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COVID-19 Other Research

| Go to VA Research on COVID-19 |

Long COVID science, research and policy . Al-Aly Z, Davis H, McCorkell L, Soares L, Wulf-Hanson S, Iwasaki A, Topol EJ. The writers provide a synthesis of the state of scientific evidence on long COVID; assess the impacts of long COVID on human health, health systems, the economy, and global health metrics; and provide a forward-looking research and policy roadmap. Nat Med. 2024 Aug 9. Online ahead of print.

Long Covid and impaired cognition – More evidence and more work to do . Al Aly Z, Rosen CJ. A deeper understanding of the biology of cognitive dysfunction after COVID-19 and how best to prevent and treat it are critical for addressing the needs of affected persons and preserving the cognitive health of the population. N Engl J Med. 2024;390:858-860.

Solving the puzzle of Long Covid . Al-Aly Z, Topol E. Studying Long COVID can lead to a deeper understanding of infection-associated chronic illnesses and optimize preparedness for future pandemics. Science. 2024 Feb 22;383(6685):830-832.

Long COVID-19 and suicide . Sher L. It is vital to educate clinicians that patients with long COIVD may be suicidal and that it is essential to screen patients with long COVID for suicidality. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2024;1458:51-57.

Global vaccine inequality threatens to unleash the next COVID-19 variant. Oehler RL, Vega VR. The emergence of COVID-19 variants from under-vaccinated regions is a direct consequence of the virus replicating unchecked through an unprotected population. Much more needs to be done to address global vaccine inequities and prevent the next devastating variant. Int J Infect Dis. 2022 Aug 18. Online ahead of print.

Estimated impact of the US COVID-19 vaccination campaign-Getting to 94% of deaths prevented. Jones M, Khader K, Branch-Elliman W. Substantial investments into national data infrastructure and research are needed to increase vaccine uptake and prevent more COVID-19 deaths. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Jul 1;5(7):e2220391.

Approaches to long COVID care: the Veterans Health Administration experience in 2021. Gustavson AM, Eaton TL, Schapira RM, Iwashyna TH, Adly M, Purnell. Even well-resources health care systems such as VA are grappling with how to best address long COVID care. BMJ Mil Health. 2022 Jul 1;e002185.

Leveraging anthropological expertise to respond to the COVID-19 global mental health syndemic. Azevedo KJ, Riendeau RP, Sweet PA, Holmes SM. Anthropologists collaborating directly with mental health clinicians and the public can contribute to solutions to improve mental health issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Am Anthropol. 2022 Jun. Online ahead of press.

Awakening: The unveiling of historically unaddressed social inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Andrasik MP, Maunakea AK, Oseso L, Rodriguez-Diaz CE, Wallace S, Walters K, Yukawa M. Long-standing inequities paved the way for the disproportionate burdens of COVID-19 among people of color across the country. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2022 Jun;36(2):295-308.

Smoking enhances suicide risk—A significant role in the COID-19 pandemic? Sher L. Tobacco smoking cessation may be needed to reduce suicidal behavior during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. QJM. 2022 Jan 5;114(11):767-769.

Chasing the storm: Recruiting non-hospitalized patients for a multi-site randomized controlled trial in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hu K, Tardif JC, Huber M, Daly M, Langford AT, Kirby R, Rosenberg Y et al. Researchers share difficulties and strategies for recruiting participants to COVID-19 trials during the pandemic. Clin Transl Sci. 2021 Dec 24. Online ahead of print.

Suicide prevention in the COVID-19 era. Rothman S, Sher L. With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting mental health and creating social isolation, preventative measures need to be implemented universally. Prev Med. 2021 Nov;152(Pt 1):106547.

Conquering COVID-19: How global vaccine inequality risks prolonging the pandemic. Oehler RL, Vega VR. Wealthier countries must do more to eliminate the inequality that exists in COVID-19 vaccine availability in less-developed nations. As long as the pandemic rages in any corner of the globe, the world will never be truly rid of COVID-19. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Sep 9;8(10):ofab443.

Addressing and inspiring vaccine confidence in Black, indigenous, and people of color during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Marcelin JR, Swartz TH, Bernice F, Berthaud V, Christian R, da Costa C, Fadul N et al. This article explores the impact of inequities on vaccine acceptance and ways to establish trustworthiness in health care institutions; increase vaccine access in minority communities; and inspire confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Aug 0;8(9):ofab417.

The face mask at the intersection of prevention science, domestic politics, and international diplomacy: A historical perspective. Kristo G, He K, Whang E, Fisichella PM. From a historical perspective, when cooperation rather than division becomes the norm in the global response to pandemics, the face mask can then unite rather than divide us. J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A. 2021 Apr 23. Online ahead of print.

COVID-19 Insights Partnership: Leveraging big data from the Department of Veterans Affairs and supercomputers at the Department of Energy under the Public Health Authority. Ramoni R, Klote M, Muralidhar S, Brandt C, Bernstein MA, McMahon BH, Jacobson DA, Justice AC. Investigators from multiple federal agencies will be able to combine DOE’s high-performance computing and artificial intelligence expertise with health information from Veterans and non-Veterans diagnosed with COVID-19 to bolster the nation’s ability to understand, prevent, and treat the disease. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2021 Mar 29. Online ahead of print.

The Veterans Health Administration approach to COVID-19 vaccine allocation—Balancing utility and equity. Tarzian AJ, Geppert CMA. VHA was able to mobilize early to identify vaccine allocation guidelines and proactively prepare facilities to vaccinate VHA staff and Veterans as soon as vaccines were approved. Fed Pract. 2021 Feb;38(2):52-54.

An issue of trust—Vaccinating Black patients against COVID-19. Okorodudu DO, Okorodudu DE. Trust needs to be built through transparency and partnership to further COVID-19 vaccination in the Black community and other vulnerable populations. Lancel Respir Med. 2021 Jan 19. Online ahead of print.

Does universal testing for COVID-19 work for everyone? Dumyati G, Gaur S, Nace DA, Jump RLP. The authors propose a structured approach for facility-wide testing of nursing home residents and staff. J AM Med Dir Assoc. 2020 Nov;21(11):1525-1532.

Implementation of infection control measures to prevent healthcare-associated transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Lepak AJ, Shirley DK, Buys A, Stevens L, Safdar N. Adoption of the infection control bundle described may be helpful to prevent SARS-CoV-2 spread within health care institutions. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2020 Oct 12:1-13.

Aging veterans’ mental health and well-being in the context of COVID-19: The importance of social ties during physical distancing. Marini CM, Pless Kaiser A, Smith BN, Fiori KL. During the COVID-19 pandemic, aging Veterans may benefit from having an array of socially supportive network ties. Psychol Trauma. 2020 Aug;12(S1):S217-S219.



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