Public Health Commons^™

Hiv Preexposure Prophylaxis And Treatment As Prevention — Beliefs And Access Barriers In Men Who Have Sex With Men (Msm) And Transgender Women: A Systematic Review, Joshua J. Matacotta, Francisco J. Rosales-Perez, Christian M. Carrillo

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: While the annual rate of new HIV infections and diagnoses has remained stable for most groups, troubling increases are seen in transgender women and racial/ethnic-minority men who have sex with men (MSM), groups that are disproportionately affected by HIV. The primary purpose of this systematic review is to examine factors that impact attitudes and beliefs about preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and treatment as prevention (TasP) and to explore barriers to PrEP uptake in MSM and transgender women.

Methods: Using MeSH terms and relevant keywords, we conducted a systematic review of studies published between 2010 and 2019. We searched 4 literature …

The Importance Of Cycle Threshold Values In The Evaluation Of Patients With Persistent Positive Pcr For Sars-Cov-2: Case Study And Brief Review, Jose Bordon, Donghoon Chung, Priya Krishnan, Ruth Carrico, Julio A. Ramirez

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Some patients recover from COVID-19, but their reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for SARS-CoV-2 remains persistently positive. In the evaluation of these patients, it is important to define the cycle threshold (Ct) value of the RT-PCR test. This article will present a case study, address relevant findings and interpretation of the RT-PCR test, and explain the use of Ct values in defining when a healthcare worker may return to work. Our current approach is to allow health care workers with persistently positive RT-PCR to return to work if the Ct value is greater than 35.

Developing A Virus-Like Particle (Vlp)-Based Vaccine For Neisseria Gonorrhoeae, Ashvini Vaidya

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) is a sexually transmitted bacterium that infects human reproductive mucosal surfaces. Due to the risk of complications in untreated cases and evolving antibiotic resistance, a prophylactic vaccine is critical for preventing infection. There are four Ng outer-membrane proteins that contribute to Ng survival and resistance: PorB, BamA, TbpA, and MtrE. Each protein contains surface-exposed loops that are targets of bactericidal antibodies. Vaccines were developed by displaying Ng epitopes on the surface of bacteriophage virus-like particles (VLP). VLPs are immunogenic, multivalent, self-assembling complexes composed of viral structural proteins. Antigenic peptide sequences can be displayed on the surface …

Covid-19 Surveillance Testing Of Healthcare Personnel Drives Universal Masking Practice, Paul S. Schulz, Ashley M. Wilde, Steve T. Hester, Jim Frazier, Julio A. Ramirez

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Health care professionals (HCP) are at increased risk of COVID-19 infection due to the unpredictable clinical presentation of COVID-19 disease, limited SARS-CoV-2 testing, personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages, and the inherent inability to distance from patients. Infected HCP may infect others, including coworkers, leading to a simultaneous increase in the number of infections and decrease in the availability of HCP in a community. Due to PPE shortages, many healthcare systems have faced difficult decisions regarding utilization of PPE to protect HCP, patients, and the communities they serve. We describe Norton Healthcare’s success utilizing surveillance COVID-19 testing of HCP to inform …

Why Every Hospital Needs A Covid-19 Clinical Case Review Team, Ashley M. Wilde, Paul Schulz, Brian C. Bohn, Sarah E. Moore, Matthew Song, Clayton J. Patross, Bryan Denham, Jim Frazier, Steve T. Hester, Julio A. Ramirez

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

A hospital’s response to a global pandemic requires a coordinated effort to provide consistent guidance as information rapidly changes. In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, diagnosis and subsequent containment was challenging due to unfamiliarity with disease presentation, unknown reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction sensitivity, and inconsistent access to testing supplies. A centralized COVID-19 clinical case review team can provide guidance on test interpretation, isolation, resource coordination and more.

The Nurse Practitioner In The Time Of Covid, Julie Marfell, Lynn Kelso

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

An Overview Of Current Clinical Trials Of Agents For The Treatment And Prevention Of Covid-19 In The United States, Kenneth Schot Hannan, William P. Mckinney

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Introduction: Given the rapid worldwide spread of SARS-CoV-2 and the attendant risks for severe complications and mortality, numerous clinical trials for its treatment and prevention have been generated in a short period. This report focuses on the categories of the wide spectrum of agents being studied in the United States and the intensity of effort involved with each so that clinicians may consider whether suggesting enrollment may be appropriate for their patients.

Methods: A search was completed of the ClinicalTrials.gov database on May 28, 2020, for all such trials underway as of that date in the US. A total 190 …

Rna-Gps Predicts Sars-Cov-2 Rna Residency To Host Mitochondria And Nucleolus, Kevin E Wu, Furqan M Fazal, Kevin R Parker, James Zou, Howard Y Chang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

SARS-CoV-2 genomic and subgenomic RNA (sgRNA) transcripts hijack the host cell's machinery. Subcellular localization of its viral RNA could, thus, play important roles in viral replication and host antiviral immune response. We perform computational modeling of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA subcellular residency across eight subcellular neighborhoods. We compare hundreds of SARS-CoV-2 genomes with the human transcriptome and other coronaviruses. We predict the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome and sgRNAs to be enriched toward the host mitochondrial matrix and nucleolus, and that the 5' and 3' viral untranslated regions contain the strongest, most distinct localization signals. We interpret the mitochondrial residency signal as an …

Vaccine-Preventable Diseases In The Time Of Covid, Thaddeus Zajdowicz, Margan Zajdowicz

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Covid-19 Spread In Europe: The Soccer Connection, Bibodh J. Karki, Raghava S. Ambadapoodi, Zahid Imran, Julio A. Ramirez

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Introduction: Mass gatherings, such as sports events, are potential causes of the rapid spread of COVID-19 infection. Millions of soccer fans travel across Europe every week. With the world’s most popular leagues continuing play until the second week of March 2020, we hypothesize that a correlation exists between the number of people attending the soccer league games in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and the UK and the increasing number of cases of COVID-19 in these countries during the ongoing epidemic.

Methods: We calculated the total number of attendees in the five major soccer leagues from the popular sports websites and …

The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities And Threats (Swot) Analysis Of The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Of Covid-19, Michael Oluyemi Babalola Ph.D

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 is the etiologic agent of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), a highly contagious, emergent, acute, viral pneumonia that emanated sporadically in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. COVID-19 became a pandemic in February 2020, leading to 4,942,687 confirmed cases and over 321,987 deaths and grounding several economies around the world as of May 2020. Although global researchers, epidemiologists, virologists, and medical professionals rose steadily to contain the disease, in-depth knowledge of the virus and concerted efforts to combat it are still evolving. This research sought to elucidate the biological Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats to SARS-CoV-2, with a view to …

Projecting The Covid-19 Weekly Deaths And Hospitalizations For Jefferson County, Kentucky, Seyed Karimi, Natalie Dupre, W. Paul Mckinney, Bert B. Little, Naiya Patel, Sarah Moyer

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Introduction: The trends in the numbers of active hospitalizations and fatalities caused by the COVID-19 in Jefferson County, Kentucky, were projected over the period May 7 to August 20, 2020.

Methods: The projections provided in this report are from a susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered (SEIR) model. The model was calibrated using the COVID-19 transmission dynamics parameters from relevant literature and clinical dynamics parameters from the county’s data. The model was used to measure the impact of public health policy interventions designed to contain the infection. The policy was modeled by its intervention day and impact on the transmission of the virus such that …

Publication Of Data Collection Forms From Nhlbi Funded Sickle Cell Disease Implementation Consortium (Scdic) Registry, Jeffrey Glassberg, Elizabeth A. Linton, Katrina Burson, Tabitha Hendershot, Joseph Telfair, Julie Kanter, Victor R. Gordeuk, Allison A. King, Cathy L. Melvin, Nirmish Shah, Jane S. Hankins, Axel Yannick Epié, Lynne D. Richardson

Health Policy & Community Health: Faculty Publications

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an autosomal recessive blood disorder affecting approximately 100,000 Americans and 3.1 million people globally. The scarcity of relevant knowledge and experience with rare diseases creates a unique need for cooperation and infrastructure to overcome challenges in translating basic research advances into clinical advances. Despite registry initiatives in SCD, the unavailability of descriptions of the selection process and copies of final data collection tools, coupled with incomplete representation of the SCD population hampers further research progress. This manuscript describes the SCDIC (Sickle Cell Disease Implementation Consortium) Registry development and makes the SCDIC Registry baseline …

False-Negative Sars-Cov-2 Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (Rt-Pcr) Is An Important Consideration For Patient Management And Infection Prevention: A Case Report From The Louisville Covid-19 Epidemiology Study, Matthew Song Pharmd, Bcidp, Ashley M. Wilde, Sarah E. Moore Pharmd, Brian C. Bohn Pharmd, Clayton J. Patross, Bryan Denham, Paul Schulz, Julio A. Ramirez

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

We report a case of false-negative SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on a nasopharyngeal swab. Treating clinicians and infection preventionists should maintain a high suspicion for COVID-19 in the appropriate clinical setting despite negative test results. Utilization of chest computed tomography (CT) should be strongly considered in the diagnostic work-up for suspected COVID-19, particularly in areas with limited RT-PCR availability.

Concomitant Invasive Pneumococcal Disease In A Patient With Covid-19 – A Case Report From The Louisville Epidemiology Study, Clayton J. Patross, Brian C. Bohn Pharmd, Sarah E. Moore Pharmd, Paul Schulz, Matthew Song Pharmd, Bcidp, Ashley M. Wilde, Julio A. Ramirez

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

A 60-year-old male presented to the emergency department (ED) with a 1–2 day history of confusion, headache, and subjective fever. Because he had met with a contact two days prior to admission who had recently traveled from the Bahamas, a COVID-19 nasopharyngeal (NP) and oropharyngeal (OP) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was ordered. He was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis based on presenting neurologic symptoms and the identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae from blood cultures. The COVID-19 NP and OP test returned positive, although he never developed shortness of breath, cough, other respiratory symptoms, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, or any change …

Geriatrics In Clinical Practice And Beyond: Brain Health, The Sixth Vital Sign?, Nannette Hoffman

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Brain health in middle age and geriatric patients will take on greater importance for health care practitioners in our aging society. This article discusses various approaches clinicians can use for their patients to promote and improve brain health. These are generally the same lifestyle adoptions for cerebrovascular disease and cardiovascular disease prevention: weight management, exercise, and blood pressure and cholesterol lowering. Social stimulation and cognitive activities may also be important for the elderly.

The Other Epidemic, Bruce Deighton

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

The epidemic level of opioid abuse in the U.S. population continues to present a major challenge to our society and to the medical profession. Medical education has a significant role in improving screening, diagnosis, appropriate treatment and management of opioid use disorder. Addressing the problem of overprescribing opioids through physician education, surveillance and opioid management has resulted in significant improvement, translating to fewer overdose deaths from prescription opioids. Graduate medical education can increase access to care by training more addiction medicine specialists, and training other physicians to prescribe buprenorphine and provide access to medically assisted care.

Whims (Washing Hands, Immunity Boost, Masking & Social Distancing), Srinivasan Ragothaman

Creative Work

This is a shot poem about preventing the spread of Covid-19. It pleads general public to wear masks, wash hands, social distance, and boost immunity. It is set to a popular tune in Hindi - Dil Ke Jharoke Mein.

America At A Glance: Covid-19 And Disability In Rural Areas, Rtc: Rural, University Of Montana Rural Institute

Health and Wellness

To learn more about COVID-19 impacts on rural people with disabilities, we conducted a survey in late April/early May to explore rural and urban differences in COVID-19 health risks, adherence to public health recommendations, and trust in different information sources. We focused on people with disabilities because they often experience higher rates of secondary health conditions that place them at heightened risk of COVID-19 complications. Summary findings: Rural respondents reported higher rates of COVID-19 health risk factors, but less adherence to public health recommendations. Overall, individuals with health risk factors reported adopting fewer public health recommendations than individuals without health …

Occupation-Based Learning Modules In Preparation For Parole: A Program Evaluation, Alisha Cheyne, Gabrielle Martino, Elizabeth Vander Wall, Natalie Wallace

Community Based

A qualitative research study was conducted that examined occupational therapy students’ fieldwork rotation at Muskegon Correctional Facility, where they implemented a 15-week pre-parole program. One focus group with three participants was conducted. Transcription, coding, and theming followed, providing five themes; restriction, OT perceptions, learning styles, future needs, and relationships. Results showed areas of needs within this population, ways occupational therapy can address this need, and general improvements that can be made to pre-release programs.

Differential Effects Of Buprenorphine/Naloxone Vs. Methadone On Quality Of Life Over Time: A Subset Of The Bravo Study (Buprenorphine To Improve Hiv Care Engagement And Outcomes: A Randomized Trial), Ali Mirzazadeh Javaheri

University Honors Theses

Health-related Quality of Life (QoL) is generally poorer in individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) in comparison with those suffering from other chronic diseases. Little is known about the difference each buprenorphine/naloxone (BUP/NX) or methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) may make in the QoL for the HIV-infected people with OUD who are new to HIV care. The objective of this study is to evaluate the difference in the impact that BUP/NX and MMT treatment delivery models make on the QoL of the HIV-infected participants with OUD in Vietnam.

This study was a subset of the BRAVO study, buprenorphine to improve HIV …

Awareness Of And Willingness To Use Prep Among Black And Latinx Adolescents Residing In Higher Prevalence Areas In The United States, Tamara Taggart, Yilin Liang, Paolo Pina, Tashuna Albritton

Publications and Research

This mixed-methods study examined awareness of and willingness to use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among sexually active Black and Latinx adolescents (13–17 years) residing in five cities in the United States with some of the highest burden of HIV. Data are from adolescents who participated in a cross-sectional survey (n = 208) and one-on-one interviews and focus groups (n = 26) conducted from September 2017—August 2019. Approximately 50% of the sample were recruited through community efforts, and the other half through a panel. Logistic regression with covariates including sexual orientation, relationship status, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity were used to assess factors …

Knowledge Of Breast Cancer And Screening Methods Among Rural Women In Southwest Nigeria, Rowland Edet, Oluwayimika Ekundina

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to assess the awareness of rural women on breast cancer and its screening methods in Southwest Nigeria. Descriptive cross-sectional survey design with the aid of a semi-structured questionnaire was used to generate data among 422 rural women in selected communities in Egbeda local government area of Ibadan. The qualitative data was generated through in-depth interviews among rural women and key informant interviews among health workers in the communities. The study revealed that only 63.7% were aware of breast cancer screening methods compared to 31.6% who were not aware. The commonly known screening method among …

Bioethics And Covid-19: The Tension Of Quarantine And Civil Liberties, Jeffrey H. Dobken

NYMC Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 public health response is based on law and concepts developed to address an act of
bioterrorism. In the absence of a specific treatment or vaccine for an identified patient with COVID-19 this is fundamentally a statistical approach to preserve the general healthy population rather than address the needs of the individual patient.

A Qualitative Exploration Of Community Ownership Of A Maternity Waiting Home Model In Rural Zambia, Constance P. Fontanet Mph, Rachel M. Fong, Jeanette L. Kaiser, Misheck Bwalya, Thandiwe Ngoma, Taryn Vian, Godfrey Biemba, Nancy A. Scott

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

Context

Ownership is an important construct of sustainability for community-based health programming, though it is often not clearly defined or measured. We implemented and evaluated a community-driven maternity waiting home (MWH) model in rural Zambia. We engaged stakeholders at all levels and provided intensive mentorship to an MWH governance committee comprised of community-selected members. We then examined how different stakeholders perceive community ownership of the MWH.

Methods

We conducted 42 focus group discussions with community stakeholders (pregnant women, fathers, elders, and community health volunteers) and 161 in-depth interviews with MWH stakeholders (health facility staff, district health officials, and MWH governance …

How Much Can Mexican Healthcare Providers Learn About Breastfeeding Through A Semi-Virtual Training? A Propensity Score Matching Analysis, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, Meztli Moncada, Diana Flores

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: Mexico has shown a worrisome decrease in breastfeeding indicators, especially in the lowest socioeconomic level. Improving breastfeeding protection, promotion, and support services through workforce development is a key area of intervention. The objective of this study is to assess the influence on breastfeeding knowledge and abilities of a semi-virtual training for primary healthcare providers assisting beneficiaries of PROSPERA in Mexico, which is one of the largest conditional cash-transfer programs in the world. Methods: Two independent cross-sectional samples of healthcare providers were drawn at baseline and post-intervention in three states of Mexico. Baseline data were collected among primary physicians, registered …

The Impact Of Relationship Wellness Checkups With Gay Male Couples, Mary Minten, Cass Dykeman

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

Relationship health impacts many other health outcomes, including physical and mental wellbeing and the health of children in the family system (Goeke-Morey, Cummings, & Papp, 2007; Jaremka, Glaser, Malarkey, & Kiecolt-Glaser, 2013; Jaremka, Lindgren, & Kiecolt-Glaser, 2013; Pihet, Bodenmann, Cina, Widmer, & Shantinath, 2007; Rappaport, 2013; Robles, Slatcher, Trombello, & McGinn, 2014). Despite the importance of relationship health, couples do not regularly seek support for maintaining their connection (Eubanks-Fleming & Cordova, 2012). Early intervention programs that provide support are a growing public health initiative (Cowan & Cowan, 2014). One brief early intervention program, the Marriage Checkup (MC), positively impacts …

Perceptions Of Stakeholders About The Role Of Health System In Suicide Prevention In Ghizer, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, Anila Anjum, Tazeen S. Ali, Nousheen Pradhan, Murad M. Khan Dr., Rozina Karmaliani Professor

Community Health Sciences

Background: Suicide is a serious global public health problem, with more than 800,000 people dying by suicide worldwide every year. 79% of suicides happen in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), where lack of national suicide prevention programs coupled with inadequate MH facilities for early identification and treatment of mental disorders add to seriousness of the problems. Although there is paucity of research, studies suggest that the rate of suicide in district Ghizer, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), in northern Pakistan may be higher compared to rest of the country.
Methods: This study aimed to explore the perceptions of stakeholders about the role of …

Medical And Mental Health Comorbidities Among Minority Racial/Ethnic Groups In The United States, Naheed Ahmed, C. Andrew Conway

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Objective. To examine the prevalence of and the association between comorbid disorders and race/ethnicity in the United States.

Methods. Using cross-sectional data from the 2012 National Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System [N=45,207,844], we examined comorbidity of psychological distress with self-reported diagnosis of diabetes, angina, and with history of heart attack and stroke. Logistic regression was used to examine between group differences by race/ethnicity.

Results. Unadjusted results indicate that American Indian [OR 4.01, 95%CI: 1.78, 9.04] and Hispanic [OR 1.55, 95%CI: 1.04, 2.33] participants were more likely to have psychological distress and history of heart attack in comparison …

Structural And Social Determinants Of Opioid Abuse Among Florida-Based Hospitals, Donald R. Haley, Hanadi Hamadi, Jing Xu, Mei Zhao, Anh Viet Tran Nguyen, Dayana Martinez

Florida Public Health Review

Background: With over two million people suffering from opioid abuse disorders, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has identified opioid abuse as a key priority. Florida is one of eight states labeled as a high-burden opioid abuse and is an “epicenter” for opioid use and misuse.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to discover potential predictors of opioid abuse in Florida by exploring specific healthcare delivery, geographic, and patient demographic factors.

Methods: A retrospective longitudinal study design was used to examine four years (2014-2017) of Florida inpatient administrative discharge data across 173 hospitals of opioid abuse rate. …