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The Unprecedented Stressors Of Early Childhood Educators During The Covid-19 Pandemic And Post-Pandemic Restoration: A Case Study, Ida Mae Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to describe the unprecedented stressors of early childhood educators (ECE) during the COVID-19 pandemic and the post-pandemic restoration at two early childhood education centers (ECEC) in a midwestern state. The central research question was: How did the COVID-19 pandemic’s unprecedented stressors impact ECE in the post-pandemic era? Data collection included structured interviews with open-ended questions, focus groups, and documents. The three data sources were triangulated for themes, perspectives, and interpretations, and coding was used to help gain a deep understanding of the stressors experienced by early childhood educators. The conceptual framework guiding this …

Fitting A Covid-19 Model Incorporating Senses Of Safety And Caution To Local Data From Spartanburg County, South Carolina, D. Chloe Griffin, Amanda Mangum

CODEE Journal

Common mechanistic models include Susceptible-Infected-Removed (SIR) and Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Removed (SEIR) models. These models in their basic forms have generally failed to capture the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic's multiple waves and do not take into account public policies such as social distancing, mask mandates, and the ``Stay-at-Home'' orders implemented in early 2020. While the Susceptible-Vaccinated-Infected-Recovered-Deceased (SVIRD) model only adds two more compartments to the SIR model, the inclusion of time-dependent parameters allows for the model to better capture the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic when surveillance testing was common practice for a large portion of the population. We find …

Coping With The Covid-19 Pandemic: Examining Meaning-Making In A Socioecological Framework, Emilia Eva Mikrut

Theses and Dissertations

During 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a threatening, unpredictable, and uncontrollable stressor. Meaning-making, or one’s ability to make sense of a stressful life event, integrate the event into one’s narrative of the world and meaning in life, and accordingly revise life goals, is a salient intrapsychic process contributing to psychological adjustment in the face of very stressful or traumatic experiences such as chronic health issues, interpersonal grief, and natural and man-made disasters. Early findings provide evidence for the critical role of meaning-making in coping with stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Though meaning-making is a universal process, one’s capacity …

The Impact Of Censorship On Covid-19 Policy Formation In The United States, Victor Wallis

Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Black Males’ Experiences Of Resilience: A Narrative Study On College Students Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Keshia R. Graham

Theses and Dissertations

Black men’s resilience has historically been discussed, interwoven, and disguised by deficit-based models rather than strength-based ones. The current study examined Black men's resilience using a strength-based model for Black male students in higher education institutions. Specifically, the experiences and resilience of Black men before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were explored. This study targeted Black male students from an urban institution, with the aim to find out what key elements supported their resilient behavior throughout the most challenging times in their college career. The African American Male Theory and Resiliency Theory used as the theoretical framework. A narrative methodology …

Hurricane Risk Perceptions And Evacuation Decision-Making In The Postvaccine Era Of Covid-19 In U.S. Coastal States Impacted By North Atlantic Hurricanes, Jennifer Collins, Elizabeth A. Dunn, Rashida K. Jones, Amy Polen, Nagashree R. Rao, Stephen Murphy, Mark Welford

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

During peak disease transmission in 2021, the compounding threat posed by the pandemic and hurricane season required coastal states to understand evacuation behaviors during a major hurricane to inform the planning process. While research relating to hurricane evacuation behavior and perceptions of risk has increased since the start of the pandemic, there is minimal understanding of how perceptions have changed now the COVID-19 vaccine is available. A total of 1075 individuals across seven U.S. coastal states participated in a study on evacuation intentions postvaccine availability. Findings revealed that most survey participants (50.9%) preferred to stay home if a major hurricane …

Compliance With World Health Organization Covid19 Preventive Behaviors In Rural Counties In Western Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Study, Caleb Nyaranga, Cholo Wilberforce, Fletcher J. Njororai

Population Health Leadership and Analytics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction: the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended various measures to tackle COVID-19, and were adopted by many governments, targeting behavior change among citizens to lower the transmission. There was a paucity of data on the patterns of compliance with different measures within individuals and whether people adhere to all recommended measures or cautiously prefer few but not others. Understanding compliance behaviors and associated factors is important for developing interventions to increase compliance.

Methods: cross-sectional study was conducted among adults in the western region of Kenya. A sample of 806 participants was selected using a stratified sampling method. A structured questionnaire …

Odiar Es Proteger: La Respuesta Inevitable Al Origen De Una Pandemia, Haowen Huang

Honors Theses

Esta tesis analiza la causa del odio hacia los asiáticos durante la pandemia de COVID-19, enfocándose específicamente en los casos que tuvieron lugar en España. La prevalencia de discriminación dirigida al origen de una pandemia identificado por la narrativa del brote es cultivada por la persistencia de estereotipos. En el caso de COVID-19, la xenofobia hacia los asiáticos fue el resultado de una construcción histórica que ha estigmatizado su identidad persistentemente, la repetición de la cual es definida en esta tesis como racismo pandémico. La imagen de los asiáticos enfermos fue establecida injustificadamente por la medicina occidental en el siglo …

Vaccine Hesitancy In Those Experiencing Homelessness And Housing Instability In Marin County: Is Covid-19 Any Different?, Kelsey Bas

Global Public Health | Senior Theses

Introduction:

COVID-19 booster hesitancy amongst different populations is a continuing public health issue. Within Marin County, individuals experiencing homelessness or housing instability are not receiving their booster vaccination in spite of receiving the primary series of the COVID-19 vaccine. Hence, there is a lack of research that reveals the barriers and motivation as to why individuals experiencing homelessness and housing instability in Marin are facing hesitancy towards the COVID-19 booster.

Methods:

In this qualitative study, the researcher interviewed clients of the Ritter Center. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals ages 18 and older, currently experiencing homelessness or housing instability, and …

Eliding Consent In The Case Of Pandemic Countermeasures Authorized Only For Emergency Use, Lars Noah

UF Law Faculty Publications

Four months after the first vaccines against Covid-19 became available to the public, and just as some universities announced plans to require inoculations, the Boston Globe quoted me as (alone) suggesting that mandates would conflict with federal law. When Congress created a special mechanism for the emergency use of still investigational products, it directed providers to reveal, among other things, that individuals remained free to decline such an intervention; only after full FDA approval of a medical countermeasure would this disclosure obligation become inapplicable. I have watched with dismay over the last three years as nearly everyone—including Executive branch officials, …

Early Identification Of Covid-19 Patients Using Hematological Profile And Biochemical Parameters, Zahra'a Abdul Al-Aziz Yousif, Jabbar S. Hassan, Ghaith Hamid Hameed

Al-Nisour Journal for Medical Sciences

COVID-19 patients showed changes in biochemical and hematological parameters which may cause other complications. D-dimer is one of the prognostic biomarkers used to predict COVID-19 infection, the elevated level of it considered one of the risk factors for mortality especially in adult COVID-19 patients and indicated the positive correlation between D-dimer and disease severity. Another biochemical biomarker is ferritin and CRP, which consider a key mediators of the immune dysregulation via direct immune suppressive and contributing to cytokine storm. This suggested the ferritin and CRP level might be considered a crucial factor influencing the severity of COVID-19. SARS-COV-2 also has …

Association Between Hematological Parameters And Severity Of Covid-19 Disease, Gokul Krishnan, Shubhada Karanth, Sudha Vidyasagar, Archit Aggarwal

Open Access archive

Background: This study aimed to determine the relationships between hematological parameters- hemoglobin, Total Leucocyte Counts (TLC), platelet counts, Absolute Neutrophil Counts (ANC), Absolute Lymphocyte Counts (ALC), Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), Systemic Immune Inflammatory Index (SII), Neutrophil Monocyte Ratio (NMR), Platelet Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR) and the severity of COVID-19 disease and their use in predicting severity of COVID-19 disease. Methods and Material: This was a prospective, observational, single-center study of 573 symptomatic adult inpatients of COVID 19 admitted to our tertiary care center. Statistical analysis used: The above-mentioned hematological parameter levels were noted and compared between the two categories of COVID-19 …

A Phenomenological Study Of Middle School Reading Teachers' Lived Experiences Of Learning Management Systems During The Covid-19 Pandemic And Their Impact On Reading Instruction, Rebekah L. Hadley

Doctor of Education Dissertations

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many school districts were forced to switch to remote learning, which presented a new and challenging experience for teachers. The study described the experiences of middle school reading teachers’ use of learning management systems (LMSs) during the COVID-19 pandemic and their impact on reading instruction. The study focused on a school district in southeastern North Carolina with 19 middle schools and three reading teachers per grade level. The primary method of data collection used in the study was interviews. The interviews revealed that teachers faced several challenges when using LMSs, such as limited knowledge of LMS, …

Genomic Surveillance Of Sars-Cov-2 Sequence Variants At Universities In Southwest Idaho, Jennifer R. Chase, Laura Bond, Daniel J. Vail, Milan Sengthep, Adriana Rodriguez, Joe Christianson, Stephanie F. Hudon, Julia Thom Oxford

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Although the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on major metropolitan areas is broadly reported and readily available, regions with lower populations and more remote areas in the United States are understudied. The objective of this study is to determine the progression of SARS-CoV-2 sequence variants in a frontier and remote intermountain west state among university-associated communities. This study was conducted at two intermountain west universities from 2020 to 2022. Positive SARS-CoV-2 samples were confirmed by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and variants were identified by the next-generation sequencing of viral genomes. Positive results were obtained for 5355 samples, representing …

"Shut Down And Closed Off": A Routine Activity Approach To Investigating The Relationship Between Covid-19 School Closures And Child Sexual Abuse Report Characteristics In Georgia, Spencer E. Riner

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 created a public health crisis that led to an unprecedented number of school closures. A major concern raised by child advocates, law enforcement, and social service providers was the possible increase in undetected child abuse and maltreatment. Undergirding this concern was the belief that this mitigation effort might place child abuse victims and offenders within proximity for extended periods of time. While this was a significant concern, it has rarely been analyzed empirically. To address this gap in the literature, this thesis investigates how school closures impacted the characteristics of child sexual abuse (CSA) reports …

Effective Public Health Communication In A Post-Covid-19 America: Lessons From Behavioral Science, Molly J. Walker Wilson

Lewis & Clark Law Review

As we emerge from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans are still reeling from the loss of life, the financial fallout, and the deep divide that continues to characterize our social and political institutions. Public health experts who were tasked with communicating facts and advice to the American public faced a daunting challenge, particularly because three distinct groups of Americans received messages differently. One group of Americans was receptive to scientific findings and amenable to taking recommended precautions. A second group was skeptical about the safety and efficacy of available vaccines, and genuinely confused or suspicious about the source …

‘News Reporting On Possible Origins Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Critical Review And Case Study’, Raya M. Fanuzzi

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

This project is a critical analysis of news reports that discuss the potential origins of the 'COVID-19' pandemic for the purposes of identifying themes and trends in the actual reporting. Around 500 news reports published in the U.S. were analyzed and over 100 of them were selected for the critical review. Articles were found using 'Access News Archive' and Google search engine. Original methods for analyzing and reviewing articles were developed and used. A case study is included aside from the review which focuses specifically on trends in fact-check reporting during the pandemic.

Covid-19 Sports Competition Lockdowns, Return-To-Play Decisions, And Participation Requirements: A Retrospective Review And Future Medicolegal Framework, Matthew J. Mitten, Laurel C. Montag, Abigail C. Barnett

Marquette Sports Law Review

No abstract provided.

Pharmaceutical Messianism And The Politics Of Covid-19 In The United States, Gideon Lasco, Vincen Gregory Yu, Nishtha Bharti

Development Studies Faculty Publications

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, public officials in the United States–from the President to governors, mayors, lawmakers, and even school district commissioners–touted unproven treatments for COVID-19 alongside, and sometimes as opposed to, mask and vaccine mandates. Utilising the framework of ‘pharmaceutical messianism’, our article focuses on three such cures–hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, and monoclonal antibodies–to explore how pharmaceuticals were mobilised within politicised pandemic discourses. Using the states of Utah, Texas, and Florida as illustrative examples, we make the case for paying attention to pharmaceutical messianism at the subnational and local levels, which can very well determine pandemic responses and outcomes in contexts such …

Using Randomization Tests To Address Disruptions In Clinical Trials, Diane Uschner, Oleksandr Sverdlov, Kerstine Carter, Jonathan Chipman, Olga Kuznetsova, Jone Renteria, Adam Lane, Chris Barker, Nancy Geller, Michael Proschan, Martin Posch, Sergey Tarima, Frank Bretz, William F. Rosenberger

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Recent examples for unplanned external events are the global COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, or most recently Hurricane Ian in Puerto Rico. Disruptions due to unplanned external events can lead to violation of assumptions in clinical trials. In certain situations, randomization tests can provide nonparametric inference that is robust to violation of the assumptions usually made in clinical trials. The ICH E9 (R1) Addendum on estimands and sensitivity analyses provides a guideline for aligning the trial objectives with strategies to address disruptions in clinical trials. In this article, we embed randomization tests within the estimand framework to allow for …

Advanced Techniques In Time Series Forecasting: From Deterministic Models To Deep Learning, Xue Bai

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation discusses three instances of temporal prediction, applied to population dynamics and deep learning.

In population modeling, dynamic processes are frequently represented by systems of differential equations, allowing for the analysis of various phenomena. The first application explores modeling cloned hematopoiesis in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) via a nonlinear system of differential equations. By tracking the evolution of different cell compartments, including cycling and quiescent stem cells, progenitor cells, differentiated cells, and terminally differentiated cells, the model captures the transition from normal hematopoiesis to the chronic and accelerated-acute phases of CML. Three distinct non-zero steady states are identified, representing …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Nurses’ And Midwives’ Experiences In Designated Covid-19 Healthcare Facilities In Rural And Urban Tanzania, Kahabi Isangula, Lucy Kisaka, Loveluck Mwasha

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background:

Frontline healthcare providers, particularly nurses and midwives, are at higher risk of COVID-19 infection due to frequent patient contact. However, studies examining their experiences, particularly in low-income countries like Tanzania, are limited.

Objective:

This study aimed to explore the experiences of nurses and midwives providing care in COVID-19-designated healthcare facilities in selected regions of Tanzania.

Methods:

A qualitative descriptive approach was used to investigate the experiences of nurses and midwives in COVID-19 care. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 purposefully selected participants from Dar es Salaam, Shinyanga, and Pwani regions. Data were coded with NVivo 12 software and analyzed …

Hpv Vaccination In Africa In The Covid-19 Era: A Cross-Sectional Survey Of Healthcare Providers' Knowledge, Training, And Recommendation Practices, Joel Fokom Domgue, Issimouha Dille, Sharon Kapambwe, Robert Yu, Freddy Gnangnon, Lameck Chinula, Gad Murenzi, Nomonde Mbatani, Mala Pande, Fatoumata Sidibe, Joseph Kamgno, Bangaly Traore, Hicham El Fazazi, Mamadou Diop, Pierre-Marie Tebeu, Mohenou Isidore Diomande, Fabrice Lecuru, Isaac Adewole, Marie Plante, Partha Basu, Jean-Marie Dangou, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Although the burden of cervical cancer in Africa is highest, HPV vaccination coverage remains alarmingly low in this region. Providers' knowledge and recommendation are key drivers of HPV vaccination uptake. Yet, evidence about providers' knowledge and recommendation practices about the HPV vaccine against a backdrop of emerging vaccine hesitancy fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic is lacking in Africa.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021-2022 among healthcare providers involved in cervical cancer prevention activities in Africa. They were invited to report prior training, the availability of the HPV vaccine in their practice, whether they recommended the HPV vaccine, …

Pandemic Paradox: A Mixed Methods Study Unmasking The Impact Of Covid-19 On Australia's Nursing And Midwifery Workforce Job Satisfaction And Retention, Laura Lillian Hynes

Theses

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has seen an outpouring of attention focusing on the global nursing and midwifery shortage and its damaging impact on healthcare systems worldwide. However, there is limited research, both globally and in Australia, on its impact on nurses’ and midwives’ job satisfaction and their associated intentions to stay or leave their job and/or profession, as a result. The lack of extensive research in this area highlights the importance of this Doctoral thesis. My research aimed to fill this gap by conducting a detailed study of the personal experiences of nurses and midwives who worked during the pandemic …

Do Generations Matter? The Moderating Role Of Media In Adherence To Covid-19 Quarantine Protocol, Luz Suplico Jeong, Reynaldo Bautista Jr., Nelson B. Guillen Jr., Solomon Oluyinka

DLSU Business & Economics Review

This study examined the perceptions of Filipinos from Generations X, Y, and Z towards adherence to COVID-19 quarantine protocol. Of the 400 Filipino respondents, 55 were Generation Xers, 86 were from Generation Y, whereas 259 were from Generation Z. Using the theory of planned behavior, the results suggest that there were no significant differences in how Generations X, Y, and Z responded to the quarantine protocol even if media moderated the relationship between self-efficacy and adherence to quarantine protocol. Thus, marketers can use a standardized campaign to encourage Generations X, Y, and Z to adhere to the quarantine protocol.

Examining Factors Associated With Covid-19 Disruptions To Tuberculosis Services, Tejaswini Dharmapuri Vachaspathi

Public Health Theses

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges to global health systems, significantly impacting the delivery of essential health services, including tuberculosis (TB) care. It is important to analyze the factors associated with the reductions in TB notifications during the pandemic, with a focus on high TB burden countries, to inform strategies for making TB programs more resilient to health system shocks.

Methods: Amongst 98 selected high-burden countries, a GLM analysis was employed to examine the association between ‘missed’ TB case notifications from 2020 to 2021, and various country-level factors including: COVID-19 mortality estimates, lockdown stringency index, GDP per capita, health …

Mental Health Impacts Of Covid-19 On U.S. Young Adults: A Thematic Analysis Of Depression, Anxiety, And Ptsd Experiences, Carol Meza, Viridiana Ortiz, Pedro Hernandez

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

This study explores the yet-to-be-fully-realized effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, particularly focusing on young adults between the ages of 18-39 years of age living in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing a thematic content analysis, the study seeks to deepen our understanding of the impact of this novel virus on mental well-being, filling a gap in limited existing research. The theoretical framework in this study is the Disaster Response Cycle or the Disaster Response and Recovery Cycle, and it outlines the different phases that individuals and communities may experience during and after a disaster. The …

Exploring The Relationship Between Vaccine Hesitancy And Mothers’ Perspectives On Covid-19 Vaccines For Children Ages 5–11 Years During The Omicron Predominant Period 2021–2022: A Qualitative Study, Tiffany A Suragh, David Adzrago, Marlyn A Allicock, Paul G Yeh, Paula Cuccaro

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The United States Food and Drug Administration authorized COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5-11 years in October 2021 during the Omicron predominant period. Parental vaccine hesitancy was prevalent during this time, resulting in low childhood COVID-19 vaccine uptake. Most studies exploring factors influencing parental vaccine hesitancy have focused on racial and ethnic minorities and lower socioeconomic populations; however, there is little knowledge of the drive drivers of vaccine hesitancy among White parents with higher education and socioeconomic statuses.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with a sample of 15 White mothers of children ages 5-11 years in Atlanta, GA, between …

Social Determinants Of Health Predict Readmission Following Covid-19 Hospitalization: A Health Information Exchange-Based Retrospective Cohort Study, Micaela N Sandoval, Jennifer L Mikhail, Melyssa K Fink, Guillermo A Tortolero, Tru Cao, Ryan Ramphul, Junaid Husain, Eric Boerwinkle

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Since February 2020, over 104 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection, or COVID-19, with over 8.5 million reported in the state of Texas. This study analyzed social determinants of health as predictors for readmission among COVID-19 patients in Southeast Texas, United States.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted investigating demographic and clinical risk factors for 30, 60, and 90-day readmission outcomes among adult patients with a COVID-19-associated inpatient hospitalization encounter within a regional health information exchange between February 1, 2020, to December 1, 2022.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: In this cohort of 91,007 …

Prozone Masks Elevated Sars-Cov-2 Antibody Level Measurements, Micaela N Sandoval, Samuel P Mcclellan, Stephen J Pont, Jessica A Ross, Michael D Swartz, Mark A Silberman, Eric Boerwinkle

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We report a prozone effect in measurement of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antibody levels from an antibody surveillance program. Briefly, the prozone effect occurs in immunoassays when excessively high antibody concentration disrupts the immune complex formation, resulting in a spuriously low reported result. Following participant inquiries, we observed anomalously low measurement of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antibody levels using the Roche Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S immunoassay from participants in the Texas Coronavirus Antibody Research survey (Texas CARES), an ongoing prospective, longitudinal antibody surveillance program. In July, 2022, samples were collected from ten participants with anomalously low results for serial dilution studies, and a …