Knowledge, attitudes, and intentions regarding COVID-19 vaccination in the general population and the effect of different framing messages for a brief video on intentions to get vaccinated among unvaccinated individuals in the United States during July 2021.

OBJECTIVE: To identify knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs (KABs) associated with COVID-19 vaccination intentions and assess the impact of vaccine-promoting messages on vaccination intentions. METHODS: Our nationally representative survey measured KABs of COVID-19 vaccination and incorporated a randomized experiment to assess the impact of different framing messages for a video encouraging vaccination intentions among unvaccinated adults in the US. Multivariable multinomial logistic regression models were fitted to investigate the relationships of KABs, trust in public health authorities (PHAs), and vaccine confidence with vaccination intentions. Difference-in-difference estimation was conducted to assess the impact of framing messages for a video on unvaccinated individuals' vaccination intentions. RESULTS: We observed that people with increasingly favorable vaccine KABs, trust in PHAs, and vaccine confidence were more likely to be vaccinated or intend to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Difference-in-difference estimates indicated a positive impact of exposure to the video on vaccination intentions while framing messages in some cases appeared to lower vaccination intentions. Associations between the video and vaccination intentions were more pronounced among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latinx populations and Democrats; however, associations did not vary by trust in PHAs or vaccine confidence. CONCLUSION: Videos that encourage people to get vaccinated may provide an efficient approach to nudge vaccine-hesitant individuals towards getting vaccinated. However, framing messages may negatively impact vaccination intentions and need to be developed carefully. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: This study provides solid experimental evidence for the importance of tailoring message framing to the characteristics and experience of the audience, while cautioning potential negative impacts of framing that does not match its intended audience. Our findings are applicable to health communication strategies on the population level, such as mass media campaigns, and the use of framing for messages to encourage vaccination but may also be informative for healthcare professionals consulting hesitant individuals about COVID-19 vaccinations.

COVID-19 vaccination among different types of US Healthcare Personnel.

BACKGROUND: Increasing vaccine coverage remains the best way to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare personnel (HCP) have long been the most credible and frequently used source of vaccine information for the public, and an HCP recommendation is a strong predictor of vaccination. METHODS: A survey of HCP was conducted in September 2021 via a double opt-in network panel. Responses to survey items were summarized and stratified by HCP type and adjusted logistic regression models were fitted. RESULTS: >94% of the 1074 HCP surveyed reported receiving at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine or intending to soon, with vaccinating most common among pediatricians (98%), followed by family medicine doctors (96%), pharmacists (94%), and nurses/nurse practitioners/physician assistants (88%). HCP with high trust in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had 26 times the odds of vaccinating of HCP with low trust (95%CI: 9, 74). Nearly half of unvaccinated HCP (47%) were concerned about side effects, and one third of unvaccinated HCP (33%) were concerned the vaccine was developed too quickly. About three quarters of HCP reported strongly recommending the Pfizer-BioNTech (75%) and Moderna (70%) vaccines to their patients, compared to about one quarter (24%) strongly recommending Johnson & Johnson. CONCLUSIONS: Although most HCP are vaccinated against COVID-19 and strongly recommend vaccination to their patients, some harbor similar concerns to the public. Additional resources - regularly updated to explain the progressing scientific landscape and address ever evolving public concerns - are needed to further improve vaccine coverage among HCP and aid them in supporting the decision-making of their patients.

Schooling amidst a pandemic in the United States: Parents' perceptions about reopening schools and anticipated challenges during COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous states in the United States instituted measures to close schools or shift them to virtual platforms. Understanding parents' preferences for sending their children back to school, and their experiences with distance learning is critical for informing school reopening guidelines. This study characterizes parents' plans to return their children to school, and examines the challenges associated with school closures during the 2020-2021 academic year. METHODS: A national-level cross-sectional online survey was conducted in September 2020. Focusing on a subset of 510 respondents, who were parents of school-aged children, we examined variations in parents' plans for their children to return to school by their demographic and family characteristics, and challenges they anticipated during the school-year using multivariable logistic regressions. RESULTS: Fifty percent of respondents (n = 249) said that they would send their children back to school, 18% (n = 92) stated it would depend on what the district plans for school reopening, and 32% (n = 160) would not send their children back to school. No demographic characteristics were significantly associated with parents plans to not return their children to school. Overall, parents reported high-level of access to digital technology to support their child's learning needs (84%). However, those who reported challenges with distance learning due to a lack of childcare were less likely to not return their children to school (aOR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.17, 0.64). Parents who reported requiring supervision after school had higher odds of having plans to not return their children to school (aOR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.03, 3.79). Parents viewed COVID-19 vaccines and face-masks important for resuming in-person classes. DISCUSSION: About one-third of parents objected to their children returning to school despite facing challenges with distance learning. Besides access to vaccines and face-masks, our findings highlight the need to better equip parents to support remote learning, and childcare.

COVID-19 risk perceptions of social interaction and essential activities and inequity in the USA: results from a nationally representative survey.

INTRODUCTION: SARS-CoV-2 has disproportionately affected disadvantaged communities across the USA. Risk perceptions for social interactions and essential activities during the COVID-19 pandemic may vary by sociodemographic factors. METHODS: We conducted a nationally representative online survey of 1592 adults in the USA to understand risk perceptions related to transmission of COVID-19 for social (eg, visiting friends) and essential activities (eg, medical visits or returning to work). We assessed relationships for activities using bivariate comparisons and multivariable logistic regression modelling, between responses of safe and unsafe, and participant characteristics. Data were collected and analysed in 2020. RESULTS: Among 1592 participants, risk perceptions of unsafe for 13 activities ranged from 29.2% to 73.5%. Large gatherings, indoor dining and visits with elderly relatives had the highest proportion of unsafe responses (>58%), while activities outdoor, accessing healthcare and going to the grocery store had the lowest (<36%). Older respondents were more likely to view social gatherings and indoor activities as unsafe but less likely for other activities, such as going to the grocery store and accessing healthcare. Compared with white/Caucasian respondents, black/African-American and Hispanic/Latino respondents were more likely to view activities such as dining and visiting friends outdoor as unsafe. Generally, men versus women, Republicans versus Democrats and independents, and individuals with higher versus lower income were more likely to view activities as safe. CONCLUSION: Evidence-based interventions should be tailored to sociodemographic differences in risk perception, access to information and health behaviours when implementing efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic.

Impact of coinfection status and comorbidity on disease severity in adult emergency department patients with influenza B.

BACKGROUND: Influenza B accounts for approximately one fourth of the seasonal influenza burden. However, research on the importance of influenza B has received less attention compared to influenza A. We sought to describe the association of both coinfections and comorbidities with disease severity among adults presenting to emergency departments (ED) with influenza B. METHODS: Nasopharyngeal samples from patients found to be influenza B positive in four US and three Taiwanese ED over four consecutive influenza seasons (2014-2018) were tested for coinfections with the ePlex RP RUO panel. Multivariable logistic regressions were fitted to model adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for two severity outcomes separately: hospitalization and pneumonia diagnosis. Adjusting for demographic factors, underlying health conditions, and the National Early Warning Score (NEWS), we estimated the association of upper respiratory coinfections and comorbidity with disease severity (including hospitalization or pneumonia). RESULTS: Amongst all influenza B positive individuals (n = 446), presence of another upper respiratory pathogen was associated with an increased likelihood of hospitalization (aOR = 2.99 [95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.14-7.85, p = 0.026]) and pneumonia (aOR = 2.27 [95% CI: 1.25-4.09, p = 0.007]). Chronic lung diseases (CLD) were the strongest predictor for hospitalization (aOR = 3.43 [95% CI: 2.98-3.95, p < 0.001]), but not for pneumonia (aOR = 1.73 [95% CI: 0.80-3.78, p = 0.166]). CONCLUSION: Amongst ED patients infected with influenza B, the presence of other upper respiratory pathogens was independently associated with both hospitalization and pneumonia; presence of CLD was also associated with hospitalization. These findings may be informative for ED clinician's in managing patients infected with influenza B.

Ensuring Rights while Protecting Health: The Importance of Using a Human Rights Approach in Implementing Public Health Responses to COVID-19.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, governments around the world have implemented public health policies that limit individual freedoms in order to control disease transmission. While such limitations on liberties are sometimes necessary for pandemic control, many of these policies have been overly broad or have neglected to consider the costs for populations already susceptible to human rights violations. Furthermore, the pandemic has exacerbated preexisting inequities based on health care access, poverty, racial injustice, refugee crises, and lack of education. The worsening of such human rights violations increases the need to utilize a human rights approach in the response to COVID-19. This paper provides a global overview of COVID-19 public health policy interventions implemented from January 1 to June 30, 2020, and identifies their impacts on the human rights of marginalized populations. We find that over 70% of these public health policies negatively affect human rights in at least one way or for at least one population. We recommend that policy makers take a human rights approach to COVID-19 pandemic control by designing public health policies focused on the most marginalized groups in society. Doing so would allow for a more equitable, realistic, and sustainable pandemic response that is centered on the needs of those at highest risk of COVID-19 and human rights violations.

Impact of Public Health and Social Measures on the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States and Other Countries: Descriptive Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The United States of America has the highest global number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, which may be due in part to delays and inconsistencies in implementing public health and social measures (PHSMs). OBJECTIVE: In this descriptive analysis, we analyzed the epidemiological evidence for the impact of PHSMs on COVID-19 transmission in the United States and compared these data to those for 10 other countries of varying income levels, population sizes, and geographies. METHODS: We compared PHSM implementation timing and stringency against COVID-19 daily case counts in the United States and against those in Canada, China, Ethiopia, Japan, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe from January 1 to November 25, 2020. We descriptively analyzed the impact of border closures, contact tracing, household confinement, mandated face masks, quarantine and isolation, school closures, limited gatherings, and states of emergency on COVID-19 case counts. We also compared the relationship between global socioeconomic indicators and national pandemic trajectories across the 11 countries. PHSMs and case count data were derived from various surveillance systems, including the Health Intervention Tracking for COVID-19 database, the World Health Organization PHSM database, and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. RESULTS: Implementing a specific package of 4 PHSMs (quarantine and isolation, school closures, household confinement, and the limiting of social gatherings) early and stringently was observed to coincide with lower case counts and transmission durations in Vietnam, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, South Korea, Ethiopia, and Kazakhstan. In contrast, the United States implemented few PHSMs stringently or early and did not use this successful package. Across the 11 countries, national income positively correlated (r=0.624) with cumulative COVID-19 incidence. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that early implementation, consistent execution, adequate duration, and high adherence to PHSMs represent key factors of reducing the spread of COVID-19. Although national income may be related to COVID-19 progression, a country's wealth appears to be less important in controlling the pandemic and more important in taking rapid, centralized, and consistent public health action.

Palladium catalysts for highly selective Sonogashira reactions of aryl and heteroaryl bromides.

Palladium catalysts have been studied for the Sonogashira-Hagihara coupling of aryl and heteroaryl bromides with terminal alkynes. Among the different biarylphosphines tested, 2-(di-tert-butylphosphino)-N-phenylindole (cataCXium Plntb) allows the efficient coupling of both activated and deactivated (hetero)aryl bromides in the presence of sodium tetrachloropalladate in tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) at 80 degrees C. The catalyst system gives high turnover numbers (up to 14 100) and shows a broad tolerance towards functional groups such as OH and NH2, as well as heterocycles.

FeCl3-catalyzed addition of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds to aromatic olefins.

A direct, intermolecular addition of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds to styrenes in the presence of FeCl3 as an inexpensive and disposable catalyst has been developed for the straightforward and practical synthesis of arylated diketones and ketoesters. The reactions proceed under mild conditions for most substrates (50-80 degrees C), and no strong acid or base is required. The synthetic value of the method is demonstrated by 15 examples, including the synthesis of the current pharmaceutical drug warfarin in one step and 42% yield from commercially available substrates.

A state-of-the-art cyanation of aryl bromides: a novel and versatile copper catalyst system inspired by Nature.

A general protocol for the cyanation of aryl halides with the nontoxic cyanide source K4[Fe(CN)6] using copper catalysis and a ligand system based on 1-alkylimidazoles is presented. The advantages of this system are the high selectivity, a unique substrate range, easy handling, and inexpensive reagents.

A convenient FeCl3-catalyzed hydroarylation of styrenes.

[reaction: see text] 1,1-Diarylalkanes are easily synthesized by CH-functionalization reactions of electron-rich arenes and heteroarenes with styrenes in the presence of FeCl(3) as catalyst.

The development of efficient catalysts for palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions of aryl halides.

In the mid 1990s, we started a program on the development of more efficient palladium catalysts for the C-C and C-N coupling reactions of aryl halides, especially aryl chlorides. In this contribution, our investigations on new catalyst systems and their application in organic synthesis are summarized.

New ligands for a general palladium-catalyzed amination of aryl and heteroaryl chlorides.

The synthesis and application of monodentate N-substituted heteroarylphosphines is described. In general, the ligands are conveniently prepared by selective metallation at the 2-position of the respective N-substituted heterocycle (pyrrole, indole) by using n-butyllithium/tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) followed by quenching with dialkyl- or diarylchlorophosphines. Of the different ligands prepared, the new dialkyl-2-(N-arylindolyl)phosphines (cataCXium P) perform excellently in the palladium-catalyzed amination of aryl and heteroaryl chlorides. Coupling of both activated and deactivated chloroarenes proceeds under mild conditions (room temperature to 60 degrees C). By using optimized conditions remarkable catalyst productivity (total turnover number, TON, up to 8000) and activity (turnover frequency, TOF=14000 h(-1) at 75% conversion) are observed.

Potassium hexacyanoferrate(II)--a new cyanating agent for the palladium-catalyzed cyanation of aryl halides.

A new advantageous cyanating agent, potassium hexacyanoferrate(II), is described for the palladium-catalyzed cyanation of aryl halides. All cyanide ions on the iron(II) center can be transferred to the aryl halide using palladium(II) acetate and dppf as the catalyst. Under optimized reaction conditions good yields of benzonitriles and unprecedented catalyst productivities are observed.