The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified African-Americans as having increased risk of COVID-19-associated mortality. Access to healthcare and related social determinants of health are at the core of this disparity. To explore the geographical links between race and COVID-19 mortality, we created descriptive maps of COVID-19 mortality rates in relation to the percentage of populations self-identifying as African-American across the USA, by state, and Pennsylvania (PA), by county. In addition, we used bivariate and logistic regression analyses to quantify the statistical relationship between these variables, and control for area-level demographic, healthcare access, and comorbidity risk factors. We found that COVID-19 mortality rates were generally higher in areas that had higher African-American populations, particularly in the northeast USA and eastern PA. These relationships were quantified through Pearson correlations showing significant positive associations at the state and county level. At the US state-level, percent African-American population was the only significant correlate of COVID-19 mortality rate. In PA at the county-level, higher percent African-American population was associated with higher COVID-19 mortality rate even after controlling for area-level confounders. More resources should be allocated to address high COVID-19 mortality rates among African-American populations.

Background Female mosquitoes serve as vectors for a host of illnesses, including malaria, spread by the Plasmodium parasite. Despite monumental strides to reduce this disease burden through tools such as bed nets, the rate of these gains is slowing. Ongoing disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic may also negatively impact gains. The following scoping review was conducted to examine novel means of reversing this trend by exploring the efficacy of insecticide-treated window screens or eaves to reduce Anopheles mosquito bites, mosquito house entry, and density. Methods Two reviewers independently searched PubMed, Scopus, and ProQuest databases on 10 July, 2020 for peer-reviewed studies using insecticide-treated screens or eaves in malaria-endemic countries. These articles were published in English between the years 2000–2020. Upon collection, the reports were stratified into categories of biting incidence and protective efficacy, mosquito entry and density, and mosquito mortality. Results Thirteen out of 2180 articles were included in the final review. Eaves treated with beta-cyfluthrin, transfluthrin or bendiocarb insecticides were found to produce vast drops in blood-feeding, biting or mosquito prevalence. Transfluthrin-treated eaves were reported to have greater efficacy at reducing mosquito biting: Rates dropped by 100% both indoors and outdoors under eave ribbon treatments of 0.2% transfluthrin (95% CI 0.00–0.00; p < 0.001). Additionally, co-treating window screens and eaves with polyacrylate-binding agents and with pirimiphos-methyl has been shown to retain insecticidal potency after several washes, with a mosquito mortality rate of 94% after 20 washes (95% CI 0.74–0.98; p < 0.001). Conclusions The results from this scoping review suggest that there is value in implementing treated eave tubes or window screens. More data are needed to study the longevity of screens and household attitudes toward these interventions.

This study’s objectives were to provide university faculty and administration examples of the challenges students face during COVID-19 and give students a chance to process their experiences with one another. A team of student researchers and interdisciplinary faculty members conducted a photo-elicitation study. Participants were instructed to take photographs for up to 10 days that helped them describe life during the pandemic. The students were subsequently interviewed about their photos over a video conferencing platform. We conducted semistructured photo-elicitation interviews with 43 university students from April 20, 2020, to May 26, 2020. Qualitative analysis of interview transcripts revealed that students were affected by the pandemic at three levels: individual, interpersonal, and organizational. Participant responses are a call to action for educators to prioritize safety, connection, and wellness in their pedagogical practices. The students who participated in this project made a clear statement to faculty about their learning and well-being needs. Learning cannot be prioritized over loss of safety amid the pandemic, health concerns, or social injustices.

In recent years, there has been an upsurge in cases of drug-resistant TB, and strains of TB resistant to all forms of treatment have begun to emerge; the highest level of resistance is classified as extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB). There is an urgent need to prevent poor outcomes (death/default/failed treatment) of XDR-TB, and knowing the risk factors can inform such efforts. The objective of this scoping review was to therefore identify risk factors for poor outcomes among XDR-TB patients. We searched three scientific databases, PubMed, Scopus, and ProQuest, and identified 25 articles that examined relevant risk factors. Across the included studies, the proportion of patients with poor outcomes ranged from 8.6 to 88.7%. We found that the most commonly reported risk factor for patients with XDR-TB developing poor outcomes was having a history of TB. Other risk factors were human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a history of incarceration, low body mass, being a smoker, alcohol use, unemployment, being male, and being middle-aged. Knowledge and understanding of the risk factors associated with poor outcomes of XDR-TB can help policy makers and organizations in the process of designing and implementing effective programs.

Because mosquitoes are a public health concern, several chemical insect repellents have been created and used for many years. While some of these products, such as DEET and permethrin, are effective at controlling mosquito populations, their excessive use may lead to animal, human, and environmental harm if applied improperly. Understanding the life cycles of mosquitoes, their feeding preferences, and their responses to natural plant extracts could enable scientists to develop more environmentally safe but still effective insect repellents. Various types of plant extracts (e.g., American beautyberry, Callicarpa americana) hold promise. In order to study such plant–mosquito interactions, we had to establish basic husbandry practices for successfully rearing and maintaining mosquito populations in the lab. We discuss the protocols we have used for housing mosquitoes and creating plant extracts and offer suggestions for how students can use both for inquiry.