Public Health Commons^™

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Uv-C Dose For Photoinactivation Of Sars-Cov-2 In Contaminated N95 Respirator, Surgical And Cotton Fabric Masks, Patrícia Metolina, Lilian Gomes De Oliveira, Bruno Ramos, Yan De Souza Angelo, Paola Minoprio, Antonio Carlos Silva Costa Teixeira

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

As part of efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic and decrease the high transmissibility of the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, effective inactivation strategies, such as UV-C decontamination technologies, can be reliably disseminated and well-studied. The present study investigated the susceptibility of a high viral load of SARS-CoV-2 in filtering facepiece respirators (FFR) N95, surgical mask, cotton fabric mask and N95 straps under three different doses of UV-C, applying both real-time PCR (qPCR) and plaque formation assays to quantify viral load reduction and virus infectivity, respectively. The results show that more than 95% of the amount of SARS-CoV-2 RNA could be reduced …

Outcomes Of Gynecologic Cancer Surgery During The Covid-19 Pandemic: An International, Multicenter, Prospective Covidsurg-Gynecologic Oncology Cancer Study, Christina Fotopoulou, Tabassum Khan, Juraj Bracinik, James Glasbey, Nadeem Abu-Rustum, Luis Chiva, Anna Fagotti, Keiichi Fujiwara, Rahel Ghebre, Murat Gutelkin, Thomas O Konney, Joseph Ng, Rene Pareja, Rajkumar Kottayasamy Seenivasagam, Jalid Sehouli, Shylasree T S Surappa, Aneel Bhangu, Elaine Leung, Sudha Sundar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The CovidSurg-Cancer Consortium aimed to explore the impact of COVID-19 in surgical patients and services for solid cancers at the start of the pandemic. The CovidSurg-Gynecologic Oncology Cancer subgroup was particularly concerned about the magnitude of adverse outcomes caused by the disrupted surgical gynecologic cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic, which are currently unclear.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the changes in care and short-term outcomes of surgical patients with gynecologic cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic. We hypothesized that the COVID-19 pandemic had led to a delay in surgical cancer care, especially in patients who required more extensive …

Recombinant Protein Micelles To Block Transduction By Sars-Cov-2 Pseudovirus, Rajarshi Chattaraj, Christina Y Kim, Daeyeon Lee, Daniel A Hammer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The continuing emergence of variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus requires the development of modular molecular therapies. Here, we engineered a recombinant amphiphilic protein, oleosin, to spontaneously self-assemble into multivalent micellar nanostructures which can block the Spike S1 protein of SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses (PVs). Short recombinant proteins like oleosin can be formulated more easily than antibodies and can be functionalized with precision through genetic engineering. We cloned S1-binding mini-protein genes called LCB

An Algorithm For Indoor Sars-Cov-2 Transmission, Daniel Maxin, Spencer Gannon

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

We propose a computer modeling approach for SARS-CoV-2 transmission that can be preferable to a purely mathematical framework. It is illustrated its functionality in a specific case of indoor transmission. Based on literature, we assume that infection is due to aerosols with viral particles that persist and accumulate for hours in the air even after the persons who produced them left the space. We incorporate also restricted opening hours as a mitigation measure and one possible behavioral change in response to this measure. It is shown via several examples how this algorithmic modeling approach can be used to run various …

A Comprehensive Update On Cido: The Community-Based Coronavirus Infectious Disease Ontology, Yongqun He, Hong Yu, Anthony Huffman, Asiyah Yu Lin, Darren A Natale, John Beverley, Ling Zheng, Yehoshua Perl, Zhigang Wang, Yingtong Liu, Edison Ong, Yang Wang, Philip Huang, Long Tran, Jinyang Du, Zalan Shah, Easheta Shah, Roshan Desai, Hsin-Hui Huang, Yujia Tian, Eric Merrell, William D Duncan, Sivaram Arabandi, Lynn M Schriml, Jie Zheng, Anna Maria Masci, Liwei Wang, Hongfang Liu, Fatima Zohra Smaili, Robert Hoehndorf, Zoë May Pendlington, Paola Roncaglia, Xianwei Ye, Jiangan Xie, Yi-Wei Tang, Xiaolin Yang, Suyuan Peng, Luxia Zhang, Luonan Chen, Junguk Hur, Gilbert S Omenn, Brian Athey, Barry Smith

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The current COVID-19 pandemic and the previous SARS/MERS outbreaks of 2003 and 2012 have resulted in a series of major global public health crises. We argue that in the interest of developing effective and safe vaccines and drugs and to better understand coronaviruses and associated disease mechenisms it is necessary to integrate the large and exponentially growing body of heterogeneous coronavirus data. Ontologies play an important role in standard-based knowledge and data representation, integration, sharing, and analysis. Accordingly, we initiated the development of the community-based Coronavirus Infectious Disease Ontology (CIDO) in early 2020.

RESULTS: As an Open Biomedical Ontology …

Association Of Mrna Vaccination With Clinical And Virologic Features Of Covid-19 Among Us Essential And Frontline Workers, The Heroes-Recover Network, Mark G Thompson, Sarang K Yoon, Allison L Naleway, Jennifer Meece, Thomas P Fabrizio, Alberto J Caban-Martinez, Jefferey L Burgess, Manjusha Gaglani, Lauren E W Olsho, Allen Bateman, Jessica Lundgren, Lauren Grant, Andrew L Phillips, Holly C Groom, Elisha Stefanski, Natasha Schaefer Solle, Katherine Ellingson, Karen Lutrick, Kayan Dunnigan, Meredith G Wesley, Kyley Guenther, Angela Hunt, Josephine Mak, Kurt T Hegmann, Jennifer L Kuntz, Adam Bissonnette, James Hollister, Spencer Rose, Tyler C Morrill, Karley Respet, Ashley L Fowlkes, Matthew S Thiese, Patrick Rivers, Meghan K Herring, Marilyn J Odean, Young M Yoo, Matthew Brunner, Edward J Bedrick, Deanna E Fleary, John T Jones, Jenna Praggastis, James Romine, Monica Dickerson, Sana M Khan, Julie Mayo Lamberte, Shawn Beitel, Richard J Webby, Harmony L Tyner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: Data on the epidemiology of mild to moderately severe COVID-19 are needed to inform public health guidance.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate associations between 2 or 3 doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine and attenuation of symptoms and viral RNA load across SARS-CoV-2 viral lineages.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A prospective cohort study of essential and frontline workers in Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas, and Utah with COVID-19 infection confirmed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction testing and lineage classified by whole genome sequencing of specimens self-collected weekly and at COVID-19 illness symptom onset. This analysis was conducted among 1199 participants with SARS-CoV-2 …

Central Nervous System (Cns) Inflammatory Demyelinating Diseases (Idds) Associated With Covid-19: A Case Series And Review, Parissa Feizi, Kanika Sharma, Shreya R Pasham, Lalit Nirwan, Joe Joseph, Shruti Jaiswal, Shitiz Sriwastava

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Over the past two years, SARS-CoV-2 has frequently been documented with various post and para-infectious complications, including cerebrovascular, neuromuscular, and some demyelinating conditions such as acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). We report two rare neurological manifestations post-COVID-19 infection; multiple sclerosis (MS) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD). Further, we reviewed other CNS inflammatory demyelinating diseases (IDDs) associated with SARS-CoV-2, including optic neuritis (ON) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD).

METHODS: A descriptive analysis and literature search of Google Scholar and PubMed was conducted by two independent reviewers from December 1st, 2019, to March 30th, 2022, and included all the …

Measurement Of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Antigens In Plasma Of Pediatric Patients With Acute Coronavirus Disease 2019 Or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome In Children Using An Ultrasensitive And Quantitative Immunoassay, George B Sigal, Tanya Novak, Anu Mathew, Janet Chou, Yubo Zhang, Navaratnam Manjula, Pradeepthi Bathala, Jessica Joe, Nikhil Padmanabhan, Daniel Romero, Gabriella Allegri-Machado, Jill Joerger, Laura L Loftis, Stephanie P Schwartz, Tracie C Walker, Julie C Fitzgerald, Keiko M Tarquinio, Matt S Zinter, Jennifer E Schuster, Natasha B Halasa, Melissa L Cullimore, Aline B Maddux, Mary A Staat, Katherine Irby, Heidi R Flori, Bria M Coates, Hillary Crandall, Shira J Gertz, Adrienne G Randolph, Nira R Pollock, Overcoming Covid-19 Investigators

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background: Detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antigens in blood has high sensitivity in adults with acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but sensitivity in pediatric patients is unclear. Recent data suggest that persistent SARS-CoV-2 spike antigenemia may contribute to multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). We quantified SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S) antigens in blood of pediatric patients with either acute COVID-19 or MIS-C using ultrasensitive immunoassays (Meso Scale Discovery).

Methods: Plasma was collected from inpatients (< 21 years) enrolled across 15 hospitals in 15 US states. Acute COVID-19 patients (n = 36) had a range of disease severity and positive nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR within 24 hours of blood collection. Patients with MIS-C (n = 53) met CDC criteria and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (RT-PCR or serology). Controls were patients pre-COVID-19 (n = 67) or within 24 hours of negative RT-PCR (n = 43).

Results: Specificities of N and S assays were 95-97% and 100%, respectively. In acute COVID-19 patients, N/S plasma assays …

Vitamin C Supplementation For The Treatment Of Covid-19: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Monika Olczak-Pruc, Damian Swieczkowski, Jerzy R Ladny, Michal Pruc, Raul Juarez-Vela, Zubaid Rafique, Frank W Peacock, Lukasz Szarpak

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), millions of people have died, and the medical system has faced significant difficulties. Our purpose was to perform a meta-analysis to estimate the effect of vitamin C on in-hospital mortality and the ICU or hospital length of stay for patients diagnosed with COVID-19. We conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis in the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. We included studies that evaluated the effect of vitamin C supplementation, compared with standard treatment …

Respiratory Virus Surveillance Among Children With Acute Respiratory Illnesses - New Vaccine Surveillance Network, United States, 2016-2021, Ariana Perez, Joana Y Lively, Aaron Curns, Geoffrey A Weinberg, Natasha B Halasa, Mary Allen Staat, Peter G Szilagyi, Laura S Stewart, Monica M Mcneal, Benjamin Clopper, Yingtao Zhou, Brett L Whitaker, Elizabeth Lemasters, Elizabeth Harker, Janet A Englund, Eileen J Klein, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Christopher J Harrison, Julie A Boom, Leila C Sahni, Marian G Michaels, John V Williams, Gayle E Langley, Susan I Gerber, Angela Campbell, Aron J Hall, Brian Rha, Meredith Mcmorrow

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The New Vaccine Surveillance Network (NVSN) is a prospective, active, population-based surveillance platform that enrolls children with acute respiratory illnesses (ARIs) at seven pediatric medical centers. ARIs are caused by respiratory viruses including influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus (HMPV), human parainfluenza viruses (HPIVs), and most recently SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), which result in morbidity among infants and young children (1-6). NVSN estimates the incidence of pathogen-specific pediatric ARIs and collects clinical data (e.g., underlying medical conditions and vaccination status) to assess risk factors for severe disease and calculate influenza and COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness. Current NVSN …

Case Growth Analysis To Inform Local Response To Covid-19 Epidemic In A Diverse Us Community, Marcia C De Oliveira Otto, Frances A Brito, Ji Yun Tark, Eric Bakota, Jose-Miguel Yamal, Dritana Marko, Shreela V Sharma, Michael R Brown, Savitri N Appana, Alison M Rector, Stephen H Linder, Jennifer Kiger, Karen C Tseng, Alanna C Morrison, Eric Boerwinkle

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Early detection of new outbreak waves is critical for effective and sustained response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a growth rate analysis using local community and inpatient records from seven hospital systems to characterize distinct phases in SARS-CoV-2 outbreak waves in the Greater Houston area. We determined the transition times from rapid spread of infection in the community to surge in the number of inpatients in local hospitals. We identified 193,237 residents who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 via molecular testing from April 8, 2020 to June 30, 2021, and 30,031 residents admitted within local healthcare institutions with a positive …

Case Growth Analysis To Inform Local Response To Covid-19 Epidemic In A Diverse Us Community, Marcia C De Oliveira Otto, Frances A Brito, Ji Yun Tark, Eric Bakota, Jose-Miguel Yamal, Dritana Marko, Shreela V Sharma, Michael R Brown, Savitri N Appana, Alison M Rector, Stephen H Linder, Jennifer Kiger, Karen C Tseng, Alanna C Morrison, Eric Boerwinkle

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Early detection of new outbreak waves is critical for effective and sustained response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a growth rate analysis using local community and inpatient records from seven hospital systems to characterize distinct phases in SARS-CoV-2 outbreak waves in the Greater Houston area. We determined the transition times from rapid spread of infection in the community to surge in the number of inpatients in local hospitals. We identified 193,237 residents who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 via molecular testing from April 8, 2020 to June 30, 2021, and 30,031 residents admitted within local healthcare institutions with a positive …

Covid-19 Pandemic And Infant Neurodevelopmental Impairment: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Kamran Hessami, Amir Hossein Norooznezhad, Sonia Monteiro, Enrico R Barrozo, Abolfazl Shirdel Abdolmaleki, Sara E Arian, Nikan Zargarzadeh, Lara S Shekerdemian, Kjersti M Aagaard, Alireza A Shamshirsaz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

IMPORTANCE: Primary studies proposed that aberrant maternal antiviral immunity and/or giving birth in quarantine, such as during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, may be associated with the risk of neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) in offspring.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the associations of birth and being raised during the COVID-19 pandemic with risk of NDI among infants and to assess the association of gestational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 with risk of NDI.

DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and preprint servers were systematically searched from inception to March 25, 2022.

STUDY SELECTION: Studies evaluating the neurodevelopment of infants born during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic …

Characterization And Determinant Factors Of Critical Illness And In-Hospital Mortality Of Covid-19 Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Of 1,792 Patients In Kenya, Isinta M. Elijah, Endawoke Amsalu, Xuening Jian, Mingyang Cao, Eric K. Mibei, Danvas O. Kerosi, Francis G. Mwatsahu, Wei Wang, Faith Onyangore, Youxin Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Limited data is available on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), critical illness rate, and in-hospital mortality in the African setting. This study investigates determinants of critical illness and in-hospital mortality among COVID-19 patients in Kenya. We conducted a retrospective cohort study at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in Kenya. Multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard regression were employed to determine predictor factors for intensive care unit (ICU) admission and in-hospital mortality, respectively. In addition, the Kaplan-Meier model was used to compare the survival times using log-rank tests. As a result, 346 (19.3 %) COVID-19 patients were admitted to ICU, and …

Efficacy And Safety Of A Single Dose Of Casirivimab And Imdevimab For The Prevention Of Covid-19 Over An 8-Month Period: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial, Gary A Herman, Meagan P O'Brien, Eduardo Forleo-Neto, Neena Sarkar, Flonza Isa, Peijie Hou, Kuo-Chen Chan, Katharine J Bar, Ruanne V Barnabas, Dan H Barouch, Myron S Cohen, Christopher B Hurt, Dale R Burwen, Mary A Marovich, Bret J Musser, John D Davis, Kenneth C Turner, Adnan Mahmood, Andrea T Hooper, Jennifer D Hamilton, Janie Parrino, Danise Subramaniam, Alina Baum, Christos A Kyratsous, A Thomas Dicioccio, Neil Stahl, Ned Braunstein, George D Yancopoulos, David M Weinreich, Covid-19 Phase 3 Prevention Trial Team

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: There is an unmet need for COVID-19 prevention in patient populations who have not mounted or are not expected to mount an adequate immune response to complete COVID-19 vaccination. We previously reported that a single subcutaneous 1200 mg dose of the monoclonal antibody combination casirivimab and imdevimab (CAS + IMD) prevented symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections by 81·4% in generally healthy household contacts of SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals over a 1-month efficacy assessment period. Here we present additional results, including the 7-month follow-up period (months 2-8), providing additional insights about the potential for efficacy in pre-exposure prophylaxis settings.

METHODS: This was a randomised, …

The Association Of Baseline Plasma Sars-Cov-2 Nucleocapsid Antigen Level And Outcomes In Patients Hospitalized With Covid-19, Activ-3/Tico Study Group, Angela J Rogers, Deborah Wentworth, Andrew Phillips, Katy Shaw-Saliba, Robin L Dewar, Neil R Aggarwal, Abdel G Babiker, Weizhong Chang, Nila J Dharan, Victoria J Davey, Elizabeth S Higgs, Norman Gerry, Adit A Ginde, J W Awori Hayanga, Helene Highbarger, Jeroen L Highbarger, Mamta K Jain, Virginia Kan, Kami Kim, Perrine Lallemand, Bradley G Leshnower, Joseph K Lutaakome, Gail Matthews, Ahmad Mourad, Eleftherios Mylonakis, Ven Natarajan, Maria L Padilla, Lavannya M Pandit, Roger Paredes, Sarah Pett, Srikanth Ramachandruni, M Tauseef Rehman, Brad T Sherman, D Clark Files, Samuel M Brown, Michael A Matthay, B Taylor Thompson, James D Neaton, H Clifford Lane, Jens D Lundgren

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Levels of plasma SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) antigen may be an important biomarker in patients with COVID-19 and enhance our understanding of the pathogenesis of COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether levels of plasma antigen can predict short-term clinical outcomes and identify clinical and viral factors associated with plasma antigen levels in hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of baseline plasma antigen level from 2540 participants enrolled in the TICO (Therapeutics for Inpatients With COVID-19) platform trial from August 2020 to November 2021, with additional data on day 5 outcome and time to discharge.

SETTING: 114 centers in 10 countries. …

Relationship Between Preexisting Cardiovascular Disease And Death And Cardiovascular Outcomes In Critically Ill Patients With Covid-19, Alexi Vasbinder, Chelsea Meloche, Tariq U Azam, Elizabeth Anderson, Tonimarie Catalan, Husam Shadid, Hanna Berlin, Michael Pan, Patrick O'Hayer, Kishan Padalia, Pennelope Blakely, Ibrahim Khaleel, Erinleigh Michaud, Yiyuan Huang, Lili Zhao, Rodica Pop-Busui, Shruti Gupta, Kim Eagle, David E Leaf, Salim S Hayek

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Preexisting cardiovascular disease (CVD) is perceived as a risk factor for poor outcomes in patients with COVID-19. We sought to determine whether CVD is associated with in-hospital death and cardiovascular events in critically ill patients with COVID-19.

METHODS: This study used data from a multicenter cohort of adults with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 admitted to intensive care units at 68 centers across the United States from March 1 to July 1, 2020. The primary exposure was CVD, defined as preexisting coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, or atrial fibrillation/flutter. Myocardial injury on intensive care unit admission defined as a troponin I …

Brequinar And Dipyridamole In Combination Exhibits Synergistic Antiviral Activity Against Sars-Cov-2 In Vitro: Rationale For A Host-Acting Antiviral Treatment Strategy For Covid-19, James F Demarest, Maryline Kienle, Ruthmabel Boytz, Mary Ayres, Eun Jung Kim, J J Patten, Donghoon Chung, Varsha Gandhi, Robert A Davey, David B Sykes, Nadim Shohdy, John C Pottage, Vikram S Kumar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the associated global pandemic resulting in >400 million infections worldwide and several million deaths. The continued evolution of SARS-CoV-2 to potentially evade vaccines and monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based therapies and the limited number of authorized small-molecule antivirals necessitates the need for development of new drug treatments. There remains an unmet medical need for effective and convenient treatment options for SARS-CoV-2 infection. SARS-CoV-2 is an RNA virus that depends on host intracellular ribonucleotide pools for its replication. Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) is a ubiquitous host …

Pin-Pointing The Key Hubs In The Ifn-Γ Pathway Responding To Sars-Cov-2 Infection, Ayelen Toro, Sofia Lage-Vickers, Juan Bizzotto, Felipe Vilicich, Agustina Sabater, Gaston Pascual, Sabrina Ledesma-Bazan, Pablo Sanchis, Maria Sol Ruiz, Ana Paula Arevalo, Jorge L Porfido, Mercedes Abbate, Rocio Seniuk, Estefania Labanca, Nicolas Anselmino, Nora M Navone, Daniel F Alonso, Elba Vazquez, Martina Crispo, Javier Cotignola, Geraldine Gueron

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) may be potential adjuvant immunotherapy for COVID-19 patients. In this work, we assessed gene expression profiles associated with the IFN-γ pathway in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Employing a case-control study from SARS-CoV-2-positive and -negative patients, we identified IFN-γ-associated pathways to be enriched in positive patients. Bioinformatics analyses showed upregulation of MAP2K6, CBL, RUNX3, STAT1, and JAK2 in COVID-19-positive vs. -negative patients. A positive correlation was observed between STAT1/JAK2, which varied alongside the patient's viral load. Expression of MX1, MX2, ISG15, and OAS1 (four well-known IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs)) …

Transmission Roles Of Symptomatic And Asymptomatic Covid-19 Cases: A Modelling Study, Jianbin Tan, Yang Ge, Leonardo Martinez, Jimin Sun, Changwei Li, Adrianna Westbrook, Enfu Chen, Jinren Pan, Yang Li, Wei Cheng, Feng Ling, Zhinping Chen, Ye Shen, Hui Huang

Faculty Publications

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) asymptomatic cases are hard to identify, impeding transmissibility estimation. The value of COVID-19 transmissibility is worth further elucidation for key assumptions in further modelling studies. Through a population-based surveillance network, we collected data on 1342 confirmed cases with a 90-days follow-up for all asymptomatic cases. An age-stratified compartmental model containing contact information was built to estimate the transmissibility of symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases. The difference in transmissibility of a symptomatic and asymptomatic case depended on age and was most distinct for the middle-age groups. The asymptomatic cases had a 66.7% lower transmissibility rate than symptomatic …

Attitudes Toward Covid-19 And Covid-19 Vaccinations Among Athletic Trainers, Stephen A. Cage, Paul Mcgaha, Monica Matocha, Michelle Crum, Phd, Cathy Fieseler, Laurel Trail, Brandon J. Warner, Diana M. Gallegos

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Following the beginning of the pandemic brought about by the novel coronavirus which causes COVID-19, the first COVID-19 vaccination received emergency use authorization in the United States of America in December of 2020. Current research has shown the authorized COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalizations and death have a good safety profile. Additionally, the side effects associated with these vaccines are typically mild to moderate while the protection against hospitalization and severe disease is substantial. (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/adverse-events.html). At the time of this study, there appears to be a paucity in the research related …

Wastewater-Informed Public Health Intervention Playbook

Sustain Magazine

As the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic quickly spread from country to country and continent to continent in 2020, governments and scientists needed a way to track COVID-19 through populations in order to position public health interventions in the most impactful locations. Having a decision-based risk framework may help to guide policy creation that could minimize or prevent possible outbreaks and surges of infection within communities. The University of Louisville in partnership with Louisville’s Department of Public Health and Wellness tested this strategy in 2021 and 2022. This Wastewater-Informed Public Health Intervention Playbook describes the decisions and actions of that academic and public …

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 Research

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 …

Remission Of Liquid Tumors And Sars-Cov-2 Infection: A Literature Review, Dong Ho Shin, Andrew Gillard, Arie Van Wieren, Candelaria Gomez-Manzano, Juan Fueyo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has produced a new global challenge for patients with cancer. The disease and the immunosuppression induced by cancer therapies have generated a perfect storm of conditions to increase the severity of the symptoms and worsen the prognosis. However, a few clinical reports showcased the power of viruses to induce remission in some patients suffering from liquid tumors. Here, we reviewed six cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that resulted in cancer remission, simultaneously highlighting the strengths and the unique challenges of oncolytic virotherapy. Virotherapy has become a special case of cancer …

Covid-19 And Children, Carl A Pierce, Kevan C Herold, Betsy C Herold, Janet Chou, Adrienne Randolph, Binita Kane, Sammie Mcfarland, Deepti Gurdasani, Christina Pagel, Peter Hotez, Sarah Cobey, Scott E Hensley

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

There has been substantial research on adult COVID-19 and how to treat it. But how do severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections afflict children? The COVID-19 pandemic has yielded many surprises, not least that children generally develop less severe disease than older adults, which is unusual for a respiratory disease. However, some children can develop serious complications from COVID-19, such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and Long Covid, even after mild or asymptomatic COVID-19. Why this occurs in some and not others is an important question. Moreover, when children do contract COVID-19, understanding their role in …

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 …

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 …

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.

Efficacy And Safety Of Ensovibep For Adults Hospitalized With Covid-19 : A Randomized Controlled Trial, Christina Barkauskas, Eleftherios Mylonakis, Garyfallia Poulakou, Barnaby E Young, David M Vock, Lianne Siegel, Nicole Engen, Greg Grandits, Nilima R Mosaly, Andrew M Vekstein, Ralph Rogers, Fadi Shehadeh, Matthew Kaczynski, Evangelia K Mylona, Konstantinos N Syrigos, Vasiliki Rapti, David C Lye, Diong Shiau Hui, Lindsay Leither, Kirk U Knowlton, Mamta K Jain, Rubria Marines-Price, Alice Osuji, J Scott Overcash, Ioannis Kalomenidis, Zafeiria Barmparessou, Michael Waters, Karla Zepeda, Peter Chen, Sam Torbati, Francis Kiweewa, Nicholus Sebudde, Eyad Almasri, Alyssa Hughes, Sanjay R Bhagani, Alison Rodger, Uriel Sandkovsky, Robert L Gottlieb, Eriobu Nnakelu, Barbara Trautner, Vidya Menon, Joseph Lutaakome, Michael Matthay, Philip Robinson, Konstantinos Protopapas, Nikolaos Koulouris, Ivan Kimuli, Amiran Baduashvili, Dominique L Braun, Huldrych F Günthard, Srikanth Ramachandruni, Robert Kidega, Kami Kim, Timothy J Hatlen, Andrew N Phillips, Daniel D Murray, Tomas O Jensen, Maria L Padilla, Evan X Accardi, Katy Shaw-Saliba, Robin L Dewar, Marc Teitelbaum, Ven Natarajan, Sylvain Laverdure, Helene C Highbarger, M Tauseef Rehman, Susan Vogel, David Vallée, Page Crew, Negin Atri, Adam J Schechner, Sarah Pett, Fleur Hudson, Jonathan Badrock, Giota Touloumi, Samuel M Brown, Wesley H Self, Crystal M North, Adit A Ginde, Christina C Chang, Anthony Kelleher, Stephanie Nagy-Agren, Shikha Vasudeva, David Looney, Hien H Nguyen, Adriana Sánchez, Amy C Weintrob, Birgit Grund, Shweta Sharma, Cavan S Reilly, Roger Paredes, Agnieszka Bednarska, Norman P Gerry, Abdel G Babiker, Victoria J Davey, Annetine C Gelijns, Elizabeth S Higgs, Virginia Kan, Gail Matthews, B Taylor Thompson, Philippe Legenne, Richa Chandra, H Clifford Lane, James D Neaton, Jens D Lundgren

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Ensovibep (MP0420) is a designed ankyrin repeat protein, a novel class of engineered proteins, under investigation as a treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if ensovibep, in addition to remdesivir and other standard care, improves clinical outcomes among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 compared with standard care alone.

DESIGN: Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04501978).

SETTING: Multinational, multicenter trial.

PARTICIPANTS: Adults hospitalized with COVID-19.

INTERVENTION: Intravenous ensovibep, 600 mg, or placebo.

MEASUREMENTS: Ensovibep was assessed for early futility on the basis of pulmonary ordinal scores at day 5. The primary outcome was time to sustained recovery through day …

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 …