Browsing by Author "Bonnie E Shook-Sa"

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    A prospective study of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection among individuals involved in academic research under limited operations during the COVID-19 pandemic
    (2022-04-25) Audrey Pettifor; Bethany L DiPrete; Bonnie E Shook-Sa; Lakshmanane Premkumar; Kriste Kuczynski; Dirk Dittmer; Allison Aiello; Shannon Wallet; Robert Maile; Joyce Tan; Ramesh Jadi; Linda Pluta; Aravinda M de Silva; David J Weber; Min Kim; Arlene C Seña; Corbin D Jones
    Background: Early in the pandemic, transmission risk from asymptomatic infection was unclear, making it imperative to monitor infection in workplace settings. Further, data on SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence within university populations has been limited. Methods: We performed a longitudinal study of University research employees on campus July-December 2020. We conducted questionnaires on COVID-19 risk factors, RT-PCR testing, and SARS-CoV-2 serology using an in-house spike RBD assay, laboratory-based Spike NTD assay, and standard nucleocapsid platform assay. We estimated prevalence and cumulative incidence of seroconversion with 95% confidence intervals using the inverse of the Kaplan-Meier estimator. Results: 910 individuals were included in this analysis. At baseline, 6.2% (95% CI 4.29-8.19) were seropositive using the spike RBD assay; four (0.4%) were seropositive using the nucleocapsid assay, and 44 (4.8%) using the Spike NTD assay. Cumulative incidence was 3.61% (95% CI: 2.04-5.16). Six asymptomatic individuals had positive RT-PCR results. Conclusions: Prevalence and incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections were low; however, differences in target antigens of serological tests provided different estimates. Future research on appropriate methods of serological testing in unvaccinated and vaccinated populations is needed. Frequent RT-PCR testing of asymptomatic individuals is required to detect acute infections, and repeated serosurveys are beneficial for monitoring subclinical infection.
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    Social isolation and psychological distress among southern U.S. college students in the era of COVID-19
    (2022-12) Danielle Giovenco; Bonnie E Shook-Sa; Bryant Hutson; Laurie Buchanan; Edwin B Fisher; Audrey Pettifor
    Background: College students are at heightened risk for negative psychological outcomes due to COVID-19. We examined the prevalence of psychological distress and its association with social isolation among public university students in the southern United States. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was emailed to all University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill students in June 2020 and was open for two weeks. Students self-reported if they were self-isolating none, some, most, or all of the time. Validated screening instruments were used to assess clinically significant symptoms of depression, loneliness, and increased perceived stress. The data was weighted to the complete student population. Results: 7,012 completed surveys were included. Almost two-thirds (64%) of the students reported clinically significant depressive symptoms and 65% were categorized as lonely. An estimated 64% of students reported self-isolating most or all of the time. Compared to those self-isolating none of the time, students self-isolating some of the time were 1.78 (95% CI 1.37, 2.30) times as likely to report clinically significant depressive symptoms, and students self-isolating most or all of the time were 2.12 (95% CI 1.64, 2.74) and 2.27 (95% CI 1.75, 2.94) times as likely to report clinically significant depressive symptoms, respectively. Similar associations between self-isolation and loneliness and perceived stress were observed. Conclusions: The prevalence of adverse mental health indicators among this sample of university students in June 2020 was exceptionally high. University responses to the COVID-19 pandemic should prioritize student mental health and prepare a range of support services to mitigate mental health consequences as the pandemic continues to evolve.