Intersection Of COVID-19 Research Articles

Enhancing Pulmonary Embolism Detection in COVID-19 Patients Through Advanced Deep Learning Techniques.

The intersection of COVID-19 and pulmonary embolism (PE) has posed unprecedented challenges in medical diagnostics. The critical nature of PE and its increased incidence during the pandemic underline the need for improved detection methods. This study evaluates the effectiveness of advanced deep learning techniques in enhancing PE detection in post-COVID-19 patients through Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiography (CTPA) scans. Using a dataset of 746 anonymized CTPA images from 25 patients, we fine-tuned the state-of-the-art Ultralytics YOLOv8 object detection model, which was trained on 676 images with 1,517 annotated bounding boxes and validated on 70 images with 108 bounding boxes. After 200 epochs of training, which lasted approximately 1.021 hours, the YOLOv8 model demonstrated significant diagnostic proficiency, achieving a mean Average Precision (mAP) of 0.683 at an IoU threshold of 0.50 and a mAP of 0.246 at the IoU range of 0.50:0.95 in the validation dataset. Notably, the model reached a maximum precision of 0.85949 and a maximum recall of 0.81481, though these metrics were observed in separate epochs. These findings emphasize the model's potential for high diagnostic accuracy and offer a promising direction for deploying AI tools in clinical settings, significantly contributing to healthcare innovation and patient care post-pandemic.

The Intersection of COVID-19 and Reproductive Health: A Literature Review on Male Fertility Challenges

The Intersection of COVID-19 and Reproductive Health: A Literature Review on Male Fertility Challenges

Case Report: Management of COVID-19 in a Sickle Cell Anaemia Patient: A Case Report

This case report presents the management of COVID-19 in a 19-year-old female with a known history of sickle cell anaemia. The patient displayed typical COVID-19 symptoms with the feature of sickle cell anaemia, crises. Laboratory analysis confirmed COVID-19. The management involved a blood transfusion and a specific medication regimen to alleviate the patient’s symptoms. Importantly, blood transfusions could potentially contribute to the patient’s positive outcome, suggesting their importance in similar cases. This case highlights the challenges modelled by the intersection of COVID-19 and sickle cell anaemia. This combination of diseases needs early intervention and multidisciplinary care. Early identification and management of COVID-19 in sickle cell anaemia patients are crucial. Early intervention may play a vital role in optimising outcomes.

Editorial: The intersection of COVID-19 and tropical diseases

Editorial: The intersection of COVID-19 and tropical diseases

Isolation and abuse: The intersection of Covid19 and domestic violence

Amid the global lockdowns, the surge in domestic violence cases has been one of the distressing consequences of the Covid19 pandemic [1]. Isolation, stress, and economic distress amongst other factors have all contributed to an increase in this form of abuse. Women have been subjected to discrimination and abuse for around 2700 years, and a clear example of such discrimination can be seen in the form of laws operating in 753 BCE that allowed the disciplining of wives [2]. The matter of domestic abuse started receiving recognition in the 1970s when it became a compulsion on all the certified hospitals by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations to refer patients of domestic abuse to authorities after treating them [3].

The intersection of COVID-19 and air pollution: A systematic literature network analysis and roadmap for future research

This paper employs systematic literature network analysis, including a literature review and bibliometric network analysis, to explore the COVID-19 and air pollution literature. A total of 1208 relevant documents from the Scopus database were analyzed using VOSviewer and SciMAT to examine author, keyword, and country interconnections. The paper addresses three research questions: (1) the latest studies on COVID-19 and air pollution, (2) influential authors, documents, and sources in the field, and (3) the study's findings as a roadmap for future research. Visual representations of author and country networks highlight influential entities based on citation rate. Keyword cluster analysis via VOSviewer summarizes connections based on link strength. The strategic diagram generated by SciMAT offers insights into future research directions in specific thematic keywords: (1) air pollution, (2) nitrogen dioxide, (3) epidemiology, and (4) atmospheric aerosol. This analysis enhances understanding of COVID-19 and air pollution and guides future research endeavors.

E040 Disease flare-ups after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination among patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases in a Rheumatology Specialized Care Center: Sri Lanka

Abstract Background/Aims In the recent past, there has been growing research interest in COVID-19 vaccines and their impact on the disease dynamics of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). The intersection of COVID-19 and autoimmunity has led to the theoretical possibility of flare-ups of autoimmune diseases with COVID vaccines. This study was conducted to evaluate the occurrence and the nature of flare-ups following the COVID vaccination on patients with RMDs. Methods This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at Ragama Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Hospital, Sri Lanka involving 248 clinic patients using a structured questionnaire. Results The mean age of the study population was 52.69 and 75.4% were females. 12 patients (4.7%) reported flare symptoms following 1st dose of vaccination. Of them, 67% were females and 41.7% were within the 40-45 years age group. 75% of patients have experienced the onset of the flare symptoms following 1 week of the vaccination and 41.7% of symptoms have lasted more than 8 weeks. 66.7% who had this flare have received Sinopharm, while 25% received Covishield. In this flare 58.3% got polyarthritis,16.7% monoarthritis, 8.3% oligoarthritis and 16.7% generalized rash. By contrast, 42 (16.9%) patients who received the 2nd dose of the vaccine had flare symptoms. 90.5% of this population were females and 38.1% were within the 50-59 years age group. 42% got flare following 1st week of the vaccination and 57% of symptoms have lasted more than 8 weeks. 5 patients who had flare symptoms following the first dose reported having flare after the 2nd dose too. None of the flare symptoms following 1st or 2nd dose of the vaccinations needed hospitalization. Interestingly gender (p = 0.012), use of methotrexate (p = 0.043), and the presence of flare to the first dose (p = 0.02) were found to be significantly correlated with the occurrence of flare symptoms following 2nd dose of vaccination. Conclusion This study reveals a considerable incidence of non-severe RMD flare-ups following COVID vaccination, mainly with the 2nd dose. Further studying on the effects of repeated and periodic COVID vaccination among patients with RMDs is timely to reassure and to improve vaccine acceptance in this group of patients. Disclosure S.K. Ubhayasiri: None. D. Abeysinghe: None.

From Peace Talks to Pandemics: The Continuum of Feminist Peace Activism

Abstract Feminist scholarship has convincingly shown that violence is more accurately conceptualized as a continuum rather than a war/peace binary. While recent scholarship has elucidated women's peace activism during armed conflict, peace negotiations, and post-peace agreement transitions, we know little about the work of self-identified women peace activists beyond those highly visible moments. We examine the activities of a Burundian women's peace organization in exile, Mouvement Inamahoro, during COVID-19. Our data are derived from thirty-six semi-structured interviews with individual members of the organization and reviewing hundreds of primary-source documents. We find that from Inamahoro’s standpoint, the intersection of COVID-19 and exile constituted security threats, relevant to its mandate to build peace. Accordingly, it responded with humanitarian assistance, advocacy, and awareness-raising among its own members as well as with Burundians both inside and outside the country. Inamahoro also continued its regular activities to promote longer-term peace and security in Burundi through media programming, training women and girls for political leadership, and liaising with Burundian civil society and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs). Based on the continuum of violence concept and building inductively from the Inamahoro case, we propose a multidimensional continuum of activism that occurs before, during, and following conflict (dimension 1, time); is conducted in multiple arenas (dimension 2, space); deals with issues of insecurity at multiple levels (dimension 3, scale); and is concerned with threats that are structural, direct, and cultural/symbolic (dimension 4, type). In so doing, we offer a preliminary framework with which to examine the everyday activities of women peace activists, which constitute often overlooked interventions in global politics.

The impact of stay-at-home orders on safety and stability for women: A topical review of intimate partner violence and intimate femicide in the United States during the initial phase of COVID-19.

We intend to identify the links between COVID-19, intimate partner violence (IPV), and intimate femicide (IF) for women in the United States by answering the following questions: (1) what does the existing literature say about the intersection of COVID-19, IPV, and IF and (2) what are the contributing factors leading to rates of violence against women during COVID-19? This topical review summarizes studies published on IPV and IF during the initial stages of COVID-19 covering the period of March 1, 2020, to July 31, 2021. This review identified 22 articles addressing rates of IPV and IF during COVID-19, exacerbating risk factors for women, and recommendations for responses and intervention efforts. Findings revealed an increase in help-seeking calls during the initial phase of the pandemic and COVID-related circumstances such as extended confinement, unemployment, school closures, social isolation, and financial strains intensifying women's experiences of violence. Data also revealed an increase in purchasing firearms, which increases the risk of women being killed by an intimate partner (Lyons et al., 2020). The nexus of COVID-19 and IPV disproportionately impact women, specifically, Latina immigrants. Implications for utilizing an intersectional framework to further examine these issues and promote social and political change are provided. Since the rates of IPV and femicide have been reported as increasing during COVID-19, understanding the complexities and stressors associated with life in a pandemic is essential for addressing inequalities women face and the health of our communities.

Cancer and COVID-19: A Double Burden on the Healthcare System

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed an unprecedented burden on the healthcare system. In particular, the intersection of COVID-19 and cancer has created a double burden on the healthcare system, presenting challenges in both the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. During the pandemic, overcrowding of hospitals and clinics, shortages of PPE and other medical supplies, and the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers have all made it more difficult to care for cancer patients. The challenges in cancer diagnosis and screening during the pandemic have included delays in cancer diagnoses, decreased access to cancer screenings, and a decrease in the number of cancer surgeries being performed. Changes in cancer treatment patterns and access to care during COVID-19 have also impacted the treatment outcomes for cancer patients, with a decrease in the number of cancer patients being treated and an increased risk of poor outcomes for those who are being treated. The impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers and their ability to care for cancer patients has also been significant, with healthcare workers facing increased exposure to the virus, increased workloads, and increased stress and burnout. The double burden of COVID-19 and cancer on the healthcare system has implications for policy and practice, including the need for improved coordination between cancer and COVID-19 response efforts and the need for increased investment in healthcare infrastructure and resources. In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic has created a double burden on the healthcare system, with significant challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers and the healthcare system more broadly highlights the need for improved coordination and increased investment in healthcare resources and infrastructure.

Primary Aldosteronism and COVID-19-related Management, Disease Severity, and Outcomes: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is dependent on components of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system for infectivity. Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a form of secondary hypertension mediated by autonomous aldosterone production. The intersection of COVID-19 and PA, both which may involve components of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, remains unknown. We assessed PA as a risk factor for COVID-19 infection and compared management, severity of disease, and outcomes during COVID-19 with a matched population of patients with essential hypertension (EH) by conducting a retrospective observational cohort study. Of the patients with PA, 81 had a negative PCR test for COVID-19, whereas 43 had a documented positive PCR test for COVID-19. Those patients with PA who tested positive for COVID-19 tended to be female (P = .08) and the majority of those with COVID-19 infection identified as non-White race (P = .02) and Hispanic ethnicity (P = .02). In a subanalysis, 24-hour urine aldosterone on initial PA diagnosis tended to be higher those in the PA group who developed COVID-19 compared with those in the PA group who did not develop COVID-19 [median (interquartile range): 36.5 (16.9, 54.3) vs 22.0 (15.8, 26.8) mcg, P = .049] and was an independent predictor of COVID-19 infection controlling for sex, race, and ethnicity. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, angiotensin II receptor blocker, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist use did not differ between those patients with PA who did and did not have COVID-19 infection. Comparing those patients with PA and matched patients with EH (n = 286) who were COVID-19 PCR positive, there was a significantly higher incidence of cardiovascular complications (12 vs 2%, P = .004) in the PA vs EH group. These data begin to inform us as to whether PA should be a newly identified subpopulation at risk for COVID-19-related cardiovascular disease sequelae.

Evaluation of Inequities in Cancer Treatment Delay or Discontinuation Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection

There is a disproportionately greater burden of COVID-19 among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black individuals, who also experience poorer cancer outcomes. Understanding individual-level and area-level factors contributing to inequities at the intersection of COVID-19 and cancer is critical. To evaluate associations of individual-level and area-level social determinants of health (SDOH) with delayed or discontinued cancer treatment following SARS-CoV-2 infection. This retrospective, registry-based cohort study used data from 4768 patients receiving cancer care who had positive test results for SARS-CoV-2 and were enrolled in the American Society for Clinical Oncology COVID-19 Registry. Data were collected from April 1, 2020, to September 26, 2022. Race and ethnicity, sex, age, and area-level SDOH based on zip codes of residence at the time of cancer diagnosis. Delayed (≥14 days) or discontinued cancer treatment (any cancer treatment, surgery, pharmacotherapy, or radiotherapy) and time (in days) to restart pharmacotherapy. A total of 4768 patients (2756 women [57.8%]; 1558 [32.7%] aged ≥70 years at diagnosis) were included in the analysis. There were 630 Hispanic (13.2%), 196 non-Hispanic Asian American or Pacific Islander (4.1%), 568 non-Hispanic Black (11.9%), and 3173 non-Hispanic White individuals (66.5%). Compared with non-Hispanic White individuals, Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black individuals were more likely to experience a delay of at least 14 days or discontinuation of any treatment and drug-based treatment; only estimates for non-Hispanic Black individuals were statistically significant, with correction for multiple comparisons (risk ratios [RRs], 1.35 [95% CI, 1.22-1.49] and 1.37 [95% CI, 1.23-1.52], respectively). Area-level SDOH (eg, geography, proportion of residents without health insurance or with only a high school education, lower median household income) were associated with delayed or discontinued treatment. In multivariable Cox proportinal hazards regression models, estimates suggested that Hispanic (hazard ratio [HR], 0.87 [95% CI, 0.71-1.05]), non-Hispanic Asian American or Pacific Islander (HR, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.46-1.35]), and non-Hispanic Black individuals (HR, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.67-0.97]) experienced longer delays to restarting pharmacotherapy compared with non-Hispanic White individuals. The findings of this cohort study suggest that race and ethnicity and area-level SDOH were associated with delayed or discontinued cancer treatment and longer delays to the restart of drug-based therapies following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Such treatment delays could exacerbate persistent cancer survival inequities in the United States.

Abstract C103: Inequities in timely cancer treatment after testing positive for COVID-19: Findings from the ASCO Survey on COVID-19 in Oncology (ASCO) Registry

Abstract Introduction: There is a disproportionately greater burden of COVID-19 among non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and Hispanic individuals, who also shoulder an inordinate burden of poor cancer outcomes. Understanding patient- and area-level factors contributing to these inequities at the intersection of COVID-19 and cancer is critical. As such, the objective of this study was to evaluate inequities in receipt of timely cancer treatment following a confirmed positive test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)—the virus that causes COVID-19. Methods: This retrospective cohort study is comprised of 2,686 non-Hispanic White (NHW), non-Hispanic Black (NHB), and Hispanic cancer patients from the American Society for Clinical Oncology COVID-19 Registry (ASCO Registry), for whom relatively complete data were available at entry into the registry (at the date of confirmed positive SARS-CoV-2 test) up to the end of the follow-up period (~6-9 months post confirmed positive SARS-CoV-2 test). Data were collected from April 2020 to November 2021. Relative risk (RR) estimates (generated using the generalized linear model procedure with a Poisson distribution, log link, and robust error variances) were used to examine multivariable-adjusted associations between patient-level sociodemographic and clinical factors and area-level social determinants of health (SDOH), separately, with timely (on schedule or within 14 days of schedule) and delayed (≥14-day delay) receipt of cancer treatment. Kaplan-Meier curves were plotted to investigate the time (in days) to restart cancer treatment post-COVID-19 infection. Results: After correction for multiple comparisons, for drug-based therapy, NHB race (RR, 0.69 [95% CI, 0.55-0.87]; P=.002) and male sex (RR, 0.82 [95% CI, 0.71-0.95]; P=.009) were associated with 31% and 18% reductions in timely treatment receipt. NHB race (RR, 1.41 [95% CI, 1.17-1.71]; P<.001) was also associated with a 41% increased risk of ≥14-day delays in treatment receipt. NHB patients further experienced longer delays, on average, in restarting drug-based therapy relative to NHW and Hispanic patients (mean days: 54.7 vs. 36.6 and 36.7, P=.001). Hispanic ethnicity was marginally associated with a lower likelihood of timely drug-based therapy receipt (RR, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.61-1.02]; P=.075) and a greater risk of delayed receipt of drug-based therapy (RR, 1.31 [95% CI, 1.04-1.67]; P=.024). Residents of areas with higher proportions of NHWs (≥77.4% vs. <77.4%) had a 31% higher likelihood of timely drug-based therapy receipt (RR, 1.31 [95% CI, 1.18-1.47]; P<.001) and 21% significantly lower risk of delayed drug-based therapy (RR, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.69-0.90]; P=.001). Conclusions: NHB cancer patients, males, and residents of areas that are more racially and ethnically diverse experienced delayed drug-based cancer treatment following COVID-19 infection. These delays will likely exacerbate persistent cancer survival inequities in the United States. Citation Format: Adana A.M. Llanos, Adiba Ashrafi, Nabarun Ghosh, Jennifer Tsui, Yong Lin, Angela J. Fong, Shridar Ganesan, Carolyn J. Heckman. Inequities in timely cancer treatment after testing positive for COVID-19: Findings from the ASCO Survey on COVID-19 in Oncology (ASCO) Registry [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 15th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2022 Sep 16-19; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr C103.

The “IslamoCovid” Response: British Muslim Mobilization(s) at the Intersection of COVID-19 and Islamophobia

ABSTRACT One of the negative developments of the COVID-19 pandemic is the manner by which ethnic, racial, and religious minorities have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. In Great Britain, British Muslims have been adversely affected by this label as they have been disproportionately affected by the virus and stigmatized as super-spreaders by mainstream political parties and right-wing organizations. In response, British Muslims are actively mobilizing in civil society to challenge the super-spreader narrative while emphasizing the centrality of their Islamic faith in protecting their community – and the British public – from COVID-19. In this paper, we elaborate on three frameworks that explicate the British Muslim community’s response to COVID-19 and its accompanying Islamophobic frames: The emphasis on the individual’s responsibility to God, family, and self; the commitment of the British Muslim community to the society and the State; and the reframing of COVID-19 best health practices as Islamic in orientation.

New Insights into SARS-CoV-2 and Cancer Cross-Talk: Does a Novel Oncogenesis Driver Emerge?

Since the pandemic’s onset, a growing population of individuals has recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection and its long-term effects in some of the convalescents are gradually being reported. Although the precise etiopathogenesis of post-acute COVID-19 sequelae (PACS) remains elusive, the mainly accepted rationale is that SARS-CoV-2 exerts long-lasting immunomodulatory effects, promotes chronic low-grade inflammation, and causes irreversible tissue damage. So far, several viruses have been causally linked to human oncogenesis, whereas chronic inflammation and immune escape are thought to be the leading oncogenic mechanisms. Excessive cytokine release, impaired T-cell responses, aberrant activation of regulatory signaling pathways (e.g., JAK-STAT, MAPK, NF-kB), and tissue damage, hallmarks of COVID-19 disease course, are also present in the tumor microenvironment. Therefore, the intersection of COVID-19 and cancer is partially recognized and the long-term effects of the virus on oncogenesis and cancer progression have not been explored yet. Herein, we present an up-to-date review of the current literature regarding COVID-19 and cancer cross-talk, as well as the oncogenic pathways stimulated by SARS-CoV-2.

The Influence of Provaping "Gatewatchers" on the Dissemination of COVID-19 Misinformation on Twitter: Analysis of Twitter Discourse Regarding Nicotine and the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BackgroundThere is a lot of misinformation about a potential protective role of nicotine against COVID-19 spread on Twitter despite significant evidence to the contrary. We need to examine the role of vape advocates in the dissemination of such information through the lens of the gatewatching framework, which posits that top users can amplify and exert a disproportionate influence over the dissemination of certain content through curating, sharing, or, in the case of Twitter, retweeting it, serving more as a vector for misinformation rather than the source.ObjectiveThis research examines the Twitter discourse at the intersection of COVID-19 and tobacco (1) to identify the extent to which the most outspoken contributors to this conversation self-identify as vaping advocates and (2) to understand how and to what extent these vape advocates serve as gatewatchers through disseminating content about a therapeutic role of tobacco, nicotine, or vaping against COVID-19.MethodsTweets about tobacco, nicotine, or vaping and COVID-19 (N=1,420,271) posted during the first 9 months of the pandemic (January-September 2020) were identified from within a larger corpus of tobacco-related tweets using validated keyword filters. The top posters (ie, tweeters and retweeters) were identified and characterized, along with the most shared Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), most used hashtags, and the 1000 most retweeted posts. Finally, we examined the role of both top users and vape advocates in retweeting the most retweeted posts about the therapeutic role of nicotine, tobacco, or vaping against COVID-19.ResultsVape advocates comprised between 49.7% (n=81) of top 163 and 88% (n=22) of top 25 users discussing COVID-19 and tobacco on Twitter. Content about the ability of tobacco, nicotine, or vaping to treat or prevent COVID-19 was disseminated broadly, accounting for 22.5% (n=57) of the most shared URLs and 10% (n=107) of the most retweeted tweets. Finally, among top users, retweets comprised an average of 78.6% of the posts from vape advocates compared to 53.1% from others (z=3.34, P<.001). Vape advocates were also more likely to retweet the top tweeted posts about a therapeutic role of nicotine, with 63% (n=51) of vape advocates retweeting at least 1 post compared to 40.3% (n=29) of other top users (z=2.80, P=.01).ConclusionsProvaping users dominated discussions of tobacco use during the COVID-19 pandemic on Twitter and were instrumental in disseminating the most retweeted posts about a potential therapeutic role of tobacco use against the virus. Subsequent research is needed to better understand the extent of this influence and how to mitigate the influence of vape advocates over the broader narrative of tobacco regulation on Twitter.

Practicing Psychoanalysis at the Intersection Of Covid-19, The Murder of George Floyd, and Trump’s Presidency: Reflections from a Brown Analyst

The author focuses on some of her experiences as the COVID-19 pandemic began and her retrospective understanding of those experiences. She describes having drawn on memories from her early life to arrive at this understanding; she discusses how this process has allowed her to move past certain countertransferential obstacles in her clinical work during the early days of the pandemic and to listen to her patients with more optimal analytic attentiveness. The author also discusses concurrent sociopolitical events, such as Donald Trump’s presidency and George Floyd’s murder, and how these impacted her analytic work. Illustrative clinical vignettes are presented.

At the Intersection of COVID-19 and the Privilege of Mobility. Just in Case

Bibliographie: Rothmüller, Ninette: At the Intersection of COVID-19 and the Privilege of Mobility. Just in Case, Exposé – Zeitschrift für wissenschaftliches Schreiben und Publizieren, 1-2022, S. 32-36. https://doi.org/10.3224/expose.v3i1.08 ----- Open-Access-Lizenz: Dieser Beitrag ist ab dem 19.08.2022 im Open Access unter der Creative-Commons-Lizenz CC BY 4.0 (Namensnennung 4.0 International) verfügbar. Weitere Informationen zur Lizenz und den Nutzungsbedingungen finden Sie hier .

3 Selections from "Upon the Body: Poems of/to a Black Social Epi, PT.II--LOVE//Resistance in the Time of COVID"

The 3 poems included here are from a collection written between January and August 2020. The full collection—27 poems total—examines intersections of structural racism, racialized police violence, and COVID-19, drawing from generations of creative resistance produced and embodied by Black artists, activists, and scholars like Nina Simone, Langston Hughes, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Audre Lorde, Ida B. Wells, James Baldwin, and W.E.B. DuBois. The collection as a whole is crafted as counternarrative to public health’s ahistoric, apolitical, racist, and homophobic proclivities in times of crisis. The 3 poems here are from Part II, "LOVE//Resistance in the Time of COVID.” These selections make connections between social justice, structural racism, economic inequality, and public health history, weaving public health themes together with Black music, poetry, literature, and history to (re)frame/analyze the dual pandemics confronting Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, and to nuance narratives of our presence/resistance. “MASKS//Exposed” and “IMMAGINATION//Immunity” do so in relation to COVID-19, while “BLACK//Gold” (written/recorded as a hip-hop track) sits at the intersection of COVID-19 and racialized police violence.

Evaluating criminal justice reform during COVID-19: The need for a novel sentiment analysis package.

The health and safety of incarcerated persons and correctional personnel have been prominent in the U.S. news media discourse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Examining changing attitudes toward the health of the incarcerated population is imperative to better assess the extent to which the general public favors criminal justice reform. However, existing natural language processing lexicons that underlie current sentiment analysis (SA) algorithms may not perform adequately on news articles related to criminal justice due to contextual complexities. News discourse during the pandemic has highlighted the need for a novel SA lexicon and algorithm (i.e., an SA package) tailored for examining public health policy in the context of the criminal justice system. We analyzed the performance of existing SA packages on a corpus of news articles at the intersection of COVID-19 and criminal justice collected from state-level outlets between January and May 2020. Our results demonstrated that sentence sentiment scores provided by three popular SA packages can differ considerably from manually-curated ratings. This dissimilarity was especially pronounced when the text was more polarized, whether negatively or positively. A randomly selected set of 1,000 manually scored sentences, and the corresponding binary document term matrices, were used to train two new sentiment prediction algorithms (i.e., linear regression and random forest regression) to verify the performance of the manually-curated ratings. By better accounting for the unique context in which incarceration-related terminologies are used in news media, both of our proposed models outperformed all existing SA packages considered for comparison. Our findings suggest that there is a need to develop a novel lexicon, and potentially an accompanying algorithm, for analysis of text related to public health within the criminal justice system, as well as criminal justice more broadly.