Let’s Get Back to Basics: Establishing Positive Relationships With Students

Educators have witnessed a multitude of changes over the past 25 years. School shootings, social media, cyberbullying, and more recently the COVID pandemic all have transformed not just education, but the concept of what a “typical” student looks like. Now, more than ever before, students are exposed to a multitude of stressors with limited help or guidance. Unfortunately, with the influx of technology and a lack of face-to-face interactions due to COVID restrictions limiting social interactions, children are confronting these challenges without support normally provided by their peers. In the face of all these hardships, physical educators must be tasked with forging, developing, and solidifying lasting relationships to deliver another layer of support. © 2022 SHAPE America.

The Impact of Age and BMI on the VWF/ADAMTS13 Axis and Simultaneous Thrombin and Plasmin Generation in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients

Aging and obesity independently contribute toward an endothelial dysfunction that results in an imbalanced VWF to ADAMTS13 ratio. In addition, plasma thrombin and plasmin generation are elevated and reduced, respectively, with increasing age and also with increasing body mass index (BMI). The severity risk of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) increases in adults older than 65 and in individuals with certain pre-existing health conditions, including obesity (>30 kg/m2). The present cross-sectional study focused on an analysis of the VWF/ADAMTS13 axis, including measurements of von Willebrand factor (VWF) antigen (VWF:AG), VWF collagen binding activity (VWF:CBA), Factor VIII antigen, ADAMTS13 antigen, and ADAMTS13 activity, in addition to thrombin and plasmin generation potential, in a demographically diverse population of COVID-19 negative (−) (n = 288) and COVID-19 positive (+) (n = 543) patient plasmas collected at the time of hospital presentation. Data were analyzed as a whole, and then after dividing patients by age (<65 and ≥65) and independently by BMI [<18.5, 18.5–24.9, 25–29.9, >30 (kg/m2)]. These analyses suggest that VWF parameters (i.e., the VWF/ADAMTS13 activity ratio) and thrombin and plasmin generation differed in COVID-19 (+), as compared to COVID-19 (−) patient plasma. Further, age (≥65) more than BMI contributed to aberrant plasma indicators of endothelial coagulopathy. Based on these findings, evaluating both the VWF/ADAMTS13 axis, along with thrombin and plasmin generation, could provide insight into the extent of endothelial dysfunction as well as the plasmatic imbalance in coagulation and fibrinolysis potential, particularly for at-risk patient populations.

Biological and Clinical Factors Contributing to the Metabolic Heterogeneity of Hospitalized Patients with and without COVID-19.

The Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represents an ongoing worldwide challenge. The present large study sought to understand independent and overlapping metabolic features of samples from acutely ill patients (n = 831) that tested positive (n = 543) or negative (n = 288) for COVID-19. High-throughput metabolomics analyses were complemented with antigen and enzymatic activity assays on plasma from acutely ill patients collected while in the emergency department, at admission, or during hospitalization. Lipidomics analyses were also performed on COVID-19-positive or -negative subjects with the lowest and highest body mass index (n = 60/group). Significant changes in amino acid and fatty acid/acylcarnitine metabolism emerged as highly relevant markers of disease severity, progression, and prognosis as a function of biological and clinical variables in these patients. Further, machine learning models were trained by entering all metabolomics and clinical data from half of the COVID-19 patient cohort and then tested on the other half, yielding ~78% prediction accuracy. Finally, the extensive amount of information accumulated in this large, prospective, observational study provides a foundation for mechanistic follow-up studies and data sharing opportunities, which will advance our understanding of the characteristics of the plasma metabolism in COVID-19 and other acute critical illnesses.

Nosocomial COVID-19: experience from a large acute NHS Trust in South-West London.

Transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in healthcare settings has significant implications for patients and healthcare workers, may amplify local outbreaks, and may place additional burden on already stretched resources. Risk of missed or late diagnosis of COVID-19 was high during the UK's initial 'containment phase', because of strict criteria for testing. The risk remains due to asymptomatic/pre-symptomatic transmission, complicated by challenges faced with laboratory testing. We present a case study of potential nosocomial transmission associated with the first case of COVID-19 at a large acute NHS Trust in South-West London, and we describe the prevailing burden of nosocomial infections.