ABSTRACT
Emerging adulthood (ages 18-30 years) coincides with "aging out" of pediatric care. As a result, combined internal medicine and pediatrics (Med-Peds) providers are tasked with promoting the health and well-being of this population during and post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In order to inform the response efforts, we aimed to capture emerging adults' COVID-19 experiences and challenges during a two-week period of the pandemic in June 2020. We administered items from the California Health Interview Survey and an open-ended qualitative item via Qualtrics to 242 diverse emerging adults enrolled in a large US public university (mean age = 20.10, SD = 1.26). More than 90% of all students reported that they or their families or close friends experienced difficulties coping with the stressors and challenges presented by COVID-19. Almost half experienced financial difficulties and more than three-fourths experienced household disruptions during the pandemic. Qualitative findings underscored that these challenges were compounded by mental health and broader social issues. Recommendations for Med-Peds providers are provided to promote emerging adulthood health during and post-pandemic.
ABSTRACT
This brief report presents transmission rates from a prospective study of 15 households with pediatric index cases of severe acute respiratory coronavirus-2 in Los Angeles County from December 2020 to February 2021. Our findings support ongoing evidence that transmission from pediatric index cases to household contacts is frequent but can be mitigated with practicing well-documented control measures at home, including isolation, masking and good hand hygiene.