Browsing by Subject "COVID-19 pandemic"

Now showing 1 - 10 of 30
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    359 Public sunscreen dispenser distribution in the United States: Continued COVID-19 trends during 2021
    (Elsevier, 2022) Szeto, M.D.; Kokoska, R.; Maghfour, J.; Rundle, C.; Presley, C.; Harp, T.; Hamp, A.; Wegener, V.; Hugh, J.; Dellavalle, R.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    The COVID-19 pandemic may have significantly affected consumer preferences and societal behavior regarding sun protection and skin cancer. IMPACT Melanoma is a United States nonprofit organization for skin cancer prevention/education, and a prominent nationwide sunscreen distributor. Substantial decreases in the distribution of public dispensers and sunscreen were noted at the onset of the pandemic in 2020, especially to public health departments and parks/recreation facilities. Analysis of 2021 data has revealed that total distribution remained at similar levels relative to 2020. However, private business (-77%), public health department (-71%), and healthcare facility (-41%) orders decreased the most, while nonprofits (+612%) and educational institutions (+86%) greatly increased orders. 2021 orders continued to demand only hybrid (physical combined with chemical formulation) sunscreens. Maine, Massachusetts, and Wyoming received the greatest total numbers of dispensers and sunscreen in 2021. Despite organizational and regional fluctuations, these persistent overall reductions in public access to sunscreen are concerning, and corroborate broader pandemic patterns of falling retail consumer sunscreen sales. Dermatologists should be made aware of this pandemic-era erosion of consumer attitudes towards sun protection and sun damage risk, and encouraged to continue advocating for sunscreen use during the pandemic.
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    A National Quality Improvement Study Identifying and Addressing Cancer Screening Deficits Due To the COVID-19 Pandemic
    (Wiley, 2022) Joung, Rachel Hae-Soo; Nelson, Heidi; Mullett, Timothy W.; Kurtzman, Scott H.; Shafir, Sarah; Harris, James B.; Yao, Katharine A.; Brajcich, Brian C.; Bilimoria, Karl Y.; Cance, William G.; Surgery, School of Medicine
    Background: Cancer-related deaths over the next decade are expected to increase due to cancer screening deficits associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Although national deficits have been quantified, a structured response to identifying and addressing local deficits has not been widely available. The objectives of this report are to share preliminary data on monthly screening deficits in breast, colorectal, lung, and cervical cancers across diverse settings and to provide online materials from a national quality improvement (QI) study to help other institutions to address local screening deficits. Methods: This prospective, national QI study on Return-to-Screening enrolled 748 accredited cancer programs in the United States from April through June 2021. Local prepandemic and pandemic monthly screening test volumes (MTVs) were used to calculate the relative percent change in MTV to describe the monthly screening gap. Results: The majority of facilities reported monthly screening deficits (colorectal cancer, 80.6% [n = 104/129]; cervical cancer, 69.0% [n = 20/29]; breast cancer, 55.3% [n = 241/436]; lung cancer, 44.6% [n = 98/220]). Overall, the median relative percent change in MTV ranged from -17.7% for colorectal cancer (interquartile range [IQR], -33.6% to -2.8%), -6.8% for cervical cancer (IQR, -29.4% to 1.7%), -1.6% for breast cancer (IQR, -9.6% to 7.0%), and 1.2% for lung cancer (IQR, -16.9% to 19.0%). Geographic differences were not observed. There were statistically significant differences in the percent change in MTV between institution types for colorectal cancer screening (P = .02). Conclusion: Cancer screening is still in need of urgent attention, and the screening resources made available online may help facilities to close critical gaps and address screenings missed in 2020. Lay summary: Question: How can the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on cancer screening be mitigated? Findings: When national resources were provided, including methods to calculate local screening deficits, 748 cancer programs promptly enrolled in a national Return-to-Screening study, and the majority identified local screening deficits, most notably in colorectal cancer. Using these results, 814 quality improvement projects were initiated with the potential to add 70,000 screening tests in 2021. Meaning: Cancer screening is still in need of urgent attention, and the online resources that we provide may help to close critical screening deficits.
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    ASO Visual Abstract: Breast Cancer Screening, Diagnosis, and Surgery During the Pre- and Peri-pandemic—Experience of Patients in a Statewide Health Information Exchange
    (Springer, 2023) Milgrom, Zheng Z.; Milgrom, Daniel P.; Han, Yan; Hui, Siu L.; Haggstrom, David A.; Fisher, Carla S.; Mendonca, Eneida A.; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    The COVID-19 pandemic affected delivery of breast cancer care, including screening, diagnosis, and surgery. This study (https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-023-13119-w) compared patient data from 1 year before the outbreak, during lockdown, and 1 year after lockdown to identify changes in patterns or timeliness of care.
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    Continuing Research During a Crisis
    (Springer, 2021-04) Kroenke, Kurt; Bair, Matthew J.; Sachs, Greg A.; Medicine, School of Medicine
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    Digital contact does not promote wellbeing, but face-to-face contact does: A cross-national survey during the COVID-19 pandemic
    (Sage, 2021) Newson, Martha; Zhao, Yi; Zein, Marwa El; Sulik, Justin; Dezecache, Guillaume; Deroy, Ophelia; Tunçgenç, Bahar; Biostatistics, School of Public Health
    With restricted face-to-face interactions, COVID-19 lockdowns and distancing measures tested the capability of computer-mediated communication to foster social contact and wellbeing. In a multinational sample (n = 6436), we investigated how different modes of contact related to wellbeing during the pandemic. Computer-mediated communication was more common than face-to-face, and its use was influenced by COVID-19 death rates, more so than state stringency measures. Despite its legal and health threats, face-to-face contact was still positively associated with wellbeing, and messaging apps had a negative association. Perceived household vulnerability to COVID-19 reduced the positive effect of face-to-face communication on wellbeing, but surprisingly, people’s own vulnerability did not. Computer-mediated communication was particularly negatively associated with the wellbeing of young and empathetic people. Findings show people endeavored to remain socially connected, yet however, maintain a physical distance, despite the tangible costs to their wellbeing.
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    Dynamic changes in medical education amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: Adapting to virtual ophthalmology residency interviews
    (Elsevier, 2022) Patel, Om U.; Bonner, Andrew; Sisk, Morgan; Grant, Maria B.; Ophthalmology, School of Medicine
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    Editorial. Pediatric neurosurgery along with Children's Hospitals' innovations are rapid and uniform in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
    (American Association of Neurological Surgeons, 2020-04) Weiner, Howard L.; Adelson, P. David; Brockmeyer, Douglas L.; Maher, Cormac O.; Gupta, Nalin; Smyth, Matthew D.; Jea, Andrew; Blount, Jeffrey P.; Riva-Cambrin, Jay; Lam, Sandi K.; Ahn, Edward S.; Albert, Gregory W.; Leonard, Jeffrey R.; Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine
    The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented international crisis, with enormous health, economic, and social consequences, the likes of which have not been experienced in recent human history. The global medical community is facing historic practical and ethical challenges that require an urgent response. This situation has necessitated swift decision-making in the neurosurgery community. An inspiring and consistent message emerged from the resultant conversation, demonstrating our discipline’s response to this tragedy, which was strikingly rapid, uniform, and thoughtful across the many centers represented. Not surprisingly, pediatric neurosurgeons are able to lead their teams through this unprecedented time with creative decision-making and a razor-sharp focus on the health of both patients and colleagues. At the time of this writing, each center reported either no or only a small number of COVID-19–positive cases at their pediatric hospital, among either patients or staff, and a range of documented coronavirus community transmissions. Several notably consistent themes emerged from this exchange among the 13 members of the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics Editorial Board, the common concept being that decision-making remains dynamic and is modified as needed on a daily basis.
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    Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on late postpartum women living with HIV in Kenya
    (Public Library of Science, 2023-03-29) Humphrey, John M.; Alera, Marsha; Enane, Leslie A.; Kipchumba, Bett; Goodrich, Suzanne; Scanlon, Michael; Songok, Julia; Musick, Beverly; Diero, Lameck; Yiannoutsos, Constantin; Wools-Kaloustian, Kara; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Although an estimated 1.4 million women living with HIV (WHIV) are pregnant each year globally, data describing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on postpartum women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are limited. To address this gap, we conducted phone surveys among 170 WHIV ≥18 years and 18-24 months postpartum enrolled in HIV care at the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare in western Kenya, and assessed the effects of the pandemic across health, social and economic domains. We found that 47% of WHIV experienced income loss and 71% experienced food insecurity during the pandemic. The majority (96%) of women reported having adequate access to antiretroviral treatment and only 3% reported difficulties refilling medications, suggesting that the program's strategies to maintain HIV service delivery during the early phase of the pandemic were effective. However, 21% of WHIV screened positive for depression and 8% for anxiety disorder, indicating the need for interventions to address the mental health needs of this population. Given the scale and duration of the pandemic, HIV programs in LMICs should work with governments and non-governmental organizations to provide targeted support to WHIV at highest risk of food and income insecurity and their associated adverse health outcomes.
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    Gendered leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic: How democracy and representation moderate leadership effectiveness
    (Taylor & Francis, 2022) Park, Sanghee
    This article investigates whether and how gendered leadership makes a difference in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The country-level variances in the initial trajectories provide a unique comparative setting that allows us to examine the link between leadership and performance, moderated by institutional contexts – democracy and representation. Using daily panel data over the first half of the year 2020 across OECD countries, I find that women-led countries show epidemiologic patterns different from male-led countries. The effect of gendered leadership was contingent on the maturity of democracy and the degree of gender representation in both parliament and bureaucracy.
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    Global health electives in the COVID-19 era: resuming travel and strengthening global health academic partnerships
    (IJME, 2022-05) Haq, Heather; Msekandiana, Amos; Matshaba, Mogomotsi; Thahane, Linoeo; Watts, Jennifer; Tam, Reena; St Clair, Nicole; Schubert, Charles; Rule, Amy; Pannaraj, Pia; Pitt, Michael; Oleson, David; Murray, Brittany; Morris, Lee; Mendoza, Joanne; McHenry, Megan; Keating, Elizabeth; Ferrer, Kathy; Crouse, Heather; Condurache, Tania; Batra, Maneesh; Barnes, Adelaide; Conway, James; Pediatrics, School of Medicine