenges not experienced by the general population. These circumstances are further exacerbated in rural communities where health care equity is disrupted by a lack of access to transportation resources to health care providers and economic hardships. The COVID-19 pandemic further amplified these inequities, creating new barriers in rural regions, to health access and health information, by demanding virtual access in place of physical access, requiring individuals to own, afford, and knowledgeably operate technology. This case study explores methodologies employed by three nonprofit Centers for Independent Living (CIL) agencies assisting people with disabilities, in rural …

2021-12-03_Michiganoverview_Covidsymptoms, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Syndromic Surveillance System Data

The Syndromic Surveillance System Data report was obtained from Michigan's COVID-19 dashboard, from under the link "​Coronavirus Symptoms": https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus. Data was compiled by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The information was updated three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Syndromic Surveillance System data is obtained from approximately 216 facilities participating in syndromic surveillance (139 Emergency Departments (ED), 77 Urgent Care) across the State of Michigan. The reporting is based on individuals who present at EDs and may not be representative of the overall population. The coronavirus-like symptoms query searches visit free-text (chief complaint, …

Covid-19 Investigated In Terms Of Disparities: An Analysis Of The Past, Present, And Future Of Public Health In Illinois, Hannah Deblock

University Honors Program

As a relatively new topic, previous literature fails to address the relation of social determinants of health to COVID-19. By combining existing knowledge on previous epidemics, information on the role of social determinants of health, and data on COVID-19, conclusions can be made about the path going forward. Historically, nonpharmacologic interventions such as quarantine periods, face coverings, and social distancing have been used in epidemics such as the Spanish Influenza of 1918-19. In terms of social determinants of health, geographical location, educational level, and income level all play a part in the health of an individual. Rather than emphasizing personal …

Determining The Psychosocial Needs Of The Nurses Of Covid-19 Patients, Allison Stevens

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Nurses are a vital element of the COVID-19 healthcare crisis and have been since the beginning of the COVID-19 response. The professional strain put on nurses included, but is not limited to: changing professional roles, rapidly changing policies and procedures, an influx of patients—particularly of high acuity, and change in workplace morale. However, nurses also had to carry the burdens of living as a member of society, family member, friend, community member, and above all, simply as a person surviving a pandemic themselves. With all of the stressors nurses have endured, it stands to reason that their psychosocial needs have …

Waring Library Society Newsletter, Fall 2021, Waring Library Society, Waring Historical Library, Medical University Of South Carolina, Anna Marie Schuldt

The Waring Library Society Newsletters

The Fall edition includes an end of the year message from WLS President Dr. James H. Tolley and an update on the work of the Bicentennial Steering Committee from the Waring’s Curator Dr. Brian Fors. Also, in this issue, Ms. Tabitha Samuel discusses the recent acquisition of the photography of MUSC MICU Nurse Alan Hawes to the MUSC COVID-19 Archive and Ms. Brooke Fox announces plans for the Waring’s 2022 HIV/AIDS Symposium, marking the 40th anniversary of the diagnosis of the first AIDS patient in South Carolina. Finally, Ms. Anna Schuldt announces the remaining events for the 2022 Waring Library …

Physical Activity May Mitigate Covid-19 Infections In People With Obesity: A Call To Action., Christina D Economos, William H. Dietz, Kathleen Tullie, James F Sallis

Prevention and Community Health Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Black And Bold Zine, Ramsey Bennani, Mariela Mariano, Britaney Mckinney, Natalia Muro

Student Zines

Two years into the pandemic caused by COVID-19, an unprecedented health crisis that has caught us al l off guard, we look back at how the world has changed since then and in what direction we are moving now.

The purpose of our magazine in the fol lowing pages is to delve into the social, political and economic dimensions of the coronavirus crisis, with special emphasis on the effects this devastating pandemic has had on the African-American community in the United States.

The future will depend on how we react to this event. Solidarity, leadership and generosity as an effective …

Economic Impact Of Targeted Government Responses To Covid-19: Evidence From The Large-Scale Cluster In Seoul, Kim, Kanghyock Koh, Jinwook Shin

Research Collection School Of Economics

We estimate the economic impact of South Korea's targeted responses to the first large-scale COVID-19 cluster in Seoul. We find that foot traffic and retail sales decreased only within a 300 meter radius of the cluster and recovered to its pre-outbreak level after four weeks. The reductions appear to be driven by temporary business closures rather than the risk avoidance behavior of the citizens. Our results imply that less intense, but more targeted COVID-19 interventions, such as pin-pointed, temporary closures of businesses, can be a low-cost alternative after lifting strict social distancing measures.

Q-Griffithsin Interactions And Utility For The Prevention And Treatment Of Mucosal Infections., Henry Nabeta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Griffithsin (GRFT) is a carbohydrate binding agent (lectin) that was originally identified in the red alga Griffithsia sp. Q-Griffithsin (Q-GRFT) is an oxidation stable analog of GRFT. GRFT has demonstrated inhibitory activity against HIV-1, Coronaviruses, Hepatitis C, influenza and Ebola viruses. The broad-spectrum activity suggests the potential utility of this lectin in a wide range of viral infections. However, the lectin’s activity in mucosal infections has not been extensively studied. Using in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo assays, we have demonstrated that Q-GRFT maintains the ability to bind glycosylated ligands following incubation in murine, macaque and human rectal …

The Association Between Depression And Anxiety With Covid-19 Outcomes., Erica Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies have shown that mental disorders affect COVID-19 mortality. This study investigated the effect of depression and/or anxiety on COVID-19 outcomes. Depression/anxiety was defined by actively taking medication and/or diagnosis. The outcomes were ICU admission; ventilation; mortality; and time to mortality. Of 698 hospitalized patients, there were 204 (29%) defined to have either depression or anxiety. There were 109 deaths, and of those, 52 (48%) were diagnosed with depression/anxiety. Multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine associations. ICU admission and ventilation were not significantly associated with depression/anxiety. Depression/anxiety was associated with mortality (OR: 1.84, …

Metabolic Syndrome And Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome In Hospitalized Patients With Covid-19, Joshua L Denson, Aaron S Gillet, Yuanhao Zu, Margo Brown, Thaidan Pham, Yilin Yoshida, Franck Mauvais-Jarvis, Ivor S Douglas, Mathew Moore, Kevin Tea, Andrew Wetherbie, Rachael Stevens, John Lefante, Jeffrey G Shaffer, Donna Lee Armaignac, Katherine Belden, Margit Kaufman, Smith F Heavner, Valerie C Danesh, Sreekanth R Cheruku, Catherine A St Hill, Karen Boman, Neha Deo, Vikas Bansal, Vishakha K Kumar, Allan J Walkey, Rahul Kashyap, Society Of Critical Care Medicine Discovery Viral Infection And Respiratory Illness Universal Study (Virus): Covid-19 Registry Investigator Group

Division of Infectious Diseases and Environmental Medicine Faculty Papers

Importance: Obesity, diabetes, and hypertension are common comorbidities in patients with severe COVID-19, yet little is known about the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) or death in patients with COVID-19 and metabolic syndrome.

Objective: To determine whether metabolic syndrome is associated with an increased risk of ARDS and death from COVID-19.

Design, setting, and participants: This multicenter cohort study used data from the Society of Critical Care Medicine Discovery Viral Respiratory Illness Universal Study collected from 181 hospitals across 26 countries from February 15, 2020, to February 18, 2021. Outcomes were compared between patients with metabolic syndrome (defined …

Predicting Death From Covid-19 Using Pre-Existing Conditions: Implications For Vaccination Triage, Shujie Xiao, Neha Sahasrabudhe, Samantha Hochstadt, Whitney Cabral, Samantha Simons, Mao Yang, David E. Lanfear, Keoki L. Williams

Center for Individualized and Genomic Medicine Research Articles

INTRODUCTION: Global shortages in the supply of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have resulted in campaigns to first inoculate individuals at highest risk for death from COVID-19. Here, we develop a predictive model of COVID-19-related death using longitudinal clinical data from patients in metropolitan Detroit.

METHODS: All individuals included in the analysis had a laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Thirty-six pre-existing conditions with a false discovery rate p<0.05 were combined with other demographic variables to develop a parsimonious prediction model using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression. The model was then prospectively validated in a separate set of individuals with confirmed COVID-19.

RESULTS: The study population consisted of 15 502 individuals with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2. The main prediction model was developed using data from 11 635 individuals with 709 reported deaths (case fatality ratio 6.1%). The final prediction model consisted …

Minimizing The Impact Of The Triple Burden Of Covid-19, Tuberculosis And Hiv On Health Services In Sub-Saharan Africa, Jean B Nachega, Nathan Kapata, Nadia A Sam-Agudu, Eric H Decloedt, Patrick D M C Katoto, Tumaini Nagu, Peter Mwaba, Dorothy Yeboah-Manu, Pascalina Chanda-Kapata, Francine Ntoumi, Elvin H Geng, Alimuddin Zumla

Open Access Publications

In this perspective, we discuss the impact of COVID-19 on tuberculosis (TB)/HIV health services and approaches to mitigating the growing burden of these three colliding epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). SSA countries bear significantly high proportions of TB and HIV cases reported worldwide, compared to countries in the West. Whilst COVID-19 epidemiology appears to vary across Africa, most countries in this region have reported relatively lower-case counts compared to the West. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic has added an additional burden to already overstretched health systems in SSA, which, among other things, have been focused on the longstanding dual epidemics of …

Mental Health And Adolescents: The Impact Of Social Isolation In Adolescents During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Gabriella Aguinaldo

Nursing | Senior Theses

In early 2020, the coronavirus pandemic, first detected in late 2019, afflicted the world. The disease associated with the virus became known as COVID-19. COVID-19 was recognized as a highly contagious and deadly disease. In California, United States, COVID-19 was detected in February and the first shelter-in-place orders were ordered by the counties and state, which forced children and adults to stay at home and attend school and work virtually. Shelter-in-place orders were quickly implemented around the world.

As the world began this sudden switch in lifestyle, many were concerned for the mental health and safety of themselves and their …

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 …

Blockade Of Sars-Cov-2 Spike Protein-Mediated Cell–Cell Fusion Using Covid-19 Convalescent Plasma, Ling Wang, Juan Zhao, Lam N.T. Nguyen, Lam N.T. Nguyen, James L. Adkins, Madison Schank, Sushant Khanal, Xindi Dang, Dechao Cao, Bal K. C. Thakuri, Zeyuan Lu, Jinyu Zhang, Yi Zhang, Xiao Y. Wu, Mohamed El Gazzar, Shunbin Ning, Jonathan P. Moorman, Zhi Q. Yao

ETSU Faculty Works

The recent COVID-19 pandemic poses a serious threat to global public health, thus there is an urgent need to define the molecular mechanisms involved in SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein-mediated virus entry that is essential for preventing and/or treating this emerging infectious disease. In this study, we examined the blocking activity of human COVID-19 convalescent plasma by cell–cell fusion assays using SARS-CoV-2-S-transfected 293 T as effector cells and ACE2-expressing 293 T as target cells. We demonstrate that the SARS-CoV-2 S protein exhibits a very high capacity for membrane fusion and is efficient in mediating virus fusion and entry into target cells. …

Are Vaccine Lotteries Worth The Money?, Christopher Robertson, K. Aleks Schaefer, Daniel Scheitrum

Faculty Scholarship

This research evaluates the effects of the twelve statewide vaccine lottery schemes that were announced as of June 7, 2021 on state vaccination rates. We construct a dataset that matches information on the timing and location of these lotteries with daily, county-level data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on the cumulative number of people who have received at least one dose of an emergency-authorized Covid-19 vaccine. We find that 10 of the 12 statewide lotteries studied (i.e., all but Arkansas and California) generated a positive, statistically significant, and economically meaningful impact on vaccine uptake after thirty days. …

School Nursing Practice And Experiences During School Closures, Susie E. Birden Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This evidence-based quality improvement project was to evaluate public school nurses’ relationships and reaction to their new work environment during the closure of schools in Northern California resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This project addressed the change in school nursing, especially the nurses’ working environment. A stress management program was offered to the school nurses as an intervention to give them information on perceived stress. The stress management program included mindfulness and stress-relieving techniques over a 1-month period. The research methodology used in the project was a pre- and postintervention using the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS) to measure if the …

Impact Of Local Covid-19 Policies On The Homeless Population: Case Study In Two Montana Counties, Franchesca D. Talbot

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on people experiencing homelessness in Montana. In each Montana County, local policies in addition to individual shelter policies determine the requirements for homeless shelters in relation to capacity, distancing, and other public health measures designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The policies often differ from county to county, which often lead to different outcomes across the state. This case study analyzed data from multiple sources on the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths among the homeless populations in Missoula and Lewis and Clark Counties in Montana and linked them to the effectiveness of …

The Implications Of Covid-19 On Fear Of Financial Collapse, Alexis Reekie

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

By disrupting the general value paradigm, the typical hierarchy of values, individuals directly affected by the COVID-19 virus have realized an overall shift in perspective, indicating a need to understand the effects of the COVID-19 virus on one’s outlook regarding economic anxiety and fear of financial collapse. The possibility of a global health crisis reaching levels of devastation are certainly great and worth investigating. Throughout this research paper I worked to determine the correlation between fear of financial crises and individuals who have been affected by the COVID-19 virus. Utilizing the Chapman Survey of American Fears (FEAR survey) questions pertaining …

Does Precise Case Disclosure Limit Precautionary Behavior? Evidence From Covid-19 In Singapore, Aljoscha Janssen, Matthew H. Shapiro

Research Collection School Of Economics

Limiting the spread of contagious diseases can involve both government-managed and voluntary efforts. Governments have a number of policy options beyond direct intervention that can shape individuals’ responses to a pandemic and its associated costs. During its first wave of COVID-19 cases, Singapore was among a few countries that attempted to adjust behavior through the announcement of detailed case information. Singapore's Ministry of Health maintained and shared precise, daily information detailing local travel behavior and residences of COVID-19 cases. We use this policy along with device-level cellphone data to quantify how local and national COVID-19 case announcements trigger differential behavioral …

The Mystery Of Covid-19 Reinfections: A Global Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Rubaid Azhar Dhillon, Mohammad Aadil Qamar, Jaleed Ahmed Gilani, Omar Irfan, Usama Waqar, Mir Ibrahim Sajid, Syed Faisal Mahmood

Department of Medicine

Background: As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, reports on disparities in vaccine roll out alongside COVID-19 reinfection have been emerging. We conducted a systematic review to assess the determinants and disease spectrum of COVID-19 reinfection.
Materials and methods: A comprehensive search covering relevant databases was conducted for observational studies reporting Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) confirmed infection and reinfection cases. A quality assessment tool developed by the National Institute of Health (NIH) for the assessment of case series was utilized. Meta-analyses were performed using RevMan 5.3 for pooled proportions of findings in first infection and reinfection with a 95% confidence interval …

A Statistical Comparison Of Covid-19 In The United States Across Political Affiliations And Census Regions, Margarito Torres

Theses and Dissertations

In mid-January 2020, the United States reported their first cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from a passenger returning from Wuhan, China. Initially, the situation wasn’t very alarming as in China and European countries, but the situation began to worsen in March 2020 when the number of cases began to multiply. Then, in a matter of a few months, the United States became the number one country in terms of total cases and total deaths from COVID-19. We have been closely observing the United States and the world since July 2020. Our study aims to compare the political affiliations and …

Socially Distant Signing: Why Georgia Should Adopt Remote Will Execution In The Post-Covid World, Jessie Daniel Rankin

Georgia Law Review

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and other state governors issued emergency executive orders authorizing the attestation and execution of wills, trusts, and other testamentary documents through the use of audio-video technology. Most states have traditionally required that such testamentary documents be signed in the physical presence of two or more witnesses to be valid. Georgia’s executive order permits these witnesses to instead observe the signing via video-conferencing software, alleviating the requirement that the witnesses be physically present with the testator. This authorization, however, only exists through this executive order and could lapse or be …

2021-11-30_Michiganoverview_Covidsymptoms, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Syndromic Surveillance System Data

The Syndromic Surveillance System Data report was obtained from Michigan's COVID-19 dashboard, from under the link "​Coronavirus Symptoms": https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus. Data was compiled by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The information was updated three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Syndromic Surveillance System data is obtained from approximately 216 facilities participating in syndromic surveillance (139 Emergency Departments (ED), 77 Urgent Care) across the State of Michigan. The reporting is based on individuals who present at EDs and may not be representative of the overall population. The coronavirus-like symptoms query searches visit free-text (chief complaint, …

Nutrition, Atherosclerosis, Arterial Imaging, Cardiovascular Risk Stratification, And Manifestations In Covid-19 Framework: A Narrative Review., Smiksha Munjral, Puneet Ahluwalia, Ankush D Jamthikar, Anudeep Puvvula, Luca Saba, Gavino Faa, Inder M Singh, Paramjit S Chadha, Monika Turk, Amer M Johri, Narendra N Khanna, Klaudija Viskovic, Sophie Mavrogeni, John R Laird, Gyan Pareek, Martin Miner, David W Sobel, Antonella Balestrieri, Petros P Sfikakis, George Tsoulfas, Athanasios Protogerou, Prasanna Misra, Vikas Agarwal, George D Kitas, Raghu Kolluri, Jagjit Teji, Mustafa Al-Maini, Surinder K Dhanjil, Meyypan Sockalingam, Ajit Saxena, Aditya Sharma, Vijay Rathore, Mostafa Fatemi, Azra Alizad, Vijay Viswanathan, P K Krishnan, Tomaz Omerzu, Subbaram Naidu, Andrew Nicolaides, Jasjit S Suri

Heart and Vascular Articles

Background: Atherosclerosis is the primary cause of the cardiovascular disease (CVD). Several risk factors lead to atherosclerosis, and altered nutrition is one among those. Nutrition has been ignored quite often in the process of CVD risk assessment. Altered nutrition along with carotid ultrasound imaging-driven atherosclerotic plaque features can help in understanding and banishing the problems associated with the late diagnosis of CVD. Artificial intelligence (AI) is another promisingly adopted technology for CVD risk assessment and management. Therefore, we hypothesize that the risk of atherosclerotic CVD can be accurately monitored using carotid ultrasound imaging, predicted using AI-based algorithms, and reduced …