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 May 24 to 28, 2021. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal studies and other trusted sources that is most likely to affect clinical practice.
Poll Finds Herd Immunity in U.S. Possible by Summer
FRIDAY, May 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Seventy percent of American adults could be vaccinated against COVID-19 by this summer, a new poll suggests.
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ED Presentations for Appendicitis, Miscarriage Down in Pandemic
FRIDAY, May 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a decrease in presentations to the emergency department for appendicitis and miscarriage, according to a study published online May 25 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
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Functional Decline Common in Adults Hospitalized for COVID-19
FRIDAY, May 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Forty-five percent of adults hospitalized for COVID-19 experienced functional decline impacting survival, according to a study published online April 30 in PM&R.
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Review Shows COVID-19 Symptoms Often Linger
FRIDAY, May 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- COVID-19 symptoms frequently persist beyond the acute phase of infection, according to a systematic review published online May 26 in JAMA Network Open.
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FDA Approves Third COVID-19 Antibody Treatment for Emergency Use
THURSDAY, May 27, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- A third antibody treatment designed to keep high-risk COVID-19 patients from being hospitalized was approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday.
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U.S. Intelligence Told to 'Redouble' Efforts to Determine Source of COVID-19
THURSDAY, May 27, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. intelligence community has been told to "redouble" their efforts to learn the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Joe Biden said Wednesday.
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Possible Cause Found for Rare Blood Clots Tied to Some COVID-19 Vaccines
THURSDAY, May 27, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- The cause of rare blood clots in some people who have received the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines has been found, researchers report.
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COVID-19 Vaccines May Give Protection for Years: Studies
THURSDAY, May 27, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- COVID-19 vaccines may provide protection for at least a year, and possibly even a lifetime, to people who were previously exposed to the virus, two new studies suggest.
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One Dose of BNT162b2 Inadequate for Hemodialysis Patients
THURSDAY, May 27, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- For a majority of hemodialysis patients, a single dose of the BNT162b2 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccine fails to elicit a humoral response, according to a study published online May 12 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
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CDC Offers Details on SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Breakthrough Infections
WEDNESDAY, May 26, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccine breakthrough infections occur in a small percentage of vaccinated individuals, according to research published in the May 25 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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U.S. Officials Say 50 Percent of American Adults Are Now Fully Vaccinated
WEDNESDAY, May 26, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Half of America's adults are now fully vaccinated against the new coronavirus, U.S. officials announced Tuesday.
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Methotrexate May Impair Immune Response to mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine
WEDNESDAY, May 26, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases receiving background methotrexate have worse humoral and cellular immunogenicity to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, according to a study published online May 25 in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
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SARS-CoV-2 Reinfection Risk Low Among Health Care Workers
WEDNESDAY, May 26, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Health care workers are more likely to test positive with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, and the risk for reinfection is low, according to a study published online May 25 in ERJ Open Research.
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Undervaccination for COVID-19 Found for Individuals With Schizophrenia
WEDNESDAY, May 26, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Individuals with schizophrenia are undervaccinated against COVID-19 compared with age- and gender-matched controls in Israel, according to a research letter published online May 18 in World Psychiatry.
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Dialysis Patients Maintain Humoral Response to SARS-CoV-2 Infection
WEDNESDAY, May 26, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Most severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 seropositive patients receiving dialysis maintain receptor-binding domain immunoglobulin G levels over a period of six months, according to a study published online May 18 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Highly Effective in Children 12 and Older
TUESDAY, May 25, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine fully protects children aged 12 to 17 years, the company announced Tuesday.
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U.S. Issues Tough Travel Warnings for Japan Ahead of Olympics
TUESDAY, May 25, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. officials on Monday warned all Americans not to visit Japan because of a spike in COVID-19 cases there just two months before the Tokyo Olympics are set to start.
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CDC Investigating Heart Problems in Teens, Young Adults After COVID-19 Vaccination
MONDAY, May 24, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Reports of myocarditis in a small number of teens and young adults who have received COVID-19 vaccines are being investigated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Latin America's COVID-19 Death Toll Climbs Above 1 Million
MONDAY, May 24, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- The COVID-19 death toll in Latin America and the Caribbean has surpassed 1 million, Johns Hopkins University data show.
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Pfizer, AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccines Effective Against Indian Variant: Study
MONDAY, May 24, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Two doses of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines are effective against the coronavirus variant first identified in India, according to a new report from Public Health England.
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Thousands of 'Black Fungus' Cases Reported in COVID-19 Patients in India
MONDAY, May 24, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- India is struggling with thousands of cases of deadly fungal infections in COVID-19 patients and those who have recovered from the disease.
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U.S. COVID-19 Infections, Deaths Drop to Levels Not Seen Since Last Summer
MONDAY, May 24, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Fewer than 30,000 new COVID-19 cases are now being reported daily in the United States, with deaths as low as they have been since last June.
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COVID-19 Symptom Exacerbation Leading Cause of Reencounters
MONDAY, May 24, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- COVID-19 symptom exacerbation is the leading cause of early acute-care hospital reencounters after COVID-19 hospitalization, according to a study published online May 21 in GeroScience.
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COVID-19 Had Major Impact on ICU Nurses' Mental Health
MONDAY, May 24, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Nurses who worked in the intensive care unit during the COVID-19 pandemic have high levels of moral distress, burnout, anxiety, and depression, according to a study presented at the American Thoracic Society 2021 International Conference, held virtually from May 14 to 19.
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