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 April 26 to 30, 2021. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal studies and other trusted sources that is most likely to affect clinical practice.
Pandemic Tied to Mental Health Concerns in Pregnant, Postpartum Women
FRIDAY, April 30, 2021 (HealthDay News) — During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, elevated posttraumatic stress, anxiety/depression, and loneliness were highly prevalent in pregnant and postpartum women across 64 countries, according to a study published online April 21 in PLOS ONE.
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COVID-19 Deaths Continue to Decline in the United States
FRIDAY, April 30, 2021 (HealthDay News) — In a sign that the COVID-19 pandemic is beginning to ebb in America, a new analysis reveals the seven-day average of new COVID-19 deaths in the United States has hit its lowest point since last October.
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Brazil Second Country to Record More Than 400,000 COVID-19 Deaths
FRIDAY, April 30, 2021 (HealthDay News) — After 100,000 COVID-19 deaths in just one month, Brazil has become the second country in the world to record more than 400,000 deaths from the disease.
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CDC: Cruise Ships Can Soon Resume Sailing in U.S. Waters
FRIDAY, April 30, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Cruise ships can resume sailing in U.S. waters as long as 98 percent of crew and 95 percent of customers are vaccinated against COVID-19, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.
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Side Effects of BNT162b2, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Vaccines Quantified
FRIDAY, April 30, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Systemic and local side effects to BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccines occur at relatively low frequencies, according to a study published online April 27 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
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Supply Steady for Existing Patients Receiving Opioids During COVID-19
FRIDAY, April 30, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Existing patients receiving opioid analgesics and buprenorphine for opioid use disorder have continued to receive medications during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published online April 15 in JAMA Network Open.
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Vaccination Linked to Drop in COVID-19 Hospitalization in ≥65s
THURSDAY, April 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Among adults aged 65 years and older, vaccination is associated with a reduced risk for COVID-19-associated hospitalization, according to research published in the April 28 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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COVID-19 Pill Could Be Available Later This Year: Pfizer CEO
THURSDAY, April 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) — A pill to treat COVID-19 is being developed by Pfizer and could be available by the end of the year, company CEO Albert Bourla says.
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Many Americans Have COVID-19 Vaccine Preferences
THURSDAY, April 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Nearly three-quarters of Americans say they have a preference for a specific COVID-19 vaccine, a new survey finds.
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Many U.S. Colleges Will Mandate Vaccines on Campus Next Fall
THURSDAY, April 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) — More than 100 American colleges will require that students get COVID-19 vaccines if they want to be on campus in the fall, a new survey shows.
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Hand Hygiene Compliance Rates Peaked >90 Percent in March 2020
WEDNESDAY, April 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Hand hygiene compliance rates exceeded 90 percent during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, but declined thereafter, according to a research letter published online April 26 in JAMA internal Medicine.
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$100 Savings Bonds Offered to Young People in West Virginia Who Get COVID-19 Shot
WEDNESDAY, April 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Teens and young adults in West Virginia will receive a $100 savings bond if they get a COVID-19 shot, Governor Jim Justice says.
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No Signal of Facial Paralysis Found for mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines
WEDNESDAY, April 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) — mRNA COVID-19 vaccines do not display a signal of facial paralysis compared with other viral vaccines, according to a research letter published online April 27 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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QTc Interval Prolonged in Some Hospitalized With COVID-19
WEDNESDAY, April 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) — COVID-19 infection is associated with significant mean QTc prolongation at days 2 and 5 of hospitalization, according to a study published online April 23 in JAMA Network Open.
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ED Staff Reported Poor Mental Health During Early Pandemic
WEDNESDAY, April 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Work-related anxiety, emotional exhaustion, and burnout were common across the full spectrum of emergency department staff during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study recently published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
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CDC Says Vaccinated Can Shed Masks Outside, Except in Crowds
TUESDAY, April 27, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Fully vaccinated Americans can now go without masks when walking, jogging, or biking outdoors or when dining with small groups at outdoor restaurants, U.S. health officials announced Tuesday.
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AstraZeneca Sued by EU Over Vaccine Shipment Delays
TUESDAY, April 27, 2021 (HealthDay News) — AstraZeneca is being sued by the European Union for delays in shipping hundreds of millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses.
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Shift Work Linked to Increased Risk for COVID-19 Illness
TUESDAY, April 27, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Shift work is associated with an increased risk for significant COVID-19 illness, according to a study published online April 26 in Thorax.
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Rapid Antigen Test Can ID Contagious People in SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak
TUESDAY, April 27, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antigen testing (BinaxNOW) could be a useful tool for identifying contagious people early in the course of a nursing home outbreak, according to a study published online April 27 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Factors Tied to Severe COVID-19 in Children Identified
TUESDAY, April 27, 2021 (HealthDay News) — One in three children hospitalized with COVID-19 experience severe illness, which is associated with younger children, male patients, and those with a chronic condition, according to a research letter published online April 9 in JAMA Network Open.
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CDC Issues Updated Summer Camp Guidelines
MONDAY, April 26, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Children at summer camps must wear masks at all times, except when swimming, napping, eating, or drinking, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in updated guidance released Sunday for summer camp operators.
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COVID-19 Vaccinations Now Mandatory for Houston Methodist Hospital Workers
MONDAY, April 26, 2021 (HealthDay News) — All 26,000 Houston Methodist workers must get a COVID-19 shot by June 7 or risk losing their jobs, making it the first U.S. hospital system to make vaccination mandatory.
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EU Will Allow Fully Vaccinated U.S. Tourists
MONDAY, April 26, 2021 (HealthDay News) — American tourists who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be allowed to visit the European Union over the summer, a top official said Monday.
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U.S. Will Help India in Fight Against COVID-19: Biden
MONDAY, April 26, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The United States will help India as it struggles with a massive wave of COVID-19 cases, President Joe Biden said Sunday.
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Millions of Americans Have Missed Their Second COVID-19 Vaccine Dose: CDC
MONDAY, April 26, 2021 (HealthDay News) — More than 5 million Americans have missed the second dose of their COVID-19 vaccine, new government data show.
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Lower Incomes Increase Cancer Worry, Anxiety During Pandemic
MONDAY, April 26, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Lower annual income is associated with increased cancer worry and anxiety among Medicaid-insured women receiving gynecologic oncology care during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published online April 26 in Cancer.
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