The Public Health Response of the US Federal Government to the Coronavirus Crisis and the Narrative of Donald J. Trump

Since first coming to the attention of the global public in January 2020, few countries in the world have been as severely impacted by the novel coronavirus as the United States. Though it holds just four per cent of the world's total population, as of mid-2020 the US leads the world with a quarter of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths. Despite this dire situation, the Administration of President Donald J. Trump has frequently downplayed the severity of the virus, and Trump himself has often relayed misinformation to the American public about both the virus itself and his Administration's response to it. Accordingly, independent analysis has ranked the US last in "fact-based communications” about the coronavirus when compared to other nations with advanced economies. This chapter provides a chronological overview of how the coronavirus pandemic has unfolded in the US through September 2020, with a particular focus on the various comments made by President Trump. By drawing on Trump's many public statements, the chapter pieces together the narrative that Trump has constructed about the coronavirus crisis and examines that narrative in light of the broader public health response of the US federal government to the pandemic. In concluding, it finds that Trump's narrative has been erratic, divisive, and misleading and that this, combined with a chaotic federal response to the crisis, has undermined public health in the United States. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021.

College students' changes in eating and physical activity related to the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Due to the rising number of positive COVID-19 cases in the US, a national emergency was declared on March 13, 2020, and Tarrant County issued a stay-at- home order on March 24, 2020 to limit the spread of the new novel virus. The purpose of this study was to assess lifestyle changes across various categories of nutrition knowledge and BMI classifications in response to the global pandemic. Methods: For this mixed-methods cross-sectional study, 150 undergraduate students (n = 75 had not taken a nutrition class;n = 75 taken at least 1 nutrition class, mean age 20.8 ± 4.1yrs) completed a 59-question survey (∼29.9 ± 121.0min). The survey was adapted from the validated, shortened version of REAPS (Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants) and PLifeCOVID-19, and it included two open-ended questions. Results: Majority of participants reported a healthy BMI (56%), while 30% of individuals were overweight. The mean weight change in those who took nutrition classes was 0.55 ± 2.89kg, and the mean change in those with no nutrition classes was 0.65 ± 1.13kg. Of those that completed one or more nutrition class(es), 45% indicated they rarely or never skipped breakfast, alcohol consumption increased by 37% and 12% decreased the amount of moderative activity they were doing. Of those participants who had no nutrition classes, 28% skipped breakfast rarely or never skipped breakfast, alcohol consumption increased in 24% of participants, and 19% reduced the amount of moderate activity they were doing. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has differentially impacted health behaviors of college students, some for the better and some for the worse.

Is special education funding immune to COVID-19? Challenges facing state and local special education leaders and strategies to mitigate the pandemic’s impact

• The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic and financial declines have impacted and will continue to impact state revenue availability for public education, including funds for special education. • While protections under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) make special education funding less susceptible to budget cuts, they are not fully immune. • State and district special education leaders must balance declining state and local revenues with meeting the requirements of IDEA and protecting the rights of students with disabilities. © 2021, Council of Administrators of Special Education. All rights reserved.

MHV-1 in vivo viral load reduction via antibody-conjugated photodynamic inactivation

Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) has been widely applied to localized infections, both internal and external. However, there is a notable knowledge gap when it comes to applying PDI to an entire organ system or even systemically throughout an organism. To study these treatment methods, an in vivo murine model of MHV-1 is planned. As a respiratory coronavirus, the model provides a suitable system for study, in addition to potential determination of systemic results. Specifically applied, MHV-1 has many key characteristics, such as symptoms and viral protein structures, that are in common or similar to other coronaviruses. Thus, this theorized model simultaneously addresses a key knowledge gap and provides useful insights into potential treatments for COVID-19 and similar disease-causing viruses. The risk of emergent viral threats and the necessity for rapidly developed, adaptable, affordable treatment methods are both now vividly evident. © 2021 SPIE.