Feasibility of collaborating with independent Latino-owned restaurants to increase sales of a healthy combo meal

Americans spend the majority of their food dollars at restaurants and other prepared food sources, including quick-service and fast-food restaurants (PFS); independent small restaurants make up 66% of all PFS in the US. In this feasibility study, 5 independent and Latino-owned PFS in the Washington DC metro area worked with academic partners to start offering healthy combo meals with bottled water and promote these using on-site, community, and social media advertising. The number of healthy combos sold was collected weekly, showing that the new combos sold, and customers in all 5 sites were surveyed as they exited the PFS (n=50): >85% had noticed the combo meals; 100% thought it was a good idea to offer it, 68% had ordered the combo (of these, >94% of customers responded that they liked it). Results suggest that it is feasible to work with independent Latino-owned restaurants to promote healthy combos and collect data.

The Mariel Cubans and John Lewis's Legacy on Human Rights

This essay examines Representative John Lewis's engagement with the 1987 uprising of Cuban immigrant detainees held in Atlanta's federal penitentiary, which occurred near the beginning of Lewis's time in Congress. Cuban prisoners at the penitentiary took control of the institution and detained several hostages in order to forestall their deportation back to Cuba. After the uprising ended, in contrast to other public figures who advocated harsh punitive treatment, Lewis urged mercy and compassion for the prisoners. Lewis's involvement in the story revealed his underlying understanding of human rights, which he connected to his experiences in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. This broad conception of human rights shaped his engagement with issues of immigration throughout the remainder of his congressional career, especially during the administration of President Donald Trump. Lewis's engagement with issues of immigration is also especially noteworthy in light of metro Atlanta's emergence as a key site for the settlement of immigrants and refugees from around the world, which continues to shape the politics of the metro area.

527. Lower Risk of ICU Admission with Remdesivir in Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19 Pneumonia

Background Remdesivir (RDV) was approved by FDA in October 2020 for use in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We examined the association between RDV treatment and ICU admission in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia requiring supplemental oxygen (but not advanced respiratory support) in MN. Methods COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET) is population-based surveillance of hospitalized laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19. We analyzed COVID-NET cases ≥18 years hospitalized between Mar 23, 2020 and Jan 23, 2021 in MN for which medical record reviews were complete. On admission, included cases had evidence of COVID-19 pneumonia on chest imaging with oxygen saturation < 94% on room air or requiring supplemental oxygen. Cases were excluded if treated with RDV after ICU admission. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess the association between RDV treatment and ICU admission. Results Complete records were available for 8,666 cases (36% of admissions statewide). 1,996 cases were included in the analysis, of which 908 were treated with RDV. 83% of cases were residents of the 7-county metro area of Minneapolis-St. Paul. Mean age was 59.7 years (IQR 48-72), 55% were male, and the mean RDV treatment duration was 4.8 days (range 2-15). The proportion of cardiovascular disease (30.6% vs 23.9%, p=.003), renal disease (16.6% vs 7.6%, p< .001), and diabetes (34.7% vs 29.5%, p=0.01) was higher in the RDV untreated group, while obesity (22.3% vs 8.4%, p< .001) and dexamethasone use (54.7% vs 15%, p< .001) was more common in the RDV treated group. RDV untreated patients were more likely to be admitted to an ICU (18% vs 8.9%, p< .001) and had higher inpatient mortality than those treated with RDV (11% vs 4.4%, p< .001). After adjustment for dexamethasone use, age, sex and diabetes, treatment with RDV was associated with 48% lower odds of ICU admission (OR 0.52, 0.39-0.7, p< .001). Conclusion We found RDV treatment associated with a significantly lower risk of ICU admission in patients admitted to hospital requiring supplemental oxygen, suggesting that treatment may prevent disease progression in this group. Further studies should assess the potential benefit of RDV combination treatment with dexamethasone. Disclosures Ruth Lynfield, MD, Nothing to disclose

Community-Led Health Promotion Groups in a Bhutanese–Nepali Refugee Community

This practice note reports on the work of the Namaste Community Health Partnership, an academic-community partnership established to address health disparities in a metro-area Bhutanese–Nepali refugee community in the western United States. Partners worked together to develop, implement, and evaluate a culturally-tailored health promotion program where Bhutanese–Nepali individuals led weekly walking groups and shared health promotion information and behavior change tools with community participants. The program was implemented with approximately 70 community members across two metro-area neighborhoods and two adult day care centers serving elders. Evaluation strategies included documenting walk attendance, tracking engagement with health promotion goals, and focus group discussions with program participants. Once enrolled, most participants consistently attended walks and achieved weekly goals—some even increased walking frequency beyond program requirements. Participants provided positive feedback about having a community leader and reported learning new information and enjoying participating with other community members. Challenges and lessons learned included difficulties engaging younger adults from the community, concerns about signing research consent forms, cultural norms discouraging the distribution of individual research participation incentives, variability across groups in preferences for program activities, and barriers to administering survey-based evaluation instruments. This academic–community partnership built capacity in the local Bhutanese–Nepali community, produced culturally relevant health programming, and trained and employed community members as health educators and physical activity leaders. The program resulting from this work has the potential to improve health knowledge and chronic disease prevention practices and ultimately reduce health disparities in an underserved refugee community.