Each week, HealthDay's Physician's Briefing division rounds up the most important COVID-19 developments in the medical field. See this week's edition below for June 1-June 5.
NIH Head Fears Some Will Bypass a COVID-19 Vaccine
FRIDAY, June 5, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., who heads the U.S. National Institutes of Health, is worried that antivaxxers will disrupt efforts to convince Americans to get vaccinated against the new coronavirus, CNN reported Thursday.
Some COVID-19 Outpatients Say Famotidine Eased Symptoms
FRIDAY, June 5, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A small number of nonhospitalized patients with COVID-19 who self-medicated with high-dose famotidine reported some relief of their symptoms, according to a case series published online June 4 in Gut.
COVID-19 Mortality Higher for Those Not Taking Meds for Their HTN
FRIDAY, June 5, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- COVID-19 patients with hypertension have increased mortality risk, with significantly higher risk among those without antihypertensive treatment, according to a study published online June 4 in the European Heart Journal.
CDC: Decline Noted in ED Visits During Early Pandemic Period
FRIDAY, June 5, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- During the early pandemic era, there was a decrease in emergency department visits in the United States, according to research published in the June 3 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Postoperative Lung Complications Common in Patients With SARS-CoV-2
FRIDAY, June 5, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- About half of patients with perioperative severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 have postoperative pulmonary complications, which are associated with high 30-day mortality, according to a study published online May 29 in The Lancet.
COVID-19 Studies Retracted
THURSDAY, June 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine each issued a retraction today on studies that evaluated COVID-19 data provided from the same private company.
Pediatric Fractures Drop, Shift to Home During COVID-19
THURSDAY, June 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of pediatric fractures decreased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published online May 19 in the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics.
Hydroxychloroquine No Use for COVID Postexposure Prophylaxis
THURSDAY, June 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- For individuals with high- or moderate-risk exposure to COVID-19, postexposure prophylaxis with hydroxychloroquine does not prevent illness compatible with COVID-19, according to a study published online June 3 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Systemic Inflammation Rare in Pediatric COVID-19 Patients
THURSDAY, June 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Pediatric patients with COVID-19 rarely have systemic inflammation, according to a study published online June 3 in JAMA Network Open.
Acute Kidney Injury Common in COVID-19 Patients at NYC Hospital
THURSDAY, June 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Patients admitted to a New York City hospital with COVID-19 faced major morbidity and mortality, with 78.0 percent of those admitted to the intensive care unit developing acute kidney injury, according to a study published online May 29 in The BMJ.
Fauci Says Any COVID-19 Vaccine Would Be in Plentiful Supply by 2021
WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- According to Anthony Fauci, M.D., director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 100 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine will be available by year's end.
Test of 10 Million in Wuhan Finds Few Infections
WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Few new COVID-19 infections were found in the 10 million residents of Wuhan, China, after testing, the Associated Press reports.
Delay in Treatment Seen for Acute Ischemic Stroke During COVID-19
WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A significant delay in treatment has been observed for patients with acute ischemic stroke during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published online May 28 in the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery.
One-Third of Lupus Patients Have Trouble Refilling Hydroxychloroquine
WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- More than one-third of patients with lupus have experienced significant issues filling their hydroxychloroquine prescription during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the results of a survey released May 28 by the Lupus Research Alliance.
COVID-19 Drug Studies Questioned
WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Two premiere medical journals are questioning the validity of the data in two studies: one that showed the use of blood pressure drugs was safe in COVID-19 patients and another that showed the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine was dangerous, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.
Review: Physical Distancing, Face Masks Avert Virus Transmission
WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Physical distancing of 1 m or more, face mask use, and eye protection are all associated with reduced odds of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 transmission, according to a review published online June 1 in The Lancet.
Young With Intellectual Disability More Likely to Die of COVID-19
WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Age-related differences in COVID-19 trends are seen among those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), with a higher concentration of cases and increased case fatality in younger individuals with IDD, according to a study published online May 24 in the Disability and Health Journal.
Chest CT Often Normal in Pediatric COVID-19 Patients
WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Children with COVID-19 frequently have negative chest computed tomography findings, according to research published online May 22 in the American Journal of Roentgenology.
SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in U.S. Likely Due to Single Lineage
TUESDAY, June 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Sustained, community transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 possibly resulted from importation of a single lineage of virus from China between Jan. 18 and Feb. 9, 2020, according to research published in the May 29 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
BMI, Tracheal Intubation/Death Linked in Diabetes With COVID-19
TUESDAY, June 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Body mass index is associated with tracheal intubation and/or death within seven days among individuals with diabetes hospitalized for COVID-19, according to a study published online May 29 in Diabetologia.
Hydroxychloroquine Prescriptions Surge in U.S. During Pandemic
TUESDAY, June 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A surge in prescriptions for hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine was seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published online May 28 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
COVID-19 Took Toll on Mental Health of Chinese Physicians
TUESDAY, June 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians in China experienced a significant increase in mental health symptoms and fear of violence and a decline in mood after the outbreak of COVID-19, according to a research letter published online June 1 in JAMA Network Open.
Human Trial of Antibody Therapy to Treat COVID-19 Underway
MONDAY, June 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The first human trial of an antibody therapy to treat COVID-19 is underway, CNN reported Monday.
Number of COVID-19-Infected Cruise Ship Passengers Underestimated
MONDAY, June 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The majority of COVID-19-positive passengers and crew on one cruise ship were asymptomatic, according to a study published online May 27 in Thorax.
ASCO: Mortality High for Cancer Patients With COVID-19
MONDAY, June 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with cancer and COVID-19, mortality is high and is associated with risk factors such as age, male sex, comorbidities, and active cancer, according to a study published online May 28 in The Lancet to coincide with ASCO20, a virtual scientific program hosted by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Italian Health Care Workers' Mental Health Suffering During COVID-19
MONDAY, June 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Health care workers in Italy who treated COVID-19 patients self-report substantial mental health symptoms, according to a research letter published online May 28 in JAMA Network Open.
Significant Drop Seen in Type A Aortic Dissection After COVID-19
MONDAY, June 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A significant decline was seen in the monthly surgical case volume of acute type A aortic dissection in New York City after COVID-19, according to a research letter published online May 14 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Radiation Oncology Clinic Visits Down Due to COVID-19
MONDAY, June 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Despite adoption of enhanced safety measures, radiation oncologists have seen a drop in patient volumes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the results of a survey released May 20 by the American Society for Radiation Oncology.