Brief Report: Impact of COVID-19 on Individuals with ASD and Their Caregivers: A Perspective from the SPARK Cohort.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: White LC
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7775834 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:COVID-19 has had significant effects on the field of veterinary medicine. Adaptation to pandemic-related and post-pandemic challenges requires engagement from all levels of the professional pipeline, including veterinary college students. Insights gained from this group may inform curriculum design, help the veterinary profession innovate, maximize opportunities for positive change, and avoid negative outcomes. The current study aimed to understand the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on veterinary medicine, as foreseen by second-year veterinary students in an online discussion during a public health course in the spring of 2020. Twenty-one percent of the 113 students agreed to participate in this qualitative research study. We used an inductive coding process and distilled the student responses into descriptive themes to capture diverse perspectives and understand possible post-pandemic pathways for the veterinary profession. Four themes emerged from the student discussion posts, describing how veterinarians might be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic: (1) economic and social impacts, (2) adapting to challenges, (3) collaborations to improve public health, and (4) disparities and diversity. These themes are a starting point for discussion and innovation as veterinarians plan for the post-pandemic world; further investigation will provide additional guidance for veterinary leaders.
| S-EPMC8551393 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a detrimental impact on individuals with disabilities. Data from FAIR Health's FH® NPIC (National Private Insurance Claims) database, one of the nation's largest databases of private insurance claim records, were analyzed to understand the experiences of individuals with ASD in the COVID-19 pandemic. Multivariate logistic regression models revealed that individuals with ASD + ID were nine times more likely to be hospitalized following COVID-19 infection (OR = 9.3; 95% CI: 6.9-12.5) and were nearly six times more likely to have an elevated length of hospital stay (OR = 5.9; 95% CI: 3.5-10.1) compared to those without ASD + ID. These findings point to the need for prioritizing access to vaccines to prevent COVID-19 infection and morbidities. This is the first study to illustrate a higher likelihood of hospitalization and elevated length of hospital stay from COVID-19 in individuals with ASD and other comorbidities.
| S-EPMC8153091 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundContainment, involving separation and restriction of movement of people due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and mitigation, also referred to as lockdown, involving closure of schools, universities and public venues, has had a profound impact on people's lives globally. The study focuses on the effects of containment and mitigation measures, on the behavior of children and youth (CaY) with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The study primary aim was to examine the impact of these urgent measures on the behaviors, communication, sleep, and nutritional status of the CaY. A secondary aim was to explore risk and protective factors on behavior change including sociodemographic variables, living conditions, ASD symptom severity and continuity of interventions.MethodsThe study sample consisted of 239 ASD subjects, 2-21 years of age, enrolled in the ELENA cohort in France at Stage 3 confinement and mitigation measures announced on March 16, 2020. A parent informant completed the COVID-19 questionnaire.ResultsOf the domains examined, challenging behaviors, communicative skills and sleep had the greatest impact; in terms of risk and protective factors, subject age, ASD severity, single parenthood, daily living skills, and intervention continuity were most likely to impact behaviors; living conditions were not linked to behavior change.ConclusionsThe findings highlight the topography of behavioral change in CaY with ASD following institution of containment and mitigation measures during the COVID-19 pandemic and help identify risk and protective factors to help better address needs and tailor interventions in the future.
| S-EPMC7898988 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affected the delivery of care in the fertility center. The higher transmissibility feature of omricon variant increase the transmission possibility between patients, healthcare professionals, and staff. Herein, we report the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to the fertility center in Indonesia during the third wave period of the pandemic. Seven in vitro fertilization (IVF) cases were cancelled because the patients were tested positive for COVID-19 during their IVF program. Six of the total seventeen medical staff in our center were also tested positive for COVID-19 and stayed at home for self isolation. The cancellation of the IVF program was due to the lack of data regarding safety of IVF procedure in COVID-19 patients, shortage of medical staff, and the lack of negative pressure room in our fertility center. Our priority is to protect the remaining healthy patients in our center as well as the medical staff. The COVID-19 disadvantage both patients, care provider in reproductive healthcare. Regular screening of COVID-19 in fertility setting is highly recommended.
| S-EPMC9095072 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionWhile it is established that vaccination reduces risk of hospitalization, there is conflicting data on whether it improves outcome among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. This study evaluated clinical outcomes and antibody (Ab) responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection/vaccines in patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) and various comorbidities.MethodsIn this single-center study, 152 adult patients were admitted to Ohio State University hospital with ARF (05/2020 - 11/2022) including 112 COVID-19-positive and 40 COVID-19-negative patients. Of the COVID-19 positive patients, 23 were vaccinated for SARS-CoV-2 (Vax), and 89 were not (NVax). Of the NVax COVID-19 patients, 46 were admitted before and 43 after SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were approved. SARS-CoV-2 Ab levels were measured/analyzed based on various demographic and clinical parameters of COVID-19 patients. Additionally, total IgG4 Ab concentrations were compared between the Vax and NVax patients.ResultsWhile mortality rates were 36% (n=25) and 27% (n=15) for non-COVID-19 NVax and Vax patients, respectively, in COVID-19 patients mortality rates were 37% (NVax, n=89) and 70% (Vax, n=23). Among COVID-19 patients, mortality rate was significantly higher among Vax vs. NVax patients (p=0.002). The Charlson's Comorbidity Index score (CCI) was also significantly higher among Vax vs. NVax COVID-19 patients. However, the mortality risk remained significantly higher (p=0.02) when we compared COVID-19 Vax vs. NVax patients with similar CCI score, suggesting that additional factors may increase risk of mortality. Higher levels of SARS-CoV-2 Abs were noted among survivors, suggestive of their protective role. We observed a trend for increased total IgG4 Ab, which promotes immune tolerance, in the Vax vs. NVax patients in week 3.ConclusionAlthough our cohort size is small, our results suggest that vaccination status of hospital-admitted COVID-19 patients may not be instructive in determining mortality risk. This may reflect that within the general population, those individuals at highest risk for COVID-19 mortality/immune failure are likely to be vaccinated. Importantly, the value of vaccination may be in preventing hospitalization as opposed to stratifying outcome among hospitalized patients, although our data do not address this possibility. Additional research to identify factors predictive of aberrant immunogenic responses to vaccination is warranted.
| S-EPMC10883056 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundWhereas tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) can lead to renal adverse events, tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) has a more favorable renal safety profile. However, the impact of replacing TDF with TAF on renal function and liver parameters among HIV/hepatitis B virus (HBV)-coinfected individuals with renal dysfunction remains unclear.MethodsWe included all participants from the Swiss HIV Cohort Study with an HIV/HBV coinfection who switched from TDF to TAF and had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <90 mL/min/1.73 m and a suppressed HIV viral load (<200 cp/mL). We assessed changes in eGFR, urine protein-to-creatinine ratio, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) after 1 year using mixed-effect models with interrupted time series.ResultsAmong 106 participants (15.1% women, median age 53 years), eGFR was 60-89 mL/min/1.73 m in 84 (79.2%) and <60 mL/min/1.73 m in 22 (20.8%) individuals at the time of switch. One year after the switch from TDF to TAF, individuals with an eGFR between 60 and 89 mL/min/1.73 m experienced increases in eGFR of 3.2 mL/min/1.73 m (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2 to 5.2), whereas those with an eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m experienced improvements of 6.2 mL/min/1.73 m (95% CI 2.4 to 10.0). Urine protein-to-creatinine ratio decreased overall (-6.3 mg/mmol, 95% CI -10.0 to -2.7), and ALT levels declined in patients with elevated baseline levels (-11.8 IU/L, 95% CI -17.3 to -6.4) 1 year after replacing TDF with TAF.ConclusionsSwitching from TDF to TAF among HIV/HBV-coinfected individuals with renal impairment led to improvements in eGFR, a decline in proteinuria, and to ALT normalization in those with elevated ALT levels.
| S-EPMC7495978 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Children with autism have heightened risk of developing oral health problems. Interventions targeting at-home oral hygiene habits may be the most effective means of improving oral hygiene outcomes in this population. This randomized control trial examined the effectiveness of a 3-week video-modeling brushing intervention delivered to patients over the internet. Eighteen children with autism were assigned to an Intervention or Control video condition. Links to videos were delivered via email twice daily. Blind clinical examiners provided plaque index ratings at baseline, midpoint, and endpoint. Results show oral hygiene improvements in both groups, with larger effect sizes in the Intervention condition. The findings provide preliminary support for the use of internet-based interventions to improve oral hygiene for children with autism.
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Project description:BackgroundThe acceptability of videoconferencing delivery of yoga interventions in the advanced cancer setting is relatively unexplored. The current report summarizes the challenges and solutions of the transition from an in-person (ie, face-to-face) to a videoconference intervention delivery approach in response to the Coronavirus Disease pandemic.MethodParticipants included patient-family caregiver dyads who were enrolled in ongoing yoga trials and 2 certified yoga therapists who delivered the yoga sessions. We summarized their experiences using recordings of the yoga sessions and interventionists' progress notes.ResultsOut of 7 dyads participating in the parent trial, 1 declined the videoconferenced sessions. Participants were between the ages of 55 and 76 and mostly non-Hispanic White (83%). Patients were mainly male (83%), all had stage III or IV cancer and were undergoing radiotherapy. Caregivers were all female. Despite challenges in the areas of technology, location, and setting, instruction and personal connection, the overall acceptability was high among patients, caregivers, and instructors. Through this transition process, solutions to these challenges were found, which are described here.ConclusionAlthough in-person interventions are favored by both the study participants and the interventionists, videoconference sessions were deemed acceptable. All participants had the benefit of a previous in-person experience, which was helpful and perhaps necessary for older and advanced cancer patients requiring practice modifications. In a remote setting, the assistance of caregivers seems particularly beneficial to ensure practice safety.Clinicaltrials.govNCT03948100; NCT02481349.
| S-EPMC8161853 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveAlthough statins are widely prescribed lipid-lowering drugs, there are concerns about the safety of their use in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), since statins increase the expression of ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2). This study aimed to disclose the association between statins and 60-day COVID-19 mortality. Approach and Results: All patients hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled in this study from January 19 to April 16, 2020, in Korea. We evaluated the association between the use of statins and COVID-19-related mortality in the overall and the nested 1:2 propensity score-matched study. Furthermore, a comparison of the hazard ratio for death was performed between COVID-19 patients and a retrospective cohort of patients hospitalized with pneumonia between January and June 2019 in Korea. The median age of the 10 448 COVID-19 patients was 45 years. Statins were prescribed in 533 (5.1%) patients. After adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidities, Cox regression showed a significant decrease in hazard ratio associated with the use of statins (hazard ratio, 0.637 [95% CI, 0.425-0.953]; P=0.0283). Moreover, on comparing the hazard ratio between COVID-19 patients and the retrospective cohort of hospitalized pneumonia patients, the use of statins showed similar benefits.ConclusionsThe use of statins correlates significantly with lower mortality in patients with COVID-19, consistent with the findings in patients with pneumonia. Graphic Abstract: A graphic abstract is available for this article.
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Project description:It is well-recognized that measurement options for diagnosing and monitoring children with neurogenetic syndromes (NGS) associated with moderate to severe intellectual impairment are limited (Berry-Kravis, Dev Med Child Neurol https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.13018, 2016), and caregivers experience significant concerns regarding the assessment process. However to date, these concerns have not been summarized into actionable steps for clinicians and test-makers. As such, we used a mixed methods approach to assess caregiver-derived perceptions and suggestions for improving assessments in NGS. Results indicated many shared challenges and suggestions for improvement, particularly in the domains of testing procedures and examiner communication. Integrating these suggestions into future protocols is an important next step toward improving the quality of assessment procedures for children with NGS and their families across both clinical and research contexts.
| S-EPMC8136762 | biostudies-literature