ABSTRACT
Background: Public health officials anticipate severe health outcomes amidst the circulation of two major viruses, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza. This study investigated intent to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and influenza, and sought to identify attitudes towards vaccines and barriers for vaccine acceptance. Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted in the Louisiana State University Medicine Clinic from September 2020 to December 2020. Intent to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 and influenza virus was assessed through a brief questionnaire. Additionally, hesitancy and attitudes regarding vaccines were ascertained using validated 5-point Likert scales. In total, 280 patients completed the questionnaire. Results: A total of 248 patients were included in the final analysis. Overall 167 (67%, 95% CI = 61.1-73.0%) of patients were unsure or did not intend to be vaccinated against COVID-19, while only 19.3% (95% CI = 14.4-24.5%) were unsure or did not intend to be vaccinated against the influenza vaccine. Reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy included concern regarding side effects, fear of getting sick from the vaccine, and the absence of vaccine recommendations from their doctor. Concerningly, African American patients demonstrated decreased likelihood of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusion: This survey revealed that only 1 in 3 adults intended to be vaccinated against COVID-19, while 8 out of 10 adults intended to receive the influenza vaccine. Patients who intended on getting the COVID-19 vaccine were less likely to be African American. Given the degree of hesitancy against COVID-19 vaccination, a multifaceted approach to facilitate vaccine uptake that includes vaccine education, behavioral change strategies, and health promotion, is paramount.
ABSTRACT
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been recently identified as the culprit of the highly infectious, outbreak named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China. Now declared a public health emergency, this pandemic is present in more than 200 countries with over 14 million cases and 600,000 deaths as of July 18, 2020. Primarily transmitted through the respiratory tract, the most common clinical presentations of symptomatic individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 include fever, dyspnea, cough, fatigue, and sore throat. In advanced cases, patients may rapidly develop respiratory failure with acute respiratory distress syndrome, and even progress to death. While it is known that COVID-19 manifests similarly to the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and the 2012 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), primarily affecting the pulmonary system, the impact of the disease extends far beyond the respiratory system and affects other organs of the body. The literature regarding the extrapulmonary manifestations (cardiovascular, renal, hepatic, gastrointestinal, ocular, dermatologic, and neurological) of COVID-19 is scant. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review of the organ-specific clinical manifestations of COVID-19, to increase awareness about the various organs affected by SARS-CoV-2 and to provide a brief insight into the similarities and differences in the clinical manifestations of COVID-19 and the earlier SARS and MERS.