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For the extended duration of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, reports emerged that mother-to-child transmission rates were low. However, the pandemic protocols including strict isolation, testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and negative pressure isolation remained in Korea. Recently, the guideline for the management of neonates born to mothers with COVID-19 have been revised based on guidelines in other countries. Here, we introduce this newly developed guideline and review the foreign guidelines that were used for reference.Copyright © 2022 The Korean Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases.
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Purpose: This study was to identify nurses' intentions for COVID-19 vaccination in 2022. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among 222 nurses in Korea. The collected data were analyzed using the independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, the Wilcoxon rank sum test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis. Results: The score for intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in 2022 was 2.70 points on a 5-point scale, significantly lower than in 2020 (3.02 points on a 5-point scale). The average score for knowledge related to COVID-19 was 7.22 out of 10 points. Positive correlations were found between the intention for COVID-19 vaccination in 2022 and preventive health behavior, as well as between nurses' intentions for COVID-19 vaccination in 2022 and 2020. The factors affecting nurses' intentions for COVID-19 vaccination in 2022 were preventive health behavior (β=.11, p=.045) and nurses' intentions for COVID-19 vaccination in 2020 (β=.65, p<.001). This model showed a significant explanatory power of approximately 45% (F=36.88, p<.001) for the COVID-19 vaccination intention in 2022. Conclusion: This result points to the importance of managing nurses' preventive health behaviors to promote COVID-19 vaccination uptake. Nurses' vaccination intentions are an important issue for the safety of both nurses and patients. A safe vaccination environment and national policy should be prepared to reduce nurses' hesitations about COVID-19 vaccination. © 2023 Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing.
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Purpose: Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began, new variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have emerged, and distinct epidemic waves of COVID-19 have occurred for an extended period. This study aimed to analyze the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of children with COVID-19 from the third wave to the middle of the fourth epidemic wave in Korea. Method(s): We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of hospitalized patients aged <=18 years with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. The study periods were divided into the third wave (from November 13, 2020 to July 6, 2021) and the fourth wave (from July 7 to October 31, 2021). Result(s): Ninety-three patients were included in the analysis (33 in the third and 60 in the fourth waves). Compared with the third wave, the median age of patients was significantly older during the fourth wave (6.7 vs. 2.8 years, P=0.014). Household contacts was reported in 60.2% of total patients, similar in both periods (69.7 vs. 55.0%, P=0.190). Eighty-one (87.1%) had symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among these, 10 (12.3%) had no respiratory symptoms. Anosmia or ageusia were more commonly observed in the fourth epidemic wave (10.7 vs. 34.0%, P=0.032). Most respiratory illness were upper respiratory tract infections (94.4%, 67/71), 4 had pneumonia. The median cycle threshold values (detection threshold, 40) for RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and envelope (E) genes of SARS-CoV-2 were 21.3 and 19.3, respectively. There was no significant difference in viral load during 2 epidemic waves. Conclusion(s): There were different characteristics during the two epidemic waves of COVID-19.Copyright © 2022 The Korean Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases.
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Purpose: Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began, new variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have emerged, and distinct epidemic waves of COVID-19 have occurred for an extended period. This study aimed to analyze the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of children with COVID-19 from the third wave to the middle of the fourth epidemic wave in Korea. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of hospitalized patients aged ≤18 years with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. The study periods were divided into the third wave (from November 13, 2020 to July 6, 2021) and the fourth wave (from July 7 to October 31, 2021). Results: Ninety-three patients were included in the analysis (33 in the third and 60 in the fourth waves). Compared with the third wave, the median age of patients was significantly older during the fourth wave (6.7 vs. 2.8 years, P=0.014). Household contacts was reported in 60.2% of total patients, similar in both periods (69.7 vs. 55.0%, P=0.190). Eighty-one (87.1%) had symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among these, 10 (12.3%) had no respiratory symptoms. Anosmia or ageusia were more commonly observed in the fourth epidemic wave (10.7 vs. 34.0%, P=0.032). Most respiratory illness were upper respiratory tract infections (94.4%, 67/71), 4 had pneumonia. The median cycle threshold values (detection threshold, 40) for RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and envelope (E) genes of SARS-CoV-2 were 21.3 and 19.3, respectively. There was no significant difference in viral load during 2 epidemic waves. Conclusions: There were different characteristics during the two epidemic waves of COVID-19. © 2022 The Korean Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases.
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Purpose: Compulsory use of masks is recommended to prevent droplet infection during the COVID-19 pandemic. This can alter optimal communication in daily life. This study compared the self-perceived speech handicap and vocal tract discomfort when wearing and not wearing a face mask and different types of face masks in a healthy population. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted via an online questionnaire. Speech Handicap Index (SHI) and Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale (VTDS) scores were collected via Google forms (Google, Mountain View, California) from 128 healthy Korean populations with and without face masks and different types of face masks. Results: While speaking with a face mask, subjects were identified with a significant lack of air, unclear articulation, and reduced speech intelligibility in a noisy situation. Although total SHI and VTDS scores exhibited slightly higher with a face mask, no significant differences were found between with and without mask conditions. For mask type, individuals who frequently wore KF94 masks subjectively perceived significantly higher speech handicap and vocal tract discomfort than surgical or fabric masks. Conclusions: In the current study, wearing a face mask did not have a significant impact on speech handicap and vocal tract discomfort in a healthy adult population during the CO-VID-19 pandemic period, implying people already adapted to wearing a face mask. In terms of speech problems and frequency, the severity of sensation or symptoms of vocal discomfort significantly differed depending on which face mask type they used. Future research should address self-evaluation of their feeling or experience due to face mask use, considering the elderly and patients with communication disorders who suffer more with communication in daily life. © 2022 The Korean Association of Speech-Language Pathologists.
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For the extended duration of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, reports emerged that mother-to-child transmission rates were low. However, the pandemic protocols including strict isolation, testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and negative pressure isolation remained in Korea. Recently, the guideline for the management of neonates born to mothers with COVID-19 have been revised based on guidelines in other countries. Here, we introduce this newly developed guideline and review the foreign guidelines that were used for reference. © 2022 The Korean Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases.
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Purpose: Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began, new variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have emerged, and distinct epidemic waves of COVID-19 have occurred for an extended period. This study aimed to analyze the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of children with COVID-19 from the third wave to the middle of the fourth epidemic wave in Korea. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of hospitalized patients aged ≤18 years with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. The study periods were divided into the third wave (from November 13, 2020 to July 6, 2021) and the fourth wave (from July 7 to October 31, 2021). Results: Ninety-three patients were included in the analysis (33 in the third and 60 in the fourth waves). Compared with the third wave, the median age of patients was significantly older during the fourth wave (6.7 vs. 2.8 years, P=0.014). Household contacts was reported in 60.2% of total patients, similar in both periods (69.7 vs. 55.0%, P=0.190). Eighty-one (87.1%) had symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among these, 10 (12.3%) had no respiratory symptoms. Anosmia or ageusia were more commonly observed in the fourth epidemic wave (10.7 vs. 34.0%, P=0.032). Most respiratory illness were upper respiratory tract infections (94.4%, 67/71), 4 had pneumonia. The median cycle threshold values (detection threshold, 40) for RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and envelope (E) genes of SARS-CoV-2 were 21.3 and 19.3, respectively. There was no significant difference in viral load during 2 epidemic waves. Conclusions: There were different characteristics during the two epidemic waves of COVID-19.
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For the extended duration of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, reports emerged that mother-to-child transmission rates were low. However, the pandemic protocols including strict isolation, testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and negative pressure isolation remained in Korea. Recently, the guideline for the management of neonates born to mothers with COVID-19 have been revised based on guidelines in other countries. Here, we introduce this newly developed guideline and review the foreign guidelines that were used for reference. Copyright © 2022 The Korean Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases.
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Purpose: Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began, new variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have emerged, and distinct epidemic waves of COVID-19 have occurred for an extended period. This study aimed to analyze the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of children with COVID-19 from the third wave to the middle of the fourth epidemic wave in Korea. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of hospitalized patients aged ≤18 years with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. The study periods were divided into the third wave (from November 13, 2020 to July 6, 2021) and the fourth wave (from July 7 to October 31, 2021). Results: Ninety-three patients were included in the analysis (33 in the third and 60 in the fourth waves). Compared with the third wave, the median age of patients was significantly older during the fourth wave (6.7 vs. 2.8 years, P=0.014). Household contacts was reported in 60.2% of total patients, similar in both periods (69.7 vs. 55.0%, P=0.190). Eighty-one (87.1%) had symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among these, 10 (12.3%) had no respiratory symptoms. Anosmia or ageusia were more commonly observed in the fourth epidemic wave (10.7 vs. 34.0%, P=0.032). Most respiratory illness were upper respiratory tract infections (94.4%, 67/71), 4 had pneumonia. The median cycle threshold values (detection threshold, 40) for RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and envelope (E) genes of SARS-CoV-2 were 21.3 and 19.3, respectively. There was no significant difference in viral load during 2 epidemic waves. Conclusions: There were different characteristics during the two epidemic waves of COVID-19. © 2022 The Korean Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases.
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Objectives: Even with significant advances to advance the health status of the general American population, the increased prevalence of mental health conditions and re-emergence of highly infectious diseases across all levels of society present a significant threat. This study aimed to quantify the effects of pandemic-, healthcare-related, and sociodemographic variables on adverse mental health outcomes, and determine their relative magnitudes. Study design: This study employed publicly available data from the Household Pulse Survey, conducted by the United States Census Bureau to examine the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on American households. Methods: A multiple regression model formed the basis of analysis, with adverse mental health as the outcome and various pandemic-, healthcare-related, and sociodemographic variables as predictors. Missing data was handled using multiple imputation. Results: The factors with significant contributions to adverse mental health outcomes were those associated with mental health services and prescriptions. General healthcare-related variables followed those specific to mental health, along with sociodemographic variables contributing smaller changes. There were differential outcomes in mental health that were in part attributable to sociodemographic factors, but also a lack of access to both mental and physical healthcare due to factors both related and unrelated to the ongoing pandemic. Conclusions: There is a need for policymakers and other stakeholders to work towards a mental health system that is more robust to restrictions brought on by events like the COVID-19 pandemic, and to address inequities in health care that have been exacerbated.
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Background. There are few data on immune correlation of protection from breakthrough Omicron (B.1.1.529) infection in individuals who received booster vaccines. We thus compared a neutralizing antibody titers against Omicron within the first month after the mRNA booster at the time before omicron wave between healthcare works (HCWs) who experienced Omicron breakthrough infections and HCWs without Omicron infections. Methods. We enrolled HCWs without the history of SARS-CoV-2 infection who agreed with blood sampling 2 weeks after booster vaccination at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea, between November 2021 and December 2022 (Delta dominant era). We identified breakthrough infections by performing SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR though nasopharyngeal swab specimen in HCWs who had COVID-19-related symptoms or had known exposure to confirmed SARS-CoV-2-infected patients, between 1 February and 25 April 2022 (Omicron dominant era). SARS-CoV-2 S1-specific IgG antibody titers were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Plasma levels of live-virus neutralizing antibodies were measured using a microneutralization assay with SARS-CoV-2 omicron variants. Results. Among 134 HCWs, 69 (52%) received two-dose ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 followed by BNT162b2, 50 (37%) three-dose BNT162b2, and 15 (11%) 3-dose mRNA-1273. Of them, 57 (43%) experienced breakthrough Omicron infection at median 121 days (IQR 99-147) after booster vaccination (breakthrough group), and the remaining 77 (57%) did not experience Omicron infection (non-breakthrough group). There was no significant different in 'peak' SARS-CoV-2 S1-specific IgG level between breakthrough group (median 4484.4 IU/mL) and non-breakthrough group (median 4194.9 IU/mL, p value=0.39). In addition, there was no significant difference in 'peak' neutralizing antibody titer (ID50) against Omicron between breakthrough group (median 2597.9) and non-breakthrough group (median 2597.9, p value=0.86). (Table Presented) Serum samples were obtained from 134 healthcare workers 2 weeks after booster vaccination. Samples were analysed for SARS-CoV-2 S1-specific IgG antibody titers using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and plasma levels of live-virus neutralizing antibodies using a microneutralization assay with SARS-CoV-2 omicron variants. There was no significant difference in 'peak' SARS-CoV-2 S1-specific IgG level (A) and 'peak' neutralizing antibody titer (ID50) against Omicron (B) between breakthrough group and non-breakthrough group. Conclusion. We did not find the correlation of neutralizing antibody titers about several months before infection with breakthrough Omicron infections. These data suggest rapidlywaning neutralizing titers to protect mild illnesses or asymptomaticOmicron infections several months after current booster COVID-19 vaccination in HCWs.
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Background. Pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection are known to have a poor prognosis. In addition, the previous meta-analysis revealed that SARS-CoV-2 infection in neonates born from pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection is about 2%. However, there are limited data on the clinical characteristics of pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection and their neonates and the vertical transmission rate in South Korea. Methods. Pregnant women confirmed as SARS-CoV-2 infection were retrospectively reviewed in Asan Medical Center from September 1 2020 to April 26 2022. All neonates from SARS-CoV-2-infected women underwent SARS-CoV-2 PCR within 24 hours after the birth and 48-hour interval if he or she stayed in the hospital. Results. A total of 60 pregnant women gave birth by cesarean section (n=40, 67%) or vaginal delivery (n=20, 33%). Among them, three women gave birth to twins (63 neonates). Delivery was carried out at the average gestational age of 268 days (+/- 14.0), and 9 patients (15%) had underlying diseases. Of these 60 patients, 11 (18%) received COVID-19 vaccination. Pneumonia was confirmed by chest radiograph in 7 patients (12%), and 2 patient (3%) required supplemental oxygen therapy who eventually recovered. The mean weight of 63 newborns was 3137 g (+/- 558), and 8 neonate (13%) was a low-birth weight (< 2500 g), and 12 neonate (19%) was premature (< gestational age 37 weeks). Apgar score was 8.1 points (+/- 1.2) at 1 minute and 9.1 points (+/- 0.8) at 5 minutes. Five neonates (8%) required mechanical ventilation, who eventually recovered. All 63 neonates revealed negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR results with 24 hours after the birth. After 48 hours, 45 newborns exhibited negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR results. So, there was no vertical transmission among 63 neonates (0%, 95% CI 0-6). Conclusion. Our experiences about pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection revealed that obstetric outcomes were favorable and the vertical transmission risk was low. Balancing risks about the infection control of pregnant women and their neonates during the COVID-19 pandemic are needed.
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Background. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 5 to 20 days of isolation for COVID-19 patients depending on symptom duration and severity regardless of genomic PCR results or vaccination history. However, in real clinical practice, more individualized approach is required. We thus developed clinical scoring system to predict viable viral shedding in a given patient by using various factors affecting viable viral shedding. Methods. We prospectively enrolled adult patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to tertiary hospital and day care center between February 2020 and January 2022. The daily dense respiratory sampling (i.e. saliva, sputum, or nasopharyngeal swabs) during the hospital and day care center stay were obtained. Genomic RNA viral load and viral culture were performed for these samples. Clinical predictors of negative viral culture results were identified using survival analysis and multivariable analysis. Results. A total of 612 samples from 121 patients of varying degrees of severity were obtained. Of these, 494 (81%) samples were saliva, 63 (10%) were nasopharyngeal swab, and the remaining 55 (9%) were sputum. Of these 612 specimens, 154 (25%) samples revealed positive viral culture results. Univariate and multivariable Cox's time varying proportional hazard model revealed that symptom onset day, viral copy number, disease severity, organ transplant recipient, gender, and vaccination status were independently associated with viral culture results. We thus developed the 5-factor model from -3 to 3 points: viral copy number (-3 to 3 points depending on copy number), disease severity (1 point to moderate to critical diseases), organ transplant recipient (2 points), gender (-1 points to male), and vaccination status (-2 points to fully vaccinated status). The predictive culture-negative rates were calculated through the symptom onset day and the score of the day the sample was collected. Conclusion. Our clinical scoring system can provide objective probability of negative culture results in a given COVID-19 patient with genomic viral load, and appears to be useful to decide de-isolation policy depending on individualized factors associated with viable viral shedding beyond simple symptom-based isolation strategy by CDC.
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Background. Understanding the rate and composition of bacterial co-infection is important to determine antibiotic therapy in SARS-CoV-2 infection, but those vary according to healthcare settings and regional differences. We evaluated the rate of bacterial co-infection in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in a single tertiary hospital in South Korea. Methods. In this retrospective study, all the adult patients with COVID-19 hospitalized between Feb 2020 and Dec 2021 were included. Bacterial co-infection rate was assessed by results of sputum cultures, blood cultures, pneumococcal urinary antigen, Legionella urinary antigen, sputum Legionella pneumophilia PCR, and sputum multiplex PCR for Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae. Characteristics and outcomes of patients were evaluated according to antibiotics exposure prior to hospitalization. Results. Of 367 adult patients, 300 (81.7%) patients having sputum culture results were included in the analysis. Of these, 127 (42.3%) had a history of antibiotic exposure within 1 month before hospitalization. The coinfection rate within 48 hours of hospitalization was confirmed in 8.3% (25/300): 6.4% (11/163) of patients without prior antibiotic exposure and 11% (14/127) of patients with prior antibiotic exposure. In the group without prior antibiotic exposure, pathogens responsible for community-onset infections were isolated, whereas nosocomial pathogens were predominantly isolated in the antibiotic-exposed group. Empirical antibiotics were used in 144 (66%) of 275 patients without positive results for microbiological tests. Empirical antibiotic use in patients without positive results for microbiological tests was not significantly associated with 30-day mortality or in-hospital mortality after adjusting covariates including age, sex, comorbidity, anti-inflammatory treatment, and COVID-19 severity. Conclusion. In this study with a high rate of microbiological testing, bacterial coinfection was not frequent, and the results varied depended on previous exposure to antibiotics. Given the rarity of bacterial co-infection and the lack of potential benefits of empirical antibiotic therapy, the antibiotic use in patients with COVID-19 should be restricted as an important target of antibiotic stewardship. (Table Presented).
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While the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the increasing popularity of rural and ethnic tourism, little research has examined what ethnic minority resources should be included as tourist attractions in their development stage. Building upon the seminal work of Leiper's tourist attraction system, this paper reveals what and how ethnic resources are selected and included in tour itineraries, in particular in rural areas where tourism development has started recently. The findings that are drawn from a field study, thematic interviews, and the analysis of government-endorsed promotional materials of Congjiang show that, apart from the intrinsic cultural value, the tour inclusion value that incorporates accessibility and the capacity of supporting facilities does not merely play the 'conditioning role' but instead becomes a prerequisite in an ethnic minority destination that is rurally situated.
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Uncertainty, unlike risk, is hard to be predicted and measured. When economic uncertainty increases, it becomes difficult for policy makers and investors to respond and come up with the ambiguous economic situation. The uncertainty not only reduces consumption, investment and employment but also increases volatility of stock price. As an example, recent COVID-19 has increased uncertainty in the global economy. Governments have tried to resolve the uncertainty through active monetary and financial policies, but these policies are not successful but result in widening the gap between the real market and capital market. A few economists recently have developed economic uncertainty index to diagnose and resolve the economic difficulties. They applied textual analysis to measure the index using mass media articles and economic reports of EIU(Economic Intelligence Unit). This study investigates whether the uncertainty affects the value relevance of accounting information using WUI(World Uncertainty Index) developed by Ahir et al. (2018). The results show that EPS and BV of equity lose their value relevance significantly as economic uncertainty increases during the period from 1999 to 2020. The value relevance of accruals and operating cash flow also decrease significantly during high uncertainty period although they have different characteristics. These results show that the economic uncertainty lowers the usefulness of accounting information. © 2022, Korean Accounting Association. All rights reserved.
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Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines in children aged 5–11 years, a rapid systematic review was conducted on published clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines and studies that analyzed real-world data on adverse events after COVID-19 vaccination. Methods: A systematic search was conducted on medical literature in international (Ovid-MEDLINE) and pre-published literature databases (medRxiv), followed by handsearching up to January 4, 2022. We used terms including COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and vaccines, and the certainty of evidence was graded using the GRADE approach. Results: A total of 1,675 studies were identified, of which five were finally selected. Among the five studies, four consisted of data from clinical trials of each of the four types of COVID-19 vaccines (BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, CoronaVac, and BBIBP-CorV). The remaining study consisted of real-world data on the safety of the BNT162b2 vaccine in children aged 5–11 years. This systematic review identified that COVID-19 vaccines in recipients aged 5–11 years produced a favorable immune response, and were vaccines were effective against COVID-19. The safety findings for the BNT162b2 vaccine in children and early adolescents aged 5–11 years were similar to those data noted in the clinical trial. Conclusions: There is limited data on COVID-19 vaccines in children aged 5–11 years. Consequently continuous and comprehensive monitoring is necessary for the evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines.
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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents as a mild-to-moderate respiratory illness in most children. However, a small proportion of children with COVID-19 develop severe or critical illnesses. Although pediatric clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19 are sparse, some drugs are available for children and adolescents with severe COVID-19. This review summarizes clinical data focusing on antiviral agents and immunomodulators for use in treating COVID-19. In addition, current recommendations for therapeutics for children and adolescents with COVID-19 are discussed.
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Introduction: COVID-19 has killed more than four million people worldwide and resulted in strained health resources globally(Dong Lancet ID 2020). There is a critical need for prognostic biomarkers to predict severity and outcomes in COVID-19 patients to allow more efficient resource allocation. Studies using pre-vaccination hospitalized patient data have demonstrated that elevated initial and peak immature platelet fraction (IPF), as well as related platelet indices, were associated with progression to severe COVID-19 outcomes (Welder Br J Haem 2021). This suggests the potential role of immature platelets as a cost-effective biomarker. The underlying pathophysiology of immature platelets in COVID-19 is unclear but these results support the hypothesis of higher inflammatory response, leading to thrombopoiesis mediated by pro-inflammatory cytokines and platelet hyper-reactivity in this population (Manne Blood 2021). It is unclear if this holds true in patients vaccinated against COVID-19. This study aims to assess the relationship between immature platelets in patients vaccinated against COVID-19 and hospitalized with acute COVID-19. Methods: This study used a COVID-19 patient registry established by the University of Texas Southwestern that comprises patients between May 2020 to July 2021. The database was approved by the Institutional Review Board. The study included 22 fully vaccinated adult patients with the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines hospitalized with acute COVID-19 and had IPF measurements during the hospitalization as well as 519 non-intensive care unit (ICU) patients admitted with acute COVID-19 prior to availability of a COVID-19 vaccine (pre-vaccination era). The study conducted non-parametric tests to compare hospital outcomes and covariates of interest between vaccinated patients and pre-vaccination era non-ICU patients. Covariates included for analysis are age, gender, race, length of hospital stay (LOS), dexamethasone use, platelet count, immature platelet count (IPC), IPF, thrombotic events and mortality. Results: All patients vaccinated against COVID-19 were alive without thrombotic events at the time of analysis. One out of 22 vaccinated patients required ICU admission and use of a ventilator. IPF and platelet counts at admission were similar between vaccinated patients and non-ICU patients from pre-vaccine era while IPC was significantly lower in the vaccinated group (Table 1). The vaccinated patient requiring ICU admission and mechanical ventilation was a heavy tobacco user with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (IPF 6.1%, IPC 4x10 9/L, platelet count 66x10 9/L). There was a disproportionate number of Hispanic patients in the vaccinated cohort (44%, P = 0.02). The LOS was significantly shorter in vaccinated patients compared to pre-vaccination era non-ICU patients by a day and a half (P = 0.047). The admission IPF and IPC were not correlated with increased LOS (IPF Spearman ρ = 0.23, P = 0.31;IPC ρ = -0.34, P = 0.13), while platelet count at admission negatively correlated with LOS (ρ = -0.41, P = 0.06). Discussion: IPF, IPC, and platelet count have previously been demonstrated to be a predictor of increased ICU and hospital LOS, ventilator duration, and in-hospital mortality. To our knowledge, this is the first study assessing the relationship between IPF and platelet indices in hospitalized patients vaccinated against COVID-19. Due to the lack of severe COVID-19 outcomes in these vaccinated patients, LOS was the only variable able to be analyzed and lower platelet count was found to be associated with increased LOS. These preliminary results demonstrated similar initial IPF and platelet counts but lower IPC in a small cohort of vaccinated COVID-19 patients compared with the pre-vaccination era patients with no severe outcomes. This suggests that the predictive value of these biomarkers may also apply to the vaccinated patient population. As IPC in this current study is derived from IPF and platelet counts, independent measure of IPC is needed to confirm this finding in a larger cohort. This tudy also potentially suggests the protective benefits of COVID-19 vaccines as reported in prior randomized trials (Polack NEJM 2020). Further research is needed to confirm these findings in a larger vaccinated cohort assessing severe outcomes, hospitalization, and death, especially with future infection waves with contagious COVID-19 variants rapidly emerging. [Formula presented] Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.