COVID-19

Patients with mild infection are not at particular risk for severe, chronic outcomes from long Covid, according to new Israel data.

Gut microbiota diversity was lower in below average responders, while 39.5% of participants had a serological response below the geometric mean.

New data support following existing guidelines for mechanical ventilation in pneumonia from SARS-CoV-2, as mortality rates are similar regardless of cause for pneumonia.

“Although the evolution of COVID-19 is favorable worldwide, multiple variables related to psychological health and the response to stressors seem to have triggered symptomatologic responses in fibromyalgia patients,” investigators stated.

New longitudinal data support bolstered use of booster doses among health care workers in US nursing homes.

This novel concept can benefit patients and clinicians alike by appropriately applying new technologies to identify bacteria more efficiently and decrease the time to optimal therapy.

Meta-analysis data show female, Black and Asian participants are generally underrepresented across studies assessing COVID-19 prevention or treatment strategies.

The indication makes tocilizumab the first monoclonal antibody to be granted full FDA approval to treat the pandemic virus.

New surveillance data from the 2021-22 influenza show the impact of coinfection among younger patients.

Almost 4 years since the beginning of the pandemic, continuous research efforts have begun to paint a better picture of the impact the virus has on the brain and the central nervous system.

The investigators also found an increase in the proportions of monthly hospitalizations during the pandemic for a number of disorders, including anxiety, depression, and suicidality or self-injury.

There was also higher neutralizing antibody titers against BA.4/5 with a lower hazard risk in the group with a breakthrough infection.

Wendy Wright, DNP, ANP-BC, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, FNAP, leads a discussion on the challenges subvariants of SARS-CoV-2 present in terms of vaccination and approaching optimal communication to the public surrounding vaccination.

National deaths from heart disease spiked in 2020 in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, after an observed steady decline from 2010 to 2019.

Approximately 1 out of every 6 patients with COVID-19 had a reduced eGFR.

New cohort analysis data suggest the risk of COVID-19 death is about 38% decreased among patients with the autoimmune disease.

In a late-breaking abstract, the investigators compared antibody levels at month 6 compared to month 1.

Jacinda Abdul-Mutakabbir, PharmD, discusses the difference between the original SARS-CoV-2 strain and subvariant strains.

The glycemic gap was a stronger predictor of in-hospital mortality among adults with diabetes or hyperglycemia hospitalized for COVID-19.

Paxlovid is effective in patients with existing heart disease, but has significant DDIs with commonly used cardiovascular medications.

A discussion regarding highlights from Dr. Michael Angarone’s presentation on emerging infectious diseases.

A recent study confirmed the safety of tralokinumab with regard to COVID-19 and related vaccinations.

A profound escalation in the frequency of nightmares, independently associated with suicide risk, occurred alongside related sleep and mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The majority of patients treated with systemic therapies were treated with dupilumab, while 3.2% patients received a combination of systemic therapies.

Conflicting evidence on the risks associated with intubation in patients with COVID-19 initiated a debate in the medical community regarding the benefit of utilizing high-flow oxygen.

Patients with both COVID-19 and HBV had a significantly higher in-hospital mortality rate and were more likely to develop severe disease compared to patients with only COVID-19 infections.

There were 248 patients included in the study with genetic data, with no differences found in mean titer after 2 or 3 doses between carriers and non-carriers of HLA-A24 associated with severe disease during COVID-19 infections.

The pandemic may have both widened the vaccination coverage gap between rural and urban adolescents and affected vaccination coverage in general.

CDC investigators stated that the expansion of telehealth strategies is “urgently needed” to provide medications for opioid use disorder because it could increase retention in care and improve outcomes for OUD.

Recent research from George Washington University analyzed the effects of COVID-19 on recruitment and funding for medical school pathway programs.