ABSTRACT
Background. Whether receipt of COVID-19 vaccine associates with receipt of other routinely-recommended adult vaccines such as, influenza and pneumococcal vaccines is not well described. We evaluated this relationship in a population of adults who were hospitalized for acute respiratory infection (ARI). *Odds ratio describing odds of receiving at least one COVID-19 vaccine (vs not) by influenza vaccination status adjusted for race, employment status, chronic cardiac diseases, cancer, solid organ transplant, and chronic kidney disease. **Odds ratio describing odds of receiving at least one COVID-19 vaccine (vs not) by pneumococcal vaccination status adjusted for race and chronic kidney disease. Methods. We enrolled adults (>= 18 years of age) who were hospitalized at Emory University Hospital and Emory University Hospital Midtown with symptoms consistent with ARI. Participants were interviewed and medical records ed to gather demographic information, including social behaviors during the pandemic, medical history, and prior vaccination history (i.e., COVID-19, influenza, and pneumococcal). Using two separate logistic regression analyses, we determined the association between i) receipt of influenza vaccine in the prior year among adults >= 18 years and ii) receipt of any pneumococcal vaccine in the prior 5 years among adults >= 65 years on the receipt of at least one COVID-19 vaccine>= 14 days prior to admission. Adjusted models included demographic information (e.g., age, sex, race/ethnicity, employment status), social behaviors, and history of chronic medical conditions. Results. Overall, 1056 participants were enrolled and had vaccination records available. Of whom, 509/1056 (48.2%) had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Adults >= 18 years who received influenza vaccine were more likely to have received >=1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine compared to those who did not (267/373 [71.6%] vs 242/683 [35.4%] P=< .0001;adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 3.3 [95%CI: 2.4, 4.4]). Similarly, adults >=65 years who received pneumococcal vaccine were more likely to have received >= 1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine compared to those who did not (195/257 [75.9%] vs 41/84 [48.8%] P=< .0001;adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 3.0 [95% CI: 1.8, 5.1]). Conclusion. In this study of adults hospitalized for ARI, receipt of influenza and pneumococcal vaccination strongly correlated with receipt of COVID-19 vaccination. Continued efforts are needed to reach adults who remain hesitant to not only receive COVID-19 vaccines, but also other vaccines that lessen the burden of respiratory illness.
ABSTRACT
Background. During the COVID-19 pandemic, social interventions such as social distancing and mask wearing have been encouraged. Social risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection and subsequent hospitalization remain uncertain. Methods. Adult patients were eligible if admitted to Emory University Hospital or Emory University Hospital Midtown with acute respiratory infection (ARI) symptoms (<= 14 days) or an admitting ARI diagnosis from May 2021 - Feb 2022. After enrollment, an in-depth interview identified demographic and social factors (e.g., employment status, smoking history, alcohol use), household characteristics, and pandemic social behaviors. All patients were tested for SARS-CoV-2 using PCR. We evaluated whether these demographic and social factors were related to a positive SARS-CoV-2 test upon admission to hospital with ARI using a logistic regression model. Results. 1141 subjects were enrolled and had SARS-CoV-2 PCR results available (700 positive and 441 negative). The median age was greater in the SARS-CoV-2 negative cohort than in the positive cohort (60 and 53 years, respectively;P< .0001). Those who tested positive were more likely to have had at least some college education compared to those who tested negative (64.3% vs 52.3%, P< .0001;adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.4 [95%CI: 1.1, 2.0]). Compared to those who tested negative, those who were SARS-CoV-2 positive were also more likely to be employed (48.9% vs 26.5%, P< .0001;aOR: 1.7 [95%CI: 1.1, 2.3]), have children 5-17 yo at home (27.6% vs 17.9%, P=.0002;aOR: 1.5 [95%CI: 1.1, 2.1]). Those with COVID-19 were less likely to receive home healthcare (6.2% vs 13.3%, P< .0001;aOR: 0.5 [95%CI: 0.4, 0.9]) and to be a current or previous smoker (7.6% vs 17.7%, P< .0001;aOR: 0.3 [95%CI: 0.2, 0.5]). Conclusion. Among adults admitted to the hospital for ARI, those who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 were typically younger, more likely to care for school-aged children, more likely to work outside the home, but were less likely to receive home healthcare or smoke. Personal and public health strategies to mitigate COVID-19 should take into consideration modifiable social risk factors.
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Background. Studies show that past SARS-CoV-2 infection provides a protective immune response against subsequent COVID-19, but the degree of protection from prior infection has not been determined. History of previous SARS-COV-2 Infection and Current SARS-COV-2 Infection Status at Admission. *Adjusted for chronic respiratory disease and prior COVID-19 vaccination Methods. From May 2021 through Feb 2022, adults (>= 18 years of age) hospitalized at Emory University Hospital and Emory University Hospital Midtown with acute respiratory infection (ARI) symptoms, who were PCR tested for SARS-CoV-2 were enrolled. A prior history of SARS-CoV-2 infection was obtained from patient interview and medical record review. Previous infection was defined as a self-reported prior SARS-CoV-2 infection or previous evidence of a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test >= 90 days before ARI hospital admission. We performed a test negative design to evaluate the protection provided by prior SARS-CoV-2 infection against subsequent COVID-19-related hospitalization. Effectiveness was determined using logistic regression analysis adjusted for patient sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and COVID-19 vaccination status. Results. Of 1152 adults hospitalized for ARI, 704/1152 (61%) were SARS-CoV-2 positive. 96/1152 (8%) had a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection before hospital admission. Patients with a previous history of SARS-CoV-2 infection were less likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 upon admission for ARI compared to those who did not have evidence of prior infection (31/96 [32%] vs 673/1056 [64%];adjustedOR: 0.25 [0.15, 0.41] (Table). Conclusion. Reinfections represented a small proportion (< 10%) of COVID-19-related hospitalizations. Prior SARS-CoV-2 infection provided meaningful protection against subsequent COVID-19-related hospitalization. The durability of this infection-induced immunity, variant-specific estimates, and the additive impact of vaccination are needed to further elucidate these findings.
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Background. Increased risk for bacterial co-infections has been described in the pathogenesis of primary viral infections. We evaluated trends in incidence of antibiotic use (abx) and culture positive Gram negative/Gram positive (GN/GP) pathogens in US hospitalized patients prior to and quarterly during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Table. Trends in antimicrobial use, duration, and positive GN/GP pathogen results. Methods. We conducted a multi-center, retrospective cohort analysis of all hospitalized patients from 241 US acute care facilities with >1-day inpatient admission between 7/1/19-5/15/21 in the BD Insights Research Database (Franklin Lakes, NJ USA). SARS-CoV-2 infection was defined as a positive PCR during or ≤7 days prior to hospitalization. Admissions with abx prescribed ≥24 hrs and a GN/GP non-contaminant, positive culture were evaluated. Results. During the pre-pandemic period (7/19 - 2/20) 30% (600,116/2,001,793) admissions were prescribed abx ≥ 24 hrs and 5.3% were positive for a GN/GP pathogen (Table 1). During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, abx use ≥ 24 hrs (66.2%) and positive GN/GP culture (8.4%) was highest in SARS-CoV-2 positive patients followed by patients negative for SARS-CoV-2 (abx ≥ 24 hrs 36.7%;GN/GP pathogens 6.8%), and SARS-CoV-2 not tested (abx ≥ 24 hrs 27.5%;GN/GP pathogens 4.5%). GN/GP positive culture was consistent by quarter during the pandemic for SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, whereas SARS-CoV-2 negative and not tested patients had the highest proportion of antibiotics received and positive pathogens in the first three months of pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 positive patients with positive GN/GP culture had the longest median abx duration. (Table 1) The prevalence of abx usage was highest in all groups for all abx during the early pandemic and then declined over time with the largest declines in SARS-CoV-2 positive patients. (Table 2) Conclusion. This study highlights the impact of viral infections on both prescribing practices and prevalence of bacterial pathogens. Approximately two-thirds of SARS-CoV-2 positive patients received an antibiotic despite a low percentage of positive cultures, however aggregate antimicrobial use overall was similar prior to compared to during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. These data may inform opportunities for stewardship programs and antibiotic prescribing in the current and future viral pandemics.
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Background. Bacterial co-infections or super-infections are well-characterized complications of viral infections, further increasing morbidity and mortality of global viral pandemics. We evaluated trends in the incidence of culture positive gram-negative (GN), gram-positive (GP), and fungal/yeast pathogens from a blood source in hospitalized patients at US hospitals before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Methods: This was a multi-center, retrospective cohort analysis of all hospitalized patients from 267 US acute care facilities with >1-day inpatient admission between 7/1/19-5/19/21 (BD Insights Research Database [Becton, Dickinson and Company, Franklin Lakes, NJ]). SARS-CoV-2 infection was identified by a positive PCR during or ≤7 days prior to hospitalization. All admissions with a non-contaminant culture positive GN, GP, and fungal/yeast pathogen from a blood source were evaluated prior to and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic as rates per 1,000 admissions (p< .05 for significance). Results. There were 2,001,793 admissions in the pre-SARS-CoV-2 period (7/2019-2/2020) and 2,875,219 admissions during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Incidence of GN/GP blood stream pathogens was significantly higher prior to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic than during the pandemic. Higher rates of blood stream pathogens occurred in those who were tested for SARS-CoV-2, but all non-tested patients had significantly lower rates than pre-pandemic. Rates of Candida spp., Enterococcus spp., Serratia marcescens, and Enterobacter cloacae were higher in SARS-CoV-2 positive patients compared to pre-pandemic patients. Compared to the prior pandemic period, the incidence of B. fragilis, Streptococcus, Enterococcus and Candida were higher among those tested for SARS-CoV-2 but were negative. Conclusion. In general, rates of positive blood cultures for bacterial pathogens were either lower or similar during the SARS-CoV-2 period compared to the pre-SARS-CoV-2 pandemic period. The patients that were tested for SARS-CoV-2 but were positive who had higher rates of infection than prior may indicate the similarity in viral and bacterial clinical presentation. Further evaluation of higher rates of Enterococcus and Candida in the pandemic period are warranted.
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Background. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has revealed socioeconomic and healthcare inequities in the US. With approximately 20% of the population living in rural areas, there are limitations to healthcare access due to economic constraints, geographical distances, and provider shortages. There is limited data evaluating outcomes associated with SARS-CoV-2 positive patients treated at rural vs. urban hospitals. The aim of the study was to evaluate characteristics and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 positive patients treated at rural vs. urban hospitals in the US. Methods. This was a multicenter, retrospective cohort analysis of adult (≥ 18 years) hospitalized patients from 241 US acute care facilities with >1 day inpatient admission with a discharge or death between 3/6/20-5/15/21 (BD Insights Research Database [Becton, Dickinson & Company, Franklin Lakes, NJ]), which includes both small and large hospitals in rural and urban areas. SARS-CoV-2 infection was identified by a positive PCR or antigen during or < 7 days prior to hospital admission. Descriptive statistics were completed. P value of ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. Overall, 42 (17.4%) and 199 (82.6%) of hospitals were classified as rural and urban, respectively. A total of 304,073 patients were admitted to a rural hospital with 12,644 (4.2%) SARS-CoV-2 positive. In comparison, a total of 2,844,100 patients were treated at an urban hospital with 132,678 (4.7%) SARS-CoV-2 positive. Patients admitted to rural hospitals were older compared to those treated at an urban hospital (65.2 ± 17.3 vs. 61.5 ± 18.7, P=0.001) (Table 1). Patients treated at an urban facility had significantly higher rates of ICU admission, severe sepsis, and mechanical ventilation. ICU length of stay was significantly longer for patients admitted to an urban hospital compared to a rural hospital (8.1 ± 9.9 vs. 6.1 ±7.2 days, P=0.001) (Table 2). No difference in mortality was observed. Conclusion. In this large multicenter evaluation of hospitalized patients positive for SARS-CoV-2, there were significant differences in patient characteristics. There was no observed difference in mortality. These findings are important in evaluating the pandemic's impact on patients in rural and urban healthcare settings.
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Background: SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus, emerged in Wuhan, China in December of 2019, and became a pandemic. Increases in bacterial/fungal co-infections have occurred during influenza pandemics and early data from this pandemic indicate high utilization of antimicrobial therapy. We compared the utilization of antimicrobials and health outcomes between SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative patients. Methods: Patients hospitalized at 271 US acute care facilities from 3/1/20-5/30/20 with ≥1 day length of stay (LOS) and ≥24 hours of antimicrobial therapy tested for SARS-CoV-2 were included in the study (BD Insights Research Database [Becton, Dickinson & Company, Franklin Lakes, NJ]). Demographics, antimicrobial utilization, duration of antimicrobial therapy, hospital LOS and ICU LOS data were analyzed by SARS-CoV-2 test results. Results: 142,054 patients were tested for SARS CoV-2 and 12% (n=17,075) were SARS-CoV-2 positive. SARS-CoV-2 negative and positive patients did not differ regarding presence of a positive bacterial culture. Total LOS, % ICU admission, and ICU LOS were higher among SARS-CoV-2 positive patients (Table). In total 48% of admissions were prescribed antimicrobial therapy;rates were higher in SARS-CoV-2 positive versus negative admissions (68% vs. 46%). The most common antimicrobials and classes are in Table. Antimicrobial therapy and outcomes in hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 tested patients. Conclusion: Almost half of patients tested for SARS-CoV-2 were prescribed antimicrobials, with antimicrobial use higher among those with SARS-CoV-2, despite similar rates of positive cultures. On average, antimicrobials were prescribed within 10 hours from the time to admission among patients tested. These treatment patterns may highlight the difficulties in making treatment decisions and concerns over potential bacterial superinfection in SARS-CoV-2, but also indicate potential overuse of antimicrobials. Collateral damage from antimicrobial overuse include increase selection of antimicrobial resistance, adverse effects of drugs, and unnecessary treatment costs. It will be important to continue to evaluate the utilization and appropriateness of antimicrobial use among SARS-CoV-2 patients.
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Background: Past experiences with viral epidemics have indicated an increased risk for bacterial, fungal, or other viral secondary or co-infections due to patient characteristics, healthcare exposures and biological factors. It is important to understand the epidemiology of these infections to properly treat and manage these complex patients. This study evaluates the frequency, source, and pathogens identified among SARS-CoV-2 tested patients. Methods: This was a multi-center, retrospective cohort analysis of SARS-COV-2 tested patients from 271 US acute care facilities with >1 day inpatient admission with a discharge or death between 3/1/20-5/31/20 (BD Insights Research Database [Becton, Dickinson & Company, Franklin Lakes, NJ]). We evaluated pathogens identified from blood, respiratory tract (upper/lower), urine, intra-abdominal (IA), skin/wound and other sources and classified them with respect to Gram-negative (GN), and Grampositive (GP) bacteria, fungi, and viruses among those SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative. Results: There were 599,709 admissions with 142,054 (23.7%) patients tested. Among those SARS-CoV-2 tested, 17,075 (12%) were positive and 124,979 (78%) were negative. The most common specimen collection sites (Table 1) and pathogens (Table 2) are shown. Higher rates of urine and respiratory cultures and higher rates of P. aeruginosa and fungi were seen in SARS CoV-2 positive patients. The top pathogens for urine cultures were Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, for blood Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and respiratory Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. SARS-CoV-2 positive patients had an overall longer length of stay (LOS) than negative, which almost doubled when a positive pathogen was identified. Conclusion: There were similar rates of positive pathogen identification among SARS-CoV-2 test positive and negative patients, which might highlight similarities in clinical presentation. However, SARS-CoV-2 positive patients had longer hospital LOS and LOS increased with positive culture. Sources of infection and pathogens varied based on a positive or negative SARS-CoV-2 result. Identifying likely causative pathogens of co-infections in the era of SARS-CoV-2 is critical for treatment optimization.