Mark Mather

New COVID-19 Research at NICHD Population Centers

October 9, 2022

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 Chinese public’s high level of compliance with restrictive COVID-19 control measures reflected self-interest, nationalistic pride, and conscious indifference to transparency. Cai YT, Mason KA. Why they willingly complied: Ordinary people, the big environment, and the control of COVID-19 in China. Soc Sci Med. 2022 Sep; 309:115239. Epub 2022 Aug 6.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35969978

Survey respondents at four universities in three countries preferred COVID-19 mitigation strategies that resulted in lower infection risk (such as sheltering-in-place more days a week), financial compensation from the government, fewer health (mental and physical) problems, and fewer financial problems. Johnson CA, Tran DN, Mwangi A, et. al. Incorporating respondent-driven sampling into web-based discrete choice experiments: preferences for COVID-19 mitigation measures. Health Serv Outcomes Res Methodol. 2022; 22(3):297-316. Epub 2022 Jan 11.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35035272

New mothers during Covid-19 felt the loss of establishing themselves as mothers and integrating their babies into their extended families, a mental health study shows. Larotonda A, Mason KA. New life, new feelings of loss: Journaling new motherhood during Covid-19. SSM Ment Health. 2022 Dec; 2:100120. Epub 2022 May 30.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35665094

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

Ohio State University (Grant P2C HD058484)

Job loss was greater in occupations that require more interpersonal contact and cannot be performed remotely during the early months of the pandemic. Pre-COVID-19 sorting of workers into occupations and industries along demographic lines can explain a sizable portion of the patterns in pandemic-related unemployment. Montenovo L, Jiang X, Lozano-Rojas F, et. al. Determinants of Disparities in Early COVID-19 Job Losses. Demography. 2022 Jun 1; 59(3):827-855.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35583671

Pennsylvania State University (Grant P2C HD041025)

The top characteristic driving county-level COVID-19 vaccination rates was the percentage of Republican votes in the 2020 US presidential election. Yang TC, Matthews SA, Sun F. Multiscale Dimensions of Spatial Process: COVID-19 Fully Vaccinated Rates in U.S. Counties. Am J Prev Med. 2022 Jul 7. [Epub ahead of print].

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35963747

Among urban working-age adults, emotional support, high levels of tangible support, and some types of social engagement were associated with significantly lower risk of worsening mental health in the pandemic, but social engagement was less feasible for their rural peers. Rhubart D, Kowalkowski J. Perceived mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic: The roles of social support and social engagement for working age adults in the United States. Prev Med. 2022 Sep; 162:107171. Epub 2022 Jul 22.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35878709

Survey results Feb and March 2021: U.S.-born Black adults are more vaccine hesitant than U.S.-born White adults due to differences in anti-vaccine beliefs. U.S.-born Hispanic adults are less vaccine hesitant than U.S.-born White adults, personal experiences with Covid-19 drive this difference. Frisco ML, Van Hook J, Thomas KJA. Racial/ethnic and nativity disparities in U.S. Covid-19 vaccination hesitancy during vaccine rollout and factors that explain them. Soc Sci Med. 2022 Aug; 307:115183. Epub 2022 Jun 30. (Also University of Texas, Austin).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35843179

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)

Google searches related to child abuse did not change noticeably during COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders. Riddell CA, Farkas K, Neumann K, et. al. US shelter in place policies and child abuse Google search volume during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prev Med. 2022 Oct; 163:107215. Epub 2022 Aug 23.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35998763

A dramatic share of people in 31 countries lost kin during COVID-19 surges: For example, UK 30-to-44-year-olds who lost a grandparent more than doubled from expected levels in April 2020. Snyder M, Alburez-Gutierrez D, Williams I, et. al. Estimates from 31 countries show the significant impact of COVID-19 excess mortality on the incidence of family bereavement. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Jun 28; 119(26):e2202686119. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35737829

Google searches for terms related to child abuse and child-witnessed intimate partner violence (IPV) increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020: Social and financial disruptions, which are common consequences of major disasters increase such risks. Riddell CA, Neumann K, Santaularia NJ, et. al. Excess Google Searches for Child Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Infoveillance Approach. J Med Internet Res. 2022 Jun 13; 24(6):e36445.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35700024

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)

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly increased the economic vulnerability of Kenyan women, resulting in increases in post-partum depression. Kenyan women who delivered during COVID-19 had 2.5 times higher odds of screening positive for post-partum depression than women who delivered before COVID-19. Women who reported household food insecurity, required to pay a fee to cover the cost of PPE during labor and delivery and/or postnatal visit(s), and those who reported COVID-19 employment-related impacts had a higher likelihood of screening for post-partum depression compared to those who did not report these experiences. Sudhinaraset M, Landrian A, Mboya J, et. al. The economic toll of COVID-19: A cohort study of prevalence and economic factors associated with postpartum depression in Kenya. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2022 Jul; 158(1):110-115. Epub 2022 Feb 24.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35152420

Reductions in access to contraceptive and abortion in 2020 means that families with low income who were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 economy will experience an increase in unplanned births in 2021. Bailey MJ, Bart L, Lang VW. The Missing Baby Bust: The Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic for Contraceptive Use, Pregnancy, and Childbirth Among Low-Income Women. Popul Res Policy Rev. 2022; 41(4):1549-1569. Epub 2022 Mar 2. (Also Michigan)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35250129

Nearly half of Kenyan women who delivered during COVID-19 reported that the pandemic affected their ability to access prenatal care. Landrian A, Mboya J, Golub G, et. al. Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on antenatal care utilisation in Kenya: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2022 Apr 13; 12(4):e060185.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35418443

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)

To encourage teens to comply with social distancing in the COVID-19 pandemic, parents emphasized individual health and lifestyle choices. Mollborn S, Mercer KH, Edwards-Capen T. “Everything is Connected”: Health Lifestyles and Teenagers’ Social Distancing Behaviors in the COVID-19 Pandemic. Sociol Perspect. 2021 Oct; 64(5):920-938. Epub 2021 Apr 2.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35935597

The COVID-19 Forecast Hub is a dataset with point and probabilistic forecasts of incident cases, incident hospitalizations, incident deaths, and cumulative deaths due to COVID-19 at county, state, and national levels, representing a variety of modeling approaches, data sources, and assumptions regarding the spread. The goal of this dataset is to establish a standardized and comparable set of short-term forecasts from modeling teams. These data can be used to develop ensemble models, communicate forecasts to the public, create visualizations, compare models, and inform policies regarding COVID-19 mitigation. These open-source data are available via download from GitHub, through an online API, and through R packages. Cramer EY, Huang Y, Wang Y, et. al. The United States COVID-19 Forecast Hub dataset. Sci Data. 2022 Aug 1; 9(1):462.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35915104

A spatiotemporal machine learning approach to forecasting COVID-19 incidence at the U.S. county level may be more accurate than existing approaches. Lucas B, Vahedi B, Karimzadeh M. A spatiotemporal machine learning approach to forecasting COVID-19 incidence at the county level in the USA. Int J Data Sci Anal. 2022 Jan 15: 1-20. Epub 2022 Jan 15.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35071733

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)

Analysis of novel survey data documents increases in family violence during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The findings demonstrate the importance of expanding victim services to address the additional barriers victims face, including social isolation and financial precarity. Drotning KJ, Doan L, Sayer LC, et. al. Not All Homes Are Safe: Family Violence Following the Onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic. J Fam Violence. 2022 Feb 22: 1-13. Epub 2022 Feb 22.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35221467

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)

Within Detroit, only 58% of Black residents were vaccinated, compared to 82% of white Detroiters – this gap could be narrowed by about one-quarter if Black Detroiters had levels of trust in healthcare providers like those among white Detroiters. The analysis suggests that efforts to improve relationships among healthcare providers and Black communities in Detroit are critical to overcoming local COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Wagner AL, Wileden L, Shanks TR, et. al. Mediators of Racial Differences in COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Uptake: A Cohort Study in Detroit, MI. Vaccines (Basel). 2021 Dec 28; 10(1).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35062697

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35250129

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)

Racial/ethnic CVOID-19 vaccination rates reflect Red State vs. Blue State politics, as proxied by 2020 Trump vote share. For each percentage point increase in Trump vote share, vaccination rates decline by 1% of what would be predicted based on age. Wrigley-Field E, Berry KM, Persad G. Race-Specific, State-Specific COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Adjusted for Age. Socius. 2022 Jan-Dec; 8. Epub 2022 Mar 5.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35615692

Between the first and second year of the pandemic, racial/ethnic inequities in Covid-19 mortality decreased-but were not eliminated-for Hispanic, Black, and AIAN residents — due to reductions in mortality for these populations alongside increases in non-Hispanic white mortality. Lundberg DJ, Cho A, Raquib R, et. al. Geographic and Temporal Patterns in Covid-19 Mortality by Race and Ethnicity in the United States from March 2020 to February 2022. medRxiv. 2022 Jul 21. *Preprint, not peer reviewed.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35898347

The greatest barriers to social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic included 1) having a child in childcare and 2) financial concerns among individuals from both marginalized racial and ethnic groups and high-income households. Tarr GAM, Morris KJ, Harding AB, et. al. Cognitive factors influenced physical distancing adherence during the COVID-19 pandemic in a population-specific way. PLoS One. 2022 May 3; 17(5):e0267261. eCollection 2022.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35503754

In fall 2020 the share of health care workers HCW with COVID-19 antibodies increased reflecting community infection rates. Type of patient contact, esp. working in ICU, was associated with higher risk for infection. Wiggen TD, Bohn B, Ulrich AK, et. al. SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among healthcare workers. PLoS One. 2022 Apr 25; 17(4):e0266410. eCollection 2022.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35468153

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\

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 (PM_2.5) 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)

Who grocery shopped online during the pandemic, and will they continue? National survey data shows people with children and higher incomes were more likely to shop online for groceries. Duffy EW, Lo A, Hall MG, et. al. Prevalence and demographic correlates of online grocery shopping: results from a nationally representative survey during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public Health Nutr. 2022 Aug 19: 1-7. [Epub ahead of print].

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35983641

The rapidly aging U.S. prison population faces a much higher risk of death from COVID-19 related to poor health and living conditions, new data show. Nowotny K, Metheny H, LeMasters K, et. al. Age and COVID-19 mortality in the United States: a comparison of the prison and general population. Int J Prison Health. 2022 Jun 23.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35727567

Racial and socioeconomic inequities in respiratory pandemics have been consistently documented, but little official guidance exists on effective action to prevent these. This research review examines strategies to reduce pandemic disparities and includes theory-driven, concrete suggestions for incorporating equity into intervention research for pandemic preparedness, including a focus on social and economic policies. Renson A, Dennis AC, Noppert G, et. al. Interventions on Socioeconomic and Racial Inequities in Respiratory Pandemics: a Rapid Systematic Review. Curr Epidemiol Rep. 2022; 9(2):66-76. Epub 2022 Mar 10.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35287290

Early in the pandemic, people living in apartment buildings with children were more than 10 times more likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 than those without children at home. Apartment dwellers with more than 4 people in their household were 2.5 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than those who lived alone in apartments. Nash D, Qasmieh S, Robertson M, et. al. Household factors and the risk of severe COVID-like illness early in the U.S. pandemic. PLoS One. 2022 Jul 21; 17(7):e0271786. eCollection 2022.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35862418

The proportion of Chasing Covid Cohort study participants delaying a COVID-19 vaccine shrank dramatically between 10/2020 to 7/2021 as vaccine availability increased. A small fraction (5.7%) continued to refuse the vaccine. Rane MS, Kochhar S, Poehlein E, et. al. Determinants and Trends of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Vaccine Uptake in a National Cohort of US Adults: A Longitudinal Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2022 Mar 24; 191(4):570-583.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34999751

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)

Remarkable reductions in COVID-19 mortality seen among older populations (80+) between 3/2030 and 10/2021. The rise in COVID-19 mortality among younger adults underscores the value of increasing the lagging vaccination rate in this population. Elo IT, Luck A, Stokes AC, et. al. Evaluation of Age Patterns of COVID-19 Mortality by Race and Ethnicity From March 2020 to October 2021 in the US. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 May 2; 5(5):e2212686.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35579900

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

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

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33408091

University of Texas-Austin (Grant 5P2CHD042849-18)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35843179

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)

Due to COVID-19 mortality, death rates among Florida’s prisoners increased by 45% between 2019 and 2020, causing an overall 4-year decline in life expectancy. Florida state population’s standardized mortality increased by 19%, resulting in an overall 2.7-year decline in life expectancy. Marquez NM, Littman AM, Rossi VE, et. al. Life Expectancy and COVID-19 in Florida State Prisons. Am J Prev Med. 2022 Jun; 62(6):949-952. Epub 2022 Jan 31

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35227543

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)

Access to trustworthy, relatable, and well-curated health information is a fundamental determinant of health, as is the ability to discern fact from falsehood. The success of the Dear Pandemic campaign demonstrates that the health promotion toolkit – synthesizing complicated science for lay audiences, translating evidence into actionable behaviors and policies, and communicating with empathy – is powerful for building effective and resilient health information networks. Leininger LJ, Albrecht SS, Buttenheim A, et. al. Fight Like a Nerdy Girl: The Dear Pandemic Playbook for Combating Health Misinformation. Am J Health Promot. 2022 Mar; 36(3):563-567.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35164543

Strategies that are evidence informed are needed: Otherwise COVID-19 vaccines that can reduce risk of death by up to 94% will continue to prevent only 58% of deaths. Jones M, Khader K, Branch-Elliman W. Estimated Impact of the US COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign-Getting to 94% of Deaths Prevented. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Jul 1; 5(7):e2220391.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35793090

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.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33667329

NICHD reissues PAR-22-224: NICHD Research Education Programs (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

August 24, 2022

PAR-22-224: NICHD Research Education Programs (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-22-224.html

Areas of particular interest include:

Virtual skills development courses and supporting resources for researchers on best practice topics such as:
- The inclusion and retention of pregnant and lactating persons and/or pediatric patients and their families in clinical research.
- Best practices for increasing the inclusion of under-represented groups in clinical research, focusing on outreach to members of under-represented groups, training of the researchers running the research projects, or both.
- Data management to address issues such as disclosure review, discoverability, multi-site access to restricted-access data, interoperability, and other aspects of ensuring confidentiality while maximizing data sharing and accessibility.
Short-term courses to expose upper undergraduates in the scientific areas that are within the scientific scope of the NICHD.
Training in specialized research techniques, research methodology, data sets, or statistical approaches.
Training in advanced approaches to clinical, translational, or basic research, for instance, training in design and implementation of clinical trials or complex data collection projects.

NIH Request for Information (RFI) on NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Research on the Health of Women

July 25, 2022

The Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) is updating the NIH Strategic Plan for Research on the Health of Women. NIH is publishing this Notice to solicit input from the basic, clinical, and translational scientists; advocacy and patient communities; and the public on topics under consideration for the next strategic plan.

Deadline: September 29, 2022

For more information: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-22-186.html

Center for Family and Demographic Research, BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY

July 13, 2022

This list includes articles in PubMed as of July 11, 2022 with a PubMed entry date between April 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 that reference P2C, R24, or T32 grant support from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development and oversight by Population Dynamics Branch Program Officials.

Recent Articles Appearing in PubMed

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 journal of public health. 2022; 4(2):34-42. Epub 2022 Jan 28.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 35463187

Schweizer VJ, Mowen TJ. Discrimination and Risky Sexual Behavior, Substance Use, and Suicidality among Transgender Individuals. Deviant behavior. 2022; 43(3):381-395. Epub 2020 Oct 29.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 35340809

Thomeer MB, Moody MD, Yahirun J. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health and Mental Health Care During The COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities. 2022 Mar 22. [Epub ahead of print].
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 35318615

Manning WD, Brown SL, Payne KK. Does Cohabitation Compensate for Marriage Decline? Contexts (Berkeley, Calif.). 2021 May; 20(2):68-69. Epub 2021 May 26.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 35058737

Pinchak NP, Swisher RR. Neighborhoods, Schools, and Adolescent Violence: Ecological Relative Deprivation, Disadvantage Saturation, or Cumulative Disadvantage? Journal of youth and adolescence. 2022 Feb; 51(2):261-277. Epub 2022 Jan 9.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 35000029

Guzzo KB, Hayford SR. Adolescent reproductive attitudes and knowledge effects on early adult unintended and nonmarital fertility across gender. Advances in life course research. 2021 Dec; 50. Epub 2021 Jun 6.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 34992512

Brown SL, Mellencamp KA, Lin IF. Sole Family Survivors: Older Adults Lacking Family of Origin Kin. The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences. 2022 May 5; 77(5):930-935.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 34969095

Garcia MA, Warner DF, García C, et. al. Age Patterns in Self-Reported Cognitive Impairment Among Older Latino Subgroups and Non-Latino Whites in the United States, 1997-2018: Implications for Public Health Policy. Innovation in aging. 2021 Sep 25; 5(4):igab039. eCollection 2021.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 34917774

Landeis M, Manning WD, Longmore MA, et. al. The Relationship Context of Early Transitions to Parenthood: The Influence of Arrest. Population research and policy review. 2021 Aug; 40(4):723-746. Epub 2020 Jul 1.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 34789954

Finkeldey JG, Longmore MA, Giordano PC, et. al. An Exploratory Investigation of Parental Incarceration, Emotional Independence, and Adult Children’s Criminal Activity. Journal of developmental and life-course criminology. 2021 Jun; 7(2):151-175. Epub 2021 May 20.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 34729294

Giordano PC, Copp JE, Manning WD, et. al. Relationship Dynamics Associated with Dating Violence among Adolescents and Young Adults: A Feminist Post-Structural Analysis. Feminist criminology. 2021 Jul; 16(3):320-336. Epub 2021 Jan 15.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 34658680

Choi SE, Zhang Z. Caring as curing: Grandparenting and depressive symptoms in China. Social science & medicine (1982). 2021 Nov; 289:114452. Epub 2021 Sep 30.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 34624620

Finkeldey JG, Demuth S. Race/Ethnicity, Perceived Skin Color, and the Likelihood of Adult Arrest. Race and justice. 2021 Oct; 11(4):567-591. Epub 2019 Feb 4.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 34532152

Watkins AM, Carson DC. Gang membership, gender, and sexual behavior in and outside a romantic relationship. Sociological spectrum : the official journal of the Mid-South Sociological Association. 2021; 41(5):387-406. Epub 2021 Jun 11.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 34531629

Manning WD, Payne KK. Marriage and Divorce Decline during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Five States. Socius : sociological research for a dynamic world. 2021 Jan-Dec; 7. Epub 2021 Apr 5.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 34307872

Wodahl EJ, Mowen TJ, Garland BE. The Effect of Individual Characteristics and Supervision Experiences on the Perceived Quality of the Supervision Relationship. Criminal justice policy review. 2021 Jun; 32(5):523-545. Epub 2020 Oct 23.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 34267419

Mowen TJ, Fisher BW. Youth Reentry from Prison and Family Violence Perpetration: the Salience of Family Dynamics. Journal of family violence. 2021 Jan; 36(1):51-62. Epub 2019 Sep 12.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 34267417

Bashir S, Guzzo K. Women’s Education, Spousal Agreement on Future Fertility Intentions, and Contraceptive Use in Pakistan. Studies in family planning. 2021 Sep; 52(3):281-298. Epub 2021 Jul 15.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 34265092

Hemez P, Brent JJ, Mowen TJ. Exploring the School-to-Prison Pipeline: How School Suspensions Influence Incarceration During Young Adulthood. Youth violence and juvenile justice. 2020 Jul; 18(3):235-255. Epub 2019 Oct 31.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 34262407

Bares KJ, Mowen TJ. Examining the Parole Officer as a Mechanism of Social Support During Reentry From Prison. Crime and delinquency. 2020 Jun; 66(6-7):1023-1051. Epub 2019 Oct 21.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 34262221

Boman JH 4th, Mowen TJ. Global crime trends during COVID-19. Nature human behaviour. 2021 Jul; 5(7):821-822.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 34117455

Torres JM, Yahirun JJ, Sheehan C, et. al. Adult child socio-economic status disadvantage and cognitive decline among older parents in Mexico. Social science & medicine (1982). 2021 Jun; 279:113910. Epub 2021 Apr 24.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 33964589

Johnson WL, Giordano PC. The Role of Marriage and Military Service on Reoffending: Race, “The Respectability Package,” and the Desistance Process. Armed forces and society. 2021 Jan; 47(1):106-125. Epub 2020 Feb 18.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 33958832

Holman EG, Ogolsky BG, Oswald RF. Concealment of a Sexual Minority Identity in the Workplace: The Role of Workplace Climate and Identity Centrality. Journal of homosexuality. 2022 Jul 29; 69(9):1467-1484. Epub 2021 Apr 19.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 33872128

McGraw JS, McManimen S, Chinn J, et. al. Adverse Childhood Experiences, Suicidal/Self-Harming Thoughts, and Suicide Attempts Among LGB and Heterosexual Utahns. Journal of homosexuality. 2022 Jun 7; 69(7):1141-1159. Epub 2021 Apr 16.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 33861680

Manning WD, Payne KK. Measuring Marriage and Cohabitation: Assessing Same-Sex Relationship Status in the Current Population Survey. Demography. 2021 Jun 1; 58(3):811-820.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 33861352

Thomeer MB, Yahirun J, Colón-López A. How Families Matter for Health Inequality during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of family theory & review. 2020 Dec; 12(4):448-463. Epub 2020 Dec 24.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 33841554

Barber JS, Guzzo KB, Budnick J, et. al. Black-White Differences in Pregnancy Desire During the Transition to Adulthood. Demography. 2021 Apr 1; 58(2):603-630.
Access article in PubMed.
PMID: 33834223

Integrating Genetics and the Social Sciences Conference

June 30, 2022

The 13th Annual Integrating Genetics and the Social Sciences Conference (IGSS) will be held on September 30th & October 1st, 2022 at the Institute of Behavioral Science at the University of Colorado. This conference includes 1) presentations of original research in the area of social science and genetics; 2) a hands on workshop designed to provide instruction in advanced statistical genetics and other related techniques; and 3) a keynote address by leaders in the field who provide new insights into this ongoing scientific effort. This year, Jennifer Fouquier, who is an expert in computational bioscience at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical campus will provide the workshop that focuses on the use of QIIME 2 Software for the analysis of microbiome data that is linked to a number of large social science studies. Jennifer Beam Dowd is providing the keynote address entitled “We contain multitudes: microbes, genes, and the future of biosocial science.” The goal of this talk is to make a case that social scientists should care about the gut microbiome when describing population health and that biologists should consider the fundamental role of the social environment when examining proximate determinants at the microbial level.

If you are interested in presenting or attending please use the following link to register by the July 15th 2022 deadline: https://cuboulder.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4GVBhdxhKQtL3ds

Children Born During Pandemic May Experience Slight Neurodevelopmental Delays

February 28, 2022

Infants born during the pandemic—regardless of whether their mothers had COVID-19 during pregnancy—scored slightly lower on certain tests of neurodevelopment at six months old, compared to a similar group of infants born before the pandemic, according to a study by researchers at Columbia University and the Columbia Population Research Center.¹

The findings suggest that children born during the pandemic may need long-term monitoring to rapidly identify any future lags in development. The researchers theorized that maternal stress resulting from the pandemic could have effects on children’s neurodevelopment.

Both Mothers’ Immune Response and Stress May Affect Developing Fetus

The exact number is unknown, but millions of infants are estimated to have been exposed to the coronavirus in the womb, the study authors wrote. It is rare for the coronavirus to pass from mother to fetus. However, studies of other viral infections during pregnancy suggest that infection of the fetus may not be needed for the fetus to be affected. These studies indicated that the mother’s immune response to a virus may affect the fetus. For example, studies of maternal infection with viruses related to COVID-19, as well as other viruses, have linked the mother’s immune response to neurodevelopmental effects in offspring.

Researchers in the current study analyzed data from 255 children born between March and December 2020 in New York City during the first wave of COVID-19. Of these, 114 were born to mothers with COVID-19 during their pregnancies and 141 were born to mothers who tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. When the infants were six months old, they were evaluated with a developmental screening commonly used by pediatricians to assess the progress of young children. Their scores were also compared to those of 62 children born at the same medical center during the three years prior to the pandemic.

The researchers found no significant differences between the two groups of infants born during the pandemic. However, compared to children born before the pandemic, these infants had slightly lower scores on measures of gross motor skills, fine motor skills, and social skills. The lowest scores were seen for those infants whose mothers were in their first trimester at the height of the pandemic in New York City.

The authors noted that previous studies of maternal stress during pregnancy have been linked to neurodevelopmental effects in offspring. They theorized that COVID-19-related stress could contribute to the lower scores among children born during the pandemic.

Monitoring for Developmental Delays May Be Beneficial

The authors stated that their findings suggest that children born during the pandemic might benefit from long-term monitoring for potential neurodevelopmental delays, so that they could be offered appropriate interventions, if necessary.

The study was conducted by co-first authors Lauren C. Shuffrey and Morgan Firestein of Columbia University Irving Medical Center and colleagues, including 10 affiliates of the Columbia Population Research Center. It appears in JAMA Pediatrics.

This article was adapted from a Science Update by the Press Office at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The work of researchers from the NICHD-funded Population Dynamics Research Center at Columbia University (grant P2CHD058486) was highlighted.

References

1. Lauren Shuffrey et al., “Association of Birth During the COVID-19 Pandemic With Neurodevelopmental Status at 6 Months in Infants With and Without In Utero Exposure to Maternal SARS-CoV-2 Infection,” JAMA Pediatrics (2022). doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.5563.