Incidence and Risk of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Hospitalization Among Unvaccinated Children.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the incidence and risk factors associated with COVID-19 hospitalization among unvaccinated children.

Methods: Children aged 0- < 18 years, members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC), were followed from March 1, 2020, until the earliest occurrence of: chart-confirmed COVID-19 hospitalization, disenrollment from KPNC, age 18 years, receipt of COVID-19 vaccine, death, or study end (December 31, 2022). We calculated the incidence rate of hospitalization by SARS-CoV-2 variant period and by age group.

Development and External Validation of a Prediction Model for Colorectal Cancer Among Patients Awaiting Surveillance Colonoscopy Following Polypectomy.

Background And Aims: Demand for surveillance colonoscopy can sometimes exceed capacity, such as during and following the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, yet no tools exist to prioritize the patients most likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) among those awaiting surveillance colonoscopy. We developed a multivariable prediction model for CRC at surveillance comparing performance to a model that assigned patients as low or high risk based solely on polyp characteristics (guideline-based model).

Methods: Logistic regression was used for model development among patients receiving surveillance colonoscopy in 2014-2019.

Trends in Gonorrhea and Chlamydia Testing and Infections Across the COVID-19 Pandemic in Adolescents and Young Adults in an Integrated Health System.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted testing and incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), with some studies showing uneven effects across sociodemographic groups. We aim to determine whether rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia testing and infections were affected by the pandemic, overall and by subgroups, defined by sociodemographic factors and comorbidities.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study from January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2022, among adolescents and young adults ages 15-29 years within Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC).

Individual and neighborhood factors associated with being unvaccinated against COVID-19 among pregnant persons.

We investigated whether unvaccinated pregnant persons cluster geographically and determined factors associated with being unvaccinated using spatial and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Pregnant persons with deliveries from December 15, 2020, through September 30, 2022, at Kaiser Permanente Northern California were included. Of the 85,852 pregnant persons in the study, 46.

Maternal SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination and Infant Protection Against SARS-CoV-2 During the First 6 Months of Life.

We examined the effectiveness of maternal vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 infection in 30,288 infants born at Kaiser Permanente Northern California from December 15, 2020, to May 31, 2022. Using Cox regression, the effectiveness of maternal vaccination was 85% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 67, 93), 64% (CI: 43, 78) and 57% (CI: 36,71) during the first 2, 4 and 6 months of life, respectively, in the Delta variant period. In the Omicron variant period, the effectiveness of maternal vaccination in these three age intervals was 22% (CI: -18,48), 14% (CI: -10,32) and 12% (CI: -4,26), respectively.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Fecal Immunochemical Testing, Colonoscopy Services, and Colorectal Neoplasia Detection in a Large United States Community-based Population.

Background & Aims: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected clinical services globally, including colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and diagnostic testing. We investigated the pandemic's impact on fecal immunochemical test (FIT) screening, colonoscopy utilization, and colorectal neoplasia detection across 21 medical centers in a large integrated health care organization.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study in Kaiser Permanente Northern California patients ages 18 to 89 years in 2019 and 2020 and measured changes in the numbers of mailed, completed, and positive FITs; colonoscopies; and cases of colorectal neoplasia detected by colonoscopy in 2020 vs 2019.

Validation of an Algorithm to Identify Patients at Risk for Colorectal Cancer Based on Laboratory Test and Demographic Data in Diverse, Community-Based Population.

Background & Aims: Approximately 30%-40% of screening-eligible adults in the United States are not up to date with colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. We aimed to validate a predictive score, generated by a machine learning algorithm with common laboratory test data, to identify patients at high risk for CRC in a large, community-based, ethnically diverse cohort.

Methods: We performed a nested case-control study using data from members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California (1996-2015).

Natural Language Processing for the Accurate Identification of Colorectal Cancer Mismatch Repair Status in Lynch Syndrome Screening.

Lynch syndrome (LS) is the most common type of hereditary colorectal cancer (CRC) syndrome caused by pathogenic variants in mismatch repair (MMR) genes. Current multisociety guidelines recommend screening all CRC tumors for LS. The most widely adopted screening method is MMR immunohistochemistry (IHC) followed by germline analysis if indicated.