Here is what the editors at Physician’s Briefing chose as the most important COVID-19 developments for you and your practice for the week of Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, 2020. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal studies and other trusted sources that is most likely to affect clinical practice.
Primary Care Visits Dropped in Early Months of the Pandemic
FRIDAY, Oct. 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) — There has been a decrease in primary care office visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published online Oct. 2 in JAMA Network Open.
Antibodies Decrease With Time After COVID-19 Symptom Onset
FRIDAY, Oct. 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Antibodies decrease with time after COVID-19 symptom onset, according to a research letter published online Oct. 1 in Blood.
Mortality Below 40 Percent for COVID-19 Patients Put on ECMO
FRIDAY, Oct. 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For patients with COVID-19 receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support, mortality is below 40 percent, according to a study published online Sept. 25 in The Lancet.
Older Adults Likely to Be Excluded From COVID-19 Trials
FRIDAY, Oct. 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Older adults are likely to be excluded from many COVID-19 clinical trials and all vaccine trials, according to a research letter published online Sept. 28 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
No Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Expected Until Next Spring
THURSDAY, Oct. 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Moderna will not have a COVID-19 vaccine available for widespread use until next spring at the earliest, the company’s CEO said Wednesday.
Review: Children, Teens Have Lower Susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2
THURSDAY, Oct. 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Children and adolescents seem to have lower susceptibility to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 than adults, according to a review published online Sept. 25 in JAMA Pediatrics.
In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Common in Critically Ill With COVID-19
THURSDAY, Oct. 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For critically ill patients with COVID-19, in-hospital cardiac arrest is common and is associated with poor survival, according to a study published online Sept. 30 in The BMJ.
Number, Proportion of Pediatric COVID-19 Cases Rising in the U.S.
THURSDAY, Oct. 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Pediatric COVID-19 cases increased considerably from April to September in the United States, according to a study published online Sept. 29 in Pediatrics.
GI Complications More Common in Critically Ill With COVID-19
THURSDAY, Oct. 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A higher rate of gastrointestinal complications, including mesenteric ischemia, occurs among critically ill patients with COVID-19 versus matched patients without COVID-19, according to a research letter published online Sept. 24 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Recent Increase Seen in COVID-19 Incidence Among 18- to 22-Year-Olds
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — During Aug. 2 to Sept. 5, 2020, there was a 55.1 percent increase in the weekly incidence of COVID-19 nationally among young adults aged 18 to 22 years, according to research published in the Sept. 29 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
COVID-19-Related Hospital Death Up With Psychiatric Diagnosis
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Patients with any prior psychiatric diagnosis have an increased risk for COVID-19-related hospital death, according to a research letter published online Sept. 30 in JAMA Network Open.
COVID-19 Tests for Return to Work May Delay Health Care Workers
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Health care workers diagnosed with COVID-19 can have a prolonged recovery of viral RNA, which can delay return to work, according to research published online Aug. 26 in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
No Race Difference Found in COVID-19 Mortality Rates at Same Medical Center
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For admitted COVID-19 patients presenting to the same urban medical center, risk-adjusted outcomes were no worse for non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic patients versus non-Hispanic White patients, according to a study published online Sept. 25 in JAMA Network Open.
Current Trends in COVID-19 Reported for U.S. Youth
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The incidence of COVID-19 was higher in adolescents than among children during May to September 2020, according to research published in the Sept. 28 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Hospital Admissions Not Related to COVID-19 Fell in Early 2020
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Non-COVID-19 hospital admissions decreased considerably with the onset of COVID-19, with declines generally similar across patient demographic subgroups from February to April 2020, according to a report published online Sept. 24 in Health Affairs.
Global Death Toll From COVID-19 Passes 1 Million
TUESDAY, Sept. 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The global COVID-19 pandemic reached a grim new milestone on Tuesday: 1 million dead.
CDC Recommends No Travel for Thanksgiving
TUESDAY, Sept. 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Families who usually travel to see each other on Thanksgiving should stay home and hold virtual celebrations instead, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says in guidance on holiday safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
U.S. Government to Ship Millions of Rapid COVID-19 Tests This Week
TUESDAY, Sept. 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. government will start distributing millions of rapid COVID-19 tests to states this week with the goal of reopening schools.
Frequency of Alcohol Consumption Up During Pandemic
TUESDAY, Sept. 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — There has been an increase in the frequency of alcohol consumption from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a research letter published online Sept. 29 in JAMA Network Open.
Lockdown Tied to Worsening of Musculoskeletal Conditions
TUESDAY, Sept. 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Early stages of the U.K. COVID-19 lockdown had negative consequences for people with musculoskeletal conditions, according to a letter to the editor published online Sept. 22 in Rheumatology: Advances in Practice.
Outcomes of In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Poor in COVID-19 Patients
MONDAY, Sept. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) — None of 54 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 with in-hospital cardiac arrest who underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation survived to discharge, according to a research letter published online Sept. 28 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Clinical Severity Lower With Vitamin D Sufficiency in COVID-19
MONDAY, Sept. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Vitamin D sufficiency is associated with reduced clinical severity, inpatient mortality, and serum levels of C-reactive protein among patients infected with COVID-19, according to a study published online Sept. 25 in PLOS ONE.
<10 Percent of U.S. Population Has Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2
MONDAY, Sept. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Fewer than 10 percent of the U.S. adult population formed antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 during the first wave of the pandemic, according to a study published online Sept. 25 in The Lancet.
Only Two-Thirds of Parents Planning to Get Flu Shots for Their Children
MONDAY, Sept. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) — One-third of parents say they will forgo the flu vaccination for their children this year, despite public health recommendations, according to the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.
Infants of COVID-19-Infected Mothers Doing Well in Short Term
MONDAY, Sept. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Infants born to mothers testing positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 do not have a higher frequency of adverse outcomes than those born to mothers testing negative, according to a brief report published online Sept. 18 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Hydroxychloroquine Tied to Heart Problems Prior to Pandemic
MONDAY, Sept. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Real-world, pre-COVID-19 adverse events data show hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are associated with cardiovascular adverse events, according to a study published online Sept. 22 in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
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