COVID-19 FACT SHEETFor VA investigators: Please check our funding page for news about new funding opportunities relating to COVID-19. |
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, VA Research has undertaken a wide array of activities to support and advance VA's clinical and research missions and help Veterans affected by the disease. These efforts have spanned biomedical research, therapeutics and vaccine clinical trials, and data analyses that leverage VA's rich electronic health record system. VA Research has coordinated closely with internal VA and external partners—such as the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies, and pharmaceutical companies—to identify the areas in which VA's nationwide research capacity, resources, and infrastructure could make the greatest contribution.
On this web page, we summarize recent and current COVID-19 research across the VA system.
Few differences in safety of Moderna, Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines
Both the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines have a low risk of adverse events, found a study by VA Boston researchers. The study looked at data on more than 400,000 Veterans who were vaccinated. Risks were low after 38 weeks for either vaccine. Veterans receiving the Moderna vaccine were slightly less likely to experience stroke, heart attack, blood clots, or kidney damage. However, the difference was less than two-tenths of one percent. The results show that either vaccine is safe and effective for individuals, say the researchers, but the differences may help inform future population-level vaccination efforts. (JAMA Internal Medicine, June 13, 2022)
Airborne virus linked to hospital COVID-19 spread
Hospital COVID-19 infection may result from airborne virus particles introduced by employees and patients in common hospital areas, according to a study by VA Boston researchers and colleagues. The researchers studied the genome sequence of viruses from infected nurses and patients during a hospital COVID-19 outbreak. They compared these to virus particles from air samples. They learned that viruses found in nurses and patients were genetically identical to virus particles in the air. The findings suggest that very small, aerosolized virus particles can lead to COVID-19 spread in hospitals, according to the researchers. Isolating infected health care providers and improving ventilation and masking could help decrease the spread, they say. (JAMA Network Open, June 8, 2022)
Vaccines only modestly reduce long COVID risk in breakthrough infection patients
Vaccines only modestly reduce the risk of long COVID in patients with breakthrough infection, according to a large study by VA St. Louis researchers. Long COVID refers to a wide range of ongoing health conditions that some people experience after recovering from COVID-19. Researchers studied data on nearly 34,000 people who had breakthrough COVID-19 infections after being vaccinated. They compared this group to more than 13 million controls. People with breakthrough infection had lower rates of death and long COVID symptoms six months after infection, compared to those who had never been vaccinated. However, breakthrough patients had a significantly higher risk of death and health problems compared to patients who never contracted COVID-19. These patients experienced many different symptoms, including cardiovascular, clotting, kidney, and mental health problems. The results show an urgent need to develop additional layers of protection beyond vaccines to protect against the long-term consequences of COVID-19, say the researchers. (Nature Medicine, May 25, 2022
Genetic links between severe COVID-19 and other diseases
A VA Million Veteran Program study identified genetic links between COVID-19 severity and certain serious medical conditions. Researchers analyzed genetic and health record data on more than 650,000 Veterans who volunteered for MVP. They compared gene variations previously found to be linked severe COVID-19 risk with gene variants connected to other conditions. The analysis showed that gene variants linked to severe COVID-19 are also linked to medical conditions known to be COVID-19 risk factors. The strongest links were found for venous embolism and thrombosis, as well as type 2 diabetes and ischemic heart disease. The study also showed genetic links between severe COVID-19 and neutropenia—low white blood cell count—in Veterans of African and Hispanic ancestry. This link was not seen in Veterans of European ancestry. Conversely, gene variants associated with severe COVID-19 were associated reduced risk of immune-related conditions such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. The findings shed light on genetic risk for COVID-19 and could lead to paths for new treatments, say the researchers. (PLOS Genetics, April 28, 2022)
Older and underweight Veterans at higher risk of death from COVID-19
Older and underweight Veterans had a higher risk of death from COVID-19, in a study by Salt Lake City VA researchers and colleagues. Researchers studied data on more than 400,000 Veterans who tested positive for COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021. Those 65 and older and those who were underweight were more likely to require mechanical ventilation and die in the hospital, compared with younger Veterans and those with normal weight. Veterans 85 and older had an almost five times greater rate of death. Asian and American Indian/Alaska Native Veterans also had higher risk of ventilation and death compared to white Veterans. Black Veterans had a 31% higher risk than white Veterans of hospitalization, but did not have a higher risk of death. Hospitalization, ventilation, and death rates decreased for all groups over time. The results show that age and weight are important variables to consider in COVID-19 risk, say the researchers. (Annals of Epidemiology, April 21, 2022)
Clinical Trials
Baricitinib versus dexamethasone for adults hospitalised with COVID-19 (ACTT-4): a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Wolfe CR, Tomashek KM, Patterson TF, Gomez CA, Marconi VA, Jain MK, Yang OO et al. In hospitalized patients with COVID-19 requiring supplemental oxygen, baricitinib plus remdesivir and dexamethasone plus remdesivir resulted in similar mechanical ventilation-free survival by day 29, but dexamethasone was associated with significantly more adverse events. Lancet Respir Med. 2022 May 23. Online ahead of print.
A multicenter evaluation of the Seraph 100 microbind affinity blood filter for the treatment of severe COVID-19. Chitty SA, Mobbs S, Rifkin BS, Stogner SW, Lewis MS, Betancort J, DellaVolpe J et al. Findings suggest that broad spectrum, pathogen agnostic blood purification can be safely deployed to meet new pathogen threats while awaiting targeted therapies and vaccines. Crit Care Explor. 2022 Mar 25;4(4):e0662.
Efficacy and safety of baricitinib plus standard care for the treatment of critically ill hospitalised adults with COVID-19 on invasive mechanical ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: An exploratory, randomised placebo-controlled trial. Ely EW, Ramanan AV, Kartman CE, de Bono S, Liao R, Piruzeli MLB, Goldman JD et al. In a small exploratory study of critically ill, hospitalized COVID-19 patients on ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, treatment with baricitinib reduced mortality. Lancet Respir Med. 2022 Feb 3. Online ahead of print.
The effect of povidone-iodine nasal spray on COVID-19 nasopharyngeal viral load in patients: A randomized control trial. Zarabanda D, Vukkadala N, Phillips KM, Qian ZJ, Mfuh KO, Hatter M, Lee IT et al. Data suggest that dilute version of povidone-iodine nasal spray are safe for topical use in the nasal cavity, but that the spray does not demonstrate virucidal activity in COVID-19 positive outpatients. Laryngoscope. 2021 Nov 1. Online ahead of print.
Efficacy and safety of baricitinib for the treatment of hospitalised adults with COVID-19 (COV-BARRIER): A randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial. Marconi VC, Ramanan AV, de Bono S, Kartman CE, Krishnan V, Liao R, Piruzeli ML et al. Although there was no significant reduction in the frequency of disease progression overall, treatment with baricitinib in addition to standard of care (including dexamethasone) had a similar safety profile to that of standard care alone, and was associated with reduced mortality in hospitalized adults with COVID-19. Lancet Respir Med. 2021 Aug 31. Online ahead of print.
Laboratory Studies
Simulation of COVID-19 symptoms in a genetically engineered mouse model: Implications for the long haulers. Singh M, Pushpakumar S, Bard N, Zheng Y, Homme RP, Mokshagundam SPL, Tyagi SC. The engineered mouse appears to be a suitable model for studying COVID-19 and finding appropriate prevention and treatment methods. Mol Cell Biochem. 2022 Jun 22. Online ahead of print.
Multiomic analysis reveals cell-type-specific molecular determinants of COVID-19 severity. Zhang S, Cooper-Knock J, Weimer AK, Shi M, Zozhaya L, Unutmaz D, Harvey C et al. The study identified a possible genomic basis for COVID-19 severity. Cell Syst. 2022 Jun 3. Online ahead of print.
COVID-19 vaccine booster dose needed to achieve Omicron-specific neutralisation in nursing home residents. Canaday DH, Oyebanji OA, White E, Keresztesy D, Payne M, Wilk D, Carias L et al. Booster vaccination significantly increased Omicron-specific COVID-19 immune response in nursing home residents and health care workers. EBioMedicine. 2022 May 20;80:104066.
Inhibition of IRAK4 dysregulates SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-induced macrophage inflammatory and glycolytic reprogramming. Umar S, Palasiewicz K, Meyer A, Kumar P, Prabhakar BS, Volin MV, Rahat R et al. The study explores the molecular mechanism of how the SARS-CoV-2 virus affects the inflammatory response through the IRAK4 enzyme. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2022 May 19;79(6):301.
Interleukin-6 elevation is a key pathogenic factor underlying COVID-19-associated heart rate-corrected QT prolongation. Lazzerrini P, Accioli R, Acampa M, Zhang WH, Verrengia D, Cartocci A, Bacarelli MR et al. In severe COVID-19, systemic inflammatory activation can promote QT interval prolongation via IL-6 elevation, leading to ventricular electric remodeling. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2022 May 19;9:893681.
Data Analysis/Review
Pharmacogenetic variants and risk of remdesivir-associated liver enzyme elevations in Million Veteran Program participants hospitalized with COVID-19. Tuteja S, Yu Z, Wilson O, Chen HC, Wehdt F, Chung CP, Shah SC et al. Remdesivir-associated elevations of the liver enzyme alanine aminotransferase appear to be multifactorial, and further studies are needed. Clin Transl Sci. 2022 Jun 9. Online ahead of print.
Clinical characteristics and social determinants of health associated with 30-day hospital readmission of patients with COVID-19. Wiley Z, Kulshreshtha A, Li D, Kubes J, Kandiah S, Leung S, Kobaidze K et al. Patients who received remdesivir, were cared for in an ICU, and resided in ZIP codes with higher proportions of residence with increased social support had lower odds of hospital readmission. J Investig Med. 2022 Jun 1. Online ahead of print.
Racial and ethnic discrepancy in pulse oximetry and delayed identification of treatment eligibility among patients with COVID-19. Fawzy A, Wu TD, Wang K, Robinson ML, Farha J, Bradke A, Golden SH et al. Racial and ethnic biases in pulse oximetry accuracy were associated with greater occult hypoxemia in Asian, Black, and non-Black Hispanic patients with COVID-19, which was associated with significantly delayed or unrecognized eligibility for COVID-19 therapies among Black and Hispanic patients. JAMA Intern Med. 2022 May 31. Online ahead of print.
Variation in call volume to the Veterans Crisis Line by women and men Veterans prior to and following onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dichter ME, Chhatre S, Hoffmire C, Bellamy S, Montgomery AE, McCoy I. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was not associated with a spike in calls by Veterans to the Veteran Crisis Line. The pandemic may have led to an increase in calls by some as well as a decrease in calls by others. J Psychiatr Res. 2022 May 23;151:561563.
Evaluating primary endpoints for COVID-19 therapeutic trials to assess recovery. Douin DJ, Grandits G, Phillips A, Aggarwal NR, Baker J, Brown SM et al. Among patients hospitalized with COVID-19, 20% had clinically significant post-discharge events within 90 days after study, in patients that would be considered “recovered” using the hospital discharge approach. Clinical trials should extend follow-up times to assess recovery more accurately. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2022 May 17. Online ahead of print.
Other Research
Factors influencing uptake of telemental health via videoconferencing at high and low adoption sites within the Department of Veterans Affairs during COVID-19: A qualitative study. Connolly SL, Sullivan JL, Lindsay JA, Shimada SL, Heyworth L, Weaver KR, Miller CJ. A survey identified positive influences such as convenience and negative influence such as complexity that affected the uptake of videoconferencing for health care. Implement Sci Commun. 2022 Jun 20;3(1):66.
Self-reported health behaviors and risk perceptions following the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in the USA: An online survey study. Thorpe A, Fagerlin A, Drews FA, Shoemaker H, Scherer LD. COVID-19 vaccine rollout did not result in the rapid abandonment of protective behaviors or dramatic uptake of risk-increasing behaviors. Public Health. 2022 May 18;208:68-71.
Communications to promote interest and confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. Thorpe A, Fagerlin A, Drews FA, Butler J, Stevens V, Riddoch MS, Scherer LD. Messages with information on the benefits of vaccination, reframing the likelihood of side effects, and emphasizing that post-vaccine symptoms indicate the vaccine is working increased vaccine interest. Veterans were more interested and confident in vaccines than non-Veterans. Am J Health Promot. 2022 Apr 12. Online ahead of print.
An assessment of Veterans attitudes and willingness to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine: A mixed methods study. Gardner J, Brown G, Vargas-Correa J, Weaver F, Rubinstein I, Gordon HS. The study illustrates the complexity of patients’ deliberation about COVID-19 vaccination and may help physicians and other health care providers understand patients’ perspectives about vaccination. BMC Infect Dis. 2022 Mar 29;22(1):308.
Cognitive and functional abilities in an older adult Veteran before and after contracting COVID-19. Okolichany R, Padala PR, Mooney S. No patterns of cognitive changes occurred in a 76-year-old Veteran before and after he contracted COVID-19. High levels of resilience, social support, and exercise, coupled with lower levels of perceived stress and loneliness may protect against cognitive and functional decline in older adults who contract COVID-19. J Alzheimers Dis Rep. 2022 Mar 25;6(1):115-120.
Commentary
Awakening: The unveiling of historically unaddressed social inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Andrasik MP, Maunakea AK, Oseso L, Rodriguez-Diaz CE, Wallace S, Walters K, Yukawa M. Long-standing inequities paved the way for the disproportionate burdens of COVID-19 among people of color across the country. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2022 Jun;36(2):295-308.
Smoking enhances suicide risk—A significant role in the COID-19 pandemic? Sher L. Tobacco smoking cessation may be needed to reduce suicidal behavior during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. QJM. 2022 Jan 5;114(11):767-769.
Chasing the storm: Recruiting non-hospitalized patients for a multi-site randomized controlled trial in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hu K, Tardif JC, Huber M, Daly M, Langford AT, Kirby R, Rosenberg Y et al. Researchers share difficulties and strategies for recruiting participants to COVID-19 trials during the pandemic. Clin Transl Sci. 2021 Dec 24. Online ahead of print.
Suicide prevention in the COVID-19 era. Rothman S, Sher L. With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting mental health and creating social isolation, preventative measures need to be implemented universally. Prev Med. 2021 Nov;152(Pt 1):106547.
Conquering COVID-19: How global vaccine inequality risks prolonging the pandemic. Oehler RL, Vega VR. Wealthier countries must do more to eliminate the inequality that exists in COVID-19 vaccine availability in less-developed nations. As long as the pandemic rages in any corner of the globe, the world will never be truly rid of COVID-19. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Sep 9;8(10):ofab443.
As of November 2021, nearly 70 VA medical centers are involved in one or more COVID-19 clinical trials. Below are several examples. A full list of COVID-19 Clinical Trials in VA is also available.
VA research spells out COVID's down-the-road risks for cardiovascular and mental health
VA official encourages minorities to make educated decisions about participating in COVID-19 trials
Former Navy Surgeon General wants Veterans to know that vaccines are safe and effective for most
Veteran determined to help 'win this war' against COVID-19
For a concise overview of current VA Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D;) efforts on COVID-19, visit COVID-19 Efforts.
Photo: ©iStock/South_agencyTo rapidly stand up new research and optimize resources during the COVID-19 pandemic, the VA Office of Research and Development (ORD) has coordinated with the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, other federal agencies, and several industry partners—namely, pharmaceutical companies. Further, as part of the larger Veterans Health Administration system, ORD has supported other VHA offices by providing research expertise and personnel to assist with public health and informational demands.
Prior to the pandemic, ORD had been pursuing three strategic priorities: enhancing Veteran access to clinical trials; putting VA data to work for Veterans; and increasing the real-world impact of VA research. These priorities continue to guide ORD’s efforts and have positioned the program to quickly respond to COVID-19 through the creation and expansion of research partnerships; optimization of resource allocation; and streamlining and modernization of processes and policies. Part of this effort has involved creating new ways to rapidly support VA investigators eligible for VA research funding, and quickly evaluating research ideas proposed by VA scientists.
ORD is engaged in a wide array of research activities on COVID-19, with the support and cooperation of many internal VA and external partners. These activities encompass a range of studies, as well as innovative approaches to planning, coordinating, and expediting research:
To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, reduce exposures among both research staff and patients, and decrease the burden on the health care system, ORD instituted an administrative hold that stopped non-critical, in-person research contacts for all VA-funded research. (Some of this activity has begun to resume as of June, depending on local conditions.) Additional guidance was issued to ensure the safety and protection of all those involved in research. To ensure communication and understanding, ORD has developed a common communication platform for providing written guidance and sharing resources and tools, issued FAQs for field staff, and conducted a series of informational webinars for VA research personnel.
As protective measures were implemented for personnel, ORD recognized the importance of continuing research when possible, given the public investments made to date. In this context, regulatory guidance was issued on options and requirements for conducting research through alternative methods. Additionally, ORD worked with the VA Office of Information Technology to issue guidance on the use of communication technologies for research purposes. A field operations workgroup was also set up to examine ongoing research challenges and to develop more uniform guidance for all research programs.
