Investigation of hospital discharge cases and SARS-CoV-2 introduction into Lothian care homes

Background The first epidemic wave of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Scotland resulted in high case numbers and mortality in care homes. In Lothian, over one-third of care homes reported an outbreak, while there was limited testing of hospital patients discharged to care homes. Aim To investigate patients discharged from hospitals as a source of SARS-CoV-2 introduction into care homes during the first epidemic wave. Methods A clinical review was performed for all patients discharges from hospitals to care homes from 1st March 2020 to 31st May 2020. Episodes were ruled out based on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) test history, clinical assessment at discharge, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data and an infectious period of 14 days. Clinical samples were processed for WGS, and consensus genomes generated were used for analysis using Cluster Investigation and Virus Epidemiological Tool software. Patient timelines were obtained using electronic hospital records. Findings In total, 787 patients discharged from hospitals to care homes were identified. Of these, 776 (99%) were ruled out for subsequent introduction of SARS-CoV-2 into care homes. However, for 10 episodes, the results were inconclusive as there was low genomic diversity in consensus genomes or no sequencing data were available. Only one discharge episode had a genomic, time and location link to positive cases during hospital admission, leading to 10 positive cases in their care home. Conclusion The majority of patients discharged from hospitals were ruled out for introduction of SARS-CoV-2 into care homes, highlighting the importance of screening all new admissions when faced with a novel emerging virus and no available vaccine

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron is an immune escape variant with an altered cell entry pathway

Vaccines based on the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 are a cornerstone of the public health response to COVID-19. The emergence of hypermutated, increasingly transmissible variants of concern (VOCs) threaten this strategy. Omicron (B.1.1.529), the fifth VOC to be described, harbours multiple amino acid mutations in spike, half of which lie within the receptor-binding domain. Here we demonstrate substantial evasion of neutralization by Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 variants in vitro using sera from individuals vaccinated with ChAdOx1, BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273. These data were mirrored by a substantial reduction in real-world vaccine effectiveness that was partially restored by booster vaccination. The Omicron variants BA.1 and BA.2 did not induce cell syncytia in vitro and favoured a TMPRSS2-independent endosomal entry pathway, these phenotypes mapping to distinct regions of the spike protein. Impaired cell fusion was determined by the receptor-binding domain, while endosomal entry mapped to the S2 domain. Such marked changes in antigenicity and replicative biology may underlie the rapid global spread and altered pathogenicity of the Omicron variant

A Survey of USD Students\u27 Past Sex Education Programs and Their Preferences for an Ideal Program

Recognizing the lack of formal sexual education in the United States, this study examines the sexual education programs provided to elementary through high school students. In the United States, only 27 states currently mandate sexual and HIV/AIDS education. Of those states, only 17 require the information to be medically accurate (Guttmacher Institute, 2020). In fact, adolescents today are receiving less exposure to important sexual education topics than they received in 2006 (Lindberg, Maddow-Zimet, & Boonstra, 2016). In this SONA survey study there were a total of 562 participants, 75.7% female (n= 424), 23.9% male (n=134), and .4% non binary (n=2). The majority of the participants were female, college-aged (18-24), and white. Of these participants, 90.2% reported having some form of sexual education in 1st-8th grade. However, only 54% reported receiving sex ed during their high school years. While respondent\u27s sex ed experiences varied widely, their ideas of an ideal sex ed program did not. An ideal program endorsed by over 70% of participants includes male and female anatomy, basics of sexual intercourse, STIs, abstinence, contraception, partner communication, sexual consent, sexual harassment, types of sexual behavior, and sexual orientation. Less than 30% of participants endorsed topics such as loss of reputation due to pregnancy, religious values concerning sexuality, and rejection of LGBTQA. Due to half of the participants not having a high school sex ed program this study also investigated their current sexuality knowledge. The individual content analysis of the quiz revealed that only five out of fourteen questions received a passing rate of 60% or more correct answers. The topics that were frequently missed include how various contraception functions, the most effective forms of contraception, male and female anatomy, stages of sexual response, and causes of sexual orientation

A Study of Dating App Use by USD Students

Fifteen percent of Americans, ages eighteen to sixty-four, have used a dating site or mobile dating app with triple the usage in ages eighteen to twenty-four and double the usage in ages fifty-five to sixty-four (Smith, 2016). With growing popularity, especially among college age students, this study\u27s main goal of many is to find out if men and women college students\u27 approach and utilize dating apps in similar or different ways. This goal is achieved by looking at the different types of questions including opinions of dating apps, personal history, reasons, and expectations for using a dating app, sexual and romantic outcomes of dating app matches, swiping strategies, misrepresentation on dating apps, good and bad experiences on dating apps, effects of dating, a section for those who have no experience with dating apps, and finally personality questions. This study, approved by the IRB, will be conducted using a survey on SONA in psychology classes, as well as in the Muenster University Center, and the survey link will be given out to the Greek houses. Preliminary results will be presented at IdeaFest

Honey Bee Infecting Lake Sinai Viruses

Honey bees are critical pollinators of important agricultural crops. Recently, high annual losses of honey bee colonies have prompted further investigation of honey bee infecting viruses. To better characterize the recently discovered and very prevalent Lake Sinai virus (LSV) group, we sequenced currently circulating LSVs, performed phylogenetic analysis, and obtained images of LSV2. Sequence analysis resulted in extension of the LSV1 and LSV2 genomes, the first detection of LSV4 in the US, and the discovery of LSV6 and LSV7. We detected LSV1 and LSV2 in the Varroa destructor mite, and determined that a large proportion of LSV2 is found in the honey bee gut, suggesting that vector-mediated, food-associated, and/or fecal-oral routes may be important for LSV dissemination. Pathogen-specific quantitative PCR data, obtained from samples collected during a small-scale monitoring project, revealed that LSV2, LSV1, Black queen cell virus (BQCV), and Nosema ceranae were more abundant in weak colonies than strong colonies within this sample cohort. Together, these results enhance our current understanding of LSVs and illustrate the importance of future studies aimed at investigating the role of LSVs and other pathogens on honey bee health at both the individual and colony levels