Actionable wastewater surveillance: application to a university residence hall during the transition between Delta and Omicron resurgences of COVID-19.

Wastewater surveillance has gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic as an effective and non-biased means to track community infection. While most surveillance relies on samples collected at municipal wastewater treatment plants, surveillance is more actionable when samples are collected "upstream" where mitigation of transmission is tractable. This report describes the results of wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 at residence halls on a university campus aimed at preventing outbreak escalation by mitigating community spread. Another goal was to estimate fecal shedding rates of SARS-CoV-2 in a non-clinical setting. Passive sampling devices were deployed in sewer laterals originating from residence halls at a frequency of twice weekly during fall 2021 as the Delta variant of concern continued to circulate across North America. A positive detection as part of routine sampling in late November 2021 triggered daily monitoring and further isolated the signal to a single wing of one residence hall. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 within the wastewater over a period of 3 consecutive days led to a coordinated rapid antigen testing campaign targeting the residence hall occupants and the identification and isolation of infected individuals. With knowledge of the number of individuals testing positive for COVID-19, fecal shedding rates were estimated to range from 3.70 log10 gc ‧ g feces-1 to 5.94 log10 gc ‧ g feces-1. These results reinforce the efficacy of wastewater surveillance as an early indicator of infection in congregate living settings. Detections can trigger public health measures ranging from enhanced communications to targeted coordinated testing and quarantine.

Male and female sterilisation

Male and female sterilisation are important forms of contraception worldwide despite declining popularity in developed countries and limited access during the Covid-19 global pandemic. Vasectomy is the only highly reliable form of male contraception. Appropriate counselling about permanent methods of contraception in both sexes is vital and should include information about irreversibility, failure rates and complications. The alternatives to sterilisation, particularly long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), should be discussed in detail as they are at least as effective and have the advantage of reversibility. Hysteroscopic techniques for female sterilisation are no longer available. In males the no-scalpel technique vasectomy requires minimal operating time and results in less post-operative discomfort than the incisional method. Regret after sterilisation and requests for reversal are more common in patients under 30 years and in men with no children.Copyright © 2023

Evaluating fatigue in patients recovering from COVID-19: validation of the fatigue severity scale and single item screening questions.

BACKGROUND: Fatigue is a common symptom in hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients recovering from COVID-19, but no fatigue measurement scales or questions have been validated in these populations. The objective of this study was to perform validity assessments of the fatigue severity scale (FSS) and two single-item screening questions (SISQs) for fatigue in patients recovering from COVID-19. METHODS: We examined patients ≥ 28 days after their first SARS-CoV-2 infection who were hospitalized for their acute illness, as well as non-hospitalized patients referred for persistent symptoms. Patients completed questionnaires through 1 of 4 Post COVID-19 Recovery Clinics in British Columbia, Canada. Construct validity was assessed by comparing FSS scores to quality of life and depression measures. Two SISQs were evaluated based on the ability to classify fatigue (FSS score ≥ 4). RESULTS: Questionnaires were returned in 548 hospitalized and 546 non-hospitalized patients, with scores computable in 96.4% and 98.2% of patients respectively. Cronbach's alpha was 0.96 in both groups. The mean ± SD FSS score was 4.4 ± 1.8 in the hospitalized and 5.2 ± 1.6 in the non-hospitalized group, with 62.5% hospitalized and 78.9% non-hospitalized patients classified as fatigued. Ceiling effects were 7.6% in the hospitalized and 16.1% in non-hospitalized patients. FSS scores negatively correlated with EQ-5D scores in both groups (Spearman's rho - 0.6 in both hospitalized and non-hospitalized; p < 0.001) and were higher among patients with a positive PHQ-2 depression screen (5.4 vs. 4.0 in hospitalized and 5.9 vs. 4.9 in non-hospitalized; p < 0.001). An SISQ asking whether there was "fatigue present" had a sensitivity of 70.6% in hospitalized and 83.2% in non-hospitalized patients; the "always feeling tired" SISQ, had a sensitivity of 70.5% and 89.6% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Fatigue was common and severe in patients referred for post COVID-19 assessment. Overall, the FSS is suitable for measuring fatigue in these patients, as there was excellent data quality, strong internal consistency, and construct validity. However, ceiling effects may be a limitation in the non-hospitalized group. SISQs had good sensitivity for identifying clinically relevant fatigue in non-hospitalized patients but only moderate sensitivity in the hospitalized group, indicating that there were more false negatives.

Smoking and COVID-19 in patients with cancer: Novel analysis from CCC19 registry

Background: Patients (pts) with thoracic cancers have a high rate of hospitalization and death from COVID-19. Smoking has been associated with increased risk for severe COVID-19. However, there is limited data evaluating the impact of smoking recency on COVID-19 severity in pts with cancer. We aimed to characterize the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 based on the recency of smoking in pts with thoracic cancers (TC) and all other cancers (OC). Methods: Adult pts with cancer and lab-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 and smoking history recorded in the CCC19 registry (NCT0435470) were included. Pts were stratified by cancer type (TC or OC) and further stratified into subgroups based on the recency of smoking cessation: current smoker;former smokers who quit < 1 yr. ago;1-5 yr. ago;6-10 yr. ago;quit > 10 yr. ago;and never smoker. 30-day all-cause mortality was the primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints were any hospitalization;hospitalization with supplemental O2;ICU admission;and mechanical ventilation. Results: From January 2020 to December 2021, 752 pts from TC group and 8,291 pts from OC group met the inclusion criteria. 78% of patients in TC group ever smoked compared to 36% patients in the OC group. In both groups, the majority of never-smokers were females (70% and 60% in TC and OC respectively). The burden of smoking and the rate of pulmonary comorbidities (PC) was higher in the TC group (PC 22-69%) compared to OC group (PC 12-26%) across all smoking strata. Overall, 30-day all-cause mortality was 21% and 11% in pts with TC and OC respectively. Former smokers who quit < 1 year ago in TC group had the highest rate of mortality and severe COVID-19 outcomes. However, in the OC group, there was no consistent trend of higher mortality or severe COVID-19 outcomes in specific subgroups based on smoking recency. Conclusions: To our knowledge this is the largest study evaluating the effect of granular phenotypes of smoking recency on COVID-19 outcomes in pts with cancer. Recent smokers who quit < 1 year ago in TC group had the highest rate of mortality and severe COVID-19. Further analysis exploring the factors (e.g., smoking pack years) associated with severe outcomes in this subgroup is planned.

Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with cancer

Background: Most patients with cancer and COVID-19 will survive the acute illness. The longer-term impacts of COVID-19 on patients with cancer remain incompletely described. Methods: Using COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium registry data thru 12/31/2021, we examined outcomes of long-term COVID-19 survivors with post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC aka “long COVID”). PASC was defined as having recovered w/ complications or having died w/ ongoing infection 90+ days from original diagnosis;absence of PASC was defined as having fully recovered by 90 days, with 90+ days of follow-up. Patients with SARS-CoV-2 re-infection and records with low quality data were excluded. Results: 858 of 3710 of included patients (23%) met PASC criteria. Median follow-up (IQR) for PASC and recovered patients was 180 (98-217) and 180 (90-180) days, respectively. The PASC group had a higher rate of baseline comorbidities and poor performance status (Table). Cancer types, status, and recent anticancer treatment were similar between the groups. The PASC group experienced a higher illness burden, with more hospitalized (83% vs 48%);requiring ICU (29% vs 6%);requiring mechanical ventilation (17% vs 2%);and experiencing co-infections (19% vs 8%). There were more deaths in the PASC vs recovered group (8% vs 3%), with median (IQR) days to death of 158 (120-272) and 180 (130-228), respectively. Of these, 9% were attributed to COVID-19;15% to both COVID-19 and cancer;15% to cancer;and 23% to other causes. Conversely, no deaths in the recovered group were attributed to COVID-19;57% were attributed to cancer;and 24% to other causes (proximal cause of death unknown/missing in 38% and 19%, respectively). Cancer treatment modification was more common in the recovered group (23% vs 18%). Conclusions: Patients with underlying comorbidities, worse ECOG PS, and more severe acute SARS-CoV-2 infection had higher rates of PASC. These patients suffered more severe complications and incurred worse outcomes. There was an appreciable rate of death in both PASC and non-PASC, with cancer the dominant but not only cause in fully recovered patients. Further study is needed to understand what factors drive PASC, and whether longer-term cancer-specific outcomes will be affected.

An update on the overall epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and outcomes from the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19)

Background: Despite mitigation and treatment strategies, COVID-19 continues to negatively impact patients (pts) with cancer. Identifying factors that remain consistently associated with morbidity and mortality is critical for risk identification and care delivery. Methods: Using CCC19 registry data through 12/31/2021 we report clinical outcomes (30-day case fatality rate [CFR], mechanical ventilation use (MV), intensive care unit admission (ICU), and hospitalization) in adult pts with cancer and laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2, stratified by patient, cancer, and treatment-related factors. Results: In this cohort of 11,417 pts (with 4% reported vaccination prior to COVID-19), 55% required hospitalization, 15% ICU, 9% MV, and 12% died. Overall outcome rates remained similar for 2020 and 2021 (Table). Hydroxychloroquine was utilized in 11% and other anti-COVID-19 drugs (remdesivir, tocilizumab, convalescent plasma, and/or steroids) in 30%. Higher CFRs were observed in older age, males, Black race, smoking (14%), comorbidities (pulmonary [17%], diabetes mellitus [16%], cardiovascular [19%], renal [21%]), ECOG performance status 2+ (31%), co-infection (25%), especially fungal (35%), and initial presentation with severe COVID-19 (48%). Pts with hematologic malignancy, active/ progressing cancer status, or receiving systemic anti-cancer therapy within 1-3 months prior to COVID-19 also had worse CFRs. CFRs were similar across anti-cancer modalities. Other outcomes (ICU, MV, hospitalization) followed similar distributions by pt characteristics. Conclusions: Unfavorable outcome rates continue to remain high over 2 years, despite fewer case reports in 2021 owing to multiple factors (e.g., pandemic dynamics, respondent fatigue, overwhelmed healthcare systems). Pts with specific socio-demographics, performance status, comorbidities, type and status of cancer, immunosuppressive therapies, and COVID-19 severity at presentation experienced worse COVID-19 severity;and these factors should be further examined through multivariable modeling. Understanding epidemiological features, patient and cancer-related factors, and impact of anti-COVID-19 interventions can help inform risk stratification and interpretation of results from clinical trials.

Complications and severity of COVID-19 in patients with (HNC): A COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19) registry analysis

Background: Patients with cancer have worse outcomes from COVID-19 infection. However, the specific impact of COVID-19 on patients with (HNC) is largely unknown. The COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19) maintains an international registry (NCT04354701) aimed to investigate the clinical course and complications of COVID-19 in patients with cancer. Here, we report severity of COVID-19 and its complications among HNC patients. Methods: The CCC19 registry was queried for patients with HNC and laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. The co-primary outcomes were severity of COVID-19 illness on an ordinal scale (0: no complications;1: hospitalized, no oxygen (O2);2: hospitalized, required O2;3: ICU admission;4: mechanical ventilation (MV);5: death), and severity of complications (mild, moderate, serious). The outcomes were further stratified by demographics, recent treatment (systemic vs local;surgery, radiation (RT) vs systemic), treatment intent (palliative vs curative), and cancer status (remission, responding, stable, progressing). Results: From March 2020 to December 2021, 356 HNC patients were identified. Median age was 65 (interquartile range 58-74), 29% were female, 56% were white, 67% were former or current smokers, 20% had a BMI >30, 15% had an ECOG performance status >2, and 57% had >2 comorbidities. 154 (43%) had no complications, 61 (17%) were hospitalized without O2, 135 (38%) were hospitalized with O2, 50 (14%) required ICU, 32 (9%) required MV, and 74 (21%) died. 88 (25%) had mild, 59 (17%) had moderate, and 132 (37%) had serious complications. 33% of patients who received systemic therapy and 30% who received RT within 3 mo prior to COVID-19 diagnosis died. Mortality was higher in patients receiving palliative when compared to curative intent treatment (44% vs 16%). In addition, 50% of patients with actively progressing cancer, and 45% who had serious complications died. Importantly, 37 (n=12 palliative systemic therapy and n=25 local therapy) patients had a treatment delay due to COVID-19 diagnosis. Conclusions: Our study is the largest cohort to date describing COVID-19 outcomes in HNC patients and suggest a high rate of mortality even in those receiving local and curative intent treatment. Variables stratified by COVID-19 severity. Note: Ordinal levels 3 and 4 not shown due to small case numbers.

COVID-19 in patients with gynecologic cancer: A preliminary report from the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19)

Background: Limited information exists regarding the severity of short-term outcomes among patients with gynecologic cancer who are infected with SARS-CoV-2. Methods: Patients with gynecologic cancer and laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were identified from the international CCC19 registry. We estimated odds ratios (OR) from ordinal logistic regression for associations with severity of COVID-19 outcomes, defined from least to most severe as hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admittance, mechanical ventilation, and 30-day mortality. Results: Of 842 patients identified, 48% had endometrial cancer, 24% had ovarian cancer, 22% had cervical cancer, and 6% had dual primary/other gynecologic cancers. The majority were from the United States (86%), most were non-Hispanic White (46%), and the median age was 62 years (IQR 52-72). The majority were diagnosed with localized disease (68%);only 18 (2%) and 15 (2%) were fully or partially vaccinated, respectively. In the 3 months prior to COVID-19, 36% had any cancer treatment, with chemotherapy the most common (23%). When diagnosed with COVID-19, most patients were in remission (50%), while 37% had active disease, including 22% with metastatic disease. Most patients presented with typical COVID-19 symptoms (76%);few had a poor ECOG performance status (PS ≥2, 14%). Outcomes included hospitalization (50%), ICU admittance (12%), mechanical ventilation (8%), and death within 30 days of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 (10%). In unadjusted models, increasing age (OR: 1.03 1.02-1.04) and Black race (OR 1.91, 1.31-2.77) were associated with increased severity of COVID-19 outcomes. Compared to patients in remission for ≥5 years, those with progressive disease had increased severity (OR 1.88, 1.25-2.82), while those in remission for < 5 years or with stable disease had decreased severity of COVID-19 outcomes (OR 0.55, 0.39-0.76). In multivariable models that included adjustment for age, race, and cancer status, additional factors associated with increased COVID-19 outcome severity included cardiac (OR 1.57, 1.13-2.19) and renal (OR 2.00, 1.33-3.00) comorbidities, an ECOG PS ≥2 (OR 5.15, 3.21-8.27), having pneumonia or pneumonitis (OR 4.08, 2.94-5.66), venous thromboembolism (OR 4.67, 2.49-8.75), sepsis (OR 14.2, 9.05-22.1), or a co-infection within ±2 weeks of SARS-CoV-2 (OR: 4.40, 2.91-6.65);asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with decreased severity of outcomes (OR: 0.25, 0.16-0.38). The overall case fatality rate was 15.7%. Conclusions: Patients with gynecologic cancer experience significant morbidity and mortality related to infection with SARS-CoV-2. Age, race, cancer status, co-morbidities, and COVID-19 complications were associated with more severe COVID-19 outcomes, along the continuum from least to most, of hospitalization, ICU admittance, mechanical ventilation, and 30-day mortality.

MEETING THE NEED OF NSW CHILDREN AND FAMILIES: HOW TO TRAIN AND RETAIN RELEVANT AND EFFECTIVE CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRISTS

Background: Existing shortfalls in the child and adolescent psychiatry workforce have been highlighted by increasing demand for child and adolescent psychiatric care across a number of areas, further exacerbated by the COVID epidemic. Building capacity to meet these demands requires training and workforce development strategies. Objectives: To identify best practice approaches to child and adolescent psychiatry training and workforce development, relevant to the current and future context of child psychiatry care in Australia and New Zealand. Methods: The literature on training and workforce development in child and adolescent psychiatry was reviewed. Expert opinion was sought from academic and clinical child psychiatrists, and those involved in clinical governance and service development. Consultation was undertaken with current trainees and early-career child psychiatrists in NSW. Findings: Challenges identified include increasing demand for psychiatric care of young people across a greater diversity of areas, increasing complexity and acuity of presentations, ongoing scientific developments relevant to child psychiatry practice, ongoing need for research and evaluation of psychiatric care of young people and sophisticated interpersonal and communication skills required to work effectively in the complex systems of child psychiatric care, and to provide effective clinical governance and leadership. Conclusion: Development of child psychiatric services to effectively meet current and future need will require relevant and effective training and workforce planning and development strategies.

Metagenomics of Wastewater Influent from Wastewater Treatment Facilities across Ontario in the Era of Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern.

We report metagenomic sequencing analyses of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in composite wastewater influent from 10 regions in Ontario, Canada, during the transition between Delta and Omicron variants of concern. The Delta and Omicron BA.1/BA.1.1 and BA.2-defining mutations occurring in various frequencies were reported in the consensus and subconsensus sequences of the composite samples.

Asymptomatic detection of COVID-19 among cancer patients receiving infusional anti-cancer therapy

Introduction Little is known about the rates of asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers among cancer patients. The rate of asymptomatic carriers is important to understand in this population given the use of myelosuppressive and immunomodulating therapies and the risk of transmission to other patients in shared infusion centers. At UC San Diego, in June 2020, we implemented a COVID-19 asymptomatic screening protocol in which cancer patients receiving anti-cancer therapy in an infusion center must undergo symptom-based screening and then SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing prior to their infusion. Here, we describe the results of this asymptomatic screening protocol. Methods This was a single-center retrospective analysis of patients with active cancer receiving infusional anti-cancer therapy in 5 infusion centers who underwent at least 1 asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 PCR test between 6/1- 12/1/2020. The primary endpoint was the rate of COVID-19 positivity among asymptomatic patients. Symptomatic patients were excluded. Secondary endpoints included COVID-19-related outcomes and patterns of oncologic management for asymptomatic COVID-19 positive patients. Results A cohort of 2,202 cancer patients received at least 1 asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 PCR test prior to receipt of infusional anti-cancer therapy. 0.95% (N=21/2202) of patients were found to be PCR-positive on asymptomatic screening. Among positive patients, 9.5% (N=2/21) had hematologic malignancies and 90.5% (N=19/21) had solid tumors. In terms of therapy, 76.2% (N=16) were treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy, 9.5% (N=2) with targeted therapy, 4.7% (N=1) with immunotherapy, and 9.5% (N=2) were on a clinical trial. With a median follow-up of 122 days from positive PCR test (range: 8-186), only 2 of 21 (9.5%) of the cohort ultimately developed COVID-related symptoms. Both patients had a diagnosis of acute leukemia and 1 patient required hospitalization for COVID-related complications. No patients died from COVID-related complications. With regards to oncologic management, 95.2% (N=20/21) of patients had their therapy delayed or deferred with a median delay of 21 days (range: 7- 77 days). Only 1 patient proceeded with cytotoxic chemotherapy on schedule in the setting of adjuvant chemoradiation for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Among the overall cohort, an additional 26 patients (1.2%) developed cases of symptomatic COVID-19 infection during the study period. Conclusions A strategy of asymptomatic screening of cancer patients receiving anti-cancer therapy in an infusion center detected an extremely low rate of asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19. This low rate of asymptomatic carriers may be due to a number of factors including multiple symptom-based screenings prior to infusion, behavior modification among patients, and/or differential immune responses to COVID-19 infection. Asymptomatic carriers in this cohort appeared to have favorable outcomes with few developing symptoms or requiring hospitalization, though the number of positive patients in our cohort is low, precluding definitive conclusions in this population.

Long-term outcomes of cancer patients infected with COVID-19

Background Patients with cancer appear to have poor outcomes with COVID-19 infection. Cohort analyses of short-term outcomes of COVID-19 (C19)-infected cancer patients (pts) have reported mortality rates ranging from 10 to 30%. Little is known about the long-term outcomes of cancer pts infected with C19. Here, we present an analysis of long-term outcomes of a cohort of active cancer pts with C19 infection. Methods This was a single center retrospective analysis of active cancer pts who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus between 3/1/20- 9/30/20. Key inclusion criteria included a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test and an active cancer diagnosis within 90 days of a positive C19 test. We examined the rates of hospitalization for C19 infection, readmission, and C19-related mortality at 30-, 60-, 90-, and 120-day follow-up. Rates of persistent symptoms and systemic complications of C19 infection were described. Results We identified 81 active cancer pts with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among this cohort, the median age was 55 years (range: 19- 89). 77% (N=62) had solid tumors and 23% (N=19) had a hematologic malignancy. 75% (N=61) were receiving an anti-cancer therapy at the time of C19 diagnosis. Median follow-up time from C19 diagnosis to last follow-up was 4.8 months (range: 0.1-9.0 mos). 32% (N=26) of the cohort required hospitalization for C19-related complications within 30 days of C19 diagnosis. Among those hospitalized, 35% (N=9/26) died from C19-related complications. Of the 17 pts who were discharged, 2 pts required readmission with a median time to readmission of 37 days. For these 2 pts, readmission was due to persistent dyspnea and hypoxia and both were treated for pneumonia with presumed bacterial superinfection. There were no additional hospitalizations for C19-related complications at 60-, 90-, and 120-day follow-up. At 90- day follow-up, 6 pts (7.4%) had been diagnosed with PE/DVT. No long-term cardiac, neurologic, or renal complications were observed. With regards to C19-related mortality, 30-day mortality was 8.6% (N=7) and 90-day mortality was 11.1% (N=9). No further C19-related deaths were observed after 90 days. All pts who died were hospitalized within 30 days of initial C19 diagnosis and remained hospitalized at the time of death. Persistent C19-related symptoms were noted in 8.2% (N=6/73) of the cohort at 60-days and 2.8% (N=2/71) at 90-day follow-up. Dyspnea was the most common symptom. Conclusions Among a cohort of active cancer pts with C19 infection, these data suggest that much of the morbidity and mortality associated with C19 infection appears to occur early, with decreased incidence of late complications beyond 30 days. Cancer pts who do not require hospitalization early in their infection course appear to have a decreased rate of late complications. Readmissions for C19-related complications were low, but this analysis was limited by a low number of pts. Achieving a better understanding of long-term outcomes of C19 pts with cancer will help us to better approach oncologic care as the pandemic continues.

Bleeding Complications in Patients with Cancer and COVID 19- Analysis from the COVID 19and Cancer Consortium (CCC19) Registry

Background : Patients (pts) with COVID-19 are reported to have increased risk of venous thromboembolism yet bleeding has been an under recognized complication. Rates of bleeding remain unexamined in all patients especially in pts with cancer and COVID-19. Aim: To estimate the incidence of bleeding complication in patients with cancer and COVID 19 Methods: The CCC19 international registry (NCT04354701) aims to investigate complications of COVID-19 in pts with cancer. Our aim was to investigate the frequency of bleeding in hospitalized adult pts with cancer andCOVID-19, enrolled between March 16, 2020 and Feb 8, 2021. The incidence of bleeding complications was captured as defined by CCC19 and included both major and non major bleeding. Associated baseline clinic-pathologic prognostic factors and outcomes such as need for mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality rates were assessed Results :3849 pts met analysis inclusion criteria. Bleeding was reported in 276 (7%) pts with median age of 70years;incidence was 6.6 % in females and 7.6 % in males, 6.5% in non-Hispanic white pts, 8.2 % in non-Hispanic Black pts, and 7.8 % in Hispanic pts. 74% had solid cancer and 29% had hematologic malignancies, 33% had received anti-cancer therapy in preceding 30 days, and 8% had surgery within 4weeks. In pts taking antiplatelet or anticoagulant medications at baseline, 7.2% developed bleeding. Need for mechanical ventilation, ICU admission, 30-day mortality, and total mortality were significantly higher in those with bleeding complications compared to those without, p<0.05 Conclusion : We describe the incidence of bleeding in a large cohort of pts with cancer and COVID-19. Bleeding events were observed in those with adverse outcomes including mechanical ventilation, ICU admission, and high mortality;the overall mortality of 43% in patients with bleeding complications is especially notable. This important complication may reflect underlying COVID-19 pathophysiology as well as iatrogenic causes. [Formula presented] Disclosures: Kumar: Diagnostica Stago: Honoraria. Zon: AMAGMA AND RLZ: Consultancy, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company. Byeff: Pfizer, BMS, Takeda,Teva, Merck, United health: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Nagaraj: Novartis: Research Funding. Hwang: astrazaneca,Merck,bayer, Genentech: Consultancy, Research Funding. McKay: Myovant: Consultancy;Bayer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Exelixis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Calithera: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Tempus: Research Funding;Merck: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Tempus: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding;Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Sanofi: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Dendreon: Consultancy;Caris: Other: Serves as a molecular tumor board;Vividion: Consultancy;Sorrento Therapeutics: Consultancy;Bayer: Research Funding. Warner: Westat, Hemonc.org: Consultancy, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Connors: Pfizer: Honoraria;CSL Behring: Research Funding;Alnylam: Consultancy;Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria;takeda: Honoraria;Abbott: Consultancy. Rosovsky: Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding;BMS: Consultancy, Research Funding;Inari: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Do a: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Different Conspiracy Theories Have Different Psychological and Social Determinants: Comparison of Three Theories About the Origins of the COVID-19 Virus in a Representative Sample of the UK Population

COVID-19 conspiracy theories have proliferated during the global pandemic, and their rapid spread among certain groups may jeopardize the public health response (e.g., undermining motivation to engage in social distancing and willingness to vaccinate against the virus). Using survey data from two waves of a nationally representative, longitudinal study of life in lockdown in the United Kingdom (N = 1,406), we analyze the factors associated with belief in three origin theories related to COVID-19, namely that it 1) originated in a meat market in Wuhan, China;2) was developed in a lab in Wuhan, China;and 3) is caused by 5G mobile networks. Our findings suggest that political-psychological predispositions are strongly associated with belief in conspiracy theories about the virus, though the direction and effect sizes of these predictors vary depending on the specific content of each origin theory. For instance, belief in the Chinese lab conspiracy theory is strongly associated with right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), social dominance orientation (SDO), and general conspiracy ideation, as well as less reliable news sources, distrust in scientists, and anxiety about the pandemic. Belief in the 5G network conspiracy theory is strongly associated with SDO, distrust in scientists, while less strongly with conspiracy ideation and information from social networks/media;RWA is strongly negatively associated with belief in the 5G conspiracy theory, with older and more wealthy individuals somewhat less likely to endorse it. The meat market origin theory is predicted by intolerance of uncertainty, ethnocentrism, COVID-19 anxiety, and less so by higher income, while distrust in scientists is negatively associated with this origin story. Finally, belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories is associated with negative public health behaviors such as unwillingness to social distance and vaccinate against the virus. Crucially, our findings suggest that the specific content of COVID-19 conspiracy theories likely determines which individuals may be most likely to endorse them. Copyright © 2021 Hartman, Marshall, Stocks, McKay, Bennett, Butter, Gibson Miller, Hyland, Levita, Martinez, Mason, McBride, Murphy, Shevlin, Vallières and Bentall.

COVID-19 vaccination and breakthrough infections in patients with cancer.

BACKGROUND: Vaccination is an important preventive health measure to protect against symptomatic and severe COVID-19. Impaired immunity secondary to an underlying malignancy or recent receipt of antineoplastic systemic therapies can result in less robust antibody titers following vaccination and possible risk of breakthrough infection. As clinical trials evaluating COVID-19 vaccines largely excluded patients with a history of cancer and those on active immunosuppression (including chemotherapy), limited evidence is available to inform the clinical efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination across the spectrum of patients with cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We describe the clinical features of patients with cancer who developed symptomatic COVID-19 following vaccination and compare weighted outcomes with those of contemporary unvaccinated patients, after adjustment for confounders, using data from the multi-institutional COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19). RESULTS: Patients with cancer who develop COVID-19 following vaccination have substantial comorbidities and can present with severe and even lethal infection. Patients harboring hematologic malignancies are over-represented among vaccinated patients with cancer who develop symptomatic COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Vaccination against COVID-19 remains an essential strategy in protecting vulnerable populations, including patients with cancer. Patients with cancer who develop breakthrough infection despite full vaccination, however, remain at risk of severe outcomes. A multilayered public health mitigation approach that includes vaccination of close contacts, boosters, social distancing, and mask-wearing should be continued for the foreseeable future.