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A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Self-Reported Long Covid And Binge Drinking Amongst Covid-Positive Individuals Using The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (Brfss), 2022, Maire Kirley

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Objective: Identify an association between Long COVID (exposure) and binge drinking (outcome) amongst COVID-positive individuals.

Methods: COVID-positive respondents (n=116,120) were sampled from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Univariate analysis assessed distribution of Long COVID, binge drinking, and covariates sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, income, rural/urban residency, veteran status and BMI. Bivariate analysis determined crude prevalence odds ratios (POR) between exposure, outcome, and covariates. Multivariate logistic regression determined adjusted prevalence odds ratios (aPOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for exposure, outcome and covariates.

Results: No association found between Long COVID and binge drinking (aPOR: 0.94 (95% CI: 0.87, …

Molecular Mechanisms Of Sensory Post-Acute Sequelae Of Covid-19 Infection: A Comprehensive Literature Review, Maha Siddiqui

Honors Scholar Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the world in the last few years, bringing with it countless varying physiological effects, some of which extend beyond the acute phase of the infection. Long-term COVID-19, also referred to as "chronic" or “long-haul” COVID, has become an increasingly prevalent health issue in recent years. Long term sensory loss, particularly anosmia and ageusia (loss of smell and taste respectively), are among the biggest concerns to patients suffering from this condition due to the considerable detriment to their quality of life. This literature review aims to provide an overview of the molecular mechanisms associated with sensory …

Correlation Between Il-6 And Age In Covid-19: Insights From A Cross-Sectional Analysis In Malang, Indonesia, Agustin Iskandar, Dearikha Karina Mayashinta, Catur Suci Sutrisnani, Nur Samsu, Agustina Tri Endharti, Edy Widjajanto

Baghdad Science Journal

Interleukin 6 (IL-6) has been identified as a predictor of severity and mortality in COVID-19. Although morbidity and mortality generally increase with age, it remains uncertain whether there is a correlation between age and IL-6 levels, thereby exacerbating the severity of COVID-19 in patients. The objective of this study was to examine the correlation between age and IL-6 levels in COVID-19 patients. The study was cross-sectional, analyzing laboratory and medical records of 3,171 COVID-19 patients who received treatment in 2021 at Saiful Anwar General Hospital. The Data analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis, Dunnett's Post Hoc, and Spearman Correlation tests. The patients were …

Cellulose Nanofiber As Mask/Personal Protective Equipment Surface Agent For Enhanced Anti-Bacterial Performance, Sophia Jackson, Jonathan Chen

Faculty Publications

The utilization of face-covering masks as an extended form of personal protective equipment has led to exponential waste measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, with estimations of up to 7200 tons of medical-type waste daily. A primary cause of this waste is surgical layered disposable masks that are constructed by melt-blown nonwovens usually made of non-biodegradable thermoplastic polymers like polypropylene. To increase widespread sustainable options to the public, commercialized or do-it-yourself-based fabric masks serve as a solution, but their resistance to harmful molecules is less than that of the medical-grade masks due to the fabric structure that leaves space for penetration. …

Mivacunala (Myshotla): A Community-Partnered Mobile Phone Intervention To Improve Covid-19 Vaccination Behaviors Among Low-Income, Spanish-Speaking, And Immigrant Latino Parents Or Caregivers, Yelba M. Castellon-Lopez, Alexandra M. Klomhaus, Cruz Garcia, Denise Marquez, Hilda Avila, Hannah Gravette, Ray Lopez-Chang, Brenda Ortega, Keith C. Norris, Arleen F. Brown, Luisa Blanco

All Faculty Open Access Publications

We developed and tested MivacunaLA/MyshotLA, a community-informed mobile phone intervention, to increase COVID-19 vaccination among Latino parents/caretakers of minors in under-resourced areas of Los Angeles by addressing misinformation and building trust. We recruited Latino parents/caregivers with at least one unvaccinated child in East and South Los Angeles in the summer of 2021 and evaluated MivacunaLA as a randomized controlled trial with a wait-list control group. A difference-in-difference analysis showed Latino parents/caregivers that participated in MivacunaLA (n = 246), in comparison to the control group, were 15 percentage points more likely (p = 0.04) to report vaccination of minors aged 12–17 …

Unmasking Justice: Racial Disparity Trends In Sentencing Before And After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Noah Samuel Reynolds

All Theses

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted every facet of the United States justice system, disrupting traditional systems and introducing a new era of virtual alternatives. This unprecedented crisis provides a unique opportunity to empirically study the interplay between health risks, shutdowns, and uncertainty and the foundational value of fair and impartial justice. Using North Carolina sentencing data from 2016-2022, this study delves into the consequences of the pandemic on sentencing outcomes after the virus was declared a national emergency in March 2020. Framed within the Focal Concerns (FC) theory, I expect judges to be more lenient in their …

Depression And Anxiety: Investigating The Impacts Of Scheduling On The Mental Health Of Healthcare Workers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Christofer Gonzaga

All Theses

Depression is a growing problem in the United States and has ballooned into a globally recognized mental health issue that affects shift workers in various fields (Lee et al., 2017). Rates of depression and anxiety have been shown to be substantially increasing and the COVID-19 pandemic amplified this prevalence of depression and anxiety. In the United States, the prevalence of depression symptoms was more than 3- fold higher during COVID-19 compared to before the pandemic (Ettman et al., 2020). The delivery of healthcare services is an ongoing and dynamic process, requiring clinicians to work in various shifts to ensure the …

Broadway Theatre And The Covid-19 Pandemic: How Pre-Shutdown Longevity Impacted Production Success, Emmeline A. Lignowski

College Honors Program

On March 12, 2020 New York’s Broadway theaters halted performances due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After a year and a half of closure, Broadway finally reopened in August 2021, however, the market was drastically different from its pre-shutdown state. In the midst of a global pandemic, new productions faced increased challenges when trying to establish themselves on the Broadway stage, and even old productions struggled to recoup losses. In this paper, multiple regression analysis and a Cox proportional hazards model were used to test whether a production’s pre-shutdown longevity impacted its success after Broadway reopened. It was found that productions …

Long Term Effects On Health: Analyzing The Lasting Effects Of Covid-19 On The Human Body, Kaylie Stachelski

University Honors College

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns regarding the long-term effects it can leave on an individual’s health. This abstract provides an overview of the emerging evidence of the long-term effects of COVID-19. Research indicates that COVID-19 can lead to acute or chronic health effects, affecting multiple systems in the body. The symptoms that have been known to effect quality of life in patients that have been suffering from long-haul COVID. While the full spectrum and mechanisms of long-term effects are still under investigation, understanding and addressing the long-term health consequences of COVID-19 remain critical for patient care and public …

Personal Green Spaces During The Pandemic - Perceptions Towards Urban Home Gardens During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Bengaluru, India, Varsha Bhaskaran, Charles Nilon

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented changes in a short span of time to people’s life and living. Being in a lockdown, especially in urban areas, has led to changes in the way people perceive nature around them and within their homes. Research on this topic in the cities of the global south has been limited with even fewer studies in Indian cities. To begin to address this gap, in this exploratory study we interviewed 30 residents of Bengaluru, India to understand how they perceived the changes they experienced in their home gardens and in the nature around their …

The Educator Labor Market In Times Of Change: Lessons From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Andrew Mitchell Camp

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic placed an undeniable burden onto the teaching profession which already faced levels of prestige and interest at 50-year lows. The strains of the pandemic resulted in educators reporting higher levels of job-related stress and burnout and exacerbated concerns about potential teacher shortages. This dissertation leverages administrative data from Arkansas to better understand challenges facing the teacher workforce following COVID-19 and evaluate two increasingly policies aimed at the teacher workforce. In the first chapter, I provide evidence that teacher turnover was relatively stable during the first two years (2020-21 and 2021-22) of the COVID-19 pandemic before a notable …

A Menace To Math: When Numbers Attack And Anxiety Strikes Back, Celycia Rogers

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

In this Capstone Project, the researcher examined educators' perspectives on math anxiety and investigated their personal experiences with math to identify effective approaches for reducing math anxiety. Addressing math anxiety is essential to reduce the tension and fear individuals experience in math-related situations due to environmental factors and teaching methods. The primary stakeholder perspective obtained for this study was that of educators, as they have the most significant influence on student's math comprehension and emotional associations with the subject. Following interviews with participating educators and a review of relevant literature, three emergent themes were identified: making math fun, phasing out …

Low Absolute Risk Of Thrombotic And Cardiovascular Events In Outpatient Pregnant Women With Covid-19, Behnood Bikdeli, Darsiya Krishnathasan, Candrika Khairani, Antoine Bejjani, Julia Davies, Nicole Porio, Anthony Tristani, Andre Armero, Ali Assi, Victor Nauffal, Umberto Campia, Zaid Almarzooq, Eric Wei, Marcos Ortiz-Rios, Valeria Zuluaga-Sánchez, Aditya Achanta, Sirus Jesudasen, Bruce Tiu, Geno Merli, Orly Leiva, John Fanikos, Elvira Grandone, Aditya Sharma, Samantha Rizzo, Mariana Pfeferman, Ruth Morrison, Alec Vishnevsky, Judith Hsia, Mark Nehler, James Welker, Marc Bonaca, Brett Carroll, Samuel Goldhaber, Zhou Lan, Gregory Piazza

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Pregnancy may contribute to an excess risk of thrombotic or cardiovascular events. COVID-19 increases the risk of these events, although the risk is relatively limited among outpatients. We sought to determine whether outpatient pregnant women with COVID-19 are at a high risk for cardiovascular or thrombotic events.

MATERIALS & METHODS: We analyzed pregnant outpatients with COVID-19 from the multicenter CORONA-VTE-Network registry. The main study outcomes were a composite of adjudicated venous or arterial thrombotic events, and a composite of adjudicated cardiovascular events. Events were assessed 90 days after the COVID-19 diagnosis and reported for non-pregnant women ≤45 years, and …

Burnout And Work Fatigue In Contingent Faculty During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Gina Dimartino

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic and immediate shift to remote learning had a major impact on faculty and students in higher education institutions (HEIs). As a result of the pandemic, many stakeholders in HEIs have experienced burnout and work fatigue, specifically, contingent/adjunct faculty. Contingent/adjunct faculty comprise a majority of faculty who serve students in colleges and universities across the country.

As the needs of students increased during the pandemic, contingent/adjunct faculty experienced increased workloads due to the additional support needed by diverse and challenged students. This further intensified the unique challenges faced by contingent faculty that existed prior to the pandemic in …

Vitamin D Regulates Covid-19 Associated Severity By Suppressing The Nlrp3 Inflammasome Pathway, Bariaa Khalil, Narjes Saheb Sharif-Askari, Shirin Hafezi, Fatemeh Saheb Sharif-Askari, Fatme Al Anouti, Qutayba Hamid, Rabih Halwani

All Works

Background The role of vitamin D3 (VitD3) in modulating innate and adaptive immunity has been reported in different disease contexts. Since the start of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the role of VitD3 has been highlighted in many correlational and observational studies. However, the exact mechanisms of action are not well identified. One of the mechanisms via which VitD3 modulates innate immunity is by regulating the NLRP3-inflammasome pathway, being a main underlying cause of SARS-CoV-2-induced hyperinflammation. Aims and main methods Blood specimens of severe COVID-19 patients with or without VitD3 treatment were collected during their stay in the intensive care …

Post-Covid Small Fiber Neuropathy, Implications Of Innate Immunity, And Challenges On Ivig Therapy, Marinos Dalakas

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of Superintendent Turnover In Kentucky: A Decade Of Data, Kevin Hub, Gill Hunter

Journal of Excellence in College Teaching and Learning

This study makes use of a data set detailing instances of public school superintendent turnover in Kentucky between 2014 and 2023. A quantitative research design was used to analyze descriptive statistics in the sample of 205 superintendent turnovers occurring during the identified decade. The analysis reveals a disparity between females and males selected to fill superintendent vacancies. The research also demonstrates that superintendent turnover in Appalachian and non-Appalachian school districts is proportionally consistent, as is superintendent turnover among the eight geographically-assigned Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) educational cooperatives. The findings demonstrate that applicants for superintendent positions serving as assistant superintendents …

The Evolution Of School Leadership In Times Of Crisis, Christopher Butcher, Todd Mccardle

Journal of Excellence in College Teaching and Learning

This case study seeks to address how COVID-19 has affected principals. We approach this study through the lens of Open Systems Theory (Katz & Kahn, 1978), as we attempt to understand how school leaders understand and act during a global pandemic. This research answers the following question: How has the role of a school principal changed since the onset of COVID-19? The data reveal two emerging themes: 1) principals taking on unique caretaker roles and 2) principals increasing their focus on a managerial approach to leadership. The findings support the evolution (and devolution) of leadership approaches that school principals go …

Factors Associated With The Ability Of Us Nursing Homes To Accept Residents With Severe Obesity, Cynthia Mcmahan, Bianca Shieu, Alison Trinkoff, Nicholas Castle, David G Wolf, Steven Handler, John A Harris

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Severe obesity in nursing home (NH) residents is associated with specialized care needs, limited mobility, and challenges in daily living. The COVID-19 pandemic strained NH resources and exacerbated staffing shortages. This study aimed to assess the ability of US NHs to accept and care for residents with severe obesity post-COVID, as well as associated NH factors.

Design: Cross-sectional nationwide survey of NH administrators (2021-2022).

Setting and participants: 290 NHs from a national sample (n = 224) and a targeted sample in Massachusetts and New Jersey (n = 66).

Methods: A survey designed to assess how NHs approach admitting and …

What Accounts For The Effect Of Sustainability Engagement On Stock Price Crash Risk During The Covid-19 Pandemic—Agency Theory Or Legitimacy Theory?, Junru Zhang, Chen Zheng, Yuan G. Shan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In this study, we conduct a textual analysis of the third-party disclosure of corporate sustainability news focused on the Standard and Poor's 500 firms in the United States market during the first and second quarter of 2020. We find a positive relationship between corporate sustainability news release and firm-specific stock price crash risk. This finding is surprising, but it indeed aligns with agency theory. It indicates that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic exacerbated the tendency of managers under increasing financial pressure to use the sustainability information release as a mechanism to mask and withhold bad news for extended periods at …

The Role Of Cosmopolitan Orientation In Covid-19-Related Attitudes: Perceived Threats And Opportunities, Vaccination Willingness, And Support For Collective Containment Efforts, Angela K. Y. Leung, Brandon Koh, Verity Yu Qing Lua, James H. Liu, Sarah Y. Choi, I-Ching Lee, Michelle Lee, Mei-Hua Lin, Darrin Hodgetts, Sylvia X. Chen

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Cosmopolitan individuals identify themselves as "citizens of the world." In the present research, we tested the idea that endorsing a cosmopolitan orientation (CO) is adaptive in the COVID-19 crisis. Cosmopolitan individuals more readily transcend national parochialism, show greater concern for all humanity, and prioritize collective interests. In a two-wave multi-region investigation with six samples from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, and the U.S., we first established longitudinal and cross-cultural measurement invariance of the CO scale. Next, we found that people with a higher CO tended to perceive over time a greater threat posed by COVID-19, take more safety measures, …

Observational Analysis For Predicting Initial Spikes In Testing Volume Of Cohorts Inside And Outside Of A Regional Covid-19 Screening Program, Adam M. Franks, Seth Bergeron, Tammy Bannister, Justin Spradling, Tamara Lowe, Paris Johnson, Rajan Lamichhane, Stephen M. Petrany

Marshall Journal of Medicine

BACKGROUND Containing the highly contagious SARs-CoV-2 pathogen requires a safe and effective screening program. The aim of this observational cohort study is to analyze a regional testing center and identify factors predicting testing rates that direct supply and staffing needs.

METHODS A drive-through SAR-CoV-2 regional testing facility was created. Number of tests and positive results were collected for eighteen months. Data for testing demand was compared to positive results, percent positive rates (PPR), known external factors, and county PPR. Dissimilarities were contrasted with dynamic time warp and a detailed agreement analysis. The Grainger’s test was utilized to assess the degree …

Covid-19 In The Setting Of Hiv And Severe Hemophilia A: A Case Report, Ryan Wilson, Chae Ko, Rahul Kashyap

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Introduction

A hyperactive immune response is the driving force behind severe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Complications of severe COVID-19 include acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute respiratory failure, and increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). The management of patients with COVID-19 includes respiratory support, decreasing immune response to the virus to prevent the progression of disease, and anticoagulation to prevent VTE.

Case Presentation

We present the case of a patient with a history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hemophilia A admitted with COVID-19. This case demonstrates the difficulties present when managing COVID-19 in patients with specific comorbidities. Anticoagulation is a …

Ischemic Colitis In A Middle-Aged Man With Covid-19: Case Report And Review Of Literature, Lara Appiah, Subhasis Misra, Stephen Jones

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Introduction

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was a pandemic that began in 2019 and continues to have morbid and deadly consequences throughout the world. During the beginning of the pandemic, many considered older adults and immunocompromised younger adults to be the only populations at risk for the severe consequences of COVID-19. Throughout the pandemic, this was proven wrong with several case reports and studies showing that relatively younger adults can also suffer serious consequences from this perplexing virus.

Case Presentation

We report a rare case of ischemic colitis in a 42-year-old obese man who presented to the emergency department with quintessential …

Opioid-Related Emergency Department Visits Before And During Covid-19: Association With Community-Level Factors, Timothy F. Page, Weiwei Chen, François Sainfort, Julie A. Jacko

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between community-level variables and emergency department (ED) visit rates before and during COVID-19. The focus was on opioid-related ED visits. Despite large declines in overall ED visits during COVID-19, opioid-related visits increased. While visits for avoidable conditions decreased, the opposite was true for opioid-related visits.

Methods

We combined data from Florida EDs with community-level variables from the 2020 American Community Survey. The outcome measures of the study were quarterly ZIP code tabulation-area-level ED visit rates for opioid-related ED visits as well as visit rates for all other causes. Associations …

Drivers Of Being Unhoused And The Prevalence Of Health Conditions Among Unhoused Individuals In Asheville, Nc, Andrea K. Yontz, Amber Beane, Tessa Frank, Amy Upham, Dustin V. Patil, Dan Pizzo, Steve Buie, Jacqueline R. Halladay

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in the number of unhoused individuals in Asheville, North Carolina resulting in more tent encampments.

Understanding the physical, mental, and socially determined health characteristics associated with being unhoused can help guide stakeholders with policy development, healthcare program planning, and funding decisions to support unhoused individuals.

Methods

In this study, we used an observational cross-section methodology. Using a convenience sample approach, we interviewed 101 participants who were receiving services from 2 emergency hotel shelters, a day center, and a resource center. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and open-ended responses were collected …

Evaluation Of The Efficacy Of Remdesivir For The Treatment Of Coronavirus Disease 2019, Alexandra Flannery, Anastasia Knecht, Koravangala Sundaresh

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has accounted for more than 1 000 000 deaths in the United States alone. In May 2020, the Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization to allow the investigational use of intravenous remdesivir for the treatment of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 in hospitalized children and adults. Several other agents, such as hydroxychloroquine, dexamethasone, and tocilizumab have been investigated as potential treatment options; however, dexamethasone is currently the only agent that has been proven to reduce mortality in patients who require supplemental oxygen. The purpose of this study …

Investigation Of The Effect Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Anxiety Levels And Career Satisfaction Of Dentistry Students, Furkan Kır, Ata Batuhan Bayrak, Mediha Büyükgöze-Dindar

Journal of Dentistry Indonesia

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the anxiety levels and career satisfaction of dentistry students. Methods: A total of 220 dentistry students were included in the study. A questionnaire was mailed to dentistry students at Trakya University between June 2021 and January 2022. Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) was used to evaluate anxiety levels. Data were analyzed, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean BAI scores of the participants were 14.6 ± 13.6. The anxiety levels of the females were significantly higher than the males (p = 0.004). There was a significant relationship …

Association Of School Instructional Mode With Community Covid-19 Incidence During August–December 2020 In Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Pauline D. Terebuh, Jeffrey M. Albert, Jacqueline W. Curtis, Kurt C. Stange, Jill E. Miracle, Wail Yar, Prakash R. Ganesh, Heidi L. Gullett, Johnie Rose

Faculty Scholarship

Remote and hybrid modes of instruction were employed as alternatives to in-person instruction as part of early mitigation efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated the impact of a public school district’s instructional mode on cumulative incidence and transmission in the surrounding community by employing a generalized estimating equations approach to estimate the association with weekly COVID-19 case counts by zip code in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, from August to December 2020. Remote instruction only (RI) was employed by 7 of 20 school districts; 13 used some non-remote instruction (NRI) (2–15 weeks). Weekly incidence increased in all zip codes …

Sars-Cov-2 Omicron: Viral Evolution, Immune Evasion, And Alternative Durable Therapeutic Strategies, Hailong Guo, Sha Ha, Jason W Botten, Kai Xu, Ningyan Zhang, William R Strohl, Tong-Ming Fu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Since the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron virus has gained dominance worldwide, its continual evolution with unpredictable mutations and patterns has revoked all authorized immunotherapeutics. Rapid viral evolution has also necessitated several rounds of vaccine updates in order to provide adequate immune protection. It remains imperative to understand how Omicron evolves into different subvariants and causes immune escape as this could help reevaluate the current intervention strategies mostly implemented in the clinics as emergency measures to counter the pandemic and, importantly, develop new solutions. Here, we provide a review focusing on the major events of Omicron viral evolution, including the features of spike …