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 Oct. 12 to 15, 2021. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal studies and other trusted sources that is most likely to affect clinical practice.
FDA Panel Recommends Approval of Johnson & Johnson Booster Shot
FRIDAY, Oct. 15, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- In a unanimous vote, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration vaccine advisory panel on Friday recommended that the agency grant emergency use of booster shots of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine.
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Vaccinated Foreign Travelers Can Enter United States Beginning Nov. 8
FRIDAY, Oct. 15, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- All international travelers who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus will be able to enter the United States beginning Nov. 8, an official at the White House told The New York Times.
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Incidence Rates of SARS-CoV-2 Similar for Children, Adults
FRIDAY, Oct. 15, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence rates of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are similar for children and adults, but more infections among children are asymptomatic, according to a study published online Oct. 8 in JAMA Pediatrics.
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Therapeutic-Dose LMWH Cuts Thromboembolism, Deaths in COVID-19
FRIDAY, Oct. 15, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- For adult inpatients with COVID-19 who have elevated D-dimer levels, therapeutic-dose low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) reduces major thromboembolism and death compared with standard heparin thromboprophylaxis, according to a study published online Oct. 7 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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FDA Panel Supports Moderna Booster Shot for Older Adults, People at High Risk
THURSDAY, Oct. 14, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Mirroring a similar recommendation issued last month for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, an expert advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday recommended a half-dose booster shot of the Moderna vaccine be given to certain recipients six months after their second shot.
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Convalescent Plasma Unlikely to Improve Outcomes in Severe COVID-19
THURSDAY, Oct. 14, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Among critically ill adults with COVID-19, treatment with convalescent plasma had a low likelihood of improving the number of organ support-free days, according to a study published online Oct. 4 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Obesity May Up Length of Stay, Mortality for COVID-19 Patients in ICU
THURSDAY, Oct. 14, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- A high body mass index (BMI) is associated with a higher risk for death and prolonged length of stay (LOS) in the intensive care unit (ICU) among patients with COVID-19, according to a study published online Oct. 13 in PLOS ONE.
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Poor Oral Health Tied to Greater Severity of COVID-19
THURSDAY, Oct. 14, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Oral health may be an additional risk factor for severe COVID-19 in cardiac patients, according to a study presented at ACC Middle East 2021, a hybrid meeting held Oct. 14 to 15 in partnership by the American College of Cardiology (ACC), Egyptian Society of Cardiology, and the ACC Egypt Chapter.
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Predictors of Smell Recovery ID''d in COVID-19 Patients
THURSDAY, Oct. 14, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- About four of every five patients with COVID-19-related olfactory loss report smell recovery within six months, according to a study published online Sept. 16 in the American Journal of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Medicine and Surgery.
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FDA Expert Panel to Weigh Approval of Moderna, Johnson & Johnson Booster Shots
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 13, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- This Thursday and Friday, an advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will consider approval of booster shots for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.
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U.S. to Reopen Borders to Vaccinated Travelers From Canada, Mexico
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 13, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Beginning in November, the United States will reopen its borders to fully vaccinated travelers from Canada and Mexico for the first time since pandemic closures began 19 months ago, the Biden administration announced Tuesday.
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FDA Questions Strength of Johnson & Johnson Booster Shot Data
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 13, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- In a development that could mean Johnson & Johnson might encounter resistance over its application for authorization of a booster shot of its coronavirus vaccine, a new analysis filed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday suggests the company''s evidence may not be strong enough for approval.
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COVID-19 Infection Risk Drops With Increasing Immunity Within Family
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 13, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- As the number of family members with immunity acquired through either previous infection or full vaccination increases, the risk for contracting COVID-19 among family members without immunity decreases, according to a study published online Oct. 11 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Myocarditis Reported After BNT162b2 Vaccination in Israel
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 13, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of myocarditis is low but increased among individuals aged 16 years and older who have received the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine, with the highest incidence among young men, according to two studies published online Oct. 6 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Merck Asks FDA to Approve First COVID-19 Antiviral Pill
TUESDAY, Oct. 12, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Merck & Co. announced Monday that it had submitted an application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use approval of the first antiviral pill targeted to COVID-19.
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ASA: Symptomatic COVID-19 Tied to More Emergency Deliveries
TUESDAY, Oct. 12, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnant women with symptomatic COVID-19 have a higher percentage of emergency complications during delivery than asymptomatic COVID-19-positive women, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, held from Oct. 8 to 12 in San Diego.
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Adverse Neonatal Outcomes Up for COVID-19-Positive Parturients
TUESDAY, Oct. 12, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- COVID-19-positive parturients have increased odds of composite adverse neonatal outcomes and overall adverse outcomes, according to a study published online Oct. 10 in the Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine.
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Antibody Response to BNT162b2 Reported in Pediatric Transplant Recipients
TUESDAY, Oct. 12, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Most pediatric solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) have a positive antibody response after receipt of two doses of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine, according to a letter to the editor published online Sept. 13 in the American Journal of Transplantation.
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Increases in Major Depressive Disorder, Anxiety Reported Due to COVID-19
TUESDAY, Oct. 12, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- An additional 53.2 million cases of major depressive disorder and 76.2 million cases of anxiety disorders globally were estimated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a review published online Oct. 8 in The Lancet.
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