COVID-19 Commons^™

Experiences Of Midwestern Obstetric Clinicians During The Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic, Drishti D Sinha, Megan Foeller, Abigail S Bell, Anthony J Nixon, Darrell Hudson, Aimee S James, Amy R Scheffer, Ana A Baumann, Emily Diveley, Ebony B Carter, Nandini Raghuraman, Indira U Mysorekar, Jeannie C Kelly

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to healthcare system changes aimed at minimizing disease transmission that impacted experiences with obstetric healthcare.

OBJECTIVE: To explore experiences of clinicians providing obstetric care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

STUDY DESIGN: Qualitative, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five nurse practitioners and 16 obstetrical physicians providing a mix of outpatient and inpatient obstetric care during the COVID-19 pandemic in a mid-sized, Midwestern city in the United States. Interviews elucidated challenges and facilitators of obstetric care provision and vaccination of pregnant patients against COVID-19 during the pandemic. Transcripts were coded inductively then deductively using …

Telemedicine For Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus In A Publicly Funded Hospital System: Retrospective Study, Sebastian Bruera, Kristen Andrews Staggers, Maria Eugenia Suarez-Almazor, Sandeep Krishna Agarwal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease that requires frequent clinic and laboratory visits. However, patients with SLE, particularly those who are underresourced, have unacceptably high rates of no-shows.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine no-show rates associated with telemedicine visits during the COVID-19 pandemic in comparison to no-show rates associated with contemporaneous and historic in-person visits.

METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study in a publicly funded county hospital system in Houston, Texas. We identified a cohort of established patients with SLE by the International Classification of Diseases codes that were independently confirmed as SLE by …

Aromatase, Testosterone, Tmprss2: Determinants Of Covid-19 Severity, Eric C Mohan, Jude P J Savarraj, Gabriela D Colpo, Diego Morales, Carson E Finger, Alexis Mcalister, Hilda Ahnstedt, Huimahn Choi, Louise D Mccullough, Bharti Manwani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Male sex has been identified as a risk factor for worse COVID-19 outcomes. This sex difference has been mostly attributed to the complex role of sex hormones. Cell surface entry of SARS-CoV-2 is mediated by the transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) which is under transcriptional regulation by androgens. P450 aromatase enzyme converts androgens to estrogens. This study measured concentrations of aromatase enzyme, testosterone, estradiol, and TMPRSS-2 in plasma of hospitalized COVID-19 patients to elucidate the dynamics of sex-linked disparity in COVID-19 and correlate them with disease severity and mortality.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, a total of 265 …

Sars-Cov-2 Infection Induces Human Milk Antibodies Capable Of Mediating Multiple Functional Activities, Jared Sheehan, Aline Andres, Laxmi Yeruva, Alistair J. Ramsay

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background and Aims: Passive transfer of antibodies through breastfeeding is a potential mode of protection for newborns and infants following maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate and characterize SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S)-specific antibodies in human milk samples collected longitudinally from a cohort of convalescent mothers. Methods: SARS-CoV-2 infected participants enrolled in this study were lactating women aged 29–36 years with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis who donated milk samples at intervals over the six-month study period. Samples were evaluated for antibody subclass SARS-Cov-2 S glycoprotein binding activity by ELISA, and for the capacity of antibodies purified …

Micrornas Are Enriched At Covid-19 Genomic Risk Regions, And Their Blood Levels Correlate With The Covid-19 Prognosis Of Cancer Patients Infected By Sars-Cov-2, Simone Anfossi, Faezeh Darbaniyan, Joseph Quinlan, Steliana Calin, Masayoshi Shimizu, Meng Chen, Paola Rausseo, Michael Winters, Elena Bogatenkova, Kim-Anh Do, Ivan Martinez, Ziyi Li, Loredana Antal, Tudor Rares Olariu, Ignacio Wistuba, George A Calin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Cancer patients are more susceptible to an aggressive course of COVID-19. Developing biomarkers identifying cancer patients at high risk of COVID-19-related death could help determine who needs early clinical intervention. The miRNAs hosted in the genomic regions associated with the risk of aggressive COVID-19 could represent potential biomarkers for clinical outcomes.

Patients and methods: Plasma samples were collected at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from cancer patients (N = 128) affected by COVID-19. Serum samples were collected from vaccinated healthy individuals (n = 23) at the Municipal Clinical Emergency Teaching Hospital in Timisoara, Romania. An in …

Sars-Cov-2 Vaccine Improved Hemostasis Of A Patient With Protein S Deficiency: A Case Report, Mohammad A. Mohammad, Alaa Malik, Lekha Thangada, Diana Polanía-Villanueva, Jovanny Zabaleta, Rinku Majumder

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

A 16-year-old patient, while an infant, incurred right-sided hemiparesis and had difficulty breast feeding. She was later diagnosed with a neonatal stroke and her genetic testing showed a missense mutation in her PROS1 (Protein S) gene. Both her grandfather and father, but not her mother, had hereditary Protein S (PS) deficiency. The patient was not prescribed any mediation due to her young age but was frequently checked by her physician. The patient’s plasma was first collected at the age of 13, and the isolated plasma from the patient and her father were analyzed by aPTT, thrombin generation, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent …

Long Covid Among Undocumented Latino Immigrant Populations In The Emergency Department, Karen P Reyes, Zubaid Rafique, Brian Chinnock, Vijaya Arun Kumar, Michael Gottlieb, Kristin L Rising, Robert M Rodriguez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

This cross-sectional study assesses the understanding of and access to care for long COVID symptoms among undocumented Latino immigrants in US emergency departments (EDs).

Physical Exercise-Related Manifestations Of Long Covid: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Chen Zheng, Jun-Jie Chen, Zi-Han Dai, Ke-Wen Wan, Feng-Hua Sun, Jun-Hao Huang, Xiang-Ke Chen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to systematically assess physical exercise-related symptoms of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC or long COVID) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors.

METHODS: Eight databases were systematically searched on March 03, 2024. Original studies that compared physical exercise-related parameters measured by exercise testing between COVID-19 survivors who recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection over 3 months and non-COVID-19 controls were included. A random-effects model was utilized to determine the mean differences (MDs) or standardized MDs in the meta-analysis.

RESULTS: A total of 40 studies with 6241 COVID-19 survivors were included. The 6-min walk test, maximal oxygen consumption (VO …

Impact Of Covid-19 Lockdown On Patient-Provider Electronic Communications, Michael A Hansen, Rebecca Chen, Jacqueline Hirth, James Langabeer, Roger Zoorob

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: SARS CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) impacted the practice of healthcare in the United States, with technology being used to facilitate access to care and reduce iatrogenic spread. Since then, patient message volume to primary care providers has increased. However, the volume and trend of electronic communications after lockdown remain poorly described in the literature.

METHODS: All incoming inbox items (telephone calls, refill requests, and electronic messages) sent to providers from patients amongst four primary care clinics were collected. Inbox item rates were calculated as a ratio of items per patient encountered each week. Trends in inbox rates were assessed during …

Optimization Of Cellular Transduction By The Hiv-Based Pseudovirus Platform With Pan-Coronavirus Spike Proteins, Syamala Rani Thimmiraju, Maria Jose Villar, Jason T Kimata, Ulrich Strych, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Peter J Hotez, Jeroen Pollet

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Over the past three years, new SARS-CoV-2 variants have continuously emerged, evolving to a point where an immune response against the original vaccine no longer provided optimal protection against these new strains. During this time, high-throughput neutralization assays based on pseudoviruses have become a valuable tool for assessing the efficacy of new vaccines, screening updated vaccine candidates against emerging variants, and testing the efficacy of new therapeutics such as monoclonal antibodies. Lentiviral vectors derived from HIV-1 are popular for developing pseudo and chimeric viruses due to their ease of use, stability, and long-term transgene expression. However, the HIV-based platform has …

Cardiac Manifestations And Outcomes Of Covid-19 Vaccine-Associated Myocarditis In The Young In The Usa: Longitudinal Results From The Myocarditis After Covid Vaccination (Maciv) Multicenter Study, Supriya S. Jain, Steven A. Anderson, Jeremy M. Steele, Hunter C. Wilson, Juan Carlos Muniz, Jonathan H. Soslow, Rebecca S. Beroukhim, Victoria Maksymiuk, Xander Jacquemyn, Olivia H. Frosch, Brian Fonseca, Ashraf S. Harahsheh, Sujatha Buddhe, Ravi C. Ashwath, Deepika Thacker, Shiraz A. Maskatia, Nilanjana Misra, Jennifer A. Su, Saira Siddiqui, Danish Vaiyani, Aswathy K. Vaikom-House, M. Jay Campbell, Jared Klein, Sihong Huang, Christopher Mathis, Matthew D. Cornicelli, Madhu Sharma, Lakshmi Nagaraju, Marla Johnston, Et Al

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: We aimed to study the clinical characteristics, myocardial injury, and longitudinal outcomes of COVID-19 vaccine-associated myocarditis (C-VAM). Methods: In this longitudinal retrospective observational cohort multicenter study across 38 hospitals in the United States, 333 patients with C-VAM were compared with 100 patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). We included patients ≤ 30 years of age with a clinical diagnosis of acute myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination based on clinical presentation, abnormal biomarkers and/or cardiovascular imaging findings. Demographics, past medical history, hospital course, biochemistry results, cardiovascular imaging, and follow-up information from April 2021 to November 2022 were collected. The …

The Il-6 Hypothesis In Covid-19: A Phase 2, Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study To Evaluate The Efficacy And Safety Of Free Il-6 Sequestration By The Monoclonal Antibody Sirukumab In Severe And Critical Covid-19, Robert L. Gottlieb, Meredith Clement, Paul Cook, Audra Deveikis, Kap Sum Foong, Philip Robinson, Jihad Slim, Cedric W. Spak, Annemie Buelens, Katleen Callewaert, Sandra De Meyer, Wai Ling Mo, Inge Verbrugge, Liesbeth Van Wesenbeeck, Yanli Zhuang, Jason W. Chien, Magda Opsomer, Erika Van Landuyt

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Upregulation of IL-6 has been associated with worse prognosis in COVID-19 patients. Impact on IL-6 signalling has mostly been limited to clinical outcomes in IL-6 receptor antagonist trials. Methods: We performed a phase 2, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (NCT04380961) of US-based hospitalised adults (< 85 years) with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe (low levels of supplemental oxygen) or critical disease (high levels of oxygen supplementation). Patients received sirukumab 5 mg/kg or placebo single dose IV on Day 1 plus standard of care. The primary endpoint was time to sustained clinical improvement up to Day 28 based on an ordinal scale. Secondary endpoints included clinical improvement, all-cause mortality, and safety. Following an interim analysis, the protocol was amended to only recruit patients with critical COVID-19. Findings: From May 2020 to March 2021, 209 patients were randomised; 112 had critical disease (72 sirukumab, 40 placebo) at baseline. Median time to sustained clinical improvement in critical patients was 17 and 23 days in the sirukumab and placebo groups (HR, 1∙1; 95% CI, 0∙66–1∙88; p > 0∙05). At Day 28, 59∙4% versus 55∙0% of patients achieved clinical improvement with sirukumab versus placebo and rates of all-cause mortality were 24∙6% versus 30∙0%, respectively. Rates of grade ≥ 3 adverse events were comparable between the sirukumab and placebo groups (25∙9% vs 32∙9%; all patients). Interpretation: In critical COVID-19 patients who received sirukumab, there …

Neutralization Escape, Infectivity, And Membrane Fusion Of Jn1-Derived Sars-Cov-2 Slip, Flirt, And Kp2 Variants, Pei Li, Julia N Faraone, Cheng Chih Hsu, Michelle Chamblee, Yi-Min Zheng, Claire Carlin, Joseph S Bednash, Jeffrey C Horowitz, Rama K Mallampalli, Linda J Saif, Eugene M Oltz, Daniel Jones, Jianrong Li, Richard J Gumina, Kai Xu, Shan-Lu Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We investigate JN.1-derived subvariants SLip, FLiRT, and KP.2 for neutralization by antibodies in vaccinated individuals, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected patients, or class III monoclonal antibody S309. Compared to JN.1, SLip, KP.2, and especially FLiRT exhibit increased resistance to bivalent-vaccinated and BA.2.86/JN.1-wave convalescent human sera. XBB.1.5 monovalent-vaccinated hamster sera robustly neutralize FLiRT and KP.2 but have reduced efficiency for SLip. All subvariants are resistant to S309 and show decreased infectivity, cell-cell fusion, and spike processing relative to JN.1. Modeling reveals that L455S and F456L in SLip reduce spike binding for ACE2, while R346T in FLiRT and KP.2 strengthens …

Factors Associated With Elevated Sars-Cov-2 Immune Response In Children And Adolescents, Sarah E Messiah, Rhiana Abbas, Emma Bergqvist, Harold W Kohl, Michael D Swartz, Yashar Talebi, Rachit Sabharwal, Haoting Han, Melissa A Valerio-Shewmaker, Stacia M Desantis, Ashraf Yaseen, Henal A Gandhi, Ximena Flandes Amavisca, Jessica A Ross, Lindsay N Padilla, Michael O Gonzalez, Leqing Wu, Mark A Silberman, David Lakey, Jennifer A Shuford, Stephen J Pont, Eric Boerwinkle

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Understanding the distinct immunologic responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection among pediatric populations is pivotal in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and informing future public health strategies. This study aimed to identify factors associated with heightened antibody responses in children and adolescents to identify potential unique immune dynamics in this population.

METHODS: Data collected between July and December 2023 from the Texas Coronavirus Antibody REsponse Survey (Texas CARES), a statewide prospective population-based antibody survey among 1-to-19-year-old participants, were analyzed. Each participant had the following data available for analysis: (1) Roche Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Immunoassay for Nucleocapsid protein antibodies (Roche N-test), (2) qualitative and …

Gastrocnemius Electrical Stimulation Increases Ankle Dorsiflexion Strength In Patients With Post-Acute Sequelae Of Sars-Cov-2 (Pasc): A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial, Myeounggon Lee, Alejandro Zulbaran-Rojas, Miguel Bargas-Ochoa, Bernardo Martinez-Leal, Rasha Bara, Areli Flores-Camargo, M G Finco, Ram Kinker Mishra, Jaewon Beom, Dipaben Modi, Fidaa Shaib, Bijan Najafi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Post-Acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) is a multisystem disorder causing persistent musculoskeletal deconditioning and reduced lower extremity strength. Electrical stimulation (E-Stim) to the gastrocnemius muscle can enhance strength outcomes by increasing the frequency of muscle fiber activation. We investigated its effect on individuals with PASC. Participants were randomized into intervention (IG) or control (CG) groups. The IG self-administered daily one-hour E-Stim to both their gastrocnemius muscles using a functional device over 4-week, while the CG used a sham device. Primary outcomes were ankle dorsiflexion strength assessed via dynamometry during maximum voluntary contractions, and gastrocnemius voluntary activation (GVA) via surface electromyography. …

N Y State Dent J August-September 2024

The New York State Dental Journal

In the August-September 2024 issue, the reader will find the following feature articles:

• Success of Implant Placement in Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus
• Effects of Mandatory COVID-19 Testing Policy on No-Show Rates for Aerosol-Generating Procedures
• Heterotopic Bone Formation after TMJ Surgery
• Rural Oral Health Access Disparities in New York State

This issue includes regular columns with regional news impacting the New York membership including editorial and perspectives columns, legal, association activities, component news, continuing education opportunities, and classifieds.

Preeclampsia In The Context Of Covid-19: Mechanisms, Pathophysiology, And Clinical Outcomes, Guilherme M Nobrega, Brittany R Jones, Indira U Mysorekar, Maria Laura Costa

Center on Aging Staff Publications

The emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to the global COVID-19 pandemic, significantly impacting the health of pregnant women. Obstetric populations, already vulnerable, face increased morbidity and mortality related to COVID-19, aggravated by preexisting comorbidities. Recent studies have shed light on the potential correlation between COVID-19 and preeclampsia (PE), a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity worldwide, emphasizing the significance of exploring the relationship between these two conditions. Here, we review the pathophysiological similarities that PE shares with COVID-19, with a particular focus on severe COVID-19 cases and in PE-like syndrome cases related with …

Clinical Features And Outcomes Of Pediatric And Adult Patients Hospitalized For Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Comparison Across Age Strata, Grace X Li, Komal Gopchandani, Noah Brazer, Ashley Tippett, Chris Choi, Hui-Mien Hsiao, Miriam Oseguera, Abiodun Foresythe, Sanchita Bhattacharya, Venice Servellita, Alicia Sotomayor Gonzalez, Jennifer K Spinler, Mark D Gonzalez, Dalia Gulick, Colleen Kraft, Vyjayanti Kasinathan, Yun F Wayne Wang, Jennifer Dien Bard, Pei Ying Chen, Jessica Flores-Vazquez, Audrey R Odom John, Paul J Planet, Sridevi Devaraj, Ananth V Annapragada, Ruth Ann Luna, Charles Y Chiu, Christina A Rostad

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to cause hospitalizations and severe disease in children and adults.

METHODS: This study compared the risk factors, symptoms, and outcomes of children and adults hospitalized for COVID-19 from March 2020 to May 2023 across age strata at 5 US sites participating in the Predicting Viral-Associated Inflammatory Disease Severity in Children with Laboratory Diagnostics and Artificial Intelligence consortium. Eligible patients had an upper respiratory swab that tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 by nucleic acid amplification. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of clinical outcomes were determined for children versus adults, for pediatric age …

Accelerated Tumor Progression After Covid-19 Infection In Patients With Glioblastoma: A Retrospective Case-Control Study, Timothy A Gregory, Stephanie R Knight, Ashley E Aaroe, Kaitlin N Highsmith, Zachary C Janatpour, Barbara J O'Brien, Nazanin K Majd, Monica E Loghin, Chirag B Patel, Shiao-Pei Weathers, Vinay K Puduvalli, Carlos Kamiya-Matsuoka

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: We observed rapid tumor progression following COVID-19 infection among patients with glioblastoma and sought to systematically characterize their disease course in a retrospective case-control study.

Methods: Using an institutional database, we retrospectively identified a series of COVID-19-positive glioblastoma cases and matched them by age and sex 1:2 to glioblastoma controls who had a negative COVID-19 test during their disease course. Demographic and clinical data were analyzed. Hyperprogression was defined using modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumors criteria. Time to progression and overall survival were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Results: Thirty-two glioblastoma cases with positive COVID-19 testing were …

Systemic Arterial Function After Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome In Children Associated With Covid-19, Ketaki Mukhopadhyay, Marla S. Johnston, James S. Krulisky, Shengping Yang, Thomas R. Kimball

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a new disease entity occurring in the pediatric population two to six weeks after coronavirus exposure due to a systemic arteritis. We investigated post-hospital-discharge arterial function at short- and mid-term intervals using pulse wave velocity. We assessed associations between arterial function, left ventricular diastolic and systolic function and left ventricular mass. Materials and methods: Retrospective data collection was carried out on 28 patients with MIS-C with at least two outpatient pediatric cardiology clinic visits post hospital admission. The patients underwent assessment of systemic arterial function and cardiac function. Data included pulse wave …

The Interplay Between Gender And Duration Of Hospitalization Modulates Psychiatric Symptom Severity In Subjects With Long Covid-19, Alessio Simonetti, Antonio Restaino, Claudia Calderoni, Emanuela De Chiara, Antonio Maria D'Onofrio, Salvatore Lioniello, Giovanni Camardese, Delfina Janiri, Matteo Tosato, Francesco Landi, Gabriele Sani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Long COVID-19 is characterized by ongoing symptoms or prolonged or long-term complications of SARS-CoV-2 contraction which persist beyond 4 weeks from the initial onset of symptoms. Gender and duration of hospitalization (DH) are key risk factors for developing long COVID-19 syndrome, but their impact and interplay need further study. This research involved 996 long COVID-19 patients, and we compared the levels of general psychopathology, depression, agitated depression, anxiety, and medication use between hospitalized and non-hospitalized males and females. In the hospitalized patients, multivariate regressions assessed the impact of gender, DH, and the interaction of these variables. The females had higher …

Do Apoe4, Malnutrition, And Long Covid-19 Compound The Risk Factors For Stroke In Adverse Environments?, Alexander Vasconcelos Buzaglo, Carlos Meton De Alencar Gadelha Vieira, Gabriella Cunha Vieira Ciurleo, Ludmila Belayev, Reinaldo B. Oriá

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Novel Immunomodulatory Properties Of Adenosine Analogs Promote Their Antiviral Activity Against Sars-Cov-2, Giulia Monticone, Zhi Huang, Peter Hewins, Thomasina Cook, Oygul Mirzalieva, Brionna King, Kristina Larter, Taylor Miller-Ensminger, Maria D. Sanchez-Pino, Timothy P. Foster, Olga V. Nichols, Alistair J. Ramsay, Samarpan Majumder, Dorota Wyczechowska, Darlene Tauzier, Elizabeth Gravois, Judy S. Crabtree, Jone Garai, Li Li, Jovanny Zabaleta, Mallory T. Barbier, Luis Del Valle, Kellie A. Jurado, Lucio Miele

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic reminded us of the urgent need for new antivirals to control emerging infectious diseases and potential future pandemics. Immunotherapy has revolutionized oncology and could complement the use of antivirals, but its application to infectious diseases remains largely unexplored. Nucleoside analogs are a class of agents widely used as antiviral and anti-neoplastic drugs. Their antiviral activity is generally based on interference with viral nucleic acid replication or transcription. Based on our previous work and computer modeling, we hypothesize that antiviral adenosine analogs, like remdesivir, have previously unrecognized immunomodulatory properties which contribute to their therapeutic activity. In the case …

Combating Disparities In A Pandemic: Increasing Dissemination Of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Resources In Spanish., Romina Barral, Nicholas Clark, Fernando Zapata, Lines Vargas Collado, July Jean Cuevas, Cristina Fernandez Md

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

INTRODUCTION: Disparities exist in access to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related health information. We aimed to close a gap in online traffic between English and Spanish COVID-19-related health information on our institution's publicly-facing website by 50% within ten months.

METHODS: We used A3 improvement methodology. Outcome measures were the mean monthly difference between English and Spanish COVID-19 online traffic vis-a-vis (1) total webpage views and (2) unique webpage visits. Process measures were stratification of outcome measures by language. Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles included: Recurring advertisements on a local Spanish television station disseminating up-to-date COVID-19 information, including our institution's Spanish COVID-19 online resources, incorporation …

Caregiver Recruitment Strategies For Interventions Designed To Optimize Transitions From Hospital To Home: Lessons From A Randomized Trial, Allison M Gustavson, Molly J Horstman, Jodie A Cogswell, Diane E Holland, Catherine E Vanderboom, Jay Mandrekar, William S Harmsen, Brystana G Kaufman, Cory Ingram, Joan M Griffin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Challenges to recruitment of family caregivers exist and are amplified when consent must occur in the context of chaotic healthcare circumstances, such as the transition from hospital to home. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic during our randomized controlled trial provided an opportunity for a natural experiment exploring and examining different consent processes for caregiver recruitment. The purpose of this publication is to describe different recruitment processes (in-person versus virtual) and compare diversity in recruitment rates in the context of a care recipient's hospitalization. We found rates of family caregiver recruitment for in-person versus virtual were 28% and 23%, respectively …

The Saga Of Covid-19 In Chronic Lung Disease: History Repeats Itself, Amir Sharafkhaneh, Javad Razjouyan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Change In Trust In Us Government Health Agencies For Cancer Information In The Covid-19 Era, Onyema G Chido-Amajuoyi, Rajesh Talluri, Henry K Onyeaka, Itunu Sokale, Gideon T Dosunmu, Noelle Loconte, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This cross-sectional study assesses changes in levels of public trust in US government health agencies providing cancer information.

Teaching Bioinformatics Through The Analysis Of Sars-Cov-2: Project-Based Training For Computer Science Students, Pavlin G Poličar, Martin Špendl, Tomaž Curk, Blaž Zupan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

MOTIVATION: We learn more effectively through experience and reflection than through passive reception of information. Bioinformatics offers an excellent opportunity for project-based learning. Molecular data are abundant and accessible in open repositories, and important concepts in biology can be rediscovered by reanalyzing the data.

RESULTS: In the manuscript, we report on five hands-on assignments we designed for master's computer science students to train them in bioinformatics for genomics. These assignments are the cornerstones of our introductory bioinformatics course and are centered around the study of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). They assume no prior knowledge of molecular …

Case Report: Dementia Sensitivity To Altitude Changes And Effective Treatment With Hyperbaric Air And Glutathione Precursors, Edward F. Fogarty, Paul G. Harch

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

A 78-year-old man with dementia experienced waxing and waning of symptoms with changes in altitude as he traveled from his home in the Rocky Mountains to lower elevations and back. To replicate the improvement in his symptoms with travel to lower elevations (higher pressure), the patient was treated with a near-identical repressurization in a hyperbaric chamber using compressed air. With four 1-h treatments at 1.3 Atmospheres Absolute (ATA) and concurrent administration of low-dose oral glutathione amino acid precursors, he recovered speech and showed improvement in activities of daily living. Regional broadcast media had documented his novel recovery. Nosocomial COVID-19 and …

Viral And Host Factors Are Associated With Mortality In Hospitalized Patients With Covid-19, Neil R Aggarwal, Jacquie Nordwall, Dominique L Braun, Lucy Chung, Jordan Coslet, Tatyana Der, Nnakelu Eriobu, Adit A Ginde, Awori J Hayanga, Helene Highbarger, Mark Holodniy, Juan P Horcajada, Mamta K Jain, Kami Kim, Sylvain Laverdure, Jens Lundgren, Ven Natarajan, Hien H Nguyen, Sarah L Pett, Andrew Phillips, Garyphallia Poulakou, David A Price, Philip Robinson, Angela J Rogers, Uriel Sandkovsky, Katy Shaw-Saliba, Jeffrey M Sturek, Barbara W Trautner, Michael Waters, Cavan Reilly

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Persistent mortality in adults hospitalized due to acute COVID-19 justifies pursuit of disease mechanisms and potential therapies. The aim was to evaluate which virus and host response factors were associated with mortality risk among participants in Therapeutics for Inpatients with COVID-19 (TICO/ACTIV-3) trials.

METHODS: A secondary analysis of 2625 adults hospitalized for acute SARS-CoV-2 infection randomized to 1 of 5 antiviral products or matched placebo in 114 centers on 4 continents. Uniform, site-level collection of participant baseline clinical variables was performed. Research laboratories assayed baseline upper respiratory swabs for SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA and plasma for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid …