Using the social vulnerability index to assess COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Louisiana.

Using data from the Louisiana Department of Public Health, we explored the spatial relationships between the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and COVID-19-related vaccination and mortality rates. Publicly available COVID-19 vaccination and mortality data accrued from December 2020 to October 2021 was downloaded from the Louisiana Department of Health website and merged with the SVI data; geospatial analysis was then performed to identify the spatial association between the SVI and vaccine uptake and mortality rate. Bivariate Moran's I analysis revealed significant clustering of high SVI ranking with low COVID-19 vaccination rates (1.00, p < 0.001) and high smoothed mortality rates (0.61, p < 0.001). Regression revealed that for each 10% increase in SVI ranking, COVID-19 vaccination rates decreased by 3.02-fold (95% CI = 3.73-2.30), and mortality rates increased by a factor of 1.19 (95% CI = 0.99-1.43). SVI values are spatially linked and significantly associated with Louisiana's COVID-19-related vaccination and mortality rates. We also found that vaccination uptake was higher in whites than in blacks. These findings can help identify regions with low vaccination rates and high mortality, enabling the necessary steps to increase vaccination rates in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

COVID-19 drive-through mass vaccination in Northwest Louisiana.

Background: Vaccinating susceptible populations quickly and safely is vital during a pandemic. Mass vaccination programs using a drive-through method have been shown to reach large numbers of people efficiently during vaccine campaigns. Methods: We performed a quantitative, cross-sectional study analyzing data collected by the COVID-19 mass vaccination program conducted by Louisiana State University Health Shreveport (LSUSH). Results: Between December 2020 and September 2021, the vaccination program administered 90,655 COVID-19 vaccines. Among those who received at least the first dose of the vaccine, there were 21,700 men and 28,269 women; 22,820 were ≥60 years of age; 28,031 identified as Caucasian, 19,249 as African American, 47,916 as non-Hispanic, and most of them reported that they had not tested positive for COVID-19 before vaccination. Discussion: The LSUHS vaccination center served people from different regions within Louisiana as well as those from outside Louisiana. Vaccination is a crucial public health measure in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: Our study showed that the mass vaccination program conducted by LSUHS had a considerable positive impact on communities in Northwest Louisiana. This drive-through method is an effective strategy with which to reach a significant number of people during a pandemic.

Emergence in late 2020 of multiple lineages of SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein variants affecting amino acid position 677.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein (S) plays critical roles in host cell entry. Non-synonymous substitutions affecting S are not uncommon and have become fixed in a number of SARS-CoV-2 lineages. A subset of such mutations enable escape from neutralizing antibodies or are thought to enhance transmission through mechanisms such as increased affinity for the cell entry receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Independent genomic surveillance programs based in New Mexico and Louisiana contemporaneously detected the rapid rise of numerous clade 20G (lineage B.1.2) infections carrying a Q677P substitution in S. The variant was first detected in the US on October 23, yet between 01 Dec 2020 and 19 Jan 2021 it rose to represent 27.8% and 11.3% of all SARS-CoV-2 genomes sequenced from Louisiana and New Mexico, respectively. Q677P cases have been detected predominantly in the south central and southwest United States; as of 03 Feb 2021, GISAID data show 499 viral sequences of this variant from the USA. Phylogenetic analyses revealed the independent evolution and spread of at least six distinct Q677H sub-lineages, with first collection dates ranging from mid-August to late November 2020. Four 677H clades from clade 20G (B.1.2), 20A (B.1.234), and 20B (B.1.1.220, and B.1.1.222) each contain roughly 100 or fewer sequenced cases, while a distinct pair of clade 20G clusters are represented by 754 and 298 cases, respectively. Although sampling bias and founder effects may have contributed to the rise of S:677 polymorphic variants, the proximity of this position to the polybasic cleavage site at the S1/S2 boundary are consistent with its potential functional relevance during cell entry, suggesting parallel evolution of a trait that may confer an advantage in spread or transmission. Taken together, our findings demonstrate simultaneous convergent evolution, thus providing an impetus to further evaluate S:677 polymorphisms for effects on proteolytic processing, cell tropism, and transmissibility.