Mobile COVID-19 testing program in Phoenix: A retrospective observational cohort study of results, trends, and positivity rates.

Over 3 years since the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the COVID-19 pandemic remains a global health challenge. At the same time, review of the response to the current pandemic is required for planning for future pandemics and global health crises. Approximately 2.5 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Arizona, a state with a 7.2 million population. Analyzing trends in COVID-19 case and positivity rates is crucial in planning to ensure public health safety for both this and future pandemics. This current observational study analyzes the trends in COVID-19 testing and positivity rates in the Phoenix metropolitan area, from data collected from a mobile testing program between December 2020 and April 2022. A total of 72,827 COVID-19 tests were performed, with a total of 8666 positive cases, yielding an overall positivity rate of 11.9%. Case counts and positivity rates increased during the fall and winter months, peaking in January (January 2021: 13.96% and January 2022: 24.84%). These cyclical trends cyclical can help with planning and mitigation. Continued public health awareness, including vaccinations and testing, is required in controlling COVID-19 transmission.

Trends in COVID-19 Testing and Positivity Rates from a Mobile Testing Program in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to be a global concern, with over 150 million cases worldwide. Arizona, which was recently a hotspot for COVID-19, has over 860 thousand cases. Reviewing the COVID-19 trends over time is crucial in understanding the pandemic and evaluating the impact of mitigation techniques. This current study analyzes the trends in COVID-19 testing and positivity rates from a mobile testing program in the Phoenix metropolitan area between December 2020 and April 2021. Of the 32,234 tests performed there was a total of 3654 COVID positive cases, yielding an overall positivity rate of 11.3%. COVID-19 positivity rates were significantly higher in December (12.9%) and January (12.7%), compared to February (7.5%), March (4.9%), and April (6.7%), p < 0.05. The peak of COVID-19 cases is likely attributable to the holiday season and family gatherings, followed by a steady decline, likely due to fewer gatherings and an increase in individuals receiving the COVID-19 vaccines. Continued public health measures, including vaccinations, are critical in reducing COVID-19 transmission.

COVID-19 Trends in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area from a Mobile Testing Program: Last Quarter of 2020.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to be a public health concern, and Arizona has once again been a COVID-19 hotspot, peaking at 118.3 cases per 100,000. Understanding the trends in COVID-19 positivity rates over time is crucial in planning and mitigation of the virus. This current study analyzes the trends in COVID-19 testing, and COVID-19 antigen and antibody positivity rates over a 3-month time-span from October to December 2020. A retrospective study was conducted collecting data from a mobile testing program during October to December 2020 in the Phoenix metropolitan area. COVID-19 antigen and antibody positivity rates were analyzed. A total of 6710 patients were included in the study. As the months progressed, more patients were tested (October: 1635; November: 2037; December: 3038). The COVID-19 antigen positivity rate was significantly higher in December, compared to October and November (13.43% vs. 11.43 and 10.86%, p = 0.021). COVID-19 IgG rates were also significantly higher in November and December, compared to October (16.65 and 16.50% vs. 8.74%, p < 0.001). There was a progressive increase in COVID-19 positivity cases towards the end of 2020, likely attributed to factors including social gatherings during the holidays and the relaxing of the closure restrictions. Continued public health measures is crucial in preventing the spread of COVID-19.

COVID-19 Exposure Among First Responders in Arizona.

OBJECTIVE: The number of COVID-19 cases in Arizona is rapidly increasing, leading the country in the rate of new daily cases. Exposure among first responders remains unknown. METHODS: Rates of SARS-CoV-2 IgG among first responders in Arizona were determined, and attitudes/views about the impact of COVID-19 on their work life was analyzed. RESULTS: Of 3326 first responders, 50 (1.50%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 IgG. Most first responders thought antibody testing would help ease their anxieties (62.5%) and be beneficial to their work-life (60.6%). CONCLUSION: The rate of COVID-19 exposure among first responders in Arizona is low-1.50%. COVID-19 is a concern among many of the first responders, and antibody testing was beneficial in easing their anxieties about going to work and performing work-related duties.

Skin surface brachytherapy: A survey of contemporary practice patterns.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to define current patterns of care among radiation oncologists who use skin surface brachytherapy for the treatment of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in academic and community settings. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A 30-question electronic survey was administered to clinician members of the American Brachytherapy Society. The respondents were asked to provide details regarding their clinical practice and their approach to skin surface brachytherapy. RESULTS: A total of 16 surveys were returned. Among the respondents, aggregate experience varied from 8 to 1800 cases. Most preferred brachytherapy over external beam radiation because of shorter treatment course, conformality of treatment for irregular or curved targets, and shallow dose deposition. Of the total, 60% of respondents routinely estimated lesion depth via ultrasound before initiating treatment. Treatment margin on gross disease varied widely (range, 3-15 mm; median, 5 mm). Hypofractionation was the preferred dose schedule. Prescribed doses ranged from 30 Gy in five fractions to 64 Gy in 32 fractions (EQD2, 40 Gy-65 Gy). There was a tendency to increase the number of fractions for larger targets, although some used the same fractionation regardless of anatomic location or lesion size. There was no consensus on dosimetric constraints, and some respondents reported cases of severe toxicity, particularly when treating the pretibial skin. CONCLUSIONS: This pattern of care study suggests that skin brachytherapy can be a convenient and safe tool for treatment of BCC and cSCC. Prospective trials and the development of expert consensus guidelines would be beneficial for optimizing skin surface brachytherapy and reducing practice variation.

Advances in technology for intracranial stereotactic radiosurgery.

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) refers to a single radiation treatment delivering a high dose to an intra-cranial target localized in three-dimensions by CT and/or MRI imaging. Traditionally, immobilization of the patient's head has been achieved using a rigid stereotactic head frame as the key step in allowing for accurate dose delivery. SRS has been delivered by both Cobalt-60 (Gamma Knife) and linear accelerator (linac) technologies for many decades. The focus of this review is to highlight recent advances and major innovations in SRS technologies relevant to clinical practice and developments allowing for non-invasive frame SRS.

High-resolution computed tomography of temporal bone: Part IV: Coronal postoperative anatomy.

The purpose of this 4-part series is to illustrate the nuances of temporal bone anatomy using a high-resolution (200 micro isotropic) prototype volume computed tomography (CT) scanner. The normal anatomy in axial and coronal sections is depicted in the first and second parts. In this, the fourth part, and the third part, the structures that are removed and/or altered in 9 different surgical procedures are color coded and inscribed in the same coronal (article IV) and axial (article III) sections. The text stresses clinically important imaging features, including the normal postoperative appearance, and common complications after these operations. The superior resolution of the volume CT images is vital to the comprehensive and accurate representation of these operations. Minuscule intricate structures that are currently only localized in the mind's eye because of the resolution limit of conventional CT are clearly seen on these scans. This enhanced visualization, together with the information presented in the text, should assist in interpreting temporal bone scans, communicating with surgeons, and teaching this complex anatomy.

High-resolution computed tomography of temporal bone: Part III: Axial postoperative anatomy.

The purpose of this 4-part series is to illustrate the nuances of temporal bone anatomy using a high-resolution (200-mu isotropic) prototype volume computed tomography (CT) scanner. The normal anatomy in axial and coronal sections is depicted in the first and second parts. In this and the subsequent part, the structures that are removed and/or altered in 9 different surgical procedures are color coded and inscribed in the same axial (article III) and coronal (article IV) sections. The text stresses clinically important imaging features, including the normal postoperative appearance, and common complications after these operations. The superior resolution of the volume CT images is vital to the comprehensive and accurate representation of these operations. Minuscule intricate structures that are currently only localized in the mind's eye because of the resolution limit of conventional CT are clearly seen on these scans. This enhanced visualization, together with the information presented in the text, should assist in interpreting temporal bone scans, communicating with surgeons, and teaching this complex anatomy.

High-resolution computed tomography of temporal bone: Part II: coronal preoperative anatomy.

The purpose of this 4-part series is to demonstrate the high-resolution axial and coronal anatomy of temporal bone from a flat-panel detector-based volume computed tomography (CT) scanner (parts I and II); these imaging planes are then used to outline the effect of different surgical procedures commonly applied to the temporal bone (parts III and IV). The structures that are removed and/or altered in 11 different surgical procedures are color coded and inscribed in axial and coronal sections. Clinically important imaging features and complications after these operations are also discussed. In these high-resolution images, many structures that are below the resolution limit of conventional CT can be seen and localized. It is hoped that this exposition enables one to visualize these structures and surgeries in the mind's eye, even when they fall below the resolution limit using a conventional CT scanner. This article (part II) focuses on the preoperative coronal anatomy.

High-resolution flat-panel volume-CT of temporal bone--part 1: axial preoperative anatomy.

The purpose of this four-part series is to show the high-resolution axial and coronal anatomy of the temporal bone from a flat-panel detector-based volume CT (parts 1 and 2); these imaging planes are then used to outline the effect of different surgical procedures commonly applied to the temporal bone (parts 3 and 4). The structures that are removed or altered in 11 different surgical procedures are color-coded and inscribed in axial and coronal sections. Clinically important imaging features and complications following these surgeries will also be discussed. In these high-resolution images, many structures that are below the resolution limit of conventional CT can be seen and localized. It is hoped that one would be able to picture these structures and surgeries, in the mind's eye, even when they fall below the resolution limit using a conventional CT scanner. This article (part 1) focuses on the preoperative axial anatomy.

Clinical and imaging anatomy of the scalp.

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the clinical and imaging anatomy of the scalp. The territories of the vessels, lymphatics, and nerves together with the epicranial muscles of the galea are illustrated. The traditional cross-sectional anatomic layers are described and their gross anatomic boundaries are given. They are regrouped into 3 coverings that can be distinguished on normal and pathologic magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomography (CT) imaging. These are the epidermis/dermis, the subcutaneous layer, and the galea/subgalea/periosteum complex. This information will provide a handy reference to help describe scalp lesions.

Adult cranial dura II: venous sinuses and their extrameningeal contributions.

This is the second of two articles designed to provide detailed user-friendly schematics of the adult dural vascular anatomy. It supplements the first article on the intrinsic meningeal arteries and veins by describing the dural venous sinuses along with their three remaining connections: to the brain, to the diploë, and to the extracranial soft tissues. The discussion of this anatomy is supplemented by illustrative pathologic insights. This information will assist in interpreting neuroimaging studies, communication with clinicians, and teaching of this complex subject.

Adult cranial dura I: intrinsic vessels.

This is the first of two articles designed to provide user-friendly schematics of the adult dural vascular anatomy. It describes the intrinsic meningeal arteries and veins of the skull base/cranial vault and the dural partitions (the tentorium, falx cerebelli, and falx cerebri). The discussion of this anatomy is supplemented by illustrative pathologic insights. The second article focuses on the dural sinuses and their remaining tributaries from the brain, diploë, and emissary veins from the extracranial soft tissues. This information will assist in interpreting neuroimaging studies, communications with clinicians, and teaching of this difficult subject.