Audiometry-Confirmed Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss Incidence among COVID-19 Patients and BNT162b2 Vaccine Recipients.

OBJECTIVE: To compare sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) incidence rates over the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak and the COVID-19 vaccination campaign periods to pre-COVID-19 periods. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: Secondary hospital. PATIENTS: Patients >12 years with auditory-confirmed SSNHL were enrolled. COVID-19 status and BNT162 inoculation records ≤28 days before SSNHL diagnosis were retrieved. Patients were categorized according to their date of presentation over four equal periods: 1) July 2018-April 2019 (first prepandemic period), 2) May 2019-February 2020 (second prepandemic period), 3) March 2020-December 2020 (COVID-19 outbreak), and 4) January 2021-October 2021 (BNT162b2 vaccinations campaign). INTERVENTIONS: Pre- and post-COVID-19 emergence; BNT162b2 vaccine. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were calculated to compare SSNHL cases during the COVID-19 and vaccination periods with pre-COVID-19 periods. RESULTS: Of the 100 patients with SSNHL over the four periods, 1 had COVID-19 and 8 were vaccinated. The annual SSNHL incidence was 12.87, 12.28, 13.45, and 19.89 per 100,000 over periods 1 to 4, respectively. SSNHL incidence over the third period was not significantly different than the first/second periods (IRR = 1.045, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.629-1.85, ρ = 0.788, and IRR = 1.095, 95% CI = 0.651-1.936, ρ = 0.683, respectively), whereas SSNHL incidence rate over the fourth period was higher (IRR = 1.545, 95% CI = 0.967-2.607, ρ = 0.068, and IRR = 1.619, 95% CI = 1-2.73, ρ = 0.05, respectively). SSNHL incidence in vaccine recipients was lower than prepandemic unvaccinated patients (IRR = 0.584, 95% CI =0.464-1.67, ρ = 0.984, and IRR = 0.612, 95% CI =0.48-1.744, ρ = 0.92, respectively). CONCLUSION: There were fewer SSNHL cases during the first COVID-19 months. Although the SSNHL rate over the COVID-19 vaccination campaign increased, it was not higher for patients who received the BNT162b2 vaccine.

COVID-19 and Mental Health of Minority Arab Higher-Education Students in Israel: Social, Economic, and Academic Factors.

The mental health and well-being of higher-education students is a topic of growing interest. COVID-19 impacted higher education in many ways and the challenges were especially pronounced for minority students. This study examines the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of Arab minority students in Israel in relation to social, academic, and financial factors. We recruited 420 Arab higher-education students enrolled in academic colleges or universities in Israel who completed a battery of online questionnaires. Mental health status was measured by the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21). Moderate to severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were reported by 49.3%, 45.2%, and 54% of Arab students, respectively. Analyses indicate that low quality of online learning, academic difficulties, and negative economic effects of COVID-19 predicted stress, anxiety, and depression. Women reported higher levels of depression and stress; job loss predicted depression and anxiety; low income predicted depression; and COVID-19-related health concerns predicted anxiety. This study highlights the unique and multiple challenges faced by minority students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Campus programs are needed to address the emotional needs of students. Longitudinal research is needed to more fully understand the impact of COVID-19 on higher-education students.

Social Media Use and Well-being With Bipolar Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Path Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Reliable and consistent social support is associated with the mental health and well-being of persons with severe mental illness, including bipolar disorder (BD). Yet the COVID-19 pandemic and associated social distancing measures (eg, shelter in place) reduced access to regular social contacts, while social media use (SMU) increased concomitantly. Little is currently known about associations between the well-being of adults with BD and different types of SMU (eg, passive and active). OBJECTIVE: For this study, we had two goals. First, we report descriptive information regarding SMU by persons with BD during COVID-19 (all platforms). Specific to Facebook, we next developed and tested a hypothesized model to identify direct and indirect associations between BD symptoms, social support, loneliness, life satisfaction, and SMU. Responses were collected during the global spread of the Delta variant and prior/concurrent with the Omicron variant, 20 months after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. METHODS: Over 8 weeks, we obtained responses from an international sample of 102 adults with BD using the Qualtrics online platform. Most had previously participated in the BADAS (Bipolar Affective Disorders and older Adults) Study (n=89, 87.3%); the remainder were recruited specifically for this research (n=13, 2.7%). The subsamples did not differ in age (t100=1.64; P=.10), gender (χ22=0.2; P=.90), socioeconomic status (χ26=9.9; P=.13), or time since BD diagnosis (t97=1.27; P=.21). Both were recruited using social media advertising micro-targeted to adults with BD. On average, participants were 53.96 (SD 13.22, range 20-77) years of age, they had completed 15.4 (SD 4.28) years of education, and were diagnosed with BD 19.6 (SD 10.31) years ago. Path analyses were performed to develop and test our hypothesized model. RESULTS: Almost all participants (n=95, 93.1%) reported having both Facebook and LinkedIn accounts; 91.2% (n=93) reported regular use of either or both. During the pandemic, most (n=62, 60.8%) reported accessing social media several times a day; 36.3% (n=37) reported using social media more often since the emergence of COVID-19. Specific to Facebook, the model we hypothesized differed somewhat from what emerged. The resulting model suggests that symptoms of depression predict loneliness and, inversely, social support and life satisfaction. Social support predicts social Facebook use, whereas passive Facebook use predicts life satisfaction. Symptoms of depression emerged as indirect predictors of SMU via social support. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the operational definition of passive-active SMU requires further analysis and refinement. In contrast to theory, passive Facebook use appears positively associated with well-being among certain populations. Longitudinal data collection over multiple points is required to identify associations between BD symptoms, SMU, and well-being over time.

Prevalence of Common Infectious Diseases After COVID-19 Vaccination and Easing of Pandemic Restrictions in Israel.

Importance: Social restrictions intended to limit the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 may have also been associated with decreased rates of other communicable diseases. Evidence suggests that infection incidence rates (IRs) are rebounding after easing of social restrictions (eg, mask mandates). The reemergence of infectious disease complicates efforts to manage the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: To examine IRs of frequently occurring infectious diseases after a successful SARS-CoV-2 vaccination campaign in Israel and cessation of social restrictions. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study was conducted using records for respiratory and gastrointestinal infectious diseases at 209 community clinics in southern Israel from 2017 to 2021. Included patients attended community clinics from January 1, 2017, to June 30, 2021. Exposures: Incidence of infectious diseases was estimated in the first 3 months after the easing of social restrictions (ie, April-June 2021) across age groups. Main Outcomes and Measures: Age-specific and disease-specific weekly IRs per 100 000 population for April to June were compared between 2017 and 2021 and expected current IR was estimated using segmented linear regression. Growth rates of respiratory infections across years and weekly diagnoses detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction testing were also compared. Results: Among 386 711 patients with a total of 1 221 568 visits to community clinics, the mean (SD) age was 27.29 (23.93) years, and there were 202 494 (52.3%) male patients and 184 217 (47.7%) female patients. Children aged 0 to 3 years had significantly increased rates of respiratory and gastrointestinal infection diagnoses (IR ratio, 2.64; 95% CI, 2:30-2.91; P < .001). In addition, incidence of non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory infections were significantly increased across age groups (IR ratio, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.56-1.94; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: These morbidity trends observed in Israel suggest that similar trends could occur in coming months in other countries after easing of COVID-19-related restrictions, particularly with the ongoing challenges of SARS-CoV-2 variants.

The coronavirus pandemic and Holocaust survivors in Israel.

Holocaust survivors in Israel and abroad appear to be especially vulnerable to COVID-19 because of their early life history, advanced age, and associated health conditions. And although some survivors may experience retraumatization because of the pandemic, others appear to be especially resilient. We encourage a strength-based approach when working with survivors to foster resilience and effective coping in this uncertain time. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).