Demographics and Clinical Characteristics of Adult Patients Hospitalized due to COVID-19 in a Rural/Suburban Integrated Health System in Southcentral Pennsylvania, March Through May 2020

Mobilizing a Kingdom During a Pandemic: The Health Marketing Campaigns Applied by the Saudi Ministry of Health to Promote (COVID-19) Vaccine Confidence and Uptake

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy is threatening the global intended herd immunity. Social marketing integration rocketed in promoting public health through awareness campaigns. Saudi Arabia was one of the countries that used social marketing to promote COVID-19 vaccinations for all age groups through successive campaigns. This study aims to describe the content of the campaigns held by the Saudi Ministry of Health to promote COVID-19 vaccine uptake.

METHODS

A track's working strategy was created to contain COVID-19 spread in Saudi Arabia followed by a vaccination track. Six tracks were maintained over six months extended from June 2020 to December 2020. As a result, different campaigns were launched, and key performance indicators were identified and collected. Data from campaigns and key indicators were collected to determine outreach and impact.

RESULTS

Five campaigns were initiated receiving high interactions from governmental entities and the public. The individuals' percentage who received full vaccination doses and booster vaccinations increased. Moreover, the last campaign promoting vaccinations in children achieved a 60% willingness rate among adults to vaccinate their children.

CONCLUSION

COVID-19 awareness campaigns achieved successful outcomes in Saudi Arabia and currently the Kingdom sustained higher vaccination proportions than the average vaccination attainment worldwide.

Profiles of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy by race and ethnicity in eastern Pennsylvania

BACKGROUND

Throughout US history, chronic and infectious diseases have severely impacted minority communities due to a lack of accessibility to quality healthcare and accurate information, as well as underlying racism. These fault lines in the care of minority communities in the US have been further exacerbated by the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined the factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy by race and ethnicity, particularly among African American and Latinx communities in Eastern Pennsylvania (PA).

METHODS

Survey data was collected in July 2021 in Philadelphia, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Hazleton, PA. The 203 participants (38.7% Black, 27.5% Latinx) completed the 28-question survey of COVID-19 vaccination attitudes in either English or Spanish.

RESULT

Out of the 203 participants, 181 participants met all the inclusion criteria, including completed surveys; of these participants, over three-fifths (63.5%) were acceptant of the COVID-19 vaccine whereas the remainder (36.5%) were hesitant. Binary logistic regression results showed that age, concern for vaccine efficacy, race, knowledge on the vaccine, and belief that the COVID-19 virus is serious significantly influenced COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Minorities were more likely to be hesitant toward vaccination (OR: 2.8, 95% CI: 1.1, 6.8) than non-Hispanic whites. Those who believed the COVID-19 vaccine was ineffective (OR: 8.3, 95% CI: 3.8, 18.2), and that the virus is not serious (OR: 8.3, 95% CI: 1.1, 61.8) showed the greatest odds of hesitancy.

CONCLUSIONS

Minority status, age less than 45 years, misinformation about seriousness of COVID-19 illness, and concern about vaccine efficacy were contributing factors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Therefore, understanding and addressing the barriers to COVID-19 vaccination in minority groups is essential to decreasing transmission and controlling this pandemic, and will provide lessons on how to implement public health measures in future pandemics.

Launching COVID-19 vaccination in Saudi Arabia: Lessons learned, and the way forward

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV- 2) emerged in Wuhan City, China. The SARS-CoV-2 crossed borders and quickly transformed into a "Public health emergency of international concern". Countries around the globe are in the race to achieve herd immunity. We describe the steps taken by Saudi Arabia to achieve this goal.

COVID-19 home monitoring program: Healthcare innovation in developing, maintaining, and impacting the outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients

Introduction

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had caused an increased burden on healthcare organizations. Thus, a new strategy is needed to ensure all COVID-19 positive cases appropriately followed up , to receive the proper medical and psychological support, and to comply with the isolation guidelines. Here, we describe the characteristics and outcome of COVID-19 patients who were managed at home. In addition, we describe the differences between asymptomatic and those with mild symptoms.

Materials and methods

This is descriptive study of all COVID-19 positive cases who were monitored utilizing the home care concept.

Results

During the study period from June 8 to October 18, 2020, there was a total of 5368 COVID-19 patients who were referred to the home isolation/monitoring program. Of those, 2397 (45%) were female and 2971 (55%) were male. Of the total cases, 295 (5%) required hospital admission, 45 (1%) were admitted to zone 2 (an intermediate care facility), and the majority 5028 (94%) were continued in the home monitoring program till recovery. Of the total cases, 3137 (59%) were asymptomatic and the remaining 41% were symptomatic. Asymptomatic patients in comparison to symptomatic patients showed significant differences in relation to mean age (+ SD) of 31.5 (+ 18.6) and 46.45 (+ 17.1), respectively (P < 0.001)), gender, being healthcare workers, and the presence of significant medical conditions. However, a logistic regression analysis showed that only age and the presence of diabetes mellitus were associated with the presence of symptoms. The mean age (±SD) of those who required hospital admission was higher than those who were continued in home monitoring or cared for in zone 2.

Conclusion

The utilization of home monitoring program was effective and safe in patients who were either asymptomatic or had mild symptoms.