Spatiotemporal Ecologic Analysis of COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage and Outcomes, Oklahoma, USA, February 2020-December 2021.

Data on COVID-19 cases, deaths, hospitalizations, and vaccinations in Oklahoma, USA, have not been systematically described. The relationship between vaccination and COVID-19-related outcomes over time has not been investigated. We graphically described data collected during February 2020-December 2021 and conducted spatiotemporal modeling of monthly increases in COVID-19 cumulative death and hospitalization rates, adjusting for cumulative case rate, to explore the relationship.

Opioid and other drug use and drug-related mortality as indicators of Hepatitis C and Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Oklahoma.

Objectives: Outbreaks of injection drug use (IDU)-associated infections have become major public health concerns in the era of the opioid epidemic. This study aimed to (1) identify county-level characteristics associated with acute HCV infection and newly diagnosed IDU-associated HIV in Oklahoma and (2) develop a vulnerability index using these metrics.

Methods: This study employs a county-level ecological design to examine those diagnosed with acute or chronic HCV or newly diagnosed IDU-associated HIV.

Achieving a Healthy Oklahoma: Cross-Sector Cooperation to Improve Public Health Preparedness and Pandemic Response.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Oklahoma Hudson College of Public Health launched the Achieving a Healthy Oklahoma (AHO) initiative in 2021. The goals of AHO were to assess lessons learned in Oklahoma from COVID-19 and set the foundation for enhanced public-private community collaboration by developing recommendations to prepare for future public health crises and promote health across all major economic sectors. Over 700 stakeholders were engaged in surveys, interviews, workgroup meetings, community listening sessions, and steering committee meetings over 8 months to accomplish these goals.

Exploring the Applicability of Using Natural Language Processing to Support Nationwide Venous Thromboembolism Surveillance: Model Evaluation Study.

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a preventable, common vascular disease that has been estimated to affect up to 900,000 people per year. It has been associated with risk factors such as recent surgery, cancer, and hospitalization. VTE surveillance for patient management and safety can be improved via natural language processing (NLP).

Factors impacting medication adherence in a birth cohort at higher risk for Hepatitis C infection.

Due to the high prevalence of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among individuals born between 1945 and 1965, in 2012 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began recommending HCV screening for this birth cohort. As adherence to HCV treatment is essential for sustained virologic response, identifying factors influencing medication adherence is important. The validated Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale (ARMS) is used to study recent medication adherence in those with chronic disease.

Evaluating the Accuracy of the Annual Statewide Kindergarten Vaccination Survey Submitted to Public Health Authorities by School Systems, Oklahoma, 2018.

Recent trends in vaccine hesitancy have brought to light the importance of using accurate school vaccination data. This study evaluated the accuracy of a pilot statewide kindergarten vaccination survey in Oklahoma. School vaccination and exemption data were collected from November 2017 to April 2018 via the Research Electronic Data Capture system.

The Epidemiology of COVID-19 by Race/Ethnicity in Oklahoma City-County, Oklahoma (12 March 2020-31 May 2021).

We aimed to better understand the racially-/ethnically-specific COVID-19-related outcomes, with respect to time, to respond more effectively to emerging variants. Surveillance data from Oklahoma City-County (12 March 2020-31 May 2021) were used to summarize COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, deaths, and COVID-19 vaccination status by racial/ethnic group and ZIP code. We estimated racially-/ethnically-specific daily hospitalization rates, the proportion of cases hospitalized, and disease odds ratios (OR) adjusting for sex, age, and the presence of at least one comorbidity.

Cancer-associated venous thromboembolism: Incidence and features in a racially diverse population.

Background: Data on the population-based incidence of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE) from racially diverse populations are limited.

Objective: To evaluate the incidence and burden of cancer-associated VTE, including demographic and racial subgroups in the general population of Oklahoma County-which closely mirrors the United States.

Design: A population-based prospective study.

Characterization of persons with reported SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Oklahoma City tri-county area: Evidence from the first 12 months of transmission.

Background: To describe characteristics, hospitalization, and death for reported cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Oklahoma City tri-county area.

Methods: We extracted notified cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection for our study area and used descriptive statistics and modeling to examine case characteristics and calculate the odds of hospitalization and death in relation to a range of explanatory variables.

Results: Between March 12th, 2020 and February 28th, 2021, 124,925 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection were reported from the study region.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Allowing Additional Time in Cleaning Hospital Contact Precautions Rooms.

Increasing cleaning time may reduce hospital-acquired transmission of methicillin-resistant (MRSA), and vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE). We constructed a cost-benefit model to estimate the impact of implementing an enhanced cleaning protocol, allowing hospital housekeepers an additional 15 minutes to terminally clean contact precautions rooms. The enhanced cleaning protocol saved the hospital $758 per terminally-cleaned room when accounting for only .

Incidence of Venous Thromboembolism in a Racially Diverse Population of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma.

Background:  Contemporary incidence data for venous thromboembolism (VTE) from racially diverse populations are limited. The racial distribution of Oklahoma County closely mirrors that of the United States.

Objective:  To evaluate VTE incidence and mortality, including demographic and racial subgroups.

Professors and Practitioners: Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 in the State of Oklahoma with and Without Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities.

Objectives: Our analysis, which began as a request from the Oklahoma Governor for useable analysis for state decision making, seeks to predict statewide COVID-19 spread through a variety of lenses, including with and without long-term care facilities (LTCFs), accounting for rural/urban differences, and considering the impact of state government regulations of the citizenry on disease spread.

Methods: We utilize a deterministic susceptible exposed infectious resistant (SEIR) model designed to fit observed fatalities, hospitalizations, and ICU beds for the state of Oklahoma with a particular focus on the role of the rural/urban nature of the state and the impact that COVID-19 cases in LTCFs played in the outbreak.

Results: The model provides a reasonable fit for the observed data on new cases, deaths, and hospitalizations.

COVID-19 Mortality Among American Indian and Alaska Native Persons - 14 States, January-June 2020.

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons experienced disproportionate mortality during the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic (1,2). Concerns of a similar trend during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to the formation of a workgroup* to assess the prevalence of COVID-19 deaths in the AI/AN population. As of December 2, 2020, CDC has reported 2,689 COVID-19-associated deaths among non-Hispanic AI/AN persons in the United States.

Age-sex specific pulmonary embolism-related mortality in the USA and Canada, 2000-18: an analysis of the WHO Mortality Database and of the CDC Multiple Cause of Death database.

Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE)-related mortality is decreasing in Europe. However, time trends in the USA and Canada remain uncertain because the most recent analyses of PE-related mortality were published in the early 2000s.

Methods: For this retrospective epidemiological study, we accessed medically certified vital registration data from the WHO Mortality Database (USA and Canada, 2000-17) and the Multiple Cause of Death database produced by the Division of Vital Statistics of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; US, 2000-18).

Tabletop exercise to prepare institutions of higher education for an outbreak of COVID-19.

Complete Table Top Exercise Manual.

Tabletop exercise to prepare institutions of higher education for an outbreak of COVID-19.

Preparing for public health emergencies is an ongoing process and involves a variety of approaches and tools. Tabletop exercises are one of the tools designed to simulate the emergence of a public health emergency and address some or all of the phases of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.1 They typically are designed to include participation of stakeholders from diverse and complementary backgrounds, including command, operations, logistics, planning, and finance.

Is There Less Opioid Abuse in States Where Marijuana Has Been Decriminalized, Either for Medicinal or Recreational Use? A Clin-IQ.

Opioid use, abuse, and associated mortality have reached an epidemic level. In some states, cannabis is being used to treat chronic pain. To examine the hypothesis that medical marijuana legislation may reduce adverse opioid-related outcomes if patients substitute cannabis for opioids for pain management, we conducted a clinical inquiry (Clin-IQ).

Managing emerging transnational public health security threats: lessons learned from the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak.

Background: Pandemics pose significant security/stability risks to nations with fragile infrastructures. We evaluated characteristics of the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak to elucidate lessons learned for managing transnational public health security threats.

Methods: We used publically available data to compare demographic and outbreak-specific data for Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, including key indicator data by the World Health Organization.

Global public awareness about atrial fibrillation.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an important cause of ischemic stroke that often remains undetected until stroke occurs. Awareness of the risk factors and symptoms is important so that AF can be diagnosed and thromboprophylaxis given. However, the extent of public awareness of AF is uncertain.

Impact of World Thrombosis Day campaign.

Thrombosis is an underlying cause of one in four deaths globally. The International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis established the inaugural World Thrombosis Day on October 13, 2014. The World Thrombosis Day campaign aims to 1) highlight the disease burden from thrombosis, 2) increase public awareness of the risks, signs, and symptoms of thromboembolic conditions, 3) empower individuals to discuss their thrombosis risk with their healthcare provider, 4) galvanize organizations across the globe, and 5) advocate for "systems of care" to prevent, diagnose, and treat venous thromboembolism and atrial fibrillation.

Zika virus infection in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), 2015-2016.

Background: Zika virus (ZIKV) is an important flavivirus infection. Although ZIKV infection is rarely fatal, risk for severe disease in adults is not well described. Our objective was to describe the spectrum of illness in U.