COVID-19 Commons^™

Radiographic Findings And Association With Clinical Severity And Outcomes In Critically Ill Patients With Covid-19, Wei Wu, Pavan K Bhatraju, Natalie Cobb, Neha A Sathe, Kevin I Duan, Kevin P Seitz, Matthew R Thau, Clifford C Sung, Daniel S Hippe, Gautham Reddy, Sudhakar Pipavath

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: To describe evolution and severity of radiographic findings and assess association with disease severity and outcomes in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 62 COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Clinical data was obtained from electronic medical records. A total of 270 chest radiographs were reviewed and qualitatively scored (CXR score) using a severity scale of 0-30. Radiographic findings were correlated with clinical severity and outcome.

RESULTS: The CXR score increases from a median initial score of 10 at hospital presentation to the median peak CXR score of 18 within a …

Online Dermatology Curriculum Experiences Among Us Dermatology Residents And Faculty, Quoc-Bao D Nguyen, Caroline T Starling, Imran T Baig, Misha V Koshelev, Kelly C Nelson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Many dermatology residency programs adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic by transitioning to online teaching methods. This may impact the quality of education and the satisfaction of residents. Dermatology faculty and residents nationwide were surveyed regarding their experiences with the novel online curricula. A total of 65 individuals representing at least 20 ACGME-accredited dermatology programs responded. Many programs implemented a predominantly online curriculum (78%). Most participants reported that both clinical dermatology and dermatopathology were online during the pandemic's peak (90%). Among those who had experienced a live curriculum prior to the pandemic, 49% reported that a virtual curriculum had similar effectiveness, …

Decontamination Of Geobacillus Stearothermophilus Using The Arca Aerosolized Hydrogen Peroxide Decontamination System, Loren Benjamin Mead, Tanner Mathison, Garry Osborne, Anne Marie Richards

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: In response to the limited supply of personal protective equipment during the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, recent studies demonstrate that gaseous H2O2 is an effective decontaminant of N95 filtering facepiece respirators to enable reuse of these items in a clinical setting. This paper evaluates the efficacy of the Arca Aerosolized Hydrogen Peroxide Decontamination System (Arca), a novel aerosolized H2O2 decontamination system, using biologic indicator testing.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Arca produces and circulates H2O2 aerosol inside of a sealed stainless steel chamber. The Arca's decontamination efficacy was evaluated in 8 decontamination trials with 2 H2O2 concentrations (3% and 12%) …

Evaluation Of Medical Services From The Perspective Of Covid-19 Vaccine Demand Satisfaction In Hangzhou, China, Mingjun Cheng, Yunchen Zhu, Peili Cen, Shan Huang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The outbreak of COVID-19 has had a huge global impact, and it continues to test the resilience of medical services to emergencies worldwide. In the current post-epidemic era, vaccination has become a highly effective strategy to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, using conventional mathematical models to evaluate the spatial distribution of medical resources, including vaccination, ignore people's behaviors and choices and make simplifications to the real world. In this study, we use an enhanced model based on the Theory of People Behavior (TPB) to perform a macro analysis of the satisfaction ability of medical resources for vaccination in Hangzhou, …

Global “Flu-Ization” Of Covid-19: A Perspective From Vietnam, Khoi Quan Nguyen, Le My Anh Nguyen, Andrew W Taylor-Robinson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Immune Response To Sars-Cov-2 Vaccine Among Heart Transplant Recipients: A Systematic Review, Saeed Shoar, Adriana C Carolina Prada-Ruiz, Gabriel Patarroyo-Aponte, Ashok Chaudhary, Mohammad Sadegh Asadi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Heart transplant (HTX) recipients are at a significantly higher risk of adverse clinical outcomes, due to chronic immunosuppression and co-existence of other chronic conditions, when contracting the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Although vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 is currently the most promising measure for the prevention of severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) among solid organ transplant recipients, the extent of immune response and its protective efficacy among patients receiving HTX has not been sufficiently studied.

METHODS: We performed a systematic review of the literature by inquiring PubMed/Medline to identify original studies among HTX recipients, who had received at least one dose of the …

Hispanic Ethnicity And Mortality Among Critically Ill Patients With Covid-19, Ana C Ricardo, Jinsong Chen, Stephanie M Toth-Manikowski, Natalie Meza, Min Joo, Shruti Gupta, Deepa G Lazarous, David E Leaf, James P Lash

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Hispanic persons living in the United States (U.S.) are at higher risk of infection and death from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared with non-Hispanic persons. Whether this disparity exists among critically ill patients with COVID-19 is unknown.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate ethnic disparities in mortality among critically ill adults with COVID-19 enrolled in the Study of the Treatment and Outcomes in Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19 (STOP-COVID).

METHODS: Multicenter cohort study of adults with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 admitted to intensive care units (ICU) at 67 U.S. hospitals from March 4 to May 9, 2020. Multilevel logistic regression was used to evaluate …

A Message From The Trench: A Day In The Hospital During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Gabriel M Aisenberg

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Erythema Multiforme After Third Covid-19 Vaccination (Pfizer-Biontech), Sonali Batta, Austinn C Miller, Susuana Adjei, Laurie A Temiz, Stephen K Tyring

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We present a case of erythema multiforme (EM) associated with a third (booster) dose of COVID-19 vaccination in a patient who had no cutaneous reactions to previous doses. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of vaccine-associated EM occurring after a third/booster vaccination. Furthermore, our case emphasizes the need to remain vigilant for vaccine-associated EM in any patient recently vaccinated, regardless of whether previous vaccinations were administered without cutaneous reactions.

Phase 3 Safety And Efficacy Of Azd1222 (Chadox1 Ncov-19) Covid-19 Vaccine, Ann R Falsey, Magdalena E Sobieszczyk, Ian Hirsch, Stephanie Sproule, Merlin L Robb, Lawrence Corey, Kathleen M Neuzil, William Hahn, Julie Hunt, Mark J Mulligan, Charlene Mcevoy, Edwin Dejesus, Michael Hassman, Susan J Little, Barbara A Pahud, Anna Durbin, Paul Pickrell, Eric S Daar, Larry Bush, Joel Solis, Quito Osuna Carr, Temitope Oyedele, Susan Buchbinder, Jessica Cowden, Sergio L Vargas, Alfredo Guerreros Benavides, Robert Call, Michael C Keefer, Beth D Kirkpatrick, John Pullman, Tina Tong, Margaret Brewinski Isaacs, David Benkeser, Holly E Janes, Martha C Nason, Justin A Green, Elizabeth J Kelly, Jill Maaske, Nancy Mueller, Kathryn Shoemaker, Therese Takas, Richard P Marshall, Menelas N Pangalos, Tonya Villafana, Antonio Gonzalez-Lopez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The safety and efficacy of the AZD1222 (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) vaccine in a large, diverse population at increased risk for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in the United States, Chile, and Peru has not been known.

METHODS: In this ongoing, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 3 clinical trial, we investigated the safety, vaccine efficacy, and immunogenicity of two doses of AZD1222 as compared with placebo in preventing the onset of symptomatic and severe coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) 15 days or more after the second dose in adults, including older adults, in the United States, Chile, and Peru.

RESULTS: …

Covid-19 In Pregnancy, Jill E. Miracle, Prakash R. Ganesh, Johnie Rose, Pauline Terebuh, Kurt C. Stange, Andrea Szabo, Heidi L. Gullett, Rachel Pope

Faculty Scholarship

Objective:To define the symptomatology of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy and associations between occupation, sociodemographic factors, and comorbidities with the severity of COVID-19 disease in pregnancy in all trimesters, regardless of hospitalization.Methods:We studied a retrospective cohort of a public health surveillance sample of persons with COVID-19 infection diagnosed during pregnancy. Data was collected March 2020 to August 2020 regarding symptoms, disease severity, comorbidities, obstetric history, and occupation.Results:One hundred sixty-three individuals were identified. Constitutional (64%) and lower respiratory symptoms (61%) were most common. Seventeen individuals (13.6%) were hospitalized, and one person (0.7%) died due to COVID-19. Risk factors for severe disease were …

Distillers' Grains: Past, Present, And Future Economic Analyses, Daniel E. Gertner

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis is comprised of four chapters, each of which discusses or conducts economic research related to the distillers’ grains market. The first three chapters are meant to be standalone papers. Chapter four provides potential paths forward in distillers’ grains research based on the findings of the first three chapters and concludes the thesis.

The first chapter conducts a comprehensive literature review that categorizes and summarizes economic research on distillers’ grains products. This section shows how the physical market has moved beyond the current academic understanding of market products and structure. Existing research finds that traditional distillers’ grains products positively …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Food Distribution At Emergency Food Assistance Organizations In The Southwestern United States: A Qualitative Investigation, Alexandra N Castro, Mamie A White, Ariun Ishdorj, Debbe Thompson, Jayna M Dave

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

This study aimed to identify changes in food distribution operations at emergency food assistance organizations (EFAOs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. EFAOs across the Houston metro area, TX (human service centers and food pantries) as well as the Houston Food Bank (HFB) participated in the qualitative study. Data were collected via individual semi-structured interviews and focus group (December 2020–February 2021), and coded using semi-structured thematic analysis. Categories were pre-identified based on the interview questions. Direct quotes supported subcategories. Directors from 18 EFAOs were interviewed; 8 HFB leadership staff participated in a focus group. Four major categories of change due to COVID-19 …

Examining Food Security, Choices And Barriers Among Community Supported Agriculture Participants During Covid- 19 In Kentucky, Martha J. Biddle, Junghee Kang, Julie Derringer, Anna Rose, Dawn Brewer, Misook L. Chung, Terry A. Lennie, Gia Mudd-Martin, Timothy A. Woods

UK CARES Faculty Publications

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is challenging food security. Our study’s purpose was to examine relationships among food security status, eating patterns and perceived barriers to food choices among shareholders (N = 209) in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program during stay- at-home restrictions due to the pandemic. The food insecure group (n = 33) reported lower consumption of fruits/vegetables, whole grains and greater consumption of fast foods and more barriers to food choices compared to the food secure group (p < .05). A low food insecure proportion (16%) among the CSA participants suggests a potential role of a CSA program to prevent food insecurity.

Atypical St-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Presentation In Patients With Covid-19 At A High-Volume Center In New York City, Miguel A Alvarez Villela, Ahmad Alkhalil, Michael A Weinreich, Jonathan Koslowsky, Shunsuke Aoi, M Azeem Latib

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Atypical presentations of ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have been reported in patients who have COVID-19. We have seen this occurrence in our center in Bronx, New York, where multitudes of patients sought treatment for the coronavirus. We studied the prevalence of atypical STEMI findings among patients with COVID-19 who presented during the first 2 months of the pandemic.

Consistent with previous reports, 4 of our 10 patients with COVID-19 and STEMI had no identifiable culprit coronary lesion; rather, they often had diffuse ST-segment elevations on surface electrocardiograms along with higher levels of D-dimer and inflammatory markers. In contrast, 32 of …

Positron Emission Tomography In The Covid-19 Pandemic Era, Chentao Jin, Xiaoyun Luo, Shufang Qian, Kai Zhang, Yuanxue Gao, Rui Zhou, Peili Cen, Zhoujiao Xu, Hong Zhang, Mei Tian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a major public health problem worldwide since its outbreak in 2019. Currently, the spread of COVID-19 is far from over, and various complications have roused increasing awareness of the public, calling for novel techniques to aid at diagnosis and treatment. Based on the principle of molecular imaging, positron emission tomography (PET) is expected to offer pathophysiological alternations of COVID-19 in the molecular/cellular perspectives and facilitate the clinical management of patients. A number of PET-related cases and research have been reported on COVID-19 over the past one year. This article reviews the current studies of …

Ua3/10 President's Messages - Fall Semester, Wku President's Office - Caboni

WKU Administration Documents

President's Message emails sent by Timothy Caboni to faculty & staff during fall semester, 2021.

• Convocation
• COVID-19 Vaccine
• End of Semester
• Fall Semester – Topper Fest
• Homecoming
• Living Learning Communities
• Margaret Munday
• MASTER Plan – Topper Directions
• National Philanthropy Day – WKU Opportunity Fund
• Parent & Family Weekend
• Summer Reflections/Fall Semester
• Tornado – Student Death
• Tornado Damage
• Tornado Recovery
• Vacation Hours / Salaries
• WKU Emergency Student Assistance Opportunity Fund

Crisis Preparedness In Acute And Intensive Treatment Settings: Lessons Learned From A Year Of Covid-19, Jarrod M Leffler, Cassandra L Esposito, Elisabeth A Frazier, Michelle A Patriquin, Meredith K Reiman, Alysha D Thompson, Carl Waitz

Staff and Researcher Publications

The impact of COVID-19 changed the use and delivery of health care services, requiring an abrupt shift in treatment and staffing models 1,2. This is particularly salient in youth acute and intensive treatment services (AITS), including inpatient psychiatric hospitals (IPH), intensive outpatient programs (IOP), and partial hospitalization programs (PHP), because of challenging issues of maintaining high-quality care and a safe therapeutic milieu during increased demand for acute services,3 all while limiting transmission of COVID-19 on locked units, in close quarters, and for youths traveling back and forth to day-programs. Over the past year, AITS adapted and evolved without the ability …

Real-Time Geospatial Analysis Identifies Gaps In Covid-19 Vaccination In A Minority Population, Cici Bauer, Kehe Zhang, Miryoung Lee, Michelle Jones, Arturo Rodriguez, Isela De La Cerda, Belinda Reininger, Susan P Fisher-Hoch, Joseph B Mccormick

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

COVID-19 vaccination is being rapidly rolled out in the US and many other countries, and it is crucial to provide fast and accurate assessment of vaccination coverage and vaccination gaps to make strategic adjustments promoting vaccine coverage. We reported the effective use of real-time geospatial analysis to identify barriers and gaps in COVID-19 vaccination in a minority population living in South Texas on the US-Mexico Border, to inform vaccination campaign strategies. We developed 4 rank-based approaches to evaluate the vaccination gap at the census tract level, which considered both population vulnerability and vaccination priority and eligibility. We identified areas with …

Challenges In Feeding Children Posed By The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review Of Changes In Dietary Intake Combined With A Dietitian's Perspective, Heather Campbell, Alexis C Wood

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Purpose of review: To examine the evidence that the dietary quality of children changed between the period preceding the COVID-19 pandemic and the first year during the pandemic.

Recent findings: A systematic review of the evidence for dietary changes occurring as a result of the pandemic-related restrictions, in Part I of this article, yielded 38 original research articles. These articles had conflicting results, some describing improvements in overall quality and some describing deteriorations. As a whole the studies were characterized by a low study quality, and children were poorly represented. Taken together, these studies do not provide enough evidence to …

Health-Related Quality Of Life And Mental Well-Being Of Healthy And Diseased Persons In 8 Countries: Does Stringency Of Government Response Against Early Covid-19 Matter?, Di Long, Juanita A. Haagsma, Mathieu F. Janssen, John N. Yfantopoulos, Erica I. Lubetkin, Gouke J. Bonsel

Publications and Research

Objectives

Our study aimed to (1) assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and mental well-being of healthy and diseased persons in the general population during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) examine the relationship between HRQoL and mental well-being and individual characteristics and government response against COVID-19, as measured by the stringency index.

Methods

A web-based survey was administered to a cohort of persons from the general population of eight countries: Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (US) from April 22 to May 5 and …

Secondary Bacterial Pneumonias And Bloodstream Infections In Patients Hospitalized With Covid-19, Max W Adelman, Divya R Bhamidipati, Alfonso C Hernandez-Romieu, Ahmed Babiker, Michael H Woodworth, Chad Robichaux, David J Murphy, Sara C Auld, Colleen S Kraft, Jesse T Jacob

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Results Of Covid-19 Surveillance In A Large United States Pediatric Healthcare System Over One Year, Sarah E Messiah, Luyu Xie, Matthew S Mathew, George L Delclos, Harold W Kohl, Jeffrey S Kahn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The lack of SARS-CoV-2 antigen surveillance testing in the pediatric population has inhibited accurate infection and hospitalization prevalence estimates. We aim to report the estimated prevalence of and risk factors for COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission across the three United States (US) waves in one of the largest pediatric healthcare systems in the nation.

METHODS: Retrospective electronic health record (EHR) review of all COVID-19 surveillance data among children aged 0-19 years seeking healthcare at one pediatric healthcare system that serves predominantly Medicaid-dependent families from 1 March 2020 to 31 March 2021. COVID-19 infection status (Y/N), …

Census Tract Patterns And Contextual Social Determinants Of Health Associated With Covid-19 In A Hispanic Population From South Texas: A Spatiotemporal Perspective, Cici Bauer, Kehe Zhang, Miryoung Lee, Susan Fisher-Hoch, Esmeralda Guajardo, Joseph Mccormick, Isela De La Cerda, Maria E Fernandez, Belinda Reininger

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that various social determinants of health (SDOH) may have contributed to the disparities in COVID-19 incidence and mortality among minorities and underserved populations at the county or zip code level.

OBJECTIVE: This analysis was carried out at a granular spatial resolution of census tracts to explore the spatial patterns and contextual SDOH associated with COVID-19 incidence from a Hispanic population mostly consisting of a Mexican American population living in Cameron County, Texas on the border of the United States and Mexico. We performed age-stratified analysis to identify different contributing SDOH and quantify their effects by …

Double-Blind Randomized Proof-Of-Concept Trial Of Canakinumab In Patients With Covid-19 Associated Cardiac Injury And Heightened Inflammation, Paul C Cremer, Calvin C Sheng, Debasis Sahoo, Siddharth Dugar, Robier Aguillon Prada, Tom Kai Ming Wang, Ossama K Abou Hassan, Jamie Hernandez-Montfort, David A Wolinsky, Daniel A Culver, Prabalini Rajendram, Abhijit Duggal, Danielle M Brennan, Katherine E Wolski, A Michael Lincoff, Steven E Nissen, Venu Menon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

AIMS: In coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), myocardial injury is associated with systemic inflammation and higher mortality. Our aim was to perform a proof of concept trial with canakinumab, a monoclonal antibody to interleukin-1β, in patients with COVID-19, myocardial injury, and heightened inflammation.

METHODS AND RESULTS: This trial required hospitalization due to COVID-19, elevated troponin, and a C-reactive protein concentration more than 50 mg/L. The primary endpoint was time to clinical improvement at Day 14, defined as either an improvement of two points on a seven-category ordinal scale or discharge from the hospital. The secondary endpoint was mortality at Day 28. …

Molecular Diagnosis Of Sars-Cov-2: Assessing And Interpreting Nucleic Acid And Antigen Tests, Peter A. Zimmerman, Christopher L. King, Mahmoud Ghannoum, Robert A. Bonomo, Gary W. Procop

Faculty Scholarship

In this review, we summarize the current status of nucleic acid and antigen testing required for diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease. Nucleic acid amplification (NAAT) and antigen-detection (Ag) tests occupy a critically important frontline of defense against SARS-CoV-2 in clinical and public health settings. In early stages of this outbreak, we observed that identifying the causative agent of a new illness of unknown origin was greatly accelerated by characterizing the nucleic acid signature of the novel coronavirus. Results from nucleic acid sequencing led to the development of highly sensitive RT-PCR testing for use in clinical settings and to informing …

Managing The Unseen: Pandemic Prophylactics, Placebos & Panaciea, Nancy K. Lankton, Avinandan Mukherjee

Accounting Faculty Research

Introduction: The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020, when the disease had spread to 114 countries, infecting more than 118,000 people and killing almost 4,300.¹ As of mid-February 2021, over 109 million people worldwide had been infected with the virus and over 2.4 million people had died. COVID-19 is a pandemic of epic proportions that has changed the way we live, work, and do business.

This call for papers solicited manuscripts describing and analyzing the intersection of management, COVID-19, and the workplace. The goal was to create a special issue that would inform …

Implications Of Helminth Immunomodulation On Covid-19 Co-Infections, Nathalie Chacon, Leonor Chacin-Bonilla, Italo M. Cesar

School of Medicine Publications

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and helminths infections can be in a synergistic epidemic in developing and suburban areas of industrialized countries. The coinfected hosts will derive a parasite-specific Th2 innate and adaptive immune response with CD4+ T cells, eosinophils, interleukin-4, interleukin-5, and interleukin-10. In the early stages of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, virus-specific Th1 cytotoxic CD8+ T cell, interleukin-6, interferon-γ, and interleukin-27 by lung are keys in controlling viral replication in the lung epithelial cells and limiting the pathology to other organs, like the intestine. CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are associated with protective immunity …

A Review Of The Cardiac And Cardiovascular Effects Of Covid-19 In Adults And Children, Bibhuti B Das, S Kristen Sexon Tejtel, Shriprasad Deshpande, Lara S Shekerdemian

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Symptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) typically affects the respiratory system but can involve the cardiovascular system. Cardiac complications of COVID-19 can result directly from myocarditis or indirectly from numerous other mechanisms. Differentiating between primary and secondary cardiovascular involvement-our focus in this review-may help to identify the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the heart in adults and children.

An Assessment Of Outpatient Clinic Room Ventilation Systems And Possible Relationship To Disease Transmission, Kristin G King, George L Delclos, Eric L Brown, Susan Tortolero Emery, Jose Miguel Yamal, Robert J Emery

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: With healthcare shifting to the outpatient setting, this study examined whether outpatient clinics operating in business occupancy settings were conducting procedures in rooms with ventilation rates above, at, or below thresholds defined in the American National Standards Institute/American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers/American Society for Health Care Engineering Standard 170 for Ventilation in Health Care Facilities and whether lower ventilation rates and building characteristics increase the risk of disease transmission.

METHODS: Ventilation rates were measured in 105 outpatient clinic rooms categorized by services rendered. Building characteristics were evaluated as determinants of ventilation rates, and risk of disease …