ABSTRACT
This article discusses autism and COVID-19. Autistic individuals in congregate and group settings, with co-occurring medical conditions are at higher risk for contracting COVID-19 and poor health outcomes. Wide variations in state vaccine prioritization plans exist, where high-risk disabled populations are not considered high priority. Access to routine medical visits has been disrupted during surges in cases, leading to potential delays in accessing necessary diagnoses, treatments and services. Emergency preparedness plans often overlook the needs of autistic individuals;for example, the use of the frailty scale to ration care, which unfairly disadvantages autistic individuals. Social isolation has negative effects on the well-being of autistic individuals who have lost their routine social interactions and support. The disruption to learning has been particularly concerning for children with special educational needs. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted areas that need urgent attention in the community. Autistic individuals, particularly those at high-risk for COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths, should be prioritized to receive the COVID19 vaccine. Autistic individuals must be represented in infection control and emergency preparedness planning at multiple levels: for example, within schools, health care settings, residential facilities, etc. Prolonged and unexpected disruptions to health, educational, and behavioral service deliveries during occurrences such as the COVID-19 pandemic must be met with innovative solutions to maximize individual life-course trajectories. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This article discusses autism and COVID-19. Autistic individuals in congregate and group settings, with co-occurring medical conditions are at higher risk for contracting COVID-19 and poor health outcomes. Wide variations in state vaccine prioritization plans exist, where high-risk disabled populations are not considered high priority. Access to routine medical visits has been disrupted during surges in cases, leading to potential delays in accessing necessary diagnoses, treatments and services. Emergency preparedness plans often overlook the needs of autistic individuals;for example, the use of the frailty scale to ration care, which unfairly disadvantages autistic individuals. Social isolation has negative effects on the well-being of autistic individuals who have lost their routine social interactions and support. The disruption to learning has been particularly concerning for children with special educational needs. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted areas that need urgent attention in the community. Autistic individuals, particularly those at high-risk for COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths, should be prioritized to receive the COVID19 vaccine. Autistic individuals must be represented in infection control and emergency preparedness planning at multiple levels: for example, within schools, health care settings, residential facilities, etc. Prolonged and unexpected disruptions to health, educational, and behavioral service deliveries during occurrences such as the COVID-19 pandemic must be met with innovative solutions to maximize individual life-course trajectories. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
We describe the epidemiology of COVID-19 exposure, preceding illness, and SARS-CoV-2 testing in a large population with MIS-C during the first 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of cases had exposure, preceding illness, or positive SARS-CoV-2 testing 4-8 weeks before MIS-C onset. Serology can help establish epidemiological link to COVID-19 when past infection or exposure are unknown.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , COVID-19/complications , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19 Testing , Child , Humans , Los Angeles/epidemiology , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2 , Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome/diagnosis , Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome/epidemiologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Researchers collaborated with undergraduate minority students to quantitatively and qualitatively investigate college students' mental health during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were two convenience samples of diverse college students surveyed in June (n = 128; M age = 21.7, SD = 1.7) and December (n = 242; M age = 20.3, SD = 1.7) of 2020. METHODS: This study administered items from the California Health Interview Survey and open-ended qualitative items via Qualtrics. RESULTS: Across both waves, students reported significant mental health challenges and psychological distress. Students surveyed in December were three to four times more likely to report depression and anxiety. Female and older students reported heightened odds of mental health challenges. Qualitative findings elaborated on contributing factors. CONCLUSION: During the pandemic, college students have experienced pronounced mental health challenges, potentially exacerbated by academic, professional, relational, and environmental stressors and uncertainty.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The prevalence of current or past coronavirus disease 2019 in skilled nursing facility (SNF) residents is unknown because of asymptomatic infection and constrained testing capacity early in the pandemic. We conducted a seroprevalence survey to determine a more comprehensive prevalence of past coronavirus disease 2019 in Los Angeles County SNF residents and staff members. METHODS: We recruited participants from 24 facilities; participants were requested to submit a nasopharyngeal swab sample for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and a serum sample for detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. All participants were cross-referenced with our surveillance database to identify persons with prior positive SARS-CoV-2 results. RESULTS: From 18 August to 24 September 2020, we enrolled 3305 participants (1340 residents and 1965 staff members). Among 856 residents providing serum samples, 362 (42%) had current or past SARS-CoV-2 infection. Of the 346 serology-positive residents, 199 (58%) did not have a documented prior positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR result. Among 1806 staff members providing serum, 454 (25%) had current or past SARS-CoV-2 infection. Of the 447 serology-positive staff members, 353 (79%) did not have a documented prior positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR result. CONCLUSIONS: Past testing practices and policies missed a substantial number of SARS-CoV-2 infections in SNF residents and staff members.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/epidemiology , SARS-CoV-2 , Health Personnel , Humans , Los Angeles/epidemiology , SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification , Seroepidemiologic Studies , Skilled Nursing FacilitiesABSTRACT
Several COVID-19 vaccines have now been deployed to tackle the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, most of them based on messenger RNA or adenovirus vectors.The duration of protection afforded by these vaccines is unknown, as well as their capacity to protect from emerging new variants. To provide sufficient coverage for the world population, additional strategies need to be tested. The live pediatric measles vaccine (MV) is an attractive approach, given its extensive safety and efficacy history, along with its established large-scale manufacturing capacity. We develop an MV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine expressing the prefusion-stabilized, membrane-anchored full-length S antigen, which proves to be efficient at eliciting strong Th1-dominant T-cell responses and high neutralizing antibody titers. In both mouse and golden Syrian hamster models, these responses protect the animals from intranasal infectious challenge. Additionally, the elicited antibodies efficiently neutralize in vitro the three currently circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 Vaccines/immunology , COVID-19/immunology , Genetic Vectors , Immunity , Adenoviridae , Animals , Antibodies, Neutralizing/immunology , Antibodies, Viral/immunology , COVID-19/prevention & control , COVID-19 Vaccines/administration & dosage , Cricetinae , Cytokines , Female , Immunization , Immunization, Secondary , Male , Measles Vaccine/immunology , Mesocricetus , Mice , SARS-CoV-2/genetics , Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/genetics , Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/immunologyABSTRACT
Emerging adulthood (ages 18-30 years) coincides with "aging out" of pediatric care. As a result, combined internal medicine and pediatrics (Med-Peds) providers are tasked with promoting the health and well-being of this population during and post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In order to inform the response efforts, we aimed to capture emerging adults' COVID-19 experiences and challenges during a two-week period of the pandemic in June 2020. We administered items from the California Health Interview Survey and an open-ended qualitative item via Qualtrics to 242 diverse emerging adults enrolled in a large US public university (mean age = 20.10, SD = 1.26). More than 90% of all students reported that they or their families or close friends experienced difficulties coping with the stressors and challenges presented by COVID-19. Almost half experienced financial difficulties and more than three-fourths experienced household disruptions during the pandemic. Qualitative findings underscored that these challenges were compounded by mental health and broader social issues. Recommendations for Med-Peds providers are provided to promote emerging adulthood health during and post-pandemic.
ABSTRACT
This brief report presents transmission rates from a prospective study of 15 households with pediatric index cases of severe acute respiratory coronavirus-2 in Los Angeles County from December 2020 to February 2021. Our findings support ongoing evidence that transmission from pediatric index cases to household contacts is frequent but can be mitigated with practicing well-documented control measures at home, including isolation, masking and good hand hygiene.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/transmission , Respiratory Tract Infections/transmission , Adolescent , Child , Child, Preschool , Family Characteristics , Female , Hand Hygiene/methods , Humans , Los Angeles , Male , Masks , Prospective Studies , SARS-CoV-2/pathogenicity , Social IsolationABSTRACT
Robot is a machine in the form of a human being that performs the machine-driven functions of a human being but lacks sensitivity. By performing simple services, the robot system in Nursing is designed in such a way that it serves patients who are confined to bed. Larger robotic machines can be used to carry-out backbreaking physical tasks like moving patients, and smaller cooperating robots are being used to battle seclusion and lethargy in the ageing population.