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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Omicron Variants Of The Sars-Cov-2: A Potentially Significant Threat In A New Wave Of Infections, Lukasz Szarpak, Michal Pruc, Alla Navolokina, Kavita Batra, Francesco Chirico, Charles De Roquetaillade Sep 2022

Omicron Variants Of The Sars-Cov-2: A Potentially Significant Threat In A New Wave Of Infections, Lukasz Szarpak, Michal Pruc, Alla Navolokina, Kavita Batra, Francesco Chirico, Charles De Roquetaillade

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

From the beginning, the COVID-19 pandemic turned out to be a huge challenge and burden for medical services [1]. Currently, humanity is dealing with a new wave of the virus that has evolved and presents a new challenge, mainly due to its ability to avoid immune surveillance. Indeed, our main line of defense — vaccines — may be compromised. Omicron variants are characterized by an evolutionary force unprecedented so far. Among the several sublines that have already emerged, the BA.5 strain exhibit higher transmissibility and demonstrates a worrisome immune evasion. According to several laboratory investigations, vaccination-induced antibodies are less successful …


Assessing Covid-19 Booster Hesitancy And Its Correlates: An Early Evidence From India, Geetanjali C. Achrekar, Kavita Batra, Yashashri Urankar, Ravi Batra, Naved Iqbal, Sabiha A. Choudhury, Deepti Hooda, Roohi Khan, Suraj Arora, Aditi Singh, Francesco Chirico, Manoj Sharma Jun 2022

Assessing Covid-19 Booster Hesitancy And Its Correlates: An Early Evidence From India, Geetanjali C. Achrekar, Kavita Batra, Yashashri Urankar, Ravi Batra, Naved Iqbal, Sabiha A. Choudhury, Deepti Hooda, Roohi Khan, Suraj Arora, Aditi Singh, Francesco Chirico, Manoj Sharma

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 mutants, waning immunity, and breakthrough infections prompted the use of booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to fight against the pandemic. India started booster doses in January 2022 and it is critical to determine the intention of booster dose uptake and its correlates. Therefore, the current cross-sectional study aimed to investigate booster dose acceptability and associated predictors among the Indian population. A convenience sampling technique was utilized to recruit a sample of 687 Indian residents. A 55-item psychometric validated survey tool was used to assess booster dose acceptability, vaccine literacy and vaccine confidence. Univariate, bivariate, and …


Covid-19 Booster Vaccination Hesitancy In The United States: A Multi-Theory-Model (Mtm) Based National Assessment, Kavita Batra, Manoj Sharma, Chia-Liang Dai, Jagdish Khubchandani May 2022

Covid-19 Booster Vaccination Hesitancy In The United States: A Multi-Theory-Model (Mtm) Based National Assessment, Kavita Batra, Manoj Sharma, Chia-Liang Dai, Jagdish Khubchandani

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Despite the availability of COVID-19 vaccines and the proven benefits of vaccinations outweighing the potential risks, hesitancy to accept vaccines and additional doses remains a persistent problem. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to investigate hesitancy, confidence, literacy, and the role of the multi-theory model (MTM) constructs in COVID-19 booster uptake. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized a 52-item psychometric valid web-based survey conducted during the month of October 2021 to recruit a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistical tests were used to analyze the data. Results: Among the booster hesitant group (n = …


Assessing Psychological Impact Of Covid-19 Among Parents Of Children Returning To K-12 Schools: A U.S. Based Cross-Sectional Survey, Kavita Batra, Jennifer R. Pharr, Emylia Terry, Brian Labus Apr 2022

Assessing Psychological Impact Of Covid-19 Among Parents Of Children Returning To K-12 Schools: A U.S. Based Cross-Sectional Survey, Kavita Batra, Jennifer R. Pharr, Emylia Terry, Brian Labus

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background and Purpose: While impacts of the pandemic on family well-being have been documented in the literature, little is known about the psychological challenges faced by children and their parents as schools reopen after mandated closures. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if sending children back to in-person school impacts the mental health of parents and the perceived mental health of their children. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study recruited a nationally representative, non-probability sample of parents or guardians (n = 2100) of children attending grades K-12 in the United States (U.S.) through a 58-item web-based survey. The …


Mental Disorder Symptoms During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Latin America – A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Stephen X. Zhang, Kavita Batra, Wen Xu, Tao Liu, Rebecca Kechen Dong, Allen Yin, Andrew Yilong Delios, Bryan Z. Chen, Richard Z. Chen, Saylor Miller, Xue Wan, Wenping Ye, Jiyao Chen Apr 2022

Mental Disorder Symptoms During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Latin America – A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Stephen X. Zhang, Kavita Batra, Wen Xu, Tao Liu, Rebecca Kechen Dong, Allen Yin, Andrew Yilong Delios, Bryan Z. Chen, Richard Z. Chen, Saylor Miller, Xue Wan, Wenping Ye, Jiyao Chen

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Aims There is a lack of evidence related to the prevalence of mental health symptoms as well as their heterogeneities during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Latin America, a large area spanning the equator. The current study aims to provide meta-analytical evidence on mental health symptoms during COVID-19 among frontline healthcare workers, general healthcare workers, the general population and university students in Latin America. Methods Bibliographical databases, such as PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO and medRxiv, were systematically searched to identify pertinent studies up to August 13, 2021. Two coders performed the screening using predefined eligibility criteria. …


Knowledge Or Awareness Of Non-Communicable Diseases And Their Associated Risk Factors Among University Students In Fiji: A Cross-Sectional Study, Awadhesh Kumar Shirotriya, Kavita Batra Mar 2022

Knowledge Or Awareness Of Non-Communicable Diseases And Their Associated Risk Factors Among University Students In Fiji: A Cross-Sectional Study, Awadhesh Kumar Shirotriya, Kavita Batra

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: Chronic diseases (aka Non-communicable diseases, NCDs) contribute to the global burden of morbidity and mortality, with a significant share of premature deaths among low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Fiji. The early exposure to the risk factors of NCDs affects the entire life course; knowledge or awareness of adolescents towards NCDs and associated risk factors is critical for health promotion. This study aims to investigate the knowledge or awareness level of chronic conditions and their risk factors among Fijian students. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a sample of 338 university students was recruited using the paper as well as web-based …