coronavirus; covid-19

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Afar: Dr. Amira Roess comments on the effectiveness of vaccine shots and boosters in the fight against COVID-19

eander6 — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 16:50:07 +0000

Afar: Dr. Amira Roess comments on the effectiveness of vaccine shots and boosters in the fight against COVID-19 eander6 Thu, 11/03/2022 - 12:50

In This Story

5 Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Caught COVID on a Cruise.

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GCH Faculty

pandemic

College of Public Health

High COVID vaccine hesitancy in sub-saharan Africa

Mary Cunningham — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 00:34:02 +0000

High COVID vaccine hesitancy in sub-saharan Africa Mary Cunningham Thu, 10/13/2022 - 20:34

In This Story

Dongqing Wang, PhD, MPH

A new study by Dongqing Wang, assistant professor of Global and Community Health, finds there is high COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among adolescents in five sub-Saharan African countries mostly because of perceived lack of safety and perceived lack of effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.

Only 22% of people living in Africa are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, according to Africa CDC, and this falls well below the global average of 64%. Vaccine hesitancy is one of multiple reasons that Africa has the lowest vaccination rate of any populated continent.

A new study by Dongqing Wang, assistant professor of Global and Community Health, assessed the prevalence and determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among adolescents in five sub-Saharan African countries (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania) and found vaccine hesitancy to be high in all five countries and extremely high in Tanzania.

“COVID-19 vaccination campaigns among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa should address adolescents' concerns and misconceptions about COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness,” said Wang. “Health care workers, parents, schoolteachers, peers, religious leaders, and social media could all be leveraged as channels of advocacy to support vaccination efforts.”

Individual characteristics associated with greater vaccine hesitancy were female sex, perceived lack of safety, and perceived lack of effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.

“Beyond COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, it is crucial to ensure that vaccines are accessible should adolescents desire to be vaccinated, and it rests upon the global medical community to get the shots into the arms of the often-neglected population of sub-Saharan African adolescents,” said Wang.

The research was a multi-country survey in 2021 using computer-assisted telephone interviewing. This work was jointly supported by institutional support from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University Center for African Studies, Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (Germany), and the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and its determinants among sub-Saharan African adolescents was published October 2022 in PLOS Global Public Health.

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COVID vaccine coverage questions abound for health insurers.

Fierce Healthcare: Affiliate faculty member Peter Kongstvedt is quoted in an article on COVID-19 vaccine coverage questions for insurers

eander6 — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 20:35:31 +0000

Fierce Healthcare: Affiliate faculty member Peter Kongstvedt is quoted in an article on COVID-19 vaccine coverage questions for insurers eander6 Fri, 09/09/2022 - 16:35

In This Story

Peter Kongstvedt, MD

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Healthcare

Vaccines

Health Policy

HAP Faculty

College of Health and Human Services Department of Health Administration and Policy

Medical News Today: Dr. Amira Roess comments on what to expect as COVID-19 continues to mutate

eander6 — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 13:50:03 +0000

Medical News Today: Dr. Amira Roess comments on what to expect as COVID-19 continues to mutate eander6 Thu, 07/14/2022 - 09:50

In This Story

BA.4/BA.5 Omicron subvariants over 4 times more resistant to mRNA vaccines.

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College of Health and Human Services Department of Global and Community Health

South Florida Reporter: Dr. Amira Roess comments on what to expect as COVID-19 continues to mutate

eander6 — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 13:43:40 +0000

South Florida Reporter: Dr. Amira Roess comments on what to expect as COVID-19 continues to mutate eander6 Thu, 07/14/2022 - 09:43

In This Story

BA.4/BA.5 Omicron Subvariants Over 4 Times More Resistant To mRNA Vaccines.

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College of Health and Human Services Department of Global and Community Health

NPR: Dr. Amira Roess comments on the recent spike in COVID cases in the DMV

eander6 — Thu, 19 May 2022 12:50:53 +0000

NPR: Dr. Amira Roess comments on the recent spike in COVID cases in the DMV eander6 Thu, 05/19/2022 - 08:50

In This Story

What we do (and don't) know about the spread of COVID-19 in the D.C. region right now.

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College of Health and Human Services Department of Global and Community Health

DCist: Dr. Amria Roess comments on COVID spread

eander6 — Fri, 13 May 2022 17:06:47 +0000

DCist: Dr. Amria Roess comments on COVID spread eander6 Fri, 05/13/2022 - 13:06

In This Story

What We Do (And Don’t) Know About The Spread Of COVID-19 In The Region Right Now.

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College of Health and Human Services Department of Global and Community Health

Coming Full-Circle: A Career Dedicated to Making Health Visible, Bookended by Two Pandemics

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 09 May 2022 20:18:57 +0000

Coming Full-Circle: A Career Dedicated to Making Health Visible, Bookended by Two Pandemics Mary Cunningham Mon, 05/09/2022 - 16:18

Dr. Germaine Louis gives a patient a COVID-19 vaccine at the Mason and Partners Clinic vaccination event with Prince William Health District on February 23, 2021.

As Dean Germaine Louis retires at the end of the 2021-22 school year, we reshare this story where she reflects on the similarities in the beginning and end of her career.

When Germaine Louis became Dean of the College of Health and Human Services, she never envisioned serving during a pandemic like COVID-19. “Certainly, when I accepted the position in 2017, a pandemic was not on my horizon—what was on my horizon was bringing together the College’s faculty, staff, and students to become a college of public health.”

When asked about leading the future college of public health during COVID-19, Louis is quick to point out that the COVID-19 is not the first pandemic in her lifetime or her 30+ year career as an epidemiologist, referencing the AIDS pandemic which peaked in the U.S. while Louis was completing her graduate studies. “Becoming an epidemiologist during the AIDS pandemic was impactful for me on so many levels, as this new infectious agent disproportionately took the lives of young men and women. I sadly recall the stereotyping and other shaming actions on the part of some towards affected individuals. As a reproductive epidemiologist, I understood why individuals with risky behaviors were often being blamed for their disease, and I recall with great pride the many scientific advances that led to successful treatment and a more compassionate understanding of AIDS."

“Of course, COVID-19 is very different from AIDS in many regards with a larger susceptible population and its airborne transmission,” says Louis. Still, COVID-19 is an important reminder why public health is essential for contemporary life. “COVID-19 has taught us that it’s almost impossible to imagine a world without a strong public health infrastructure to protect the health and safety of all people.”

Louis credits the College's faculty, staff, students, and alumni for their many contributions in fighting COVID-19 and protecting communities, saying “I’ve been incredibly impressed with everyone in the College each of whom has stepped up to make sure we deliver on our academic mission and one that includes practice and community service.”

Leading by example, the Dean has also been active in the University’s response to COVID-19 – from helping develop Mason’s randomized surveillance testing plans to administering vaccines for the community at the Mason and Partner Clinics. Louis can clearly see how her early career as a nurse and then as an epidemiologist led to this moment.

“I used to tell my nursing colleagues that being a nurse made me a better epidemiologist. What I’d learned in a hospital setting really helped me design better study protocols when focusing on clinical populations. I could think about what it meant to implement a research protocol in a hospital setting for busy nurses and physicians or patients under varying stages of duress. And I really do think that my experience as a nurse was formidable in the success that I experienced with clinical studies (e.g., Buffalo Women’s Health Study, ENDO Study, and NICHD Fetal Growth Study). What I didn’t expect at the time was that I would be using some nurse skills as an epidemiologist in responding to a pandemic,” says Louis.

She reports that prior to volunteering at the MAP Clinic vaccination events, after years of not administering an intramuscular (IM) injection, she was required to refresh her injection skills and have her competency checked. “All of a sudden, I was very anxious about vaccinating after years of not doing so as some technical guidance had changed. Mason’s student nurses were a great source of reassurance, and they shared tips with me. I have found that early training really never leaves you, and it kicked in when I needed it most. It does remind me of the importance of lifelong learning.

Louis shares a story about an opportunity to also bring her training in reproductive epidemiology to bear while vaccinating a group of early childhood workers. A young female worker asked if Louis had a few moments to talk with her after her vaccination. She wanted advice on when to safely begin trying for pregnancy following her vaccination. “And I thought, 'Now that is something I know about,’” said Louis.

Dr. Germaine Louis began her career in nursing before becoming an epidemiologist.

After 30 years as a reproductive epidemiologist and working with couples trying for pregnancy, she was reminded how desperate people are for reliable information about pregnancy-related exposures and lingering data gaps. “My advice to her was that healthy pregnancies and babies start with healthy women and mothers. And, first and foremost, unless there is a contraindication from her physician, the woman was doing the right thing to ensure her own health by being vaccinated. I could see the woman’s smile behind her mask and knew there was a good chance she would take that message back to sisters, friends, and coworkers who may have similar questions about the vaccine.”

“It is rewarding to think about taking nursing skills to epi and now epi skills back to nursing,” says Louis.

When asked for advice she would share with future generations of men and women about empowering women who wish to make history in science, health, and leadership - Louis’ response is simple and clear: mentorship.

“I know what made a difference it made in my life – and that was having a mentor (who happened to be a man) who believed in me. When I was worried about finishing my dissertation, he was already talking about my first faculty appointment—before I was even thinking about a position. When I was in my first faculty position and worried about tenure, he was already talking about my next career move. Having someone believe in you or to see something in you that you may not see in yourself is impactful - you need to pay attention to that.”

Louis believes that academicians have an obligation to seek out students who may have natural leadership abilities or who otherwise have a skillset or narrative that sets them apart and to talk with them ... encourage them for even more. “We should support everyone, but we will always need leaders,” she says. “We also need to do a better job of cultivating hunger in our graduates. By that, I mean helping students really think about and become excited about pursuing a career beyond having a job.

Louis closed the conversation by sharing a story about Ruth Kirschstein (former director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, deputy director of National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the 1990s, and acting director of the NIH in 1993 and 2000-2002) who during a presentation to female leaders at NIH once said that women sometimes need to ‘remind people to think of you.’ “Her advice has always resonated with me,” said Louis. “It’s ok to self-nominate or to apply for positions even if not invited to do so, as long as you have the qualifications.” Louis also says that women can help others by nominating them for awards and special recognitions. “Most nominations take time and effort to do well," cautions Louis, “But, if we don't create a culture of recognition for women and for future women leaders then we will never have the same recognition as others.”

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Epidemiology

Public health leadership

CHHS News

AI Can Predict Probability of COVID-19 vs. Flu Based on Symptoms

Mary Cunningham — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 18:31:11 +0000

AI Can Predict Probability of COVID-19 vs. Flu Based on Symptoms Mary Cunningham Tue, 04/12/2022 - 14:31

A new study from the College of Health and Human Services’ researchers highlights how clinicians can use artificial intelligence and seasonality to screen patients and identify the probability of COVID-19 prior to testing.

Testing shortages, long waits for results, and an over-taxed health care system have made headlines throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. These issues can be further exacerbated in small or rural communities in the US and globally. Additionally, respiratory symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever and cough are also associated with the flu, which complicates non-lab diagnoses during certain seasons. A new study by College of Health and Human Services researchers is designed to help identify which symptoms are more likely to indicate COVID during flu season. This is the first study to take seasonality into account.

Farrokh Alemi, principal investigator and professor of Health Administration and Policy, and other Mason researchers predict the probability that a patient has COVID-19, flu, or another respiratory illness prior to testing, depending on the season. This can help clinicians triage patients who are most suspected of having COVID-19.

“When access to reliable COVID testing is limited or test results are delayed, clinicians, especially those who are community-based, are more likely to rely on signs and symptoms than on laboratory findings to diagnose COVID-19,” said Alemi, who observed these challenges at points throughout the pandemic. “Our algorithm can help health care providers triage patient care while they are waiting on lab testing or help prioritize testing if there are testing shortages.”

The findings suggest that community-based health care providers should follow different signs and symptoms for diagnosing COVID depending on the time of year. Outside of flu season, fever is an even stronger predictor of COVID than during flu season. During flu season, a person with a cough is more likely to have the flu than COVID. The study showed that assuming anyone with a fever during flu season has COVID would be incorrect. The algorithm relied on different symptoms for patients in different age and gender. The study also showed that symptom clusters are more important in diagnosis of COVID-19 than symptoms alone.

The algorithms were created by analyzing the symptoms reported by 774 COVID patients in China and 273 COVID patients in the United States. The analysis also included 2,885 influenza and 884 influenza-like illnesses in US patients. “Modeling the Probability of COVID-19 Based on Symptom Screening and Prevalence of Influenza and Influenza-Like Illnesses” was published in Quality Management in Health Care’s April/June 2022 issue. The rest of the research team is also from Mason: Professor of Global Health and Epidemiology Health Amira Roess, Affiliate Faculty Jee Vang, and doctoral candidate Elina Guralnik.

“Though helpful, the algorithms are too complex to expect clinicians to perform these calculations while providing care. The next step is to create an AI, web-based, calculator that can be used in the field. This would allow clinicians to arrive at a presumed diagnosis prior to the visit,” said Alemi. From there, clinicians can make triage decisions on how to care for the patient while waiting for official lab results.

The study does not include any COVID-19 patients without respiratory symptoms, which includes asymptomatic people. Additionally, the study did not differentiate between the first and second week of onset of symptoms, which can vary.

This research was a prototype of how existing data can be used to find signature symptoms of a new disease. The methodology may have relevance beyond this pandemic.

“When there is a new outbreak, collecting data is time consuming. Rapid analysis of existing data can reduce the time to differentiate presentation of new diseases from illnesses with overlapping symptoms. The method in this paper is useful for rapid response to the next pandemic,” said Alemi.

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