Risk Of COVID-19 Exposure Research Articles

Daily relationships between job insecurity and emotional labor amid COVID-19: Mediation of ego depletion and moderation of off-job control and work-related smartphone use.

The economic recession in the service sector during the COVID-19 pandemic has jeopardized service employees' job security. While the daily fluctuations of perceived job insecurity may have implications for service employees' emotional labor, the day-to-day relationship between these two variables and their mediating and moderating mechanisms in the pandemic context remain unknown. To fill this gap, our research examined the day-level relationship between job insecurity perceptions, ego depletion, and emotional labor, as well as the moderating effects of overnight off-job control and work-related smartphone use. To assess these relationships, we conducted two daily studies during the COVID-19 pandemic. In study 1 (March-April 2020), 135 service employees responded to morning and evening online surveys for five workdays. In study 2 (June 2022), which administered morning and evening online surveys to 90 flight attendants for five workdays, work-related COVID-19 exposure risk was controlled in the analyses. The results of the two studies demonstrated that on a day when service employees perceived a high level of job insecurity, they felt ego-depleted, which, in turn, was associated with decreased deep acting and increased surface acting. Post hoc findings indicated a significant three-way interaction between off-job control, off-job work-related smartphone use, and daily job insecurity, such that the job insecurity-ego depletion-emotional labor was most pronounced when off-job control was low and off-job work-related smartphone use was high. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Increasing surgical wait time does not increase the risk of node positive prostate cancer: Implications for surgical planning during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

PurposeProstate cancer (PCa) is a heterogeneous diagnosis, with a significant latency between diagnosis and risk of cancer specific mortality. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to balance the risk of COVID-19 exposure and resource allocation resulted in delays in non-emergent surgeries. We sought to assess if delays in surgical wait time (SWT) result in an increased risk of disease progression in the setting of clinically node positive PCa.Materials and methodsThe National Cancer Database was queried for patients with cT1-3N0-1M0 PCa who underwent radical prostatectomy with lymph node dissection from 2010 to 2016. Patients were grouped based on pathologic node status (pN0 versus pN1). Outcomes including clinical tumor characteristics, hospital readmissions, and survival was correlated with length of SWT prior to radical prostatectomy.ResultsA total of 218 patients with pN0 PCa and 805 patients with pN1 PCa met our inclusion criteria and were included in this study. Hospital length of stay and 30-day readmissions were similar between pN0 and pN1 patients. No significant association was detected between increased SWT and pN1 status among our patient population. Sensitivity multivariable analyses including only patients with Gleason 7-10 and excluding those who received androgen deprivation therapy prior to surgery showed similar findings that SWT was not associated with pN1 disease. With short term follow up, Kaplan-Meier analysis showed no significant difference in overall survival when stratified by SWT at 30-, 60-, 90-, or >90-day intervals.ConclusionWith the impact of the recent pandemic on healthcare and hospital systems, it is important to understand the effect that likely delays in SWT can have on patient outcomes. The findings described in this study suggest that delays in SWT may not result in adverse nodal disease progression among patients diagnosed with pathological node positive PCa. These results will be important to share with patients and their families when discussing treatment options and can result in improved patient outcomes and satisfaction with treatment regimens.

Demographic factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine perceptions amongst healthcare and law enforcement workers

<b>Introduction:</b> The emergence of COVID-19 and the development of subsequent vaccines have both significantly impacted the lives and work of essential workers such as those who are healthcare, first responders, and law enforcement. Data has shown that these groups are all at a higher occupational risk for COVID-19 exposure, and therefore public health policy has prioritized the vaccination of this group, including mandating vaccines in this population. However, the perceptions of COVID-19 vaccines in this group are not clear and require examination.<br /> <b>Methods:</b> A cross-sectional analysis was conducted to examine the psychosocial factors associated with vaccine perceptions amongst healthcare and law enforcement professionals. An online survey was distributed to (n=216) between May 5, 2021, and August 25, 2021, and analyzed using a Chi-squared test for independence and Spearman correlation coefficient test.<br /> <b>Results:</b> It was found that race was significantly associated with four statements regarding COVID-19 vaccine attitudes and perceptions, gender identity was not associated with any statements, ethnicity was associated with two statements, and education level was associated with nine statements. Further analysis using a Spearman correlation coefficient found education to be associated with one statement regarding perceived safety (p=0.006) and another statement regarding perceived benefits (p=0.001).<br /> <b>Conclusion: </b>These findings are largely preliminary, but they provide insight into psychosocial factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine perception. It was found that all factors except for gender identity were associated with COVID-19 vaccine attitudes among healthcare and law enforcement professionals. Additional analysis found that higher education level was associated with higher perceived benefits and lower perceived barriers regarding COVID-19 vaccines.

P613 Switch from intravenous to subcutaneous maintenance infliximab in real world IBD cohort

Abstract Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been concern regarding patients attending hospitals for intravenous (IV) infusions due to increased COVID-19 exposure risk and demand on hospital resources. Data on switching patients from escalated dosing of IV infliximab (IFX) are limited. We describe a real-world experience of electively switching a cohort of patients on maintenance IV IFX for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), at both standard and escalated dosing, to subcutaneous CT-P13 (Remsima®). Methods Adult patients with IBD on IV IFX at Royal Adelaide Hospital were invited to switch to fortnightly dosing of subcutaneous IFX. We collected demographic data using medical records, and prospectively measured clinical assessment scores (CDAI/HBI for Crohn’s disease (CD) and partial Mayo/SCCAI for Ulcerative Colitis (UC)), faecal calprotectin (FCal), CRP and trough IFX levels prior to switching to subcutaneous IFX, and at 6 months post switch. Clinical remission was defined as CDAI≤150/HBI≤4 (CD) or partial Mayo≤3 (no subscore>1)/SCCAI≤2 (UC). Results 29 patients were switched from IV IFX to subcutaneous CT-P13 between March 2021 and May 2022 (see Table 1 for baseline demographics). 23 had Crohn’s disease (79%). 10/29 patients (31%) were on intensified IV dosing at baseline prior to switch. The majority of patients, 25/29 (86%) were in remission pre-switch. Of 19 patients with paired trough IFX levels, these increased significantly from baseline to 6 months post-switch (5.9mg/ml to 13.9mg/ml, respectively (p=0.0003), see Fig 1). The median FCal did not change pre- vs post switch (73mcg/g vs 80mcg/g, p=0.540), see Fig 2). Median CRP did not change pre- vs. post switch (1 µg/ml vs 2 µg/ml). Clinical assessment scores remained stable pre- vs. post-switch (CDAI 31 vs 31, (p=0.316) see Fig 3; HBI. 1 vs 2 (p=0.940); partial Mayo 0 vs 0, (p>0.999); and SCCAI 1 vs 2 (p=0.5000)). Regarding the subset of patients on escalated dosing at baseline, all patients were in clinical remission at 6 months post-switch. There was no significant change in IFX levels (8.4 vs 13.3, p=0.253). FCal did not significantly change (76mcg/g vs 79mcg/g (p=0.563), nor did median CDAI (37 vs 21 (p=0.5312) and median HBI (2 vs 2 (p=0.750)). Overall, only 1/29 (3%) patients were not in remission at 6 month follow-up. No patients in required steroids or surgery. Of the 9 patients with perianal disease, none had a flare. All patients with weight>100kg (n=4) remained in remission. Conclusion Switching patients from IV to subcutaneous IFX delivered stable clinical outcomes in this real world cohort, with no change in disease biomarkers and clinical indices. IFX levels increased overall and all patients on escalated IV dosing were in clinical remission at 6 months post-switch.

Management in MAEPS 2.0 Quarantine Centre: Burnout and Quality of Life of MOH Healthcare Workers

Objectives: Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang, MAEPS was established as a COVID-19 Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centre that was aimed to reduce the burden of hospitals. Various categories of healthcare workers (HCWs) were deployed nationwide. Being far from home and friends, working in an unfamiliar environment, and being concerned about one's own risk of COVID-19 exposure may exacerbate burnout in HCWs or affect their quality of life. Assessment on burnout and quality of life among MOH HCWs stationed at MAEPS 2.0 and the management of the healthcare workforce during the pandemic are shared. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between September 2021 to May 2022. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory and the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire were used to assess burnout and quality of life of MOH HCWs respectively. The Checklist for the Management of Health Workers in Response to COVID-19 consisting of 8 Essential Actions was given to heads of divisions in charge to obtain their perspective. One point assigned to the intervention answered “Yes” by the majority of respondents. Cumulative marks were then converted to percentages according to each Essential Action. Results: The rate of burnout ranged between 18% to 32% among the 377 respondents. Majority of HCWs had a good and very good perception of their quality of life and were satisfied with their overall health. There were moderate to strong correlations (r = - 0.44 - 0.67) between burnout and quality of life (p<0.001). More than half of the eight Essential Actions in the checklist scored 100%. Conclusion: Management of workers is important to ensure preparedness for response, enhance surge capacity and maintain crucial health services during the pandemic. Some HCWs experienced burnout and it relates to their quality of life. Nonetheless, MOH HCWs management at MAEPS 2.0 was managed with minimum gaps against the checklist.International Journal of Human and Health Sciences Supplementary Issue: 2023 Page: S18

An exploration of structural determinants driving racial disparities in COVID-19 deaths in Michigan.

Racial disparities in COVID-19 death rates have largely been driven by structural racism in health, housing, and labor systems that place Black, Brown, and Indigenous populations at greater risk for COVID-19 exposure, transmission, and severe illness, compared to non-Hispanic White populations. Here we examine the association between taxable property values per capita, an indicator influenced by historical and contemporary housing policies that have disproportionately impacted people of color, and COVID-19 deaths. Taxable values serve as a proxy for fiscal health providing insight on the county's ability to address imminent needs, including COVID-19 responses. Therefore, higher taxable values indicate local governments that are better equipped to deliver these public services. We used county-level data from the American Community Survey, the Michigan Community Financial Dashboard, The Atlantic's COVID Tracking Project, and the Community Health Rankings and Roadmap for this cross-sectional study. Maps were created to examine the geographic distribution of cumulative death rates and taxable values per capita, and regression models were used to examine the association between the two while controlling for population density, age, education, race, income, obesity, diabetes, and smoking rates. Seventy-five counties were included. The mean taxable value per capita was $43,764.50 and the mean cumulative death rate was 171.86. Findings from the regression analysis showed that counties with higher taxable values were associated with lower COVID-19 death rates (B = -2.45, P < 0.001). Our findings reveal a need to reevaluate current policies surrounding taxable property values in the state of Michigan, not solely for theirinequitable impact on local governments' financial solvency and service quality, but also for their negativeconsequences for population health andracial health equity. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10389-022-01817-w.

Perception of COVID-19 and Vaccine Acceptance among Healthcare Workers.

COVID-19 infection is more likely to be acquired and transmitted by healthcare workers (HCWs). Furthermore, they serve as role models for communities in terms of COVID-19 vaccination attitudes. As a result, HCWs' reluctance to vaccinate could have a significant impact on pandemic containment efforts. To characterize the current COVID-19 vaccine approval situation among healthcare workers and to determine the most likely reason for agreement or disagreement with COVID-19 vaccination. This cross-sectional design included 451 HCWs from COVID-19 treatment institutions, with COVID-19 exposure risk changing depending on job function and working location. The study recruited 156 physicians and 295 nurses, of whom 58.1% were female and 41.9% were male. Physicians had a significantly higher rate of participation in COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control, with a rate of 69.9% versus 55.3% of nurses. Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination was reported by 40.8% of HCWs. The rate of acceptance was significantly higher among physicians (55.1%) than among nurses (33.2%) (p < 0.001). Most HCWs (67.8%) believed the vaccine was not effective. Physicians showed more significant trust in the effectiveness of the vaccine than nurses (41% and 27.5, respectively) (p=0.003). Concerning vaccine safety, only 32.8% of HCWs believed it was safe. This was significantly higher in physicians (41.7%) than in nurses (28.1%) (p=0.004). Vaccination uncertainty is common among healthcare personnel in Egypt, and this could be a significant barrier to vaccine uptake among the public. Campaigns to raise vaccine knowledge are critically needed.

The Factors Related to Anxiety in Workers with Covid-19 Exposure Risk in Banjarbaru City Health Centers

The Factors Related to Anxiety in Workers with Covid-19 Exposure Risk in Banjarbaru City Health Centers

Routine pre-operative Covid testing in elective surgeries: Is it worth it?

BackgroundPre-procedural COVID-19 testing in patients scheduled for elective cases have become routine to reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure and pulmonary complications related to perioperative COVID-19 infection, and to reduce the use of specific hospital resources among other reasons. This study evaluates the efficacy of universal COVID-19 testing for elective procedures. MethodsSingle institution retrospective observational study from July 2020 through August 2021. ResultsThere were a total of 499 unique patients who were scheduled for 581 surgeries or procedures. A total of 569 anterior nares reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests were completed before scheduled procedure. There were 2 (0.35%) positive COVID tests, both of whom were asymptomatic and unvaccinated at time of testing, and 13 (2.2%) cancelled cases overall. The total cost for labor and materials during this period was $19,738, with each RT-PCR test costing $34.69 and each true positive test costing $9,869. ConclusionsGiven the low COVID-19 positivity in the elective procedural patient population, testing protocols for elective procedures should be re-evaluated as the pandemic evolves.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Speech-Language Pathologists Engaged in Clinical Practices With Elevated Coronavirus Transmission Risk: A 2021 Follow-Up Study

Purpose: This study assessed changes in speech-language pathology practice 1 year following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The specific focus was on speech-language pathologists (SLPs) engaged in evaluation and treatment activities that pose an increased risk of virus transmission, namely, aerosol-generating procedures. Method: SLPs from the United States and Canada ( n = 609) who were engaged in clinical activities with an elevated risk of COVID-19 exposure completed an online survey regarding their clinical practices. Topics assessed included continuation, modification, or cessation of clinical services, personal protective equipment (PPE) use, COVID-19 infections and vaccinations among SLPs, and financial impacts. For comparison, the results from the 2020 survey are included, and the percentage change (2020% − 2021%) is reported. Results: A majority of SLPs (90%) who completed the current survey reported that they were not experiencing PPE shortages, a marked change from the 2020 survey. Over half of the SLPs (52%) reported changes in clinical duties in 2021, with in-person visits and endoscopy being the most impacted. Nearly half of the respondents (49%) reported conducting virtual/telehealth clinical activities during the pandemic, and of these, 78% had not done any virtual/telehealth work prior to COVID-19. A positive COVID-19 test was reported by 10% of the SLPs (5% higher than in 2020). Most SLPs (92%) indicated they were vaccinated at the time of this survey. Conclusions: The 2021 survey data indicated an overall increase in SLP clinical activities compared with 2020 but have not yet returned to prepandemic levels. These results highlight a notable uptake of virtual/telehealth practice by SLPs, including those who had not previously done so. SLP vaccination rates also exceeded that of the general population.

Safety not guaranteed: Investigating employees’ safety performance during a global pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic threatened employees’ health and safety more than any event in recent years. Although millions of employees transitioned to working from home to mitigate infectious disease exposure, many worksites re-opened amid the pandemic as high infection rates persisted longer than expected. Safety guidelines were issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and other national initiatives to improve the health and safety of employees returning to on-site work. The current work addresses predictors of infection control safety behaviors in a general working population that largely lacks infection control training and expertise. Drawing from Neal and Griffin’s model of safety behavior, we investigated organizational factors (i.e., perceived safety climate, safety-related organizational constraints, occupational risk of COVID-19 exposure) and individual factors (i.e., infection control safety attitudes, conscientiousness, and risk aversion) associated with employees’ infection control safety behaviors shortly after returning to on-site work during the pandemic. Survey results from 89 full-time employees across industries demonstrated that the organizational and individual factors accounted for 51.19 percent of the variance in employees’ infection control safety behaviors. Organizational factors accounted for 49.02 percent of the explained variance, and individual factors accounted for 50.98 percent of the explained variance. Conscientiousness, perceived safety climate, safety-related organizational constraints, and infection control safety attitudes explained significant variance in employees’ infection control safety behaviors, while the occupational risk of COVID-19 exposure and risk aversion did not. Organizations may benefit from considering employees’ conscientiousness and safety attitudes during employee selection as well as enhancing their organization’s safety climate and mitigating safety-related organizational constraints.

COVID-19 Pandemic Effects on the Well-Being of Professional Pilots.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to evaluate the well-being of professional pilots using a survey that included the World Health Organization (WHO)-5 Well-Being Index.METHODS: An electronic survey was sent to pilots between June 17-August 2, 2021. Pilots self-categorized as: airline transport pilot (ATP), commercial pilot, or both. Chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests were used to evaluate differences between variables. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds of impaired well-being.RESULTS: A total of 639 individuals returned the survey. The majority of respondents were ATPs and a majority identified as male. The average well-being score was 68.0 out of 100 possible, with 22% of respondents meeting the threshold definition of impaired well-being. The odds of having impaired well-being were not dependent on gender. In unadjusted analysis, the odds of impaired well-being were higher for those flying as commercial pilots as compared to airline transport pilots/both. Age was also strongly associated with impaired well-being, with younger pilots having greater odds of impaired well-being as compared to older pilots. Only a little over half of the surveyed pilots agreed or strongly agreed that pilot risk of occupational exposure to COVID-19 was appropriately controlled.CONCLUSION: This survey suggests an important connection between pilot age and impaired well-being scores during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future studies targeting the well-being of younger pilots will be of interest. Additionally, measures to reduce occupational risk of COVID-19 exposure may be helpful in view of the substantial fraction of pilots expressing concern regarding that risk.Stratton E, Haddon R, Murad MH, Petterson T, Nelson M, Cowl CT. COVID-19 pandemic effects on the well-being of professional pilots. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2022; 93(10):734-738.

Uptake of a Switching Program for Patients Receiving Intravenous Infliximab and Vedolizumab to Subcutaneous Preparations.

Background: Recent trials support the clinical efficacy and safety of subcutaneous infliximab (IFX) or vedolizumab (VDZ) for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). We evaluated the uptake and rationale for choosing to switch from intravenous infusions to subcutaneous injections. Methods: Retrospective analysis of all adult patients receiving standard dosing IFX or VDZ maintenance therapy to investigate uptake of subcutaneous injections and the rationale for switching to subcutaneous injections. Results: Of 232 eligible patients (total = 258: IFX = 190, VDZ = 68, and no longer eligible = 26), 58% of patients on IFX and 59% of patients on VDZ chose to switch to subcutaneous treatment. Age, sex, diagnosis, drug, line of treatment, and duration of treatment were not predictors for willingness to switch. Questionnaire responses (n = 51) demonstrate that the decision to switch was not influenced by COVID-19 exposure risk, impact on wider IBD service provision, impact on patient mental health, financial savings, seeking support following a switch, or a sense of independence managing IBD. Switchers (68%) were more motivated by time savings than non-switchers (25%; p = 0.0042). Conclusions: Switch uptake rates were 58%, with 90% of patients eligible to switch. Switch decision was influenced by time savings for patients but not by other patient-related factors.

Perceived risk and attitude's mediating role between tourism knowledge and visit intention during the COVID-19 pandemic: implementation for coastal-ecotourism management

CMC Tiga Warna is one of the coastal area management for conservation and ecotourism in southern Malang, Indonesia. Despite fewer tourist visits, the COVID-19 pandemic did not dissuade locals from managing and protecting ecotourism in the coastal area. This study aims to: (a) to describe coastal ecosystem management; and (b) to analyze coastal ecotourist visit intention related to tourism knowledge, perceived health risk, and risk attitude in the post-COVID-19 era as a part of developing strategy for coastal ecosystem management in the study area from the perspective of ecotourists and destination management. CMC Tiga Warna management, community group supervisors, the local community, and a variety of experts were interviewed in order to gather data for the current strategy. Coastal ecotourist visit intention data from domestic ecotourists was gathered via online and offline surveys. Analyzing the visit intention data with Warp-PLS. Using the visit intention model and interview data, the coastline management strategy was described. This study found that the coastal environment management plan constantly involved ecotourists and locals. Tourism knowledge and risk attitude are positively related to the visit intention, however perceived health risk is negatively related to it. The significant positive relationship between tourism knowledge and ecotourist visit intention is mediated by perceived health risk and risk attitude. Development of the coastal ecosystem management plan could be supported by boosting visit intention, ecotourism visits, or economic incentive as a motive for sustaining the conservation program's consistency, and ecological and social rewards in a sustainable manner. This study added to the Theory of Reasoned Action by adding two additional factors, tourist knowledge and perceived health risk, in addition to the attitude to predict the visit intention. The ecotourism manager should provide varied tourist information and knowledge as needed, reduce COVID-19 exposure risk at tourist destinations, and increase risk attitude.

Shouldering the load yet again: Black women's experiences of stress during COVID-19

Black women in the United States experience considerable amounts of stress, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior studies have linked stress to adverse mental and physical outcomes for Black women and, moreover, shown that Black women are more susceptible to maladaptive coping, which compounds these risks. Research on the Superwoman Schema and Sojourner's Syndrome, for instance, shows how Black women are compelled to portray strength and resilience while suffering internally and experiencing poor health outcomes. These phenomena can be attributed to the historical expectations of Black women to be pillars of their families and sources of strength despite adversity and persistent institutional discrimination. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Black women's greater likelihood of holding “essential worker” roles has further increased their risk of both COVID-19 exposure and heightened stress. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated long standing structural inequities and disparities between Black women and other racial/ethnic groups. Drawing on journal entries submitted by Black women participating in the Pandemic Journaling Project (PJP), a combined online journaling platform and interdisciplinary research study, this paper illuminates the voices of Black women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Seventy-two Black women created journal entries using the PJP platform. We analyze the stories, idioms, and feelings they recorded during a global pandemic. We identify three prominent domains of stress: work and school, caregiving, and social (dis)connectedness. In addition to exploring manifestations of stress across these domains, we, discuss some of the mental health implications of COVID-19 and explore the potential for regular journaling as a possible mode of stress management among Black women.

Combined Effect of Changes in Transit Service and Changes in Occupancy on Per-Passenger Energy Consumption

Many transit providers changed their schedules and route configurations during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing more frequent bus service on major routes and curtailing other routes, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure. This research first assessed the changes in Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) service configurations by reviewing the pre-pandemic versus during-pandemic General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) files. Energy use per route for a typical week was calculated for pre-pandemic, during-closure, and post-closure periods by integrating GTFS data with MOVES-Matrix transit energy and emission rates (MOVES signifying MOtor Vehicle Emission Simulator). MARTA automated passenger counter data were appended to the routes, and energy use per passenger-mile was compared across routes for the three periods. The results showed that the coupled effect of transit frequency shift and ridership decrease from 2019 to 2020 increased route-level energy use for over 87% of the routes and per-passenger-mile energy use for over 98% of the routes. In 2021, although MARTA service had largely returned to pre-pandemic conditions, ridership remained in an early stage of recovery. Total energy use decreased to about pre-pandemic levels, but per-passenger energy use remained higher for more than 91% of routes. The results confirm that while total energy use is more closely associated with trip schedules and routes, per-passenger energy use depends on both trip service and ridership. The results also indicate a need for data-based transit planning, to help avoid inefficiency associated with over-provision of service or inadequate social distancing protection caused by under-provision of service.

In persons at risk for poor vaccination response or COVID-19 exposure, tixagevimab + cilgavimab reduced COVID-19.

Levin MJ, Ustianowski A, De Wit S, et al. Intramuscular AZD7442 (tixagevimab-cilgavimab) for prevention of Covid-19. N Engl J Med. 2022;386:2188-200. 35443106.

A Cost, Time, and Demographic Analysis of Participant Recruitment and Urine Sample Collection Through Social Media Optimization.

Clinical research can be expensive and time consuming due to high associated costs and/or duration of the study. We hypothesized that urine sample collection using online recruitment and engagement of research participants via social medial has the potential to reach a large population in a small timeframe, at a reasonable cost. We performed a retrospective cost analysis of a cohort study comparing cost per sample and time per sample for both online and clinically recruited participants for urine sample collection. During this time, cost data were collected based on study associated costs from invoices and budget spreadsheets. The data were subsequently analyzed using descriptive statistics. Each sample collection kit contained 3 urine cups, 1 for the disease sample and 2 for control samples. Out of the 3,576 (1,192 disease + 2,384 control) total sample cups mailed, 1,254 (695 control) samples were returned. Comparatively, the 2 clinical sites collected 305 samples. Although the initial startup cost of online recruitment was higher, cost per sample for online recruited was found to be $81.45 compared to $398.14 for clinic sample. We conducted a nationwide, contactless, urine sample collection through online recruitment in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results were compared with the samples collected in the clinical setting. Online recruitment can be utilized to collect urine samples rapidly, efficiently, and at a cost per sample that was 20% of an in-person clinic, and without risk of COVID-19 exposure.

Using the multiphase optimization strategy (MOST) framework to optimize an intervention to increase COVID-19 testing for Black and Latino/Hispanic frontline essential workers: A study protocol

BackgroundAmong those at highest risk for COVID-19 exposure is the large population of frontline essential workers in occupations such food service, retail, personal care, and in-home health services, among whom Black and Latino/Hispanic persons are over-represented. For those not vaccinated and at risk for exposure to COVID-19, including frontline essential workers, regular (approximately weekly) COVID-19 testing is recommended. However, Black and Latino/Hispanic frontline essential workers in these occupations experience serious impediments to COVID-19 testing at individual/attitudinal- (e.g., lack of knowledge of guidelines), social- (e.g., social norms), and structural-levels of influence (e.g., poor access), and rates of testing for COVID-19 are insufficient.Methods/designThe proposed community-engaged study uses the multiphase optimization strategy (MOST) framework and an efficient factorial design to test four candidate behavioral intervention components informed by an integrated conceptual model that combines critical race theory, harm reduction, and self-determination theory. They are A) motivational interview counseling, B) text messaging grounded in behavioral economics, C) peer education, and D) access to testing (via navigation to an appointment vs. a self-test kit). All participants receive health education on COVID-19. The specific aims are to: identify which components contribute meaningfully to improvement in the primary outcome, COVID-19 testing confirmed with documentary evidence, with the most effective combination of components comprising an “optimized” intervention that strategically balances effectiveness against affordability, scalability, and efficiency (Aim 1); identify mediators and moderators of the effects of components (Aim 2); and use a mixed-methods approach to explore relationships among COVID-19 testing and vaccination (Aim 3). Participants will be N = 448 Black and Latino/Hispanic frontline essential workers not tested for COVID-19 in the past six months and not fully vaccinated for COVID-19, randomly assigned to one of 16 intervention conditions, and assessed at 6- and 12-weeks post-baseline. Last, N = 50 participants will engage in qualitative in-depth interviews.DiscussionThis optimization trial is designed to yield an effective, affordable, and efficient behavioral intervention that can be rapidly scaled in community settings. Further, it will advance the literature on intervention approaches for social inequities such as those evident in the COVID-19 pandemic.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05139927; Registered on 11/29/2021. Protocol version 1.0. May 2, 2022, Version 1.0

EXPLORING QUANTUM COMPUTING POTENTIALS IN SOLVING A COMBINATORIAL OPTIMIZATION PROBLEM TO MINIMIZE EXPOSURE TO COVID-19 DURING A CITY JOURNEY

Abstract. COVID-19 is an airborne virus that can be spread directly or indirectly from one person to another. Spreading the virus strongly depends on the location and time and hence, a Spatio-temporal event. Moreover, traffic congestion will increase the spread of the virus not only because of the vicinity but also because of increased temperature and humidity in these spaces for a short or long time. This paper introduces a vehicle routing optimization model to reduce COVID-19 exposure risk during a city journey by solving it as a quadratic unconstrained binary optimization problem on a quantum annealing computer. Indeed, the objective of the COVID-19 prevention optimization problem is to minimize the risk of exposure for a given set of road users between origins and destinations. Microsoft Taxi data from the city of Beijing have been used to simulate road users’ movement. The problem has been run onto three different solvers. One of the solvers is executed on classical computers, and two other solvers are executed on hybrid quantum solvers. Hybrid solvers return the solution within less than 0.03 seconds on quantum processing unit time. However, the results will be returned at least 5 seconds after the execution in the classical solver. It is worth mentioning that, as there is no direct access to the quantum computers, it is hard to compare the results on the same scale as the queries will go on a queue in D-wave quantum computers. Applying the proposed model on the trajectory data shows a better distribution of the vehicles on the road network.