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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Infectious diseases

Strategies Adopted by Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men to Prevent Monkeypox virus Transmission — United States, August 2022
Reports on monkeypox vaccination among men who have sex with men (MSM), with data by location for urban, suburban, small/medium metro, and rural areas. Information is based on a monkeypox-specific follow-up survey to the annual American Men's Internet Survey, completed by a convenience sample of 824 MSM.
Author(s): Kevin P. Delaney, Travis Sanchez, Marissa Hannah, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 71(35), 1126-1130
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Booster COVID-19 Vaccinations Among Persons Aged ≥5 Years and Second Booster COVID-19 Vaccinations Among Persons Aged ≥50 Years — United States, August 13, 2021–August 5, 2022
Reports on booster and second booster vaccination coverage among eligible populations, with data by urban and rural location by age group for those age 5-11, 12-17, 18-39, 40-64, and 65 and older. Includes discussion of vaccination barriers in rural areas.
Author(s): Hannah E. Fast, Bhavini Patel Murthy, Elizabeth Zell, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 71(35), 1121-1125
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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National Vaccination Coverage Among Adolescents Aged 13–17 Years — National Immunization Survey-Teen, United States, 2021
Reports on trends in vaccination coverage among U.S. adolescents by age for ages 13 through 17. Includes discussion of rural vaccination coverage concerns but does not provide rural-specific data.
Author(s): Cassandra Pingali, David Yankey, Laurie D. Elam-Evans, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 71(35), 1101-1108
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Exploring Rural Doctors' Early Experiences of Coping With the Emerging COVID-19 Pandemic
Explores the methods rural doctors used to care for patients and cope with the stress of COVID-19. Bases conclusions on interviews with rural physicians detailing the support they gave and received in their practices and their strategies for dealing with the emotional toll of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Author(s): Ian Couper, Lucie Walters, Susan Williams, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 38(4), 923-931
Date: 09/2022
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The Implications of Long COVID for Rural Communities
Discusses the differences in COVID-19 outcomes for rural and urban areas and assesses their relative risk for, and capacity to treat, long COVID. Explores how the usual barriers to health and wellness in rural areas could affect the diagnosis and treatment of long COVID.
Author(s): Nathan Hale, Michael Meit, Samuel Pettyjohn, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 38(4), 945-947
Date: 09/2022
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Broadband Internet Subscription Rates and Opioid Prescribing via Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Explores the effect of the DEA's temporary permission for providers to prescribe opioids via telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kentucky. Discusses the effect this permission had on rural areas and in counties with low and high rates of broadband access.
Author(s): Douglas R. Oyler, Svetla Slavova, Patricia R. Freeman, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 38(4), 900-907
Date: 09/2022
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Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Rural and Urban Cancer Patients' Experiences, Health Behaviors, and Perceptions
Study examining the impacts of COVID-19 on rural and urban cancer patients based on a survey of 1,472 adult patients of the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Compares rural and urban demographic, clinical, and behavioral characteristics; experiences with healthcare; health behaviors; and stress factors.
Author(s): Anita R. Peoples, Laura B. Oswald, Jennifer Ose, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 38(4), 886-899
Date: 09/2022
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Texas HIV Surveillance Report: Annual Report
Provides an annual update of county-level data on HIV infection and AIDS cases for Texas. Includes infection by transmission method, diagnoses by race/ethnicity and age group, data for criminal justice and immigration facilities, and more.
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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Disability and Telehealth since the COVID-19 Pandemic
Discusses the importance of telehealth for people with disabilities in context of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Describes telehealth's benefits and barriers for individuals as well as institutional advantages and limitations, including discussion of increased need and accessibility issues in rural areas. Describes specific policy and funding modifications during the public health emergency. Provides policy and infrastructure recommendations.
Author(s): Natalie Lawson, Jaque King, Robyn Rontal
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health and Research Transformation at the University of Michigan (CHRT)
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Coroner/Medical Examiner Services in Pennsylvania
Provides information about Pennsylvania coroner/medical examiners (C/MEs), including office caseloads, funding, facilities, forensic capacity, vehicles and equipment, and staffing and training resources. Assesses how the opioid epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic affected county C/ME offices in urban and rural areas. Features statistics including deaths from COVID-19 and drug overdose from 2015-2021, with breakdowns by urban and rural counties.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Harry D. Holt, Ramona Stone, Christina VandePol
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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