Digital Commons Network^™

Child Schooling And Other Factors Associated With Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Adults That Had Not Been Vaccinated In The Fall Of 2021, Ryan M. Fischer

All ETDs from UAB

Although COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy decreased noticeably over time during the first months of 2021, there was still a high degree of vaccine hesitancy in the United States at the time that the vaccine first became available to adolescents. Data from Phase 3.2 of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey (July 21 – October 11th, 2021) was used to conduct an ecological study on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy that investigated associations between vaccine hesitancy and socio-demographic characteristics as well as child school type (public school, private school, homeschool). Subjects that had not received a vaccine at the time of survey data …

The Roles And Contributions Of Certified Transport Registered Nurses In Critical Care Ground Transport Today., Jennifer Esslinger Bsn, Rn, Cfrn, Ctrn, Sue L Parrigin, Amy Grand, Kimberly D Bronow, Jacqueline C Stocking

Nursing Publications, Posters, & Presentations

Registered nurses are core members of critical care ground transport teams because of their education, experience, and scope of practice. Advances in medicine, technology, and equipment, combined with regionalization of specialized care and, most recently, the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, necessitate that transport nurses possess specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities. National specialty certification in ground transport nursing via the Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN) offers registered nurses a process to validate their expertise. The most recent transport nursing role delineation study, which was conducted by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursingin 2019, provided the foundation for the revised CTRN …

Determining The Impact Of Immune Dysregulation On Cd4 T Cell Responses To Hiv-1 And Sars-Cov-2, Jacob K. Files

All ETDs from UAB

CD4+ T cells, often referred to as helper T cells, play a crucial role in the formation of antiviral immune responses following infection and vaccination. However, this can be disrupted by various forms of immune dysregulation. Many groups have described how HIV-1 adaptation and immune escape can lead to dysregulated HIV-specific immune responses. Our lab has previously shown that predicted HLA-II associated HIV-1 adaptation leads to dysregulated, poorly immunogenic CD4+ T cell responses in HIV-1 infection. Here, we focus on the impact of this HLA-II associated viral adaptation in the setting of HIV-1 vaccination. We show that HLA-II associated, vaccine-matched …

Association Between Regional Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy And Reported Positive Covid-19 Cases In The Southern United States, Orielle Caudle

All ETDs from UAB

The use of vaccinations has been shown to be beneficial in pandemics in the past, and in some cases, it has led to elimination of a particular disease (i.e. polio). The COVID-19 vaccination can also serve the same purpose, however, vaccine hesitancy within specific regions of the country may prevent and/or dilute the effectiveness of the vaccine. Vaccine hesitancy can be defined as a delay in acceptance, or refusal despite the availability of vaccine services. Southern regions have consistently had the lower vaccination rates compared to its other regional counterparts, even as the pandemic progressed and death rates increased over …

How Single Mothers Navigated Changes In Role Strain And Role Conflict In Rural Areas During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Scott Miller

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Prolonged Prone Positioning For Covid-19-Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Randomized Pilot Study, David Brian Page

All ETDs from UAB

ationale: Prone positioning is one of the few interventions shown in a robust, randomized, controlled clinical trial to reduce mortality in severe ARDS. Ideal duration of prone positioning is unknown. A 16-hour prone positioning period has been studied and is considered standard, although longer duration may be beneficial. Objectives: Determine if a prolonged prone positioning strategy for patients with COVID-19-induced ARDS is feasible and safe. Methods: We performed a pilot, randomized, parallel-arm feasibility study in patients with COVID-19-induced ARDS. Patients were randomized to either a prolonged 24-hour or a traditional 16-hour prone positioning strategy. Measurements & Main Results: 52 patients …

Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease After Receiving The Second Dose Of Pfizer-Biontech Covid-19 Vaccine, Andrea J. Folds, Melanie-Belle Ullrich, Sann Htoo, Anjeza Chukus

Internal Medicine

No abstract provided.

Covid-19 Mortality May Be Reduced Among Fully Vaccinated Solid Organ Transplant Recipients, Micaela Sandoval, Duc T Nguyen, Howard J Huang, Stephanie G Yi, R Mark Ghobrial, A Osama Gaber, Edward A Graviss

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are at increased risk for morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 due to their immunosuppressed state and reduced immunogenicity from COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. This investigation examined the association between COVID-19 mRNA vaccination status and mortality among SOT recipients diagnosed with COVID-19.

METHODS & FINDINGS: A retrospective, registry-based chart review was conducted investigating COVID-19 mortality among immunosuppressed solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients in a large metropolitan healthcare system in Houston, Texas, USA. Electronic health record data was collected from consecutive SOT recipients who received a diagnostic SARS-CoV-2 test between March 1, 2020, and October 1, 2021. …

Covid-19 Outcomes In Myasthenia Gravis Patients: Analysis From Electronic Health Records In The United States, Youngran Kim, Xiaojin Li, Yan Huang, Minseon Kim, Aziz Shaibani, Kazim Sheikh, Guo-Qiang Zhang, Thy Phuong Nguyen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune, neuromuscular condition and patients with MG are vulnerable due to immunosuppressant use and disease manifestations of dyspnea and dysphagia during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Optum® de-identified COVID-19 Electronic Health Record (EHR) dataset. Primary outcomes, such as hospitalization, ventilator use, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death in COVID-19 patients with MG, were compared with those of COVID-19 patients without MG: the subgroups of non-MG included those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus (SLE), and multiple sclerosis (MS). We further analyzed factors affecting …

Methodology To Estimate Natural- And Vaccine-Induced Antibodies To Sars-Cov-2 In A Large Geographic Region, Stacia M Desantis, Luis G León-Novelo, Michael D Swartz, Ashraf S Yaseen, Melissa A Valerio-Shewmaker, Yashar Talebi, Frances A Brito, Jessica A Ross, Harold W Kohl, Sarah E Messiah, Steve H Kelder, Leqing Wu, Shiming Zhang, Kimberly A Aguillard, Michael O Gonzalez, Onyinye S Omega-Njemnob, David Lakey, Jennifer A Shuford, Stephen Pont, Eric Boerwinkle

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Accurate estimates of natural and/or vaccine-induced antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 are difficult to obtain. Although model-based estimates of seroprevalence have been proposed, they require inputting unknown parameters including viral reproduction number, longevity of immune response, and other dynamic factors. In contrast to a model-based approach, the current study presents a data-driven detailed statistical procedure for estimating total seroprevalence (defined as antibodies from natural infection or from full vaccination) in a region using prospectively collected serological data and state-level vaccination data. Specifically, we conducted a longitudinal statewide serological survey with 88,605 participants 5 years or older with 3 prospective blood draws beginning …

Characterizing Cancer And Covid-19 Outcomes Using Electronic Health Records, Youngran Kim, Liang Zhu, Huili Zhu, Xiaojin Li, Yan Huang, Chunhui Gu, Heather Bush, Caroline Chung, Guo-Qiang Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: Patients with cancer often have compromised immune system which can lead to worse COVID-19 outcomes. The purpose of this study is to assess the association between COVID-19 outcomes and existing cancer-specific characteristics.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients aged 18 or older with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 between June 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020, were identified (n = 314 004) from the Optum® de-identified COVID-19 Electronic Health Record (EHR) derived from more than 700 hospitals and 7000 clinics in the United States. To allow sufficient observational time, patients with less than one year of medical history in the EHR dataset before their …

Exploring The Special Education Classroom Context And Experiences Before And During Covid-19, Claire E. Smith

Masters Theses

During the last two and half years, school districts and special education programs have experienced a situation that turned the world of education upside down: the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the pandemic, teachers, administration, families, and students had to maneuver a new way of education and achieving student success with different learning modalities, such as remote learning. This thesis focuses on a functional life skills classroom and how the context of the classroom changed after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic using autoethnographic methods. This paper was written to display how students in special education and their teachers adapted to …

Coping With Adverse Childhood Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Perceptions Of Mental Health Service Providers, Sumaita Choudhury, Paul G Yeh, Christine M Markham

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been associated with long-term physical and mental health conditions, toxic stress levels, developing unstable interpersonal relationships, and substance use disorders due to unresolved childhood adversities.

AIMS: This study assessed the perspectives of mental health providers (MHPs) regarding their adult patients' coping with ACEs during COVID-19 in Houston, Texas. Specifically, we explored how individuals with ACEs are coping with the increased stresses of the pandemic, how MHPs may provide therapeutic support for individuals with ACEs during this pandemic, pandemic-related challenges of accessing and utilizing mental health services for individuals with ACEs, and the awareness and …

Determinants Of Social Distancing Adherence, Philip Gerretsen, Julia Kim, Eric E Brown, Lena C Quilty, Samantha Wells, Fernando Caravaggio, Jianmeng Song, Marcos Sanches, Branka Agic, Bruce G Pollock, Ariel Graff-Guerrero

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Governments and public health authorities across many jurisdictions implemented social (physical) distancing measures to contain the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Adherence to these measures is variable and likely influenced by various factors. This study aimed to 1) identify the individual sociodemographic, COVID-19 and social distancing related, and psychological determinants of social distancing adherence, and 2) explore regional differences in social distancing adherence in the United States (U.S.) and English-speaking Canada based on each region's discrepant response to social distancing restrictions.

Methods: A web-based repeated cross-sectional survey was conducted in 4,942 English-speaking participants from the four …

The Chemistry Laboratory Experience Of El Camino Students While In Emergency Remote Teaching Due To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Shaun A. Cook

Theses and Dissertations

Future college environments, including those in chemistry, will entail flexible formats. The pandemic spurred appreciation of the need, and though it has largely passed, adaptability to multiple formats in the future has been a critical part of planning for a rapidly changing future. Experiences during the pandemic will guide pedagogical changes and practices in the future. At El Camino College in Southern California, the chemistry department provided varied laboratory instruction to students during Emergency Remote Teaching. Understanding the experience students had during this extraordinary time is essential. Students who took courses that had an online laboratory course completed a mixed-methods …

Frustration, The Mac Clause, And Covid-19, Andrew A. Schwartz

Publications

COVID-19's impact on business has been exasperating—but is it Frustrating? The Frustration doctrine of contract law excuses a party from its contractual obligations when an extraordinary event completely undermines the principal purpose of making the deal. This doctrine has long been a marginal player in contract litigation, as parties rarely invoked it—and usually lost when they did.

The COVID-19 pandemic, however, is precisely the type of extraordinary event that Frustration was designed to address, and the courts have been inundated over the past year by a wave of colorable Frustration claims. This timely Article describes the Frustration doctrine and explores …

Anti-Asian American Racism, Covid-19, Racism Contested, Humor, And Empathy, Peter H. Huang

Publications

This Article analyzes the history of anti-Asian American racism. This Article considers how anger, fear, and hatred over COVlD-19 fueled the increase of anti-Asian American racism. This Article introduces the phrase, racism contested, to describe an incident where some people view racism as clearly involved, while some people do not. This Article critiques respectability politics for being an ineffective response to racism. This Article proposes how to utilize humor to engage non-violent racism. This Article studies how to achieve DEl (Diversity, Equity, and lnclusion) by Empathy Through Personal Perspective Pivoting (ETPPP).

Disaster Vulnerability, Lisa Grow, Brigham Daniels, Douglas M. Spencer, Chantel Sloan, Natalie Blades, Teresa Gomez

Publications

Vulnerability drives disaster law, yet the literature lacks both an overarching analysis of the different aspects of vulnerability and a nuanced examination of the factors that shape disaster outcomes. Though central to disaster law and policy, vulnerability often lurks in the shadows of a disaster, evident only once the worst is past and the bodies have been counted. The COVID-19 pandemic is a notable exception to this historical pattern: from the beginning of the pandemic, it has been clear that the virus poses different risks to different people, depending on vulnerability variables. This most recent pandemic experience thus provides a …

Essential But Ignored: Covid-19 Litigation And The Meatpacking Industry, Alexia Brunet Marks

Publications

The spread of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) among meatpacking employees forced closures and slowdowns at many plants across the United States. As the meatpacking giants JBS, Smithfield, and Tyson became hotbeds for COVID-19, national meat production plummeted. To forestall further supply chain disruptions, former President Trump passed an Executive Order compelling plants to continue operating as “essential businesses.” As work continued, employees reported that social distancing and mask-wearing were not being enforced, managers were pressuring sick employees to work and not revealing co-worker’s infections, and an overall lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) or training to reduce the risk …

Analysis Of Sunscreens And Antibiotics In Groundwater During The Covid-19 Pandemic In The Riviera Maya, Mexico, Jackie Cooney

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Sunscreens and antibiotics are contaminants of emerging concern in groundwater, especially in areas with high tourism. The Riviera Maya in Quintana Roo, Mexico, is an international travel destination with a popular aquatic tourism industry. The region experienced a significant decrease in tourist visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, setting up a natural experiment to characterize the baseline contamination of groundwater in the absence of tourists. Additionally, municipalities installed new sewage disposal systems to combat the poor water quality due to inadequate septic systems and wastewater treatment plants. Water samples were collected during the pandemic from March 2020 to July 2021 from …

Modeling And Visualization Of Long-Term Public Opinion On Covid-19 Vaccine, Ashiqur Rahman

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The coronavirus pandemic created significant dependence on social media. While the social web was crucial in spreading timely information and informing the public, misinformation has also spread with little to no oversight. Several works have focused on identifying misinformation and topic analysis in COVID-19 (SARS-COV-2) tweets. While most of the previous studies focus on a shorter time frame, we analyzed a larger dataset starting from the beginning of the pandemic until the end of December 2021. Our work focuses on a novel area that identifies the motivating and demotivating topics of COVID-19 vaccination and analyzes these topics based on time, …

Quarantine And Isolation Experiences Of College Students: A Narrative, Brooke Gibson

Masters Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic was an unanticipated phenomenon, with a lack of information surrounding quarantine and isolation experiences in college students and how this impacts their sense of belonging. This qualitative narrative study utilized semi-structured interviews to understand the participants’ experience of isolation at a rural mid-sized university in the Midwest. The research shared the students experiences and showed that participants lacked some sense of belonging whether it was with friends, family, or their institution.

Eat Glass And Walk On Fire, While Managing A Pandemic: A Narrative Study Of African American Women Who Serve As Chief Housing Officers, Valronica Marie Scales

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Creating uncertainty and stress, the COVID-19 pandemic and increased attention on racial relations, drastically changed how higher education and student affairs operated. For African American women, combatting racism and sexism has always been a daily occurrence in their professional and personal life but the pandemic heightened the challenges African American women had to overcome. This narrative inquiry study explored the lived experiences of African American women who were serving as Chief Housing Officers at Predominately White Institutions during the first 18-months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings highlight how the intersection of sexism and racism shaped the lived experiences of the …

Cambodian Government’S Responses To The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Success Story, Sopheachanboramey Tuon

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis addresses why the Cambodian government could handle the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. It investigates the factors that contribute to the government’s success. I argue that Cambodia’s success in tackling the COVID-19 crisis depends on the state’s possession of infrastructural power, which effectively enabled the government to mobilize resources, surveil people, disseminate information, and roll out vaccination across the country. Furthermore, I argue that Cambodia’s success in handling the COVID-19 pandemic also links to the government’s longing to enhance its legitimacy. These arguments are supported by the empirical findings from the interview of 25 respondents and the review …

Demographic, Clinical, And Co-Morbidity Characteristics Of Covid-19 Patients: A Retrospective Cohort From A Tertiary Hospital In Kenya, Reena Shah, Jasmit Shah, Nancy Kunyiha, Sayed Karar, Shahin Sayed, Salim Surani, Mansoor Saleh

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Introduction: The first documented case of COVID-19 in Kenya was recorded March of 2020. Co-morbidities including hypertension and diabetes have been associated with increased morbidity, hospitalization, and mortality among COVID-19 patients. This retrospective study describes the clinical characteristics, disease severity, and outcomes among the patient population at a tertiary hospital in Kenya.

Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study of COVID-19 patients who were admitted between March 2020 and December 2020 at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. Data collected include patient demographic and baseline characteristics. Differences between patients who were known to have diabetes and hypertension during …

Languaging School Into Being : A Discourse Analysis Of Online Ela Classes Within The Context Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jason Christopher Toncic

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, school buildings across the United States shut their doors and transitioned students and teachers to remote learning, most often utilizing internet-based technology to provide either asynchronous or synchronous lessons. I was a high school English Language Arts teacher in Stone Valley School District in Northeastern New Jersey when the unprecedented school closures moved my classes online for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.

As a teacher researcher who specialized in New Literacy Studies, I was particularly sensitive to how students and I used technology to continue lessons after the school building shut …

Trends And Correlates Of Breakthrough Infections With Sars-Cov-2, Jose-Miguel Yamal, Savitri Appana, Mengxi Wang, Luis Leon-Novelo, Eric Bakota, Yuanqing Ye, Shreela Sharma, Alanna C Morrison, Dritana Marko, Stephen H Linder, Alison Rector, Katelyn K Jetelina, Eric Boerwinkle, Marcia De Oliveira Otto

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) delta variant has been hypothesized to decrease the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. Factors associated with infections with SARS-CoV-2 after vaccination are unknown. In this observational cohort study, we examined two groups in Harris County, Texas: (1) individuals with positive Nucleic Acid Amplification test between 12/14/2020 and 9/30/2021 and (2) the subset of individuals fully vaccinated in the same time period. Infected individuals were classified as a breakthrough if their infection occurred 14 days after their vaccination had been completed. Among fully vaccinated individuals, demographic and vaccine factors associated with breakthrough infections were …

Incidence Rate Of Psychiatric Disorders In 2020: The Pivotal Role Played By Sars-Cov-2 Infection, Antonio L Teixeira, Regina M Hansen, Joseph S Wozny, Caroline M Schaefer, Rodrigo Machado-Vieira, Lokesh Shahani, Scott D Lane, Jair C Soares, Trudy M Krause

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly impacted mental health outcomes. While the frequency of anxiety and depressive symptoms has increased in the whole population, the relationship between COVID-19 and new psychiatric diagnoses remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE: to compare the population incidence rate of emergence of de novo psychiatric disorders in 2020 compared to the previous years, and to compare the incidence rate of new psychiatric disorder diagnoses between people with vs without COVID-19.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This study utilized administrative claims data from the Clinformatics® Data Mart database, licensed from Optum®. The study is a cross-sectional analysis that …

Population-Based Correlates Of Covid-19 Infection: An Analysis From The Dfw Covid-19 Prevalence Study, Amit G Singal, Andrew Masica, Kate Esselink, Caitlin C Murphy, Jill A Dever, Annika Reczek, Matthew Bensen, Nicole Mack, Ellen Stutts, Jamie L Ridenhour, Evan Galt, Jordan Brainerd, Noa Kopplin, Sruthi Yekkaluri, Chris Rubio, Shelby Anderson, Kathryn Jan, Natalie Whitworth, Jacqueline Wagner, Stephen Allen, Alagar R Muthukumar, Jasmin Tiro

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has resulted in over 1 million deaths in the U.S. as of June 2022, with continued surges after vaccine availability. Information on related attitudes and behaviors are needed to inform public health strategies. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of COVID-19, risk factors of infection, and related attitudes and behaviors in a racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse urban population.

METHODS: The DFW COVID-19 Prevalence Study Protocol 1 was conducted from July 2020 to March 2021 on a randomly selected sample of adults aged 18-89 years, living in Dallas or Tarrant Counties, Texas. Participants were asked to complete a …

Knowledge, Attitude And Practice Related To Covid-19 Among People- A Descriptive Survey, Pramilaa R

Manipal Journal of Nursing and Health Sciences

Introduction: Corona virus can be deemed as one of the rapidly spreading viral infections. More than 200 countries in less than four months were infected. Findings of a study proved that insight of people in the community is remarkable to render care during pandemics. Characteristics that influence the people to adhere with sound healthy practices and desirable behaviors can be acquired by examining the level of awareness related to COVID-19 among people. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to assess knowledge, attitude and practice related to COVID-19 among people; correlate the knowledge, attitude and practice scores related to COVID-19 …