COVID-19 Commons^™

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 …

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 …

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 …

The Impact Of Intraoperative Glucagon On The Diagnostic Accuracy Of Intraoperative Cholangiogram For The Diagnosis Of Choledocholithiasis: Experience From A Large Tertiary Care Center, Artem Boyev, Srinivas Sanjeevi, Martha M Estrada, Tien C Ko, Curtis J Wray

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals reported decreased admissions for acute surgical diagnoses, but scant data was available to quantify the decrease and its consequences. The objective of this study was to examine the incidence of acute care surgery encounters before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed at a single, urban, United States safety-net hospital. Emergency room encounters, admissions, non-elective surgical procedures, patient acuity, and surgical complications were compared before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary outcome of the study was the incidence rate (IR) 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, …

Surge In Incidence And Coronavirus Disease 2019 Hospital Risk Of Death, United States, September 2020 To March 2021, Bela Patel, Robert E Murphy, Siddharth Karanth, Salsawit Shiffaraw, Richard M Peters, Samuel F Hohmann, Raymond S Greenberg

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Studies of the early months of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic indicate that patient outcomes may be adversely affected by surges. However, the impact on in-hospital mortality during the largest surge to date, September 2020-March 2021, has not been studied. This study aimed to determine whether in-hospital mortality was impacted by the community surge of COVID-19.

METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of 416 962 adult COVID-19 patients admitted immediately before or during the surge at 229 US academic and 432 community hospitals in the Vizient Clinical Database. The odds ratios (ORs) of death among hospitalized patients …

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)) …

Factors Associated With Depression, Anxiety, And Stress Symptoms Among Men In A Rural Area In Vietnam During Covid-19, Van T H Hoang, Ha T H Nguyen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected health and well-being worldwide, and its psychological effects are receiving substantial attention in the scientific literature. Research to date shows that the pandemic has increased prevalences of depression, anxiety, and stress. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of mental health symptoms and identify the associated factors among men in a rural area of Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: During July 15-31, 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1,085 men from 18 years old in 11 rural districts in Thanh Hoa province, Vietnam, and assessed their mental health using the …

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 …

A Review Of The Effectiveness, Feasibility, And Acceptability Of Art Therapy For Children And Adolescents During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Minh Ngoc Le Vu, Anh Linh Do, Laurent Boyer, Quy Chi Tran, Stefan Kohler, Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed, Andreea Molnar, Tung Son Vu, Nhan Trong Huynh Vo, Linh Mai Vu Nguyen, Linh Gia Vu, Vu Anh Trong Dam, Thomy Duong, Dan Linh Nguyen Do, Ngoc Minh Do, Roger S Mclntyre, Carl Latkin, Roger Chun Man Ho, Cyrus Su Hui Ho

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Art therapy has been widely offered to reduce symptoms of psychological disturbance. Pooled evidence about its effectiveness in epidemic contexts, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, has not been yet established. This study reviewed the effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of art therapy on children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic and past epidemics. We searched PubMed/Medline, PsycINFO, CENTRAL (Cochrane Library), and CINAHL for articles on art therapy during COVID-19. Included studies reported improvements in measures of mental health, sleep quality, and psychological well-being in children with or without disabilities in the epidemic context. Results also showed that art therapy was highly …

Delineating Covid-19 Immunological Features Using Single-Cell Rna Sequencing, Wendao Liu, Johnathan Jia, Yulin Dai, Wenhao Chen, Guangsheng Pei, Qiheng Yan, Zhongming Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Understanding the molecular mechanisms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pathogenesis and immune response is vital for developing therapies. Single-cell RNA sequencing has been applied to delineate the cellular heterogeneity of the host response toward COVID-19 in multiple tissues and organs. Here, we review the applications and findings from over 80 original COVID-19 single-cell RNA sequencing studies as well as many secondary analysis studies. We describe that single-cell RNA sequencing reveals multiple features of COVID-19 patients with different severity, including cell populations with proportional alteration, COVID-19-induced genes and pathways, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in single cells, and adaptation …

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

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

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

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

RESULTS: COVID-19-induced …

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

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

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

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

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

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

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

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

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

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

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

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

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

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

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

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

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

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

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

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

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

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

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

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

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

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

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

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

DESIGN: Multicenter cohort study.

SETTING: ICUs at 68 hospitals across the United States.

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

INTERVENTIONS: None.

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

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

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

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

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

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

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

Effectiveness And Adherence To Closed Face Shields In The Prevention Of Covid-19 Transmission: A Non-Inferiority Randomized Controlled Trial In A Middle-Income Setting (Covproshield), Andrea Ramirez Varela, Alejandro Pacheco Gurruchaga, Silvia Restrepo Restrepo, Juan David Martin, Yessica Daniela Campaz Landazabal, Guillermo Tamayo-Cabeza, Sandra Contreras-Arrieta, Yuldor Caballero-Díaz, Luis Jorge Hernandez Florez, John Mario González, Juan Carlos Santos-Barbosa, José David Pinzón, Juan José Yepes-Nuñez, Rachid Laajaj, Giancarlo Buitrago Gutierrez, Martha Vives Florez, Janner Fuentes Castillo, Gianni Quinche Vargas, Andres Casas, Antonio Medina, Eduardo Behrentz, Covida Working Group

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The use of respiratory devices can mitigate the spread of diseases such as COVID-19 in community settings. We aimed to determine the effectiveness of closed face shields with surgical face masks to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission in working adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bogotá, Colombia.

METHODS: An open-label non-inferiority randomized controlled trial that randomly assigned participants to one of two groups: the intervention group was instructed to wear closed face shields with surgical face masks, and the active control group was instructed to wear only surgical face masks. The primary outcome was a positive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction …

Cross-Sector Decision Landscape In Response To Covid-19: A Qualitative Network Mapping Analysis Of North Carolina Decision-Makers, Caitlin B Biddell, Karl T Johnson, Mehul D Patel, Raymond L Smith, Hillary K Hecht, Julie L Swann, Maria E Mayorga, Kristen Hassmiller Lich

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic response has demonstrated the interconnectedness of individuals, organizations, and other entities jointly contributing to the production of community health. This response has involved stakeholders from numerous sectors who have been faced with new decisions, objectives, and constraints. We examined the cross-sector organizational decision landscape that formed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina.

METHODS: We conducted virtual semi-structured interviews with 44 organizational decision-makers representing nine sectors in North Carolina between October 2020 and January 2021 to understand the decision-making landscape within the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. In line with a complexity/systems thinking …

Risk Of Transmission Of Respiratory Viruses During Aerosol-Generating Medical Procedures (Agmps) Revisited In The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review, Jenine Leal, Brenlea Farkas, Liza Mastikhina, Jordyn Flanagan, Becky Skidmore, Charleen Salmon, Devika Dixit, Stephanie Smith, Stephen Tsekrekos, Bonita Lee, Joseph Vayalumkal, Jessica Dunn, Robyn Harrison, Melody Cordoviz, Roberta Dubois, Uma Chandran, Fiona Clement, Kathryn Bush, John Conly, Oscar Larios

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: In many jurisdictions healthcare workers (HCWs) are using respirators for aerosol-generating medical procedures (AGMPs) performed on adult and pediatric populations with all suspect/confirmed viral respiratory infections (VRIs). This systematic review assessed the risk of VRIs to HCWs in the presence of AGMPs, the role respirators versus medical/surgical masks have on reducing that risk, and if the risk to HCWs during AGMPs differed when caring for adult or pediatric patient populations.

MAIN TEXT: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central, Cochrane SR, CINAHL, COVID-19 specific resources, and MedRxiv for English and French articles from database inception to September 9, 2021. Independent …

International Prevalence And Mechanisms Of Sars-Cov-2 In Childhood Arterial Ischemic Stroke During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Lauren A Beslow, Shannon C Agner, Jonathan D Santoro, Dipak Ram, Jenny L Wilson, Dana Harrar, Brian Appavu, Stuart M Fraser, Thomas Rossor, Marcela D Torres, Manoëlle Kossorotoff, Yenny C Zuñiga Zambrano, Marta Hernández-Chávez, Sahar M A Hassanein, Dimitrios Zafeiriou, Michael M Dowling, Ilona Kopyta, Nicholas V Stence, Timothy J Bernard, Nomazulu Dlamini

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Data from the early pandemic revealed that 0.62% of children hospitalized with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had an acute arterial ischemic stroke (AIS). In a larger cohort from June 2020 to December 2020, we sought to determine whether our initial point estimate was stable as the pandemic continued and to understand radiographic and laboratory data that may clarify mechanisms of pediatric AIS in the setting of SARS-CoV-2.

METHODS: We surveyed international sites with pediatric stroke expertise to determine numbers of hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 patients <18 >years, numbers of incident AIS cases among children (29 days to <18 >years), frequency …

Covid-19: Perceived Infection Risk And Barriers To Uptake Of Pfizer-Biontech And Moderna Vaccines Among Community Healthcare Workers, Tolulope B Famuyiro, Abayomi Ogunwale, Jude Des Bordes, Mukaila Raji

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The health and economic ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic have prompted the need for a timely and effective vaccine development. While the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in record time is being hailed as a scientific feat, skepticism about the safety, side effects, and even its long-term effects remain. Acceptance of the vaccine may therefore be a challenge among healthcare workers (HCWs), whose role is considered a proxy to determining the COVID-19 vaccine uptake response by the general population.

Methods: In December 2020, prior to the arrival and receipt of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, we conducted a …

Patient Preference For Virtual Versus In-Person Visits In Neuromuscular Clinical Practice, Komal Hafeez, Hani Kushlaf, Husam Al-Sultani, Anny-Claude Joseph, Zoya Zaeem, Zaeem Siddiqi, Shannon Laboy, Michael Pulley, Ali A Habib, Nathaniel M Robbins, Sean Zadeh, Muhammad Ubaid Hafeez, Yessar Hussain, Alexandria Melendez-Zaidi, Charles Kassardjian, Kristin Johnson, Holly Leonhard, Suur Biliciler, Jorge E Patino Murillas, Aziz I Shaibani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION/AIMS: It is unknown if patients with neuromuscular diseases prefer in-person or virtual telemedicine visits. We studied patient opinions and preference on virtual versus in-person visits, and the factors influencing such preferences.

METHODS: Telephone surveys, consisting of 11 questions, of patients from 10 neuromuscular centers were completed.

RESULTS: Five hundred and twenty surveys were completed. Twenty-six percent of respondents preferred virtual visits, while 50% preferred in-person visits. Sixty-four percent reported physical interaction as "very important." For receiving a new diagnosis, 55% preferred in-person vs 35% reporting no preference. Forty percent were concerned about a lack of physical examination vs 20% …