COVID-19 – Page 2 – Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention & Control, Training and Technical Assistance (ARCIPC)

Back to School Q&A with an Infectious Disease Pediatrician

It’s August and it’s not just kids back in class. School is now in session for germs, viruses and bacteria that cause illnesses that can make your child (or yourself as a parent, caregiver, or guardians) sick. Back-to-school is widely recognized in the medical community as a time when many children pick up infections from their classmates. As a parent or caregiver, what do you need to watch for? Dr. David Kimberlin, Professor and Co-Director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, joins the podcast to discuss some common illnesses found in schools, the best way to treat them, and the importance of good hygiene practices to reduce the chances of catching these illnesses.

This podcast is presented by the Alabama Reginal Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance. Thank you to our co-sponsor for this podcast, the Alabama Public Health Training Network at the Alabama Department of Public Health a community-based training partner of the Region IV Public Health Training Center.

The Mystery and Epidemiology of Long COVID (September, 29 @ 12pm CT)

This webinar is presented by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance. Two and a half years into the COVID-19 pandemic, there is emerging evidence that in some patients, its symptoms may linger for months or even years after the initial infection. While prevalence estimates vary widely, such ‘long COVID’ symptoms likely persist in more than 10% of all COVID-19 cases. This webinar, Dr. Stella Aslibekyan, Senior Scientist, Genetic Epidemiology, 23andMe and Adjunct Professor, Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham and University of Kentucky, will summarize the current scientific debate about long COVID– is it an autoimmune disease, a consequence of comorbidities, or something else? We will draw on a recent study of 100,000+ COVID-19 cases to understand who is susceptible to long COVID, how long the symptoms can last, and whether vaccination can improve long COVID outcomes.

This webinar is co-sponsored by Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance, Region IV Public Health Training Center, and Deep South Center for OH&S .

The Deep South Center for OH&S is an approved provider of continuing education units for nurses by the AL Board of Nursing (Provider ABNP0420 Expiration Date 12/22/2025) and has awarded this program 1.0 CEUs.

Watch on Youtube

Webinar Evaluation

Responding to the 2022 Monkeypox Outbreak (September 15 @ 12pm CT)

The Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance presents “Responding to the 2022 Monkeypox Outbreak.” In this webinar, Dr. Nicolas Van Wagoner, associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, will provide a historical overview of monkeypox before 2022 and how the outbreak has reemerged globally, as well as in the United States. This webinar will outline the current state of monkeypox, and the public health response including testing, prevention, and vaccination, as well as provide guidance on communications to prevent misinformation and stigma.

Watch on Youtube

Evaluation link

Predicting Human Disease Risk from Animal-borne Pathogens (July 28, 2022 11am CST)

Dr. Barbara Han, a disease ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, will explore recent approaches that combine knowledge about animal ecology with machine learning and artificial intelligence tools to make predictions about where and from which species the risks of zoonotic outbreaks are greatest. Examples will emphasize the ongoing spillback transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to animals, the risk of establishing new viral reservoirs of COVID-19, and predicting wild reservoirs of bat-borne filoviruses (Ebola, Marburg) and rodent-borne pathogens such as monkeypox.

Dr. Han is a disease ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in New York. She completed her PhD at Oregon State University during which time she also completed a Fulbright Fellowship in Venezuela. Dr. Han went on to complete consecutive postdoctoral fellowships in biological informatics (NSF) and machine learning (NIH) at the University of Georgia. Her research program at the Cary Institute develops predictive analytics of zoonotic diseases and is supported by grants from the NIH, NSF, and DARPA.

This webinar is cosponsored by the Alabama Regional Center for infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance Center, The Region IV Public Health Training Center, and the Deep South Center for Occupational Health and Safety.

Training Evaluation

Having Conversations around Children and COVID-19 Vaccination

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends COVID-19 vaccination for most children and adolescents 5 years of age and older. However, as of April 13, 2022 only 28% of children 5-11 years old and 58% of adolescents ages 12-17 have received the 2-dose vaccination series. However, throughout the pandemic, having conversations around COVID-19 and the vaccine has been challenging, especially when it comes to our children. To share her thoughts on the COVID-19 vaccine and children and how to have conversations around the vaccine, we have invited Dr. Candice Dye, an Associate Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Academic General Pediatrician at Children’s of Alabama, to join us to share her thoughts on this important topic.

Misinformation as a Risk Factor During the COVID-19 Pandemic (April 26, 12pm CST)

Misinformation has been a risk factor throughout the pandemic, leading to more disease and death from COVID-19. Dr Katrine Wallace (UIC School of Public Health) is an epidemiologist and social media science communicator who debunks misinformation and false claims about COVID-19 and the vaccines. In this talk she discussed the difference between misinformation vs disinformation, the techniques that people use to mislead, why misinformation goes so viral on social media, and how viral misinformation is negatively affecting public health. This webinar was co-sponsored by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control and the Region IV Public Health Training Center.

Training Evaluation

Using UV Light and Hand Sanitizer to Safely Distinct Against SARS-CoV-2

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us have become hyper vigilant when it comes to disinfecting and sanitizing items around our workspace, homes, schools, and within healthcare settings. In this podcast, we welcome back Dr. Ziad Kazzi, Professor of Emergency Medicine and Director of the International Fellowship in Medical Toxicology at Emory University and Associate Medical Director of the Southern Regional Disaster Response System, to discuss the use and potential safety risks of two other methods for killing viruses like SARS-CoV-2: UV light and hand sanitizers.

Thank you to our co-sponsors for this podcast, the Alabama Public Health Training Center and the Alabama Department of Public Health.

Scientific Reporting During a Pandemic: A Conversation with Katherine Wu (May 11, 12PM CT)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, media outlets have been tasked with translating complex and evolving scientific data about the nature and risks of SARS-CoV-2 to the public. Journalists in these roles have had to stay up to date with rapidly evolving information, wade through misinformation, scrutinize data, and amplify voices from underrepresented and marginalized communities at unprecedented speed to keep the public informed. In this webinar, Dr. Katherine Wu, a staff writer at The Atlantic, joins us for a conversation about her experience, challenges, and lessons learned while reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic.

This webinar will be held virtually Wednesday, May 11, at 12PM CST.

It is sponsored by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control and co-sponsored with the Region IV Public Health Training Center. Register by clicking the button below.

Training Evaluation

What Parents Need To Know About The COVID Vaccine For Children Under 5

For many months, parents have been told COVID vaccines for their children under 5 were on the way. But shifting timelines, delays and misinformation have left many parents frustrated and confused. In addition, as COVID restrictions are relaxed, many parents of young children are desperate to know when they can expect a vaccine to be authorized for their young children. To bring some clarity to this conversation, we have invited Dr. Candice Dye, an Associate Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Academic General Pediatrician at Children’s of Alabama, to join us to talk about the latest updates on the COVID vaccine approval for children under 5.

Thank you to our co-sponsor for this podcast, the Alabama Public Health Training Network at the Alabama Department of Public Health a community-based training partner of the Region IV Public Health Training Center.

Climate-Disease Connections: Associations, Processes and Incorporation in Infectious Disease Forecast (May 4, 12pm CT)

In this lecture, Dr. Jeffrey Shaman (Professor, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Director, Climate and Health Program, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health) will explore the relationship between disease systems and the broader effects of climate and weather on human health.

Dr. Shaman is also Faculty Chair of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs at the Columbia Climate School. He studies the survival, transmission and ecology of infectious agents, including the effects of meteorological and hydrological conditions on these processes. His work-to-date has primarily focused on mosquito-borne and respiratory pathogens. He uses mathematical and statistical models to describe, understand and forecast the transmission dynamics of these disease systems, and to investigate the broader effects of climate and weather on human health.

The lecture is sponsored by the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy, Office of Public Health Practice, Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control, and Department of Environmental Health Sciences and will take place from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. on May 4 via Zoom. Participants can register using the button below.