Virus Diseases Commons^™

Insights From Individuals With Chronic Conditions In The Context Of Covid-19, B. Stephen Burton, Jonathan Patterson, Mackenzie Robinson, Dhiren Patel, Matt Allison, Kelly J. Brassil

Patient Experience Journal

The objective of this prospective survey series was to evaluate knowledge and concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic among individuals with one or more chronic conditions, including cardiometabolic, autoimmune, respiratory and cancer diagnoses. Two surveys were distributed consisting of up to 55 items (March; n=1069) and up to 71 items (April, n=1126), with 24 items repeated from the first survey. Questions focused on healthcare access, barriers and concerns related to the COVID-19 virus. Descriptive analysis evaluated central tendencies, spread, and frequencies of the demographic data, disease states, and survey results within and between the two survey timepoints. Results from 416 …

Treatment With Hydroxychloroquine, Azithromycin, And Combination In Patients Hospitalized With Covid-19, Samia Arshad, Paul Kilgore, Zohra S. Chaudhry, Gordon Jacobsen, Dee Dee Wang, Kylie Huitsing, Indira Brar, George J. Alangaden, Mayur S. Ramesh, John E. Mckinnon, William O'Neill, Marcus Zervos, Henry Ford Covid-19 Task Force

Department of Pharmacy Practice

Significance: The United States is in an acceleration phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently there is no known effective therapy or vaccine for treatment of SARS-CoV-2, highlighting urgency around identifying effective therapies.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of hydroxychloroquine therapy alone and in combination with azithromycin in hospitalized patients positive for COVID-19.

Design: Multi-center retrospective observational study.

Setting: The Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) in Southeast Michigan: large six hospital integrated health system; the largest of hospitals is an 802-bed quaternary academic teaching hospital in urban Detroit, Michigan.

Participants: Consecutive patients hospitalized with a …

Prospects For Rnai Therapy Of Covid-19, Hasan Uludağ, Kylie Parent, Hamidreza Montazeri Aliabadi, Azita Haddadi

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is a fast emerging disease with deadly consequences. The pulmonary system and lungs in particular are most prone to damage caused by the SARS-CoV-2 infection, which leaves a destructive footprint in the lung tissue, making it incapable of conducting its respiratory functions and resulting in severe acute respiratory disease and loss of life. There were no drug treatments or vaccines approved for SARS-CoV-2 at the onset of pandemic, necessitating an urgent need to develop effective therapeutics. To this end, the innate RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism can be employed to develop front line therapies against …

Convalescent Plasma In Covid-19, Ranjit S. Banwait, Joshua K. Salabei, Troy J. Fishman, Uma G. Iyer

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

The recent pandemic of SARS-CoV-2, which causes novel coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), has had devastating impact on a global and national scale. In order to overcome this outbreak it is imperative we find treatments that are safe and effective. To date, no definitive treatment is available that can curtail the spread of this viral syndrome. Convalescent plasma (CP) is one such option that has repeatedly served as an important tool in treatment of various bacterial and viral infections, especially in the setting of no specific antimicrobial or vaccination against an infectious disease. Herein, we review the history of CP, prior …

Initial And Repeated Point Prevalence Surveys To Inform Sars-Cov-2 Infection Prevention In 26 Skilled Nursing Facilities - Detroit, Michigan, March-May 2020, Guillermo V. Sanchez, Caitlin Bierdon, Lauren R. Fink, Kelly M. Hatfield, Jordan Micah F. Polistico, Monica P. Meyers, Rebecca S. Noe, Casey E. Copen, Amanda K. Lyons, Gonzalo Gonzalez, Keith Kiama, Mark Lebednick, Bonnie K. Caander, Amen Agbonze, Aimee R. Surma, Avnish Sandhu, Valerie H. Mika, Tyler Prentiss, John Zervos, Donia A. Dalal, Amber M. Vasquez, Sujan C. Reddy, John Jernigan, Paul E. Kilgore, Marcus J. Zervos, Teena Chopra, Carla P. Bezold, Najibah K. Rehman

Department of Pharmacy Practice

No abstract provided.

Silent Hypoxia In Covid-19: What Is Old Is New Again!, Sadaf Sheikh, Muhammad Akbar Baig

Department of Emergency Medicine

No abstract provided.

The Covid-19 Pandemic And The Power Of Numbers, Jessica Ancker

Numeracy

The COVID-19 pandemic has produced a deluge of news coverage of quantitative concepts. In this viewpoint, we provide examples of effective and poor quantitative communication by the professional news media as well as social media communicators. Effective examples include a number of online animations and engaging interactive simulations. Examples of poor quantitative communication include the widespread reporting of raw numbers rather than rates, failing to address uncertainty, not providing sufficient context for numbers, and not discussing the implications of false negative and false positive diagnostic test results. Educators can draw from this body of news to develop compelling quantitative literacy …

Pneumonia: An Unexpected Graveyard Visitor?, Daniel A. Casas, Jigar Chauhan, Melanie Williams, Jan Sambataro, David Sukhai, Pablo G. Dubon, Jorge Perez

West Florida Division GME Research Day 2020

Community acquired pneumonia caused by Influenza can present with superinfection. On rare occasions, an unexpected organism is discovered.

How Immune T-Cell Augmentation Can Help Prevent Covid-19: A Possible Nutritional Solution Using Ketogenic Lifestyle, Ravi K. Kamepalli Md,Fidsa,Cwsp

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

A Real-World Analysis Of Patient Characteristics And Predictors Of Hospitalization Among Us Medicare Beneficiaries With Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection, Veronique Wyffels, Furaha Kariburyo, Sandra Gavart, Roman Fleischhackl, Huseyin Yuce

Publications and Research

Introduction: Little has been published on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among Medicare patients at high risk (HR) of RSV complications due to age or comorbidity. Methods: Adult patients (at least 18 years of age) with at least 1 diagnostic code for RSV were identified using the 5% US Medicare database from 2011 through 2015. Patients were required to have continuous health plan enrollment for 180 days pre- and 180 days post-RSV diagnosis (baseline and follow-up periods, respectively). HR was defined as diagnosis of chronic lung disease, congestive heart failure, or weakened immune system for 180 days during the base-line period. …

Literature Review Of Covid-19 Biochemistry, Alexandra Allen

2020 Symposium Posters

SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for the current pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 is a betacoronavirus with a genome that is 79.5% identical to SARS-CoV. The virus enters T lymphocytes using its spike protein with the human angiotension-converting enzyme 2 as its receptor. SARS-CoV-2 was found to have a unique peptide sequence that could contribute to the proteolytic cleavage of the spike protein, therefore potentially impacting host range and transmissibility. COVID-19 is diagnosed through a nasal swab SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR assay and the most common symptoms appear to be fever, cough, and fatigue. The median amount of time an individual will be contagious with …

The Case For Face Shields: Improving The Covid-19 Public Health Policy Toolkit, Timothy L. Wiemken, Ana Santos Rutschman, Robert Gatter

All Faculty Scholarship

As the United States battles the later stages of the first wave of COVID-19 and faces the prospect of future waves, it is time to consider the practical utility of face shields as an alternative or complement to face masks in the policy guidance. Without face shields specifically noted in national guidance, many areas may be reluctant to allow their use as an alternative to cloth face masks, even with sufficient modification.

In this piece, we discuss the benefits of face shields as a substitute to face masks in the context of public health policy. We further discuss the implications …

Substance Use Disorder, Discrimination, And The Cares Act: Using Disability Law To Strengthen New Protections, Kelly K. Dineen, Elizabeth Pendo

All Faculty Scholarship

The COVID-19 pandemic is having devastating consequences for people with substance use disorders (SUD). SUD is a chronic health condition—like people with other chronic health conditions, people with SUD experience periods of remission and periods of exacerbation and relapse. Unlike people with most other chronic conditions, people with SUD who experience a relapse may face criminal charges and incarceration. They are chronically disadvantaged by pervasive social stigma, discrimination, and structural inequities. People with SUD are also at higher risk for both contracting the SARS-CoV-19 virus and experiencing poorer outcomes. Meanwhile, there are early indications that pandemic conditions have led to …

Employee Testing, Tracing, And Disclosure As A Response To The Coronavirus Pandemic, Matthew T. Bodie, Michael Mcmahon

All Faculty Scholarship

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to devastate the United States, the federal government has largely failed to implement a national program to prevent and contain the virus. As a result, many employers have undertaken their own workplace coronavirus mitigation efforts. This essay examines, in three parts, the legal framework surrounding employer systems of workplace testing, tracing, and disclosure. It first examines the legal issues surrounding employer-mandated COVID-19 testing and temperature checks, especially issues arising under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Regarding employer contact tracing efforts, the essay next reviews the multitude …

'Terroristic Threats' And Covid-19: A Guide For The Perplexed, Chad Flanders, Courtney Federico, Eric Harmon, Lucas Klein

All Faculty Scholarship

The first few months of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States saw the rise of a troubling sort of behavior: people would cough or spit on people or otherwise threaten to spread the COVID-19 virus, resulting in panic and sometimes thousands of dollars’ worth of damages to businesses. Those who have been caught doing this — or have filmed themselves doing it — have been charged under so-called “terroristic threat” statutes. But what is a terroristic threat, and is it an appropriate charge in these cases? Surprisingly little has been written about these statutes given their long history and …

Elucidating Immune Signaling Of Influenza A Virus And Aspergillus Fumigatus Co-Infections Through Pioneered Model Development, Meagan Danyelle Rippee-Brooks

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Bacterial co-infections with influenza A virus (IAV) are extremely serious and life-threatening. However, there exists limited understanding about the importance of fungal infections with IAV. Clinical case reports indicate that fungal co-infections do occur and suggest the IAV pandemic of 2009 had a propensity to predispose patients to secondary fungal infections more than previous IAV strains. IAV-fungal co-infections are marked by high mortality rates of 47 to 61% in previously healthy individuals between the ages of 20 and 60. Yet, the variables involved in this co-infection remain undetermined. I achieved effective recapitulation of this co-infection using a C57Bl/6 murine (mouse) …

Epidemiology, Clinical Features And Outcomes Of Patients With Sickle Cell Disease Hospitalized With Influenza, Kyle P. Openo

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Influenza is a respiratory viral infection responsible for annual epidemics, periodic pandemics and regularly causes substantial morbidity, mortality and economic burden worldwide. In the United States alone, influenza causes between 9.2 – 35.6 million cases, 140,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 – 56,000 deaths annually. Individuals with comorbid health conditions are at increased risk of hospitalization and severe outcomes from influenza infection and were recommended for vaccination prior to universal vaccine recommendations. Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) have been included in this group for decades though limited data existed to describe influenza among those with SCD. Recent studies showed …

Community-Acquired Pneumonia In Adults: Diagnostic Reliability Of Physical Examination Techniques And Their Teaching In Academia, Amber Tordoff, Lauren A. Williams

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Background: Chest physical examination techniques are taught in academia, but their usefulness in the evaluation and diagnosis of patients in the clinical setting is controversial. Objective: To investigate the accuracy of physical examination techniques and their reliability in diagnosing community acquired pneumonia (CAP) and suggest a modified teaching approach to be used in academia. Design: Systematic Literature Review. Methods: Database search of PubMed and Google Scholar using the search terms “prediction of pneumonia in adults” and “prediction rule for pulmonary infiltrates.” Filters were implemented to include articles that only dealt with human subjects and were full text. Articles …

Role Of Mucin 19 In The Respiratory Tract, Kaitlin Mcbride

LSU Master's Theses

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a negative sense, single stranded RNA virus belonging to the Pneumoviridae family, and represents an important pathogen that causes severe respiratory disease worldwide. There is currently no vaccine against HMPV, so it is important to study the aspects of the immune response induced by HMPV. Because infiltration of mucus is a hallmark of HMPV infection, it is warranted to study the role of mucus in the disease process. Mucin proteins make up the major component of mucus and can be found within the airway and lungs. Previous work from our laboratory demonstrated a high upregulation of …

Central Nervous System Histoplasmosis: Multicenter Retrospective Study On Clinical Features, Diagnostic Approach And Outcome Of Treatment, Joseph Wheat, Thein Myint, Ying Guo, Phebe Kemmer, Chadi A. Hage, Colin Terry, Marwan M. Azar, James Riddell, Peter Ender, Sharon Chen, Kareem Shehab, Kerry Cleveland, Eden Esguerra, James Johnson, Patty Wright, Vanja Douglas, Pascalis Vergidis, Winnie Ooi, John Baddley, David Bamberger, Raed N. Khairy, Holenarasipur R. Vikram, Elizabeth Jenny-Avital, Geetha Sivasubramanian, Karen Bowlware, Barbara Pahud, Juan Sarria, Townson Tsai, Maha Assi, Satish Mocherla

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Central nervous system (CNS) involvement occurs in 5 to 10% of individuals with disseminated histoplasmosis. Most experience has been derived from small single center case series, or case report literature reviews. Therefore, a larger study of central nervous system (CNS) histoplasmosis is needed in order to guide the approach to diagnosis, and treatment.

A convenience sample of 77 patients with histoplasmosis infection of the CNS was evaluated. Data was collected that focused on recognition of infection, diagnostic techniques, and outcomes of treatment.

Twenty nine percent of patients were not immunosuppressed. Histoplasma antigen, or anti-Histoplasma antibodies were detected in the …

Improving Vaccination Rates In Adults With Type Ii Diabetes In A Family Practice Setting: An Evidence-Based Quality Improvement Project, Ronda Gottlieb

Doctor of Nursing Practice

The purpose of this evidenced-based quality improvement project is to implement processes to facilitate providers’ adherence to the American Diabetes Association (2017), American Association of Clinical Endocrinologist (2015), and American College of Endocrinology (2015) immunization guidelines for adults with type II diabetes. Presently, diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States contributing to serious complications throughout the body as a result of poor glucose control. Adults with diabetes are at increased susceptibility to infectious disease because of hyperglycemia, poor glucose control, and decreased immunity. A protocol was created using The Four Pillars Transformation Program ™ to …

The Kinetics Of Type I Interferons During Influenza A Virus Infection, Margaret A. Myers

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

The Kinetics Of Type I Interferons During Influenza Virus Infection, Margaret A. Myers

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Airway Secretory Micrornaome Changes During Rhinovirus Infection In Early Childhood., M. Gutierrez, J. Gomez, Geovanny Perez, Krishna Pancham, Dinesh K. Pillai, M. Giri, S. Ferrante, Robert J. Freishtat, Mary C. Rose, Diego A. Preciado, Gustavo Nino

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND:

Innate immune responses are fine-tuned by small noncoding RNA molecules termed microRNAs (miRs) that modify gene expression in response to the environment. During acute infections, miRs can be secreted in extracellular vesicles (EV) to facilitate cell-to-cell genetic communication. The purpose of this study was to characterize the baseline population of miRs secreted in EVs in the airways of young children (airway secretory microRNAome) and examine the changes during rhinovirus (RV) infection, the most common cause of asthma exacerbations and the most important early risk factor for the development of asthma beyond childhood.

METHODS:

Nasal airway secretions were obtained from …

Human Pulmonary Microvascular Endothelial Cells Support Productive Replication Of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Viruses: Possible Involvement In The Pathogenesis Of Human H5n1 Virus Infection, Hui Zeng, Claudia Pappas, Jessica A. Belser, Katherine V. Houser, Weiming Zhong, Debra A. Wadford, Troy Stevens, Ron Balczon, Jacqueline M. Katz, Terrence M. Tumpey

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 viruses continue to cause sporadic human infections with a high fatality rate. Respiratory failure due to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a complication among hospitalized patients. Since progressive pulmonary endothelial damage is the hallmark of ARDS, we investigated host responses following HPAI virus infection of human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells. Evaluation of these cells for the presence of receptors preferred by influenza virus demonstrated that avian-like (α2-3-linked) receptors were more abundant than human-like (α2-6-linked) receptors. To test the permissiveness of pulmonary endothelial cells to virus infection, we compared the replication of selected seasonal, …

Evaluation Of The Pilot Program, Pediatric Early Warning Sentinel Surveillance Program (Pewss), And Its Efficacy In Monitoring Pediatric Illness In Clark County, Nevada, Michelle Lee Lutman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The influenza outbreak that occurred during 2009 stimulated the formation of several surveillance programs throughout the country. The majority monitor only influenza; however, there are several other circulating respiratory pathogens, especially within the pediatric community. These other respiratory pathogens cause a variety of illnesses, such as bronchitis, pneumonia, croup, etc. Prior research has provided the medical community with valuable information about respiratory illnesses, especially those which afflict pediatric patients. Areas of knowledge including seasonality, demographics, signs and symptoms, prevention measures, and pathogenicity, have been greatly expanded over the years. This information has been of tremendous help to the medical community …

Real-World Comparison Of Two Molecular Methods For Detection Of Respiratory Viruses, Syed Asad Ali, James E. Gern, Tina V. Hartert, Kathryn M. Edwards, Marie R. Griffin, E Kathryn Mille, Tebeb Gebretsadik, Tressa Pappas, Wai Ming Lee, John V. Williams

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based assays are increasingly used to diagnose viral respiratory infections and conduct epidemiology studies. Molecular assays have generally been evaluated by comparing them to conventional direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) or viral culture techniques, with few published direct comparisons between molecular methods or between institutions. We sought to perform a real-world comparison of two molecular respiratory viral diagnostic methods between two experienced respiratory virus research laboratories.
Methods: We tested nasal and throat swab specimens obtained from 225 infants with respiratory illness for 11 common respiratory viruses using both a multiplex assay (Respiratory MultiCode-PLx Assay [RMA]) …

The Role Of The Ras Superfamily Small G-Proteins In The Proinflammatory Environment Of Rhinovirus-Exposed Monocytic-Lineage Cells, Michael Schreiber

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Rhinoviral infections are a major cause of asthma exacerbations, and though productive rhinovirus infection occurs predominantly in the bronchial epithelial cells of the upper airway, monocytic-lineage cells are implicated in establishing the inflammatory microenvironment observed during rhinoviral asthma exacerbation. It has remained unclear whether small G-protein activation plays a role in establishing this inflammatory microenvironment. The small molecular- weight G-proteins are known to be activated in a variety of cell types upon exposure to a range of viruses. However, it is unclear if small G-protein activation during viral exposure is a byproduct of receptor attachment, is important for viral replication, …

Revisiting Vaccine Hesitancy, Barriers And Motivators To Obtaining A Flu Vaccine In A New Covid-19 Pandemic World, Ann M. Mayo Rn, Dnsc, Faan, Steffanie R. Cobler Np

School of Nursing and Health Science: Faculty Scholarship

Purpose

To describe and compare patient perceived barriers and motivators and decision-making conflict between two groups of hospitalized patients, those who receive flu vaccines and those who do not.

Data Sources

Data collection during 2003 included extracting data from databases and mailing two surveys to 436 discharged patients. One hundred eight (108) patients participated in the study.

Conclusions

Top barriers included fear of side effects from vaccine (35%) and fear of contracting the flu (30%). Top motivators for obtaining a flu vaccine included previous vaccination (93%) and provider recommendation (62%). Barriers, motivators and patient decisional conflict differed depending upon patient …

Outbreak Of Sars, Ambreen Shakil, Muhammad Imran Omar, Saba Sohail

Department of Radiology

No abstract provided.