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 Dec. 27 to 31, 2021. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal studies and other trusted sources that is most likely to affect clinical practice.
Adverse Events Rare After BNT162b2 Vaccine in 5- to 11-Year-Olds
THURSDAY, Dec. 30, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Children aged 5 to 11 years rarely report adverse events after Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination, and 97.6 percent of the adverse events are not serious, according to research published in the Dec. 31 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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BNT162b2 Vaccine Effectiveness 92 Percent for Teens Ages 12 to 17
THURSDAY, Dec. 30, 2021 (HealthDay News) — For adolescents ages 12 to 17 years, the effectiveness of full vaccination with two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 92 percent against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, according to research published in the Dec. 31 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Severe Illness, Viral Coinfection Common in Children With COVID-19 Hospitalization
THURSDAY, Dec. 30, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Many pediatric patients with COVID-19-related hospitalization have severe illness, according to research published in the Dec. 31 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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FDA May Allow Pfizer Boosters for 12- to 15-Year-Olds by Monday
THURSDAY, Dec. 30, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Younger adolescents may soon be eligible for COVID-19 booster vaccines, possibly by early next week.
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Seniors Report Medical Care Missed During the Pandemic
THURSDAY, Dec. 30, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Medicare beneficiaries experienced limited care access during the COVID-19 pandemic, although there was a decrease in forgone medical care over time, according to a study published online Dec. 30 in JAMA Health Forum.
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Most COVID-19-Related EUAs Not Supported by High-Quality Evidence
THURSDAY, Dec. 30, 2021 (HealthDay News) — During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency use authorizations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of COVID-19-related medical products were for diagnostic products and were supported by comparisons to previously authorized assays, according to a research letter published online Dec. 20 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Rivaroxaban Improves Clinical Outcomes After COVID-19 Hospitalization
THURSDAY, Dec. 30, 2021 (HealthDay News) — For patients at high risk for venous thromboembolism discharged after COVID-19 hospitalization, thromboprophylaxis with rivaroxaban is associated with improved clinical outcomes, according to a study published online Dec. 15 in The Lancet.
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Health Care Workers Had Acceptable Preparedness During First COVID-19 Wave
THURSDAY, Dec. 30, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Pandemic preparedness among health care workers varied not just by national wealth but also by sociodemographic characteristics during the first wave of COVID-19, according to a study published online Dec. 22 in PLOS ONE.
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FDA Says Rapid At-Home COVID-19 Tests Not as Sensitive to Omicron
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Early research suggests that some rapid COVID-19 tests may be less able to detect the omicron variant, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.
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CDC Lowers Estimate of Omicron Prevalence in the United States
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) — In an update that illustrates just how challenging it is to track the spread of a fast-moving virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday lowered its estimate of how prevalent the omicron variant is in the United States. The latest agency data peg omicron’s prevalence at 59 percent, a sharp drop from its estimate last week of 73 percent of all COVID-19 cases.
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Omicron Might Help Shield Against Delta, New Research Suggests
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Researchers are still trying to figure out what will happen with both the delta and omicron variants of COVID-19 spreading simultaneously. Now, new lab-based data are suggesting that the newer variant, omicron, might bring one silver lining: It could help individuals who contract it defend against the prior variant, delta.
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Weight Loss Via Surgery Linked to Improved COVID-19 Outcomes
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Individuals with obesity who have undergone weight loss surgery have a reduced risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes, according to a study published online Dec. 29 in JAMA Surgery.
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No Effect on Ovarian Reserve Seen After mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) — No changes are seen in plasma anti-Müllerian hormone levels at three months following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination, according to a study published online Dec. 22 in Human Reproduction.
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Vaccinated Kidney Transplant Recipients Vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 Variants
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) — After standard COVID-19 vaccination, many kidney transplant recipients are not adequately protected against emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 variants, according to a study published online Dec. 22 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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Depressive Symptoms Increased Among Seniors During COVID-19
TUESDAY, Dec. 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) — During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in the prevalence of clinically significant depressive symptoms among older adults, according to a study published online Dec. 22 in JAMA Psychiatry.
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As Omicron Spreads, Child Hospitalizations Climb 30 Percent in Past Week
TUESDAY, Dec. 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Child hospitalizations for COVID-19 jumped 30 percent this past week as the omicron variant spread like wildfire throughout the United States.
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Breakthrough COVID-19 Infection Risk Higher With Immune Dysfunction
TUESDAY, Dec. 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Full COVID-19 vaccination status is associated with a reduced risk for breakthrough infection, while persons with immune dysfunction have an increased risk for breakthrough infection, according to a study published online Dec. 28 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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CDC Reduces Recommended Isolation Time for People With COVID-19
TUESDAY, Dec. 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday that the recommended isolation time for people with COVID-19 is now reduced from 10 to five days for those who are asymptomatic. The agency also released updated guidance Thursday that reduces isolation time after COVID-19 infection for health care workers.
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COVID-19-Related Alcohol Consumption Will Increase Liver Disease
MONDAY, Dec. 27, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The short-term increase in alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to substantially increase the morbidity and mortality associated with long-term alcohol-related liver disease, according to a study published online Dec. 8 in Hepatology.
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Omicron Cases Pass U.S. Peak Seen With Delta
MONDAY, Dec. 27, 2021 (HealthDay News) — COVID-19 is again surging throughout the United States, with the omicron variant already outpacing this summer’s delta variant in the rate of daily cases.
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More Flights Canceled as Omicron Continues to Hit Flight Crews
MONDAY, Dec. 27, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The omicron variant continued to keep flights grounded on Monday as airlines canceled at least 2,400 more flights around the world, including 900 in the United States.
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U.S. to Lift Travel Restrictions for Southern African Countries
MONDAY, Dec. 27, 2021 (HealthDay News) – Starting Dec. 31, the United States will lift travel restrictions from eight countries in Southern Africa.
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Cancer Patients With Breakthrough COVID-19 Remain at Risk for Severe Outcomes
MONDAY, Dec. 27, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Patients with cancer who develop breakthrough infection following COVID-19 vaccination remain at risk for severe outcomes, according to a study published online Dec. 24 in the Annals of Oncology.
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NVX-CoV2373 Vaccine Protects Against COVID-19
MONDAY, Dec. 27, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The adjuvanted, recombinant spike protein nanoparticle vaccine, NVX-CoV2373, is effective for the prevention of COVID-19 in adults, according to a study published online Dec. 15 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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