Publications by authors named "Andy Weigel"
Background: We sought to determine whether race/ethnicity disparities in severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes persist in the era of vaccination.
Methods: Population-based age-adjusted monthly rate ratios (RRs) of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19-associated hospitalizations were calculated among adult patients from the COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network, March 2020 - August 2022 by race/ethnicity. Among randomly sampled patients July 2021 - August 2022, RRs for hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and in-hospital mortality were calculated for Hispanic, Black, American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN), and Asian/Pacific Islander (API) persons vs White persons.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate the effects of respiratory virus codetections in children hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 from March 2020 to February 2022.
- Out of 4,372 hospitalized children, 21% had additional respiratory virus codetections, which were more common in younger children (under 5 years old) and associated with a higher likelihood of severe illness and ICU admission.
- Findings suggest that codetections with viruses like RSV and rhinovirus/enterovirus could worsen the severity of illness in children under 5 years old who are infected with SARS-CoV-2.
Background: Bacterial and viral infections can occur with SARS-CoV-2 infection, but prevalence, risk factors, and associated clinical outcomes are not fully understood.
Methods: We used the Coronavirus Disease 2019-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET), a population-based surveillance system, to investigate the occurrence of bacterial and viral infections among hospitalized adults with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between March 2020 and April 2022. Clinician-driven testing for bacterial pathogens from sputum, deep respiratory, and sterile sites were included.
Background: COVID-19 is associated with cardiac complications.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes associated with acute cardiac events during COVID-19-associated hospitalizations among adults.
Methods: During January 2021 to November 2021, medical chart abstraction was conducted on a probability sample of adults hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection identified from 99 U.
Beginning the week of March 20–26, 2022, the Omicron BA.2 variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, became the predominant circulating variant in the United States, accounting for >50% of sequenced isolates.* Data from the COVID-19–Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET) were analyzed to describe recent COVID-19–associated hospitalization rates among adults aged ≥18 years during the period coinciding with BA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCharacteristics and treatment of hospitalized pregnant women with COVID-19.
Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM
November 2022
Background: Pregnant women less frequently receive COVID-19 vaccination and are at increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes from COVID-19.
Objective: This study aimed to first, describe the vaccination status, treatment, and outcomes of hospitalized, symptomatic pregnant women with COVID-19, and second, estimate whether treatment differs by pregnancy status among treatment-eligible (ie, requiring supplemental oxygen per National Institutes of Health guidelines at the time of the study) women.
Study Design: From January to November 2021, the COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network completed medical chart abstraction for a probability sample of 2715 hospitalized women aged 15 to 49 years with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Article Synopsis
- Influenza and SARS-CoV-2 cause significant respiratory illness in children, prompting an analysis of hospitalization rates and outcomes among those under 18 years old.
- The study found that the COVID-19 hospitalization rate (48.2 per 100,000) was higher than influenza rates from previous seasons, especially among adolescents aged 12-17.
- While more children with COVID-19 required ICU admission compared to those with influenza, pediatric deaths were rare for both illnesses, indicating COVID-19 adds to the existing burden of severe respiratory illness in children.
On October 29, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration expanded the Emergency Use Authorization for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to children aged 5-11 years; CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' recommendation followed on November 2, 2021.* In late December 2021, the B.1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- - The Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) became the main strain of COVID-19 in the U.S. by late December 2021, leading to a sharp rise in hospitalizations among infants and children aged 0-4, who can't be vaccinated.
- - During the peak of Omicron cases (January 2022), hospitalization rates for this age group reached 14.5 per 100,000, which was about five times higher than when the Delta variant was prevalent.
- - A significant 63% of hospitalized infants and children had no prior health conditions, and infants under 6 months made up 44% of the cases, highlighting the need for effective prevention strategies, including vaccination
The first U.S. case of COVID-19 attributed to the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) was reported on December 1, 2021 (1), and by the week ending December 25, 2021, Omicron was the predominant circulating variant in the United States.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Describe population-based rates and risk factors for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (ie, ICU admission, invasive mechanical ventilation, or death) among hospitalized children.
Methods: During March 2020 to May 2021, the COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network identified 3106 children hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in 14 states. Among 2293 children primarily admitted for COVID-19, multivariable generalized estimating equations generated adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the associations between demographic and medical characteristics abstracted from medical records and severe COVID-19.
In mid-June 2021, B.1.671.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- COVID-19 can cause serious health issues in children and adolescents, despite adults being more frequently hospitalized or dying from the virus.
- * As schools reopen for in-person learning during an uptick in cases from the Delta variant, monitoring COVID-19 impacts on younger populations becomes crucial.
- * Data from March 2020 to August 2021 reveals a significant increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations among children, especially in unvaccinated individuals, highlighting the importance of vaccination and preventative measures in schools to protect this age group.
Most reported cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children aged <18 years appear to be asymptomatic or mild (1). Less is known about severe COVID-19 illness requiring hospitalization in children. During March 1-July 25, 2020, 576 pediatric COVID-19 cases were reported to the COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET), a population-based surveillance system that collects data on laboratory-confirmed COVID-19-associated hospitalizations in 14 states (2,3).
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