Category: Covid-19

A recentScientific Reports study identifies the risk factors associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection based on a nationwide, multicenter, and observational cohort of adolescents and children hospitalized due to severe infection.

Study:Epidemiology of 7375 children and adolescents hospitalized with COVID-19 in Germany, reported via a prospective, nationwide surveillance study in 20202022. Image Credit: Sellwell / Shutterstock.com

SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has claimed millions of lives worldwide. Studies conducted during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic indicated that children were at a lower risk of developing severe SARS-CoV-2 infection than adults. However, more supporting data is needed to corroborate this observation.

Identifying the underlying risk factors that increase the risk of disease severity in some children is essential. This information would be critical to formulating risk-reduction measures and developing effective vaccination and non-pharmaceutical guidelines to protect children and adolescents from COVID-19.

The German Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases (DGPI) launched a nationwide survey to collect data on children and adolescents admitted to hospitals due to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. Pediatric patients between one and 17 years of age with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection requiring hospitalization were recruited between January 1, 2020, and November 30, 2022.

Children with pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS), which is also referred to as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), were separately documented.

All important information linked to the patients, including initial symptoms, exposures, comorbidities, disease course during hospitalization, medical treatment, and outcomes, were collected. Some of the comorbidities evaluated as potential risk factors (RF) for severe SARS-CoV-2 infection include psychiatric, respiratory, hematological, cardiovascular, neurological/neuromuscular, gastrointestinal, renal, hepatic, autoimmune, syndromic diseases, cancer, primary immunodeficiency (PID), and obesity.

Based on the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) data, which monitored SARS-CoV-2 variants in Germany, six phases were identified with different dominant SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC).

A total of7,375 children and adolescents were hospitalized due to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among these, 7,341 were hospitalized in German hospitals, and the remainder were hospitalized in Austrian hospitals.

Consistent with reports from previous studies, most children with SARS-CoV-2 infection developed mild symptoms. As a result, as compared to adults, children and adolescents had lower hospitalization and ICU admission rates.

About 50% of the cohort did not require hospital admission due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. In some cases, SARS-CoV-2 infection was the incidental finding, or some children contracted the infection during the hospital stay.

Only 20% of patients received COVID-19-related therapy. This observation supports the fact that most children with SARS-CoV-2 infection develop mild symptoms that do not require hospitalization or extensive medical treatment.

The successive emergence of different SARS-CoV-2 VOCs shifted the pattern of hospitalization and ICU admission rates. For the pediatric population, the overall hospitalization and ICU admission rates decreased during Omicron circulation, which may be attributed to the reduced virulence of this variant as compared to the Delta variant. Furthermore, compared to other VOCs, higher vaccination coverage and infection-acquired immunity occurred during the Omicron VOC phase.

In contrast to other age groups, infant hospitalization rates substantially increased during the Omicron period. This finding is in line with a previous United States-based study reporting increased infant hospitalization and reduced teenage hospitalization due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Notably, many infant-age admissions were likely due to taking preventive measures rather than actual disease severity.

Several risk factors were associated with ICU admission due to severe COVID-19, including obesity, Trisomy 21 and other genetic conditions, neurological/neuromuscular diseases, and coinfections. Pediatric patients with severe immunosuppression were not associated with an increased risk of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. Although obesity and Trisomy 21 were identified as significant risk factors in the pre-Omicron phase, these factors did not increase the risk of severe Omicron infections.

Overall, an increased risk for ICU admission was highest among 12- to 17-year-olds, followed by one- to four-year-olds.

The bivariate model revealed that patients with recurrent obstructive bronchitis, acyanotic heart disease, cyanotic, pulmonary hypertension, psychomotor retardation, arterial hypertension, heart failure, congenital kidney diseases epilepsy, and diabetes are at a greater risk of contracting severe infection. Thus, the presence of these factors must be considered while formulating treatments and preventive measures for children and adolescents to protect them from COVID-19.

The current study used a robust, comprehensive, nationwide pediatric and adolescent cohort recruited from multiple centers to identify risk factors for severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. Some of the factors that increase the risk of developing severe infection include obesity, Trisomy 21, being between five and 11 years of age, neurological/neuromuscular diseases, and coinfections at the time of hospitalization.

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Factors that increase the risk of severe COVID-19 in children - News-Medical.Net

VOORHEES TWP., New Jersey (WPVI) -- Travel respiratory illness numbers are going up across the Philadelphia region following holiday gatherings.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of December 29, flu activity is minimal in Delaware, high in Pennsylvania, and very high in New Jersey.

The latest data from the New Jersey Department of Health shows every corner of the state is affected, with more than 19,000 cases reported since early October, and more than 6,000 in just the past week.

Action News asked Dr. Charles Nolte, Virtua Health medical director, why New Jersey is currently faring the worst in the region.

SEE ALSO: RSV in winter: Everything you need to know about symptoms, treatments, shots

"It's hard to predict why that happened but I can tell you feeling it in the department. I've been practicing emergency medicine for 19 years and this does feel like it's the highest volume. I think it's the confluence of having those three viruses at the same time," Dr. Nolte said.

Flu, COVID-19 and RSV are all circulating right now. While the surge in sickness is expected this time of year, Nolte said the volume of patients and battling these three viruses at once is unique.

"It's not too late to be vaccinated, so if you haven't been vaccinated for COVID-19 or influenza and you're not currently having symptoms, it is your best interest to seek vaccination," Nolte said. Additionally, Nolte said it's important for those with underlying medical conditions or comorbidities to be especially thoughtful as they go about their day-to-day routine as they're more susceptible to illness than the average person.

For now, Virtua Health is requiring doctors and staff to wear masks. It's highly recommended but optional for patients.

SEE ALSO: RSV, flu and COVID-19: How can you tell the difference? Doctor explains

RSV, flu and COVID-19: How can you tell the difference? Doctor explains

Nolte anticipates another spike in illness and an even higher volume of patients in the weeks ahead.

In order to relive activity in emergency departments at hospitals, if you think you might have the flu, COVID-19, or RSV, he recommends visiting an urgent care facility or checking with your family doctor first.

"If you feel like you have a viral-like illness, fever, chills, headache, cough, and cold, there's other resources besides emergency departments where you can get care. Having that little bit of self-triage can offload emergency departments," Nolte said.

Read the rest here:

Respiratory illnesses surge in 2024 as doctors treat flu, COVID-19, and RSV - WPVI-TV

FOX News contributor Deroy Murdock discusses a decline in vehicle manufacturing productivity, the UAW strike and the Biden administration's latest student loan handout on 'The Bottom Line.'

Congressional Republicans are celebrating the Small Business Administration (SBA) collecting on COVID-19 loans after putting pressure on the agency to do so.

Several GOP senators and House members have put the SBA in their sights regarding the pandemic-era loans, with the agency telling lawmakers they are going to collect repayments from defaulted Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loans under $100,000.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who has been a leading voice on the issue, told Fox News Digital that "2024 is already bringing new opportunities for accountability at Bidens mismanaged SBA!"

HOUSE REPUBLICANS INVESTIGATING SBA OVER ALLEGED MISAPPROPRIATION OF COVID FUND

Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, told Fox News Digital that the SBA is moving to get repayments from defaulted Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loans under $100,000. (Getty Images)

"After nearly a year of oversight, the agency finally answered my calls to collect billions of taxpayer dollars in delinquent and fraudulent COVID loans," Ernst, the ranking member of the Senate Small Business Committee, said.

"I will keep working to ensure the more than $200 billion the agency doled out to fraudsters does not go unpunished or uncollected, and as always, I am committed to making Washington bureaucrats squeal and protecting our hard-earned dollars from waste and abuse," she said.

House Small Business Committee Chairman Roger Williams told Fox News Digital it "is great to see the Committees oversight activities culminate in the SBA reversing course to finally do right by the taxpayers."

"However, our work is not done," Williams said. "The Committee will continue looking into why the SBA didnt send these loans to Treasury earlier, the quantitative analysis to justify this decision, and how the government should appropriately handle the remaining pandemic loan portfolio."

Rep. Roger Williams, a Republican from Texas, speaks during a House Financial Services Committee hearing investigating the collapse of FTX in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Fox News Digital obtained the December letter from SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman announcing the move by the agency.

The letter was sent to Ernst, Williams and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., ranking member of the Senate Small Business Committee, as well as House Small Business Committee ranking member Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y.

"As we have shared with your teams and committed to in collaboration with the Inspector General, the SBA has performed a more recent analysis of the debt performance of the portfolio as part of our ongoing management and protection of taxpayer funds," Guzman wrote.

"Our aim is to leverage as many collection steps as are financially beneficial," she continued.

Guzman said, "I am writing to inform you that with this latest analysis, and using recent, updated data, SBA's debt collection forecast for the PPP and COVID-19 EIDL portfolio now show a likely positive return to the taxpayer with a referral to the Department of Treasury, the final step of collection."

Fox News Digital obtained the December letter from SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman announcing the move by the agency. (Bill O'Leary-Pool/Getty Images / Getty Images)

"SBA will begin referring PPP and COVID EIDL small business borrowers with loans under $100,000 in default to the Treasury for IRS-led and third-party collection activities," Guzman said. "As you are aware, currently those with loans $100,000 and over in default are already referred to the Treasury."

"SBA continually monitors all of our loan portfolios, including PPP and COVID EIDL, through regular reporting and sophisticated financial modeling," she continued. "This work is especially critical for PPP and COVID EIDL because both programs were the first of their kind."

"Given the unique nature of these programs, SBA took careful consideration to find the best course of action to appropriately manage limited taxpayer resources while supporting the small businesses who fell on difficult times during the pandemic," Guzman added.

Guzman wrote that the "SBA fully exhausts all collection tools at its disposal including direct customer outreach, collateral and personal guarantees, credit reporting, and CAIVRS/ Treasury Do Not Pay lists, among others" and that in "the spring of 2022, SBA analyzed the cost effectiveness of the final step of collection, which is Treasury referrals, on loans under $100,000 and found the activities would cost taxpayers more to collect than the anticipated amount recovered due to the unique statutory components of these COVID programs."

"Accordingly, I executed my authority under section 3711 of the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996," Guzman wrote.

"Nothing about that 2022 process on $100,000 and under loans changed SBA's fundamental position that every borrower who takes a loan from SBA should pay it back or comply with the requirements for forgiveness, in the case of PPP."

"That is why SBA has always continued to collect on all loans and communicate the consequences from nonpayment," she continued.

"Additionally, please note that the above discussion does not apply to fraudulent activity. Please be reminded that all identified fraudulent and likely fraudulent loans are referred to the Office of the Inspector General for appropriate collection through law enforcement following every legally permissible step to collect. All other loans without indicia of fraud follow the steps outlined in the attachment How SBA Collects, which we shared with your offices earlier this year."

The SBA said it would be collecting on PPP and EIDL loans under $100,000, reversing its earlier policy. In 2022, the agency enacted a policy to not collect some loans under $100,000, citing the cost of referring the loans to the Treasury Department for collection.

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The SBA said last month that it estimated $30 billion in unpaid PPP and EIDL loans that are up to $100,000, and that the potential loss to the programs would be nearly 2.5 percent of their total portfolios.

An SBA spokesperson told Fox News Digital that after "an updated December 2023 data analysis determined that referring COVID EIDL and PPP loans less than $100,000 to IRS and Treasury will be cost effective for the government, the Small Business Administration (SBA) took swift action to incorporate this into our collection process."

"There have always been repercussions for nonpayment, including reporting to credit bureaus and ineligibility for other federal programs, and theSBA will continue to pursue every legal, cost-effective method to help small business borrowers come into compliance by either securing forgiveness for or repaying their pandemic loans as required by law," the spokesperson added.

The rest is here:

Small Business Administration to collect on COVID loans after pressure from Iowa Republican - Fox Business

In 2021 and 2022, the proportion of hospitalized COVID-19 and influenza patients admitted to a US intensive care unit (ICU) were similar, but COVID-19 patients admitted during the Omicron BA.5 variant period were more likely to die in the hospital, according to a study published late last week in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

A team led by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers analyzed medical records and COVID-19 and flu surveillance network data from selected counties in 14 states from October 2021 to September 2022.

"After very low levels of influenza circulation during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, circulation increased during the 2021-2022 season," the researchers wrote. "The epidemiology of COVID-19 has also changed during the pandemic with circulation of new variants and increasing population-level immunity."

In total, 5,777 and 2,363 eligible adults were hospitalized for COVID-19 and flu, respectively. Amid the Delta variant-predominant period (October to December 2021), 1,632 were hospitalized, compared with 1,451 during the Omicron BA.5 period (June to September 2022). During the 2011-22 respiratory virus season, 2,363 people were hospitalized for flu.

During the Delta- and Omicron BA.5- predominant periods, 29.6% and 70.3% of hospitalized adults, respectively, completed at least a primary COVID-19 vaccination series, while 56.2% of flu patients were current on seasonal flu shots.

Continued monitoring of severity trends is warranted as new variants circulate and population-level immunity changes.

The proportion of COVID-19 patients who were admitted to an ICU, received invasive mechanical ventilation/extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (IMV/ECMO), or died in the hospital declined from the Delta to the Omicron BA.5 period. A similar percentage of Omicron BA.5 and flu patients were admitted to an ICU (15.5% vs 13.3%) and received oxygen via high-flow nasal cannula (7.1% vs 9.5%), noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (11.7% vs 14.4%), or IMV/ECMO (5.9% vs 4.2%).

Relative to flu patients, those infected with Omicron BA.5 had higher rates of vasopressor use (8.2% vs 4.8%), renal replacement therapy (5.2% vs 3.4%), and in-hospital death (4.6% vs 2.6%). In-hospital death rates were higher only for those aged 18 to 49 years during the Omicron BA.5 period; there was no difference in death rates for any other age-group between Omicron BA.5 and flu.

The reduced disease severity amid Omicron BA.5 predominance is likely multifactorial, including increased population-level SARS-CoV-2 immunity from vaccination and previous infection, broader availability of effective drugs, and refined clinical management strategies, the study authors said.

"Despite declines in COVID-19 severity, this analysis demonstrates that both viruses continue to cause severe disease among hospitalized patients, and optimizing disease prevention and treatment strategies like vaccinations, antiviral medications, and use of non-pharmaceutical interventions may attenuate severe disease," the researchers wrote. "Continued monitoring of severity trends is warranted as new variants circulate and population-level immunity changes."

Go here to read the rest:

COVID, flu severity similar, but Omicron BA.5 patients more likely to die, 2021-22 study suggests - University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Shares of Covid-19 vaccine maker Moderna were on track for their best single-day performance in more than a year, after an analyst at Oppenheimer issued a rare upgrade of the stock.

Moderna shares dropped 45% in 2023, making the stock one of the years worst performers in the S&P 500. Covid-19 vaccine sales tumbled, and the company incurred significant costs as it shrank its manufacturing footprint in response to declining demand. Moderna doesnt expect to break even again until 2026.

There are early signs, however, that the companys significant investment in its pipeline of mRNA-based products could bear fruit. In mid December, the company reported promising new data on a cancer treatment it is developing in partnership with Merck .

In his Tuesday note, Oppenheimer analyst Hartaj Singh wrote that Moderna could have five products by 2026, and that uptake of Covid-19 vaccines has likely bottomed out.

Singh upgraded Moderna to Outperform from Perform with a price target of $142 in a research report.

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The shares rose 13% to $112.57, making the stock the leading performer in the S&P 500 on Tuesday. It was also on track for its largest increase since Dec. 13, 2022, when it gained 20%, according to Dow Jones Market Data. Rival vaccine maker Pfizer was up 3.8% to $29.88.

The upgrade comes amid an increase in Covid-19 cases in the U.S., and the emergence of a new variant, called JN.1, that has raised alarms with public health authorities.

In their note, the Oppenheimer analysts shared a few reasons for the upgrade including more visibility on Covid-19 vaccine sales, a framework for operating expenses. They added that factors in 2024 and 2025 lead them to believe that MRNA could be a five-product commercial company by 2026. The catalysts for this year and next include progress outside Covid-19 including with the companys respiratory syncytial virus and influenza vaccines.

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This is welcome news to investors who saw Moderna stock lose 45% of its value over the past 12 months as Covid-19 vaccine sales waned. The Oppenheimer analysts think sales could hit a low-point in 2024, due to vaccine fatigue and the complexities of the U.S. commercial market but they expect an uptick in sales in 2025 and beyond as education and awareness around Covid-19 increase.

This mirrors a larger narrative on Wall Street that gains may be on the horizon for the vaccine maker. The average analyst price target for Moderna is $126.72, while shares are currently trading hands at about $100, according to FactSet.

Write to Emily Dattilo at emily.dattilo@dowjones.com

More:

Moderna Stock Is Top S&P Performer After Miserable 2023. Why This Year Could Be Better. - Barron's

JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. COVID-19 cases across the United States are on the rise once again. A map recently published by the Centers for Disease Control shows that Region Seven, which includes Missouri and Kansas, is the worst-affected area.

Some hospitals are recommending mask mandates again. In light of rising cases, KSHB 41 asked the Johnson County Health Department and KU Health System about the potential for another mask mandate for its employees and visitors.

We have some individual patient wards that have gone back to masking for the staff and for patients, and in some cases, the visitors as well, said Dr. Steven Stites of KU Health System. I don't see that we're going to go to general masking across the entire health system in the immediate future.

At the Johnson County Health Department, the only procedure they have in place is for employees who are not vaccinated to wear a mask.

Regardless of any policies around personal protective gear, both health care providers are concerned about the recent uptick in cases and, especially, the low vaccination rates.

Right now in JoCo, COVID-19 vaccination rates for children is only at 10%, and for adults, it is around 20%.

Even though the virus is changing, the booster will still have some impact in terms of the level of severity, said Hunt. Were still recommending people get vaccinated. Even though the numbers are much higher now than they were a few weeks ago, its not too late to get vaccinated."

A year and a half after her first COVID-19 infection, Sarah Freyman found herself down for the count again. She dealt with her second infection in late December, when area health officials say they started to see a spike.

I feel like were living in a world where not as many people talk about COVID. So, didnt think that I was going to test positive, but that was the biggest shock of the whole thing, said Freyman.

Having recently had it, Freyman hopes she will be stronger against the virus in the coming months. But she also says a yearly booster is not out of the question for extra protection.

Obviously, no ones wearing masks anymore and think that were all just not as in the know about potentially getting COVID, said Freyman.

Health care providers expect to see COVID-19 cases increase following Christmas and New Years Eve. It is also important to remember COVID-19 infections take time to test positive, so current numbers do not accurately reflect the holidays.

What will that do to the COVID numbers here or in about two or three weeks? said Dr. Stites.

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'Didn't think that I was going to test positive': Health care providers talk outlook as COVID cases rise again - KSHB 41 Kansas City News

Flu cases continued a steep climb last week while RSV cases dropped again, according to new figures from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

The department tallied 13,525 lab-confirmed flu cases during the week ending Saturday, up from about 12,000 during the previous week. Because most people who get the flu dont get tested, those cases represent only a fraction of the total.

In its weekly update on the impact of respiratory illnesses in the state, the health department said emergency department visits involving the flu are increasing all over the state among all age groups.

Pennsylvania has seen 31 flu-related deaths during the respiratory illnesses season that officially began Oct. 1.

RSV cases fell for the second consecutive week but remained high, with the department recording 4,771 cases, down from a recent peak of 5,458 weekly cases.

The health department said emergency department visits involving people who tested positive for COVID-19 increased slightly during the week ending Saturday, with the number of hospital patients who tested positive for COVID-19 also increasing.

That included 1,295 people who tested positive for COVID-19 admitted to Pennsylvania hospitals during the week ending Dec. 23, up from 1,031 the previous week.

Since Oct. 1, Pennsylvania has registered 894 COVID-19-related deaths, including 57 during the most recent week.

Read more from the original source:

Flu spreading rapidly in Pa., with COVID-19 also picking up: weekly update - PennLive

The finding in an international study that Ireland recorded no excess deaths during the core Covid-19 pandemic years might seem puzzling to some.

Research published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows Ireland was one of only nine OECD states to avoid excess deaths in the 2020-2022 period. The State registered the fourth lowest rate, behind New Zealand, Iceland and Norway.

The notion that proportionately fewer than expected people died in Ireland during the pandemic might seem counter-intuitive to anyone who remembers those dark days, especially families bereaved by Covid-related deaths.

The first thing to note about the preliminary OECD study is that it is written by uninterested experts working for the Paris-based organisation

Indeed, subsequent studies, many of them based on the rising number of death notices published online, identified a large number of excess deaths during this period. Researchers at Maynooth University found excess mortality in 2020 was almost 40 per cent higher than during the severe flu winter of 2017-18. A study by the Heath Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) found there were more than 2,000 excess deaths during the spring and early summer of 2020 and the winter of 2021, the worst periods of the pandemic.

So which take is right? Or could they both be correct?

The first thing to note about the preliminary OECD study is that it is written by uninterested experts working for the Paris-based organisation. There is no attempt to sugar-coat the devastation wreaked by the pandemic in the report, the main finding of which is that an additional 2 million deaths were registered across the OECD in each of the years between 2020 and 2022 when compared to the average number of deaths during the five years leading up to the pandemic.

In 2021, the number of registered deaths across the OECD was 19 per cent higher compared to average pre-pandemic levels.

Irelands total population increased by 8% between the 2016 and 2022 censuses, while the number of people aged 65 and over increased by a remarkable 22% during that period

The big difference between this study and others is that it takes account of changes in the population structure of countries in the period under review. Western countries are ageing and Ireland is getting older faster than almost anywhere else.

Irelands total population increased by 8 per cent between the 2016 and 2022 censuses, while the number of people aged 65 and over increased by a remarkable 22 per cent during that period. This is more than double the 10 per cent increase in EU countries.

When account was taken of this change in population structure, Ireland was found not to have recorded an increase in excess deaths over the three years.

Excess deaths refer to the number of fatalities from all causes during a period, above what would normally be expected. It is regarded as one of the best ways to measure the impact of, say, a pandemic, as it catches deaths from all causes.

However, this does not mean there were no variations in the death rate at different points between 2020 and 2022. In Ireland, the adjusted rate appears to have gone up in 2020, down in 2021 and up again in 2022.

If online reaction is the barometer of public opinion, there would appear to be a high degree of scepticism about the Governments assertion that Ireland had a good pandemic, relative to other countries

As the Hiqa study noted, the worst periods of the pandemic were associated with spikes in deaths. In other parts of Europe, but not Ireland, heatwaves in the summer of 2022 led to a surge in deaths.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and his officials were, understandably, quick to welcome the OECDs findings and attribute them to the public health measures taken during the pandemic, notably the widely supported Covid-19 vaccine programme.

If online reaction is the barometer of public opinion, there would appear to be a high degree of scepticism about the Governments assertion that Ireland had a good pandemic, relative to other countries.

The only way of properly answering the questions about Irelands performance during these years may be to start the long-promised review of the actions taken during the pandemic.

Continued here:

Covid-19 pandemic review's puzzling finding of no excess deaths in Ireland has a simple explanation - The Irish Times

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While the entire United States is still reeling in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the recovery process has not been even nationwide. Many rural students and communities especially certain pockets are facing multiple crises in terms of educational loss, economic outcomes, unemployment and mental health.

Why Rural Matters 2023, the latest in a series of 10 research reports on rural education, shows that roughly 9.5 million students attend public schools in rural areas more than 1 in 5 nationally. Nearly 1 in 7 of those rural students experience poverty, 1 in 15 lacks health insurance and 1 in 10 has changed residence in the previous 12 months.

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Roughly half of all rural students live in just 10 states. Texas has the largest number, followed by North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Virginia and Michigan. Texas has more rural students than the 18 states with the fewest combined.

In 13 states, at least half of public schools are rural: South Dakota, Montana, Vermont, North Dakota, Maine, Alaska, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Wyoming, New Hampshire, West Virginia, Mississippi and Iowa. In 14 other states, at least one-third of all schools are rural.

More key findings from this edition of Why Rural Matters:

As post-pandemic recovery continues, states and local districts must reevaluate what it means to provide a public education that meets student and family needs and prepares young people for life beyond pre-K-12 schooling (including college and career readiness and engaged citizenship). These challenges are widespread but are most intense in the Southeast, Southwest and Appalachia. What is needed is the will to address them.

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The results published in Why Rural Matters 2023 make clear that policymakers cannot ignore the difficulties faced by rural schools and the students they serve.

Support The 74's year-end campaign. Make a tax-exempt donation now.

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New Report Shows Millions of Rural Students Facing Multiple Crises after COVID - The 74

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In the past four years, the pathogen responsible for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), SARS-CoV-2, has infected more than 770 million people and caused more than 6.9 million deaths worldwide. The severe impact of SARS-CoV-2 is often attributed to its ability to suppress the interferon (IFN) response while simultaneously inducing the production of various cytokines.

This dual action directly leads to a cytokine storm, a critical factor contributing to the mortality of COVID-19 patients. However, the precise mechanisms through which SARS-CoV-2 initiates this cytokine storm have remained elusive.

To address this question, a research team led by Prof. Xue Yuanchao from the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with their collaborators, has profiled the SARS-CoV-2-to-host RNARNA interactions.

This study, published in Molecular Cell on Dec. 20, unveils for the first time the molecular intricacies of how SARS-CoV-2 RNA interacts with and stabilizes host mRNAs, ultimately triggering the cytokine storm.

Using state-of-the-art RIC-seq technology, the researchers comprehensively mapped the SARS-CoV-2-to-host RNARNA interactions in infected cells and lung tissues obtained from two deceased COVID-19 patients. Through mass spectrometry analysis of the RNA pull-down assay, they discovered that SARS-CoV-2 RNA forms base pairs with the 3' UTR of host mRNAs and recruits the RNA-binding protein YBX3 to stabilize host mRNAs in A549-ACE2 and Vero cells. Importantly, interference with the SARS-CoV-2-to-host RNARNA interaction or the knockdown of YBX3 significantly reduced host mRNA stability and hindered SARS-CoV-2 replication.

Among the stabilized host mRNAs, NFKBIZ emerged as a key factor in promoting cytokine production and suppressing IFN responses, potentially contributing to the cytokine storm. Knocking down NFKBIZ resulted in a significant decrease in the expression levels of proinflammatory factors such as IL-6, IL-8, and CXCL2, while the levels of type I/III IFNs, including IFNB1, IFNL1, and IFNL2, increased. These findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 may induce a cytokine storm via stabilized host mRNAs, with NFKBIZ playing a pivotal role.

This research not only sheds light on the regulatory role of RNARNA interactions in the immunopathogenesis of RNA viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, but also contributes to the development of novel strategies to combat COVID-19.

The results open new avenues for targeted interventions aimed at disrupting the specific molecular mechanisms responsible for the cytokine storm associated with severe cases of COVID-19.

More information: Hailian Zhao et al, SARS-CoV-2 RNA stabilizes host mRNAs to elicit immunopathogenesis, Molecular Cell (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.11.032

Journal information: Molecular Cell

Link:

Researchers reveal molecular mechanism of cytokine storm induced by coronavirus - Medical Xpress