Current Research

COVID-19 Published Articles by UAB Faculty

SAR-CoV-2 infection, emerging new variants and the role of activation induced cytidine deaminase (AID) in lasting immunity September 27, 2021
As the world faces a fourth COVID-19 spike, scientists are learning a lot more about the new SARS-CoV-2 strains that were previously unknown. Currently, the Delta versions of SARS-CoV-2 have become the prevalent strains in much of the world since it first appeared in India in late 2020. Researchers believe they have discovered why Delta […]
Asad Ullah
Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamic in vivo using reporter-expressing viruses September 25, 2021
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the current COVID-19 pandemic, is one of the biggest threats to public health. However, the dynamic of SARS-CoV-2 infection remains poorly understood. Replication-competent recombinant viruses expressing reporter genes provide valuable tools to investigate viral infection. Low levels of reporter gene expressed from previous reporter-expressing […]
Chengjin Ye
Effectiveness of mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine among U.S. Health Care Personnel September 22, 2021
CONCLUSIONS: The BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 vaccines were highly effective under real-world conditions in preventing symptomatic Covid-19 in health care personnel, including those at risk for severe Covid-19 and those in racial and ethnic groups that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. (Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.).
Tamara Pilishvili
Impact of COVID-19 on gastroenterology fellowship training: a multicenter analysis of endoscopy volumes September 20, 2021
Background and study aims The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on gastroenterology training programs. We aimed to objectively evaluate procedural training volume and impact of COVID-19 on gastroenterology fellowship programs in the United States. Methods This was a retrospective, multicenter study. Procedure volume data on upper and lower endoscopies performed by gastroenterology fellows […]
Swathi Paleti
NAD+ biosynthetic impairment and urinary metabolomic alterations observed in hospitalized adults with COVID-19-related acute kidney injury September 20, 2021
CONCLUSION: Urinary metabolites spanning multiple biochemical pathways differentiate AKI vs. non-AKI in patients hospitalized with COVID-19, and suggest a conserved impairment in NAD+ biosynthesis which may present a novel therapeutic target to mitigate COVID-19-associated AKI.
Nathan H Raines
HIV/STI testing preferences for young black men who have sex with men in the Southeastern United States: implications for a post COVID-19 era September 18, 2021
CONCLUSION: YBMSM in the Southeastern U.S. prefer traditional testing locations staffed by experienced personnel. Combination choices are influenced by services that are low- or no-cost. More research is needed to inform the best way(s) to provide affordable, high-quality HIV/STI testing services for YBMSM, particularly in the post-COVID-19 era when sexual healthcare delivery models are evolving […]
Olivia T Van Gerwen
Host genetics of pediatric SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children September 17, 2021
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review is meant to describe the genetic associations with pediatric severe COVID-19 pneumonia and the postinfectious complication of the multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Multiple genetic approaches have been carried out, primarily in adults with extrapolation to children, including genome-wide association studies (GWAS), whole exome and whole genome sequencing (WES/WGS), […]
Grant S Schulert
The International Anesthesia Research Society Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic Scientific Advisory Board: Supporting a Pandemic of Positivity September 15, 2021
No abstract
Beverley A Orser
SARS-CoV-2 and the rheumatology patient: the last 12 months and a boost in the future September 14, 2021
No abstract
Kevin L Winthrop
Disaster Medicine and Pandemic Response: A Novel Curriculum to Improve Understanding of Complex Care Delivery During the COVID-19 Pandemic September 13, 2021
CONCLUSIONS: Through collaboration with the FEMA CDP, our UAB faculty were able to successfully deliver a novel virtual disaster preparedness and response course. The course resulted in subjective improvement of students' content understanding while also establishing the feasibility and effectiveness of a VILT format that could be readily applied to future courses in undergraduate medical […]
Todd Peterson
Positive Retrospective SARS-CoV-2 Testing in a Case of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome of Unknown Etiology September 13, 2021
In order to elucidate the cause of acute respiratory distress syndrome of unknown etiology in a pre-pandemic patient, molecular techniques were used for detection of SARS-CoV-2. We used a SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein immunofluorescence stain to retrospectively identify an individual with diffuse alveolar damage on autopsy histology who had negative respiratory virus panel results in February, […]
A Burkett
The impact of COVID-19 on first-year medical education - Insights and lessons learned from students pursuing careers in surgery September 12, 2021
No abstract
Lydia C Yang
Impact of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs on vaccine immunogenicity in patients with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases September 8, 2021
Patients with rheumatic diseases are at increased risk of infectious complications; vaccinations are a critical component of their care. Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs may reduce the immunogenicity of common vaccines. We will review here available data regarding the effect of these medications on influenza, pneumococcal, herpes zoster, SARS-CoV-2, hepatitis B, human papilloma virus and yellow fever […]
Marcia A Friedman
Early experience of COVID-19 vaccination in adults with systemic rheumatic diseases: results from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance Vaccine Survey September 8, 2021
CONCLUSION: Among adults with systemic rheumatic disease who received COVID-19 vaccination, patient-reported adverse events were typical of those reported in the general population. Most patients were willing to temporarily discontinue DMARDs to improve vaccine efficacy. The relatively low frequency of rheumatic disease flare requiring medications was reassuring.
Sebastian Eduardo Sattui
Physician Burnout in Radiology: Perspectives From the Field September 8, 2021
Physician burnout is increasingly recognized as a public health crisis given the impact of burnout on physicians, their families, patients, communities, and population health. The COVID-19 pandemic has superimposed a new set of challenges for physicians to navigate, including unique challenges presented to radiologists. Radiologists from a diversity of backgrounds, practice settings, and career stages […]
Cheri Canon
A bifluorescent-based assay for the identification of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in vitro and in vivo September 8, 2021
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged at the end of 2019 and has been responsible for the still ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Prophylactic vaccines have been authorized by the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of COVID-19. Identification of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) is important to […]
Kevin Chiem
Prolonged Prone Positioning for COVID-19-induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: : A Randomized Pilot Study September 7, 2021
No abstract
David B Page
SARS-CoV-2 Transgressing LncRNAs Uncovers the Known Unknowns September 7, 2021
SARS-CoV-2 harbors many known unknown regions in the form of hypothetical open reading frames (ORFs). While the mechanisms underlying the disease pathogenesis are not clearly understood, molecules such as long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a key regulatory role in the viral pathogenesis from endocytosis. We asked whether or not the lncRNAs in the host are […]
Nidhi Shukla
Patient visitation - A call for standardization and liberalization September 6, 2021
No abstract
Connie C Shao
Data-driven clustering identifies features distinguishing multisystem inflammatory syndrome from acute COVID-19 in children and adolescents September 6, 2021
BACKGROUND: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) consensus criteria were designed for maximal sensitivity and therefore capture patients with acute COVID-19 pneumonia.
Alon Geva