Assessment of COVID-19 Messaging Strategies to Increase Testing for Students With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

BACKGROUND: Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study's goal was to assess the effectiveness of 2 messaging strategies on participation in SARS-CoV-2 weekly testing. METHODS: Cluster randomized trials were conducted at 2 school systems, the special school district (SSD) and Kennedy Krieger Institute (Kennedy) to assess messaging strategies, general versus enhanced, to increase weekly screening for SARS-CoV-2. Testing was offered to staff and students from November 23, 2020 to May 26, 2022. The primary outcomes were percentage of students and staff consented weekly and percentage of study participants who had a test performed weekly. Generalized estimating equation models were utilized to evaluate the primary outcomes. RESULTS: Increases in enrollment and testing occurred during study start up, the beginning of school years, and following surges in both systems. No statistical difference was observed in the primary outcomes between schools receiving standard versus enhanced messaging. IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY: Frequent and consistent communication is vital for families and staff. Weekly screening testing within schools is possible and highlighted the importance of utilizing equitable protocols to provide important testing to students with IDD. CONCLUSION: Enhanced messaging strategies did not increase the number of participants enrolled or the percentage of enrolled participants being tested on a weekly basis.

Clusters of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Across Six Schools for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

INTRODUCTION: Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are at increased risk for adverse outcomes from coronavirus disease 2019. Clusters of COVID-19 infections can be used to track SARS-CoV-2 transmission. This is particularly important in environments frequently used for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, such as schools. The objective of this study was to compare the number of clusters of student and staff cases identified during three distinct periods (pre-Delta, Delta, and Omicron) of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Weekly COVID-19 testing occurred from November 23, 2020 to May 27, 2022 during three phases of the COVID-19 pandemic: pre-Delta, Delta, and Omicron. Structured interviews were conducted with positive cases to determine if they contracted COVID-19 in the school environment, and interviews with school administrators responsible for contact tracing determined school-based clusters. RESULTS: 160 cases of COVID-19 were identified and 55 cluster positives were recorded during the study period. 0 (0%) cluster positives were recorded during the pre-Delta variant wave, 3 (5%) cluster positives were recorded during the Delta variant wave, and 52 (95%) cluster positives were recorded during the Omicron variant wave. Additionally, 23 (85%) of all positives during pre-Delta, 12 (50%) of all positives during Delta, 66 (61%) of all positives during Omicron, and 36 (69%) of cluster positives during Omicron did not receive CDC-recommended dosages of the COVID-19 vaccine. CONCLUSION: The Omicron variant led to an increase in cluster-based transmission, and staying up to date with vaccination guidelines was crucial in limiting transmission. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Prior to enrollment, this study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on September 25, 2020 (identifier NCT04565509; titled "Supporting the Health and Well-being of Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disability During COVID-19 Pandemic").

Recommendations for SARS-CoV-2 Testing in Children With Disabilities and Medical Complexity.

Schools provide important services that cannot be provided virtually to children with medical complexity and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, yet these children are among the most at risk from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To keep schools open for children with medical complexity and/or intellectual and developmental disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, we implemented severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 testing at 3 sites across the United States. We evaluated testing strategies for staff and students at each site, including specimen source (nasopharyngeal or saliva), test type (polymerase chain reaction or rapid antigen), and frequency and type (screening versus exposure/symptomatic) of testing provided. Among the greatest barriers to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 testing in these schools was the engagement of caregivers and challenges navigating legal guardianship for consenting adult students. Additionally, variability in testing strategies nationally and in the community, as well as surges in viral transmission across the United States during the course of the pandemic, led to testing hesitancy and variable participation rates. Essential to the successful implementation of testing programs is building a trusted relationship with school administrators and guardians. Leveraging our experiences with COVID-19 and forming lasting school partnerships can help keep schools for vulnerable children safe in future pandemics.

Lineage Identification Affects Estimates of Evolutionary Mode in Marine Snails.

In order to study evolutionary pattern and process, we need to be able to accurately identify species and the evolutionary lineages from which they are derived. Determining the concordance between genetic and morphological variation of living populations, and then directly comparing extant and fossil morphological data, provides a robust approach for improving our identification of lineages through time. We investigate genetic and shell morphological variation in extant species of Penion marine snails from New Zealand, and extend this analysis into deep time using fossils. We find that genetic and morphological variation identify similar patterns and support most currently recognized extant species. However, some taxonomic over-splitting is detected due to shell size being a poor trait for species delimitation, and we identify incorrect assignment of some fossil specimens. We infer that a single evolutionary lineage (Penion sulcatus) has existed for 22 myr, with most aspects of shell shape and shell size evolving under a random walk. However, by removing samples previously classified as the extinct species P. marwicki, we instead detect morphological stasis for one axis of shell shape variation. This result demonstrates how lineage identification can change our perception of evolutionary pattern and process. [Genotyping by sequencing; geometric morphometrics; morphological evolution; Neogastropoda; phenotype; speciation; stasis.].

Epidemiología de la cisticercosis en cerdos de una comunidad rural del estado de Guerrero, México / Epidemiology of cysticerosis in pigs from a rural community in the state of Guerrero in Mexico

Con el fin de evaluar la dinámica de transmisión de la cisticercosis porcina, se buscó: a) Determinar su frecuencia mediante el diagnóstico en vivo en lengua; b) conocer mediante una encuesta, algunas características de la población que favorecen la transmisión de la enfermedad; c) establecer la edad de primoinfección en cerdos mediante el sacrificio y examen de cerdos de 2, 4, 5 y 6 meses de edad y su posible variación estacional. Durante el examen de lengua, se encontraron 20 positivos de 151 cerdos evaluados (13.2 por ciento). Se realizó una encuesta en 146 (79.3 por ciento) de 184 viviendas. En general la comunidad presenta condiciones propicias para la transmisión de la enfermedad al carecer de agua potable en 100 por ciento, drenaje en 97.2 por ciento y letrinas en 71.9 por ciento. El 67.8 por ciento tiene cerdos y de éstos, el 88.9 por ciento deambula libremente en la comunidad. Con respecto al hallazgo de citicercosis en cerdos de diferentes edades, en 52 animales sacrificados se encontraron 17 positivos (32 por ciento; aunque hubo una mayor proporción de positivos a mayor edad, no se encontró una tendencia estadísticamente significativa (P>0.05); sin embargo, se encontró diferencia entre la frecuencia de cisticercosis entre las épocas del año, ya que mientras en temporada de lluvias se identificó al metacestodo a los 5 meses de edad, en temporada de secas se halló desde los 2 meses de edad (P<0.05). Es necesario continuar con estudios que permitan determinar con mayor exactitud la dinámica de transmisión de la cisticercosis en los cerdos, la importancia de la inmunidad en dicha transmisión y la razón por la cual la frecuencia de infecciones con gran número de metacestodos se presenta sólo en pocos cerdos