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 Aug. 16 to 20, 2021. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal studies and other trusted sources that is most likely to affect clinical practice.
Long-Haul COVID-19 May Affect Two of Three With Mild, Moderate Disease
FRIDAY, Aug. 20, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The majority of individuals who experience mild or moderate COVID-19 infection have persistent symptoms more than 30 days after diagnosis, according to a study published online Aug. 4 in PLOS ONE.
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COVID-19 Immune Response Appears Strong in Cancer Patients
FRIDAY, Aug. 20, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The seropositivity rate among patients with cancer remains high four months after the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a research letter published online Aug. 11 in JAMA Oncology.
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Risk for Myocarditis in Young Who Get Moderna Shots May Be Greater Than Thought
FRIDAY, Aug. 20, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine may be linked to a higher risk for myocarditis in younger adults than believed, emerging reports show.
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Decision on J&J COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Doses Could Take Weeks
FRIDAY, Aug. 20, 2021 (HealthDay News) — A decision on booster shots for the approximately 13.8 million Americans who received the Johnson & Johnson single-shot COVID-19 vaccine is likely to take weeks, according to people familiar with the issue.
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mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Lower During Delta Strain Era
FRIDAY, Aug. 20, 2021 (HealthDay News) — mRNA COVID-19 vaccines provide protection against infection among nursing home residents, but the vaccine effectiveness was lower after the delta variant became the predominant strain, according to research published in the Aug. 18 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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mRNA Vaccine Effective Against Hospitalization Over 24-Week Period
FRIDAY, Aug. 20, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The effectiveness of mRNA vaccination against COVID-19-associated hospitalization is sustained over a 24-week period, according to research published in the Aug. 18 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Screening Mammograms Plummeted During COVID-19 Pandemic
FRIDAY, Aug. 20, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Substantially fewer women completed screening mammograms at one safety-net hospital during the first year of the pandemic, with Black women experiencing the lowest volumes compared with other racial/ethnic groups, according to a research letter published online Aug. 6 in JAMA Network Open.
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COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Down Against New Infections in New York
THURSDAY, Aug. 19, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Currently available vaccines are effective for preventing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection and COVID-19-associated hospitalization, but vaccine effectiveness has declined in recent months in New York, according to research published in the Aug. 18 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Biden Puts Pressure on Nursing Homes to Vaccinate Staff Against COVID-19
THURSDAY, Aug. 19, 2021 (HealthDay News) — All U.S. nursing home staff must be vaccinated against COVID-19 or their employers will risk losing Medicare and Medicaid funding, President Joe Biden announced Wednesday.
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Almost 140,000 COVID-19 Deaths Averted With Vaccinations
THURSDAY, Aug. 19, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The early COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the United States resulted in almost 140,000 averted COVID-19 deaths as of May 9, 2021, according to a study published online Aug. 18 in Health Affairs.
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COVID-19 Booster Shots for All Americans, Starting Sept. 20
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) — After concluding that a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine is needed to fight off waning immunity in the fully vaccinated, the Biden administration said Wednesday it will begin offering booster shots to all Americans starting Sept. 20.
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TSA Extends Mask Mandate for U.S. Travelers to January
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the highly contagious delta variant, a mask mandate for travelers and employees on U.S. airline flights and public transportation will be extended until Jan. 18, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday.
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Antibiotic Dispensing Decreased After COVID-19 Restrictions
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Following implementation of COVID-19 restrictions in Australia in April 2020, there was a reduction in antibiotic dispensing, according to a study published online Aug. 18 in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
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COVID-19 Vaccines Well Tolerated Among Reproductive-Aged Women
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) — COVID-19 vaccines are well tolerated among individuals who are pregnant, lactating, or planning pregnancy, according to a research letter published online Aug. 17 in JAMA Network Open.
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Household SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Higher With Younger Children
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Younger children may be more likely to transmit severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection to other members of their households compared with older children, according to a study published online Aug. 16 in JAMA Pediatrics.
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Flu Vaccine May Protect Against Adverse Events After SARS-CoV-2
TUESDAY, Aug. 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Influenza vaccination has a potential protective effect against adverse events within 120 days of a positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 diagnosis, according to a study published online Aug. 3 in PLOS ONE.
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U.S. National Park Service Issues Mask Mandate
TUESDAY, Aug. 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Masks are now required for all visitors, employees, and contractors inside U.S. National Park Service facilities and in crowded outdoor spaces, the service said Monday. The mandate applies regardless of an individual’s vaccination status or community transmission levels and will be in effect until further notice.
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U.S. to Recommend Booster Shots for Most Americans
TUESDAY, Aug. 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The Biden administration plans to recommend that most Americans get a booster shot eight months after they received their second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, as the highly infectious delta variant marches across the country.
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Dexamethasone Underused for Adults Hospitalized With COVID-19
MONDAY, Aug. 16, 2021 (HealthDay News) — For adults hospitalized with COVID-19, dexamethasone and remdesivir use increased over time, although dexamethasone is still somewhat underused, according to a study published online Aug. 17 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Canada to Mandate COVID-19 Vaccines for All Plane, Train Travelers
MONDAY, Aug. 16, 2021 (HealthDay News) — All Canadian airline, cruise ship, and rail travelers as well as all government employees will be required to have COVID-19 vaccinations as early as September, officials said Sunday.
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COVID-19 Outcomes in Critically Ill No Better With Full-Dose Heparin
MONDAY, Aug. 16, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Therapeutic-dose anticoagulation with heparin does not improve outcomes for critically ill patients with severe COVID-19, but it is beneficial for patients who are not critically ill, according to two studies published online Aug. 4 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Text Reminders Boost COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments
MONDAY, Aug. 16, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Simple text message reminders may boost COVID-19 vaccine uptake, according to a study published online Aug. 2 in Nature.
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