COVID-19 Susceptibility Research Articles

COVID-19 and the risk of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: a Mendelian randomization study.

An increasing number of studies have elucidated a close nexus between COVID-19 phenotypes and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), yet the causality between them remains enigmatic. In this study, we conducted a Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis employing summary data sourced from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) pertaining to COVID-19 susceptibility, hospitalization, severity, and NMOSD. The primary MR analysis employed the Inverse variance weighted (IVW) approach, which was supplemented by MR-Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode methods. We implemented various sensitivity analyses including Cochran's Q test, MR-PRESSO method, MR-Egger intercept, leave-one-out analysis, and funnel plot. The MR results demonstrated a nominal association between COVID-19 susceptibility and the risk of AQP4+ NMOSD, as evidenced by the IVW method (OR = 4.958; 95% CI: 1.322-18.585; P = 0.018). Conversely, no causal association was observed between COVID-19 susceptibility, hospitalization, or severity and the increased risk of NMOSD, AQP4-NMOSD, or AQP4+ NMOSD. The comprehensive sensitivity analyses further bolstered the robustness and consistency of the MR estimates. Our findings provide compelling evidence for a causal effect of COVID-19 phenotype on AQP4+ NMOSD, shedding new light on the understanding of the comorbidity between COVID-19 and NMOSD.

Acceptance of Covid-19 Vaccination: Perspectives of an Urban Community in Ghana

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, research on the adoption and spread of the COVID-19 vaccination has been conducted all over the world. However, studies on the spread of the COVID-19 vaccine and its subsequent acceptance have received little attention in Ghana. This study investigated how the general population reacted to the Government of Ghana's COVID-19 vaccination diffusion strategy as well as the motivating factors for its acceptance. In-depth interviews with thirty (30) purposefully selected respondents were conducted. The interview data were thematically analysed. Themes that emerged from the analysis included: conspiracy theory, vaccine as free lunch, misconception about susceptibility of COVID-19, misinformation and public education and lack of trust in the Government and the health system. The study's findings show that reluctance to receive vaccine is a significant obstacle to establishing effective vaccination efforts during the pandemic. We conclude that conspiracy theory, vaccine as free lunch, misconception about susceptibility of COVID-19, misinformation and public education and lack of trust in the Government and the health system as factors resulting in vaccine hesitancy. The study's conclusions can also give the Ghanaian government ideas for approaches to adopt in order to allay respondents' worries. This may significantly lessen vaccine hesitancy among Ghanaians.

Associations between polygenic risk score and covid-19 susceptibility and severity across ethnic groups: UK Biobank analysis

BackgroundCOVID-19 manifests with huge heterogeneity in susceptibility and severity outcomes. UK Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups have demonstrated disproportionate burdens. Some variability remains unexplained, suggesting potential genetic contribution. Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS) can determine genetic predisposition to disease based on Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) within the genome. COVID-19 PRS analyses within non-European samples are extremely limited. We applied a multi-ethnic PRS to a UK-based cohort to understand genetic contribution to COVID-19 variability.MethodsWe constructed two PRS for susceptibility and severity outcomes based on leading risk-variants from the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative. Scores were applied to 447,382 participants from the UK-Biobank. Associations with COVID-19 outcomes were assessed using binary logistic regression and discriminative power was validated using incremental area under receiver operating curve (ΔAUC). Variance explained was compared between ethnic groups via incremental pseudo-R2 (ΔR2).ResultsCompared to those at low genetic risk, those at high risk had a significantly greater risk of severe COVID-19 for White (odds ratio [OR] 1.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.42–1.74), Asian (OR 2.88, 95% CI 1.63–5.09) and Black (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.11–3.53) ethnic groups. Severity PRS performed best within Asian (ΔAUC 0.9%, ΔR2 0.98%) and Black (ΔAUC 0.6%, ΔR2 0.61%) cohorts. For susceptibility, higher genetic risk was significantly associated with COVID-19 infection risk for the White cohort (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.26–1.36), but not for Black or Asian groups.ConclusionsSignificant associations between PRS and COVID-19 outcomes were elicited, establishing a genetic basis for variability in COVID-19. PRS showed utility in identifying high-risk individuals. The multi-ethnic approach allowed applicability of PRS to diverse populations, with the severity model performing well within Black and Asian cohorts. Further studies with larger sample sizes of non-White samples are required to increase statistical power and better assess impacts within BAME populations.

Risk Factors Associated with the Severity of COVID-19.

The case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a global crisis. In addition, more variants of the virus have been discovered with easier transmission and more harmful effects. Thus, understanding the risk factors associated with the susceptibility and severity of COVID-19 is critical for disease control. This review article aims to describe the risk factors associated with the severity of COVID-19. This study uses the article review method from research results obtained through searching the journal sites Google Scholar, PubMed, ProQuest and ScientDirect in the 2020-2021 period. To find articles that match the inclusion criteria we used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) strategy. A total of nine studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. These nine studies were assessed for quality, data extraction and synthesis. Risk factors that contribute to the severity of COVID-19 are age, gender, chronic comorbidities, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, kidney failure, cancer and a history of smoking. New findings, unvaccinated patients are at higher risk of severity. Risk factors associated with the severity of COVID-19 include a person's individual characteristics, co-morbidities, smoking history and unvaccinated.

COVID-19 Vaccines #ForYou: Analyzing COVID-19 Vaccine Videos on TikTok During the Early Phase of the Vaccine Rollout in the U.S.

ABSTRACT This study examined COVID-19 vaccine videos on TikTok (n = 216 collected in March 2021) during the early days of the vaccine rollout in the U.S., including video source, overall stance toward COVID-19 vaccines, Health Belief Model (HBM)-related content, message features (i.e. humor, video type, message sensation value, on-screen text, and unoriginal sound), and user engagement indices (number of views, shares, comments, and likes). Regarding source, health professionals and general users were two of the main sources, which varied depending on video stance. Pro-vaccine videos occurred the most often from health professionals whereas anti-vaccine videos occurred the most often from general users. Health professionals (vs. general users) generated more views, shares, comments, and likes. Regarding stance, we found more pro- than anti-vaccine videos (57.9% vs. 37.5%). Stance was not related with any user engagement index. Though many videos were pro-vaccine, the content corresponding to HBM-specified factors, which likely facilitate a positive behavioral change, was largely lacking, such as mentions of COVID-19 severity (5.6%), susceptibility (2.8%) and information boosting vaccination self-efficacy (3.7%). Mentions of side effects (34%) emerged as the major vaccination barrier. HBM-related mentions were not related with any user engagement index. COVID-19 vaccine videos used several features, which varied across stance. Pro-vaccine videos featured more musical performance, while anti-vaccine videos used more humor, playacting, sound effects, and unoriginal sound. Several message features (e.g. humor and on-screen text) were positively associated with users’ engagement with a video. Practical and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.

#6774 CAUSAL ASSOCIATION OF COVID-19 AND KIDNEY FUNCTION: A MENDELIAN RANDOMIZATION ANALYSIS

Abstract Background and Aims Previous observational studies suggest that there are potential relationships between COVID-19 and kidney functions. However, whether COVID-19 had causal effects on different kidney traits is currently unclear. We aimed to investigate the causal link between genetically determined COVID-19 and following kidney traits. Method We performed univariate Mendelian randomization (MR) studies using summary genome-wide association studies (GWAS) statistics of COVID-19 severity (n case/n control: 13,769/1,072,442 for European, n case/n control: 794/4862 for Asian), COVID-19 hospitalization (n case/n control: 32,519/2,062,805 for European, n case/n control:2882/31,200 for Asian) and COVID-19 susceptibility (n case/n control: 122,616/2,475,240 for European, n case/n control: 4459/36,121 for Asian) derived from THE COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative (r7) as exposure. Phenotypic outcomes analyzed for Europeans included chronic kidney disease (CKD), creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rate, Cystatin C-based estimated glomerular filtration rate, Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio, acute and chronic glomerulonephritis, membranous nephropathy, diabetic nephropathy, acute and chronic nephritic syndrome, acute renal failure, glomerular diseases and IgA nephropathy. While for Asians, outcomes including CKD, estimated glomerular filtration rate, serum creatinine, acute and chronic renal failure, diabetic nephropathy, IgA nephropathy, nephrotic syndrome, acute and chronic glomerulonephritis as well as membranous nephropathy were analyzed. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) MR with multiplicative random effects model was performed as primary analysis to evaluate the causal effects of COVID-19 on different kidney traits, and potential pleiotropy as well as heterogeneity was evaluated by using MR Egger and heterogeneity test, respectively. A series of sensitivity analyses, including weighted median MR, weighted mode MR, MR Pleiotropy Residual Sum and Outlier (MR PRESSO) were performed. In addition, the causal effects of COVID-19 on different kidney traits were validated by using additional GWAS summary data of critical COVID-19 (n case/n control: 5989/42891 for European, n case/n control: 274/366 for Asian) from GenOMICC database (r6) as exposure. After multiple corrections, a P value < 0.0036 for Europeans and P value < 0.0045 for Asians were considered as significant. Results IVW MR indicated that none of the COVID-19 phenotypes were associated with CKD (OR, 0.99: P = 0.16 for COVID-19 severity; OR, 0.99: P = 0.41 for COVID-19 hospitalization; OR, 0.95: P = 0.26 for COVID-19 susceptibility), nor other kidney traits for Europeans. As for Asian ancestry, consistent with the findings in Europeans, none of the COVID-19 phenotypes were associated with CKD (OR, 0.89: P = 0.16 for COVID-19 severity; OR, 0.93: P = 0.42 for COVID-19 hospitalization; OR, 0.95: P = 0.61 for COVID-19 susceptibility), nor other kidney traits as mentioned above. All sensitivity analyses also consistently indicated the absence of causal effects of COVID-19 severity, hospitalization and susceptibility on different kidney traits, neither in the European nor in the Asian population. Conclusion There is no significant evidence supporting the causal effects of genetically predicted COVID-19 phenotype on the following different kidney traits. More deeply explorations focused on the association between COVID-19 and kidney traits should be performed with more data would be available in the future.

COVID-19 host genetic risk study conducted at community pharmacies: Implications for public health, research and pharmacists’ scope of practice

Community pharmacists serve a large, diverse population of patients, resulting in the potential to utilize community pharmacies as recruitment sites for clinical research. Beyond traditional roles as one of the most accessible health care professionals in the US healthcare system, pharmacists have played a major role in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, administering hundreds of thousands of vaccines and tests. However, less emphasis is placed on the ability to leverage community pharmacies as research-focused partners for clinical studies. In this study, we demonstrate the feasibility and workflow of recruiting study participants from community pharmacies and confirm genetic markers of COVID-19 susceptibility. Specific genetic markers include those associated with COVID-19 infection risk (ACE2, TMEM27, and RAVER1), difficulty breathing (NOTCH4), and hospitalization (OAS3). In addition, collaboration with a clinical laboratory allowed for a more seamless consenting process without substantial training needs or workflow disruption at the community pharmacy site. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that the expansion of pharmacists’ scope of practice is a key factor in managing the population health crisis; this study demonstrates that pharmacies can also advance clinical research studies by serving as sites for patient recruitment from a large, diverse, and ambulatory study population.

Mapping interindividual dynamics of innate immune response at single-cell resolution

Common genetic variants across individuals modulate the cellular response to pathogens and are implicated in diverse immune pathologies, yet how they dynamically alter the response upon infection is not well understood. Here, we triggered antiviral responses in human fibroblasts from 68 healthy donors, and profiled tens of thousands of cells using single-cell RNA-sequencing. We developed GASPACHO (GAuSsian Processes for Association mapping leveraging Cell HeterOgeneity), a statistical approach designed to identify nonlinear dynamic genetic effects across transcriptional trajectories of cells. This approach identified 1,275 expression quantitative trait loci (local false discovery rate 10%) that manifested during the responses, many of which were colocalized with susceptibility loci identified by genome-wide association studies of infectious and autoimmune diseases, including the OAS1 splicing quantitative trait locus in a COVID-19 susceptibility locus. In summary, our analytical approach provides a unique framework for delineation of the genetic variants that shape a wide spectrum of transcriptional responses at single-cell resolution.

Nailfold Videocapillaroscopic Alterations as Markers of Microangiopathy in COVID-19 Patients.

Nailfold videocapillaroscopic alterations have been described in COVID-19, but their correlations with biomarkers of inflammation, coagulation and endothelial perturbation are still unclear, and no information is available on nailfold histopathology. Nailfold videocapillaroscopy was performed on fifteen patients with COVID-19 in Milan, Italy and the signs of microangiopathy were correlated with plasma biomarkers of inflammation (C reactive protein [CRP], ferritin), coagulation (D-dimer, fibrinogen), endothelial perturbation (Von Willebrand factor [VWF]) and angiogenesis (vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF]) along with genetic drivers of COVID-19 susceptibility. Histopathological analysis of autoptic nailfold excisions was performed on fifteen patients who died for COVID-19 in New Orleans, United States. All COVID-19 patients studied with videocapillaroscopy showed alterations rarely seen in healthy individuals consistent with microangiopathy, such as hemosiderin deposits (sign of microthrombosis and microhemorrhages) and enlarged loops (sign of endotheliopathy). The number of hemosiderin deposits correlated both with ferritin and CRP levels (r = 0.67, p = 0.008 for both) and the number of enlarged loops significantly correlated with the levels of VWF (r = 0.67, p = 0.006). Ferritin levels were higher in non-O groups, determined by the rs657152 C > A cluster, (median 619, min-max 551-3266 mg/dL) than in the O group (373, 44-581 mg/dL, p = 0.006). Nailfold histology revealed microvascular damage, i.e., mild perivascular lymphocyte and macrophage infiltration and microvascular ectasia in the dermal vessels of all cases, and microthrombi within vessels in five cases. Alterations in nailfold videocapillaroscopy and elevated biomarkers of endothelial perturbation that match histopathologic findings open new perspectives in the possibility of non-invasively demonstrating microangiopathy in COVID-19.

Exploring genetic associations between allergic diseases and indicators of COVID-19 using mendelian randomization

We carried out a bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) including cases ofeczema (N= 218,792), asthma (N= 462,933), and allergic rhinitis (N= 112,583). COVID-19 susceptibility (N= 1,683,768), COVID-19 hospitalization (N= 1,887,658), and COVID-19 severe respiratory symptom (N= 1,388,342) were sampled from GWAS database. The MR analysis was primarily based on inverse variance weighted (IVW), supplemented by several other algorithms. In the bidirectional MR analysis, eczema was negatively associated with COVID-19 susceptibility (odds ratio (OR) IVW= 0.92; p= 0.031) and COVID-19 hospitalization (ORIVW= 0.81, p= 0.010); asthma was negatively associated with COVID-19 susceptibility (ORIVW= 0.65, p= 0.005) and COVID-19 severe respiratory symptom (ORIVW= 0.20, p= 0.001). No significant association was found between allergic rhinitis and COVID-19 susceptibility (ORIVW= 0.80, p= 0.174), COVID-19 hospitalization (ORIVW= 0.71, p= 0.207), or COVID-19 severe respiratory symptom (ORIVW= 0.56; p= 0.167). The reverse MR analysis showed no potential reverse causal association. Our findings provided new evidence that allergic diseases might be associated with different risks of COVID-19 susceptibility, hospitalization, and severe respiratory symptom.

Genetic predisposition to subjective well-being, depression, and suicide in relation to COVID-19 susceptibility and severity

BackgroundEpidemiological studies have reported associations between subjective well-being (SWB), depression, and suicide with COVID-19 illness, but the causality has not been established. We performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causal link between SWB, depression, suicide and COVID-19 susceptibility and severity. MethodsSummary statistics for SWB (298,420 cases), depression (113,769 cases) and suicide (52,208 cases) were obtained from three large-scale GWAS. Data on the associations between the Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) and COVID-19 (159,840 cases), hospitalized COVID-19 (44,986 cases), and severe COVID-19 (18,152 cases) were collected from the COVID-19 host genetics initiative. The causal estimate was calculated by the Inverse Variance Weighted, MR Egger and Weighted Median methods. Sensitivity tests were used to evaluate the validity of the causal relationship. ResultsOur results showed that genetically predicted SWB (OR = 0.98, 95 % CI: 0.86–1.10, P = 0.69), depression (OR = 0.76, 95 % CI: 0.54–1.06, P = 0.11), and suicide (OR = 0.99, 95 % CI: 0.96–1.02, P = 0.56) were not causally related to COVID-19 susceptibility. Similarly, we did not find a potential causal relationship between SWB, depression, suicide and COVID-19 severity. ConclusionsThis indicated that positive or negative emotions would not make COVID-19 better or worse, and strategies that attempted to use positive emotions to improve COVID-19 symptoms may be useless. Improving knowledge about the SARS-CoV-2 and timely medical intervention to reduce panic during a pandemic is one of the effective measures to deal with the current decrease in well-being and increase in depression and suicide rates.

105 What is the Association Between Smoking or Vaping and Covid-19 Susceptibility?

Abstract Currently, any association between smoking and COVID-19 susceptibility is conflicted as there is limited research especially on the impact of vaping. This systematic literature review will identify genes and signalling pathways that are affected by smoking or vaping that may play a role in altering the susceptibility of an individual to COVID-19. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, OVID and Web of Science databases, were searched (1946 to Nov 2021). Abstracts and subsequent full texts were screened for eligibility by RB, with EM and AB screening 5% each. Discrepancies were discussed and agreed between all. Papers were excluded for reasons such as focussing on comorbidities, immune cells or those with no exposure. Data from included papers detailing the exposure (type, duration and dose if applicable), pathway or gene of interest, sample type (species and cell type) and the overall findings, were extracted. Pathway analysis was undertaken to identify those pathways in common between smoking, vaping, nicotine and COVID-19 (g:Profiler and Cytoscape). We identified genes within the respiratory tract involved in both the initial viral response and those affected by smoking, vaping or nicotine exposure. This enabled us to determine signalling pathways of interest and therefore areas for further study. This systematic review will inform further research to identify any altered susceptibility and the risk of severe COVID-19 posed to smokers and vapers. This will inform Public Health Policies, highlighting vulnerable groups and provide guidance of relevance to both COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses.

106 Establishing a Physiologically Relevant in Vitro Airway Model to Assess the Impacts of Environmental Exposures, Like Smoking, on Covid-19 Susceptibility.

Abstract Air-liquid interface (ALI) cultures are commonly used for 3D modelling of the human airways and to examine the effects of direct exposure to airborne toxicants. We explored the suitability of human epithelial cell lines (RPMI 2560, HBEC-3KT, CALU-3 and A549) and primary cells (nasal, bronchiolar and small airways) grown at ALI as a physiologically relevant model to examine whether environmental exposures can increase the susceptibility of the human airways to SARS-COV-2 infection. Cultures were kept at ALI for up to 28 days to allow differentiation. Trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) was measured weekly. Cells were harvested at 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days, and transcriptional markers of basal, ciliated and mucus-producing cells together with SARS-COV-2 viral entry genes (ACE2, TMPRSS2 and Furin) and other genes of interest, were assessed by reverse-transcription quantitative PCR. Each cell line yielded differentiated models, with upregulation of markers of ciliated and mucus producing cells from day 7. In contrast to primary cells, immortalised cell lines did not produce cilia but, mucus was produced. TEER values increased with time, as expected, but values and therefore formation of tight junctions differed between models. Similarly, expression of viral entry genes increased as cells differentiated with marked differences across the different models. This study will be used to select the most appropriate ALI model for investigating the effect of environmental exposures such as smoking and vaping on susceptibility to SARS-COV-2 infection.

The causal links between gut microbiota and COVID-19: A Mendelian randomization study.

Several studies have shown a possible correlation between gut microbiota and COVID-19. However, the cause-and-effect relationship between the two has not been investigated. We conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization study (MR) study using publicly available GWAS data. Inverse variance weighted (IVW) analysis was the main MR analysis technique and was supplemented with other sensitivity analyses. Forty-two bacterial genera were associated with COVID-19 susceptibility, hospitalization, and severity in the IVW method. Among these gut microbiota, five gut microbiota (genus unknowngenus [id.1000005472], family unknownfamily [id.1000005471], genus Tyzzerella3, order MollicutesRF9.id.11579, and phylum Actinobacteria) were significantly associated with COVID-19 hospitalization and severity. Three gut microbiota (class Negativicutes, order Selenomonadales, and class Actinobacteria) were significantly associated with COVID-19 hospitalization and susceptibility, while two microbiota (class Negativicutes and order Selenomonadales) were significantly associated with COVID-19 hospitalization and severity, and susceptibility. Sensitivity analysis did not detect any heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy. Our findings demonstrated that several microorganisms were causally linked to COVID-19, and improved our understanding of the relationship between gut microbiota and COVID-19 pathology.

A comprehensive knowledgebase of known and predicted human genetic variants associated with COVID-19 susceptibility and severity

Host genetic susceptibility is a key risk factor for severe illness associated with COVID-19. Despite numerous studies of COVID-19 host genetics, our knowledge of COVID-19-associated variants is still limited, and there is no resource comprising all the published variants and categorizing them based on their confidence level. Also, there are currently no computational tools available to predict novel COVID-19 severity variants. Therefore, we collated 820 host genetic variants reported to affect COVID-19 susceptibility by means of a systematic literature search and confidence evaluation, and obtained 196 high-confidence variants. We then developed the first machine learning classifier of severe COVID-19 variants to perform a genome-wide prediction of COVID-19 severity for 82,468,698 missense variants in the human genome. We further evaluated the classifier's predictions using feature importance analyses to investigate the biological properties of COVID-19 susceptibility variants, which identified conservation scores as the most impactful predictive features. The results of enrichment analyses revealed that genes carrying high-confidence COVID-19 susceptibility variants shared pathways, networks, diseases and biological functions, with the immune system and infectious disease being the most significant categories. Additionally, we investigated the pleiotropic effects of COVID-19-associated variants using phenome-wide association studies (PheWAS) in ~40,000 BioMe BioBank genotyped individuals, revealing pre-existing conditions that could serve to increase the risk of severe COVID-19 such as chronic liver disease and thromboembolism. Lastly, we generated a web-based interface for exploring, downloading and submitting genetic variants associated with COVID-19 susceptibility for use in both research and clinical settings (https://itanlab.shinyapps.io/COVID19webpage/). Taken together, our work provides the most comprehensive COVID-19 host genetics knowledgebase to date for the known and predicted genetic determinants of severe COVID-19, a resource that should further contribute to our understanding of the biology underlying COVID-19 susceptibility and facilitate the identification of individuals at high risk for severe COVID-19.

The COVID-19 and Taste Lab: A Mini Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience on Taste Differences and COVID-19 Susceptibility.

Traditional course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are common approaches to expose students to authentic laboratory practices. Traditional CUREs typically take up most of or an entire semester, require a laboratory section or may be a standalone lab course, and require significant financial and time commitments by the institution and instructors. As such, CUREs are harder to implement at institutions with fewer resources. Here, we developed a mini-CURE, which are typically shorter in duration, called the COVID-19 and Taste Lab (CT-LAB). The CT-LAB requires significantly fewer resources ($0.05/student) and time commitment (two class periods) than traditional CUREs. CT-LAB centers around the biological relationship between COVID-19 susceptibility and taste status (non-taster, taster, and supertaster) as well as potential implications for public policy behavior. Students participated in a class-wide study where they examined if taste status was related to COVID-19 susceptibility. They found that non-tasters had a higher likelihood of testing positive previously for COVID-19 compared to tasters and supertasters. To assess student outcomes of this CURE, students completed a pre- and post-test assessment including a content test, STEM identity survey, taste test, COVID-19 history test, and a modified CURE survey. Content test scores improved while STEM identity and attitudes about science were unchanged. A direct comparison to a repository of traditional CUREs shows that the CT-LAB produced comparable benefits to traditional CUREs primarily in skills that were particularly relevant for the CT-LAB. This work suggests that mini-CUREs, even as brief as two class periods, could be a way to improve student outcomes.

Stay away, Santa: Children's beliefs about the impact of COVID-19 on real and fictional beings.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced children to reckon with the causal relations underlying disease transmission. What are children's theories of how COVID-19 is transmitted? And how do they understand the relation between COVID-19 susceptibility and the need for disease-mitigating behavior? We asked these questions in the context of children's beliefs about supernatural beings, like Santa and the Tooth Fairy. Because these beings cannot be observed, children's beliefs about the impact of COVID-19 on them must be based on their underlying theories of disease transmission and prevention rather than on experience. In the summer of 2020, N = 218 U.S. children between the ages of 3 and 10 years (M = 81.2 months) were asked to rate supernatural beings' susceptibility to COVID-19, and the extent to which these beings should engage in disease-mitigating behaviors, such as social distancing and mask wearing. Many children believed supernatural beings were susceptible to COVID-19. However, children rated the need for supernatural beings to engage in disease-mitigating behaviors as higher than the beings' disease susceptibility, indicating a disconnect between their conceptions of the causal relations between disease-mitigating behavior and disease prevention. Children's belief that a particular supernatural being could be impacted by COVID-19 was best predicted by the number of human-like properties they attributed to it, regardless of the child's age. Together, these findings suggest that although young children fail to appreciate specific pathways of disease transmission, they nonetheless understand disease as a bodily affliction, even for beings whose bodies have never been observed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Veterinarian COVID-19 vaccine uptake was widespread, but safety and efficacy concerns held some back: descriptive results from a survey of AVMA members’ perceptions of COVID-19

Assess COVID-19 vaccine uptake among veterinarians and describe unvaccinated veterinarians' perceptions of COVID-19 disease and vaccines. 2,721 (14%) of 19,654 randomly sampled AVMA members. A survey of AVMA members was conducted between June 8 and June 18, 2021. Information was collected on COVID-19 experience, vaccination intention, and perceptions of COVID-19 disease and vaccines. A total of 2,721 AVMA members completed the survey. Most respondents reported receiving a COVID-19 vaccine (89% [2,428/2,721]). Most unvaccinated respondents disagreed with concerns about contracting (67% [196/292]) or being harmed by (65% [187/287]) COVID-19 but agreed with concerns about short- (79% [228/290]) and long-term (89% [258/289]) side effects of COVID-19 vaccines. Over 91% (268/292) did not agree that COVID-19 vaccine benefits outweigh the risk. Although 83% (244/293) of unvaccinated respondents reported being unlikely to get a COVID-19 vaccine, 47% (137/291) agreed they would be more likely if they knew people vaccinated without serious side effects. Perceptions of COVID-19 disease severity and susceptibility, beliefs about COVID-19 vaccine benefits, and barriers and facilitators to COVID-19 vaccination varied with vaccination intention. Results of the AVMA survey suggested that COVID-19 vaccination was widespread among veterinarians in June 2021. Understanding unvaccinated respondents' health beliefs about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines may facilitate veterinarian vaccination participation. Veterinarians who abstained from COVID-19 vaccination cited concerns about the safety, efficacy, and necessity of COVID-19 vaccines. Our results suggested that demonstrating vaccine safety and a favorable risk-to-benefit ratio of vaccination may help reduce vaccine hesitancy and increase uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among veterinarians.

Dynamic antibody response in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients and COVID-19 vaccine recipients alongside vaccine effectiveness in comorbid and multimorbid groups

ObjectivesUnderlying medical conditions are critical risk factors for COVID-19 susceptibility and its rapid clinical manifestation. Therefore, the preexisting burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) makes the preparedness for COVID-19 more challenging for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). These countries have relied on vaccination campaigns as an effective measure to tackle COVID-19. In this study, we investigated the impact of comorbidities on humoral antibody responses against the specific receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV2. MethodsA total of 1005 patients were selected for the SARS-CoV-2 specific immunoglobulin G (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4 subclasses) and total antibody (TAb) tests (IgG and IgM), of which 912 serum samples were ultimately selected based on the specimen cutoff analyte value. Patients with multimorbidity (N = 60) were recruited for follow-up studies from the initial cohort, and their immune response (IgG and TAb) was measured at multiple time points after the second dose of vaccination. Siemens Dimension Vista SARS-CoV-2 IgG (CV2G) and SARS-CoV-2 TAb assay (CV2T) were used to carry out the serology test. ResultsOut of a total of 912 participants, vaccinated individuals (N = 711) had detectable antibody responses up to 7–8 months. The synergistic effect of natural infection and vaccine response was also studied. Participants with breakthrough infections (N = 49) mounted a greater antibody response compared to individuals with normal vaccination response (N = 397) and those who were naturally infected before receiving the second dose of vaccine (N = 132). Investigation of the impact of comorbidities revealed that diabetes mellitus (DM) (N = 117) and kidney disease (N = 50) had a significant negative impact on the decline of the humoral antibody response against SARS-CoV-2. IgG and TAb declined more rapidly in diabetic and kidney disease patients compared to the other four comorbid groups. Follow-up studies demonstrated that antibody response rapidly declined within 4 months after receiving the second dose. ConclusionThe generalized immunization schedule for COVID-19 needs to be adjusted for high-risk comorbid groups, and a booster dose must be administered early within 4 months after receiving the second dose.

The impact of blood group phenotypes on COVID-19 severity and mortality in Duhok province: a prospective cross-sectional study

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the frequency of blood group types among COVID-19 patients and to investigate its potential association with disease severity and patient outcomes.
 Methods: this prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from February to July 2022 in three different healthcare facilities in the Duhok region. All confirmed PCR confirmed COVID-19 patients were classified into: mild, moderate, severe, and critical cases. Information on demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics were collected using a standardized questionnaire. All patients were subjected to ABO blood grouping. The statistical calculations were performed by JMP Pro 14.3.0. A p value of < 0.05 was considered significant.
 Results: the study comprised of 404 patients. The age range of the patients varied from 16 to 100 years with a male predominance (204, 50.5%). Out of the total patients, 250 (61.88%) had mild-moderate course, while 154 (38.12%) had severe-critical course. The most frequent blood group was O (164, 41.58%), followed by blood group A (121, 29.95%). There was no significant difference in the distribution of the Rh factor among the studied subjects (p=0.426). There was a significant increase in disease severity and worse outcome with increasing age (p=<0.0001). Considering blood group types, there were no significant differences between blood group types with COVID-19 severity and patients’ outcome. 
 Conclusions: individuals with blood group O may have a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. Advanced age is a crucial predictor of disease severity and poor outcomes. There were no significant association between blood group types with COVID-19 severity and patients’ outcome. However, further research is needed to confirm these findings and determine the underlying mechanisms behind any potential association between blood groups and COVID-19 susceptibility, severity, and outcome.