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Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been increasing among people who inject drugs (PWID), younger than 30 years, and living in rural or suburban areas. We examined injection-related behaviors of young PWID to determine factors associated with HCV infection.From September 2013-May 2015, respondent-driven and snowball sampling were used in 3 suburban areas of Wisconsin to recruit PWID 18-29 years who reported injection drug use in the previous 12 months. Participants were tested for HCV antibody (anti-HCV) and reported injection-related behaviors/practices via self-administered computer-based survey. We calculated anti-HCV prevalence and assessed associated factors using multivariable logistic regression.Forty-two percent (117/280) of participants were male, 83% (231/280) were white, and median age was 23 years. Overall HCV prevalence was 33%, but HCV prevalence among males was 39%. Adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, relationship status, insurance status and income, anti-HCV positivity was associated with higher injection frequency (100 times in the past six months) (aOR = 3.07; 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI): 1.72-5.45), ever shared syringes (aOR = 5.15; 95% CI: 2.52-10.51), past week/last use receptive rinse water sharing (aOR = 1.88; 95% CI: 1.06-3.33), past week/last use receptive filter sharing (aOR = 3.25; 95% CI: 1.61-6.54), reusing syringes (aOR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.08-3.37), history of overdose (aOR = 8.82; 95% CI: 2.26-3.95), and having ever injected another PWID (aOR = 8.82; 95%CI 3.94-19.76).Anti-HCV positivity is associated with high-risk injection practices. Young PWID would benefit from access to evidence-based interventions that reduce their risk of infection, link those infected to HCV treatment, and provide education to reduce further transmission.

Objective Approximately 2.4 million people in the United States are living with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The objective of our study was to describe demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, liver disease–related risk factors, and modifiable health behaviors associated with self-reported testing for HCV infection among adults. Methods Using data on adult respondents aged ≥18 from the 2013-2017 National Health Interview Survey, we summarized descriptive data on sociodemographic characteristics and liver disease–related risk factors and stratified data by educational attainment. We used weighted logistic regression to examine predictors of HCV testing. Results During the study period, 11.7% (95% CI, 11.5%-12.0%) of adults reported ever being tested for HCV infection. Testing was higher in 2017 than in 2013 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.27; 95% CI, 1.18-1.36). Adults with ≥some college were significantly more likely to report being tested (aOR = 1.60; 95% CI, 1.52-1.69) than adults with ≤high school education. Among adults with ≤high school education (but not adults with ≥some college), those who did not have health insurance were less likely than those with private health insurance (aOR = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.68-0.89) to get tested, and non–US-born adults were less likely than US-born adults to get tested (aOR = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.68-0.87). Conclusions Rates of self-reported HCV testing increased from 2013 to 2017, but testing rates remained low. Demographic characteristics, health behaviors, and liver disease–related risk factors may affect HCV testing rates among adults. HCV testing must increase to achieve hepatitis C elimination targets.

Background Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can cause severe illness and death. Predictors of poor outcome collected on hospital admission may inform clinical and public health decisions. Methods We conducted a retrospective observational cohort investigation of 297 adults admitted to 8 academic and community hospitals in Georgia, United States, during March 2020. Using standardized medical record abstraction, we collected data on predictors including admission demographics, underlying medical conditions, outpatient antihypertensive medications, recorded symptoms, vital signs, radiographic findings, and laboratory values. We used random forest models to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for predictors of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and death. Results Compared with age Conclusions After adjustment for patient and clinical characteristics, older age was the strongest predictor of death, exceeding comorbidities, abnormal vital signs, and laboratory test abnormalities. That coronary artery disease, but not chronic lung disease, was associated with death among hospitalized patients warrants further investigation, as do associations between certain antihypertensive medications and death.

SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), was first detected in the United States during January 2020 (1). Since then, >980,000 cases have been reported in the United States, including >55,000 associated deaths as of April 28, 2020 (2). Detailed data on demographic characteristics, underlying medical conditions, and clinical outcomes for persons hospitalized with COVID-19 are needed to inform prevention strategies and community-specific intervention messages. For this report, CDC, the Georgia Department of Public Health, and eight Georgia hospitals (seven in metropolitan Atlanta and one in southern Georgia) summarized medical record-abstracted data for hospitalized adult patients with laboratory-confirmed* COVID-19 who were admitted during March 2020. Among 305 hospitalized patients with COVID-19, 61.6% were aged

OBJECTIVES To describe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)–related pediatric hospitalizations during a period of B.1.617.2 (Δ) variant predominance and to determine age-specific factors associated with severe illness. METHODS We abstracted data from medical charts to conduct a cross-sectional study of patients aged RESULTS Of 947 hospitalized patients, 759 (80.1%) had COVID-19, of whom 287 (37.8%) had severe illness. Factors associated with severe illness included coinfection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (PR 3.64) and bacteria (PR 1.88) in infants; RSV coinfection in patients aged 1 to 4 years (PR 1.96); and obesity in patients aged 5 to 11 (PR 2.20) and 12 to 17 years (PR 2.48). Having ≥2 underlying medical conditions was associated with severe illness in patients aged CONCLUSIONS Among patients hospitalized for COVID-19, factors associated with severe illness included RSV coinfection in those aged

Hispanics are the majority ethnic population in Puerto Rico where we reviewed charts of 109 hospitalized COVID-19 patients to better understand demographic and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 and determine risk factors for poor outcomes. Eligible medical records of hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 illnesses were reviewed at four participating hospitals in population centers across Puerto Rico and data were abstracted that described the clinical course, interventions, and outcomes. We found hospitalized patients had a median of 3 underlying conditions with obesity and diabetes as the most frequently reported conditions. Intensive care unit (ICU) admission occurred among 28% of patients and 18% of patients died during the hospitalization. Patients 65 or older or with immune deficiencies had a higher risk for death. Common symptoms included cough, dyspnea, and fatigue; less than half of patients in the study reported fever which was less frequent than reported elsewhere in the literature. It is important for interventions within Hispanic communities to protect high-risk groups.

Homelessness poses serious health risks, and those risks may be exacerbated among slum-dwelling youth in the developing world. We administered a cross-sectional survey to youth receiving services from a community organization in Kampala, Uganda. This secondary analysis explores the relationships between homelessness and various health outcomes. We also explored possible moderating relationships between neighborhood support, homelessness, and health. Logistic regression and t-tests were used to model these relationships. Homelessness was associated with all outcomes analyzed, with youth who reported having been homeless having higher odds of reporting poor health (odds ratio [OR] = 12.4; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 6.43, 23.92), higher odds of HIV infection (OR = 1.941; 95% CI = 1.274, 2.958), and higher odds of experiencing rape (OR = 3.459; 95% CI = 2.4, 4.987). No moderation by neighborhood support was observed, though this may be due to low variability. Homelessness warrants specific investigative attention due to its strong association with a broad range of negative health outcomes among slum-dwelling youth. Interventions targeting the specific health risks faced by homeless youth in the developing world may improve social welfare service delivery.

Background Clinical severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may vary over time; trends in clinical severity at admission during the pandemic among hospitalized patients in the United States have been incompletely described, so a historical record of severity over time is lacking. Methods We classified 466677 hospital admissions for COVID-19 from April 2020 to April 2021 into 4 mutually exclusive severity grades based on indicators present on admission (from most to least severe): Grade 4 included intensive care unit (ICU) admission and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV); grade 3 included non-IMV ICU and/or noninvasive positive pressure ventilation; grade 2 included diagnosis of acute respiratory failure; and grade 1 included none of the above indicators. Trends were stratified by sex, age, race/ethnicity, and comorbid conditions. We also examined severity in states with high vs low Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant burden. Results Severity tended to be lower among women, younger adults, and those with fewer comorbidities compared to their counterparts. The proportion of admissions classified as grade 1 or 2 fluctuated over time, but these less-severe grades comprised a majority (75%–85%) of admissions every month. Grades 3 and 4 consistently made up a minority of admissions (15%–25%), and grade 4 showed consistent decreases in all subgroups, including states with high Alpha variant burden. Conclusions Clinical severity among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 has varied over time but has not consistently or markedly worsened over time. The proportion of admissions classified as grade 4 decreased in all subgroups. There was no consistent evidence of worsening severity in states with higher vs lower Alpha prevalence.

Background The epidemiological features and outcomes of hospitalized adults with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been described; however, the temporal progression and medical complications of disease among hospitalized patients require further study. Detailed descriptions of the natural history of COVID-19 among hospitalized patients are paramount to optimize health care resource utilization, and the detection of different clinical phenotypes may allow tailored clinical management strategies. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of 305 adult patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in 8 academic and community hospitals. Patient characteristics included demographics, comorbidities, medication use, medical complications, intensive care utilization, and longitudinal vital sign and laboratory test values. We examined laboratory and vital sign trends by mortality status and length of stay. To identify clinical phenotypes, we calculated Gower’s dissimilarity matrix between each patient’s clinical characteristics and clustered similar patients using the partitioning around medoids algorithm. Results One phenotype of 6 identified was characterized by high mortality (49%), older age, male sex, elevated inflammatory markers, high prevalence of cardiovascular disease, and shock. Patients with this severe phenotype had significantly elevated peak C-reactive protein creatinine, D-dimer, and white blood cell count and lower minimum lymphocyte count compared with other phenotypes (P Conclusions Among a cohort of hospitalized adults, we identified a severe phenotype of COVID-19 based on the characteristics of its clinical course and poor prognosis. These findings need to be validated in other cohorts, as improved understanding of clinical phenotypes and risk factors for their development could help inform prognosis and tailored clinical management for COVID-19.

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health problem with many negative consequences, particularly for pregnant women. This randomized trial investigated the effectiveness of an IPV preventive intervention embedded within the Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) program. Materials and Methods: Participants enrolled over a 20-month period and were interviewed at baseline and 1- and 2-year follow-up. Eligibility criteria included first pregnancy, eligible for the nutrition program Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), English or Spanish speaking, and at least 15 years of age. All women initially referred and screened were randomized to either intervention (NFP+) or control (NFP only) condition. The final sample consisted of 238 women completing baseline assessments; retention was 81% at 2-year follow-up. Results: Analyses indicated that there were no main effects: the intervention affected participants differently depending on their baseline experience with IPV. For physical violence victimization, an interaction between baseline victimization and treatment was found; the intervention reduced victimization at 1 year (and approached significance at 2 years), but only among women who had not experienced past-year physical victimization at baseline. For sexual violence victimization, another interaction emerged; women in the intervention group were more likely to report sexual violence victimization at 2-year follow-up, but only among participants who had reported sexual victimization at baseline. The only effect on IPV perpetration was psychological perpetration at 2-year follow-up; again, the treatment effect was moderated by baseline perpetration. The intervention reduced psychological perpetration for participants who were nonperpetrators at baseline, but had no effect on those reporting perpetration. Conclusions: Overall, findings suggest that the intervention was effective in reducing some forms of violence among those not experiencing IPV at baseline, but was ineffective or potentially harmful for those already experiencing IPV.

Background: A high proportion of justice-involved individuals have a substance use disorder and many of those individuals serve in a caregiving role to a child under 18. Given the negative impact of substance use and justice-involvement on the wellbeing of children, the criminal justice system may offer a unique intervention point with high public health impact. This study describes characteristics of adult drug court participants (DCP) that affect the wellbeing of their children and families and compares the DCP parenting and mental health characteristics to their child's other caregiver in order to understand how parenting differs within drug court families. Method: Data were collected from a sample of 100 DCP; 58 had a matched other caregiver. Drug court data regarding substance use and criminogenic risk/need were collected. Analyses differentiated the parenting behaviors and mental health needs of DCP from other caregivers. Results: The DCP were at moderate to high risk for recidivism and presented with multiple and significant criminogenic and psychosocial functioning needs. Risk for potential maltreatment and poor parenting behaviors were elevated, and significantly higher compared to other caregivers. DCP demonstrated clinically elevated mental health needs, and were significantly different across all indicators of mental health compared to other caregivers. Conclusions: Adult drug courts address the occurrence of substance use disorders but there are additional needs to be intervened upon. Adult drug courts may be a viable intervention point to address issues of parenting and mental health to improve the wellbeing of criminal justice-involved individuals, their children, and families.