The infected and the affected: A longitudinal study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on schoolchildren in Florida.

Objectives: To identify risk factors associated with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) among children during the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A longitudinal study with three cross-sectional timepoints [April 2020 (n = 273), October 2020 (n = 180), and April 2021 (n = 116)] was conducted at a K-12 public school in Florida. Infection and sero-positivity for SARS-CoV-2 was determined by molecular and serologic approaches. Adjusted odds ratios using mixed effect logistic regression models for symptom-derived indicators of anxiety, depression, and OCD in children in April 2021 are presented; past infection and seropositivity were included in the models. Results: The prevalence of anxiety, depression, or OCD moved from 47.1, to 57.2, to 42.2% across the three timepoints during the study. By endline of the study, in April 2021, non-white children were at higher risk for depression and OCD. Risk for anxiety, depression, and OCD was associated with students who lost a family member due to COVID-19 and who were identified as at-risk in previous timepoints. Rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection and seropositivity were low and not statistically associated with assessed outcomes. Conclusions: In situations like the COVID-19 pandemic, targeted mental health interventions and screenings are needed in children and adolescents, especially among minority children.

Psychosocial Health of K-12 Students Engaged in Emergency Remote Education and In-Person Schooling: A Cross-Sectional Study.

As online classes became the norm in many countries as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the concern for child and adolescent mental health became an issue of concern. This study evaluates the differences in the psychosocial status of school children based on engagement in in-person or Emergency Remote Education (ERE) and assessed the prevalence and predictors of symptom-derived risk levels for anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD). Cross-sectional data were collected from students at a Florida K-12 school and their household members through an online survey conducted in October 2020 (n = 145). No significant difference was found between ERE and in-person learning for risk of anxiety, depression, or OCD. Prevalence of students presenting as at risk for anxiety, depression, and OCD was 42.1%, 44.8%, and 41.4%. Several student factors (e.g., child sex, school level) and parental factors (e.g., parental COVID-19 attitudes) were associated with students presenting as at risk for anxiety, depression, or OCD; child's participation in sports was protective against all three outcomes. Participation in sports was found to be protective against risk of anxiety (aOR = 0.36, CI = 0.14-0.93), depression (aOR = 0.38, CI = 0.15-0.93), and OCD (aOR = 0.31, CI = 0.11-0.85).

In Silico Design of Peptide-Based SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Inhibitors That Target WT and Mutant Versions of SARS-CoV-2 HR1 Domains

In 2019, novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) began infecting humans, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. While the push for development of vaccines has yielded some positive results, the emergence of additional variants has led to concerns surrounding sustained vaccine effectiveness as the variants become the dominant strains. This work was undertaken to develop peptide-based antivirals capable of targeting both the wildtype (WT) heptad repeat 1 (HR1) domain of SARS-CoV-2 and the new HR1 variants which have developed. In silico protein mutagenesis, structural characterization, and protein–protein molecular docking were utilized to determine molecular interactions which facilitated binding of peptide-based antivirals targeting the HR1 domains. Molecular dynamics simulations were utilized to predict the final binding affinities of the top five peptide inhibitors designed. This work demonstrated the importance of hydrophobic interactions in the hydrophobic gorge and in the rim of the HR1 domain. Additionally, the placement of charged residues was shown to be essential in maximizing electrostatic interactions. The top five designed peptide inhibitors were all demonstrated to maintain good binding affinity to the WT and the variant HR1 SARS-CoV-2 domains. Therefore, the peptide inhibitors designed in this work could serve as potent antivirals which are effective in targeting both the original SARS-CoV-2 and the HR1 variants that have developed.

Psychosocial health of school-aged children during the initial COVID-19 safer-at-home school mandates in Florida: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Given the emerging literature regarding the impacts of lockdown measures on mental health, this study aims to describe the psychosocial health of school-aged children and adolescents during the COVID-19 Safer-at-Home School mandates. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2020 (n = 280) among K-12 students at a research school in North Central Florida. Bivariate analysis and logistic and multinomial logistic regression models were used to examine socio-demographic and knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) predictors of indicators of anxiety-related, depressive, and obsessive-compulsive disorder(OCD)-related symptoms. Outcomes (anxiety, OCD, and depressive related symptoms) were measured by indices generated based on reported symptoms associated with each psychosocial outcome. RESULTS: Loss of household income was associated with increased risk for all three index-based outcomes: depressive symptoms [aOR = 3.130, 95% CI = (1.41-6.97)], anxiety-related symptoms [aOR = 2.531, 95%CI = (1.154-5.551)], and OCD-related symptoms [aOR = 2.90, 95%CI = (1.32-6.36)]. Being female was associated with being at higher risk for depressive symptoms [aOR = 1.72, 95% CI = (1.02-2.93)], anxiety-related symptoms [aOR = 1.75, 95% CI = (1.04-2.97)], and OCD-related symptoms [aOR = 1.764, 95%CI = (1.027-3.028)]. Parental practices protective against COVID-19 were associated with children being at higher risk of depressive symptoms [aOR = 1.55, 95% CI = (1.04-2.31)]. Lower school level was associated with children being at higher risk of anxiety-related and OCD-related symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, schools should prioritize mental health interventions that target younger, female students, and children of families with income loss. Limiting the spread of COVID-19 through school closure may exacerbate negative psychosocial health outcomes in children, thus school administrators should move quickly to target those at greatest risk.