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 June 15 to 19, 2020. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal studies and other trusted sources that is most likely to affect clinical practice.
Early Data Show No Protest-Related Increases in COVID-19 Infections
FRIDAY, June 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Antiracism protests in the United States have not led to increases in new cases of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, early data show.
Read Full Article
Scientists Say Journal Should Retract Mask Study
FRIDAY, June 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A study on the use of masks to protect against the new coronavirus should be retracted by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences because it contains "egregious errors" and "verifiably false" statements, a group of scientists say in a letter to the journal's editors.
Read Full Article
Stay-at-Home Orders Tied to Slowing of COVID-19 Hospitalizations
FRIDAY, June 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Statewide stay-at-home orders are associated with decreases in COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to a research letter recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Read Full Article
Isolation, Contact Tracing Combo Can Cut COVID-19 Transmission
FRIDAY, June 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Combined isolation and tracing strategies can reduce COVID-19 transmission more than mass testing or self-isolation alone, according to a study published online June 16 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Read Full Article
Prone Position Ups Oxygenation in Patients With Severe COVID-19
FRIDAY, June 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The use of the prone position for awake, spontaneously breathing patients with COVID-19-related severe hypoxemic respiratory failure is associated with improved oxygenation, according to a research letter published online June 17 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Read Full Article
22 Percent Worldwide at Increased Risk for Severe COVID-19
FRIDAY, June 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- About 22 percent of the global population has at least one underlying condition that places them at increased risk for severe COVID-19, according to a modeling study published online June 15 in The Lancet Global Health.
Read Full Article
Heart Transplant Patients May Have Higher COVID-19 Mortality
FRIDAY, June 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Heart transplant patients admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 symptoms may be sicker than nontransplant patients, but they present with the same symptoms as the general population, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Cardiac Failure.
Read Full Article
Nine Texas Mayors Ask Governor for Power to Mandate Face Masks
THURSDAY, June 18, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Mayors in Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and five other Texas municipalities want Gov. Greg Abbott to give them the power to require people to wear masks in public "where physical distancing cannot be practiced."
Read Full Article
Sociodemographic Gaps Found in COVID-19 Incidence, Knowledge
THURSDAY, June 18, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- There are sociodemographic gaps in the reported incidence of COVID-19 and knowledge regarding its spread and symptoms, according to a study published online June 18 in JAMA Network Open.
Read Full Article
Face-Mask Use May Mitigate Spread of COVID-19
THURSDAY, June 18, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Requiring face-mask use in public may help to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, according to a report published online June 16 in Health Affairs.
Read Full Article
Clinical, Epidemiological Features of Pediatric SARS-CoV-2 ID'd
THURSDAY, June 18, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of pediatric severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections are described in an article published online June 16 in PLOS Medicine.
Read Full Article
Hyperglycemia Common in T1DM Patients With COVID-19
THURSDAY, June 18, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Presentation patterns are similar in patients with type 1 diabetes admitted with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, according to a study published online June 5 in Diabetes Care.
Read Full Article
U.S. Insurers Should Not Charge Copays for COVID-19 Vaccine
WEDNESDAY, June 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Health insurance companies are expected to cover vaccines for the new coronavirus without charging copays, U.S. officials say.
Read Full Article
Record-High Spikes in COVID-19 Cases Seen in Arizona, Florida, Texas
WEDNESDAY, June 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- After reopening, states such as Arizona, Florida, and Texas are all seeing record-high one-day increases in COVID-19 cases.
Read Full Article
Strong Support Found for Protective Practices Related to COVID-19
WEDNESDAY, June 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Most adults in New York City, Los Angeles, and the United States support stay-at-home orders and nonessential business closures during the COVID-19 pandemic and report always or often wearing face coverings in public areas, according to research published in the June 12 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Read Full Article
Proactive Monitoring Program Beneficial for COVID-19 Home Care
WEDNESDAY, June 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A proactive monitoring program for COVID-19 can track illness, provide support, and identify cases that need hospitalization, according to a study published online June 16 in NEJM Catalyst.
Read Full Article
Risk for COVID-19 Reinfection Remains Unknown
WEDNESDAY, June 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The potential risk for reinfection with COVID-19 remains a concern, but evidence is scarce, according to Jeffrey Shaman, Ph.D., director of the climate and health program at Columbia University, who recently spoke with HD Live! about his research and the risk for reinfection with COVID-19.
Read Full Article
Hydroxychloroquine-Remdesivir Combo Dangerous for COVID-19 Patients
TUESDAY, June 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- In the treatment of COVID-19 patients, chloroquine phosphate or hydroxychloroquine sulfate should not be used with the experimental drug remdesivir because of a potentially unfavorable drug interaction, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.
Read Full Article
CDC: Cumulative Incidence of COVID-19 403.6 Per 100,000 in U.S.
TUESDAY, June 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The cumulative incidence of COVID-19 is 403.6 cases per 100,000 persons in the United States, and hospitalization and death rates are six and 12 times higher, respectively, for those with underlying conditions, according to research published in the June 15 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Read Full Article
Steroid May Reduce COVID-19 Death Risk by Up to One-Third
TUESDAY, June 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The cheap and widely available steroid dexamethasone reduced the risk for death among seriously ill COVID-19 patients by up to a third, according to researchers in England.
Read Full Article
Face Masks Most Effective Means to Avert COVID-19 Transmission
TUESDAY, June 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Mandated face coverings represent the most effective means to prevent interhuman transmission of COVID-19, according to a study published online June 11 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Read Full Article
Self-Collected Nasal Swabs Acceptable for SARS-CoV-2 Testing
TUESDAY, June 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Patient-collected lower nasal specimens may be acceptable for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 testing, according to a research letter published online June 12 in JAMA Network Open.
Read Full Article
Correlates of COVID-19 ID'd on American Indian Reservations
TUESDAY, June 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The rate of COVID-19 cases is increased on American Indian reservations with larger proportions of homes lacking complete indoor plumbing, according to a study published in the July/August issue of the Journal of Public Health Management & Practice.
Read Full Article
FDA Pulls Emergency Approval of Hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19
MONDAY, June 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has withdrawn its emergency authorization for the use of chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate in the fight against COVID-19.
Read Full Article
Blood Donors Will Get Results of Coronavirus Antibody Test, Red Cross Says
MONDAY, June 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The American Red Cross will test all blood, platelet, and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies so donors can learn whether they have been exposed to the new coronavirus.
Read Full Article
Black Americans Much More Likely to Have Lost Loved Ones to COVID-19
MONDAY, June 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Black Americans are much more likely than other Americans to say a relative or close friend has died of COVID-19, surveys reveal.
Read Full Article
COVID-19 Cases Rising in Many States as Reopening Continues
MONDAY, June 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- With most state reopenings well underway, many are now seeing alarming surges in COVID-19 cases, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo warned that a return to lockdown for his state was possible.
Read Full Article
COVID-19 Death Rate High for Patients With Thoracic Cancer
MONDAY, June 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with thoracic cancer, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection is associated with high mortality and low intensive care unit admission, according to a study published online June 12 in The Lancet Oncology.
Read Full Article
Pediatric COVID-19 Symptoms Differ From Those Seen in Adults
MONDAY, June 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Clinical manifestations of COVID-19 in children differ widely from adult cases, according to a review published online June 3 in Pediatric Pulmonology.
Read Full Article
Gastrointestinal Symptoms Not Uncommon With COVID-19
MONDAY, June 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Approximately 12 percent of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection report gastrointestinal symptoms, according to a review published online June 11 in JAMA Network Open.
Read Full Article
Nonpharmaceutical Interventions Slow COVID-19 Growth
MONDAY, June 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Nonpharmaceutical interventions have been beneficial for slowing COVID-19 growth on a global level and within Europe, according to two studies published online June 8 in Nature.
Read Full Article
