Category: Covid-19

The vaccine deployment in December 2020 signaled a turning point in the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of May 2021, 40% of the U.S. population was fully vaccinated. But as vaccination rates lagged over the summer, new surges of COVID-19 came, including Delta in the summer of 2021, and now the Omicron variant, which comprises the majority of cases in the U.S.

Researchers around the world have reported that Omicron is more transmissible than Delta, making breakthrough and repeat infections more likely. Early research suggests this strain may cause less severe illness than Delta and the original virus, however, health officials have warned an Omicron-driven surge could still increase hospitalization and death rates especially in areas with less vaccinated populations.

The United States as of Feb. 11 reached 917,622 COVID-19-related deaths and 77.5 million COVID-19 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University. Currently, 64.3% of the population is fully vaccinated, and 42.6% have received booster doses.

Stacker compiled a list of the counties with highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in Nevada using data from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and Covid Act Now. Counties are ranked by the highest vaccination rate as of Feb. 10, 2022. Due to inconsistencies in reporting, some counties do not have vaccination data available. Keep reading to see whether your county ranks among the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in your state.

Population that is fully vaccinated: 21.5% (887 fully vaccinated) 63.6% lower vaccination rate than Nevada Cumulative deaths per 100k: 218 (9 total deaths) 27.6% less deaths per 100k residents than Nevada Cumulative cases per 100k: 7,810 (322 total cases) 64.2% less cases per 100k residents than Nevada

Population that is fully vaccinated: 26.6% (539 fully vaccinated) 54.9% lower vaccination rate than Nevada Cumulative deaths per 100k: 0 (0 total deaths) 100.0% less deaths per 100k residents than Nevada Cumulative cases per 100k: 14,638 (297 total cases) 32.8% less cases per 100k residents than Nevada

Population that is fully vaccinated: 35.5% (2,389 fully vaccinated) 39.8% lower vaccination rate than Nevada Cumulative deaths per 100k: 431 (29 total deaths) 43.2% more deaths per 100k residents than Nevada Cumulative cases per 100k: 20,595 (1,385 total cases) 5.5% less cases per 100k residents than Nevada

Population that is fully vaccinated: 37.9% (1,963 fully vaccinated) 35.8% lower vaccination rate than Nevada Cumulative deaths per 100k: 96 (5 total deaths) 68.1% less deaths per 100k residents than Nevada Cumulative cases per 100k: 19,197 (995 total cases) 11.9% less cases per 100k residents than Nevada

Population that is fully vaccinated: 39.1% (2,164 fully vaccinated) 33.7% lower vaccination rate than Nevada Cumulative deaths per 100k: 289 (16 total deaths) 4.0% less deaths per 100k residents than Nevada Cumulative cases per 100k: 20,119 (1,113 total cases) 7.7% less cases per 100k residents than Nevada

Population that is fully vaccinated: 40.5% (354 fully vaccinated) 31.4% lower vaccination rate than Nevada Cumulative deaths per 100k: 344 (3 total deaths) 14.3% more deaths per 100k residents than Nevada Cumulative cases per 100k: 9,966 (87 total cases) 54.3% less cases per 100k residents than Nevada

Population that is fully vaccinated: 40.5% (6,816 fully vaccinated) 31.4% lower vaccination rate than Nevada Cumulative deaths per 100k: 285 (48 total deaths) 5.3% less deaths per 100k residents than Nevada Cumulative cases per 100k: 26,012 (4,378 total cases) 19.3% more cases per 100k residents than Nevada

Population that is fully vaccinated: 40.9% (23,497 fully vaccinated) 30.7% lower vaccination rate than Nevada Cumulative deaths per 100k: 273 (157 total deaths) 9.3% less deaths per 100k residents than Nevada Cumulative cases per 100k: 18,030 (10,369 total cases) 17.3% less cases per 100k residents than Nevada

Population that is fully vaccinated: 41.0% (21,654 fully vaccinated) 30.5% lower vaccination rate than Nevada Cumulative deaths per 100k: 243 (128 total deaths) 19.3% less deaths per 100k residents than Nevada Cumulative cases per 100k: 22,862 (12,066 total cases) 4.9% more cases per 100k residents than Nevada

Population that is fully vaccinated: 45.5% (21,191 fully vaccinated) 22.9% lower vaccination rate than Nevada Cumulative deaths per 100k: 466 (217 total deaths) 54.8% more deaths per 100k residents than Nevada Cumulative cases per 100k: 14,285 (6,646 total cases) 34.5% less cases per 100k residents than Nevada

Population that is fully vaccinated: 50.4% (24,639 fully vaccinated) 14.6% lower vaccination rate than Nevada Cumulative deaths per 100k: 168 (82 total deaths) 44.2% less deaths per 100k residents than Nevada Cumulative cases per 100k: 15,863 (7,758 total cases) 27.2% less cases per 100k residents than Nevada

Population that is fully vaccinated: 51.8% (4,959 fully vaccinated) 12.2% lower vaccination rate than Nevada Cumulative deaths per 100k: 188 (18 total deaths) 37.5% less deaths per 100k residents than Nevada Cumulative cases per 100k: 19,864 (1,903 total cases) 8.9% less cases per 100k residents than Nevada

Population that is fully vaccinated: 52.0% (12,951 fully vaccinated) 11.9% lower vaccination rate than Nevada Cumulative deaths per 100k: 389 (97 total deaths) 29.2% more deaths per 100k residents than Nevada Cumulative cases per 100k: 24,834 (6,186 total cases) 13.9% more cases per 100k residents than Nevada

Population that is fully vaccinated: 55.7% (2,510 fully vaccinated) 5.6% lower vaccination rate than Nevada Cumulative deaths per 100k: 333 (15 total deaths) 10.6% more deaths per 100k residents than Nevada Cumulative cases per 100k: 20,422 (920 total cases) 6.3% less cases per 100k residents than Nevada

Population that is fully vaccinated: 55.9% (1,266,403 fully vaccinated) 5.3% lower vaccination rate than Nevada Cumulative deaths per 100k: 315 (7,145 total deaths) 4.7% more deaths per 100k residents than Nevada Cumulative cases per 100k: 22,174 (502,618 total cases) 1.7% more cases per 100k residents than Nevada

Population that is fully vaccinated: 62.8% (35,104 fully vaccinated) 6.4% higher vaccination rate than Nevada Cumulative deaths per 100k: 345 (193 total deaths) 14.6% more deaths per 100k residents than Nevada Cumulative cases per 100k: 25,279 (14,135 total cases) 16.0% more cases per 100k residents than Nevada

Population that is fully vaccinated: 62.9% (296,661 fully vaccinated) 6.6% higher vaccination rate than Nevada Cumulative deaths per 100k: 235 (1,107 total deaths) 21.9% less deaths per 100k residents than Nevada Cumulative cases per 100k: 21,239 (100,144 total cases) 2.6% less cases per 100k residents than Nevada

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Counties with the highest COVID-19 vaccination rate in Nevada - KLAS - 8 News Now

Related Practices & Jurisdictions

Saturday, February 12, 2022

On February 10, 2022,Assembly Bill (AB) 1993was introduced in the California legislature. This bill would amend certain COVID-19 vaccination requirements in employment settings and create a framework for California employers to be responsible for vaccination programs in their workplaces.

AB 1993 (also known as Government Code Section 12940.4) would go in to effect on January 1, 2023, if passed in the legislature and signed by the governor. The law would create a plethora of California employer duties around COVID-19 vaccines. If passed, the bill would require each person who is an employee or independent contractor, and who is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, to show proof to the employer that the person has been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The bill defines vaccinated against COVID-19 as either being fully vaccinated by a vaccine authorized by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the World Health Organization (WHO) or having received the first dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine provides proof of that first dose, and provides proof of receiving the second dose of the vaccine within 45 days after receiving the first dose. The bill carves out certain exemptions to the vaccination requirement including a medical condition or disability or a sincerely held religious belief that precludes the person from receiving the vaccination. The bill even includes a reporting provision for submitting vaccination information to Californias Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) and penalty provisions of an indeterminate amount for failure to comply with this proposed law.

The bill would remain operative until the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determines that COVID-19 vaccinations are no longer necessary for the health and safety of individuals, and as of that date is repealed.

2022, Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., All Rights Reserved.National Law Review, Volume XII, Number 43

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California Bill Requiring Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination Status - The National Law Review

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) The Piedmont Health District says they will be holding a pair of COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Charlotte County next week.

The first will take place at the Phenix Volunteer Fire Department at 365 Chester Street in Phenix on Monday, Feb. 14 from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The second will run at the County Line FACES Food Pantry at 12129 County Line Road in Keysville on Saturday, Feb. 19 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

While walk-ins are welcome, appointments are encouraged. To make your appointment, click here or call 1-877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682, TTY users call 7-1-1.

The Pfizer vaccine is available for anyone age five and older, though a parent or guardian must accompany anyone under 18.

The Moderna vaccine is available for anyone age 18 and older.

As far as booster shots, the Pfizer booster vaccine is available for anyone age 12 and older who had their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna at least five months ago. The Johnson & Johnson booster is available to those who had their vaccine at least two months prior.

The Moderna booster is available for anyone age 18 and older at least five months from the date of their second Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or at least two months from the date of their Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Those who are eligible to receive a booster may choose which vaccine they would like.

For those who choose a different product than their primary serious, VDH officials urge you to talk with your doctor or health care provider to assist you in making the best decision for your own situation.

If you are coming for a second dose or a booster, you need to bring your vaccine card to confirm the date and type of vaccine you received.

To get a copy of your vaccine record with a QR code, click here.

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Phenix, Keysville to host COVID-19 vaccination clinics - WFXRtv.com

BUFFALO N.Y. (WIVB) A movement involving Canadian truckers who are protesting the vaccine mandate is picking up steam locally as hundreds gathered Saturday by the Peace Bridge to push back on the mandates on border travel.

The ultimate goal right now, for everyone thats here, is for the mandates to be gotten rid of. They were needed at one time immediately, but theyve been overused and extended beyond belief. Theyre not needed, said Frank Kolemann, who was born in Canada but now lives in Buffalo.

Because Kolemann is unvaccinated, he has not been able to cross the border into Canada in two years.

All of these mandates are doing more harm than good, he said. The borders are closed to family. Im a dual citizen. I have tons of family in Canada I cannot go visit.

People against COVID-19 mandates gathered with their American and Canadian flags and headed from Tonawanda to the Peace Bridge to get their message across.

Im here supporting freedom. We need to have our rights back. We need to have the choice, said Wendy Dominski, who attended the rally.

Across the bridge in Fort Erie, Canada, there was a vehicle convoy, with people showing support for Canadian truckers against the vaccine mandate.

Its a small percentage of people who arent happy with government policies, all of us are tired of the government policies but we understand that in order to be safe, protect your neighbors and family, you have to follow certain public health guidelines, said Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop.

A freedom convoy is set to take place this Sunday at noon near the Peace Bridge.

Sarah Minkewicz is a reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 2019. See more of her work here.

See more here:

People gather at the Peace Bridge to protest COVID-19 mandates on border travel - WIVB.com - News 4

A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a "Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine" sticker and a medical syringe in front of displayed Novavax logo in this illustration taken, October 30, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

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Feb 10 (Reuters) - Novavax Inc (NVAX.O) said on Thursday its two-dose vaccine was 80% effective against COVID-19 in a late-stage trial testing the shot in teens aged 12 to 17 years.

The trial involved 2,247 adolescents and took place between May and September last year when the Delta variant was the dominant strain in the United States. The vaccine was 82% effective against the variant.

The U.S. biotech said it expects to submit applications to global regulators for the shot's use in adolescents during the first quarter.

Register

Novavax late last month filed for authorization of the shot in U.S. adults, a much-awaited step following months of struggles with development and manufacturing problems.

The vaccine has received authorizations from the European Union and the World Health Organization and has been cleared for use in adults in countries including the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

In the company's trial in adults, which enrolled about 30,000 participants in the United States and Mexico, the vaccine had an efficacy of 90.4%.

Novavax said it did not see any incidents of myocarditis in the adolescent data but said it was keeping a close eye on the inflammatory heart condition and any other adverse events as it deploys its vaccine in the broader population.

"So as we deploy the vaccine in the broader population, we're keeping a very close eye on this and the other adverse events associated with vaccination. We can make sure we inform the public and regulators about how our maximum performance from safety perspective," said Filip Dubovsky, chief medical officer.

Register

Reporting by Amruta Khandekar; Editing by Aditya Soni and Diane Craft

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Novavax says COVID-19 shot 80% effective in adolescent study - Reuters

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The County reported a case rate this week of 65.6 new daily cases per 100,000 (down from 130.3) the case rate among the unvaccinated individuals is 156 per 100,000 compared with 44 for vaccinated residents. The county reported a test positivity rate of 11.8 percent (down from 17.1). See the countys updated Metrics and Trends pagefor the most up-to-date data.

In a press release issued this week, Sonoma County announced that they will align with the state to lift universal mask requirements for most indoor public settings beginning Wednesday, Feb. 16. Read the full press release.

Unvaccinated individuals over age 2 will continue to be required to wear masks in all indoor public settings. Businesses, venue operators, and hosts may determine their own paths forward to protect staff and patrons and may choose to require all patrons to wear masks.

Indoor masking is still required by the state for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, in public transportation; health care settings; congregate settings like correctional facilities and homeless shelters; long-term care facilities; and in K-12 schools and childcare settings.

As of this week, 80% percent of the Countys 5 and older population is now fully vaccinated, while 88% percent have received at least one dose. Vaccine appointments are now available for anyone 5 years or older who wantsoneat one of the many clinics, pharmacies or health centers in the County. Go toMyTurn.ca.govto find an appointment that works for you and find a list of local clinics on theSonoma Valley Health Partner Website.

46% of the Countys 5-11-year-olds have received at least one dose of Pfizers pediatric vaccine as of this week. Make an appointment on the States MyTurn websiteor attend one of the Sonoma Valley school site clinics below:

The county is expanding access to pediatric and adult COVID-19 vaccines and boosters through large weekend clinics at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. Clinics will be on Saturday and Sunday the next two weekends from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Garrett Building. The clinics are open to everyone in the community but are particularly focused on children and those 12 years and older who still need their boosters.

Demand for testing is making it difficult to get tested at a site or to obtain at-home tests. The county is working to increase the availability of testing, both PCR and antigen and the state and federal governments hope to supply more free at-home tests soon. Find additional pop-up testing locations and make an appointment on the Countystesting pageor call the hotline at 707-565-4667. The hotline is available to help residents sort through their many testing options in Spanish and English.

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COVID-19 Status Update - Health Order & Mask Mandate to be lifted, 80% of eligible population fully vaccinated, testing opportunities - City of...

(THE CONVERSATION) With up to 300 million scent receptors, dogs are among thebest smell detectorsin the animal world. The human nose, by comparison, contains only around 6 million scent receptors. Dog brains also devote40% more brain spacethan humans to analyzing odors.

Thats why people train dogs to search for diverse targets via smell, fromillegal drugsandagricultural peststomissing persons,endangered wildlife speciesand more. Dogs accomplish this by successfully recognizing the odors of substances calledvolatile organic compoundsthat are specifically associated with these targets. Not only can trained dogs detect these volatile organic compounds, but oftentimes they can do it withgreater sensitivity thananalytical instruments.

Volatile organic compounds can be produced by living organisms as well as by natural or synthetic materials. In humans, they are produced by the bodys metabolic activity, then enter the bloodstream and are finally released into the air through blood, urine, feces, skin or breath.

Scientists have found that dogs can be trained to successfully recognize unique volatile organic compounds, called biomarkers, in theexhaled breath of patientswith certain diseases or chronic medical conditions, includingcanceranddiabetes, as well as forpre-seizure detectionin epileptic individuals.

Our team of canine scent scientists at Florida International University wanted to figure out whether COVID-19 is among the diseases that trained dogs can detect.Our recent study, which we carried out with our colleague,forensic biologist DeEtta Mills, confirms that it is.

We believe that dogs hold great promise as a rapid screening method that, used with other measuressuch as rapid tests, can help stop COVID-19 spread and end the pandemic. Some of the dogs trained during our research have already proved their abilitiesat airportsand public events.

Training dogs to detect COVID-19

For several decades, Florida International UniversitysInternational Forensic Research Institutehas been a global institution forresearch on detector dogs. The majority of this research has focused on identifying the specific volatile organic compounds that natural or synthetic materials and living organisms produce and which dogs can be trained to detect.

Inour recent research, we hypothesized that people infected with COVID-19 would release specific volatile organic compounds, and that a well-trained odor detection dog would be able to tell these biomarkers apart from other volatile organic compounds.

So in collaboration with Baptist Health South Florida, a nonprofit health care organization, we obtained face masks from hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 diagnoses, as well as from those who tested negative for COVID-19.

We then trained four dogs to respond to COVID-19 positive masks, while ignoring COVID-19 negative masks and unused masks. In the process, the dogs learned to tell the difference between biomarkers originating from COVID-19 breath and from non-COVID-19 breath.

One of the training tools we used was a scent detection wheel. We placed both COVID-19 positive and COVID-19 negative masks in cans with small holes in the lids, which were attached to the ends of the wheels arms. The dogs then walked around the wheel sniffing the volatile organic compounds coming out of these holes.

After 40 double-blind trials meaning that the people training the dogs didnt know which masks were which we found thateach of the four dogs in this study accurately detected COVID-19 positive masks more than 90% of the time.

Mac, a Terrier mix, got it right in 96.2% of attempts. Cobra, a Belgian Malinois, was correct 99.4% of the time. One Betta, a Dutch Shepherd, got it right in 98.1% of attempts, and Hubble, a Border Collie mix, 96.3% of the time.

After the study, Cobra and One Betta went to work atthe State Emergency Operation Command Center, in Tallahassee, Florida, screening for COVID-19 on surfaces. In May 2021, both dogs also put their COVID-19 detection skills to workat the annual Food and Wine Festivalin Miami.

In September 2021, Cobra and One Betta worked for two separate30-day pilot studiesat Miami International Airport, screening individuals for COVID-19.

Other agencies are beginning to adopt FIUs methods for training dogs to detect COVID-19. Recently, with FIUs assistance, the Bristol County Sheriffs Office in Massachusettsstarted putting two young labradorsnamed Duke and Huntah to work detecting COVID-19. These two dogs arealso sniffing for COVID-19at facilities in the nearby Freetown-Lakeville Regional School District.

Next steps in COVID-19 detection

Now that we know dogs can be trained to sniff out COVID-19, our team hopes to identify the exact volatile organic compounds the biomarkers that theyre detecting. To accomplish this, we are continuing to analyze both COVID-19 positive masks and COVID-19 negative masks in the laboratory.

Pinning down which biomarkers are linked to COVID-19 will help in developing materials and training aids for teaching other dogs how to detect the disease.

It may also contribute to developing COVID-19 sensors for use in odor-detecting devices which might then join rapid testing and sniffer dogs like One Betta, Hubble, Mac and Cobra in helping get the pandemic under control.

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Dogs can be trained to sniff out COVID-19 a team of forensic researchers explain the science - KRQE News 13

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COVID-19: Federal Telework Increased During the Pandemic, but More Reliable Data Are Needed to Support Oversight - Government Accountability Office

Abstract

While the COVID-19 pandemic affected mental health and increased food insecurity across the general population, less is known about the viruss impact on college students. A fall 2020 survey of more than 100,000 students at 202 colleges and universities in 42 states reveals sociodemographic variation in self-reported infections, as well as associations between self-reported infection and food insecurity and mental health. We find that 7% of students self-reported a COVID-19 infection, with sizable differences by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, parenting status, and student athlete status. Students who self-reported COVID-19 infections were more likely to experience food insecurity, anxiety, and depression. Implications for higher education institutions, policy makers, and students are discussed.

This study examines self-reported COVID-19 infection rates among American college students enrolled during fall 2020 (n = 100,488). While some colleges and universities collect information about which of their students contracted COVID-19, the majority do not (1). As college students are returning to classes this fall, this study offers insights into which students have been affected by the disease, and its association with their health and well-being. Conditions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic are associated with increased anxiety and depressive symptoms (25), and food insecurity (6, 7), among college students. The effects of COVID-19 infection, including perceived infection, are much less clear.

In fall 2020, we sent an electronic survey to more than 1.8 million undergraduates enrolled in 202 colleges and universities in 42 states, with a fairly typical response rate of 11% (8, 9). This paper analyzes the results for 100,488 students who responded to questions about whether they had been infected with COVID-19, and how COVID was related to their mental health and food security at the time they took the survey. Given the fact that those most disadvantaged are least likely to respond to surveys, we anticipate the findings here are an underrepresentation of the true infection rates among college students (10). The findings suggest the need for additional, ongoing support for student health and well-being.

We assessed COVID-19 infection rates by asking students whether or not they were sick with COVID at any point during or since the spring 2020 academic term. Incomplete reporting is possible, as some students may have been asymptomatic, unaware they had the virus, or experiencing delayed effects. A study of adults in the United Kingdom found that 24% believed they had the virus but just 4% had tested positive (11). However, there are several reasons why the gap between self-reports and positive tests are likely smaller than reported by the aforementioned study. First, we know that surveys during the pandemic likely underrepresent those most marginalized, as these individuals have lower response rates than those less marginalized (10). Related to this, those who are most marginalized are more likely to have been infected by COVID (12). Finally, as this study examines the association between COVID and mental health, perceptions of infection are equally important, as they are clearly related to mental health and other factors of daily life, given the global recommendations for response upon suspicion of infection (13).

Almost 7% of enrolled students (n = 6,823; 6.79%) reported that they had COVID-19 (Fig. 1).

Prevalence of self-reported COVID-19 contraction among college students (n = 100,488). Observed rates of self-reports of contracting COVID-19 are sorted by student background characteristics. All subgroups are mutually exclusive. Low socioeconomic status is indicated by whether students received a Pell Grant. * = P < 0.05, ** = P < 0.01, *** = P < 0.001.

Self-reported infection rates were higher among racial/ethnic minorities. For example, 14% of Indigenous students, 10% of Latinx students, and 7% of Black students reported having had the virus, compared to 6% of White students (P < 0.01) (Fig. 1). We do not detect differences in self-reported infection rates between female and male students, nor do we find differences based on LGBTQ status, although rates are higher for multigendered students. Students from households of lower socioeconomic standing had substantially higher self-reported rates of infection compared to others (8% vs. 6%, P < 0.01).

Several aspects of students lives appeared to put them at higher risk of COVID-19 infection. Having children was associated with a higher risk of a self-reported infection (P < 0.01). This is not due to age differences between parents and nonparents but might be due to childrens exposure at daycare or school; however, we cannot evaluate those hypotheses with these data. Both working students and college athletes were approximately two percentage points more likely to self-report a COVID-19 infection than nonworking or nonathlete students (P < 0.01). For college athletes, it is possible that this difference is not due to heightened risk of infection but rather that student athletes were tested more often and thus more aware of their infection status.

We implemented multivariate regression analyses to examine whether disparities in reported infection remained after adjusting for the risk factors listed in SI Appendix. These adjustments fully accounted for the higher rate of self-reported COVID-19 infection among Black students, but not among Indigenous and Latinx students. Net of observable factors, the odds of self-reported infection were 2.3 times greater (95% CI: 1.2 to 4.8, P value: 0.015) for Indigenous students and 1.5 times greater (95% CI: 1.4 to 1.7, P value: <0.001) for Latinx students, compared to White students (Fig. 2). Indeed, most of the disparities discussed earlier persist, or even increase, with multivariate modeling.

Adjusted odds of self-reported COVID-19 contraction by student characteristics (n = 100,488). Odds ratios and 95% CIs for each subgroup are in comparison to the reference group. Low socioeconomic status is indicated by whether students received a Pell Grant.

We next considered the association between a self-reported COVID-19 infection and mental health and food insecurity as measured by the US Department of Agriculture food security measure. This measure examines multiple factors related to food security based on the ability to maintain consistent, healthy, and affordable access to food. We again used multivariate regression analyses to control for observable differences between students with and without self-reported COVID. Notably, the associations with anxiety, depression, and food insecurity remained nearly the same or increased slightly, after controlling for a range of covariates. Net of observable factors, the odds of experiencing anxiety was 1.4 times greater (95% CI: 1.3 to 1.4, P value: <0.001) for a student who self-reported COVID-19 infection than one who did not. Similarly, the odds of experiencing depression were 1.4 times greater (95% CI: 1.3 to 1.5, P value: <0.001), while the odds for experiencing food insecurity was 1.7 times greater (95% CI: 1.6 to 1.8, P value: <0.001) (Fig. 3).

Unadjusted and adjusted odds of anxiety, depression, and food insecurity by self-reported COVID-19 contraction (n = 100,488). Unadjusted odds of experiencing anxiety, depression, and food insecurity are compared to adjusted odds. Error bars included in the figure relate to a 95% CI.

These findings are consistent with those initially provided by The Hope Center for College Community and Justice (14).

To summarize, this study identifies inequities in self-reported COVID-19 infections among American undergraduates, and negative associations between self-reported COVID-19 infection and depression, anxiety, and food insecurity. With the assumption that our surveys self-reported COVID-19 infection rate of 7% is generalizable, there could be an estimated 1.4 million college students who have been infected since January 2020. If, as we note above, actual rates of infection exceed self-reports in this survey, then the number of students affected is much larger.

The negative associations between self-reported COVID-19 infection and food insecurity, anxiety, and depression may have several explanations, but new research does suggest increased psychiatric diagnosis after severe COVID-19 infection (15). Given that the longer-term health implications of COVID-19 infections are still being documented (16), it would be prudent for colleges to be prepared to support students who report having been infected with COVID-19. Particular attention should be paid to groups with high rates of self-reported infection, including racially minoritized students, lower-income students, and college athletes.

Data in this study yield from the annual #RealCollege survey fielded in the 2020 fall term at 202 postsecondary colleges and universities across the United States (17). Among the full set of participants in the survey, analyses for this report are from a subset of respondents who had complete information pertaining to whether the student contracted COVID-19, experienced anxiety, experienced depression, experienced food insecurity, and had trouble concentrating. To determine whether significant differences in prevalence of self-reported COVID-19 infection existed across various student subgroups in comparison to specific reference groups, we conducted a series of two-tailed, 2 goodness-of-fit tests with multiple comparison corrections. To estimate differences in self-reported COVID-19 infection by student and institution characteristics and differences in experiences of anxiety, depression, or food insecurity according to whether the student contracted COVID-19, we implemented a series of multivariate logistic regression models run both unconditionally and fully conditionally. Fully conditional models included controls for race and ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status (SES), parenting status, student age, student athlete status, employment status, learning modality, LGBTQ status, college sector, college regionality, urbanicity, and state.

This study was approved by the Research, Integrity, and Compliance department of the Institutional Review Board at Temple University. A consent form was provided on the first page of the electronic survey such that participants would consent by proceeding through to the survey on the website.

Anonymized data, materials, and analysis code are publicly available on the Open Science Framework website (https://osf.io/s4bcv/).

We thank the students and institutions that participated in the fall 2020 #RealCollege Survey. We also thank Dr. Steve Houser, Dr. Heather Clauss, and Dr. David Figlio at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University for reviewing the paper.

Author contributions: S.G.-R. designed research; S.G.-R. and V.C. performed research; S.G.-R., V.C., and J.G. contributed new reagents/analytic tools; V.C., J.G., and M.P. analyzed data; and S.G.-R., V.C., J.G., M.P., K.C., and E.L. wrote the paper.

Competing interest statement: S.G.-R. is a consultant to Edquity, a student emergency aid company, where she holds stock.

This article contains supporting information online at https://www.pnas.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1073/pnas.2111787119/-/DCSupplemental.

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Self-reported COVID-19 infection and implications for mental health and food insecurity among American college students - pnas.org

February 08, 2022

Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the winter emergence of the omicron variant made it clear that we need to think harder about COVID-19 testing.

Join us on Thursday,February10, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. to hear from Michael Mina, M.D., Chief Science Officer at eMed and a strong, public advocate for more and smarter testing as a method of COVID-19 mitigation. Dr. Mina will discuss the different types of COVID-19 tests, share data on their accuracy and discuss optimal uses of testing during the current surge of COVID-19 and in future stages of the pandemic.

Also presenting will be Wilbur Lam, M.D., Ph.D., Professor at Emory University and W. Paul Bowers Research Chair who will discuss the role of the academic scientific community and government agencies in ensuring safe and effective consumer testing.

This one-hour webinarCOVID-19 Testing: During and After the Omicron Surgeis free to all interested parties. No CME credit will be given for participation and the webinar will not be recorded.

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Webinar: COVID-19 Testing: During and After the Omicron Surge - California Medical Association