Publications by authors named "Samantha Bazan"
Lianas are important components of tropical forest diversity and dynamics, yet little is known about the drivers of their community structure and composition. Combining extensive field and LiDAR data, we investigated the influence of local topography, forest structure, and tree composition on liana community structure, and their floristic and functional composition, in a moist forest in northern Republic of Congo. We inventoried all lianas ≥ 1 cm in diameter in 144 20 × 20-m quadrats located in four 9-ha permanent plots, where trees and giant herbs were inventoried.
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- The study examined 595 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Military Health System beneficiaries to assess how vaccination affected viral diversity from December 2020 to April 2022.
- Results indicated that vaccination had limited influence on the diversity of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and showed little evidence of a significant sieve effect among major variants.
- The findings suggest that during periods of rapid variant replacement, other factors overshadowed the influence of vaccination on viral diversity, and caution is needed when using sieve analysis methods in non-clinical trial settings.
Background: Post-COVID conditions (PCC) are difficult to characterize, diagnose, predict, and treat due to overlapping symptoms and poorly understood pathology. Identifying inflammatory profiles may improve clinical prognostication and trial endpoints.
Methods: 1,988 SARS-CoV-2 positive U.
Background: Chronic neuropsychological sequelae following SARS-CoV-2 infection, including depression, anxiety, fatigue, and general cognitive difficulties, are a major public health concern. Given the potential impact of long-term neuropsychological impairment, it is important to characterize the frequency and predictors of this post-infection phenotype.
Methods: The Epidemiology, Immunology, and Clinical Characteristics of Emerging Infectious Diseases with Pandemic Potential (EPICC) study is a longitudinal study assessing the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in U.
Background: The long-term effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on physical fitness are unclear, and the impact of vaccination on that relationship is uncertain.
Methods: We compared survey responses in a 1-year study of US military service members with (n = 1923) and without (n = 1591) a history of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We fit Poisson regression models to estimate the association between history of SARS-CoV-2 infection and fitness impairment, adjusting for time since infection, demographics, and baseline health.
Article Synopsis
- Researchers analyzed symptom data from 1,273 COVID-19 patients to identify clusters that correspond with varying disease severity and long-term outcomes.
- Three distinct symptom clusters were identified: the "Nasal cluster" (runny/stuffy nose), the "Sensory cluster" (loss of smell/taste), and the "Respiratory/Systemic cluster" (respiratory and systemic symptoms).
- The Respiratory/Systemic cluster showed higher hospitalization rates and long-term symptoms, with increased inflammatory markers, suggesting it could help predict COVID-19 prognosis and risks for long COVID.
Importance: Understanding the factors associated with post-COVID conditions is important for prevention.
Objective: To identify characteristics associated with persistent post-COVID-19 symptoms and to describe post-COVID-19 medical encounters.
Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study used data from the Epidemiology, Immunology, and Clinical Characteristics of Emerging Infectious Diseases With Pandemic Potential (EPICC) study implemented in the US military health system (MHS); MHS beneficiaries aged 18 years or older who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 from February 28, 2020, through December 31, 2021, were analyzed, with 1-year follow-up.
Background: Patient-reported outcomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are an important measure of the full burden of coronavirus disease (COVID). Here, we examine how (1) infecting genotype and COVID-19 vaccination correlate with inFLUenza Patient-Reported Outcome (FLU-PRO) Plus score, including by symptom domains, and (2) FLU-PRO Plus scores predict return to usual activities and health.
Methods: The idemiology, mmunology, and linical haracteristics of pandemic infectious diseases (EPICC) study was implemented to describe the short- and long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a longitudinal, observational cohort.
Background: Nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs are the standard for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. If less invasive alternatives to NP swabs (eg, oropharyngeal [OP] or nasal swabs [NS]) are comparably sensitive, the use of these techniques may be preferable in terms of comfort, convenience, and safety.
Methods: This study compared the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in swab samples collected on the same day among participants with at least one positive PCR test.
Background: We evaluated clinical outcomes, functional burden, and complications 1 month after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in a prospective US Military Health System (MHS) cohort of active duty, retiree, and dependent populations using serial patient-reported outcome surveys and electronic medical record (EMR) review.
Methods: MHS beneficiaries presenting at 9 sites across the United States with a positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) test, a COVID-19-like illness, or a high-risk SARS-CoV-2 exposure were eligible for enrollment. Medical history and clinical outcomes were collected through structured interviews and International Classification of Diseases-based EMR review.
Article Synopsis
- FLU-PRO Plus is a tool designed to track symptoms of viral respiratory infections, specifically tested on individuals with COVID-19 to assess its measurement accuracy.
- A study analyzed data from 226 COVID-19 patients, finding that the tool had high reliability and strong correlations with overall disease severity and patient health assessments.
- The findings suggest that FLU-PRO Plus is effective for evaluating symptoms and could support further research in areas like vaccine effectiveness and treatment outcomes.