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 29 to July 3, 2020. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal studies and other trusted sources that is most likely to affect clinical practice.
Some Say Allow Family Access to Dying Patients With COVID-19
THURSDAY, July 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Allowing adult family member presence at the bedside of dying patients during COVID-19 is feasible, and could have multiple benefits, according to an editorial published online June 8 in Intensive Care Medicine.
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Point-Prevalence Surveys in SNFs Help Cut COVID-19 Transmission
THURSDAY, July 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Conducting point-prevalence surveys in skilled nursing facilities can inform cohorting and infection prevention and control activities to reduce transmission, according to research published in the July 1 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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EMS Calls Down Early in COVID-19 Outbreak
THURSDAY, July 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Early in the COVID-19 outbreak there was a significant decrease in the number of emergency medical services responses across the United States, according to a study published online June 17 in Academic Emergency Medicine.
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Neurological Symptoms Described in Children With COVID-19
THURSDAY, July 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Children with COVID-19 may present with new neurological symptoms involving the central and peripheral nervous systems, and splenial changes on imaging, according to a study published online July 1 in JAMA Neurology.
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Evidence Poor for Accuracy of Serological Tests for COVID-19
THURSDAY, July 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Existing evidence on the diagnostic accuracy of serological tests for COVID-19 is characterized by high risks of bias and heterogeneity, according to a review and meta-analysis published online July 1 in The BMJ.
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Homeless More Likely to Need Ventilators for Respiratory Illness
THURSDAY, July 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Homeless people in New York state are more likely to be hospitalized and treated with mechanical ventilators for respiratory infections than people who are not homeless, according to a study published online June 4 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
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U.S. Grab of Only COVID-19 Treatment Outrages Health Experts
WEDNESDAY, July 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The United States’ deal with Gilead Sciences to scoop up nearly all of the world’s supply of the only drug licensed to treat COVID-19 has outraged health experts.
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Promising Results for Experimental COVID-19 Vaccine in Early Testing
WEDNESDAY, July 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) — An experimental COVID-19 vaccine yielded promising results in early testing, according to Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech.
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COVID-19-Related Death Count Likely Higher Than Official Tallies
WEDNESDAY, July 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Official COVID-19 death tallies underestimate the full increase in deaths associated with the pandemic in many states, according to a study published online July 1 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Model Estimates Herd Immunity Threshold for COVID-19
WEDNESDAY, July 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A mathematical model shows that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 disease-induced herd immunity level may be lower than the classical model assuming homogenous immunization, according to a report published online June 23 in Science.
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Spectrum of Imaging Findings Described in COVID-19 MIS-C
WEDNESDAY, July 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The spectrum of imaging findings in children with post-COVID-19 inflammatory condition (multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children) is described in a case series published online June 25 in Radiology.
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Social Vulnerability Linked to COVID-19 Diagnosis, Death
WEDNESDAY, July 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Social vulnerability is associated with increased risk of COVID-19 diagnosis and death, according to research published online June 23 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
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Elastomeric Mask Program Saves Money
WEDNESDAY, July 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Establishing an elastomeric mask program is feasible and less expensive than programs focused on reusing and disinfecting disposable N95 masks, according to a report published online June 11 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
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U.S. Could See 100,000 New Cases of COVID-19 Each Day, Fauci Says
TUESDAY, June 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci, M.D., warned Congress on Tuesday that COVID-19 infections could climb to 100,000 new cases daily unless ongoing outbreaks are contained.
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FBI Warns of Scammers Selling Fake COVID-19 Antibody Tests
TUESDAY, June 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Fake or unapproved COVID-19 antibody tests are being sold by scammers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation warns.
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ID, Isolation of SARS-CoV-2 Vital in Correctional Facilities
TUESDAY, June 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Prompt identification and isolation of individuals infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is important for reducing transmission in correctional and detention facilities, according to research published in the June 29 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Latinos Have High Rate of Positivity for SARS-CoV-2
TUESDAY, June 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The rate of positivity for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is over 40 percent for Latinos in the Baltimore-Washington D.C. region, according to a research letter published online June 18 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Mild Fever, Little Respiratory Illness Seen With COVID-19-Positive Infants
TUESDAY, June 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Babies with COVID-19 generally have mild illness, with mostly fever, according to a brief report published online June 17 in The Journal of Pediatrics.
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Heart Rhythm Disorders Seen in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients
TUESDAY, June 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Critically ill patients with COVID-19 are more likely to develop heart rhythm disorders than other hospitalized patients, according to a study published online June 22 in Heart Rhythm.
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COVID-19 Drug Remdesivir Could Cost Up to $3,120 Per Patient
MONDAY, June 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Gilead Sciences, the maker of remdesivir, the first drug that showed promise in treating COVID-19 infections, will charge U.S. hospitals $3,120 for a patient with private insurance, the company announced Monday.
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Many Practice Unsafe Household Cleaning Against COVID-19
MONDAY, June 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — More than one-third of U.S. adults admit to unsafe cleaning practices in the hopes of disinfecting against COVID-19, according to research published in the June 12 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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CDC: U.S. COVID-19 Rates Much Higher Than Reported
MONDAY, June 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Actual COVID-19 infection rates in many areas of the United States are more than 10 times higher than reported rates, a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study suggests.
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Factors Linked to Severe COVID-19 in Children Identified
MONDAY, June 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — COVID-19 generally causes mild disease in children, with 8 percent of children requiring intensive care unit admission, according to a study published online June 25 in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.
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Altered Mental Status Not Uncommon in Severe COVID-19
MONDAY, June 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Altered mental status is the second most common neurological presentation for patients with COVID-19, according to a study published online June 25 in The Lancet Psychiatry.
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Antibody Tests ID COVID-19 Two to Three Weeks After Symptoms
MONDAY, June 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Antibody testing may detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, with sensitivity peaking at three weeks since symptom onset, according to a review published online June 25 in the Cochrane Library.
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NYC Health Care Workers Report Distress Related to COVID-19 Care
MONDAY, June 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Many New York City health care workers are experiencing COVID-19-related psychological distress, especially nurses and advanced practice providers, according to a study published in the upcoming September-October issue of General Hospital Psychiatry.
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