Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Primary Care Clinics' Policies, Practices, And Availability Of Patient Support Services During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kendra Ratnapradipa, Runqiu Wang, Josiane Kabayundo, Walter Marquez Lavenant, Eleanore Nelson, Muskan Ahuja, Ying Zhang, Hongmei Wang

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Healthcare accessibility and utilization are important social determinants of health. Lack of access to healthcare, including missed or no-show appointments, can have negative health effects and be costly to patients and providers. Various office-based approaches and community partnerships can address patient access barriers.

OBJECTIVES: (1) To understand provider perceptions of patient barriers; (2) to describe the policies and practices used to address late or missed appointments, and (3) to evaluate access to patient support services, both in-clinic and with community partners.

METHODS: Mailed cross-sectional survey with online response option, sent to all Nebraska primary care clinics (n = 577) …

Factors Associated With Delaying Medical Care: Cross-Sectional Study Of Nebraska Adults, Kendra Ratnapradipa, Snehal Jadhav, Josiane Kabayundo, Hongmei Wang, Lisa C. Smith

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Delayed medical care may result in adverse health outcomes and increased cost. Our purpose was to identify factors associated with delayed medical care in a primarily rural state.

METHODS: Using a stratified random sample of 5,300 Nebraska households, we conducted a cross-sectional mailed survey with online response option (27 October 2020 to 8 March 2021) in English and Spanish. Multiple logistic regression models calculated adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS: The overall response rate was 20.8% (n = 1,101). Approximately 37.8% of Nebraskans ever delayed healthcare (cost-related 29.7%, transportation-related 3.7%), with 22.7% delaying care in the …

How The Commonwealth Of The Northern Mariana Islands Stalled Covid-19 For 22 Months And Managed Its First Significant Community Transmission, Dwayne Davis, Stephanie Kern-Allely, Lily Muldoon, John M. Tudela, Jesse Tudela, Renea Raho, Heather S. Pangelinan, Halina Palacios, John Tabaguel, Alan Hinson, Guillermo Lifoifoi, Warren Villagomez, Joseph R. Fauver, Haley L. Cash, Esther Muña, Sean T. Casey, Ali S. Khan

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

OBJECTIVE: The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) is a remote Pacific island territory with a population of 47 329 that successfully prevented the significant introduction of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) until late 2021. This study documents how the response to the introduction of COVID-19 in CNMI in 2021 was conducted with limited resources without overwhelming local clinical capacity or compromising health service delivery for the population.

METHODS: Data from COVID-19 case investigations, contact tracing, the Commonwealth's immunization registry and whole genome sequencing were collated and analysed as part of this study.

RESULTS: Between 26 March 2020 and 31 December …

Accelerated Sars-Cov-2 Intrahost Evolution Leading To Distinct Genotypes During Chronic Infection, Chrispin Chaguza, Anne M. Hahn, Mary E. Petrone, Shuntai Zhou, David Ferguson, Mallery I. Breban, Kien Pham, Mario A. Peña-Hernández, Christopher Castaldi, Verity Hill, Yale Sars-Cov-2 Genomic Surveillance Initiative, Wade Schulz, Ronald I. Swanstrom, Scott C. Roberts, Nathan D. Grubaugh, Kendall Billig, Rebecca Earnest, Joseph R. Fauver, Chaney C. Kalinch, Nicholas Kerantzas, Tobias R. Koch, Bony De Kumar, Marie L. Landry, Isabel M. Ott, David Peaper, Irina R. Tikhonova, Chantal B. F. Vogels

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

The chronic infection hypothesis for novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant emergence is increasingly gaining credence following the appearance of Omicron. Here, we investigate intrahost evolution and genetic diversity of lineage B.1.517 during a SARS-CoV-2 chronic infection lasting for 471 days (and still ongoing) with consistently recovered infectious virus and high viral genome copies. During the infection, we find an accelerated virus evolutionary rate translating to 35 nucleotide substitutions per year, approximately 2-fold higher than the global SARS-CoV-2 evolutionary rate. This intrahost evolution results in the emergence and persistence of at least three genetically distinct genotypes, suggesting …

Nasal Host Response-Based Screening For Undiagnosed Respiratory Viruses: A Pathogen Surveillance And Detection Study, Nagarjuna R. Cheemarla, Amelia Hanron, Joseph R. Fauver, Jason Bishai, Timothy A. Watkins, Anderson F. Brito, Dejian Zhao, Tara Alpert, Chantal B. F. Vogels, Albert I. Ko, Wade L. Schulz, Marie L. Landry, Nathan D. Grubaugh, David Van Dijk, Ellen F. Foxman

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Symptomatic patients who test negative for common viruses are an important possible source of unrecognised or emerging pathogens, but metagenomic sequencing of all samples is inefficient because of the low likelihood of finding a pathogen in any given sample. We aimed to determine whether nasopharyngeal CXCL10 screening could be used as a strategy to enrich for samples containing undiagnosed viruses.

METHODS: In this pathogen surveillance and detection study, we measured CXCL10 concentrations from nasopharyngeal swabs from patients in the Yale New Haven health-care system, which had been tested at the Yale New Haven Hospital Clinical Virology Laboratory (New Haven, …

Viral Kinetics Of Sequential Sars-Cov-2 Infections, Stephen M. Kissler, James A. Hay, Joseph R. Fauver, Christina Mack, Caroline G. Tai, Deverick J. Anderson, David D. Ho, Nathan D. Grubaugh, Yonatan H. Grad

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

The impact of a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection on the progression of subsequent infections has been unclear. Using a convenience sample of 94,812 longitudinal RT-qPCR measurements from anterior nares and oropharyngeal swabs, we identified 71 individuals with two well-sampled SARS-CoV-2 infections between March 11^th, 2020, and July 28^th, 2022. We compared the SARS-CoV-2 viral kinetics of first vs. second infections in this group, adjusting for viral variant, vaccination status, and age. Relative to first infections, second infections usually featured a faster clearance time. Furthermore, a person's relative (rank-order) viral clearance time, compared to others infected with the …

Nonsystematic Reporting Biases Of The Sars-Cov-2 Variant Mu Could Impact Our Understanding Of The Epidemiological Dynamics Of Emerging Variants, Mary E. Petrone, Carolina Lucas, Bridget Menasche, Mallery I. Breban, Inci Yildirim, Melissa Campbell, Saad B. Omer, Edward C. Holmes, Albert I. Ko, Nathan D. Grubaugh, Akiko Iwasaki, Craig B. Wilen, Chantal B. F. Vogels, Joseph R. Fauver

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Developing a timely and effective response to emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) is of paramount public health importance. Global health surveillance does not rely on genomic data alone to identify concerning variants when they emerge. Instead, methods that utilize genomic data to estimate the epidemiological dynamics of emerging lineages have the potential to serve as an early warning system. However, these methods assume that genomic data are uniformly reported across circulating lineages. In this study, we analyze differences in reporting delays among SARS-CoV-2 VOCs as a plausible explanation for the timing of the global response to the former VOC …

Exploring Barriers And Promoters Of Crc Screening Use Among Agricultural Operators: A Pilot Study Of An Application Of Concept Mapping, Cheryl Beseler, Jungyoon Kim, Roma Subramanian, Susan Harris, Karen Funkenbusch, Aaron Yoder, Tamara Robinson, Jason M. Foster, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of the study was to identify barriers and facilitators of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening use among agricultural operators in Nebraska, US.

METHODS: The concept mapping approach was used to engage participants and enhance the generation of ideas and opinions regarding CRC screening. Two focus groups (seven women and seven men) were conducted.

RESULTS: Among women, the cost domain was most agreed upon as important, followed by experiencing symptoms, awareness, and family. Among men, the important concepts related to CRC screening were family and friend support, feeling too young to get CRC, family or personal history of CRC, …

Biomarkers Of Toxic Exposure And Oxidative Stress Among U.S. Adult Users Of Premium Cigar Versus Other Cigar Subtypes: 2013-2019, Hongying Dai, Neal L. Benowitz, Eleanor Rogan, Abraham Degarege, James Buckley, Ali S. Khan

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

INTRODUCTION: Cigars are currently the second-highest-used combustible tobacco product among U.S. adults, but knowledge about health effects of premium cigars versus other cigar subtype use is limited.

AIMS AND METHODS: This study analyzed the biospecimen data (n = 31 875) from Waves 1-5 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study, collected during 2013-2019. Multivariable generalized estimation equations, accounting for within-person clustering, were conducted to examine differences in urine biomarkers of exposure (BOE) from five classes of harmful and potentially harmful constituents along with a biomarker of oxidative stress (urine 8-isoprostane) among exclusive users of premium cigars versus other …

Development And Validation Of A Questionnaire To Assess Awareness And Knowledge Of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, A Liver Cancer Etiological Factor, Among Chinese Young Adults, Yi Du, Fedja A. Rochling, Dejun Su, Kendra Ratnapradipa, Jianghu James Dong, Evi A. Farazi

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

PURPOSE: Despite the increasing prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a liver cancer etiological factor, among Chinese young adults (CYA), there is a lack of valid, reliable, ready-to-use survey instruments for assessing awareness and knowledge of NAFLD in this population. The aims of this study were to develop, validate, and assess the reliability of a web-based, self-administered questionnaire evaluating awareness and knowledge of NAFLD among CYA.

METHODS: Based on review of relevant literature, a draft questionnaire was initially developed. Face and content validity of the questionnaire was evaluated by an expert panel of seven gastroenterologists. The construct validity was …

Exploring First Responders' Use And Perceptions On Continuous Health And Environmental Monitoring, Jacob Grothe, Sarah Tucker, Anthony Blake, Chandran Achutan, Sharon J. Medcalf, Troy Suwondo, Ann Fruhling, Aaron Yoder

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

First responders lose their lives in the line of duty each year, and many of these deaths result from strenuous physical exertion and exposure to harmful environmental agents. Continuous health monitoring may detect diseases and alert the first responder when vital signs are reaching critical levels. However, continuous monitoring must be acceptable to first responders. The purpose of this study was to discover first responders' current use of wearable technology, their perceptions of what health and environmental indicators should be monitored, and who should be permitted to monitor them. The survey was sent to 645 first responders employed by 24 …

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Reinfection: A Case Series From A 12-Month Longitudinal Occupational Cohort, Christina D. Mack, Caroline Tai, Robby Sikka, Yonatan H. Grad, Lisa L. Maragakis, Nathan D. Grubaugh, Deverick J. Anderson, David Ho, Michael Merson, Radhika M. Samant, Joseph R. Fauver, James Barrett, Leroy Sims, John Difiori

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Findings are described in 7 patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 reinfection from the National Basketball Association 2020-2021 occupational testing cohort, including clinical details, antibody test results, genomic sequencing, and longitudinal reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction results. Reinfections were infrequent and varied in clinical presentation, viral dynamics, and immune response.

Lineage Abundance Estimation For Sars-Cov-2 In Wastewater Using Transcriptome Quantification Techniques, Jasmijn A. Baaijens, Alessandro Zulli, Isabel M. Ott, Ioanna Nika, Mart J. Van Der Lugt, Mary E. Petrone, Tara Alpert, Joseph R. Fauver, Chaney C. Kalinich, Chantal B. F. Vogels, Mallery I. Breban, Claire Duvallet, Kyle A. Mcelroy, Newsha Ghaeli, Maxim Imakaev, Malaika F. Mckenzie-Bennett, Keith Robison, Alex Plocik, Rebecca Schilling, Martha Pierson, Rebecca Littlefield, Michelle L. Spencer, Birgitte B. Simen, Yale Sars-Cov-2 Genomic Surveillance Initiative, William P. Hanage, Nathan D. Grubaugh, Jordan Peccia, Michael Baym

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Effectively monitoring the spread of SARS-CoV-2 mutants is essential to efforts to counter the ongoing pandemic. Predicting lineage abundance from wastewater, however, is technically challenging. We show that by sequencing SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and applying algorithms initially used for transcriptome quantification, we can estimate lineage abundance in wastewater samples. We find high variability in signal among individual samples, but the overall trends match those observed from sequencing clinical samples. Thus, while clinical sequencing remains a more sensitive technique for population surveillance, wastewater sequencing can be used to monitor trends in mutant prevalence in situations where clinical sequencing is unavailable.

Disparities In Awareness Of And Willingness To Participate In Cancer Clinical Trials Between African American And White Cancer Survivors, Gaurav Kumar, Jungyoon Kim, Paraskevi A. Farazi, Hongmei Wang, Dejun Su

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Cancer clinical trials (CCTs) are essential for cancer care, yet the evidence is scarce when it comes to racial disparities in CCT participation among cancer survivors in the Midwest. This study aimed to 1) assess disparities in the awareness of and willingness to participate in CCTs between African American and White cancer survivors; and 2) compare perceptions about CCTs between the two racial groups.

METHODS: The study was based on cross-sectional data from the survey "Minority Patient Participation in Cancer Clinical Trials" that collected information from 147 Black and White cancer survivors from Nebraska between 2015 and 2016. Chi-square …

Quantifying The Impact Of Immune History And Variant On Sars-Cov-2 Viral Kinetics And Infection Rebound: A Retrospective Cohort Study, James A. Hay, Stephen M. Kissler, Joseph R. Fauver, Christina Mack, Caroline G. Tai, Radhika M. Samant, Sarah Connolly, Deverick J. Anderson, Gaurav Khullar, Matthew Mackay, Miral Patel, Shannan Kelly, April Manhertz, Isaac Eiter, Daisy Salgado, Tim Baker, Ben Howard, Joel T. Dudley, Christopher E. Mason, Manoj Nair, Yaoxing Huang, John Difiori, David D. Ho, Nathan D. Grubaugh, Yonatan H. Grad

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: The combined impact of immunity and SARS-CoV-2 variants on viral kinetics during infections has been unclear.

METHODS: We characterized 1,280 infections from the National Basketball Association occupational health cohort identified between June 2020 and January 2022 using serial RT-qPCR testing. Logistic regression and semi-mechanistic viral RNA kinetics models were used to quantify the effect of age, variant, symptom status, infection history, vaccination status and antibody titer to the founder SARS-CoV-2 strain on the duration of potential infectiousness and overall viral kinetics. The frequency of viral rebounds was quantified under multiple cycle threshold (Ct) value-based definitions.

RESULTS: Among individuals detected …

Access, Socioeconomic Environment, And Death From Covid-19 In Nebraska, He Bai, Michelle M. Schwedhelm, John-Martin Lowe, Rachel Lookadoo, Daniel R. Anderson, Abigail Lowe, James V. Lawler, M. Jana Broadhurst, David Brett-Major

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Our study assesses whether factors related to healthcare access in the first year of the pandemic affect mortality and length of stay (LOS). Our cohort study examined hospitalized patients at Nebraska Medicine between April and October 2020 who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 and had a charted sepsis related diagnostic code. Multivariate logistic was used to analyze the odds of mortality and linear regression was used to calculate the parameter estimates of LOS associated with COVID-19 status, age, gender, race/ethnicity, median household income, admission month, and residential distance from definitive care. Among 475 admissions, the odds of mortality is greater among …

Assessment Of A Program For Sars-Cov-2 Screening And Environmental Monitoring In An Urban Public School District, John Crowe, Andy T. Schnaubelt, Scott Schmidtbonne, Kathleen Angell, Julia Bai, Teresa Eske, Molly Nicklin, Catherine Pratt, Bailey White, Brodie Crotts-Hannibal, Nicholas Staffend, Vicki L. Herrera, Jeramie Cobb, Jennifer Conner, Julie Carstens, Jonell Tempero, Lori Bouda, Matthew Ray, James V. Lawler, Walter S. Campbell, John-Martin Lowe, Joshua L. Santarpia, Shannon Bartelt-Hunt, Michael R. Wiley, David Brett-Major, Cheryl Logan, M. Jana Broadhurst

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Importance: Scalable programs for school-based SARS-CoV-2 testing and surveillance are needed to guide in-person learning practices and inform risk assessments in kindergarten through 12th grade settings.

Objectives: To characterize SARS-CoV-2 infections in staff and students in an urban public school setting and evaluate test-based strategies to support ongoing risk assessment and mitigation for kindergarten through 12th grade in-person learning.

Design, Setting, and Participants: This pilot quality improvement program engaged 3 schools in Omaha, Nebraska, for weekly saliva polymerase chain reaction testing of staff and students participating in in-person learning over a 5-week period from November 9 to December 11, 2020. …

Characteristics Of Sars-Cov-2 Transmission Among Meat Processing Workers In Nebraska, Usa, And Effectiveness Of Risk Mitigation Measures, Jocelyn J. Herstein, Abraham Degarege, Derry Stover, Christopher Austin, Michelle M. Schwedhelm, James V. Lawler, John Lowe, Athena K. Ramos, Matthew Donahue

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has severely impacted the meat processing industry in the United States. We sought to detail demographics and outcomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections among workers in Nebraska meat processing facilities and determine the effects of initiating universal mask policies and installing physical barriers at 13 meat processing facilities. During April 1-July 31, 2020, COVID-19 was diagnosed in 5,002 Nebraska meat processing workers (attack rate 19%). After initiating both universal masking and physical barrier interventions, 8/13 facilities showed a statistically significant reduction in COVID-19 incidence inspecifically, high attack rates among meat processing industry …

Utility Of Repeat Testing For Covid-19: Laboratory Stewardship When The Stakes Are High, Lindsey M. Rearigh, Angela L. Hewlett, Paul D. Fey, M. Jana Broadhurst, David Brett-Major, Mark Rupp, Trevor Van Schooneveld

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to circulate, testing strategies are of the utmost importance. Given national shortages of testing supplies, personal protective equipment, and other hospital resources, diagnostic stewardship is necessary to aid in resource management. We report the low utility of serial testing in a low-prevalence setting.

Recommended Reporting Items For Epidemic Forecasting And Prediction Research: The Epiforge 2020 Guidelines, Simon Pollett, Michael A. Johansson, Nicholas G. Reich, David Brett-Major, Sara Y. Del Valle, Srinivasan Venkatramanan, Rachel Lowe, Travis Porco, Irina Maljkovic Berry, Alina Deshpande, Moritz U. G. Kraemer, David L. Blazes, Wirichada Pan-Ngum, Alessandro Vespigiani, Suzanne E. Mate, Sheetal P. Silal, Sasikiran Kandula, Rachel Sippy, Talia M. Quandelacy, Jeffrey J. Morgan, Jacob Ball, Lindsay C. Morton, Benjamin M. Althouse, Julie Pavlin, Wilbert Van Panhuis, Steven Riley, Matthew Biggerstaff, Cecile Viboud, Oliver Brady, Caitlin Rivers

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: The importance of infectious disease epidemic forecasting and prediction research is underscored by decades of communicable disease outbreaks, including COVID-19. Unlike other fields of medical research, such as clinical trials and systematic reviews, no reporting guidelines exist for reporting epidemic forecasting and prediction research despite their utility. We therefore developed the EPIFORGE checklist, a guideline for standardized reporting of epidemic forecasting research.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: We developed this checklist using a best-practice process for development of reporting guidelines, involving a Delphi process and broad consultation with an international panel of infectious disease modelers and model end users. The objectives …

Multiplex Qpcr Discriminates Variants Of Concern To Enhance Global Surveillance Of Sars-Cov-2, Chantal B. F. Vogels, Mallery I. Breban, Isabel M. Ott, Tara Alpert, Mary E. Petrone, Anne E. Watkins, Chaney C. Kalinich, Rebecca Earnest, Jessica E. Rothman, Jaqueline Goes De Jesus, Ingra Morales Claro, Giulia Magalhães Ferreira, Myuki A. E. Crispim, Brazil-Uk Cadde Genomic Network, Lavanya Singh, Houriiyah Tegally, Ugochukwu J. Anyaneji, Network For Genomic Surveillance In South Africa, Emma B. Hodcroft, Christopher E. Mason, Gaurav Khullar, Jessica Metti, Joel T. Dudley, Matthew J. Mackay, Megan Nash, Jianhui Wang, Chen Liu, Pei Hui, Steven Murphy, Caleb Neal, Eva Laszlo, Marie L. Landry, Anthony Muyombwe, Randy Downing, Jafar Razeq, Tulio De Oliveira, Nuno R. Faria, Ester C. Sabino, Richard A. Neher, Joseph R. Fauver, Nathan D. Grubaugh

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

With the emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants that may increase transmissibility and/or cause escape from immune responses, there is an urgent need for the targeted surveillance of circulating lineages. It was found that the B.1.1.7 (also 501Y.V1) variant, first detected in the United Kingdom, could be serendipitously detected by the Thermo Fisher TaqPath COVID-19 PCR assay because a key deletion in these viruses, spike Δ69-70, would cause a "spike gene target failure" (SGTF) result. However, a SGTF result is not definitive for B.1.1.7, and this assay cannot detect other variants of concern (VOC) that lack …

Improvements To A Framework For Gender And Emerging Infectious Diseases, Lynn Lieberman Lawry, Roberta Lugo-Robles, Vicki Mciver

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

No abstract provided.

Infection-Associated Biofilms And Statins: Protocol For Systematic Review, Dora Yesenia Valencia, Magdiel Habila, D. Jean Mcclelland, Abraham Degarege, Purnima Madhivanan, Karl Krupp

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

INTRODUCTION: Owing to their propensity for being associated with infections, biofilms have become a focus in infectious disease research. There is evidence suggesting that statins, which are commonly used for prevention of cardiovascular disease, may prevent biofilm-associated infections, but this association has not been well-understood.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This systematic review protocol will include six database searches from their inception to 20 August 2020. A medical librarian will conduct the searches in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, LILACS and CENTRAL, without any limits. Bibliographies of selected articles, previously published reviews and high-yield journals that publish on statins and/or biofilms …

Viral Dynamics Of Acute Sars-Cov-2 Infection And Applications To Diagnostic And Public Health Strategies, Stephen M. Kissler, Joseph R. Fauver, Christina Mack, Scott W. Olesen, Caroline Tai, Kristin Y. Shiue, Chaney C. Kalinich, Sarah Jednak, Isabel M. Ott, Chantal B. F. Vogels, Jay Wohlgemuth, James Weisberger, John Difiori, Deverick J. Anderson, Jimmie Mancell, David D. Ho, Nathan D. Grubaugh, Yonatan H. Grad

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

SARS-CoV-2 infections are characterized by viral proliferation and clearance phases and can be followed by low-level persistent viral RNA shedding. The dynamics of viral RNA concentration, particularly in the early stages of infection, can inform clinical measures and interventions such as test-based screening. We used prospective longitudinal quantitative reverse transcription PCR testing to measure the viral RNA trajectories for 68 individuals during the resumption of the 2019-2020 National Basketball Association season. For 46 individuals with acute infections, we inferred the peak viral concentration and the duration of the viral proliferation and clearance phases. According to our mathematical model, we found …

Investigation Of A Sars-Cov-2 B.1.1.529 (Omicron) Variant Cluster - Nebraska, November-December 2021, Lauren Jansen, Bryan Tegomoh, Kate Lange, Kimberly Showalter, Jon Figliomeni, Baha Abdalhamid, Peter C. Iwen, Joseph R. Fauver, Bryan Buss, Matthew Donahue

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

The B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) was first detected in specimens collected on November 11, 2021, in Botswana and on November 14 in South Africa;* the first confirmed case of Omicron in the United States was identified in California on December 1, 2021 (1). On November 29, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services was notified of six probable cases^† of COVID-19 in one household, including one case in a man aged 48 years (the index patient) who had recently returned from Nigeria. Given the patient's travel history, Omicron infection was suspected. Specimens …

Lying In Wait: The Resurgence Of Dengue Virus After The Zika Epidemic In Brazil, Anderson Fernandes Brito, Lais Ceschini Machado, Rachel J. Oidtman, Márcio Junio Lima Siconelli, Quan Minh Tran, Joseph R. Fauver, Rodrigo Dias De Oliveira Carvalho, Filipe Zimmer Dezordi, Mylena Ribeiro Pereira, Luiza Antunes De Castro-Jorge, Elaine Cristina Manini Minto, Luzia Márcia Romanholi Passos, Chaney C. Kalinich, Mary E. Petrone, Emma Allen, Guido Camargo España, Angkana T. Huang, Derek A. T. Cummings, Guy Baele, Rafael Freitas Oliveira Franca, Benedito Antônio Lopes Da Fonseca, T. Alex Perkins, Gabriel Luz Wallau, Nathan D. Grubaugh

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

After the Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic in the Americas in 2016, both Zika and dengue incidence declined to record lows in many countries in 2017-2018, but in 2019 dengue resurged in Brazil, causing ~2.1 million cases. In this study we use epidemiological, climatological and genomic data to investigate dengue dynamics in recent years in Brazil. First, we estimate dengue virus force of infection (FOI) and model mosquito-borne transmission suitability since the early 2000s. Our estimates reveal that DENV transmission was low in 2017-2018, despite conditions being suitable for viral spread. Our study also shows a marked decline in dengue susceptibility …

Molecular Characterization Of Cryptosporidium Spp. From Humans In Ethiopia, Ambachew W. Hailu, Abraham Degarege, Haileeyesus Adamu, Damien Costa, Venceslas Villier, Abdelmounaim Mouhajir, Loic Favennec, Romy Razakandrainibe, Beyene Petros

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Data on the distribution and genotype of Cryptosporidium species is limited in Ethiopia. This study examined the presence and genetic diversity of Cryptosporidium species circulating in Ethiopian human population. Stool samples collected from patients who visited rural (n = 94) and urban (n = 93) health centers in Wurgissa and Hawassa district, respectively, were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. using microscopy, nested PCR and real-time PCR. To detect infection with PCR, analysis of 18S ribosomal RNA was performed. Subtyping was performed by sequencing a fragment of GP60 gene. The overall prevalence of infection was 46% (n = 86) …

Long-Term Assessment Of The Effects Of Covid-19 And Isolation Care On Survivor Disability And Anxiety, David Brett-Major, David S. Cates, James V. Lawler, Chad Vokoun, Angela L. Hewlett, Daniel W. Johnson, Elizabeth R. Schnaubelt, Michael C. Wadman, Christopher J. Kratochvil, M. Jana Broadhurst

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

We conducted an assessment of disability, anxiety, and other life impacts of COVID-19 and isolation care in a unique cohort of individuals. These included both community admissions to a university hospital as well as some of the earliest international aeromedical evacuees. Among an initial 16 COVID-19 survivors that were interviewed 6-12 months following their admission into isolation care, perception of their isolation care experience was related to their reporting of long-term consequences. However, anxiety and disability assessed with standard scores had no relationship with each other. Both capture of the isolation care experience and caution relying on single scoring systems …

Real-Time Public Health Communication Of Local Sars-Cov-2 Genomic Epidemiology, Chaney C. Kalinich, Cole G. Jensen, Peter Neugebauer, Mary E. Petrone, Mario Peña-Hernández, Isabel M. Ott, Anne L. Wyllie, Tara Alpert, Chantal B. F. Vogels, Joseph R. Fauver, Nathan D. Grubaugh, Anderson F. Brito

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Genomic epidemiology can provide a unique, real-time understanding of SARS-CoV-2 transmission patterns. Yet the potential for genomic analyses to guide local policy and community-based behavioral decisions is limited because they are often oriented towards specially trained scientists and conducted on a national or global scale. Here, we propose a new paradigm: Phylogenetic analyses performed on a local level (municipal, county, or state), with results communicated in a clear, timely, and actionable manner to strengthen public health responses. We believe that presenting results rapidly, and tailored to a non-expert audience, can serve as a template for effective public health response to …

Identification And Evaluation Of Epidemic Prediction And Forecasting Reporting Guidelines: A Systematic Review And A Call For Action, Simon Pollett, Michael Johansson, Matthew Biggerstaff, Lindsay C. Morton, Sara L. Bazaco, David Brett-Major, Anna M. Stewart-Ibarra, Julie A. Pavlin, Suzanne Mate, Rachel Sippy, Laurie J. Hartman, Nicholas G. Reich, Irina Maljkovic Berry, Jean-Paul Chretien, Benjamin M. Althouse, Diane Myer, Cecile Viboud, Caitlin Rivers

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

INTRODUCTION: High quality epidemic forecasting and prediction are critical to support response to local, regional and global infectious disease threats. Other fields of biomedical research use consensus reporting guidelines to ensure standardization and quality of research practice among researchers, and to provide a framework for end-users to interpret the validity of study results. The purpose of this study was to determine whether guidelines exist specifically for epidemic forecast and prediction publications.

METHODS: We undertook a formal systematic review to identify and evaluate any published infectious disease epidemic forecasting and prediction reporting guidelines. This review leveraged a team of 18 investigators …