Publications by authors named "B T Vonhm"
Background: Sustaining a 'fit-for-purpose' health workforce requires a better understanding of the health care worker cadres that are affected during pandemics and their outcomes. In hospitalized health care workers with confirmed COVID-19 between March 2020 and May 2023 in Liberia, we determined the hospitalization and case fatality rates, type of health care worker cadres affected, their demographic and clinical characteristics and hospital exit outcomes.
Methods: This was a cohort study using routine data extracted from hospitalization forms for health care workers in 24 designated COVID-19 treatment facilities.
Article Synopsis
- Ebola virus persistence in survivors' semen may contribute to recent outbreaks in places like Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo, prompting this study of 131 male EVD survivors in Liberia.
- The study aimed to categorize participants as "early clearers" or "late clearers" based on their EBOV detection in semen, while also collecting clinical history and conducting medical examinations.
- Findings indicated that older age, milder initial symptoms, and specific immune markers (IgG3 levels and HLA-C*03:04 allele) were linked to longer EBOV persistence in semen, suggesting potential connections to other areas in the body where the virus might hide.
Background: Artesunate-amodiaquine (ASAQ) and Artemether-lumefantrine (AL) are the recommended treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Liberia. Intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine is also recommended for pregnant women. The therapeutic efficacy of Artesunate-amodiaquine and Artemether-lumefantrine, and the frequency of molecular markers associated with anti-malarial drug resistance were investigated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- A study on male survivors of the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in Liberia evaluated immune responses and persistence of the Ebola virus in blood and semen.
- All 126 participants tested negative for the Ebola virus in blood; however, 1 out of 23 participants with negative antibodies produced specific antibodies when stimulated.
- The findings suggest that the blood of EVD survivors is unlikely to transmit the virus, and the variability in antibody responses indicates that a lack of antibodies should not automatically exclude someone from being considered an EVD survivor.
Alison Galvani and colleagues describe a community-based protocol to improve cooperation with Ebola testing as well as contact tracing, quarantining, and treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF