https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/06/covid-19-scan-jun-10-2022
COVID-19 Scan for Jun 10, 2022
COVID-19 in unvaccinated heart patients;
Health worker COVID vaccine messaging
Filed Under:
COVID-19
Unvaccinated heart-failure patients at 3 times the risk for COVID-19 death
Unvaccinated heart-failure patients who contract COVID-19 are three times more likely to die of their infections than their vaccinated and boosted counterparts, concludes a study published yesterday in the Journal of Cardiac Failure.
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York studied the electronic health records of 7,094 heart-failure patients at a single health system with clinical visits from Jan 1, 2021, to Jan 24, 2022. Average age was 73.3 years, 48% were women, and average follow-up was 276.5 days.
Of all patients, 9.1% were partially vaccinated against COVID-19, 31.0% were fully vaccinated, 14.8% had received the one booster dose recommended at that time, and 45.1% were unvaccinated.
Overall, 904 patients died. Boosted patients had the lowest death rate, followed by the fully vaccinated (hazard ratios [HRs], 0.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23 to 0.48 and 0.36; 95% CI, 0.30 to 0.43, respectively), compared with their unvaccinated peers. There were no differences between unvaccinated and partially vaccinated patients.
Relative to unvaccinated or partially vaccinated patients, those who were fully vaccinated or boosted were also significantly less likely to be hospitalized (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.68; 95% CI, 0.65 to 0.71) or admitted to an intensive care unit (IRR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.68).
The researchers noted that while heart-failure patients are at high risk for poor COVID-19 outcomes, many hesitate to be vaccinated.
"I launched this study because our heart failure patients often express fear of getting the COVID-19 vaccine after hearing reports of vaccine-related myocarditis, which would cause another cardiac setback for them," corresponding author Anurhada Lala, MD, said in a Mount Sinai news release.
"Having specific data showing patients with heart failure who don't have their full vaccine series are at a much higher risk of death, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and general hospitalization—even after accounting for factors that might be related to an individual's decision to become vaccinated—is helpful," she said.
Jun 9 J Card Fail study
Jun 9 Mount Sinai news release
Study: Health workers not countering COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy well
Healthcare workers are a trusted source of COVID-19 vaccine information, but many aren't using that advantage on social media to encourage vaccination, a research team based at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health reported this week in the Journal of Community Health.
The researchers based their findings on a survey of health workers conducted from April through June of 2021. They also examined a random sample of nearly 2,300 tweets about COVID-19 vaccination, of which 1,863 were written by individuals. The healthcare workers were from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Western Psychiatric Hospital, one of the nation's largest free-standing psychiatric hospitals.
Of the 511 health workers who responded, 93.2% had received at least one vaccine dose, and one third of them said they posted about it on social media. When researchers looked at the random sample of social media posts on vaccination, they found that, while 95% were positive or neutral, only 14% included a personal narrative.
When the team looked at both the survey responses and tweet trends, they identified "freedom" as a powerful motivational theme, which they said suggests that "freedom from fear" once vaccinated could be an effective tactic for reducing vaccine hesitancy. They also said tackling misinformation about vaccination and reproductive health and making vaccine clinics more accessible would be helpful.
In a press release, study coauthor Cassandra Boness, PhD, who is now at the University of New Mexico, said talking with patients about COVID-19 vaccination doesn't need to involve lectures or be time consuming. "Rather, hearing their concerns, sharing personal experiences and giving thoughtful feedback that validates and explores those concerns—something that can take less than 10 minutes—is far more powerful."
Jun 8 J Community Health abstract
Jun 8 University of Pittsburgh press release
COVID-19 Scan for Jun 10, 2022
COVID-19 in unvaccinated heart patients;
Health worker COVID vaccine messaging
Filed Under:
COVID-19
Unvaccinated heart-failure patients at 3 times the risk for COVID-19 death
Unvaccinated heart-failure patients who contract COVID-19 are three times more likely to die of their infections than their vaccinated and boosted counterparts, concludes a study published yesterday in the Journal of Cardiac Failure.
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York studied the electronic health records of 7,094 heart-failure patients at a single health system with clinical visits from Jan 1, 2021, to Jan 24, 2022. Average age was 73.3 years, 48% were women, and average follow-up was 276.5 days.
Of all patients, 9.1% were partially vaccinated against COVID-19, 31.0% were fully vaccinated, 14.8% had received the one booster dose recommended at that time, and 45.1% were unvaccinated.
Overall, 904 patients died. Boosted patients had the lowest death rate, followed by the fully vaccinated (hazard ratios [HRs], 0.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23 to 0.48 and 0.36; 95% CI, 0.30 to 0.43, respectively), compared with their unvaccinated peers. There were no differences between unvaccinated and partially vaccinated patients.
Relative to unvaccinated or partially vaccinated patients, those who were fully vaccinated or boosted were also significantly less likely to be hospitalized (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.68; 95% CI, 0.65 to 0.71) or admitted to an intensive care unit (IRR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.68).
The researchers noted that while heart-failure patients are at high risk for poor COVID-19 outcomes, many hesitate to be vaccinated.
"I launched this study because our heart failure patients often express fear of getting the COVID-19 vaccine after hearing reports of vaccine-related myocarditis, which would cause another cardiac setback for them," corresponding author Anurhada Lala, MD, said in a Mount Sinai news release.
"Having specific data showing patients with heart failure who don't have their full vaccine series are at a much higher risk of death, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and general hospitalization—even after accounting for factors that might be related to an individual's decision to become vaccinated—is helpful," she said.
Jun 9 J Card Fail study
Jun 9 Mount Sinai news release
Study: Health workers not countering COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy well
Healthcare workers are a trusted source of COVID-19 vaccine information, but many aren't using that advantage on social media to encourage vaccination, a research team based at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health reported this week in the Journal of Community Health.
The researchers based their findings on a survey of health workers conducted from April through June of 2021. They also examined a random sample of nearly 2,300 tweets about COVID-19 vaccination, of which 1,863 were written by individuals. The healthcare workers were from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Western Psychiatric Hospital, one of the nation's largest free-standing psychiatric hospitals.
Of the 511 health workers who responded, 93.2% had received at least one vaccine dose, and one third of them said they posted about it on social media. When researchers looked at the random sample of social media posts on vaccination, they found that, while 95% were positive or neutral, only 14% included a personal narrative.
When the team looked at both the survey responses and tweet trends, they identified "freedom" as a powerful motivational theme, which they said suggests that "freedom from fear" once vaccinated could be an effective tactic for reducing vaccine hesitancy. They also said tackling misinformation about vaccination and reproductive health and making vaccine clinics more accessible would be helpful.
In a press release, study coauthor Cassandra Boness, PhD, who is now at the University of New Mexico, said talking with patients about COVID-19 vaccination doesn't need to involve lectures or be time consuming. "Rather, hearing their concerns, sharing personal experiences and giving thoughtful feedback that validates and explores those concerns—something that can take less than 10 minutes—is far more powerful."
Jun 8 J Community Health abstract
Jun 8 University of Pittsburgh press release