Establishing SARS-CoV-2 Membrane protein-specific antibodies as a valuable serological target via high-content microscopy

The prevalence and strength of serological responses mounted towards SARS-CoV-2 proteins other than nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S), which may be of use as additional serological markers, remains underexplored. Using high content microscopy to assess antibody responses against full length StrepTagged SARS-CoV-2 proteins, we found that 85% (166/196) of unvaccinated individuals with RT-PCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections and 74% (31/42) of individuals infected after being vaccinated developed detectable IgG against the structural protein M, which is higher than previous estimates. Compared with N antibodies, M IgG displayed a shallower time-dependent decay and greater specificity. Sensitivity for SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was enhanced when N and M IgG detection was combined. These findings indicate that screening for M seroconversion may be a good approach for detecting additional vaccine breakthrough infections and highlight the potential to use HCM as a rapidly deployable method to identify the most immunogenic targets of newly emergent pathogens. Graphical

A randomized controlled trial to investigate the use of acute coronary syndrome therapy in patients hospitalized with COVID-19: the COVID-19 Acute Coronary Syndrome trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 suffer thrombotic complications. Risk factors for poor outcomes are shared with coronary artery disease. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy of an acute coronary syndrome regimen in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and coronary disease risk factors. METHODS: A randomized controlled, open-label trial across acute hospitals (United Kingdom and Brazil) added aspirin, clopidogrel, low-dose rivaroxaban, atorvastatin, and omeprazole to standard care for 28 days. Primary efficacy and safety outcomes were 30-day mortality and bleeding. The key secondary outcome was a daily clinical status (at home, in hospital, on intensive therapy unit admission, or death). RESULTS: Three hundred twenty patients from 9 centers were randomized. The trial terminated early due to low recruitment. At 30 days, there was no significant difference in mortality (intervention vs control, 11.5% vs 15%; unadjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.73; 95% CI, 0.38-1.41; p = .355). Significant bleeds were infrequent and were not significantly different between the arms (intervention vs control, 1.9% vs 1.9%; p > .999). Using a Bayesian Markov longitudinal ordinal model, it was 93% probable that intervention arm participants were more likely to transition to a better clinical state each day (OR, 1.46; 95% credible interval [CrI], 0.88-2.37; Pr [beta > 0], 93%; adjusted OR, 1.50; 95% CrI, 0.91-2.45; Pr [beta > 0], 95%) and median time to discharge to home was 2 days shorter (95% CrI, -4 to 0; 2% probability that it was worse). CONCLUSION: Acute coronary syndrome treatment regimen was associated with a reduction in the length of hospital stay without an excess in major bleeding. A larger trial is needed to evaluate mortality.

Unique Differentiation and Homing Features of T Cells in Individuals with Long Covid

Background: A significant portion of individuals experience persistent symptoms months after SARS-CoV-2 infection, broadly referred to as Long COVID (LC). Although the frequencies of subsets of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells have been shown to differ in individuals with LC relative to those with complete recovery, a deep dive into phenotypic and functional features of total and SARSCoV- 2-specific T cells from individuals with LC has yet to be performed. Method(s): Here, we used CyTOF to characterize the phenotypes and effector functions of T cells from LIINC cohort. The median age was 46, the cohort was 55.8% female, and 9/43 had been hospitalized. Participants were reported a median of 7 LC symptoms at 8 months. SARS-CoV-2-specific total antibody levels were also measured in concurrent sera. Manual gating was used to define T cell subsets, SPICE analyses for polyfunctionality, T cell clustering for phenotypic features, and linear regression for correlation. Permutation tests, Student's t tests, and Welch's t test were used for statistical analysis. Result(s): SARS-CoV-2 total antibody responses were elevated in the LC group (p=0.043), and correlated with frequencies of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells in those without LC (r=0.776, p< 0.001) but not those with LC. While the frequencies of total SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were similar between individuals with and without LC, those from individuals without LC tended to be more polyfunctional (co-expressing IFNgamma, TNFalpha, IL2, and/or MIP1beta). CD4+ T cells from individuals with LC harbored higher frequencies of Tcm (p=0.003), Tfh (p=0.037), and Treg subsets (p=0.0412), and preferentially expressed a variety of tissue homing receptors including CXCR4 and CXCR5 (p=0.037). SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ T cells producing IL6, albeit rare, were observed exclusively among those with LC (p=0.016). In addition, participants with LC harbored significantly higher frequencies of SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cells co-expressing exhaustion markers PD1 and CTLA4 (p=0.018). Conclusion(s): Long COVID is characterized by global phenotypic differences in the CD4+ T cell compartment in ways suggesting preferential migration of these cells to inflamed mucosal tissues. Individuals with LC also harbor higher numbers of exhausted SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cells, potentially implicating viral persistence. Finally, our data additionally suggest that individuals with LC may uniquely exhibit an uncoordinated T cell and antibody response during COVID-19 convalescence.

PLASMA-BASED ANTIGEN PERSISTENCE IN THE POST-ACUTE PHASE OF SARS-CoV-2 INFECTION

Background: There is mounting evidence regarding the frequency and spectrum of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), but a search for causes has been elusive. Recently, a plasma-based assay for SARS-CoV-2 antigen has been developed, which in initial use revealed that a high fraction of severely affected patients with PASC had circulating antigen. It is unknown whether detectable SARS-CoV-2 antigen is specific for PASC or how the assay performs in a broader clinical spectrum of patients with PASC. Method(s): We evaluated a cohort of patients with RNA-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection enrolled >=3 weeks following initial symptoms. Participants, both with and without PASC at enrollment, were identified via facility- and communitybased advertising and examined every 4 months. An interviewer-administered questionnaire ascertained presence of 30 different symptoms (new or worse compared to pre-COVID) in the prior 2 days at each exam. Using the single molecule array (Simoa) assay, we measured spike, S1, and nucleocapsid SARSCoV- 2 antigens in plasma collected at time of symptom assessment. Result(s): We examined 172 participants (50% men, 46% non-white, median age 46 years) who contributed 667 timepoints from 0.7 to 15.4 months following infection, at which 66% featured report of >=1 symptom. Sixty-one of 667 timepoints (9.1%) representing 24% of persons had >=1 detectable SARSCoV- 2 antigen. Among the 437 timepoints at which >=1 symptom was present, 9.8% had >=1 detectable antigen;this compares to 7.8% of timepoints at which symptoms were absent. In comparison to those without symptoms, individuals with several specific symptom complexes (gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and central neurologic) more commonly had detectable antigen (Figure). Hospitalization during acute COVID-19 was strongly related to antigen detection. Conclusion(s): Among a diverse group of SARS-CoV-2-infected persons in the post-acute phase of infection, SARS-CoV-2 antigen is detectable in plasma in both those with and without symptoms but more commonly in those with gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and central neurologic complaints. The findings indicate that antigen persists in at least some persons and suggest (but do not prove) that antigen is causally related to symptoms. That antigen is found in only a fraction of those with PASC indicates either that not all symptoms are driven by antigen, current plasma antigen detection is insensitive relative to tissue, or nominal PASC symptoms are sometimes unrelated to SARS-CoV-2. (Figure Presented).

Differential Association of Cytomegalovirus with Acute and Post-Acute Covid-19

Background: Asymptomatic Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection reshapes systemic immune responses and its replication can be both a consequence and cause of inflammation. As CMV resides in the same tissues affected by SARSCoV- 2, we hypothesized that asymptomatic CMV co-infection might modify the pathogenesis of both acute and post-acute COVID-19. Method(s): Participants had current or prior nucleic acid-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in the COVID-19 Multi-Phenotyping for Effective Therapies (COMET, n=219), Immunophenotyping Assessment in a COVID-19 Cohort (IMPACC, n=244) or the Long-term Impact of Infection with Novel Coronavirus (LIINC, n=327) cohorts. We assessed the relationship between CMV serostatus and odds of hospitalization and plasma SARS-CoV-2 N antigen levels during acute COVID-19 as well as post-acute "Long COVID" symptoms, defined as >=1 of 32 COVID-19-attributed symptoms present at least 60 days following initial symptom onset. Result(s): Among 758 participants, 518 were hospitalized for their acute COVID-19 episode. CMV seropositivity was independently associated with a 1.9-fold increased odds of hospitalization for acute COVID-19, after adjustment for age, sex, race, ethnicity, HIV status, prior autoimmune disease, diabetes, and obesity (p=0.01, A). Among those hospitalized, CMV seropositivity was also associated with higher plasma SARS-CoV-2 N antigen levels (median 936 vs. 323 pg/ml, P=0.03, B), which remained significant after adjustment for potential confounders, but not with ICU admission (n=209), death (n=58), or thrombotic events (n=31). In contrast to its relationship to acute COVID-19 disease severity, CMV seropositivity was independently associated with a 48% decreased odds of having neurocognitive Long COVID symptoms such has headache and brain fog 4 months after initial COVID-19 diagnosis (P=0.036). Conversely, serologic evidence of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) reactivation and HIV both increased the odds of these symptoms (C). Conclusion(s): CMV seropositivity is associated with a 1.9-fold higher odds of hospitalization in people with acute COVID-19 and a nearly 3-fold higher SARS-CoV-2 antigen burden in hospitalized patients. In contrast, CMV seropositivity is associated with a decreased odds of neurocognitive Long COVID symptoms, while other chronic viral co-infections like EBV reactivation and HIV are associated with an increased odds of this complication. The biologic mechanisms mediating these relationships are unknown, but warrant further investigation. (Figure Presented).

Hiv-Related Kaposi Sarcoma in East Africa: Contemporary Update on Stage and Survival

Background: Stage at time of diagnosis and survival after diagnosis are critical parameters regarding the control of any cancer in any geographical setting. Unlike in resource-rich settings where publicly funded cancer surveillance routinely monitors these parameters, these data are non-existent through routine means in resource-limited areas. This is particularly relevant for Kaposi sarcoma (KS) in East Africa, for which recent changes in HIV treatment and chemotherapy guidelines as well as the COVID-19 pandemic dictate an update regarding stage and survival. Method(s): From October 2021 to August 2022, we evaluated HIV-infected adults (age >= 18 years) with a new diagnosis of KS made in 4 different primary care facilities (or their associated inpatient units) in Kenya and Uganda using a process of rapid case ascertainment. KS diagnosis was confirmed by pathology. Participants were examined, at time of biopsy, to document the extent of lesions and subsequently monitored longitudinally for vital status. Result(s): Among 180 HIV-infected adults identified with new onset KS, 31% were women, and the median (IQR) age was 35 (29-42) years. At time of KS diagnosis, 95% of the participants were taking ART, and the median (IQR) CD4+ T cell count was 197 (46-354) cells/mm3;46%, 20%, 11% and 23% had plasma HIV RNA of < 40, 40-1000, 1001-10,000 and >10,000 copies/ml, respectively. The median number of anatomic sites with KS lesions per participant was 7 (4-11);26% of participants had oral KS lesions that interfered with either eating or speaking, 74% had KS-associated edema, and 86% had ACTG stage T1 (advanced KS). Over a median follow-up of 2.6 months (IQR: 0.75 to 5.5), 56 participants died, and only 3 lost to follow-up. Cumulative incidence of death (95% CI), via Kaplan-Meier estimation, at 2 months, 6 months and 8 months following KS diagnosis was 24% (18%-31%), 33% (26%-42%), and 38% (29- 49%), respectively (Figure). Conclusion(s): In a recently assembled community-based sample of adults with newly-diagnosed HIV-related KS in East Africa, the majority have advanced KS at the time of KS diagnosis, and survival is poor. The findings are stark in absolute terms for the Treat-All era and unchanged from parameters obtained in the 5 years prior, indicating no improvement in these aspects of the control of KS in the region. Along with primary prevention of KS (i.e., reducing its incidence), novel approaches are needed for earlier detection, more efficient linkage to oncologic care, and more potent therapy. Survival Among Adults with HIV-Related Kaposi Sarcoma in East Africa.

Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence following the first pandemic wave in UK healthcare workers in a large NHS Foundation Trust.

Background: We aimed to measure SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in a cohort of healthcare workers (HCWs) during the first UK wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, explore risk factors associated with infection, and investigate the impact of antibody titres on assay sensitivity. Methods: HCWs at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust were prospectively enrolled and sampled at two time points. We developed an in-house ELISA for testing participant serum for SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgA reactivity against Spike and Nucleoprotein. Data were analysed using three statistical models: a seroprevalence model, an antibody kinetics model, and a heterogeneous sensitivity model. Results: Our in-house assay had a sensitivity of 99·47% and specificity of 99·56%. We found that 24·4% (n=311/1275) of HCWs were seropositive as of 12th June 2020. Of these, 39·2% (n=122/311) were asymptomatic. The highest adjusted seroprevalence was measured in HCWs on the Acute Medical Unit (41·1%, 95% CrI 30·0-52·9) and in Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists (39·2%, 95% CrI 24·4-56·5). Older age groups showed overall higher median antibody titres. Further modelling suggests that, for a serological assay with an overall sensitivity of 80%, antibody titres may be markedly affected by differences in age, with sensitivity estimates of 89% in those over 60 years but 61% in those ≤30 years. Conclusions:  HCWs in acute medical units and those working closely with COVID-19 patients were at highest risk of infection, though whether these are infections acquired from patients or other staff is unknown. Current serological assays may underestimate seroprevalence in younger age groups if validated using sera from older and/or more severe COVID-19 cases.

Accelerated waning of the humoral response to COVID-19 vaccines in obesity.

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and mortality. COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of serious COVID-19 outcomes; however, their effectiveness in people with obesity is incompletely understood. We studied the relationship among body mass index (BMI), hospitalization and mortality due to COVID-19 among 3.6 million people in Scotland using the Early Pandemic Evaluation and Enhanced Surveillance of COVID-19 (EAVE II) surveillance platform. We found that vaccinated individuals with severe obesity (BMI > 40 kg/m2) were 76% more likely to experience hospitalization or death from COVID-19 (adjusted rate ratio of 1.76 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.60-1.94). We also conducted a prospective longitudinal study of a cohort of 28 individuals with severe obesity compared to 41 control individuals with normal BMI (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2). We found that 55% of individuals with severe obesity had unquantifiable titers of neutralizing antibody against authentic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus compared to 12% of individuals with normal BMI (P = 0.0003) 6 months after their second vaccine dose. Furthermore, we observed that, for individuals with severe obesity, at any given anti-spike and anti-receptor-binding domain (RBD) antibody level, neutralizing capacity was lower than that of individuals with a normal BMI. Neutralizing capacity was restored by a third dose of vaccine but again declined more rapidly in people with severe obesity. We demonstrate that waning of COVID-19 vaccine-induced humoral immunity is accelerated in individuals with severe obesity. As obesity is associated with increased hospitalization and mortality from breakthrough infections, our findings have implications for vaccine prioritization policies.

Arginine concentration in arterial vs venous blood in a bleomycin-induced lung inflammation model in mice.

Pneumonia, always a major malady, became the main public health and economic disaster of historical proportions with the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was based on a premise that pathology of lung metabolism in inflammation may have features invariant to the nature of the underlying cause. Amino acid uptake by the lungs was measured from plasma samples collected pre-terminally from a carotid artery and vena cava in mice with bleomycin-induced lung inflammation (N = 10) and compared to controls treated with saline instillation (N = 6). In the control group, the difference in concentrations between the arterial and venous blood of the 19 amino acids measured reached the level of statistical significance only for arginine (-10.7%, p = 0.0372) and phenylalanine (+5.5%, p = 0.0266). In the bleomycin group, 11 amino acids had significantly lower concentrations in the arterial blood. Arginine concentration was decreased by 21.1% (p<0.0001) and only that of citrulline was significantly increased (by 20.1%, p = 0.0002). Global Arginine Bioavailability Ratio was decreased in arterial blood by 19.5% (p = 0.0305) in the saline group and by 30.4% (p<0.0001) in the bleomycin group. Production of nitric oxide (NO) and citrulline from arginine by the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is greatly increased in the immune system's response to lung injury. Deprived of arginine, the endothelial cells downstream may fail to provide enough NO to prevent the activation of thrombocytes. Thrombotic-related vascular dysfunction is a defining characteristic of pneumonia, including COVID-19. This experiment lends further support to arginine replacement as adjuvant therapy in pneumonia.

Unsupervised high-frequency smartphone-based cognitive assessments are reliable, valid, and feasible in older adults at risk for Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVE: Smartphones have the potential for capturing subtle changes in cognition that characterize preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) in older adults. The Ambulatory Research in Cognition (ARC) smartphone application is based on principles from ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and administers brief tests of associative memory, processing speed, and working memory up to 4 times per day over 7 consecutive days. ARC was designed to be administered unsupervised using participants' personal devices in their everyday environments. METHODS: We evaluated the reliability and validity of ARC in a sample of 268 cognitively normal older adults (ages 65-97 years) and 22 individuals with very mild dementia (ages 61-88 years). Participants completed at least one 7-day cycle of ARC testing and conventional cognitive assessments; most also completed cerebrospinal fluid, amyloid and tau positron emission tomography, and structural magnetic resonance imaging studies. RESULTS: First, ARC tasks were reliable as between-person reliability across the 7-day cycle and test-retest reliabilities at 6-month and 1-year follow-ups all exceeded 0.85. Second, ARC demonstrated construct validity as evidenced by correlations with conventional cognitive measures (r = 0.53 between composite scores). Third, ARC measures correlated with AD biomarker burden at baseline to a similar degree as conventional cognitive measures. Finally, the intensive 7-day cycle indicated that ARC was feasible (86.50% approached chose to enroll), well tolerated (80.42% adherence, 4.83% dropout), and was rated favorably by older adult participants. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the results suggest that ARC is reliable and valid and represents a feasible tool for assessing cognitive changes associated with the earliest stages of AD.

The Representation of Data as an Informative and Brand-building Element in Sports Competitions: Technological Innovations in the Graphics of LaLiga Santander

Graphics are of paramount importance in today's sports broadcasts, as they contribute to the understanding of the event, define the visual identity of the competitions and promote the spectacularisation of these events. This study focuses on the graphic representations of data in LaLiga Santander football broadcasts. Through a bibliographic-documentary review and four in-depth interviews with LaLiga officials, the aim is to analyse the use of graphics in this competition and to describe the technical tools used to design and develop its audiovisual graphic material. It also seeks to determine the expressive-narrative impact it has on the broadcasts and to identify the human team in charge of this process. This work demonstrates that the graphic representation of data not only has an informa-tive function, but also has an impact on the visual identity of the competition itself and on increasing the attractiveness of its audiovisual products. In this way, techniques such as Live 3D Graphics, 360 degrees replays or the goal probability model influence the narrative of broadcasts and are useful for both football fans and professionals.

UNESCO Global Geoparks vs. Education: a 10-Year Bibliometric Analysis

UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGps) have become one of the most important territories for teaching geosciences and natural environment awareness in a sustainable development framework. The strategy of using geotourism and geosciences as the main engine for territorial development has successfully created an outdoor classroom where people from all over the world can learn about our planet in a scientific, cultural, and social manner. This, linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, has resulted in a safe activity for all those curious and knowledgeable people who can take a break and enjoy Earth itself with no barriers. In this study, information about UGGps and education was compiled from one of the most important databases within the international scientific community: Clarivate (TM) Web of Science. Its analysis shows the state of the art and the situation of this interesting topic inside the actual science context. Besides that, they give clues about the future of these territories and hints of new paths in the field of scientific research to create multiple quality educational models, accessible and adapted for everyone.

Influence of Grit on Physical Activity, Sitting Time and Dietary Behaviors: A Multi-Study Analysis

Engaging in physical activity (PA), minimizing sitting time and consuming a healthy diet are behaviors associated with health and wellness across the lifespan. The present multi-study analysis examined the relationship between grit and PA, sitting time and dietary behaviors in several populations that included US adults, active-duty military personnel, veterans, college students and performing artists. The four research laboratories administered an internet-based survey between spring and summer of 2020. The common questionnaires on the surveys were the Grit Scale Short Form, International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form and the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants Short Form. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between grit, PA, sitting time and dietary behaviors. PA was associated with grit for US adults, civilians and college students but not for performing artists or active-duty military populations. Sitting time was associated with grit for US adults and active-duty military personnel. US adults, college students and performing artists were found to have a positive association between healthy dietary behaviors and grit. Overall, the findings indicate that grit has a positive influence on PA, sitting time and dietary behaviors across the unique populations;however, the relationships indicate some nuanced differences between the populations.

Modelling livestock infectious disease control policy under differing social perspectives on vaccination behaviour.

The spread of infection amongst livestock depends not only on the traits of the pathogen and the livestock themselves, but also on the veterinary health behaviours of farmers and how this impacts their implementation of disease control measures. Controls that are costly may make it beneficial for individuals to rely on the protection offered by others, though that may be sub-optimal for the population. Failing to account for socio-behavioural properties may produce a substantial layer of bias in infectious disease models. We investigated the role of heterogeneity in vaccine response across a population of farmers on epidemic outbreaks amongst livestock, caused by pathogens with differential speed of spread over spatial landscapes of farms for two counties in England (Cumbria and Devon). Under different compositions of three vaccine behaviour groups (precautionary, reactionary, non-vaccination), we evaluated from population- and individual-level perspectives the optimum threshold distance to premises with notified infection that would trigger responsive vaccination by the reactionary vaccination group. We demonstrate a divergence between population and individual perspectives in the optimal scale of reactive voluntary vaccination response. In general, minimising the population-level perspective cost requires a broader reactive uptake of the intervention, whilst optimising the outcome for the average individual increased the likelihood of larger scale disease outbreaks. When the relative cost of vaccination was low and the majority of premises had undergone precautionary vaccination, then adopting a perspective that optimised the outcome for an individual gave a broader spatial extent of reactive response compared to a perspective wanting to optimise outcomes for everyone in the population. Under our assumed epidemiological context, the findings identify livestock disease intervention receptiveness and cost combinations where one would expect strong disagreement between the intervention stringency that is best from the perspective of a stakeholder responsible for supporting the livestock industry compared to a sole livestock owner. Were such discord anticipated and achieving a consensus view across perspectives desired, the findings may also inform those managing veterinary health policy the requisite reduction in intervention cost and/or the required extent of nurturing beneficial community attitudes towards interventions.

Policy-making, policy-taking, and policy-shaping: Local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged nations states across the world. They have implemented lockdown and social distancing and with the development of vaccines have gone to great lengths to build herd immunity for their populations. As place managers, local government has played a variety of roles supporting central government edicts related to social distancing and supporting local businesses impacted by lockdowns. The research reported here comparing the role local government has played in Australia, Canada, Italy, and New Zealand shows that they have at different times and for different issues been policy takers from central government, policy shapers, and policy makers adapting national strategies. Local government plays an important complementary role with central governments in both unitary and federal systems of government. The paper contributes to the literature on multi-level governance, place-based decision-making, and disaster and emergency management by offering a framework for analysing municipal roles in crises management both in their relationship with higher layers of government and in their acting as locally placed organisations. Points for practitioners: Cross-national study: Australia, Canada, Italy, and New Zealand. Examination of local government responses to COVID-19 pandemic as policy makers, takers, or shapers. Comparison of federal and unitary states. © 2023 The Authors. Australian Journal of Public Administration published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Institute of Public Administration Australia.

COVID-19 and Its Impact on Indigenous Community Resilience and Schooling in New Zealand, the United States of America and Canada: Some Recurring Messages for Consideration

This chapter revolves around three autoethnographies that consider the impact of COVID-19 upon Indigenous schooling and related community resilience initiatives in New Zealand, the United States of America (USA) and Canada. It begins with a description of the autoethnographic methodology that underpinned our work. Next, we present the three autoethnographies. First, the autoethnographic account of Teena Henderson, a Ngāi Tahu (Māori) academic from the University of Canterbury (Christchurch, New Zealand). Teena reflects on her tribe's experiences to suggest it must remain resilient and seek to be "heard” by its Treaty partner (the Crown/New Zealand Government). Next, Dr Joseph (Joe) Martin, a Navajo academic (Northern Arizona University) will share his perspective and those of his close colleagues regarding significant challenges currently facing Navajo Nation leaders, administrators, teachers, parents and learners. Finally, Lori Whiteman (Dakota/Anishinabe;Treaty Education Alliance Executive Director) shares her concerns from rural Saskatchewan—particularly as they relate to the concepts of ambiguous loss and community resilience. We then combine as a full team of authors to relate the key recurring themes that emerge from these narratives to international literature. This highlights the unique challenges and shared experiences facing many Indigenous communities around the World—particularly those living in remote/rural areas. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021.