Public Health Commons^™

Menstrual Irregularities Following Covid-19 Vaccination: A Global Cross-Sectional Survey, Azza Sarfraz, Zouina Sarfraz, Muzna Sarfraz, Zainab Nadeem, Miguel Felix, Ivan Cherrez-Ojeda

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination generates protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infection. There is no clear evidence of COVID-19 vaccine-induced menstrual irregularities.
Objective: To identify potential menstrual irregularities following COVID-19 vaccine among females.
Methods: A worldwide cross-sectional survey study was conducted from June 10, 2021, to July 10, 2021 using online mediums. The survey consisted of 15 questions divided into baseline characteristics, vaccination status and dosage, menstruation and relate factors, and thoughts and knowledge about menstrual irregularities. Non-probability convenience sampling method was used including 510 responses. The results were tabulated, with bivariate analysis and chi-square test results. The sensitivity …

Informing Healthcare Operations With Integrated Pathology, Clinical, And Epidemiology Data: Lessons From A Single Institution In Kenya During Covid-19 Waves, Allan Njau, Jemimah Kimeu, Jaimini Gohil, David Nganga

Pathology, East Africa

Pathology, clinical care teams, and public health experts often operate in silos. We hypothesized that large data sets from laboratories when integrated with other healthcare data can provide evidence that can be used to optimize planning for healthcare needs, often driven by health-seeking or delivery behavior. From the hospital information system, we extracted raw data from tests performed from 2019 to 2021, prescription drug usage, and admission patterns from pharmacy and nursing departments during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya (March 2020 to December 2021). Proportions and rates were calculated. Regression models were created, and a t-test for differences between …

Covid-19 And Vaccination: Myths Vs Science, Vivek P. Chavda, Yangmin Chen, Jayant Dave, Zhe-Sheng Chen, Subhash C. Chauhan, Murali M. Yallapu, Vladimir N. Uversky, Rajashri Bezbaruah, Sandip Patel, Vasso Apostolopoulos

School of Medicine Publications

Introduction: Several vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been developed since the inception of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in December 2019, at unprecedented speed. However, these rapidly developed vaccines raised many questions related to the efficacy and safety of vaccines in different communities across the globe. Various hypotheses regarding COVID-19 and its vaccines were generated, and many of them have also been answered with scientific evidence. Still, there are many myths/misinformation related to COVID-19 and its vaccines, which create hesitancy for COVID-19 vaccination, and must be addressed critically to achieve success in the battle against …

Gaseous Air Pollutants And Dna Methylation In A Methylome-Wide Association Study Of An Ethnically And Environmentally Diverse Population Of Us Adults, Katelyn M Holliday, Rahul Gondalia, Antoine Baldassari, Anne E Justice, James D Stewart, Duanping Liao, Jeff D Yanosky, Kristina M Jordahl, Parveen Bhatti, Themistocles L Assimes, James S Pankow, Weihua Guan, Myriam Fornage, Jan Bressler, Kari E North, Karen N Conneely, Yun Li, Lifang Hou, Pantel S Vokonas, Cavin K Ward-Caviness, Rory Wilson, Kathrin Wolf, Melanie Waldenberger, Josef Cyrys, Annette Peters, H Marike Boezen, Judith M Vonk, Sergi Sayols-Baixeras, Mikyeong Lee, Andrea A Baccarelli, Eric A Whitsel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Epigenetic mechanisms may underlie air pollution-health outcome associations. We estimated gaseous air pollutant-DNA methylation (DNAm) associations using twelve subpopulations within Women's Health Initiative (WHI) and Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohorts (n = 8397; mean age 61.3 years; 83% female; 46% African-American, 46% European-American, 8% Hispanic/Latino). We used geocoded participant address-specific mean ambient carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NO2; NOx), ozone (O3), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentrations estimated over the 2-, 7-, 28-, and 365-day periods before collection of blood samples used to generate Illumina 450 k array leukocyte DNAm measurements. We estimated methylome-wide, subpopulation- and race/ethnicity-stratified pollutant-DNAm associations in …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Adolescent Mental Health And Substance Use, Jeff R Temple, Elizabeth Baumler, Leila Wood, Shannon Guillot-Wright, Elizabeth Torres, Melanie Thiel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to determine whether COVID-19-induced financial impact, stress, loneliness, and isolation were related to perceived changes in adolescent mental health and substance use.

METHODS: Data were from Baseline (2018) and Wave 3 (2020; mean age = 14.8; 50% female) of 1,188 adolescents recruited from 12 Texas public middle schools as part of a randomized controlled trial. Participants were primarily Black (23%), Latinx (41%), Asian (11%), and White (9%). We assessed mental health and substance use (Baseline and Wave 3) and pandemic-related physical interaction, loneliness, stress, family conflict, and economic situation (Wave 3).

RESULTS: COVID-19-induced …

Pivoting The Biosafety Program In Response To Covid-19: Recommendations Of Key Services And Tasks To Consider For The Next Pandemic, Robert J Emery, Scott J Patlovich, Kristin G King, Janelle Rios

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a rapid adjustment of work tasks was necessary for many biosafety programs (and other safety programs) to address drastic shifts in workload demands amid pandemic-related shutdowns and subsequent needs for supporting COVID-19-related safe work protocols, diagnostic testing, research, vaccine development, and so forth. From a program management standpoint, evaluating and understanding these tasks were critically important to ensure that appropriate support and resources were in place, especially during such unprecedented times of rapid change and significant impact to normal life and routine.

METHODS: Described here are examples of how the biosafety program …

Agreement Between Sars-Cov-2 Pcr Test Results Using Nasopharyngeal And Mid-Turbinate Specimens Among Asymptomatic Working-Age Adults, Judy Wendt Hess, Faiyaz Bhojani, Derrick Cameron, Mary Freire De Carvalho, Fayaz Momin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether mid-turbinate specimens reliably detect active infection in asymptomatic adults undergoing regular COVID-19 PCR testing.

METHODS: Qualitative agreement between 2481 paired nasopharyngeal and mid-turbinate PCR results was assessed. Mean cycle threshold values for each positive result were evaluated as an indicator of active infection.

RESULTS: Overall agreement between nasopharyngeal and mid-turbinate tests was 98.4%. Positive percent agreement was 37.2%, and negative percent agreement was ~100%. Test pairs with lower cycle thresholds (≤30 and ≤25) reached 67% and 100% positive percent agreement, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: SARS-CoV-2 infections with high viral loads were detected …

The Covid-19 Pandemic And Disruptions To Essential Health Services In Kenya: A Retrospective Time-Series Analysis, Helen Kiarie, Marleen Temmerman, Mutono Nyamai, Nzisa Liku, Wangari Thuo, Violet Oramisi, Lilly Nyaga, Janette Karimi, Phidelis Wamalwa, Gladwell Gatheca

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Public health emergencies can disrupt the provision of and access to essential health-care services, exacerbating health crises. We aimed to assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on essential health-care services in Kenya.

Methods: Using county-level data routinely collected from the health information system from health facilities across the country, we used a robust mixed-effect model to examine changes in 17 indicators of essential health services across four periods: the pre-pandemic period (from January, 2018 to February, 2020), two pandemic periods (from March to November 2020, and February to October, 2021), and the period during the COVID-19-associated health-care workers’ …

Agreement Between Sars-Cov-2 Pcr Test Results Using Nasopharyngeal And Mid-Turbinate Specimens Among Asymptomatic Working-Age Adults, Judy Wendt Hess, Faiyaz Bhojani, Derrick Cameron, Mary Freire De Carvalho, Fayaz Momin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether mid-turbinate specimens reliably detect active infection in asymptomatic adults undergoing regular COVID-19 PCR testing.

METHODS: Qualitative agreement between 2481 paired nasopharyngeal and mid-turbinate PCR results was assessed. Mean cycle threshold values for each positive result were evaluated as an indicator of active infection.

RESULTS: Overall agreement between nasopharyngeal and mid-turbinate tests was 98.4%. Positive percent agreement was 37.2%, and negative percent agreement was ~100%. Test pairs with lower cycle thresholds (≤30 and ≤25) reached 67% and 100% positive percent agreement, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: SARS-CoV-2 infections with high viral loads were detected …

Biophysical And Biochemical Characterization Of The Receptor Binding Domain Of Sars-Cov-2 Variants, Ritika Khatri, Hilal Ahmad Parray, Gazala Siddiqui, Adarsh Kumar Chiranjivi, Sneha Raj, Rachel Kaul, Vikas Maithil, Sweety Samal, Shubbir Ahmed

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants are potential threat and posing new challenges for medical intervention due to high transmissibility and escaping neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses. Many of these variants have mutations in the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that interacts with the host cell receptor. Rapid mutation in the RBD through natural selection to improve affinity for host receptor and antibody pressure from vaccinated or infected individual will greatly impact the presently adopted strategies for developing interventions. Understanding the nature of mutations and how they impact the biophysical, biochemical and immunological properties of the RBD will help …

Post–Lung Transplantation Outcomes And Ex Vivo Histopathological Findings In Severe Post-Covid-19 Pulmonary Disease—A Single-Center Experience, Hana Javaid, Masayuki Nigo, Bihong Zhao, Daniel Ocazionez Trujillo, Rodrigo Hasbun, Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner, Manish Patel, Soma Jyothula

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: A significant proportion of patients with severe and persistent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) require continuous ventilatory support and occasional extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Lung transplantation is a treatment option for patients who develop severe ARDS.

METHODS: Our lung transplant database was retrospectively reviewed for patients who underwent lung transplantation for COVID-19 pulmonary disease at Memorial Hermann Hospital, Texas Medical Center, Houston, Texas, from January 2020 to March 2022. We evaluated outcomes of patients who were followed in our clinic at least 6 months post-transplant. Pretransplant patient characteristics, COVID-19-related treatment, histopathology results, and postdischarge …

Modulation Of The Association Between Age And Death By Risk Factor Burden In Critically Ill Patients With Covid-19, Ashwin Sunderraj, Chloe Cho, Xuan Cai, Shruti Gupta, Rupal Mehta, Tamara Isakova, David E Leaf, Anand Srivastava

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Older age is a key risk factor for adverse outcomes in critically ill patients with COVID-19. However, few studies have investigated whether preexisting comorbidities and acute physiologic ICU factors modify the association between age and death.

DESIGN: Multicenter cohort study.

SETTING: ICUs at 68 hospitals across the United States.

PATIENTS: A total of 5,037 critically ill adults with COVID-19 admitted to ICUs between March 1, 2020, and July 1, 2020.

INTERVENTIONS: None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary exposure was age, modeled as a continuous variable. The primary outcome was 28-day inhospital mortality. Multivariable logistic regression tested the association between …

The Effect Of Body Mass Index On Therapeutic Response To Bacterial Vaginosis In Pregnancy, Kevin P Lee, Misha V Koshelev, D3code Team, Omar Pacha

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Covid-19 And Blood Clots: A Report Of Massive Pulmonary Embolism In Covid-19 Patient Supported On Veno-Venous Ecmo And The Utility Of Thrombolysis, Bindu Akkanti, Joseph Zwischenberger, Mark T Warner, Kha Dinh, Rahat Hussain, Farah Kazzaz, Pascal Kingah, Lisa M Janowiak, Biswajit Kar, Igor D Gregoric

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

COVID-19 morbidity and mortality are not equivalent to other etiologies of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) as fulminant activation of coagulation can occur, thereby resulting in widespread microvascular thrombosis and consumption of coagulation factors. A 53-year-old female presented to an emergency center on two occasions with progressive gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms. She was diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia and admitted to a satellite intensive care unit with hypoxemic respiratory failure. She was intubated and mechanically ventilated, but her ARDS progressed over the next 48 hours. The patient was emergently cannulated for veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-V ECMO) and transferred to our …

Delayed Large Local Reactions To Moderna Covid-19 Vaccine: A Follow-Up Report After Booster Vaccination, Kimberly G Blumenthal, Catherine Ahola, Sara Anvari, Upeka Samarakoon, Esther E Freeman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Narrative Review Of Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: Evidence In Late 2021, Ambree Papa Schoetker, Manoj Sharma

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

The coronavirus disease, COVID-19, has changed daily life dramatically since early 2020. Although COVID-19 vaccines are available in the United States, many express distrust in this primary prevention measure and doubt both the seriousness of COVID-19 and its associated morbidity and mortality. Vaccine hesitancy, also described as the reluctance or refusal of vaccines despite availability, exists on a continuum and was a known public health threat prior to the coronavirus pandemic. This narrative review examines studies related to the determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among adults in the United States. Also explored are the factors related to COVID-19 vaccine risk …

Co2 Levels Behind And In Front Of Different Protective Mask Types, Hossein Akhondi, Sassan Kaveh, Kimball Kaufman, Tina Danai, Napatkamon Ayutyanont

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Objectives

Many individuals have difficulty adapting to face mask use and report symptoms while using masks. Our primary objective was to determine whether continuous mask-wearing causes elevated levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) behind the facemasks.

Methods

CO₂ concentrations were measured behind 3 different types of face masks and were compared to CO^₂ concentrations at the mask front in 261 subjects who continuously wore masks for at least 5 minutes. These CO₂ concentrations were also measured in several randomly selected subjects after a 5-minute walk.

Results

There were significantly higher CO₂ concentrations behind the mask …

2022-08-31_Michiganoverview_Covidvaccinestats, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Vaccine Data

The COVID Vaccine Dashboard page was obtained from Michigan's main COVID-19 page: https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/resources/covid-19-vaccine/covid-19-dashboard.

First-dose tracker above is for entire Michigan Population. Coverage maps below are for age 5+.

Previously reported numbers of administered vaccine doses may change as new data are received. A possible lag in reporting vaccine doses will result in increases in numbers previously reported.

This report is created by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Division of Immunization from data reported to the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR).

The dashboard contained the tabs Primary Series Doses Administered, Primary Series Doses by Vaccine, …

2022-08-31_Michiganoverview_Covidbedppe, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Hospital Data

Contains the tables Statewide Hospital Capacity Report for COVID-19, COVID-19 Metrics, Statewide Hospital Available PPE Tracking for COVID-19, as well as the tables PPE Days On Hand and Patient Census.

Sars-Cov-2 Antibody Seroprevalence In Jakarta, Indonesia, Iwan Ariawan, Hafizah Jusril, Muhammad N Farid, Pandu Riono, Wiji Wahyuningsih, Widyastuti Widyastuti, Dwi Oktavia T L Handayani, Endang Sri Wahyuningsih, Rebekka Daulay, Retno Henderiawati, Safarina G. Malik, Rintis Noviyanti, Leily Trianty, Nadia Fadila, Khin Saw Aye Myint, Frilasita A. Yudhaputri, Neeraja Venkateswaran, Kodumudi Venkateswaran, Venkatachalam Udhayakumar, William A. Hawley, Juliette Morgan, Paul M. Pronyk

Kesmas

The SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics in low- and middle-income countries remain poorly understood. This study aimed to estimate the SARS-CoV-2 antibodies seroprevalence in Jakarta, Indonesia, and to increase knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in urban settings. A population-based serosurvey among individuals aged one year or older was conducted in Jakarta. Employing a multistage sampling design, samples were stratified by district, slum, and non-slum residency, sex, and age group. Blood samples were tested for IgG against three different SARS-CoV-2 antigens. Seroprevalence was estimated after applying sample weights and adjusting for cluster characteristics. In March 2021, this study collected 4,919 respondents. The weighted estimate …

2022-08-30_Michiganoverview_Covidlongtermcare, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Long Term Care Data

The COVID Long Term Care Facilities page was obtained from Michigan's COVID-19 data page: https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/stats/data-about-places/long-term-care-data.

This report is created by the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services from data self-reported by long-term care facilities into EMResource. Data for all reporting facilities is posted weekly each Monday.

The information below represents COVID-19 data reported directly to MDHHS by licensed and operating Skilled Nursing, Home for the Aged and Adult Foster Care facilities (licensed to serve 13 or more individuals) in Michigan from January 1, 2020. All long-term care facilities additionally have an obligation to report COVID-positive residents and/or staff …

2022-08-30_Michiganoverview_Covidstats, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Cumulative Michigan COVID-19 Data

The COVID Overview page was obtained from Michigan's main COVID-19 page: https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/stats.

The State of Michigan is working around the clock to test and treat COVID-19 patients. Below is the most recent data healthcare experts across the state have compiled. COVID case and testing data will be posted once a week on Tuesdays.

This report is provisional and subject to change. City of Detroit and Wayne County are reported separately. MDHHS began tracking probable cases April 5, 2020. FCI indicates federal correctional institute. MDOC indicates Michigan Department of Corrections. Diagnostic tests, including nucleic acid amplification/real-time polymerase chain reaction (NAAT/RT-PCR) …

2022-08-29_Michiganoverview_Covidbedppe, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Hospital Data

Contains the tables Statewide Hospital Capacity Report for COVID-19, COVID-19 Metrics, Statewide Hospital Available PPE Tracking for COVID-19, as well as the tables PPE Days On Hand and Patient Census.

Occupational Health And Safety Trainees Reflect On Their Education And Future Careers During Covid-19., Jennifer Marshall Phd, Mph, Cph, Vidya Chandran Mba, Mph, Cph, Bds, Davies Toluhi Mbchb, Mph, Cph, Karen D. Liller Phd, Mph, Cph, Saloni Mehra Mph, Cph, Candace Burns Phd, Ms, Aprn, Faaohn

Florida Public Health Review

Background: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) funded Education and Research Centers (ERCs), located at 18 universities, with the mission to train occupational safety and health (OSH) leaders. The Florida Sunshine ERC has trained hundreds of students since its inception in 1997 through seven programs that collaboratively foster interdisciplinary education and applied research and practice. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented practical challenges for educators, students, and trainees, forcing institutions to move to remote learning. The pandemic also magnifies the importance of public health and OSH.

Purpose: This evaluation elicited feedback from ERC trainees early in the …

Assessing Age-Specific Vaccination Strategies And Post-Vaccination Reopening Policies For Covid-19 Control Using Seir Modeling Approach, Xia Wang, Hulin Wu, Sanyi Tang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

As the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, it is badly needed to develop vaccination guidelines to prioritize the vaccination delivery in order to effectively stop COVID-19 epidemic and minimize the loss. We evaluated the effect of age-specific vaccination strategies on the number of infections and deaths using an SEIR model, considering the age structure and social contact patterns for different age groups for each of different countries. In general, the vaccination priority should be given to those younger people who are active in social contacts to minimize the number of infections, while the vaccination priority should be given to the elderly …

2022-08-26_Michiganoverview_Covidbedppe, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Hospital Data

Contains the tables Statewide Hospital Capacity Report for COVID-19, COVID-19 Metrics, Statewide Hospital Available PPE Tracking for COVID-19, as well as the tables PPE Days On Hand and Patient Census.

Controlling Multiple Covid-19 Epidemic Waves: An Insight From A Multi-Scale Model Linking The Behaviour Change Dynamics To The Disease Transmission Dynamics, Biao Tang, Weike Zhou, Xia Wang, Hulin Wu, Yanni Xiao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

COVID-19 epidemics exhibited multiple waves regionally and globally since 2020. It is important to understand the insight and underlying mechanisms of the multiple waves of COVID-19 epidemics in order to design more efficient non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) and vaccination strategies to prevent future waves. We propose a multi-scale model by linking the behaviour change dynamics to the disease transmission dynamics to investigate the effect of behaviour dynamics on COVID-19 epidemics using game theory. The proposed multi-scale models are calibrated and key parameters related to disease transmission dynamics and behavioural dynamics with/without vaccination are estimated based on COVID-19 epidemic data (daily reported …

Years Of Life Lost Associated With Covid-19 Deaths In The Usa During The First 2 Years Of The Pandemic, Troy Quast, Ross Andel, Sean Gregory, Eric A Storch

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background: Prior estimates of the years of life lost (YLLs) in the USA associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were 1.2 million through 11 July 2020 and 3.9 million through 31 January 2021 (which roughly coincides with the first full year of the pandemic). The aim of this study is to update YLL estimates through the first 2 years of the pandemic.

Methods: We employed data regarding COVID-19 deaths through 5 February 2022 by jurisdiction, gender and age group. We used actuarial life expectancy tables by gender and age to estimate YLLs.

Results: We estimated roughly 9.7 million YLLs due …

2022-08-24_Michiganoverview_Covidbedppe, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Hospital Data

Contains the tables Statewide Hospital Capacity Report for COVID-19, COVID-19 Metrics, Statewide Hospital Available PPE Tracking for COVID-19, as well as the tables PPE Days On Hand and Patient Census.

2022-08-24_Michiganoverview_Covidvaccinestats, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Michigan COVID-19 Vaccine Data

The COVID Vaccine Dashboard page was obtained from Michigan's main COVID-19 page: https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/resources/covid-19-vaccine/covid-19-dashboard.

First-dose tracker above is for entire Michigan Population. Coverage maps below are for age 5+.

Previously reported numbers of administered vaccine doses may change as new data are received. A possible lag in reporting vaccine doses will result in increases in numbers previously reported.

This report is created by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Division of Immunization from data reported to the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR).

The dashboard contained the tabs Primary Series Doses Administered, Primary Series Doses by Vaccine, …