Publications by authors named "E A Kukielka"
Background: There is a continuing risk for COVID-19 transmission in school settings while transmission is ongoing in the community, particularly among unvaccinated populations. To ensure that schools continue to operate safely and to inform implementation of prevention strategies, it is imperative to gain better understanding of the risk behaviors of staff and students. This secondary analysis describes the prevalence of COVID-19 risk behaviors in an exposed population of students and school staff in the pre-vaccine era and identifies associations between these behaviors and testing positive for SARS-CoV-2.
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- Human-to-animal and animal-to-animal transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has been observed, but there is limited research on transmission in shelters.
- A study was conducted at four animal shelters in the U.S. where animals were exposed to COVID-19 positive staff members.
- Out of 96 tested cats and dogs, only one dog showed antibodies for SARS-CoV-2, with no viral RNA detected, suggesting a low risk of transmission in these settings with proper safety measures in place.
Objective: The aim of the study was to assess occupational health effects 1 month after responding to a natural gas pipeline explosion.
Methods: First responders to a pipeline explosion in Kentucky were interviewed about pre- and post-response health symptoms, post-response health care, and physical exertion and personal protective equipment (PPE) use during the response. Logistic regression was used to examine associations between several risk factors and development of post-response symptoms.
Background: Late sequelae of COVID-19 have been reported; however, few studies have investigated the time course or incidence of late new COVID-19-related health conditions (post-COVID conditions) after COVID-19 diagnosis. Studies distinguishing post-COVID conditions from late conditions caused by other etiologies are lacking. Using data from a large administrative all-payer database, we assessed type, association, and timing of post-COVID conditions following COVID-19 diagnosis.
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- A study in a Georgia public school district analyzed how SARS-CoV-2 spreads among students and staff to help develop prevention strategies.
- During the study from December 2020 to January 2021, investigators identified 86 infected individuals and assessed over 1,100 of their close contacts, finding an 8.7% positivity rate among tested contacts.
- The findings revealed that indoor sports activities were the highest risk settings for transmission, underscoring the importance of staff vaccinations and proactive testing to mitigate spread, especially as many infected individuals showed no symptoms.