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Physician's Briefing Weekly Coronavirus Roundup
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 Oct. 4 to 8, 2021. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal studies and other trusted sources that is most likely to affect clinical practice.
D-Dimer Level Not Useful for Ruling Out PE in COVID-19 Patients
FRIDAY, Oct. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Use of D-dimer levels to exclude pulmonary embolism has limited clinical utility and may be inappropriate in patients hospitalized with COVID-19, many of whom have increased plasma D-dimer values, according to a research letter published online Oct. 8 in JAMA Network Open.
Glucose-Regulating Drugs Aid COVID-19 Outcomes in Patients With Diabetes
FRIDAY, Oct. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Use of glucose-regulating medications may improve outcomes for COVID-19 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, according to a study published online Sept. 27 in Diabetes.
AAP: More Burn Injuries Reported for Children During Pandemic
FRIDAY, Oct. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in burn injuries among children, especially school-aged children, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics, held virtually from Oct. 8 to 11.
Protection Against SARS-CoV-2 Wanes Months After BNT162b2 Vaccination
FRIDAY, Oct. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Humoral responses and the effectiveness for protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection decline in the months following vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 vaccine, according to two studies published online Oct. 6 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
AAP: Nonaccidental Trauma Up for Over 5s During Stay-at-Home Orders
FRIDAY, Oct. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- For school-aged children, there was an increase in nonaccidental trauma during the stay-at-home orders in 2020, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics, held virtually from Oct. 8 to 11.
COVID-19 Delta Variant Tied to More Hospitalizations in Pregnant Patients
FRIDAY, Oct. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Unvaccinated pregnant patients are increasingly being hospitalized with COVID-19 during the surge of the delta variant, according to a research letter published online Sept. 13 in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Being Over 40 With T1DM Ups Risk for COVID-19-Related Hospitalizations
FRIDAY, Oct. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with type 1 diabetes older than 40 years of age are at higher risk for COVID-19-related hospitalization compared with younger individuals with T1D, according to a study published online Sept. 28 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
>140,000 U.S. Children Have Been Orphaned by COVID-19
THURSDAY, Oct. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- More than 140,000 children in the United States experienced the COVID-19-related death of a parent or grandparent caregiver from April 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021, with the risk for such loss higher among children of racial and ethnic minorities, according to a study published online Oct. 7 in Pediatrics.
Los Angeles Passes Country's Strictest Vaccine Mandate
THURSDAY, Oct. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- One of the strictest COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the United States has been approved in Los Angeles.
Pfizer Seeks FDA Approval for COVID-19 Vaccine in Children 5 to 11
THURSDAY, Oct. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Pfizer announced Thursday that it has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency approval for its COVID-19 vaccine to be given to children between the ages of 5 and 11 years. The agency has scheduled an Oct. 26 meeting to consider the Pfizer request, with a ruling expected between Halloween and Thanksgiving, The New York Times reported.
Routine Childhood Vaccination Rates Down During the Pandemic
THURSDAY, Oct. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- As of September 2020, childhood vaccination rates were lower than 2019 levels, according to a study published online Oct. 7 in JAMA Pediatrics.
COVID-19 Vaccine Concerns ID'd in Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis Patients
THURSDAY, Oct. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Among patients with psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis, a considerable number are hesitant about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and the effect they may have on their underlying conditions, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, held virtually from Sept. 29 to Oct 2.
Cannabis Use in Pregnant Women Increased During the Pandemic
THURSDAY, Oct. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Rates of biochemically verified prenatal cannabis use increased significantly among pregnant women in Northern California during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a research letter published online Sept. 27 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Health Care Workers Show Greatest COVID-19 Stress
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 6, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Health care workers experienced higher levels of stress than other occupations in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published online Oct. 6 in PLOS ONE.
U.S. to Buy $1 Billion Worth of Rapid COVID-19 Tests
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 6, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- The Biden administration said Wednesday that it plans to purchase $1 billion worth of rapid, at-home COVID-19 tests and take other actions to quadruple the number of tests available to Americans by December.
Nearly 200,000 COVID-19 Home Tests Recalled Over False Positives
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 6, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Almost 200,000 Ellume COVID-19 home testing kits have been recalled because they may be more likely to give a false-positive result.
BNT162b2 Protects Against COVID-19 Hospitalization for Up to Six Months
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 6, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- The BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccine is highly effective against COVID-19-related hospital admission up to six months after full vaccination, according to a study published online Oct. 4 in The Lancet.
Breakthrough COVID-19 Risk Up for Patients With Substance Use Disorders
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 6, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- The risk for breakthrough COVID-19 infections is increased for fully vaccinated patients with substance use disorders, according to a study published online Oct. 6 in World Psychiatry.
Outpatient Anticoagulant Therapy May Cut COVID-19 Admission Risk
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 6, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Individuals using anticoagulation therapy on an outpatient basis who are diagnosed with COVID-19 have a reduced risk for hospital admission, according to a study published online Sept. 24 in EClinicalMedicine.
Depressive Symptoms Up in U.S. Adults During the Pandemic
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 6, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- The burden of depressive symptoms in the U.S. adult population has increased during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published online Oct. 4 in The Lancet Regional Health-Americas.
Johnson & Johnson Seeks FDA Emergency Approval for Its Booster Shot
TUESDAY, Oct. 5, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Johnson & Johnson announced Tuesday that it has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve emergency use of its COVID-19 booster shot.
Study Confirms Virulence of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern
TUESDAY, Oct. 5, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 variants of concern, including the N501Y mutation (i.e., alpha/B1.1.17, beta/B.1.351, and gamma/P.1 variants) and the delta/B.1.617 variant, are associated with increased risks for hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, and death, according to a study published online Oct. 5 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Excess Mortality Up During Pandemic
TUESDAY, Oct. 5, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Racial and ethnic disparities in excess mortality increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published online Oct. 5 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
U.S. Nursing Home Deaths Rise as Delta Spreads
MONDAY, Oct. 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- There has been a significant increase in COVID-19-related deaths in nursing homes as the highly contagious delta spreads across the country, a new analysis shows.
J&J to Ask FDA to Approve Its COVID-19 Booster Shot
MONDAY, Oct. 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Johnson & Johnson plans to ask the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve emergency use of a booster shot of its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine early this week.
U.S. Passes 700,000 COVID-19 Deaths
MONDAY, Oct. 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- The United States has now surpassed 700,000 COVID-19 deaths, as the highly contagious delta variant continues to hold the country in its grip.
EU Drug Regulator Approves Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots
MONDAY, Oct. 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people aged 18 years and older have been given the green light by the European Medicines Agency.
E-Cigarette Use in Teens Prevalent During COVID-19 Pandemic
MONDAY, Oct. 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- During 2021, among youth currently using electronic cigarettes, 27.6 percent of high-school students and 8.3 percent of middle-school students reported daily use, according to research published in the Oct. 1 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Acute Myocarditis Rare After COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination in Adults
MONDAY, Oct. 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Acute myocarditis is rare in adults who receive at least one dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, with an incidence of 5.8 cases per 1 million individuals after the second dose, according to a research letter published online Oct. 4 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Colorectal Cancer Diagnoses Plummeted During the Pandemic
MONDAY, Oct. 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- The number of colorectal cancer cases diagnosed decreased by 40 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic period, according to a study presented at UEG Week Virtual 2021, hosted by United European Gastroenterology and held from Oct. 3 to 5.
Adults With Disability Less Likely to Have Received COVID-19 Vaccine
MONDAY, Oct. 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Adults with a disability are less likely to report having received one or more doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, although they are more likely to report higher endorsement of the vaccine as protection, according to research published in the Oct. 1 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
