41 results match your criteria: "U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Response[Affiliation]"

Background: Cleaning practices and hand hygiene are important behaviors to prevent and control the spread of infectious disease, especially in congregate settings. This project explored hygiene- and cleaning-related experiences in shelters serving people experiencing homelessness (PEH) during May-June 2020 of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We conducted qualitative, in-depth interviews by phone with 22 staff from six shelters in Atlanta, Georgia.

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COVID-19 disproportionately affects people experiencing homelessness or incarceration. While homelessness or incarceration alone may not impact vaccine effectiveness, medical comorbidities along with social conditions associated with homelessness or incarceration may impact estimated vaccine effectiveness. COVID-19 vaccines reduce rates of hospitalization and death; vaccine effectiveness (VE) against severe outcomes in people experiencing homelessness or incarceration is unknown.

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  • Immunocompromised (IC) individuals face a higher risk of severe COVID-19 and have reduced vaccine effectiveness compared to non-immunocompromised (non-IC) individuals.
  • A study analyzed emergency department visits and hospitalizations among IC and non-IC adults, finding that vaccine effectiveness was significantly lower in IC patients, particularly for those who received 3 doses of mRNA vaccines or 1-2 doses of viral-vector vaccines.
  • Despite some protection from vaccines, the results indicate a pressing need for additional safeguards for IC adults, especially transplant recipients who showed the lowest vaccine effectiveness.
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Background: We sought to determine whether race/ethnicity disparities in severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes persist in the era of vaccination.

Methods: Population-based age-adjusted monthly rate ratios (RRs) of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19-associated hospitalizations were calculated among adult patients from the COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network, March 2020 - August 2022 by race/ethnicity. Among randomly sampled patients July 2021 - August 2022, RRs for hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and in-hospital mortality were calculated for Hispanic, Black, American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN), and Asian/Pacific Islander (API) persons vs White persons.

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  • Policymakers face challenges in making decisions with limited information and conflicting predictions from different models, especially during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • A study brought together multiple modeling teams to assess reopening strategies in a mid-sized U.S. county, revealing consistent rankings for interventions despite variations in projection magnitudes.
  • The findings indicated that reopening workplaces could lead to a significant increase in infections, while restrictions could greatly reduce cumulative infections, highlighting the trade-offs between public health and economic activity with no optimal reopening strategy identified.
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  • A study evaluated the effectiveness of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine on children and adolescents during the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 period, focusing on its ability to protect against mild to moderate and severe cases of COVID-19.
  • The research compared data from nearly 10,000 emergency department cases and over 70,000 controls, finding that vaccine effectiveness decreased over time, especially during the Omicron variant's spread.
  • It concluded that while the vaccine offered significant protection initially, especially against hospitalizations, booster doses enhanced effectiveness, highlighting the importance of completing the vaccination schedule for children and adolescents.
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In 2020-2021, a Colorado corrections facility experienced four COVID-19 outbreaks. Case counts, attack rates (ARs) in people who are detained or incarcerated (PDI), and mitigation measures used in each outbreak were compared to evaluate effects of combined strategies. Serial PCR testing, isolation/quarantine, and masking were implemented in outbreak 1.

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  • The Omicron sublineages BA.4 and BA.5 show increased immune evasion, reducing the effectiveness of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in preventing illness among immunocompetent adults.
  • A study across 10 states focused on vaccinated adults, assessing the effectiveness of 2 to 4 vaccine doses during periods of BA.4 and BA.5 circulation, and examining the severity of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients across different Omicron sublineages.
  • Results indicated that in a large sample of emergency department and hospitalized patients, a significant portion tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, highlighting ongoing challenges in vaccine effectiveness and patient outcomes during these variant periods.
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Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination coverage remains lower in communities with higher social vulnerability. Factors such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exposure risk and access to healthcare are often correlated with social vulnerability and may therefore contribute to a relationship between vulnerability and observed vaccine effectiveness (VE). Understanding whether these factors impact VE could contribute to our understanding of real-world VE.

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  • The study examines the effectiveness of face masks in reducing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, particularly in relation to vaccination status.
  • An analysis conducted on 359 COVID-19 cases and 3544 controls revealed that not consistently wearing a mask significantly increased the odds of infection, especially among unvaccinated individuals.
  • The results suggest that wearing masks consistently can enhance protection against COVID-19, even for those who are vaccinated, highlighting the importance of both measures in preventing the spread of the virus.
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Importance: Data on the epidemiology of mild to moderately severe COVID-19 are needed to inform public health guidance.

Objective: To evaluate associations between 2 or 3 doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine and attenuation of symptoms and viral RNA load across SARS-CoV-2 viral lineages.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A prospective cohort study of essential and frontline workers in Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas, and Utah with COVID-19 infection confirmed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction testing and lineage classified by whole genome sequencing of specimens self-collected weekly and at COVID-19 illness symptom onset.

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  • The study aimed to understand the risk factors for hospitalization due to COVID-19, focusing on both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals to aid public health measures.
  • Data was collected from over 250 hospitals between January 2021 and April 2022, comparing hospitalization rates and patient characteristics of vaccinated and unvaccinated persons with confirmed COVID-19 infections.
  • Results indicated that unvaccinated individuals had significantly higher hospitalization rates—up to 17.7 times higher compared to vaccinated individuals—particularly during the Omicron variant surge.
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Objectives: We describe clinical characteristics, pregnancy, and infant outcomes in pregnant people with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection by trimester of infection.

Study Design: We analyzed data from the Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Mothers and Babies Network and included people with infection in 2020, with known timing of infection and pregnancy outcome. Outcomes are described by trimester of infection.

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Background: Households are common places for spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We investigated factors associated with household transmission and acquisition of SARS-CoV-2.

Methods: Households with children age <18 years were enrolled into prospective, longitudinal cohorts and followed from August 2020 to August 2021 in Utah, September 2020 to August 2021 in New York City, and November 2020 to October 2021 in Maryland.

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  • * Results showed that those with critical or asymptomatic COVID-19 in the second or third trimester faced a higher risk of preterm birth, while those with moderate-to-severe illness did not.
  • * The study concludes that critical COVID-19 during the later trimesters increases preterm birth risk, highlighting the importance of vaccination and clinical care for pregnant individuals.
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Importance: Children aged 6 months through 4 years have become eligible for COVID-19 vaccination, but little is known about parental intentions regarding, concerns about, or facilitators to COVID-19 vaccination for this age group.

Objectives: To evaluate parental intentions, concerns, and facilitators for COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 6 months through 4 years and to help inform the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' deliberations and recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 6 months through 4 years.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cross-sectional study fielded an online survey from February 2 to 10, 2022, among a nonprobability sample of US parents of children aged 6 months through 4 years who were recruited through Qualtrics using quota-based sampling for respondent gender, race and ethnicity, and child age group.

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This cohort study assesses attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination and illness burden among vaccinated and unvaccinated law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders in the US.

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Background And Objectives: Limited postauthorization safety data for the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination among children ages 5 to 11 years are available, particularly for the adverse event myocarditis, which has been detected in adolescents and young adults. We describe adverse events observed during the first 4 months of the United States coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination program in this age group.

Methods: We analyzed data from 3 United States safety monitoring systems: v-safe, a voluntary smartphone-based system that monitors reactions and health effects; the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS), the national spontaneous reporting system comanaged by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration; and the Vaccine Safety Datalink, an active surveillance system that monitors electronic health records for prespecified events, including myocarditis.

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Background: Multiple reports have described neonatal SARS-CoV-2 infection, including likely in utero transmission and early postnatal infection, but published estimates of neonatal infection range by geography and design type.

Objectives: To describe maternal, pregnancy and neonatal characteristics among neonates born to people with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy by neonatal SARS-CoV-2 testing results.

Methods: Using aggregated data from the Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Mothers and Babies Network (SET-NET) describing infections from 20 January 2020 to 31 December 2020, we identified neonates who were (1) born to people who were SARS-CoV-2 positive by RT-PCR at any time during their pregnancy, and (2) tested for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR during the birth hospitalisation.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Analysis of data from March 2020 to March 2021 indicated that HCP were more likely to report health care-related exposures during high community incidence periods, suggesting a strong link between workplace risks and local COVID-19 rates.
  • * The study emphasizes the importance of collecting detailed work-related data for better understanding and improving infectious disease surveillance in health care settings.
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Background: Short-term rehabilitation units present unique infection control challenges because of high turnover and medically complex residents. In June 2021, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health was notified of a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Delta outbreak in a skilled nursing facility short-term rehabilitation unit. We describe the outbreak and assess vaccine effectiveness (VE).

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This survey study assesses vaccination intentions of unvaccinated US adults in response to full US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) COVID-19 vaccine and any demographic characteristics associated with those intentions.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aims to assess the effectiveness of three COVID-19 vaccines (BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, and Ad26.COV2.S) over time and during the Delta variant surge to inform vaccination strategies.
  • Data was collected from 6884 US testing sites, involving over 1.8 million tests to analyze the correlation between symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections and vaccination status in adults and adolescents from March to October 2021.
  • Results showed that the odds of symptomatic infection post-vaccination increased over time, particularly during the Delta variant period, indicating a reduced effectiveness of vaccines in preventing infections as time since vaccination lengthened.
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