New research supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health aims to deepen public understanding of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and inform the response.
A Sample of Recently Published Findings
To have the greatest benefits, vaccination campaigns should target people who say they MIGHT get vaccinated against COVID-19 rather those firmly opposed, research on closing the intention-to-behavior gap shows. Buttenheim AM. SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Acceptance: We May Need to Choose Our Battles. Ann Intern Med. 2020 Sep 4. [Epub ahead of print]. University of Pennsylvania.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32886526
COVID-19 death rates were twice as high among Minnesota immigrants than among U.S. born residents – even when adjusted for age and gender. Horner KM, Wrigley-Field E, Leider JP. A First Look: Disparities in COVID-19 Mortality Among US-Born and Foreign-Born Minnesota Residents. Popul Res Policy Rev. 2021 Aug 2: 1-14. Epub 2021 Aug 2. University of Minnesota.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34366520
National data show people with depression or high use of alcohol or cannabis were more likely to experience mental distress early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Holingue C, Kalb LG, Riehm KE, et. al. Mental Distress in the United States at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Am J Public Health. 2020 Nov; 110(11):1628-1634. Epub 2020 Sep 17. University of Maryland.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32941066
New evidence from Los Angeles shows a higher-than-usual number of patients seeking medical care for coughs/respiratory complaints in late Dec. 2019 thru Feb 2020 suggesting early community spread of COVID-19. Elmore JG, Wang PC, Kerr KF, et. al. Excess Patient Visits for Cough and Pulmonary Disease at a Large US Health System in the Months Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Time-Series Analysis. J Med Internet Res. 2020 Sep 10; 22(9):e21562. University of California at Los Angeles
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32791492
Research Findings Organized by NICHD-Population Research Center
Bowling Green State University (Grant 5P2CHD050959-16)
Individuals who had a pre-existing physical health diagnosis were more likely to believe that their personal health was at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic but were NOT more likely to comply with social distancing guidelines. In contrast, individuals who had a pre-existing mental health diagnosis were MORE compliant with social distancing guidelines but were not more likely to believe their personal health was at risk. Fear levels played a role. King IY, Manning WD, Longmore MA, et. al. The Relationship Between Medical Diagnoses, Risk Perceptions, and Social Distancing Compliance: An Analysis of Data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study. Ohio J Public Health. 2022; 4(2):34-42. Epub 2022 Jan 28.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35463187
The mental health of Black, Hispanic, and Asian respondents worsened relative to White respondents during the pandemic and deaths of George Floyd and Asian women in Atlanta, with significant increases in depression and anxiety. Without targeted interventions, the long-term social consequences of the pandemic and other co-occurring events will likely include widening mental health disparities between racial/ethnic groups. Thomeer MB, Moody MD, Yahirun J. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health and Mental Health Care During The COVID-19 Pandemic. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2022 Mar 22. [Epub ahead of print].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35318615
Marriage and divorce declined during the COVID-19 pandemic: A look at patterns in Arizona, Florida, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Oregon. Manning WD, Payne KK. Marriage and Divorce Decline during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Five States. Socius. 2021 Jan-Dec; 7. Epub 2021 Apr 5.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34307872
Overall, global crime decreased 37% worldwide after stay-at-home orders were issued by governments in the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic. Property-based crimes decreased substantially, but homicide was relatively unchanged. Cities with more stringent lockdowns experienced greater crime decreases than cities with less stringent lockdowns. As stay-at-home orders gradually eased, crime slowly increased to pre-COVID-19 levels. Boman JH 4th, Mowen TJ. Global crime trends during COVID-19. Nat Hum Behav. 2021 Jun 11. [Epub ahead of print].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34117455
During the COVID-19 pandemic, family plays a bigger role in health as people spend more time at home and rely on family members as a major part of their social safety net, which widened existing inequalities and exacerbated health disparities. Thomeer MB, Yahirun J, Colón-López A. How Families Matter for Health Inequality during the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Fam Theory Rev. 2020 Dec; 12(4):448-463. Epub 2020 Dec 24.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33841554
Brown University (Grant 5P2CHD041020-19)
The duration of oral contraception supplied at first prescription pick-up increased modestly after the pandemic; but, the pandemic did not dramatically alter combined oral contraceptive supply prescribing practices. Steenland MW, Rodriguez MI, Cohen JL. Changes in the Supply Duration of Combined Oral Contraception During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic. Obstet Gynecol. 2022 Mar 1; 139(3):455-457.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35115432
Philippines-trained nurses make up 1 out of 20 U.S. nurses. Workplace inequity helps explain Filipino-trained nurses’ disproportionate COVID-19-related vulnerability and deaths. Nazareno J, Yoshioka E, Adia AC, et. al. From imperialism to inpatient care: Work differences of Filipino and White registered nurses in the United States and implications for COVID-19 through an intersectional lens. Gend Work Organ. 2021 Apr 16. Epub 2021 Apr 16.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34230784
New study provides guidance for the design and analysis of observational studies of fetal and newborn outcomes following COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy. Fell DB, Dimitris MC, Hutcheon JA, et. al. Guidance for design and analysis of observational studies of fetal and newborn outcomes following COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy. Vaccine. 2021 Apr 1; 39(14):1882-1886. Epub 2021 Mar 2.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33715900
Columbia University (Grant P2CHD058486)
New York City mothers who delivered their babies between May-Dec 2020, after the NYC COVID-19 peak, were more like to sleep poorly than those who delivered March-April 2020, the peak of the pandemic, reflecting increased levels of maternal depression, stress, and pandemic-related post-traumatic stress. Hispanic mothers slept worse than their non-Hispanic white peers but had less daytime dysfunction. Lucchini M, Kyle MH, Sania A, et. al. Postpartum sleep health in a multiethnic cohort of women during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. Sleep Health. 2022 Apr; 8(2):175-182. Epub 2022 Jan 4.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34991997
Among patients hospitalized with COVID-19, a higher long-term PM2.5 exposure level (fine particle AirPollution) was associated with an increased risk of mortality and ICU admission. Bozack A, Pierre S, DeFelice N, et. al. Long-Term Air Pollution Exposure and COVID-19 Mortality: A Patient-Level Analysis from New York City. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2022 Mar 15; 205(6):651-662.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34881681
The COVID-19 pandemic caused service disruptions impacting access to abortion, contraceptives, HIV/STI testing, and influencing changes in sexual behaviors, menstruation, and pregnancy intentions. Mukherjee TI, Khan AG, Dasgupta A, et. al. Reproductive justice in the time of COVID-19: a systematic review of the indirect impacts of COVID-19 on sexual and reproductive health. Reprod Health. 2021 Dec 20; 18(1):252.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34930318
Increased prejudice and #discrimination fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic has not been limited to East Asians but is part of a broader phenomenon affecting Asians generally and Hispanics as well, U.S. survey research findings show. Lu Y, Kaushal N, Huang X, et. al. Priming COVID-19 salience increases prejudice and discriminatory intent against Asians and Hispanics. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Sep 7; 118(36).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34462353
Parents and children in households that experienced multiple COVID-19 hardships—job and income loss, caregiving burden, and illness—had the poorest mental health. Gassman-Pines A, Ananat EO, Fitz-Henley J 2nd. COVID-19 and Parent-Child Psychological Well-being. Pediatrics. 2020 Oct; 146(4). Epub 2020 Aug 6. (Also Duke University.)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32764151
Duke University (Grant 5P2CHD065563-10)
The increase in alcohol and illicit substance use problems during the pandemic was related to increased depression/anxiety and household disruption, particularly among teens. Uhl JH, Leyk S, Li Z, et. al. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on substance use among adults without children, parents, and adolescents. Addict Behav Rep. 2021 Oct 21; 14:100388. eCollection 2021 Dec.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34938846
Seroprevalence sample for COVID-19 in Mumbai, India for July 2020 (age adjusted) showed positive samples in 54% of slum residents and 16% of residents in nonslums areas. Malani A, Shah D, Kang G, et. al. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in slums versus non-slums in Mumbai, India. Lancet Glob Health. 2021 Feb; 9(2):e110-e111. Epub 2020 Nov 13.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33197394
Loss of biodiversity, high level of air pollution, and diminished air quality are linked with greater risk of COVID-19 infection spread and mortality. Fernández D, Giné-Vázquez I, Liu I, et. al. Are environmental pollution and biodiversity levels associated to the spread and mortality of COVID-19? A four-month global analysis. Environ Pollut. 2021 Feb 15; 271:116326. Epub 2020 Dec 21.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33412447
The adjusted seroprevalence of COVID-19 across Karnataka state, India was 46.7%, suggesting approximately 31.5 million residents were infected, far greater than the 327,076 official cases reported by August 29, 2020. Mohanan M, Malani A, Krishnan K, et. al. Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Karnataka, India. JAMA. 2021 Mar 9; 325(10):1001-1003.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33538774
The One Health Disparities Framework focuses on interconnections between human, animal, and environmental health. Social environments help illuminate disparities in the COVID-19 pandemic, including its origins, transmission and susceptibility among humans, and spillback to other species. Solis A, Nunn CL. One health disparities and COVID-19. Evol Med Public Health. 2021 Feb 13; 9(1):70-77. eCollection 2021.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33708387
Without mitigation, estimates suggested India could reach more than 1 million COVID-19 cases per day with over 1 million cumulative COVID-19 deaths by Aug 1, 2021. Kuppalli K, Gala P, Cherabuddi K, et. al. India’s COVID-19 crisis: a call for international action. Lancet. 2021 Jun 5; 397(10290):2132-2135 Epub 2021 May 14.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34000256
Perceived risk closely predicted compliance with COVID-19 public health guidelines: a fast and effective intervention realign perceived risk with actual risk, reducing willingness to engage in risky activities, both immediately and after a 1- to 3-wk delay. Sinclair AH, Hakimi S, Stanley ML, et. al. Pairing facts with imagined consequences improves pandemic-related risk perception. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Aug 10; 118(32).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34341120
Society for Research on Adolescents COVID-19 Response Team discusses the impact of the pandemic on adolescents’ social, emotional, and academic functioning in special issue of the Journal of Research on Adolescence. Hussong AM, Benner AD, Erdem G, et. al. Adolescence Amid a Pandemic: Short- and Long-Term Implications. J Res Adolesc. 2021 Sep; 31(3):820-835
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34448291
Parent-child relationship strategies examined for avoiding increases in negative behaviors such as depression and rule breaking during the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. Chang L, Liu YY, Lu HJ, et. al. Slow Life History Strategies and Increases in Externalizing and Internalizing Problems During the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Res Adolesc. 2021 Sep; 31(3):595-607.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34448293
Elevated psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic is primarily driven by trouble concentrating (increased 6-fold compared with before pandemic). Symptoms of anxiety and depression also increased, particularly among young adults. Thomas D, Lawton R, Brown T, et. al. Prevalence, severity and distribution of depression and anxiety symptoms using observational data collected before and nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic. Lancet Reg Health Am. 2021 Sep; 1:100009. Epub 2021 Jul 13.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34514462
U.S. counties whose residents were less obese, more physically active, and had other healthy behaviors were more likely to practice social distancing as COVID-19 spread. Bourassa KJ, Sbarra DA, Caspi A, et. al. Social Distancing as a Health Behavior: County-Level Movement in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic Is Associated with Conventional Health Behaviors. Ann Behav Med. 2020 Aug 8; 54(8):548-556.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32608474
Parents and children in households that experienced multiple COVID-19 hardships—job and income loss, caregiving burden, and illness—had the poorest mental health.
Gassman-Pines A, Ananat EO, Fitz-Henley J 2nd. COVID-19 and Parent-Child Psychological Well-being. Pediatrics. 2020 Oct; 146(4). Epub 2020 Aug 6. (Also Columbia University.)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32764151
Adults with pre-existing conditions were much more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 if they were in the bottom vs. top income quartile and had a high school diploma vs. a college degree. Wiemers EE, Abrahams S, AlFakhri M, et. al. Disparities in vulnerability to complications from COVID-19 arising from disparities in preexisting conditions in the United States. Res Soc Stratif Mobil. 2020 Oct; 69:100553. Epub 2020 Sep 7.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32921870
Johns Hopkins University (Grant R01 HD086013)
Delays and inconsistencies in implementing COVID-19 public health and social distancing measures, especially when compared with Vietnam, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, South Korea, Ethiopia, and Kazakhstan, help explain the United States extremely high COVID-19 cases and deaths. Zweig SA, Zapf AJ, Xu H, et. al. Impact of Public Health and Social Measures on the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States and Other Countries: Descriptive Analysis. JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2021 Jun 2; 7(6):e27917. .
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33975277
A COVID-19 vaccine must have an efficacy of at least 70% to prevent an epidemic and of at least 80% to largely extinguish an epidemic without any other measures, such as social distancing. Bartsch SM, O’Shea KJ, Ferguson MC, et al. Vaccine Efficacy Needed for a COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine to Prevent or Stop an Epidemic as the Sole Intervention. Am J Prev Med. 2020;59(4):493-503. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2020.06.011.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32778354/
The availability and quality of age- and race-ethnic-specific COVID-19 case and death data varied greatly across states and is sufficient in only California, Illinois, and Ohio. Age distributions in confirmed cases obscured racial-ethnic disparities in COVID-19 case fatality rates. Age standardization narrows racial-ethnic disparities and changes ranking. Public COVID-19 data availability, quality, and harmonization need improvement to address racial disparities in this pandemic. Pathak I, Choi Y, Jiao D, et. al. Racial-ethnic disparities in case fatality ratio narrowed after age standardization: A call for race-ethnicity-specific age distributions in State COVID-19 data. medRxiv. 2020 Oct 4. *Preprint, not peer reviewed.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33024984
Pennsylvania State University (Grant P2C HD041025)
COVID took a harsher toll in U.S. rural areas in early 2021: Rural residents and their friends and family members were more likely test positive; to seek treatment for anxiety or depression; to be late paying rent, mortgage, and other bills; to be unable to afford groceries or other necessities; and to get a loan from family or friends. Caudillo ML, Hurtado-Acuna C, Rendall MS, et. al. Rural-Urban Variation in COVID-19 Experiences and Impacts among U.S. Working-Age Adults. Ann Am Acad Pol Soc Sci. 2021 Nov; 698(1):111-136. Epub 2022 Feb 2.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35493266
As of February 2021, 37,300 U.S. children ages 17 and younger had lost at least 1 parent due to COVID-19, three-quarters of these children were adolescents. A natural herd immunity strategy that results in 1.5 million U.S. deaths demonstrates the potential effect of inaction: 116,900 parentally bereaved children. Kidman R, Margolis R, Smith-Greenaway E, et. al. Estimates and Projections of COVID-19 and Parental Death in the US. JAMA Pediatr. 2021 Jul 1; 175(7):745-746.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33818598
COVID-19 deaths have lingering mental health implications (depression) for surviving older adults. Even as the collective toll of the crisis is apparent, bereaved older adults are in particular need of mental health support. Wang H, Verdery AM, Margolis R, et. al. Bereavement from COVID-19, Gender, and Reports of Depression among Older Adults in Europe. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2021 Jul 12. [Epub ahead of print].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34252179
In summer 2020, Malawi effectively limited the spread of COVID-19 with the help of local leaders who mobilized communities to adapt and adhere to prevention strategies. Chen S, Alers-Rojas F, Benner A, et. al. Daily Experiences of Discrimination and Ethnic/Racial Minority Adolescents’ Sleep: The Moderating Role of Social Support. J Res Adolesc. 2021 Nov 30. [Epub ahead of print].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34848913
Every death from COVID-19 will impact the physical and mental health of approximately nine surviving close family members. Verdery AM, Smith-Greenaway E, Margolis R, et. al. Tracking the reach of COVID-19 kin loss with a bereavement multiplier applied to the United States. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.. 2020 Jul 28; 117(30):17695-17701. Epub 2020 Jul 10.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32651279
Since early March, the average daily increase in the #COVID-19 mortality rate has been significantly higher in rural counties that have the highest percent Black and percent Hispanic populations. Cheng KJG, Sun Y, Monnat SM. COVID-19 Death Rates Are Higher in Rural Counties With Larger Shares of Blacks and Hispanics. J Rural Health. 2020;36(4):602-608. doi:10.1111/jrh.12511
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32894612
University of California, Berkeley (Grant P2CHD073964)
School closures in California led to decreases in children’s social contact outside their households, but social contact declined less and waned over time among children in lower income households and from children whose guardians are unable to work from home. Prolonged school closures may be inadequate for long-term COVID-19 transmission mitigation. Andrejko KL, Head JR, Lewnard JA, et. al. Longitudinal social contacts among school-aged children during the COVID-19 pandemic: the Bay Area Contacts among Kids (BACK) study. BMC Infect Dis. 2022 Mar 10; 22(1):242.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35272626
Premature births dropped unexpectedly nationwide during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, new U.S. evidence shows. Gemmill A, Casey JA, Catalano R, et. al. Changes in preterm birth and caesarean deliveries in the United States during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2021 Sep 13. [Epub ahead of print].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34515360
COVID-19 has complicated access to contraception, especially for disadvantaged populations. Individuals experiencing income loss and food insecurity were more likely to report they would be using a different method if not for COVID-19, compared to respondents without income loss or food insecurity. A larger share of respondents –14% in July 2020 and 22% in Jan 2021– reported not using their preferred method of contraception due to COVID-19. Diamond-Smith N, Logan R, Marshall C, et. al. COVID-19’s impact on contraception experiences: Exacerbation of structural inequities in women’s health. Contraception. 2021 Dec; 104(6):600-605. Epub 2021 Aug 27.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34461136
Survey data show a wide discrepancy between self-reported (88%) vs directly observed (10%) face mask use to prevent COVID-19 in Kenya, suggesting campaigns that emphasize effectiveness and altruism for wearing masks, and alleviate barriers to use may be more effective than fines. Jakubowski A, Egger D, Nekesa C, et. al. Self-reported vs Directly Observed Face Mask Use in Kenya. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Jul 1; 4(7):e2118830.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34328505
In winter/spring 2021, COVID-19 vaccines were 68% effective at preventing asymptomatic infections and 91% effective against symptomatic infection in California. Only 66% of unvaccinated participants were willing to receive the vaccine when eligible, suggesting herd immunity was unattainable. Andrejko KL, Pry J, Myers JF, et. al. Prevention of COVID-19 by mRNA-based vaccines within the general population of California. Clin Infect Dis. 2021 Jul 20. [Epub ahead of print].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34282839
In Santiago, Chile, a highly segregated city, people with low incomes were much more likely to contract COVID-19 during 2020 and die from it. Mena GE, Martinez PP, Mahmud AS, et. al. Socioeconomic status determines COVID-19 incidence and related mortality in Santiago, Chile. Science. 2021 May 28; 372(6545). Epub 2021 Apr 27.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33906968
Survey evidence from 9 countries in Africa (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Sierra Leone), Asia (Bangladesh, Nepal, Philippines), and Latin America (Colombia) documents widespread declines in employment and income in all settings beginning March 2020. Household coping strategies and government assistance were insufficient to sustain precrisis living standards, resulting in widespread food insecurity and dire economic conditions even 3 months into the crisis. Egger D, Miguel E, Warren SS, et. al. Falling living standards during the COVID-19 crisis: Quantitative evidence from nine developing countries. Sci Adv. 2021 Feb 5; 7(6).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33547077
In California and Minnesota COVID-19 vaccination schedules based solely on age benefit the older white populations at the expense of younger Black, Indigenous, and People of Color with higher risk of death from COVID-19. Strategies that prioritize high-risk geographic areas for vaccination at all ages better target mortality risk than age-based strategies alone, although they do not always perform as well as direct prioritization of high-risk racial/ethnic groups. Wrigley-Field E, Kiang MV, Riley AR, et. al. Geographically targeted COVID-19 vaccination is more equitable and averts more deaths than age-based thresholds alone. Sci Adv. 2021 Oct; 7(40):eabj2099. Epub 2021 Sep 29.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34586843
Prioritizing the oldest to receive COVID-19 vaccines saves BOTH the most lives and the most years of life. Goldstein JR, Cassidy T, Wachter KW. Vaccinating the oldest against COVID-19 saves both the most lives and most years of life. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Mar 16; 118(11).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33632802
Americans reduced interpersonal contact by 82% in March 2020 compared with pre-pandemic levels. Contact rose between March and September, particularly among people under 45 and males. Feehan DM, Mahmud AS. Quantifying population contact patterns in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nat Commun. 2021 Feb 9; 12(1):893.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33563992
National COVID-19 death rates are 80% higher for Blacks and over 50% higher for Hispanics, relative to whites, based on CDC data, adjusted for age and place. State estimates vary widely. Goldstein JR, Atherwood S. Improved measurement of racial/ethnic disparities in COVID-19 mortality in the United States. medRxiv. 2020 May 23. (Preprint, not peer reviewed.)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32511557/
In April 2020, U.S. west coast residents admitted to hospitals with COVID-19 had a high probability of ICU admission (49% males/32% females), long hospital stays, and of mortality (24% males/15% females). Lewnard JA, Liu VX, Jackson ML, et. al. Incidence, clinical outcomes, and transmission dynamics of severe coronavirus disease 2019 in California and Washington: prospective cohort study. BMJ. 2020 May 22; 369:m1923.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32444358/
COVID-19 is likely to shorten the average U.S. lifespan in 2020 by about 1 year. Unlike HIV/AIDS and opioid epidemics, COVID-19 deaths are concentrated in a period of months rather than spread out over decades. Goldstein JR, Lee RD. Demographic perspectives on the mortality of COVID-19 and other epidemics. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020;117(36):22035-22041. doi:10.1073/pnas.2006392117.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32820077/
Data from India (Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh states) show reported COVID-19 cases and deaths have been concentrated in younger cohorts than would be expected from observations in higher-income countries, even after accounting for demographic differences. Case fatality ratios are 16.6% at ages of 85 years or older. Primary data from low-resource countries are urgently needed to guide control measures. Laxminarayan R, Wahl B, Dudala SR, et. al. Epidemiology and transmission dynamics of COVID-19 in two Indian states. Science. 2020 Nov 6; 370(6517):691-697. Epub 2020 Sep 30.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33154136
Study based on children’s social networks estimates that spring 2020 closures in the San Francisco area averted much fewer coronavirus infections in elementary schools than in middle and high schools or workplaces. Head JR, Andrejko KL, Cheng Q, et. al. School closures reduced social mixing of children during COVID-19 with implications for transmission risk and school reopening policies. J R Soc Interface. 2021 Apr; 18(177):20200970. Epub 2021 Apr 14.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33849340
University of California, Los Angeles (Grant P2C HD041022)
During COVID-19 vaccine rollouts within large U.S. cities in spring 2021, Black and Hispanic residents and people with low-incomes faced barriers to access, new study documents. DiRago NV, Li M, Tom T, et. al. COVID-19 Vaccine Rollouts and the Reproduction of Urban Spatial Inequality: Disparities Within Large US Cities in March and April 2021 by Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Composition. J Urban Health. 2022 Feb 3.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35118595
The Twitter hashtag “#chinesevirus” was many times more strongly associated with Anti-Asian sentiments on Twitter March 9-23, 2020 than “#covid19.” Hswen Y, Xu X, Hing A, et. al. Association of “#covid19” Versus “#chinesevirus” With Anti-Asian Sentiments on Twitter: March 9-23, 2020. Am J Public Health. 2021 May; 111(5):956-964. Epub 2021 Mar 18.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33734838
Survey finds high level of vaccine hesitancy among people experiencing homelessness. Researchers recommend targeted educational and social influence interventions. Kuhn R, Henwood B, Lawton A, et. al. COVID-19 vaccine access and attitudes among people experiencing homelessness from pilot mobile phone survey in Los Angeles, CA. PLoS One. 2021 Jul 30; 16(7):e0255246. eCollection 2021.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34329350
Places with higher mortality in the 1918 influenza pandemic also have higher COVID-19 mortality today—both across countries as well as across a sample of large U.S. cities. Lin PZ, Meissner CM. Persistent Pandemics. Econ Hum Biol. 2021 Jul 17; 43:101044. [Epub ahead of print].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34371338
As a result of COVID-19 deaths, life expectancy declines of more than 2 years in 2020 are estimated for Panama, Peru, and certain areas of Italy, Spain, the USA and especially, Mexico. Heuveline P, Tzen M. Beyond deaths per capita: comparative COVID-19 mortality indicators. BMJ Open. 2021 Mar 10; 11(3):e042934. .
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33692179
The impact of COVID-19 on U.S. life expectancy at birth amounts to nearly twice the largest single-year decline induced by HIV/AIDS and would bring U.S. life expectancy at birth down to its lowest level since 2008. Heuveline P, Tzen M. Beyond Deaths per Capita: Three CoViD-19 Mortality Indicators for Temporal and International Comparisons. medRxiv. 2020 May 5. *Preprint, not peer reviewed.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32511525
Based on analysis of health conditions linked to a severe COVID-19 complications, health disparities emerge early in life, prior to age 65: Non-Hispanic Blacks, adults with a high school degree or less, and low-income Americans in midlife face the highest risks. Wiemers EE, Abrahams S, AlFakhri M, et. al. Disparities in Vulnerability to Severe Complications from COVID-19 in the United States. medRxiv. 2020 May 30. *Preprint, not peer reviewed.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32511522
After the U.S. spread of the coronavirus, the proportion of negative tweets referring to Asians increased by 68% (from 9.79% in November to 16.49% in March). In contrast, the proportion of negative tweets referring to other racial/ethnic minorities (Blacks and Latinx) remained relatively stable during this period. Nguyen TT, Criss S, Dwivedi P, et al. Exploring U.S. Shifts in Anti-Asian Sentiment with the Emergence of COVID-19. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(19):E7032. Published 2020 Sep 25. doi:10.3390/ijerph17197032.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32993005/
Among adults with pre-existing conditions, the risk of being hospitalized with COVID-19 is an estimated 3x higher for those with low incomes vs. high incomes, and 60% higher for those with a high school diploma vs. college degree. Wiemers EE, Abrahams S, AlFakhri M, Hotz VJ, Schoeni RF, Seltzer JA. Disparities in vulnerability to complications from COVID-19 arising from disparities in preexisting conditions in the United States. Res Soc Stratif Mobil. 2020;69:100553. doi:10.1016/j.rssm.2020.100553
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32921870
Greater workplace exposures likely contribute to a higher COVID-19 prevalence among Latino and Black adults and underscore the need for measures to reduce potential exposure for low-paid workers who may lack bargaining power to demand adequate PPE. Goldman N, Pebley AR, Lee K, et. al. Racial and Ethnic Differentials in COVID-19-Related Job Exposures by Occupational Status in the US. medRxiv. 2020 Nov 16. *Preprint, not peer reviewed.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33236022
Researchers develop a framework for assessing the effects of hydroxychloroquine and dexamethasone on COVID-19 mortality outside of randomized trials. Hazlett C, Wulf DA, Pasaniuc B, et. al. Credible learning of hydroxychloroquine and dexamethasone effects on COVID-19 mortality outside of randomized trials. medRxiv. 2020 Dec 8. *Preprint, not peer reviewed.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33330889
Among adults with three or more medical risk factors for severe COVID-19 infection, only about 1 in 10 reported always wearing a mask if they visited a friend’s home or hosted visitors in late fall 2020. Schoeni RF, Wiemers EE, Seltzer JA, et. al. Association Between Risk Factors for Complications From COVID-19, Perceived Chances of Infection and Complications, and Protective Behavior in the US. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Mar 1; 4(3):e213984.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33787906/
Pooled COVID-19 testing is an efficient strategy for nursing homes with a low prevalence. Dilution from pooling, however, can lead to erroneous false-negative results. Nianogo RA, Emeruwa IO, Gounder P, et. al. Optimal uses of pooled testing for COVID-19 incorporating imperfect test performance and pool dilution effect: An application to congregate settings in Los Angeles County. J Med Virol. 2021 Apr 30. [Epub ahead of print].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33930195
Analysis of Twitter content provides nuanced viewpoints on the COVID-19 vaccine related to race and ethnicity can offer insights for public health messaging. Criss S, Nguyen TT, Norton S, et. al. Advocacy, Hesitancy, and Equity: Exploring U.S. Race-Related Discussions of the COVID-19 Vaccine on Twitter. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 May 26; 18(11). .
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34073291
In California, the risk of food insufficiency or hunger among disadvantaged households during the COVID-19 pandemic differed by metro area, with the highest levels in San Francisco, the area with the lowest poverty and unemployment rates. Blumenberg E, Pinski M, Nhan LA, et. al. Regional differences in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food sufficiency in California, April-July 2020: implications for food programmes and policies. Public Health Nutr. 2021 Apr 30: 1-9. [Epub ahead of print].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33928894
University of Colorado, Boulder (Grant 5P2CHD066613-10)
A model to predict new county-level U.S. COVID-19 cases using data on infection rates, human interactions, human mobility, and socioeconomic composition of counties offers strong predictive power on a 4-week horizon. Vahedi B, Karimzadeh M, Zoraghein H. Spatiotemporal prediction of COVID-19 cases using inter- and intra-county proxies of human interactions. Nat Commun. 2021 Nov 8; 12(1):6440.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34750353
For wildland firefighters, exposure to wildfire smoke may increase risk for more severe COVID-19 infection, underscoring importance of distancing and other public health measures. Navarro KM, Clark KA, Hardt DJ, et. al. Wildland firefighter exposure to smoke and COVID-19: A new risk on the fire line. Sci Total Environ. 2021 Mar 15; 760:144296. Epub 2020 Dec 11.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33341613
University of Maryland (Grant 5P2CHD041041-18)
Home births increased 23% between 2019 and 2020. Covid-19 pandemic restrictions likely spurred the increase. MacDorman MF, Barnard-Mayers R, Declercq E. United States community births increased by 20% from 2019 to 2020. Birth. 2022 Feb 25. [Epub ahead of print].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35218065
Mexican youth spent less time studying and more time working in Sept. 2020 than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting the need for policies to combat potential dropout and negative effects on learning. Boruchowicz C, Parker SW, Robbins L. Time Use of Youth during a Pandemic: Evidence from Mexico. World Dev. 2022 Jan; 149. Epub 2021 Sep 15.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34764533
LGBTQ young persons face unique mental health challenges driven by the overlapping experience of stressors related to the pandemic- and their sexual and gender minority status. Public health stakeholders should advocate for allocation of pandemic crisis funds to community-based organizations involved in supporting crisis and mental health interventions among LGBTQ young persons and other marginalized groups. Salerno JP, Devadas J, Pease M, et. al. Sexual and Gender Minority Stress Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for LGBTQ Young Persons’ Mental Health and Well-Being. Public Health Rep. 2020 Nov/Dec; 135(6):721-727. Epub 2020 Oct 7.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33026972
Mental health providers during COVID-19 are essential to the public health workforce and need support. Fish JN, Mittal M. Mental Health Providers During COVID-19 : Essential to the US Public Health Workforce and in Need of Support. Public Health Rep. 2021 Jan/Feb; 136(1):14-17. Epub 2020 Oct 27.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33108959
Relative to heterosexual adults, sexual minority adults experienced steeper health declines (mental health, physical health, quality of life, stress, and psychological distress) during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting a need for improved surveillance and cultural responsiveness in emergency preparedness. Fish JN, Salerno J, Williams ND, et. al. Sexual Minority Disparities in Health and Well-Being as a Consequence of the COVID-19 Pandemic Differ by Sexual Identity. LGBT Health. 2021 May-Jun; 8(4):263-272. Epub 2021 Apr 21.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33887160
The ongoing challenges of the COVID pandemic were exacerbated for queer and trans youth by social isolation and lack of identity-affirming support. Paceley MS, Okrey-Anderson S, Fish JN, et. al. Beyond a Shared Experience: Queer and Trans Youth Navigating COVID-19. Qual Soc Work. 2021 Mar; 20(1-2):97-104. Epub 2020 Nov 16.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34025216
University of Michigan (Grant 5P2CHD041028-18)
Households who feared COVID-19 infection were more likely to wear masks, avoid crowds, maintain social distance, etc. than households less worried about contracting the virus in rural Nepal during the first wave of the pandemic. Askari MS, Treleaven E, Ghimire D, et. al. COVID-19 worries, concerns and mitigation behaviours: A snapshot of Nepal during the first wave. Trop Med Int Health. 2022 Feb; 27(2):165-173. Epub 2021 Dec 27.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34932242
Overall, COVID-19 crisis had a negative effect on survey fieldwork based on experiences and lessons from two major supplements to the U.S. Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Sastry N, McGonagle K, Fomby P. Effects of the COVID-19 crisis on survey fieldwork: Experience and lessons from two major supplements to the U.S. Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Surv Res Methods. 2020 Jun 4; 14(2):241-245. .
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34093884
University of Minnesota (Grant P2C HD041023)
A promising new antibody test can identify previous COVID infection among health care workers, with and without infection both before and after vaccination. DeWaard J, Hauer M, Fussell E, et. al. Identification of Natural SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Seroprevalence Studies Among Vaccinated Populations. Mayo Clin Proc. 2022 Apr; 97(4):754-760. Epub 2022 Feb 14.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35379422
It’s a pandemic of the disadvantaged not the unvaccinated: At midlife, white people are less vaccinated but still at less risk of Covid-19 mortality in Minnesota. Wrigley-Field E, Berry KM, Stokes AC, et. al. “Pandemic of the unvaccinated”? At midlife, white people are less vaccinated but still at less risk of Covid-19 mortality in Minnesota. medRxiv. 2022 Mar 8. [Preprint, not peer reviewed.]
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35291300\
In California and Minnesota COVID-19 vaccination schedules based solely on age benefit the older white populations at the expense of younger Black, Indigenous, and People of Color with higher risk of death from COVID-19. Strategies that prioritize high-risk geographic areas for vaccination at all ages better target mortality risk than age-based strategies alone, although they do not always perform as well as direct prioritization of high-risk racial/ethnic groups. Wrigley-Field E, Kiang MV, Riley AR, et. al. Geographically targeted COVID-19 vaccination is more equitable and averts more deaths than age-based thresholds alone. Sci Adv. 2021 Oct; 7(40):eabj2099. Epub 2021 Sep 29.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34586843
In Minnesota, COVID-19 mortality among Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) was 459 deaths per 100,000 population in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods compared with 126 per 100,000 in the most advantaged. Total mortality increased in 2020 by 14 percent for non-Hispanic white people and 41 percent for BIPOC. Wrigley-Field E, Garcia S, Leider JP, et. al. COVID-19 Mortality at The Neighborhood Level: Racial And Ethnic Inequalities Deepened In Minnesota In 2020. Health Aff (Millwood). 2021 Oct; 40(10):1644-1653. Epub 2021 Sep 15.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34524913
For U.S. White mortality in 2020 to reach levels that U.S. Blacks experience outside of pandemics, current COVID-19 mortality levels would need to increase by a factor of nearly 6. Even amid COVID-19, U.S. White mortality is likely to be lower than what U.S. Blacks have experienced every year. Wrigley-Field E. US racial inequality may be as deadly as COVID-19. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020;117(36):21854-21856. doi:10.1073/pnas.2014750117.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32839337/
The COVID-19 global pandemic affected air quality due to extreme changes in human behavior with both fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the continental United States, showing statistically significant declines in urban areas and counties from states instituting early non-essential business closures. Berman JD, Ebisu K. Changes in U.S. air pollution during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sci. Total Environ. 2020 Jun 1; 739:139864. [Epub ahead of print].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32512381
COVID-19 downturns produced increases in unemployment at all ages, but especially among older workers in their 50s and 60s without a college degree and among young adults, with young women most at risk. Repercussions from the pandemic may well challenge assumptions and possibilities for older adults’ working longer. Moen P, Pedtke JH, Flood S. Disparate Disruptions: Intersectional COVID-19 Employment Effects by Age, Gender, Education, and Race/Ethnicity. Work Aging Retire. 2020 Oct; 6(4):207-228. Epub 2020 Sep 12.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33214905
Eligibility for coronavirus vaccines based solely on age benefits older U.S. white people at the expense of younger Black, Indigenous, or Hispanic people with higher risk of death. Strategies that prioritize high-risk geographic areas for vaccination at all ages better target mortality risk than age-based strategies alone. Wrigley-Field E, Kiang MV, Riley AR, et. al. Geographically-targeted COVID-19 vaccination is more equitable than age-based thresholds alone. medRxiv. 2021 Mar 27. Preprint, not peer reviewed.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33791718
New study documents how COVID-19 infections spread across the United States. Zhu D, Ye X, Manson S. Revealing the spatial shifting pattern of COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Sci Rep. 2021 Apr 19; 11(1):8396.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33875751
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Grant P2C HD050924)
In July 2020, up to 25% of survey participants did not comply with 6-ft distancing, mask wearing, and/or gathering limitations, with high levels of reported large indoor gatherings. Public health messaging should emphasize the importance of these protective behaviors and make compliance more convenient, particularly in the workplace. Hill LM, Davis H, Drewry M, et. al. Barriers to and Facilitators of COVID-19 Prevention Behaviors Among North Carolina Residents. Health Educ Behav. 2022 Apr; 49(2):231-241. Epub 2022 Feb 22.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35189728
The effects of the pandemic on mortality and health disparities are underestimated when only deaths directly attributed to COVID-19 are counted. An equitable public health response to the pandemic should also consider its indirect effects on mortality, which impacted Black and Native American adults more than non-Hispanic white adults. Zalla LC, Mulholland GE, Filiatreau LM, et. al. Racial/Ethnic and Age Differences in the Direct and Indirect Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on US Mortality. Am J Public Health. 2022 Jan; 112(1):154-164.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34936406
People released from jails and prisons or diverted from incarceration during the pandemic are vulnerable to COVID-19 infection and must be given the opportunity to receive vaccination and emergency Medicaid upon their transitions. Gutierrez C, Patterson EJ. Risk and implications of COVID-19 among the community supervised population. Criminol Public Policy. 2021 Aug; 20(3):437-461. Epub 2021 Oct 28.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34899090
Public health surveillance systems likely underestimate the true prevalence and incidence of COVID-19 infection due to limited access to testing and the high proportion of subclinical infections in community-based settings. An ongoing prospective, observational study generates accurate estimates of the prevalence and incidence of, and risk factors for, infection among residents of a county in central North Carolina. Miller EM, Law EA, Ajeen R, et. al. SARS-CoV-2 infection in central North Carolina: Protocol for a population-based longitudinal cohort study and preliminary participant results. PLoS One. 2021 Oct 25; 16(10):e0259070. eCollection 2021.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34695156
Public health messages during the COVID-19 pandemic that included a clear request (ex. please wear a face covering) and a direct benefit (ex. keep community safe) were more commonly accepted by a diverse population than those that did not. Vereen RN, Lazard AJ, Frank SC, et. al. Motivations, barriers, and communication recommendations for promoting face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic: Survey findings from a diverse sample. PLoS One. 2021 May 7; 16(5):e0251169. eCollection 2021.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33961657
Pandemic stay-home orders helped improve recruitment of diverse participants for a population-based public health study in #NorthCarolina. Karasik J. Door-to-door recruitment during the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons learned from a population-based, longitudinal cohort study in North Carolina, USA. Res Sq. 2022 Feb 17. *Preprint, not peer reviewed.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35194600
Survey shows people strongly prefer different types of COVID-19 testing for various reasons – speed of results, noninvasive, home testing, etc. Offering multiple testing options could increase testing uptake in line with public health goals. Zimba R, Romo ML, Kulkarni SG, et. al. Patterns of SARS-CoV-2 Testing Preferences in a National Cohort in the United States: Latent Class Analysis of a Discrete Choice Experiment. JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2021 Dec 30; 7(12):e32846.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34793320
U.S. Hispanic and Black adults faced more job-related exposure to COVID-19 and more barriers to healthcare, contributing to their disproportionate share of infections and hospitalizations. Robertson M, Shamsunder M, Brazier E, et. al. Racial/ethnic disparities in exposure to COVID-19, susceptibility to COVID-19 and access to health care – findings from a U.S. national cohort. medRxiv. 2022 Jan 12. (Preprint, not peer reviewed.)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35043126
Food insecurity during spring 2020 #COVID-19 pandemic might have been reduced by increasing access to SNAP and by addressing barriers to obtaining food, such as expanding the accessibility of food delivery programs). Reimold AE, Grummon AH, Taillie LS, et. al. Barriers and facilitators to achieving food security during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prev Med Rep. 2021 Jul 17; 23:101500. eCollection 2021 Sep.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34401218
Both anxiety and depression increased among first-year college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing difficulties with distance learning and social isolation could reduce the mental health impact. Fruehwirth JC, Biswas S, Perreira KM. The Covid-19 pandemic and mental health of first-year college students: Examining the effect of Covid-19 stressors using longitudinal data. PLoS One. 2021 Mar 5; 16(3):e0247999. eCollection 2021.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33667243
Historical forces such as residential segregation determine where individuals live, work, and play, and consequently determine their risk of dying from COVID-19. Zalla LC, Martin CL, Edwards JK, et. al. A Geography of Risk: Structural Racism and COVID-19 Mortality in the United States. Am J Epidemiol. 2021 Mar 12. [Epub ahead of print].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33710272
New evidence suggests that indoor dining, mass gatherings, or not wearing masks when outside the home are among the drivers of the late-phase pandemic COVID-19 spread. Nash D, Rane M, Chang M, et. al. Recent SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion in a national, community-based prospective cohort of U.S. adults. medRxiv. 2021 Feb 16. (Preprint, not peer reviewed)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33619505
The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among residents of the Atlanta metro area was about 5% based on representative community survey and about 3% based a convenience sample of remnant blood from a commercial lab. Boyce RM, Shook-Sa BE, Aiello AE. A tale of two studies: Study design and our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence. Clin Infect Dis. 2020 Dec 18. [Epub ahead of print].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33338219
During spring 2020, COVID-19 testing in suburban/rural North Carolina suggested limited but accelerating asymptomatic spread. Low, overall prevalence rates may reflect the success of stay-at-home mandates and effective social distancing. Barzin A, Schmitz JL, Rosin S, et. al. SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence among a Southern U.S. Population Indicates Limited Asymptomatic Spread under Physical Distancing Measures. mBio. 2020 Sep 29; 11(5).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32994333
Participants in July 2020 focus groups reported high compliance with mask wearing to prevent #COVID-19 but often did not wear them around family, friends, and colleagues. Shelus VS, Frank SC, Lazard AJ, et. al. Motivations and Barriers for the Use of Face Coverings during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Messaging Insights from Focus Groups. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Dec 12; 17(24).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33322672
Strict quarantine in rural China meant barely any COVID-19 but high rates of unemployment, falling household income, rising prices, and disrupted student learning. Wang H, Zhang M, Li R, et. al. Tracking the effects of COVID-19 in rural China over time. Int J Equity Health. 2021 Jan 14; 20(1):35.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33446205
Consumers prefer COVID-19 testing strategies that offer 1) Rapid turnaround and 2) both PCR and serology tests with non-invasive methods. Zimba R, Kulkarni S, Berry A, et. al. SARS-CoV-2 Testing Service Preferences of Adults in the United States: Discrete Choice Experiment. JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2020 Dec 31; 6(4):e25546.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33315584
People of any age with obesity face a greatly increased risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 compared to those without obesity: a higher risk of hospitalization (113% higher), being admitted to the ICU (74% higher), and death (48% higher). Popkin BM, Du S, Green WD, et al. Individuals with obesity and COVID-19: A global perspective on the epidemiology and biological relationships. Obes Rev. 2020;21(11):e13128. doi:10.1111/obr.13128.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32845580/
Decisionmakers have been reluctant to release data regarding COVID-19 cases, deaths, and hospitalizations associated with specific industries, obscuring the role of occupational hazards as root causes of disease and health disparities. Yet a concentration of COVID-19 exposure is among low-wage and essential-worker populations who are disproportionately racial and ethnic minorities and immigrants; the nursing home industry is associated with one-third of COVID-19 deaths. McClure ES, Vasudevan P, Bailey Z, et. al. Racial Capitalism Within Public Health-How Occupational Settings Drive COVID-19 Disparities. Am J Epidemiol. 2020 Nov 2; 189(11):1244-1253.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32619007
Racial disparities in COVID-19 deaths are driven by unequal infection risks related to household, community, and workplace exposures. Zelner J, Trangucci R, Naraharisetti R, et. al. Racial disparities in COVID-19 mortality are driven by unequal infection risks. Clin Infect Dis. 2020 Nov 21. [Epub ahead of print].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33221832
Apartment dwellers living with children and in 4+ person households were more likely to acquire COVID-19 and be hospitalized early in the pandemic. Nash D, Qasmieh S, Robertson M, et. al. Household factors and the risk of severe COVID-like illness early in the US pandemic. medRxiv. 2020 Dec 4. *Preprint, not peer reviewed.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33300008
Adequate use of COVID-19 testing tends to show that a majority of state prisons having higher COVID-19 case rates than their local population. Lemasters K, McCauley E, Nowotny K, et. al. COVID-19 cases and testing in 53 prison systems. Health Justice. 2020 Dec 11; 8(1):24.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33306151
Access to COVID-19 testing in North Carolina in the first 3 months of the pandemic were not evenly distributed across racial/ethnic groups; testing was more limited for Latinx, Black, and other marginalized groups. Further disparities existed within these groups by gender, age, urban-rural status, and residence in a medically underserved area. Within racial-ethnic groups, 11.5% of all tests were positive among whites, 22.0% for Blacks, and 66.5% for people of Latinx ethnicity. Brandt K, Goel V, Keeler C, et. al. SARS-CoV-2 testing in North Carolina: Racial, ethnic, and geographic disparities. Health Place. 2021 May; 69:102576. Epub 2021 Apr 19.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33915376
University of Pennsylvania (Grant P2CHD044964)
The overall impact of the pandemic on racial/ethnic disparities in mortality was much larger than that captured by official Covid-19 death counts alone. Luck AN, Preston SH, Elo IT, et. al. The unequal burden of the Covid-19 pandemic: Capturing racial/ethnic disparities in US cause-specific mortality. SSM Popul Health. 2022 Mar; 17:101012. Epub 2021 Dec 22.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34961843
New study examines ways to revise guidelines for withhold or withdrawing life-saving ventilators during shortages, which advantaged white communities and disadvantage Black communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Schmidt H, Roberts DE, Eneanya ND. Rationing, racism and justice: advancing the debate around ‘colourblind’ COVID-19 ventilator allocation. J Med Ethics. 2021 Jan 6. [Epub ahead of print].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33408091
To have the greatest benefits, vaccination campaigns should target people who say they MIGHT get vaccinated against COVID-19 rather those firmly opposed, research on closing the intention-to-behavior gap shows. Buttenheim AM. SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Acceptance: We May Need to Choose Our Battles. Ann Intern Med. 2020 Sep 4. [Epub ahead of print].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32886526
Excess deaths due to Covid-19 appear underestimated, particularly in counties with high income inequality, low median income, low homeownership, or high percentages of Black residents. Stokes AC, Lundberg DJ, Hempstead K, et. al. Assessing the Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on US Mortality: A County-Level Analysis. medRxiv. 2020 Sep 2. *Preprint, not peer reviewed.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34014945
In mid-March 2020, perceptions about COVID-19 health risks and economic consequences in the U.S. population were highly variable by age and education, raising concerns about the ability of the nation to implement and sustain the widespread and restrictive policies required to curtail the pandemic. Ciancio A, Kämpfen F, Kohler IV, et al. Know your epidemic, know your response: Early perceptions of COVID-19 and self-reported social distancing in the United States. PLoS One. 2020;15(9):e0238341. Published 2020 Sep 4. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0238341.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32886671/
In March 2020, 29% of U.S. adults showed symptoms of depression and anxiety, mainly driven by concerns about the economic consequences of the pandemic, and less strongly related to worries about personal health and social distancing. These results highlight the importance of economic countermeasures and social policy for mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on U.S. adult mental health over and above an effective public health response. Kämpfen F, Kohler IV, Ciancio A, et. al. Predictors of mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic in the US: Role of economic concerns, health worries and social distancing. PLoS One. 2020 Nov 11; 15(11):e0241895. eCollection 2020.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33175894
To have the greatest benefits, vaccination campaigns should target people who say they might get vaccinated against COVID19 rather those firmly opposed. Buttenheim AM. SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Acceptance: We May Need to Choose Our Battles. Ann Intern Med. 2020 Sep 4. [Epub ahead of print].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32886526
Excess deaths due to Covid19 appear underestimated –and inequities are concentrated in counties with high income inequality, low median income, low homeownership, and high percentages of Black residents. Stokes AC, Lundberg DJ, Elo IT, et. al. COVID-19 and excess mortality in the United States: A county-level analysis. PLoS Med. 2021 May 20; 18(5):e1003571. eCollection 2021 May.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34014945
New study examines ways to revise guidelines for withhold or withdrawing life-saving ventilators during shortages, which advantaged white communities and disadvantage Black communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Schmidt H, Roberts DE, Eneanya ND. Rationing, racism and justice: advancing the debate around ‘colourblind’ COVID-19 ventilator allocation. J Med Ethics. 2021 Jan 6. [Epub ahead of print].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33408091
University of Texas-Austin (Grant 5P2CHD042849-18)
In spring 2020, U.S. fathers did more housework and childcare than usual when both partners worked from home, but the gender gap in domestic work did NOT change because mothers also did more. Dunatchik A, Gerson K, Glass J, et. al. GENDER, PARENTING, AND THE RISE OF REMOTE WORK DURING THE PANDEMIC: Implications for Domestic Inequality in the United States. Gend Soc. 2021 Apr; 35(2):194-205. Epub 2021 Mar 19.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35599685
The early weeks the COVID-19 pandemic did not erode couples’ relationship satisfaction on average, and people even became more forgiving and less blaming of their intimate partner’s negative behaviors by attributing them less to their partner’s internal characteristics. Individuals who reported poor coping and high conflict experienced a small decrease in relationship satisfaction, modestly decreasing already distressed functioning. Williamson HC. Early Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Relationship Satisfaction and Attributions. Psychol Sci. 2020 Dec; 31(12):1479-1487. Epub 2020 Nov 5.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33151125
Black and Hispanic Americans were more concerned about COVID-19 than their white peers and were more likely to know someone who had died in summer 2020. Unequal exposures to COVID-19 risks by race-ethnicity and, to a lesser degree, preexisting health inequalities accounted for only part of the racial-ethnic differences in COVID-19 concerns. Lin Z, Liu H. A National Study of Racial-Ethnic Differences in COVID-19 Concerns among Older Americans: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2021 Sep 21. [Epub ahead of print].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34549286
Abortions decreased in Texas following an Executive Order ban at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic; more women sought medication abortions, traveled out of state, or delayed the procedure. White K, Kumar B, Goyal V, et. al. Changes in Abortion in Texas Following an Executive Order Ban During the Coronavirus Pandemic. JAMA. 2021 Feb 16; 325(7):691-693.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33393997
Older Adults who live alone benefited from seeing people in person during the #COVID-19 pandemic but not necessarily by talking on the phone. Fingerman KL, Ng YT, Zhang S, et. al. Living Alone During COVID-19: Social Contact and Emotional Well-being Among Older Adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2021 Feb 17; 76(3):e116-e121.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33196815
Older people reported less COVID-19 pandemic-related stress, fewer life changes, less social isolation, and lower negative relationship quality than younger people. Igra M, Kenworthy N, Luchsinger C, et. al. Crowdfunding as a response to COVID-19: Increasing inequities at a time of crisis. Soc Sci Med. 2021 Aug; 282:114105. Epub 2021 Jun 7.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33346806
Family physicians successfully provided medication abortion in three states—NY, NJ, and WA— using asynchronous online consultations and mailing pills directly to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Godfrey EM, Thayer EK, Fiastro AE, et. al. Family medicine provision of online medication abortion in three US states during COVID-19. Contraception. 2021 Jul; 104(1):54-60. Epub 2021 Apr 30.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33939985
Animations reveal that COVID-19 was transmitted along the path of U.S. interstate highways. The arrival time difference was the greatest in the most rural counties and implicates road travel as a factor of transmission into rural communities. Interstate travel limits and road travel restrictions would have supported stronger mitigation efforts and reduced contact and transmission early in the pandemic. Souch JM, Cossman JS, Hayward MD. Interstates of Infection: Preliminary Investigations of Human Mobility Patterns in the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Rural Health. 2021 Mar; 37(2):266-271. Epub 2021 Mar 15.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33720459
University of Washington (Grant 5P2CHD042828-18)
Local social networks are a hidden source of COVID-19 infection risk, affecting Black and Hispanic communities more than their non-Hispanic white peers because of greater and more dense social ties. Thomas LJ, Huang P, Yin F, et. al. Geographical patterns of social cohesion drive disparities in early COVID infection hazard. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Mar 22; 119(12):e2121675119. Epub 2022 Mar 14.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35286198
By April 3, 2021, the cumulative COVID-19 incidence rate per 100,000 persons was 30,780 cases in the prison population and 9,350 cases in the US population, with a prison-to-US cumulative incidence ratio of 3.3. By April 3, 2021, 394,066 cases and 2,555 deaths due to COVID-19 had been reported among the US prison population. While COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates peaked in late 2020 and early 2021 and have since declined, the cumulative toll of COVID-19 has been several times greater among the prison population than the overall US population. Marquez N, Ward JA, Parish K, et. al. COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality in Federal and State Prisons Compared With the US Population, April 5, 2020, to April 3, 2021. JAMA. 2021 Nov 9; 326(18):1865-1867.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34613335
Crowdfunding campaigns related to COVID-19 in the first half of 2020 were most effective in areas with high levels of education or income, but not the highest needs, which widened existing inequalities. Igra M, Kenworthy N, Luchsinger C, et. al. Crowdfunding as a response to COVID-19: Increasing inequities at a time of crisis. Soc Sci Med. 2021 Aug; 282:114105. Epub 2021 Jun 7.
https://europepmc.org/article/med/34139479
University of Wisconsin-Madison (Grant P2CHD047873)
New study offers framework for measuring the effectiveness of various treatments for COVID-19. Mullahy J. Discovering treatment effectiveness via median treatment effects-Applications to COVID-19 clinical trials. Health Econ. 2021 May; 30(5):1050-1069. Epub 2021 Mar 5.