Background: Healthcare facilities have experienced many challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, including limited personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies. Healthcare personnel (HCP) rely on PPE, vaccines, and other infection control measures to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infections. We describe PPE concerns reported by HCP who had close contact with COVID-19 patients in the workplace and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Method: The CDC collaborated with Emerging Infections Program (EIP) sites in 10 states to conduct surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 infections in HCP. EIP staff interviewed HCP with positive SARS-CoV-2 viral tests (ie, cases) to collect data on demographics, healthcare roles, exposures, PPE use, and concerns about their PPE use during COVID-19 patient care in the 14 days before the HCP’s SARS-CoV-2 positive test. PPE concerns were qualitatively coded as being related to supply (eg, low quality, shortages); use (eg, extended use, reuse, lack of fit test); or facility policy (eg, lack of guidance). We calculated and compared the percentages of cases reporting each concern type during the initial phase of the pandemic (April–May 2020), during the first US peak of daily COVID-19 cases (June–August 2020), and during the second US peak (September 2020–January 2021). We compared percentages using mid-P or Fisher exact tests (α = 0.05). Results: Among 1,998 HCP cases occurring during April 2020–January 2021 who had close contact with COVID-19 patients, 613 (30.7%) reported ≥1 PPE concern (Table 1). The percentage of cases reporting supply or use concerns was higher during the first peak period than the second peak period (supply concerns: 12.5% vs 7.5%; use concerns: 25.5% vs 18.2%; p Conclusions: Although lower percentages of HCP cases overall reported PPE concerns after the first US peak, our results highlight the importance of developing capacity to produce and distribute PPE during times of increased demand. The difference we observed among selected groups of cases may indicate that PPE access and use were more challenging for some, such as nonphysicians and nursing home HCP. These findings underscore the need to ensure that PPE is accessible and used correctly by HCP for whom use is recommended.

Funding: None

Disclosures: None

The high fat content in Western diets probably affects placental function during pregnancy with potential consequences for the offspring in the short and long term. The aim of the present study was to compare genome-wide placental gene expression between rat dams fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and those fed a control diet for 3 weeks before conception and during gestation. Gene expression was measured by microarray and pathway analysis was performed. Gene expression differences were replicated by real-time PCR and protein expression was assessed by Western blot analysis. Placental and fetal weights at E17.25 were not altered by exposure to the maternal HFD. Gene pathways targeting placental growth, blood supply and chemokine signalling were up-regulated in the placentae of dams fed the HFD. The up-regulation in messenger RNA expression for five genes Ptgs2 (fatty acid cyclo-oxidase 2; COX2), Limk1 (LIM domain kinase 1), Pla2g2a (phospholipase A2), Itga1 (integrin α-1) and Serpine1 was confirmed by real-time PCR. Placental protein expression for COX2 and LIMK was also increased in HFD-fed dams. In conclusion, maternal HFD feeding alters placental gene expression patterns of placental growth and blood supply and specifically increases the expression of genes involved in arachidonic acid and PG metabolism. These changes indicate a placental response to the altered maternal metabolic environment.

Food utilization in relation to growth of body components, and fat mobilization and its hormonal control in vivo, were examined in 15 Hereford and 15 Friesian steers which were slaughtered at 20 months of age. Changes in body composition between 6 and 20 months were calculated from the body composition of these animals and from an additional four and two steers from each breed slaughtered at 6 and 13 months of age, respectively.

The Friesians consumed more food overall (14%) and grew more rapidly (14%), but their intake in relation to metabolic body weight was not different from that of the Herefords. Although the Friesians deposited more protein in relation to lipid there was no breed difference in food conversion ratio, and maintenance requirement relative to empty-body weight0·75 was estimated to be 7% greater in the Friesians than the Herefords. Friesians therefore had a lower efficiency of conversion of food energy to body energy. It is speculated that the higher maintenance requirement of the Friesians was due to a faster rate of protein deposition and a higher proportion of visceral organs with an associated higher rate of protein turnover.

Changes in plasma concentrations of free fatty acids (FFA), insulin, growth hormone (GH), adrenaline and noradrenaline were examined in response to fasting at 12 and 20 months of age. Inaddition plasma concentrations of glucose, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) were measured at 20 months of age.

At both ages, FFA concentration increased almost linearly with duration of fasting and was not different between breeds. It was therefore unrelated to fat partitioning and a poor index of breed differences in metabolic and body type. Within breeds, the rate at which FFA concentration increased during fasting was correlated with estimated maintenance requirement (r = 0·53). This suggests a different relationship between FFA utilization and maintenance requirement in the two breeds.

During fasting at 12 months of age, Friesians had higher concentrations of plasma GH and noradrenaline. At 20 months of age they had higher concentiations of glucose, insulin and catecholamines. There was no obvious hormonal explanation for the observed differences in body composition or growth efficiency. Correlations between indices of fat partitioning and maintenance requirement were low, suggesting no direct link between the two traits.

Mesomorphic, stress-sensitive Pietrain pigs were found to have a lower insulin secretory response to intravenous tolbutamide, glucose and arginine, when compared with ectomorphic, stress-resistant Large White pigs. Pietrain pigs have also been observed to be insulin-insensitive in comparison with Large White pigs. The combination of a low production of and low sensitivity to insulin in the Pietrain breed could account for their enhanced sensitivity to lipolytic agents and for their reduced ability to deposit body fat.