Publications by authors named "Jessica Heimonen"
Article Synopsis
- The study investigated how acute respiratory illness (ARI) impacted school, work attendance, and nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPI) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, using data collected from families in King County, Washington.
- Researchers monitored ARI symptoms weekly from November 2019 to June 2021 and analyzed how these symptoms affected behaviors, finding notable shifts in NPI use, particularly during the pre-vaccine phase of the pandemic.
- Results showed a significant decrease in school absenteeism during the pandemic, alongside a marked increase in masking and other NPIs, but no additional disruptions related to illness at school or work beyond what was observed pre-pandemic.
Background: Early during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was important to better understand transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Household contacts of infected individuals are particularly at risk for infection, but delays in contact tracing, delays in testing contacts, and isolation and quarantine posed challenges to accurately capturing secondary household cases.
Methods: In this study, 346 households in the Seattle region were provided with respiratory specimen collection kits and remotely monitored using web-based surveys for respiratory illness symptoms weekly between October 1, 2020, and June 20, 2021.
Article Synopsis
- - The study examined how infections with one respiratory virus influence the likelihood of subsequent infections with the same or different viruses, noting the complexity of viral interactions.
- - Conducted between October 2019 and June 2021, the research involved active surveillance of acute respiratory illnesses, where participants self-collected nasal swabs for analysis of various respiratory viruses using advanced testing methods.
- - Findings revealed that primary viral infections, especially with rhinovirus, significantly increased the risk of detecting additional respiratory viruses within 90 days, highlighting the interconnected nature of viral respiratory infections.
Background: Respiratory viruses might influence nasal carriage and subsequent disease risk. We estimated the association between common respiratory viruses and semiquantitative nasal carriage density in a household setting before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: From November 2019-June 2021, we enrolled participants in a remote household surveillance study of respiratory pathogens.
A remote household-based approach to influenza self-testing and antiviral treatment.
Influenza Other Respir Viruses
July 2021
Article Synopsis
- - This study explored an at-home approach for diagnosing and treating influenza using home testing kits, telehealth consultations, and rapid delivery of antiviral medication to improve patient access and reduce delays in care.
- - Conducted during the 2019-2020 influenza season in Seattle, the pilot involved 124 households closely monitoring respiratory symptoms and utilizing home tests, resulting in a 72.7% sensitivity and 96.2% specificity for the tests.
- - With successful rapid delivery of medication (87.5% within 3 hours) following positive test results, the findings suggest that home-based diagnosis and treatment could be an effective strategy for managing influenza outbreaks.
Background: Although multiple respiratory viruses circulate in humans, few studies have compared the incidence of different viruses across the life course. We estimated the incidence of outpatient illness due to 12 different viruses during November 2018 through April 2019 in a fully enumerated population.
Methods: We conducted active surveillance for ambulatory care visits for acute respiratory illness (ARI) among members of Kaiser Permanente Washington (KPWA).
While influenza and other respiratory pathogens cause significant morbidity and mortality, the community-based burden of these infections remains incompletely understood. The development of novel methods to detect respiratory infections is essential for mitigating epidemics and developing pandemic-preparedness infrastructure. From October 2019 to March 2020, we conducted a home-based cross-sectional study in the greater Seattle, WA, area, utilizing electronic consent and data collection instruments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Noninfluenza respiratory viruses are responsible for a substantial burden of disease in the United States. Household transmission is thought to contribute significantly to subsequent transmission through the broader community. In the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, contactless surveillance methods are of particular importance.
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