COVID-19 Commons^™

A Mixed Methods Study Of Inpatients’ Experiences, Priorities, And Health-Related Quality Of Life During High- Flow Nasal Cannula Therapy, Cintamani H. Ellsworth, Rebecca S. Bartlett

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is an oxygen delivery method with numerous benefits for severely ill patients. There is a paucity of research focused on the perspectives of patients receiving HFNC oxygen therapy. This study aimed to engage with patients to gain a clearer understanding of their experiences, priorities, and health-related quality of life.

Methods: A cross-sectional, mixed methods study was completed with 10 adult inpatients who had received HFNC oxygen therapy during their hospital admission. Semi-structured interviews and the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Global Health Scale were used to identify participant perceptions of their physical and …

Characteristics Of Young Children Hospitalized With Acute Respiratory Failure From Infection With Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Sars-Cov-2, Or Both, November 2023-March 2024., Regina M. Simeone, Margaret M. Newhams, Laura D. Zambrano, Jemima M. Calixte, Katherine Lindsey, Amber Orzel-Lockwood, Amanda B. Payne, Natasha B. Halasa, Satoshi Kamidani, Aline B. Maddux, Kathleen Chiotos, Hillary Crandall, Jennifer E. Schuster, Danielle M. Zerr, Lora M. Martin, Melissa A. Cameron, Katherine Irby, Shira J. Gertz, Steven L. Shein, Ryan A. Nofziger, Samina S. Bhumbra, Janet R. Hume, Michele Kong, Mia Maamari, Bria M. Coates, Judith A. Guzman-Cottrill, Mary Allen Staat, Thomas J. Connors, Matt S. Zinter, Jigar C. Chauhan, Tamara T. Bradford, Kari Wellnitz, Angela P. Campbell, Adrienne G. Randolph, Overcoming Covid-19 Investigators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and SARS-CoV-2 can cause acute respiratory failure in children. We compared characteristics and outcomes of children aged < 2 years with respiratory failure from infection with RSV, SARS-CoV-2, or both viruses.

METHODS: We used data from a US pediatric respiratory virus hospitalization surveillance network including children with ICU admission for acute respiratory failure (receiving high-flow oxygen or mechanical ventilation) with RSV and/or SARS-CoV-2 during November 2023-March 2024. Demographic, clinical characteristics, and hospitalization outcomes were stratified by a positive test for RSV, SARS-CoV-2, or both viruses, and compared using chi-squared or Kruskal-Wallis tests. Multivariable analyses assessed independent associations between outcomes and infection.

RESULTS: Overall, 1406 children were included: 1253 (89.1%) …

Exploring The Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Preventive Healthcare Utilization In Rural Georgia, Ryan R. Traylor

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and preventive healthcare use among adults in Georgia, specifically within rural populations facing structural barriers. Using 2023 Georgia Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data, the research analyzes associations between ACE exposure, rural residence, and preventive care outcomes, including physical exams and flu vaccinations. Guided by an intersectionally adapted version of Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, the study evaluates how predisposing factors, enabling resources, and perceived barriers relate to healthcare engagement. Logistic regression analyses assess the correlation of ACE exposure, cost barriers, provider access, and sociodemographics with preventive …

Association Of Area Deprivation Index With Perinatal And Covid-19 Outcomes During The Early Pandemic: A Secondary Analysis Of A Prospective Cohort Study, Abigail Bell, Megan Foeller, Candice Woolfolk, Emily Diveley, Fan Zhang, Amy Scheffer, Ruizhi Huang, Daniel Jackson, Nandini Raghuraman, Ebony Carter, Indira U Mysorekar, Jeannie C Kelly

Center on Aging Staff Publications

Objective: We sought to evaluate the relationship between neighborhood-level deprivation and perinatal outcomes, particularly preterm birth, as well as COVID-19 outcomes among pregnant patients during the early pandemic.

Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of a prospective longitudinal cohort study that investigated the impact of prenatal COVID-19 exposure on perinatal outcomes. Pregnant patients were recruited 12/23/20-7/18/22 and serially assessed for COVID-19 exposure during pregnancy, with serum antibody testing, electronic medical record review, and patient report. For this secondary analysis, address at the time of delivery was used to categorize patients into low ADI (≤50th percentile Area Deprivation Index, indicating low …

Clinical Characteristics And Risk Factors Associated With Acute Kidney Injury Among Hospitalized Primary Covid-19 Infected Patients, Monchai Siribamrungwong, Kamontip Chaikomon

Chulalongkorn Medical Journal

Background: Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) mainly affects to respiratory system from mild to severe symptoms. Additionally, acute kidney injury (AKI) is an important complication causing substantially high morbidity and mortality. During the pandemic of COVID-19, Public health care in Thailand experienced many cases and complications.

Objectives: This study demonstrated an incidence, clinical characteristic, independent risk factors of AKI and mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with AKI and non-AKI patients.

Methods: A retrospective, observational study was performed in Lesdsin Hospital from August 2021 to August 2022. A total of 576 hospitalized patients with diagnosis of COVID-19 infection were analyzed. AKI was …

Giant Cell Arteritis After Mrna Covid Vaccines: Concerning Or A False Alarm?-A Retrospective Cohort Study, Syed M. F. Zabiullah, Rutwik Pradeep Sharma, Roshan Subedi, Viqarunnisa Faaiza Zahid, Yasir Loai, Sarathlal Mannumbethlal, Aatifa Aatifa

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic led to the first large-scale rapid deployment of novel messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. Although the effectiveness and safety of these vaccines were rigorously studied, post-vaccination adverse events such as giant cell arteritis (GCA) continue to be reported. More than two hundred and sixty three cases of new-onset GCA occurring after mRNA vaccine administration are listed in the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System as of October 2024. We aimed to explore the incidence of GCA after mRNA vaccines among patients in our health system and study their characteristics and outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a …

The Science Of Sound: Studying The Cognitive, Emotional, And Physiological Effects Of Frequency, Genre, And Music, Jett Yarborough

Senior Honors Theses

Music influences emotion, physiology, and cognition, yet little is known about how the frequency it is tuned to affects these influences. Prior research has shown that music tuned to 432 Hz can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and improve sleep. My colleagues and I conducted two studies to investigate this. Our research found that music tuned to 432 Hz promotes a significant increase in memory retention and induces a state of focus and relaxation. These results suggest that shifting from the standard tuning frequency of 440 Hz to 432 Hz could have a profoundly positive impact on our daily lives. …

Clinical Testing For Covid-19, Influenza, And Rsv In Hospitalized Youths, 2016-2024., Ariana P. Toepfer, Rachel E. Rutkowski, Leila C. Sahni, Geoffrey A. Weinberg, Marian G. Michaels, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Mary Allen Staat, Natasha Halasa, Janet A. Englund, Julie A. Boom, Peter G. Szilagyi, Jennifer E. Schuster, Elizabeth P P. Schlaudecker, Laura S. Stewart, Eileen J. Klein, Samantha M. Olson, Sascha Ellington, Meredith L. Mcmorrow, Heidi L. Moline, Fatimah S. Dawood, New Vaccine Surveillance Network Collaborators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

IMPORTANCE: Studies of COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease clinical epidemiology, disease burden, and vaccine effectiveness often rely on clinical testing to identify cases, particularly with increasing use of electronic health record data. However, few data are available describing clinical testing practices to inform interpretation of these studies.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize clinical testing frequency for SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and RSV among children and adolescents hospitalized with acute respiratory illness during the 2016 to 2024 respiratory illness seasons by age, intensive care unit admission, and time period (2016-2020 and each season in 2020-2024); estimate the case fraction missed by clinical …

Causes Of Symptoms And Symptom Persistence In Long Covid And Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Anthony L Komaroff, Robert Dantzer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Debilitating symptoms for many years can follow acute COVID-19 ("long COVID"), myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and various post-acute infection syndromes (PAISs). Together, long COVID and ME/CFS affect 60-400 million individuals, globally. Many similar underlying biological abnormalities have been identified in both conditions including autoantibodies against neural targets, endothelial dysfunction, acquired mitochondrial dysfunction, and a pro-inflammatory gut microbiome. Each of these abnormalities may directly cause some of the symptoms. In addition, the symptoms also may be caused by ancient, evolutionarily conserved symptomatic and metabolic responses to vital threats-sickness behavior and torpor-responses mediated by specific, recently discovered neural circuits. These neural …

The Tree That Would Not Fall: An Educator’S Autoethnographic Journey Of Healing Through Words, Raeanna Marie Carlson

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

To say the world has changed since the 2020 COVID-19 shut down is to minimize the micro and macro social changes that infiltrated the school system. In the wake of it all, we find a landscape marred by a both rising teacher attrition and struggling student motivation. This autoethnographic dissertation explores the deeply personal experience tethered to a deeply problematic system that contributes to not only teacher burnout but what I came to know as teacher demoralization. Personal traumas of teachers profoundly impact their experience in the classroom, and as I examined my own near departure from the classroom, I …

Characterizing Long Covid Symptoms During Early Childhood., Rachel S. Gross, Tanayott Thaweethai, Amy L. Salisbury, Lawrence C. Kleinman, Sindhu Mohandas, Kyung E. Rhee, Jessica N. Snowden, Kelan G. Tantisira, David Warburton, John C. Wood, Patricia A. Kinser, Joshua D. Milner, Erika B. Rosenzweig, Katherine Irby, Valerie J. Flaherman, Elizabeth W. Karlson, Lori B. Chibnik, Deepti B. Pant, Aparna Krishnamoorthy, Richard Gallagher, Michelle F. Lamendola-Essel, Denise C. Hasson, Stuart D. Katz, Shonna Yin, Benard P. Dreyer, Frank Blancero, Megan Carmilani, K Coombs, Megan L. Fitzgerald, Rebecca J. Letts, Aimee K. Peddie, Judy L. Aschner, Andrew M. Atz, Dithi Banerjee, Amanda Bogie, Hulya Bukulmez, Katharine Clouser, Lesley A. Cottrell, Kelly Cowan, Viren A. D'Sa, Allen Dozor, Amy J. Elliott, E Vincent S. Faustino, Alexander G. Fiks, Sunanda Gaur, Maria L. Gennaro, Stewart Gordon, Uzma N. Hasan, Christina M. Hester, Alexander Hogan, Daniel S. Hsia, David C. Kaelber, Jessica S. Kosut, Sankaran Krishnan, Russell J. Mcculloh, Ian C. Michelow, Sheila M. Nolan, Carlos R. Oliveira, Lynn M. Olson, Wilson D. Pace, Paul Palumbo, Hengameh Raissy, Andy Reyes, Judith L. Ross, Juan C. Salazar, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Cheryl R. Stein, Michelle D. Stevenson, Ronald J. Teufel, Alan Werzberger, John M. Westfall, Kathleen Zani, William T. Zempsky, Emily Zimmerman, Marie-Abele C. Bind, James Chan, Zoe Guan, Richard E. Morse, Harrison T. Reeder, Torri D. Metz, Jane W. Newburger, Dongngan T. Truong, Andrea S. Foulkes, Melissa S. Stockwell, Recover-Pediatrics Consortium, Recover-Pediatrics Group Authors

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

IMPORTANCE: Recent studies have identified characteristic symptom patterns of long COVID (LC) in adults and children older than 5 years. However, LC remains poorly characterized in early childhood. This knowledge gap limits efforts to identify, care for, and prevent LC in this vulnerable population.

OBJECTIVES: To identify symptoms that had the greatest difference in frequency comparing children with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection to those without, to identify differences in the types of symptoms by age group (infants/toddlers [0-2 years] vs preschool-aged children [3-5 years]), and to derive an index that can be used in research studies to identify young …

Pneumococcal Colonization Dynamics Among Young Children With And Without Respiratory Symptoms During The First Year Of The Sars-Cov-2 Pandemic., Liset Olarte, Brian R. Lee, Dithi Banerjee, Douglas Swanson, Christopher J. Harrison, Rangaraj Selvarangan

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Non-pharmaceutical interventions to mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2 were implemented across the United States in 2020. These public health measures might influence pneumococcal colonization in younger children and their subsequent risk of invasive pneumococcal disease. Our objective was to evaluate pneumococcal colonization rates in children ≤ 5 years of age with and without respiratory symptoms during the first 12 months of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (April 2020 - March 2021).

STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study evaluating pneumococcal colonization rates, density and serotype distribution across three study periods (April-July [Period 1], August-November [Period 2] and December-March [Period 3]) after …

Emergency Medicine Residency Website Wellness Pages: A Content Analysis, Alexandra Sappington, Brian Milman

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the way medical students seek residency positions. In 2020, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education advocated for virtual interviews. Most emergency medicine (EM) interviews in 2023 remained virtual, and this format will persist for the foreseeable future. Since students are not evaluating programs in person in most cases, residency websites are crucial for prospective residents. Resident wellness is critical for resident training and important to prospective residents; it follows that programs must be transparent about resident wellness on websites. In this study we aimed to quantify the number of EM programs with wellness pages …

Is Increased Screen Time Associated With A Higher Prevalence Of Myopia In Elementary-Aged Children Globally?​, Katerina Kasatkin, Sree Gowri Sudharshan, Lakumi Dias, Adira Brenner, Emily Reilly, Maikel Mansour

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: The onset of myopia in children has emerged as a significant public health concern, especially with increased screen time and reduced outdoor activity following the COVID-19 pandemic. The global prevalence of myopia is expected to rise significantly, with children being particularly vulnerable. Various studies have explored how screen time, near-work activities, and outdoor exposure influence the increasing prevalence of myopia in pediatric populations worldwide.

Hypothesis: This paper aims to evaluate whether increased screen time, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, is associated with a higher prevalence of myopia in young children, providing a more robust understanding of this relationship across …

Assessing The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Health Literacy In Patients Presenting To A Student-Run Free Clinic, Sabah Iqbal, Kirsten Carlberg, Krisha S. Patel, Ashlyn Mcclelland, Sarah Marotta, Rebecca Moore

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background

Health literacy as defined by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), refers to an individual’s ability to find, understand, and use health information and services1. This definition has evolved with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing emphasis on preventative healthcare. We aimed to observe the impact of the pandemic on the health literacy of patients in a free community clinic run by medical students.

Hypothesis

This study aims to assess the effect of various demographic and socioeconomic factors and the COVID-19 pandemic on health literacy levels estimated by the NVS assessment in the patient population …

Assessing The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Mental Health In Patients Presenting To A Student-Run Free Clinic, Sabah Iqbal, Kirsten Carlberg, Emily Reilly, Jessica Ivanov, Victoria Youssef, Lily Roessler, Maikel Monsour, Nils Brolis

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background

Mental health is an important part of patient care, therefore it is imperative to understand how it’s recognized and treated. Socioeconomic status and the COVID19 pandemic contribute to disproportionate incidences of mental illness^{1, 2, 10, 11, 12}. This study uses data from a student-run clinic, the Rowan-Virtua Community Health Center (RVCHC), to examine disparities in mental health needs and screenings among the local population.

Hypothesis

It was hypothesized that underserved populations are at a disadvantage when it comes to both mental health screenings and treatment due to restricted access to healthcare and other unmet needs. Additionally, the …

Dysphagia And Covid-19 In Adults: A Prospective Clinical Trial With Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation Of Swallowing, Gökhan Can Törpü, Müberra Tanrıverdi, Nahide Öztoprak, Ömer Faruk Çalım, Orhan Özturan

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is distinguished by its impact on various tissues and organs across the body. It is known that COVID-19-related conditions are associated with swallowing function. This prospective study aimed to investigate the correlation between COVID-19 and dysphagia in adults. Methods: Adults who applied to the swallowing disorders outpatient clinic participated in this study. According to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, participants were divided into two groups: COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 group. Swallowing disorders were evaluated using fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing and scored with the Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS). PAS score > 1 was considered as dysphagia. Oral …

Factors Associated With Shock At Presentation In Kawasaki Disease Versus Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome In Children Associated With Covid-19., Supriya S. Jain, Ashraf S. Harahsheh, Simon Lee, Geetha Raghuveer, Nagib Dahdah, Michael Khoury, Michael A. Portman, Melissa Wehrmann, Arash A. Sabati, Marianna Fabi, Deepika Thacker, Nilanjana Misra, Mark D. Hicar, Nadine F. Choueiter, Matthew D. Elias, Audrey Dionne, William B. Orr, Jacqueline R. Szmuszkovicz, Seda Selamet Tierney, Luis Martin Garrido-Garcia, Frederic Dallaire, Balasubramanian Sundaram, Deepa Prasad, Tyler H. Harris, Elizabeth Braunlin, Elisa Fernandez Cooke, Cedric Manlhiot, Pedrom Farid, Brian W. Mccrindle, International Kawasaki Disease Registry

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: While clinical overlap between Kawasaki disease (KD) and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) has been evident, information regarding those presenting with shock has been limited. We sought to determine associations with shock within and between diagnosis groups.

METHODS: The International KD Registry enrolled contemporaneous patients with either KD or MIS-C from 39 sites in 7 countries from January 1, 2020, to January 1, 2023. Demographics, clinical features and presentation, management, laboratory values, and outcomes were compared between the diagnosis and shock groups.

RESULTS: Shock at presentation was noted for 19 of 672 KD patients (2.8%) and 653 of …

Differences In Covid-19 Deaths Amongst Cancer Patients And Possible Mediators For This Relationship, Leah Vaidya, Nubaira Rizvi, Xiao Cheng Wu, Lauren S. Maniscalco, Yong Yi, Augusto Ochoa, Qingzhao Yu

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Previous research demonstrated Non-Hispanic Black populations experience higher COVID-19 mortality rates than Non-Hispanic White individuals. Additionally, cancer status is a known risk factor for COVID-19 death. While prior studies investigated comorbidities as exploratory variables in differences in COVID-19 hospitalization, none have explored their role in COVID-19-related deaths. This study aimed to evaluate whether Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and subsequently, individual diseases are potential explanatory variables for this relationship. The analysis focused on Non-Hispanic Black and Non-Hispanic White cancer patients aged 20 or older, diagnosed between 2011 and 2019, who tested positive for COVID-19 from the start of pandemic through June …

Precision Phenotyping For Curating Research Cohorts Of Patients With Unexplained Post-Acute Sequelae Of Covid-19, Alaleh Azhir, Jonas Hügel, Jiazi Tian, Jingya Cheng, Ingrid V Bassett, Douglas S Bell, Elmer V Bernstam, Maha R Farhat, Darren W Henderson, Emily S Lau, Michele Morris, Yevgeniy R Semenov, Virginia A Triant, Shyam Visweswaran, Zachary H Strasser, Jeffrey G Klann, Shawn N Murphy, Hossein Estiri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Scalable identification of patients with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) is challenging due to a lack of reproducible precision phenotyping algorithms, which has led to suboptimal accuracy, demographic biases, and underestimation of the PASC.

METHODS: In a retrospective case-control study, we developed a precision phenotyping algorithm for identifying cohorts of patients with PASC. We used longitudinal electronic health records data from over 295,000 patients from 14 hospitals and 20 community health centers in Massachusetts. The algorithm employs an attention mechanism to simultaneously exclude sequelae that prior conditions can explain and include infection-associated chronic conditions. We performed independent chart reviews …

Complement Activity And Autophagy Are Dysregulated In The Lungs Of Patients With Nonresolvable Covid-19 Requiring Lung Transplantation, Pooja Shivshankar, Stacey L Mueller-Ortiz, Aleksey Y Domozhirov, Weizhen Bi, Scott D Collum, Marie-Francoise Doursout, Manish Patel, Isabella N Lefebvre, Bindu Akkanti, Simon Yau, Howard J Huang, Rahat Hussain, Harry Karmouty-Quintana

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-induced coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has challenged the current understanding of the complement cascade mechanisms of host immune responses during infection-induced nonresolvable lung disease. While the complement system is involved in opsonization and phagocytosis of the invading pathogens, uncontrolled complement activation also leads to aberrant autophagic response and tissue damage. Our recent study revealed unique pathologic and fibrotic signature genes associated with epithelial bronchiolization in the lung tissues of patients with nonresolvable COVID-19 (NR-COVID-19) requiring lung transplantation. However, there is a knowledge gap if complement components are modulated to contribute to tissue …

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial Of Il-7 In Critically Ill Patients With Covid-19, Manu Shankar-Hari, Bruno Francois, Kenneth E Remy, Cristina Gutierrez, Stephen Pastores, Thomas Daix, Robin Jeannet, Jane Blood, Andrew H Walton, Reinaldo Salomao, Georg Auzinger, David Striker, Robert S Martin, Nitin J Anand, James Bosanquet, Teresa Blood, Scott Brakenridge, Lyle L Moldawer, Vidula Vachharajani, Cassian Yee, Felipe Dal-Pizzol, Michel Morre, Frederique Berbille, Marcel Van Den Brink, Richard Hotchkiss

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Lymphopenia and failure of lymphocytes to mount an early IFN-γ response correlate with increased mortality in COVID-19. Given the essential role of CD4 helper and CD8 cytotoxic cells in eliminating viral pathogens, this profound loss in lymphocytes may impair patients' ability to eliminate the virus. IL-7 is a pleiotropic cytokine that is obligatory for lymphocyte survival and optimal function.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of CYT107, recombinant human IL-7, in 109 critically ill, patients with lymphopenia who have COVID-19. The primary endpoint was to assess CYT107's effect on lymphocyte recovery with secondary clinical endpoints including …

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Real World Data Infrastructure: A Big-Data Resource For Study Of The Impact Of Covid-19 In Patient Populations With Immunocompromising Conditions, James M. Crawford, Lynne Penberthy, Ligia A. Pinto, Keri N. Althoff, Magdalene M. Assimon, Oren Cohen, Laura Gillim, Tracy L. Hammonds, Shilpa Kapur, Harvey W. Kaufman, David Kwasny, Jean W. Liew, William A. Meyer 3rd, Shannon L. Reynolds, Cheryl B. Schleicher, Suki Subbiah, Catherine Theruviparampil, Zachary S. Wallace, Jeremy L. Warner, Suhyeon Yoon, Yonah C. Ziemba

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background. We developed a United States–based real-world data resource to better understand the continued impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on immunocompromised patients, who are typically underrepresented in prospective studies and clinical trials. Methods. The COVID-19 Real World Data infrastructure (CRWDi) was created by linking and harmonizing de-identified HealthVerity medical and pharmacy claims data from 1 December 2018 to 31 December 2023, with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virologic and serologic laboratory data from major commercial laboratories and Northwell Health; COVID-19 vaccination data; and, for patients with cancer, 2010 to 2021 National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and …

Decriminalizing Disease: A Health Justice Approach To Infectious Diseases And Criminal Law, Sean E. Bland

Arkansas Law Review

Infectious diseases, also called communicable diseases, are largely a public health issue and should not be criminalized. This Article seeks to re-frame the discussion around the legal framework for infectious diseases in a way that moves beyond a punishment mindset and toward a health justice mindset. The focus in this Article is on health justice rather than traditional understandings of public health, defined as the science and practice of improving the health of people and their communities. The Article makes three novel contributions. First, it applies a health justice framework to the critique of infectious disease criminalization. Second, the Article …

A Regularized Bayesian Dirichlet-Multinomial Regression Model For Integrating Single-Cell-Level Omics And Patient-Level Clinical Study Data, Yanghong Guo, Lei Yu, Lei Guo, Lin Xu, Qiwei Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The abundance of various cell types can vary significantly among patients with varying phenotypes and even those with the same phenotype. Recent scientific advancements provide mounting evidence that other clinical variables, such as age, gender, and lifestyle habits, can also influence the abundance of certain cell types. However, current methods for integrating single-cell-level omics data with clinical variables are inadequate. In this study, we propose a regularized Bayesian Dirichlet-multinomial regression framework to investigate the relationship between single-cell RNA sequencing data and patient-level clinical data. Additionally, the model employs a novel hierarchical tree structure to identify such relationships at different cell-type …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Teledermatology For Undeserved Populations During And Post-Covid-19, Jakob Gibbs, Sean Hanshaw

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: Teledermatology, a subset of telemedicine, has gained prominence as a means to increase access to dermatologic care while reducing costs and improving patient satisfaction. The swift expansion of teledermatology during the COVID-19 pandemic was driven by the necessity to limit physical contact and adapt to public health restrictions. This technological shift aimed to address longstanding disparities in dermatology access, especially in rural and underserved populations, and to respond to the rising demand for dermatologic services amid provider shortages.

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects that teledermatology following the COVID-19 pandemic had …

Resilience And Reality: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of People Living With Hiv In Texas During The Covid-19 Pandemic – A Qualitative Study., Ahmed F. Alanazi

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

This study investigated the lived experiences of individuals living with HIV (PLWH) in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area of Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic, using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) framework. The research examined the intersection of health, social dynamics, and psychological resilience among PLWH, who faced compounded vulnerabilities due to systemic inequities and the dual public health crises of HIV and COVID-19. Through semi-structured interviews with ten participants from diverse backgrounds, the study captured the profound impacts of disrupted healthcare systems, heightened stigma, and social isolation on this marginalized population. The findings reveal that the pandemic exacerbated existing inequities …

Changes In Cancer Diagnosis And Survival In The United States During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Justin T. Burus

Theses and Dissertations--Epidemiology and Biostatistics

The COVID-19 Pandemic led to global societal disruptions as political leaders and public health authorities attempted to control the spread of the newly discovered SARS- CoV-2 virus. While these measures were designed to lessen morbidity and mortality from a novel pathogen, their impact was also felt in many other, often unintended ways. The purpose of this dissertation is to use cancer surveillance research methods to examine the association between COVID-19 Pandemic-related disruptions and changes in the normal diagnosis and care of cancer in the United States.

The first two studies of this dissertation analyzed reductions in cancer diagnoses in the …

Structural And Interpersonal Determinants Of Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake In Vulnerable Populations Of The United States, Alyea Wood

Capstone Showcase

Since its introduction in late 2020, the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine has had the lowest rates in marginalized populations like minorities, elderly, and those of low socioeconomic status. Decreased rates of vaccination uptake in these groups has resulted in increased burden of disease and subsequently higher rates of hospitalization and death. Many inequities in poor COVID-19 health outcomes can be explained by examining common predictive factors that determine vaccination rates in these United States populations. This special article research aims to explore these various predictive factors with the goal to provide targeted strategies to boost COVID-19 vaccination rates, especially …

Understanding The Impact Of The Care Connect Washington Program, Hannah Cohen-Cline, Dan Fish, Taylor Doren, Abby Bush

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.