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Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory symptoms. It has been declared a global pandemic since 2019 by the World Health Organization. Countries are in an authoritarian state of preventing and controlling this pandemic, and the USA is the central hub. The COVID-19 virus has also shown variance. As an outcome of the genetic recombination of genes that arise from coronavirus, their short life span results in mutations that promote new strains. However, the number of individuals who passed their lives is still counted. Additionally, it is crucial to analyze the spread of the virus before it is deferred in the lungs. In this research, the effort has been taken to predict the proliferation of the virus through various chest radiography images by data clustering. In this study, two clustering algorithms, i.e., the K-means algorithm and the Fuzzy c-means algorithm, have been used better to analyze the spread of the virus in the lungs. These algorithms are further being compared and evaluated for the precise result of both models. This study helps to recognize the most suitable clustering model for the COVID-19 prediction and spread of the virus in the lung. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023.
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The present study aims at understanding and analyzing the COVID-19-induced behavioral change spurting artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in Indian banking industry. The study has further identified and analyzed the usage pattern of Indian customers for mobile banking/online banking services in the pre-pandemic phase and progression of Indian customers for mobile banking/online banking services during the pandemic. Secondary data has been used for deep understanding of the AI adoption in Indian banking industry, with reports from McKinsey, PWC, RBI, NPCI, BIS, etc., to form the base. The period of study was taken from 2016 to 20, and this was taken keeping in mind the timing of another unprecedented event of demonetization. Behavioral change of Indian banking industry customer was assessed on three broad parameters change in value and volume of mobile banking transactions on year on year basis. COVID-19-induced behavioral change translating in massive jump of 178% in volume of mobile transactions between March 2019 and 2021. The increase in number of smart phone users and access to connectivity and desired technology has helped the cause. With 2020–21 punctuated by several nationwide as well as localized lockdowns adoption of AI for customer engagement has been crucial for Indian banking industry, which has further translated in to designing and customizing products and risk profiling of customers further resulting in increased operational efficiency and intuitive decision making. The behavioral change induced by COVID-19 in the Indian baking industry achieves competitive advantage by truly responding to huge customer data base which has been utilized by other financial industries as now it can have systems which understand and are responsive to behavior of varied customers. From responses feeded chatbots to intuitively responsive AI bots, the customer engagement is going to be a whole new experience which will help in customer acquisition and retention. Further, with falling data storage costs, increasing processing speeds and capabilities and improved connectivity and access for all has helped the rapid automation and AI adoption. Enterprise level adoption of AI has led to revenue generation and optimization of functional resources this reducing the cost at functional level. The AI adoption has been continuous from the banks over the years though banks have started to harness its potential in the recent years with customers adoption of smart hand-held devices. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023.
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Objective: To discuss the challenges in establishing the paediatric neurology service locally in a resource-limited setting and how we overcame these limitations. Methods/Challenges: (1) Discussion of the service prior to 2020;(2) Training of paediatricians and the local medical board drafted pathway for subspecialty registration;(3) The difficulties in securing posts within the health system (as well as the discrepancies amongst different regions within Trinidad and Tobago);(4) Discussion of a tiered referral system;(5) Limitations in services (including investigations and treatment options);(6) The effects of COVID-19 on a new sub-specialty service. Results/Discussion Points: Prior to 2020, there was no established paediatric neurology service. Changes in local medical board paediatric training from 2020 and the impacts on sub-specialty pathway registration. Discussion on the need for a national service provision due to the discrepancies amongst RHA trained consultants. The development of paediatric epilepsy surgery service within the Caribbean. This would influence the tiered referral system both locally and regionally. The routes for accessing investigations that are not available within the public healthcare setting, including genetic testing. Pathways for accessing treatment on a case-by-case basis. The impact of COVID-19 on service provision'negative and positive aspects. Conclusion(s): With the established local training pathway for paediatrics, as well as opportunities to extend our subspecialty knowledge base in developed countries e.g. UK, Canada, we can improve the services provided. Despite being an independent nation, we are grateful to our Commonwealth leaders for continuing to guide our professional tutelage.
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COVID-19 has already had a significant influence on our everyday lives and with the influx of patients infected with the newer emerging variants there arises a need for a quick, accurate, and remote mode of identification. Cough sounds can play a vital role in the identification of COVID-19 in individuals. They can be used as an important factor to determine if the person is infected by COVID-19 or not, even with the prior existence of a respiratory ailment. Hence, we focused on providing a widely accessible and scalable solution through the method of a real-time mode of detection of the 'COVID cough' via a machine learning model trained 'COVID cough' recorded dataset. Based on the input, the person is provided with the diagnosis after being assessed by the model. © 2022 IEEE.
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WHO had advised certain guidelines globally during covid-19 pandemic for isolation and protection measures can be further increased for the relevant individuals with obvious risk factors for exposure affected persons. The epidemiological exposure history can be considered as the most essential reference for determining the potential source of illness. People who are exposed to case patients throughout their incubation may also be considered close contacts when determining who they are. The isolation and monitoring of close contacts can be consolidated under the presumption of the conveyance, such as masks, single-person transfers, and disinfection of transport vehicles, etc. Copyright © 2022, Anka Publishers. All rights reserved.
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Introduction: Telemedicine acted as one of the biggest medium in treating Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients during the second wave of the still ongoing pandemic. Although the symptoms were taken care of and treated through teleconsultation, the loneliness and social support system of these patients went largely unrecognised. The morbidity pattern, effect of self-isolation and quarantine, uncertainties in social support were major contributors to loneliness among patients suffering from COVID-19. Aim: To estimate the proportion of loneliness and level of social support experienced by COVID-19 patients seeking advice from a telemedicine centre of Kolkata and to find out their socio-clinical profile and the associated relationship. Materials and Methods: An observational study with cross-sectional design was conducted on 403 COVID-19 patients who had taken advice from the telemedicine centre of Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (IPGME and R), Kolkata for a period of 12 weeks (May-July 2021). Loneliness was assessed by the 11-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness scale, whereas social support was assessed using 12-item Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support scale through telephonic interview. Data were tabulated in the Microsoft Office Excel 2019 (Microsoft Corp, Redmond, WA, USA) and the analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (IBM, New York City, USA) version 25.0. Results: Out of 403, more than half of the study population, 194 (48.2%) belonged to 18-35 years of age. Of the total, 235 (58.3%) were males, 319 (79.2%) were currently married and 300 (74.4%) were Hindus. About 142 (35.2%) respondents had experienced severe loneliness, while 297 (73.7%) had experienced high social support. There was a significant negative correlation found between loneliness and social support (r=-0.495, p-value <0.01). It was found that being male, belonging to nuclear family, education upto higher secondary level, being addicted, loneliness due to physical distancing, and those who had socialised frequently had higher odds of loneliness, whereas unemployed, unskilled, semiskilled and skilled occupation, having one chronic disease had lower odds of social support. Conclusion: About 338 (84%) patients had experienced loneliness which was strikingly high. This shows a deeper aspect into the actual picture of how COVID-19 impacts mental health of those who are affected. Future interventions are needed to address loneliness and develop social support system along with addressing healthcare needs of COVID-19 patients.
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Introduction: For curbing Covid-19 disease, adequate knowledge, attitude, and practices of both rural and urban population for Covid-19 disease prevention is required along with busting of the associated myths. Objectives: To assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of urban and rural residents of Lucknow district regarding covid-19 preventive behaviour and associated myths. Methodology: A community-based study was conducted among 420 rural and 421 urban residents of Lucknow. Multistage random sampling was done to select the study subjects. A pre-designed pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the information regarding the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of the residents for covid-19 disease causes, prevention, and treatment. Further, KAP scoring was done to compare the two groups. Results: The mean age of the rural and urban residents was 31.48 ± 12.05 and 30.93 ± 11.96 years respectively. Only 40.4 % urban and 25.5 % rural people had correct knowledge about social distancing (p<0.0001). Knowledge regarding quarantine for covid-19 disease prevention was less among the urban residents (64.6%) as compared to rural (70.5%) (p=0.035). More than one-third (37.6%) of the rural resident believed in the myth that alcohol can prevent the covid-19 disease (p=0.003). 68.8 and 70.5 percent rural and urban residents had positive attitude towards the Indian government’ efforts in curbing the disease. Majority of the urban (90%) and rural (87.6%) residents wore mask when they went out. Only one-fourth of the urban (24.7%) and rural (22.9%) had correct practices for the duration of hand washing. Conclusion: The knowledge was more among the urban people, attitude and practices were almost similar among both the rural and urban residents while myths were more observed among the rural residents. © 2022, Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine. All rights reserved.
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Background and Objectives: Undergraduate medical students are more prone to develop stress, anxiety, and depression;and COVID-19 is an additional source of pressure for them. The present study was conducted with the objectives to estimate the proportion of nomophobia among undergraduate medical students of a tertiary care teaching institute in Kolkata and to find the factors associated with it. Materials and Methods: An observational study, cross-sectional in design, was conducted at a tertiary care teaching institute in Kolkata among 395 undergraduate medical students for a period of 8 weeks. Nomophobia Questionnaire scale was used to measure nomophobia. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 25.0. Multivariable multinomial logistic regression was performed to find the predictors of moderate and severe nomophobia. Results: All the medical students had some degree of nomophobia. About 26.8% of them had severe nomophobia, 61.3% had moderate nomophobia, and 11.9% had mild nomophobia. Age up to 20 years and the presence of addiction had statistically significant higher odds of severe nomophobia. Age up to 20 years, the presence of addiction, and up to 6 h' time spent per day with smart phone had significantly higher odds of moderate nomophobia. Conclusion: There was a high proportion of nomophobia among young budding doctors. Those who have already got moderate nomophobia should use smart phones more wisely and judiciously and avoid downloading addictive applications.
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In today’s world, there is nothing permanent except change. We have seen the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0 over the last couple of years. Now is a perfect time to think about Industry 4.0 technology and leverage its advantages for the benefit of mankind. It cannot prevent the onset of pandemics;however, it can help and has helped prevent spread, educate, warn, and empower those on the ground to be aware of the situation, and noticeably lessen the impact. Industry 4.0 can fulfill the requirements of customized facemasks, gloves, and collect information for healthcare systems for proper controlling and treating of COVID-19 patients. Major technologies of Industry 4.0 are required to solve the problems of this virus. It is useful to provide day-to-day updates of an infected patient, area-wise, age-wise and state-wise with proper surveillance systems. We also believe that the proper implementation of these technologies would help to enhance education and communication regarding public health. These Industry 4.0 technologies could provide a lot of innovative ideas and solutions for fighting local and global medical emergencies. Today, we need to focus on technologies like mobile, cloud, analytics, robotics, AI/ML, 4G/5G, and high-speed internet;it has become possible to test several innovative approaches to pandemic response. The objective of this book is to bring together leading academic scientists, research scholars and professionals to exchange and share their experiences and research results in Industry 4.0 and Intelligent Business Analytics. This research-oriented book will provide a common platform to all researchers in this domain. It covers different verticals of industry and academics, which is an added advantage of this book. © 2022 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
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The effects of COVID-19 on the educational system are extraordinary. There have been widespread effects on children of all socioeconomic backgrounds, races, and sexes. As a result of the digital gap, many students are being forced to drop out of school as a direct result of the widespread closure of schools and the choice to move traditional classrooms to digital platforms. Kids' health and nutrition would suffer irreparably if they didn't have the chance to go to school. Six primary aspects of the educational setting are examined here: (1) online education;(2) in-class instruction;(3) scholastic performance;(4) institutional support;(5) co-curricular offerings;and (6) instructors. Approximately 347 college students from coastal Karnataka participated in this descriptive study. With the help of a literature study, a working hypothesis has been constructed and will be put to the test using analysis of variance and a t-test for independence in service of the overarching goal. Path analysis is used to investigate the associations between students' attitudes toward their college's learning environment, the quality of that environment, and the outcomes for those students' academic careers. According to the findings, college students have a generally good view of online education (M=3.14), online teaching and learning (M=3.704), online evaluation (M=3.38), college and administration (M=3.83), extracurricular activities (M=3.87), and teachers (M=3.63). Students' views on different aspects of the higher education system did not change much, contrary to what was predicted by the null hypothesis. Copyright © 2022, Anka Publishers. All rights reserved.
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Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) has swiftly made its way into the spotlight as an emerging branch of computer science and is gaining more importance with the passing day. It is quick to understand that technological inventions are used only if the users can take enough value out of them. This chapter of the interactions and associations between the users and the machines is the essence of HCI. Human-computer interactions become even more vital when the result of such interactions can be lifesaving. This is the case regarding global pandemics that often leave society in dismay and mayhem. The numerous challenges posed by pandemic outbreaks can be complex, and there is a growing need for new insights and novel methods to tackle these life-threatening circumstances. HCI is believed to be a growing discipline that, if used appropriately, can do wonders when faced with dangerous circumstances. When looking at the numerous pandemics over the years, it becomes clear that the success in response to each of them appears todirectly correlate to how well humans take value out of the latest technologies. The greater the ease with which each groundbreaking technical development can be handled, the greater the success is in tackling the outbreak. Ranging from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) at the very beginning of the decade to the current COVID-19 pandemic, many changes are seen to have come into light with regards to how we have evolved in our interaction with technology. The role played by HCI and its association with pandemics become clear as we investigate the numerous developments in the field over the years with each passing pandemic. This report provides an insight into how humankind has interacted with technology over the years to mitigate catastrophic global viral outbreaks and discusses the primary technologies used during each of the major pandemics while highlighting how HCI played a role in the success of each of them. © 2022 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
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In a recent global pandemic, Covid-19 has affected every individual across the globe. People everywhere have tried to develop brand new inventions and safety solutions to protect themselves and others from this virus. Mandatory guidelines are put forward in every country, including malls, offices, universities, schools, supermarkets, grocery stores, government buildings, areas of tourism, etc. After months of lockdown and conversion of all jobs and education branches to stay at home jobs and online modes of education, the world is finally getting used to the pandemic and is coming up with ways to cope with the new normal. There are a number of precautionary rules followed by everyone such as wearing a mask at all times, using hand sanitizer after using public facilities and touching anything which is not owned by oneself, not giving handshakes as a form of greeting anymore, going out lesser and only when its essential and maintaining social distance at all times and everywhere. This chapter concentrates on applying and implementingcontactless hand sanitizers using proximity sensors, transistors, dc water pumps, resistors, silicon or airline tube, battery holder, etc. The disposal machine can be any container, which can be cleaned and large enough to allow easy functioning and placement of the circuit, and the materials can be bought online and in stores worldwide. Many companies have used different types of complicated circuit based contactless hand sanitizing machines with the help of sensors since the beginning of this pandemic. However, now it is becoming easier to make these, and at once, own expertise, and the circuits used have become more integrated, thus requiring no expert help and a hefty budget. © 2022 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
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COVID-19 is causing turmoil across the world’s healthcare systems, aiming to contain the spread of pandemics and develop the basis for global economic productivity. A professional healthcare infrastructure would depend on the country’s commitment to ethical principles, a prerequisite for effective anti-corruption governance. It serves as the creative growth accelerator for healthcare. COVID is a global threat to not all human health but also to the country’s economic balance. The chapter has initiated to evaluate the relationship of the variables such as the Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques, Global Connectivity levels, Corruption levels, and the health care systems. The research has been conducted using secondary data collected from various published online and offline sources. Our study’s sample covers the various indexesrecorded by 71 countries from all over the globe. The chapter exhibits a clear and positive impact of all the variables on each other. The indexes calculated also showed that the country having a robust AI framework will have good governance resulting in an anticorruption healthcare system. © 2022 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
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BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is the disease caused by SARS-CoV2, it was identified in Wuhan, China, in 2019. It then extended across the globe and was termed as a pandemic in 2020. Though research work on its vaccine and drugs are carried out across the globe, it is even necessary to look over it through alternative sciences. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to look over the disease through Ayurvedic perspective, analyse possible pathologies, select appropriate drugs and to study in-silico screening on these selected drugs. MATERIALS & METHODS: Available symptoms of COVID-19 were thoroughly studied and reviewed through Ayurveda classics, internet, preprints, etc. to understand the nature of the disease with the Ayurvedic perspective. The molecular Docking and Grid were generated through Pyrx Software with Autodock. The Lipinski Rule of Five data generated from Swiss ADME software and Target prediction of selected phytoconstituents were done by Swiss target prediction. RESULTS: In Ayurveda, COVID-19 can be considered as Janapadaudhwans, Va t a -Kaphaj a Sannipatik a Jwara, Aup a sargika Vyadhi, and Dhatupaka Awastha. In the molecular docking study, the binding energy and inhibition of 6 Gingesulphonic acid from Zingiber officinalis (Sunthi) is greater than hydroxychloroquine and quinine. Most of the selected phytoconstituents follow the Lipinski rule of five. Target prediction of selected phytoconstituents was done on target of SARS-CoV-2, humoral immunity, and antiviral activity. Every selected phytoconstituents works on minimum one of the targets. CONCLUSION: Thus, from the above results obtained from reviewing Ayurveda classics and after the virtual screening of selected drugs we can conclude that Nagara di Kashaya (Sunthi, Puskarmoola, Kantakari, Guduchi) may have appreciable results in combating SARS-CoV-2. Thus, Nagara di Kashayam, a classical formulation can be a trial candidate for conducting further clinical trial.
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There is minimal information on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in developing countries regarding renal transplant recipients (RTRs). This paper aimed to study the clinical profile, immunosuppressive regimen, treatment, and outcomes in an RTR with COVID-19. This retrospective study was conducted in the nephrology department of Sri Aurobindo Medical College & Postgraduate Institute, Indore (MP), India, from April 1, 2020 to December 15, 2020. We studied 15 patients, of which 13 were treated at our hospital and two were treated in OPD. The median age of transplant recipients was 45 (Interquartile range [IQR]: 26–62) years, the majority being males, and recipients presented at a median of 4 (IQR: 0.3–11) years after transplant. The most common comorbidities included hypertension in 14 (94%) and diabetes 3 (20%) patients. The presenting symptoms at presentation were cough (80%), headache (52%), fever (46%), and breathlessness (26%). Clinical severity as per computerized tomography (CT) severity score ranged from mild (20%), moderate (53%), and severe (27%). Strategies to modify immunosuppressants included discontinuation of antimetabolites without changes in calcineurin inhibitors and steroids (100%). Antiviral therapy (Favipiravir and Remdesivir) was associated with better outcomes and reduced hospital stay. Risk factors for mortality included ABO-incompatibility, severity of disease, high Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Reporting and Data System (CO-RADS) score, allograft dysfunction before COVID-19 infection, acute kidney injury, elevated inflammatory markers, and intensive care unit/ventilator requirement. Overall patient mortality was 13.2%. Risk factor for mortality in COVID-19 positive with RTR appears to be ABO-incompatible transplant, having a previous history of rejection, and patient requiring ventilatory support.
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Introduction: The epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV 2) has become a major health problem globally. The most common cardiac manifestation of COVID-19 infection is acute cardiac injury observed in patients even without any prior cardiac comorbidities. It is seen that several patients positive for COVID-19 showed increased concentrations of cardiac troponin, which lead to confusion in clinical interpretation. Our study was performed to observe the correlation between elevated troponin levels with clinical outcomes and the severity of COVID-19 disease. Aim: To observe the correlation between elevated troponin levels with clinical outcomes and severity of COVID-19 disease. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study among 100 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction positive COVID-19 patients with measurement of troponin-I on the 1st and 5th days of admission. Results: The greatest number of deaths were reported in patients with troponin-I & GE;0.39 ng/ml. Higher Troponin levels were seen in the elderly population. Higher Troponin Levels were also seen in severe diseases. Conclusion: The present study showed that higher troponin levels were associated with increased mortality in COVID-19 patients and higher values were observed with severe disease.
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Purpose of Study It is important to identify possible changes in fetal, neonatal, and maternal outcomes in relation to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic using population-based data to inform strategies to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on adverse pregnancy outcomes. Objective To test the hypothesis that the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a higher rate of stillbirth and a lower rate of neonatal mortality. Methods Used Design: This population-based cohort study compares two epochs: calendar weeks 9-52 (defined as week one starting on the first Sunday of the year) of the years 2016 to 2019 (baseline period)) and 2020 (pandemic period). Setting: Data from the Alabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statistics database of Alabama state residents who delivered in Alabama. Participants: All pregnant women with stillbirths ≥20 weeks and live births ≥22 weeks gestational age. Primary Outcomes: The stillbirth and neonatal mortality rate. Summary of Results Data on 237,625 pregnant women were included;46,816 were from the pandemic and 190,809 were from the baseline period. On bivariate analysis, the stillbirth rate did not differ (8.1 vs. 8.9/1000 births, p-value=0.104), but the neonatal mortality rate was lower (2.8 vs. 4.5/1000 live births, p-value<0.001), and the maternal mortality rate was higher (102.5 vs. 62.4/100,000 births, p-value=0.003) during the COVID-19 pandemic period as compared to the baseline period. On logistic regression analysis adjusting for socio-demographic variables (maternal race, age, education, and prenatal care), the pandemic period was associated with a decrease in stillbirth (OR=0.76, 95%CI=0.64, 0.91, pvalue= 0.002) and neonatal mortality rate (OR=0.62, 95% CI=0.51-0.75, p-value<0.001) but an increase in maternal mortality rate (OR=1.64, 95% CI=1.17-2.30, P-value=0.003) as compared to the baseline period. Conclusions The current population-based study shows that the COVID-19 pandemic period was associated with no change in the stillbirth rate, a lower neonatal mortality rate, and a higher maternal mortality rate compared to the baseline period.
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TYPE: TOPIC: Pharmacotherapeutics PURPOSE: The i-NEB-MiniTM is a jet nebulizer designed for controlled delivery of small (< 2 mL) volumes of potent drugs to the deep lung. The purpose of this study was to determine aerosol parameters and post nebulization drug activity of a novel formulation of recombinant Interferon Gamma (rIFNγ), a pluripotent molecule with Th1 helper cell activity. METHODS: rINFγ (200 μg/mL) was aerosolized using i-NEB-MiniTM driven by a portable compressor at 3.5 L/min. Two (2) mL was aerosolized into a Next Generation Impactor (NGI) using a 15 L/min vacuum. Aerosol parameters (MMAD, GSD, Total Respirable Dose) were determined using an HPLC assay (Vectura Ltd., UK). Bioactivity pre-/post-nebulization was determined using an HLADR assay (PBL Assay Sciences, Piscataway, NJ, USA). RESULTS: The MMAD, GSD and Total Respirable dose from a 200 μg/mL formulation (n=6) was 2.5 (± 0.2), 1.6 (± 0.4) and 123.7 (± 19.8) μg respectively. The bioactivity pre- and post-nebulization was consistent with the EP standard suggesting that nebulization did not affect biological activity of the protein. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that a clinically relevant and reproducible dose of rINFγ can be delivered with i-NEB-MiniTM. Bioactivity assay indicates that aerosol rINFγ retains protein integrity after nebulization. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: rINFγ is an immunomodulatory pleiotropic cytokine with potential for treatment of respiratory diseases such as Pulmonary Fibrosis, MDRTB, COPD and SARS-CoV-2. The results indicate that a clinically relevant dose of rINFγ can be aerosolized using the i-NEB-MiniTM jet nebulizer. DISCLOSURE: Stony Brook and New York University hold patents on the use of inhaled interferon licensed to InspiRx, Inc. Dr. Smaldone consults to InspiRx and is a member of the advisory board. Mr. Shukla and Dr. Toddywala are employees of InspiRx. KEYWORD: immunomodulation
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COVID-19 continues to be a major public health crisis in the United States and around the world. In the state of Arizona alone there have been over 887,000 cases, and 17,779 deaths reported since the pandemic first began. First responders, including firefighters, law enforcement officers, and emergency medical services personnel, are in continuous contact with the public and are therefore believed to be at high risk for COVID-19. A retrospective study analyzing COVID-19 antigen positivity rates among first responders in the Phoenix metropolitan area between December 27, 2020 and February 6, 2021 was conducted. A total of 201 first responders received COVID-19 antigen testing and a total of 45 tested positive yielding a 22.4% positivity rate. Positivity rates among firefighters were equivalent to, or above, the rate of the general public in both Phoenix and Arizona. Continued vigilance is required to ensure the safety of first responders during this continued pandemic. © 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.