COVID

The focus on college students’ mental and physical health is steadily increasing with more students reporting concern and need for services. This study investigates the results of college students’ utilization of mind–body health activities and services in the wake of COVID-19. As part of a larger research study on college wellbeing, a survey completed by 557 college students between May and August of 2020 assessed student’s use of mind–body health strategies. To examine differences in mind–body health (MBH) service and activity usage before and during COVID-19 campus closures, paired t-tests were used, while one-way ANOVAs were used to determine differences based on demographic variables. Findings across MBH service and activity use during campus closures were variable, with use differing based on a variety of factors including gender, socioeconomic background, age, and race, as well as the participant’s personal prior history of services. These findings provide insight into what services students accessed during the lockdown period to aid university health systems with recommended guidance and resources. Full article

(1) Background: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has raised concerns about the impact of underlying medical conditions on the health outcomes of people living with HIV (PLWH). This study aimed to assess how pre-existing chronic medical conditions affect the health outcomes of PLWH infected with COVID-19. (2) Methods: A retrospective study using data from the Minnesota Fairview network (1 January 2020–31 December 2022) was conducted. Fisher’s exact test, the Kruskal–Wallis rank-sum test, and ordinal logistic regressions with a Benjamini–Hochberg (BH) adjustment on p-values were used to assess the influence of chronic conditions on COVID-19 severity, adjusting for age and gender. (3) Results: Among 216 records, significant associations were found for a stroke, chronic kidney disease, lung disease, and neurologic conditions (p < 0.05). Type 1 diabetes was marginally significant (0.05 < p < 0.1). After adjusting for age and sex, a stroke (p = 0.0008, BH-adjusted p = 0.0044) and chronic kidney disease (p = 0.0003, BH-adjusted p = 0.0033) significantly increased the risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes. (4) Conclusions: Pre-existing medical conditions should be considered in the clinical management and public health interventions for PLWH infected with COVID-19. Tailored strategies are essential to mitigate the higher risk of severe outcomes in PLWH with specific chronic comorbidities. Full article

Multiple cause data refer to all conditions reported on death certificates. Compared to the single underlying cause of death, these data provide additional information concerning the presence of comorbidities and complications leading to death. The objective of the study is to use a novel multiple cause approach for identifying comorbidities and complications of COVID-19. We analysed certificates referring to deaths that occurred in Italy in 2020–2021. With a double step chi squared test, we identified the conditions associated with COVID-19 and whether such conditions were reported as ‘cause of’ (comorbidities) or ‘due to’ (complications) COVID-19. For comparison, we adopted the same procedure for influenza deaths that occurred in Italy in 2016–2019. Pneumonia, respiratory failure and adult respiratory distress syndrome are the most frequent complications of COVID-19 and are also associated with it. These diseases have the same role for influenza, nevertheless this latter is strongly associated also with heart failure reported as a complication. Comorbidities are similar for COVID-19 and influenza: diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obesity are the most frequent, with obesity much more frequent in COVID-19 cases. Hypertension is strongly associated with COVID-19 and is more frequent than in influenza cases. This approach is also suitable for other target diseases. Full article

A list of diagnosis codes mapped to CDC-defined high-risk conditions for severe COVID-19 outcomes is currently not available in the literature. We reviewed the CDC list of underlying conditions associated with severe COVID-19 and a coding expert and two clinicians mapped the relevant high-risk conditions to the appropriate ICD-10-CM codes. We additionally assessed the prevalence of these conditions in the Optum de-identified-Clinformatics^® Data Mart Database and the Optum de-identified Electronic Health Record dataset. A comprehensive list of approximately 8200 codes were mapped to the CDC-defined high-risk underlying conditions; these ICD-10-CM codes were stratified into three groups corresponding with the CDC strength of evidence category (conclusive, suggestive, or mixed evidence). Applying these codes to administrative claims and EHR datasets demonstrated a consistent prevalence of high-risk conditions over four years (2018–2021). These findings present a comprehensive list of codes that can be used by clinicians and researchers to identify and characterize patients at high risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes. Full article

The purpose of this review is to evaluate various challenges and opportunities as well as propose solutions for the development and implementation of a prospective COVID-19 patient registry within a regional context in the Philippines. To comprehensively study the course of COVID-19 in the Philippine population, it is essential to develop a comprehensive dataset that includes relevant treatment and diagnostic information. While individual patient reports related to the disease are available at various institutions in the Philippines, there is a need for a more extensive and representative database to facilitate robust analysis. The primary clinical objective of establishing a COVID-19 patient registry was to enhance the accuracy of disease diagnosis. In this review, we present a comprehensive explanation of the systematic rationale, design, and execution of a COVID-19 patient registry in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. Based on this review, several factors exist that hinder the implementation of a COVID-19 patient registry in this regional setting in the Philippines, including lack of funding, facilities, infrastructure, manpower, and expertise, and unwillingness of some hospitals to pursue research. We also discussed herewith the proposed program implementation for the establishment of such a registry in a regional setting in the Philippines. Full article

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges to higher education in Germany, necessitating a rapid transition to remote learning. This study evaluates the impact of the pandemic on academic functioning among German university students. Methods: An online survey was conducted with 207 students aged 18 to 35. Results: Significantly poorer academic functioning was evident during the pandemic, particularly in academic output and role satisfaction. Younger students (18 to 24 years) experienced a greater decrease in contact with teachers and lower academic output compared to older students (25 to 35 years). These findings suggest that younger students may struggle more with remote learning due to challenges in self-regulation and time management. Additionally, pandemic-induced disruptions blurred the boundaries between work and personal life, increasing stress and adversely affecting academic performance. No significant differences were found based on sex or living situation. Conclusion: Academic functioning was significantly poorer during the COVID-19 pandemic. This finding highlights the need for targeted support strategies to mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic on students’ academic performance and well-being. Further research is recommended to explore the long-term implications of the pandemic on academic outcomes and student well-being. Full article

This study aims to identify and compare the prevalence and risk factors associated with psychosocial and psychological complaints, as well as life and study satisfaction, among Greek undergraduate students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected in two phases: initially, from 2018 to 2019 (pre-COVID), through face-to-face surveys, and later, from October 2020 to June 2021 (COVID period), through online surveys. The study, conducted at Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH) in Greece, utilized a repeated descriptive and comparative cross-sectional design. The sample comprised 540 and 641 undergraduate students during the pre-COVID and COVID period, respectively. The following questionnaires were used: I. A socio-demographic characteristics form, II. Psychosocial Complaints List (PCL), and III. Satisfaction with Life and Studies Scale (SLSS). During the COVID period, there was an increase of 63% in psychosocial complaints (p < 0.001), as indicated by the PCL total, and a 25% decrease in satisfaction with life and studies (p = 0.001), according to the SLSS, compared to the pre-COVID period. Incidences of “suicidal thoughts”, “sexual problems”, and “extreme psychological distress” nearly doubled (61%, 67%, and 104%, respectively) during the pandemic. Females exhibited a 33% increase in the PCL total during the COVID period compared to males (p < 0.001). These findings highlight the profound impact of pandemic-induced changes on students’ mental health and quality of life. Female gender and the pandemic period itself emerged as significant factors influencing these outcomes. Universities should prioritize the development of comprehensive support services to mitigate these adverse effects. Full article

COVID-19 caused serious food disruptions worldwide and raised food insecurity levels. To further understand how COVID-19 impacted food insecurity, this study used nationally representative data from Pakistan to examine the effect of negative COVID-19 shock on food insecurity and its heterogeneity across different income groups. COVID-19 shock was quantified by a subjective measure based on self-reported exposure to the severity of COVID-19. We found that households struck severely by COVID-19 were about 26% more likely to report a lack of healthy food, almost 35% more likely to skip a meal, around 33% more likely to run out of food, and around 20% more likely to go without food for one whole day in comparison to the households unexposed to the severe COVID-19 shock. Furthermore, households affected by severe COVID-19 shock, especially those in the lower income quartiles, faced acute food insecurity. We constructed two additional proxies for this negative COVID-19 shock based on the objective assessment of income loss due to the lockdown measures in Pakistan to examine the robustness of the findings, and they also led to similar outcomes. Overall, the findings suggested that poorer and COVID-19-stricken households faced severer food insecurity and required urgent support. Full article

COVID-19’s impact on quality of life (QoL) has been studied; however, data on the effects of long COVID on QoL and mental disability remain limited. This study aimed to investigate whether long COVID is associated with decreased QoL and increased mental disability. We analyzed data from adults (≥18 years) in the 2022 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Physical and mental QoL were assessed using the Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey, while mental disability was measured with the Kessler Index. Long COVID was defined as experiencing COVID-related symptoms for over 3 months. To account for skewness in the outcome variables, the study employed survey-weighted generalized linear regression with a log link and gamma distribution. The analysis included 153,330,408 subjects (unweighted n = 10,975). The average age of those with and without long COVID was similar (51 vs. 52 years, p = 0.46). Subjects with long COVID had a 3% lower physical QoL (β = −0.03, p = 0.02), a 4% lower mental QoL (β = −0.04, p < 0.01), and a 26% higher mental disability score (β = 0.26, p < 0.01) compared to those without long COVID. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted strategies to address long COVID and support patients in recovering their pre-COVID QoL and mental health. Full article

Background: There has been recent evidence to suggest that people who suffer from eating disorders (EDs) or other eating behavior disturbances, such as emotional eating (EE), are particularly vulnerable post-COVID-19. This narrative literature review aims to comprehensively analyze and scrutinize the existing clinical studies regarding the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with EDs or EE. Moreover, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is very important to find out whether a person’s emotional state may lead them to wrongly confront their emotional behavior with food consumption. Methods: A thorough search of several databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Public Library of Science, Google Scholar, CINAHL Complete, PsycINFO, and Academic Search Complete) was performed to identify available clinical studies on the COVID-19 pandemic published between 2020 and 2024 using relevant keywords. Results: There is substantial evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic exerted negative effects on persons suffering from EDs, including those who are symptomatic, those who are in remission, and those with an EE behavior. Characteristically, people diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), or binge eating disorder (BED) showed considerable symptomatic worsening after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical studies investigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on persons suffering from EE have also clearly demonstrated that their mood disturbances negatively affected their eating behaviors. These studies have also shown that vulnerable people were at greater risk of EE development and progression during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic seems to have exerted a significant deleterious effect on people who have a history of suffering from EDs or EE. The COVID-19 pandemic has been related to the frequency of dysfunctional eating behaviors, thus decreasing therapeutic intervention efficiency in people with EDs as well as in those with disturbed eating behaviors such as EE. In this aspect, further clinical studies are strongly recommended to investigate the exact effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as to explore their potential long-term deleterious complications in the post-pandemic period. Public strategies and policies should be applied to provide special healthcare for this group of patients. Full article

The development of Long COVID is a complex disease process that may be partially driven by neuroinflammation. Antipsychotics have been shown to exert neuroprotective effects under certain conditions. Our study aimed to determine if veterans treated with antipsychotics and/or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for a psychiatric condition had a reduced risk of developing long-term COVID. We conducted a retrospective cohort study with two cohorts of patients based on the COVID-19 wave in which the patient’s initial infection occurred (Cohort 1: alpha/beta waves, and Cohort 2: delta/omicron waves) with stratification by age. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association between the use of antipsychotics and Long COVID diagnosis. In Cohort 1, antipsychotic use was associated with 43% and 34% reductions in the odds of developing Long COVID in patients aged <65 and >65 years, respectively. This association was reduced in the second cohort to 11% in patients aged <65 years and without an association over 65 years of age. SSRIs showed no benefit in either age group or cohort. Our results show that antipsychotic use for the treatment of a mental health condition was associated with a reduction in the risk of developing Long COVID, and the magnitude of this reduction varied between COVID-19 cohorts. Full article

Mortality due to suicide is amongst the largest public health concerns across the world today in Bharat (India). There have been concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to worsening mental health outcomes across the world, including in Bharat. Furthermore, long COVID has been proposed to be a major consequence of COVID-19, which can also worsen mental health outcomes. Therefore, our objective in this study was to analyse trends in suicide mortality across Bharat and to compare these trends to changes prior to the COVID-19 pandemic; in addition, we aimed to analyse if long COVID had any role in these changes. It was found that, at a national level, the average annual increase in the suicide rate between 2019 and 2022 was 0.7 per 100,000 people (a 6.41% increase). There was also an average annual rise in suicide rates across 27 states/union territories (out of the 33 that were analysed). States/UTs with the highest annual increases since the start of the COVID-19, despite a decrease from 2018 to 2019, were Tamil Nadu (increased by 2.7; a 15.17% increase) and Telangana (increased by 1.9; a 9.22% increase). Multi-linear regression showed that the annual suicide rate changes were not associated with COVID-19 deaths per 10,000 people (standardized beta coefficient = 0.077; p = 0.605) but were associated with COVID-19 cases per 100 people (standardized beta coefficient = 0.578; p < 0.001). It has been shown that suicide mortality has worsened, and long COVID may have a potential role in this in Bharat. Full article

Peptide p176-190, derived from the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, is one of the major T cell epitopes that elicits the HLA-DR-restricted IL-8 response of human CD4⁺ T cells. Using PBMCs from a healthy individual primed with an S-protein-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, we established a CD4⁺ T cell line (TM45) and cloned T cells (TM45.2) specific for the peptide. We showed that (i) co-incubation with kynurenine leads to increased IL-8; (ii) T cells incubated in the absence of kynurenine recovered the original levels of cytokine production; and (iii) peptide p176-190 substituted at 176 Leucine for neutral hydrophilic serine completely abolished the cytokine responses of TM45.2 cells, thereby suggesting that 176 L is the first anchor residue for binding to HLA-DR. These observations collectively indicate that (i) enhanced IL-8 responses can be induced by kynurenine, which is produced under infectious conditions in COVID-19; (ii) the response is not a permanent change in the T cell phenotype; and (iii) IL-8 responses associated with harmful neutrophil extracellular traps can be abrogated by a single amino acid substitution of the viral antigens. These findings may shed light on a novel strategy for designing vaccines for viral infections that are accompanied by increased kynurenine production. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic and other infectious diseases continue to threaten public health, particularly in densely populated informal settlements. Effective hand hygiene, supported by alcohol-based hand sanitizers (ABHS), plays a critical role in preventing disease transmission. This study assessed the quality, safety, and compliance of ABHS used in informal settlements around Cape Town. A total of 78 samples were collected from spaza shops, with 72 analyzed using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. The results showed that 76% of ethanol-based sanitizers met compliance standards, while 24% did not. Isopropanol compliance (≥70%) was only observed in 36% of samples, with 64% failing to meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. Overall, 74% of hand sanitizers complied with recommended alcohol concentrations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC, while 26% posed a health risk due to non-compliance. These findings emphasize the urgent need for stricter regulation and public education to ensure effective hand sanitizers are used, thereby reducing infection risks in vulnerable populations. The study aims to inform public health policies and improve regulatory standards. Full article

Negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health have been widely reported. Chinese populations, especially those living overseas, are highly vulnerable to mental health problems considering the unique challenges they faced during the pandemic. Even though the pandemic lasted for three years, little is known about the mental health condition of this special population over this time course. The current study aimed to assess peritraumatic distress among Chinese migrants in Canada and identify its consistent risk predictors across the three years of the pandemic (2020, 2021, 2022). Three groups of Chinese adult migrants (i.e., aged 18 or above) living in Canada were randomly recruited through social media and the internet to complete an online survey in 2020, 2021, and 2022 respectively. Peritraumatic distress was assessed with the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI). Univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) models and a subsequent hierarchical multiple regression model were conducted to track peritraumatic distress differences across the three years and identify potential risk factors. The results showed that the CPDI score increased from 2020 to 2022 and peaked in 2021. Age, birthplace, health status, perceived discrimination, self-contraction and family contraction worry were identified as significant sociodemographic and COVID-19-related predictors for peritraumatic distress (absolute βs = 2.16–9.00; ps < 0.05). The results provide insight into the mental health condition of overseas Chinese migrants across the three years of the pandemic. Full article

The Italian sporting event ‘XIV Convittiadi’ involving students at boarding schools took place in Molise region, central Italy, in April 2022. The study describes the public health protocol with specific countermeasures developed for the event, including testing, isolation, and contact tracing during the COVID-19 pandemic, and reports the main related findings. There were 590 Italian white participants, with 514 athletes (mean age 13.6 ± 1.6 years) and 76 accompanying teachers/guardians (50 ± 8.7 years) of 21 boarding schools from different Italian regions. During the event, 1281 antigenic swabs were performed, and twelve COVID-19 cases were promptly identified due to active screening, involving ten (83.3%) athletes and two (16.7%) accompanying teachers. Among the infected athletes, 83.3% complained mild symptoms, either before or after the ascertained positivity, and 40% had received primary cycle vaccination and booster, or only completed the primary course. The enhanced surveillance and contact tracing activities allowed identifying 34 participants as close contacts who were subjected to a daily follow-up that revealed only four (11.8%) as infected. Since in mass gathering events public health risk is not clear and could not be available through the traditional surveillance systems, increased monitoring activities are necessary. The practical approach implemented for this event was valuable for SARS-CoV-2 control and case management either among participants, or the host country population, suggesting its application to other airborne communicable diseases. Full article

Background. People living with HIV (PWH) frequently have co-morbid substance use disorders that may have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined associations between COVID-related stress and increased substance use among PWH in Washington State. Methods. Between August 2020 and March 2021, we conducted an online survey of 397 PWH in western Washington. Logistic regression was used to analyze associations between a COVID-19 stress score and four self-reported outcomes: increased alcohol use, increased cigarette smoking, increased marijuana use, and increased use of illicit substances. Results. Thirty-five (38.0%) of 92 participants who smoked, 61 (23.4%) of 261 participants who used alcohol, 15 (14.6%) of 103 participants who used marijuana, and 35 (33.0%) of 102 participants who used illicit substances reported increased use of these substances. Higher COVID-19 stress scores were associated with higher odds of increased cigarette smoking (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04–1.27), even after adjustment for anxiety and depressive symptoms (aOR 1.14, 95%CI: 1.03–1.27). COVID-19 stress was not associated with an increased use of alcohol, marijuana, or illicit substances. Conclusions. COVID-19-related stress was associated with self-reported increased cigarette smoking among PWH in western Washington during the pandemic. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound impact, necessitating a deeper understanding of factors influencing virus transmission. The negative impacts have weakened the economy and changed billions of lives around the world. COVID-19 is a new virus, and a lot of studies have tried to investigate its effect on, for example, the economy or environment. This research reveals new approaches to recognizing and stopping the spread of this virus with its connection to weather conditions and relevant parameters. By analyzing how temperature and humidity affect COVID-19 spread, alongside evaluating the effectiveness of initial public policies, this study addresses the critical gap in research by investigating the interplay between climate conditions and government regulations during the early stages of the pandemic in South Korea. This dual approach provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how environmental and policy factors jointly influence pandemic dynamics, offering valuable lessons for future global health crises. Although it focuses only on the first phase of South Korea COVID-19 regulations, outcomes show that these regulations were notably effective against the COVID-19 pandemic. The outcomes prove that higher temperature and higher relative humidity lead to lower transmission. Hence, based on the results during winter, the number of infections would be expected to speed up again. Full article

Several websites have offered patients opportunities to find out whether they meet the case definitions for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The current study describes a new online screener that can be completed by individuals who might like to determine if they meet the current ME/CFS criteria. The website is available for anyone to use, and the feedback is more comprehensive than other site, particularly in providing data on how the participants’ data compares with a large ME/CFS patient population, as well as whether the current ME and ME/CFS case definitions are met. Full article