COVID-19 Public Health Crisis Research Articles

Coupling Epidemiological Model within an Activity-based Travel Modelling System for Halifax, Canada

This study combines an epidemiological model (Susceptible-Infected-Recovered, S-I-R) with the Shorter-term Decisions Simulator (SDS), an activity-based microsimulation model developed for Halifax, Canada. The decision support tool assesses infected individuals’ travel behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the S-I-R model reveal the rate of infection, p=0.39, the rate of recovery, q=0.34, and the reproduction number, R0=1.15 in Halifax region. In terms of activity participation, most infected individuals are found to participate in two activities (53%) followed by three activities (25%). Infected individuals share a similar type of proportion for work, shopping, and recreational type of activity (23%, 20% and 19%, respectively). In response to travel distance and travel duration for the infected individuals, the age group of 30 to 40 shows a higher density than others. This paper’s findings will help policymakers to develop policy interventions to deal with ongoing, emerging COVID-19 public health crisis.

Oral Health for Older Adults: Policy Barriers and Opportunities

Tooth decay and gum disease are two of the most common chronic health conditions in the United States, are reversible and preventable, and impact approximately 68% of older adults nationwide (CDC, 2021; World Health Organization, 2020). While the Affordable Care Act added provisions to health prevention services, oral health prevention coverage was only included for children, leaving many adults and older adults without coverage (Nasseh & Vujicic, 2017). The research team used a rapid review process using 17 key search term combinations to identify literature in three medical databases (PubMed, CINAHL, and Consumer Health Complete) to identify system and policy level barriers and opportunities to address oral health equity issues for older adults in the United States. 40 articles met inclusion criteria for thematic analysis. Findings revealed three barrier categories: 1) poor oral health literacy of patients and health care providers, 2) reimbursement variability contributing to access and utilization barriers, 3) workforce and scope of practice variability. In addition, four opportunity categories were identified: 1) community-based oral health programming for older adults, 2) new reimbursement models, 3) medical-dental collaborations, and 4) policy and practice act updates. The COVID-19 public health crisis has impacted the implementation of some system and policy level opportunities. However, new health care initiatives specific to Medicare in discussion at the national level provide an opportunity to make some headway on the policy updates needed to address the oral health of older Americans. Findings and implications will be shared with the audience.

Supporting Holistic Student Development Through Online Community Building

Faculty members abruptly transitioned to online course delivery during the COVID-19 public health crisis. Unfortunately, the isolation of learning online had the potential to damage students’ well-being during an already stressful pandemic. Furthermore, many faculty members had little experience with online modes of instruction and few effective strategies for building community online. This exploratory sequential mixed methods study uses data from 37 individual interviews with faculty across diverse disciplines, course evaluations from 13 of the 37 interview participants, and survey data from 347 faculty to answer the following research question: How did faculty foster a sense of community online to support students’ holistic well-being during the COVID pandemic? What strategies can faculty use to create community and foster well-being in online courses? Results show that successful strategies centered around intentional and purposeful course design, establishing clear expectations for faculty and students, and fostering supportive and trustworthy online learning environments.

The impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic in exacerbating dementia risk factors in a high‐risk Alzheimer’s disease population: Study of a cohort with Down syndrome

BackgroundThe COVID‐19 public health crisis and introduction of strict regulations have presented new challenges for people with Down syndrome (DS) and dementia in the UK. Social and cognitive deprivation together with poor mental health are risk factors for dementia. This study aimed to explore the impact of lockdown on well‐being in a population with DS who are already at high‐risk for developing dementia.Method98 individuals with DS were interviewed over the phone about how COVID‐19 and restrictions have affected their daily life, mental and physical health as well as attitude to participating in research. 50 interviews were conducted for younger adults (YA) aged 18‐35 and 48 with older adults (OA) aged 36+ and basic statistics were calculated.ResultSince the start of the pandemic, two participants have been diagnosed with dementia and three are under investigation for dementia. Five were diagnosed with dementia prior to the pandemic, three of whom have experienced symptoms worsening. A third of the total cohort reported worsening of general health, although not directly caused by a COVID infection. 44% of YA and 32% of OA reported a negative psychological impact, while almost all experienced a significant change in their daily activities with only 47% returning to their physical or social activities at the end of the initial lockdown. Regarding outlook on research participation, over 80% of individuals stated they would still be happy to participate in research in person and 75% would also find research conducted over video call to be a feasible option.ConclusionThe pandemic has had a negative impact on physical and mental health of a large proportion of individuals with DS which in turn may potentially affect dementia risk in this already vulnerable group. Although no causal relationship can be established from this study, the aforementioned worsening in health may have partially resulted from the social isolation, reduced physical and cognitive stimulation recorded in this cohort.

A Qualitative Study: An Examination of Police Officers' Lived Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In the spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe prompting stay-at-home orders for all but the most essential workers in society. Policing was one of the professions that is essential for community safety, regardless of the circumstances. Officers were on the front-line of the COVID-19 public health crisis and their preparedness was crucial for officer and community health. During the onset of the pandemic little was known about how officers perceived the virus and how police agencies prepared officers to work in a highly contagious environment. This study used semistructured interviews of police officers in two states in the United States that had elevated cases of the virus. The authors explored the lived experiences of police officers to explore officers’ perceptions, concerns, implications the pandemic had on patrol activity, and agency preparedness during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results revealed structural and cultural forces that resulted in officers and their agency leadership not taking the pandemic seriously, ill-preparation and ill-equipping, and disincentives in reporting exposure. Moreover, officers’ fears were largely not based on their own well-being, but on the risk of spreading the disease to their family members.

Methods to support evidence-informed decision-making in the midst of COVID-19: creation and evolution of a rapid review service from the National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools

BackgroundThe COVID-19 public health crisis has produced an immense and quickly evolving body of evidence. This research speed and volume, along with variability in quality, could overwhelm public health decision-makers striving to make timely decisions based on the best available evidence. In response to this challenge, the National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools developed a Rapid Evidence Service, building on internationally accepted rapid review methodologies, to address priority COVID-19 public health questions.ResultsEach week, the Rapid Evidence Service team receives requests from public health decision-makers, prioritizes questions received, and frames the prioritized topics into searchable questions. We develop and conduct a comprehensive search strategy and critically appraise all relevant evidence using validated tools. We synthesize the findings into a final report that includes key messages, with a rating of the certainty of the evidence using GRADE, as well as an overview of evidence and remaining knowledge gaps. Rapid reviews are typically completed and disseminated within two weeks. From May 2020 to July 21, 2021, we have answered more than 31 distinct questions and completed 32 updates as new evidence emerged. Reviews receive an average of 213 downloads per week, with some reaching over 7700. To date reviews have been accessed and cited around the world, and a more fulsome evaluation of impact on decision-making is planned.ConclusionsThe development, evolution, and lessons learned from our process, presented here, provides a real-world example of how review-level evidence can be made available – rapidly and rigorously, and in response to decision-makers’ needs – during an unprecedented public health crisis.

How can population health research benefit from a European Health Data Infrastructure?

Abstract Health is a cross-border issue, recently demonstrated by the COVID-19 public health crisis. Now more than ever, the healthiness of European populations requires the use of the full capacity of the European research community to generate evidence in these uncertain times for better health system preparedness and pragmatic approaches to interventions in the health care system. However, data on population health is fragmented across institutions, projects and research networks. To bring evidence and scientific consensus to the attention of policy makers and inform their actions, researchers should have facilitated access to high quality comparative data to answer urgent research questions and the generation of new research hypotheses; improved streamlining of research efforts and international comparison; learning through exchange and priority-setting. Population Health Information Research Infrastructure (PHIRI) for COVID-19 facilitates research and supports policy making across Europe through the implementation of a research infrastructure to generate the best available evidence for research on health and well-being of populations as impacted by COVID-19. PHIRI will form a cornerstone of the emerging European Health Data Space, as there is a need to pilot the premises of sustainable federated research infrastructure that will ultimately contribute to improved population health.

The 2021 report of the MJA-Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: Australia increasingly out on a limb.

The MJA-Lancet Countdown on health and climate change in Australia was established in 2017, and produced its first national assessment in 2018, its first annual update in 2019, and its second annual update in 2020. It examines indicators across five broad domains: climate change impacts, exposures and vulnerability; adaptation, planning and resilience for health; mitigation actions and health co-benefits; economics and finance; and public and political engagement. Our special report in 2020 focused on the unprecedented and catastrophic 2019-20 Australian bushfire season, highlighting indicators that explore the relationships between health, climate change and bushfires. For 2021, we return to reporting on the full suite of indicators across each of the five domains and have added some new indicators. We find that Australians are increasingly exposed to and vulnerable to excess heat and that this is already limiting our way of life, increasing the risk of heat stress during outdoor sports, and decreasing work productivity across a range of sectors. Other weather extremes are also on the rise, resulting in escalating social, economic and health impacts. Climate change disproportionately threatens Indigenous Australians' wellbeing in multiple and complex ways. In response to these threats, we find positive action at the individual, local, state and territory levels, with growing uptake of rooftop solar and electric vehicles, and the beginnings of appropriate adaptation planning. However, this is severely undermined by national policies and actions that are contrary and increasingly place Australia out on a limb. Australia has responded well to the COVID-19 public health crisis (while still emerging from the bushfire crisis that preceded it) and it now needs to respond to and prepare for the health crises resulting from climate change.

11.2 CHILDREN’S MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Public health crises, such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, can cause emotional distress in children without mental disorders and worsen existing mental disorders. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States in 2020, reports of children’s mental health concerns have increased. Access to services before, during, and after public health crises is essential for promoting children’s emotional well-being. The unique combination of the COVID-19 public health crisis, social isolation, and other social and economic factors may create new barriers to mental health service receipt and exacerbate existing barriers. This presentation will highlight 3 areas of research: 1) support from primary care providers for adolescents with mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders during the transition from the pediatric to the adult healthcare system prior to the COVID-19 pandemic; 2) children’s mental health–related emergency department visits during the COVID-19 pandemic; and 3) a systematic review of policies about access to children’s mental health care. The utility of public health surveillance data, including data from the National Survey of Children’s Health and the National Syndromic Surveillance Program, to identify mental/behavioral health service needs and use will be discussed, and policy levers that may improve services will be presented. Gaps, methodological challenges, and areas for future research will be described. Nearly 1 in 5 children (age <18 years) in the United States have a mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder, such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, and disruptive behavior disorder. The findings of the studies to be presented suggest that continued monitoring of children’s mental health and ensuring that mental health services are accessible by families are essential before, during, and after public health crises.

S828 IBD Patients’ COVID-19 Vaccine Intention Is Positively Associated With Annual Influenza Vaccination

Introduction: Despite significant breakthroughs in addressing the COVID-19 public health crisis, global vaccine hesitancy persists. As influenza is another acute respiratory illness with historically severe mortality and morbidity rates, we sought to investigate attitudes towards both influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. In order to inform interventions in vaccine acceptance, our study aimed to assess the relationship between prior annual influenza vaccine receipt and COVID-19 vaccine intention among our IBD patient population. Methods: A retrospective chart review of electronic medical records was conducted of all IBD patients seen from 1/1/2016 to 1/31/2021 by gastroenterologists at an urban university medical center. Patient gender, age, race, IBD subtype, and treatment regimen were obtained. Phone-based surveys were conducted to determine patients’ perceptions of and intention to receive a COVID vaccine, and history of receiving an annual flu vaccine. Patients were excluded if they were unable to be contacted or there was missing demographic data. A confidential database was created using Microsoft Excel. Fischer exact tests were used with statistical significance set at p< 0.05. This study was approved by the university IRB. Results: 218 of 458 (47.6%) medical records were reviewed. 195 (89.5%) patients had already received at least one COVID vaccine dose (n=37) or planned to be vaccinated once made available (n=158). 82.1% of the patients stated they receive the influenza vaccine annually. Patients receiving annual flu vaccines were significantly more likely to have received or planned to receive COVID-19 vaccination as compared to patients not planning to be vaccinated (p< 0.001; OR: 8.3 [3.3, 21.6]). Otherwise, there were no statistically significant differences in vaccine intention or receipt based on patient race, gender, IBD subtype, or biologic use. Conclusion: Our findings of increased willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in patients who regularly seek the influenza vaccine, and the converse, are consistent with existing literature. These patterns in vaccination behavior highlight the importance of learning from prior disease response models to promote COVID-19 vaccine uptake. It is encouraging that existing disparities in COVID-19 vaccine acceptance may resolve over time as they have with the influenza vaccine through targeted health education interventions.

ICARE, SPACE, I-PCIT, AND ONLINE MINDFUL PARENTING: IMPROVING ACCESS BY INTERNET-DELIVERED THERAPIES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

Objectives: Telepsychiatry has become increasingly common over the past 2 decades, with numerous benefits that include increasing accessibility by overcoming geographical and transportation barriers, increasing efficiency, reducing cost, and diminishing stigma linked to mental health clinics. This past year, the wider dissemination of telehealth services has been expedited due to the current COVID-19 public health crisis and stay-at-home orders that have resulted in decreased restrictions and historic expansion of telehealth insurance coverage. This Clinical Perspectives will discuss internet-delivered parent-based young child interventions (ages 0-5 years), such as internet-based Child-Adult Relationship Enhancement (iCARE), Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE), Internet-Delivered Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (I-PCIT), and Mindful Parenting, and their empirical evidence, underlying theories, and clinical and supportive applications. Methods: This presentation will consist of a discussion of 4 interventions adapted to be delivered virtually: 1) I-PCIT will use case examples to illustrate various challenges and necessary adaptations for internet therapies for young children;2) iCARE;3) a parent-based treatment program called SPACE that was developed for children with anxiety and OCD;and 4) internet-delivered mindful parenting with challenges and adaptations for digital delivery with case examples. At the conclusion of our presentation, we will invite the participants to bring their own practical challenges regarding online treatments of young children and their families. Results: Participants will learn about different innovative internet-delivered therapies for young children and their families. They will develop strategies on “website manners,” treatment tools and strategies on engaging children and their families via the internet. They will learn about treatment options for a variety of internalizing and externalizing disorders in young children that can be delivered effectively online. Conclusions: Video engagement of young children and their families presents unique challenges. Evidence-based interventions have been successfully adapted for online delivery. This session will allow participants to discuss and explore ideas and gain tools for optimizing internet-delivered therapies for young children. P, EC, TVM

Identification of high-risk COVID-19 patients using machine learning.

The current COVID-19 public health crisis, caused by SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), has produced a devastating toll both in terms of human life loss and economic disruption. In this paper we present a machine-learning algorithm capable of identifying whether a given patient (actually infected or suspected to be infected) is more likely to survive than to die, or vice-versa. We train this algorithm with historical data, including medical history, demographic data, as well as COVID-19-related information. This is extracted from a database of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 infections in Mexico, constituting the official COVID-19 data compiled and made publicly available by the Mexican Federal Government. We demonstrate that the proposed method can detect high-risk patients with high accuracy, in each of four identified clinical stages, thus improving hospital capacity planning and timely treatment. Furthermore, we show that our method can be extended to provide optimal estimators for hypothesis-testing techniques commonly-used in biological and medical statistics. We believe that our work could be of use in the context of the current pandemic in assisting medical professionals with real-time assessments so as to determine health care priorities.

Social Distancing, Health Concerns, and Digitally Empowered Consumption Behavior Under COVID-19: A Study on Livestream Shopping Technology.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, livestream shopping has provided consumers with a way to maintain social distancing while offering an alternative to offline shopping. This study aims to understand the impact of COVID-19 and other public health crises on the behavioral intentions of consumers using livestream shopping technology. A theoretical model was designed that combines the health belief model, trust theory, and the theory of planned behavior. Empirical data were collected from 358 residents in China and then analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results showed that perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, and perceived obstacles had a significant impact on consumer trust. Consumer trust in turn had a direct impact on behavioral intention and an indirect impact on behavioral intention via attitude. These research results have practical implications for livestream shopping merchants, platform decision-makers, and service designers.

Experiences, perspectives, and emerging frameworks: COLINET libraries response to the COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to detail the experiences, perspectives and emerging framework for the delivery of library services by member libraries of the College Libraries Information Network (COLINET) at the onset and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Jamaica.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory sequential mixed approach was used for this study. Qualitative data was collected initially using a semi-structured interview with a virtual focus group comprising seven librarians from the COLINET in Jamaica. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants for the focus group. The second phase of data collection used an online survey through Google Forms to the membership of COLINET; 19 of 31 libraries (61.2%) responded to the survey.FindingsThe findings reveal the current status of library operation and service delivery at the COLINET member libraries. The impact of COVID-19 on staffing arrangements, support and engagement, library resources and services are seen through the lens of the challenges and opportunities presented by the pandemic.Research limitations/implicationsIn total, 19 of the 31 libraries in COLINET responded to the survey; therefore, the researchers were unable to get a comprehensive assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on COLINET libraries.Practical implicationsThis study will assist libraries in their response to COVID-19 and other similar future national public health crises. The findings and recommendations can provide a blueprint for developing policies and procedures for libraries during a national health crisis. Additionally, it will add to the empirical literature on Caribbean libraries.Originality/valueThis study is essential for libraries responding to the coronavirus pandemic in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean region. This study examines the response of academic libraries from diverse tertiary institutions; exploring their challenges, solutions and emerging frameworks; making it representative and inclusive for academic libraries. This study advances the limited research that exists with regard to Caribbean libraries and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reforms in Times of Crisis: Notes on the Greek Policy Making from Bankruptcy to COVID-19

In this paper, an in-depth quantitative and qualitative analysis of the “emergency” regulation in Greece over the years of acute economic crisis and up to the COVID-19 public health crisis is performed, to examine if this kind of regulation has been too extended and whether it undermined any effective policy design. According to our working hypothesis, the “fast-track” legislation highlights the fragmented and somewhat erratic way of policymaking in Greece, while it also affirms the country’s limited capacity to properly initiate and implement reforms. Thus, the paper focuses on the collection and evaluation of the legislative corpus during the 2009-2021 period; its objective being, on the one hand, to evaluate whether and how much each government resorted to the invocation of urgency and on the other hand to examine the documentation and description of the legislative process vis-àvis the imperatives and quality criteria of Better Regulation and EvidenceBased Policy Making. At the same time, the article focuses on legislative texts of the 2020-2021 COVID-19 health crisis period. It will showcase the latter as an additional trigger aggravating the “urgency” element of regulation, transforming it into a persistent feature of Greek policymaking. Ergo, we examine methods and practices at the international level, focusing especially on the Evidence-Based Policy Making paradigm. Based on the analysis of the crisis regulation and international EBPM best practices, the paper concludes with key recommendations for an effective policymaking procedure, dependent on the establishment of an integrated Center of Government in Greece.

Homelessness during COVID-19: challenges, responses, and lessons learned from homeless service providers in Tippecanoe County, Indiana

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic laid bare some of the United States’ most devastating health and social inequities faced by people experiencing homelessness. Homeless populations experience disproportionate rates of underlying health conditions, stigma and marginalization that often disenfranchise them from health and social services, and living conditions that potentiate the risk of COVID-19 transmission and adverse outcomes.MethodsGuided by the socio-ecological model, this community-based participatory research study examined the impacts of the COVID-19 public health crisis on people experiencing homelessness in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, and the ways in which homeless service providers prepared for, experienced, and responded to the pandemic. Eighteen (18) semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives of 15 community-based organizations, including shelters and other homeless service providers.ResultsQualitative content analysis revealed myriad challenges at the individual and interpersonal levels faced by people experiencing homelessness as a result of the pandemic, and multilevel responses for COVID-19 impact mitigation in this community. Many of the emergency measures put in place by homeless service providers in Tippecanoe County, Indiana created opportunities for innovative solutions to longstanding challenges faced by homeless populations that are informing better service delivery moving forward, even beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.ConclusionsCommunity-based organizations, including homeless shelters, are uniquely qualified to inform pandemic response and disaster risk mitigation in order to respond appropriately to the specific needs of people experiencing homelessness. The lessons learned and shared by homeless service providers on the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic have important implications to improve future disaster response for homeless and other vulnerable populations.

Network models to evaluate vaccine strategies towards herd immunity in COVID-19

Vaccination remains a critical element in the eventual solution to the COVID-19 public health crisis. Many vaccines are already being mass produced and supplied in many countries. However, the COVID-19 vaccination programme will be the biggest in history. Reaching herd immunity will require an unprecedented mass immunisation campaign that will take several months and millions of dollars.Using different network models, COVID-19 pandemic dynamics of different countries can be recapitulated such as in Italy. Stochastic computational simulations highlight that peak epidemic sizes in a population strongly depend on the network structure. Assuming a vaccine efficacy of at least 80% in a mass vaccination program, at least 70% of a given population should be vaccinated to obtain herd immunity, independently of the network structure. If the vaccine efficacy reports lower levels of efficacy in practice, then the coverage of vaccination would be needed to be even higher. Simulations suggest that the “Ring of Vaccination” strategy, vaccinating susceptible contact and contact of contacts, would prevent new waves of COVID −19 meanwhile a high percent of the population is vaccinated.

COVID-19 and the desire of children to return to nature: Emotions in the face of environmental and intergenerational injustices

The global COVID-19 public health crisis has driven policies of lockdowns and social distancing that have had negative social and economic impacts, worsening inequalities and social exclusions, and mixed environmental impacts. This study engaged children from schools with diverse environmental pedagogies in online focus groups about nature and their experiences with nature during the pandemic. Participants expressed fear of the unknown virus, sadness from isolation, longing for family and friends, and yearning for the freedom to enjoy the outside world. They revealed knowledge of both positive and negative impacts of lockdowns on the environment. Their experiences with nature demonstrate how environmental injustice affects the lives of children from public schools in urban contexts, especially those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, who reported less contact with nature during the lockdown. As a group, children are aware and very critical of intergenerational environmental injustice and argue for the need for adults to act.

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Commercial Property Rent Dynamics

This paper utilizes timely proprietary data to examine the contemporary impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on commercial property rent dynamics in the Asia–Pacific region. Given that the Asia–Pacific region was the first to be impacted by the public health crisis, it is important to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the real estate markets in this region and to assess how the region has been recovering since then. Our regression analysis, controlling for different macroeconomic fundamentals and city and property type fixed effects, documents substantial declines in rents of approximately 15% during the first six months of 2020 across the Asia–Pacific commercial property market. We further observe that the most significant declines in rent occur in regions where exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic is the more severe, and in the retail property sector, where we have been observing continued declines of over 30%, with little recovery as of the second quarter of 2020. In additional analysis, we examine capital values and show that while capital targeting the retail property sector has been muted, there is some evidence showing capital flows into the residential and industrial sectors. We also show that fiscal stimuli imposed by governments have moderated the adverse impact of the pandemic. Overall, our study shows that while the effect of the COVID-19 public health crisis is detrimental to commercial real estate, its impact varies significantly across different regions and property sectors.

Inverse Association Between the Mediterranean Diet and COVID-19 Risk in Lebanon: A Case-Control Study.

Background: Since 2019, the world is confronting the COVID-19 public health crisis that deeply impacted all aspects of life, from the health sector to economy. Despite the advancement of research targeting pandemic containment measures, more strategies are still needed to alleviate the burden caused by this novel disease. In particular, optimal nutrition was proposed as a possible mitigating factor in the context of COVID-19. Indeed, the light is shed on balanced diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, which present the finest nutritional quality to support the immune system and other physiologic functions. In contrast, less varied diets that lack the needed nutrients and favor inflammation have been correlated with adverse health effects, including a hindered immune response, such as the western diet.Methods: This observational case control study aimed at exploring the possible associations between the different dietary patterns present among a sample of the Lebanese population and the COVID-19 occurrence and outcomes. An online survey collected information about the sociodemographic characteristics, health status, lifestyle, and dietary habits through the Mediterranean diet questionnaire and a semi-quantitative fod frequency questionnaire, and the COVID-19 infection and its burden. The sample consisted of 399 respondents divided into the case and control groups (37.6 and 62.4%, respectively) on the basis of the presence or absence of a COVID-19 infection history.Results: The participants in the case and control groups had average adherence to the Mediterranean diet and their dietary intake was closer to the western diet. However, the cases had a lower mean of the MedDiet score (p = 0.009). Food groups consumption analysis showed that this significant difference within the overall similar dietary patterns was due to a higher consumption of poultry and a trend toward decreased consumption of olive oil and increased read meat and alcohol intake among the cases. Additionally, gender influenced the levels of different foods' consumption. Nonetheless, the dietary intake did not impact the COVID-19 burden.Conclusion: It is recommended to adopt healthy food choices within the different dietary patterns for a better protection against COVID-19. These findings should be validated in larger-scale studies.