Publications by authors named "Julia C Bennett"
Background: Institutions of higher education (IHE) have been a focus of SARS-CoV-2 transmission studies but there is limited information on how viral diversity and transmission at IHE changed as the pandemic progressed.
Methods: Here we analyze 3606 viral genomes from unique COVID-19 episodes collected at a public university in Seattle, Washington from September 2020 to September 2022.
Results: Across the study period, we found evidence of frequent viral transmission among university affiliates with 60% (n = 2153) of viral genomes from campus specimens genetically identical to at least one other campus specimen.
Article Synopsis
- The text discusses the impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs), specifically PCV10 and PCV13, on invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) globally, highlighting how these vaccines have reduced the prevalence of disease caused by vaccine-type serotypes after extensive use.
- It describes the methodology of data collection from various surveillance sites, which aimed to evaluate IPD cases that occurred five years after the vaccines were implemented, focusing on different age groups for analysis.
- Findings indicate significant differences in serotype distribution between PCV10 and PCV13 sites; notably, certain serotypes, such as 19A and serotype 3, were prevalent in specific age groups, signaling ongoing challenges in controlling
Background: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) that are ten-valent (PCV10) and 13-valent (PCV13) became available in 2010. We evaluated their global impact on invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) incidence in all ages.
Methods: Serotype-specific IPD cases and population denominators were obtained directly from surveillance sites using PCV10 or PCV13 in their national immunisation programmes and with a primary series uptake of at least 50%.
Article Synopsis
- The study assessed an unsupervised COVID-19 testing method where university participants self-swabbed at their convenience compared to traditional supervised testing.
- Over the academic year from September 2021 to July 2022, unsupervised self-swabs were notably less frequent (26,800) than supervised ones (92,499), with higher error rates in unsupervised tests.
- Results indicated that younger participants and certain racial/ethnic groups were more likely to choose unsupervised testing, with a drop in errors for unsupervised tests as time progressed—showing increasing feasibility over time.
Article Synopsis
- A study conducted at a public university in Seattle evaluated the effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 antigen-detection rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) in comparison to traditional rRT-PCR testing over a period from February to December 2022.
- Out of 5,757 participants, those who took 12,674 rRT-PCR tests found 7.9% positive, with Ag-RDTs showing an overall sensitivity of 53% and specificity of 98.8%.
- The study concluded that Ag-RDT sensitivity improved with sequential testing, particularly after initial negative results, and recommended repeat testing for symptomatic individuals or those at high risk.
Vaccine effectiveness (VE) studies utilizing the test-negative design are typically conducted in clinical settings, rather than community populations, leading to bias in VE estimates against mild disease and limited information on VE in healthy young adults. In a community-based university population, we utilized data from a large SARS-CoV-2 testing program to estimate relative VE of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine primary series and monovalent booster dose versus primary series only against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection from September 2021 to July 2022. We used the test-negative design and logistic regression implemented via generalized estimating equations adjusted for age, calendar time, prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, and testing frequency (proxy for test-seeking behavior) to estimate relative VE.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: 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.
To assess the impact of Washington State's 2019 Engrossed House Bill (EHB) 1638-which removed measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) personal belief exemptions-on MMR vaccine series completion and exemption rates in K-12 students. We used interrupted time-series analyses to examine changes in MMR vaccine series completion rates before and after EHB 1638 was passed and the χ test for differences in exemption rates. EHB 1638 implementation was associated with a 5.
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- Novel variants, especially Omicron, have emerged during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, prompting the need for effective genomic surveillance through university testing programs.* -
- From September 2021 to February 2022, a study at a university identified 1,730 Omicron genomes out of nearly 3,000 positive cases, revealing Omicron's quicker transmission compared to Delta.* -
- Even with high vaccination rates and strict health guidelines, Omicron outpaced Delta to become the dominant strain, resulting in a significant increase in COVID-19 cases within the university community.*
Article Synopsis
- The PSERENADE project focuses on global surveillance of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) to assess the impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV10/13).
- Among 138 countries using PCV10/13 as of 2018, 109 had IPD surveillance systems, with data collected from 76, enabling a comprehensive analysis of 240,639 post-vaccine IPD cases.
- The dataset will aid in understanding the effectiveness of the vaccines across different demographics and vaccination schedules, influencing future immunization policies globally and nationally.
Article Synopsis
- The introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) has significantly decreased the cases of pneumococcal meningitis, especially in countries that have used PCV10/13 for several years.
- A project called PSERENADE analyzed the types of pneumococcal strains still causing meningitis and found that certain serotypes, such as 19A and 6C, are still prevalent, particularly in older age groups.
- Current research on higher-valency PCVs could potentially address the remaining cases of pneumococcal meningitis, but further investigation is needed to understand their effectiveness in regions like the African meningitis belt.
Article Synopsis
- Serotype 1 (ST1) was a major cause of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) before the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs), which include ST1 antigen.
- The PSERENADE project analyzed global data on ST1 IPD to assess the impact of PCV10/13 on disease rates, using advanced statistical methods.
- Results showed that after six years of using PCV10/13, there was a 95% reduction in ST1 IPD incidence across all age groups, but there is a need for more data from countries heavily affected by ST1 to improve the findings' applicability.
Childhood social isolation and psychotic experiences in young adulthood: a community based study.
Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry
July 2020
Non-clinical psychotic experiences (PEs) occur at over twice the rate of psychotic disorders along a continuum in the general population and increase risk for progression to diagnoseable disorders. Social isolation is a risk factor for psychotic disorders, although it is unclear if childhood social isolation increases risk for experience of non-clinical PEs later in life. Data come from the Gaz et Electricité (GAZEL) Youth Study (1991-1999) and the Trajectoires Épidémiologiques en Population (TEMPO) Study (2009-2011), a community-based prospective cohort study.
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