Neurodegenerative disorders (NDD) are chronic neurological diseases characterized by loss and/or damage to neurons along
with the myelin sheath, and patients are at higher risk of severe infection with the SARS‑CoV‑2. A comprehensive literature
search was performed using relevant terms and inclusion‑exclusion criteria. Recent articles, subjects older than 50 years, and
articles written in the English language were included, whereas letters to the editor and articles related to pregnant women
were excluded from the review study. COVID‑19 appears to damage angiotensin‑II receptors which cause natural killer cells to
lose the ability to clear virus‑infected cells, owing to worse outcomes in patients with NDD. COVID‑19 can worsen the symptoms
of Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, COVID‑19 worsens drug‑responsive motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and
other symptoms like fatigue and urinary complaints. Vitamin D is essential in decreasing pro‑inflammatory and increasing
anti‑inflammatory cytokines in ongoing COVID‑19 infections and reducing angiotensin receptors and, hence, decreasing
COVID‑19 infection severity. Telemedicine shows promise for patients with NDD but is yet to overcome legal issues and personal
barriers. COVID‑19 has a significant effect on neurodegenerative conditions, which appears partly to the nature of the NDD and
the neuro‑invasive capabilities of the SARS‑CoV‑2. The protective role of vitamin D in patients with NDD further supports this
hypothesis. Modifications in current health care, like the telemedicine platform, are required to address the increased risk of
serious infection in this population. Further studies will be required to clarify conflicting reports in many fields.
Background and Aims: The peak of the third wave of COVID-19 infection was in the summer (August–September) of 2021, dominated by the Delta variant. Florida was the epicenter of the third wave with more than 151,449 cases in the first week of August with a positivity rate of 20%. The purpose of this study is to identify the percentage of COVID-19 infection in vaccinated patients in a minority population in south Florida and to elucidate the relationship, if any, between demographics and breakthrough infections, the rate of vaccine hesitancy, as well as the willingness to receive the monoclonal antibody REGEN-COV for the treatment of COVID-19. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed at the Emergency Department, Larkin Community Hospital Palm Spring Campus, located in Hialeah, the fourth largest city in Florida. Hialeah is dominated (94.7%) by Hispanics and Latinos. This city represents a cross-sectional sample of US cities in general and Florida in specific. We enrolled 127 COVID-19 PCR-positive patients. Results: The infection in vaccinated patients (breakthrough) was found to be about one in three (34%). Despite the high infection rate and mounting death toll, about 73% of our unvaccinated patients answered no to the question ‘knowing the consequences of being infected with COVID-19 and the fact that you are positive, would you have chosen to be vaccinated earlier?’ However, about 27% of these patients agreed to receive the vaccine and 20.5% received the monoclonal antibody REGEN-COV. Conclusions: Our study revealed that vaccine hesitancy in South Florida continues to be a major challenge, especially with the emergence of mutations including Delta plus and Omicron.
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