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Amid U.S. Blood Shortage, New Pressure to Ease Donor Rules for Gay Men

Easing the rules would result in a 2 to 4 percent increase -- 345,400 to 615,300 more pints of blood -- in the nation's annual blood supply

Senate Committee Backs Califf Nomination to Head FDA

Among those who voted against Califf's nomination were Democrats who expressed concerns about his links to pharmaceutical companies

Supreme Court Blocks Biden's Vaccine Mandate for Large Employers

Mandate was a crucial component of the White House plan to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic

WHO Living Guideline Updated for Drug Treatment of COVID-19

JAK inhibitor baricitinib strongly recommended for the treatment of severe or critical COVID-19

NCCN Endorses Full COVID-19 Vaccination for Cancer Patients

The NCCN Advisory Committee supports the strong preference for mRNA vaccines and offers guidance on the timing of vaccination

Fosfomycin Not Noninferior to Comparators for Bacteremic UTI

Fosfomycin not noninferior to ceftriaxone or meropenem for bacteremic urinary tract infection due to multidrug-resistant E. coli in adults

White House May Soon Offer 'High-Quality' Masks to Americans

One option being discussed is to distribute the masks at community sites

U.S. Military Medical Personnel Being Deployed to Ease Shortages

More than 1,000 will begin arriving at hospitals nationwide starting next week

Pediatric Antibiotic Prescribing Dropped During Pandemic

Decrease in antibiotic prescriptions in pediatric primary care driven by reduced volume of visits for respiratory tract infections

Nearly 600,000 U.S. Children Had COVID-19 Last Week

Since the start of the pandemic, nearly 8.5 million U.S. children have tested positive for COVID-19

U.S. May Soon See Sharp Drop in Omicron Cases, Experts Say

One model suggests number of daily reported cases in the U.S. will top out at 1.2 million by Jan. 19 and then fall sharply

BinaxNOW Test Catches COVID-19 Infection in Many People, Study Shows

Earlier preliminary studies had raised questions about whether rapid antigen tests might be less sensitive to omicron than other variants

White House to Give Schools 10 Million Free COVID-19 Tests Every Month

First shipments are expected later this month

U.S. COVID-19 Hospitalizations Pass Last Winter's Peak

Surge in cases has overwhelmed hospitals nationwide, and about one-quarter face critical staffing shortages

U.S. Insurers Must Cover Eight COVID-19 At-Home Tests a Month: White House

Under the plan, people who provide insurance information at certain pharmacies will be able to get the tests with no out-of-pocket costs

Americans Should Avoid Travel to Canada: CDC

Agency has placed Canada under a Level 4 travel health notice, which is the highest category

Two Doses of BNT162b2 Vaccine Protect Against MIS-C

Two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have estimated effectiveness of 91 percent against MIS-C in children aged 12 to 18 years

FDA Warns Against Using At-Home COVID-19 Test Swabs in the Throat

Throat swabs are common in some countries, but most self-tests in the United States require nasal samples

Amid COVID-19 Test Shortages, Price Gouging Is on the Rise

Attorney General offices around the country have reported receiving complaints or hearing stories of price gouging

COVID-19 Vaccination Linked to Small Change in Menstrual Cycle Length

Difference in change in cycle length between vaccinated and unvaccinated cohorts less than one day in adjusted models

Severe COVID-19 Outcomes Rare After Primary Vaccination

Risk higher for people who were aged 65 years or older, immunosuppressed, or had at least one of six underlying conditions

Physician's Briefing Weekly Coronavirus Roundup

Friday, January 7, 2022

White House Finalizes Plan to Send Americans Free COVID-19 Rapid Tests

Administration plans to launch a website where people can request the rapid tests

FDA Shortens Time to Booster After Moderna Vaccine to Five Months

Similar time window for boosters is already in place for people who received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine

Moderna CEO Says Fourth COVID-19 Dose May Be Needed Next Fall

Governments, including the United Kingdom and South Korea, are already ordering the doses in preparation, Bancel said

Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Biden's Vaccine Mandate for Big Business

Court also hearing arguments on separate vaccine mandate for most heath care workers

Hospitals Are Rationing COVID-19 Pills, Infusions as Cases Rise

Doctors, health systems are in the difficult position of rationing supplies to meet the needs of those in the most dire situations

Vaccination Seems Less Protective Against Transmission of Delta Variant

Reduction in transmission of SARS-CoV-2 associated with COVID-19 vaccination smaller for delta variant versus alpha variant

Incarceration Tied to Lower Life Expectancy in Blacks

Disparities in incarceration may partially explain the lower life expectancy of Blacks, authors say

Members of Biden Transition Team Call for New COVID-19 Plan

Six former advisers published opinion articles Thursday in JAMA detailing what needs to be done now to put a plan in place

Some At-Home Tests May Miss Omicron in Early Stages of Infection

Study focused on 30 people infected with COVID-19 at five workplaces that experienced likely outbreaks of the omicron variant last month

United Kingdom Eases COVID-19 Testing Rules for International Visitors

Change will be welcome news to people who refrained from traveling for fear they would get stranded in a foreign country

CDC Backs FDA Approval of Boosters for Those Aged 12 to 17 Years

In arriving at its decision, the CDC advisory panel pointed to rising COVID-19 hospitalizations among the young

COVID-19 Vaccination in Pregnancy Not Linked to Preterm Birth, SGA

Risk not increased when results stratified by vaccination in second or third trimester, mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose

Kroger, Walmart Hike Prices on At-Home COVID-19 Tests

Both stores were selling the kits at cost or at a discount but now have raised the prices

Biden Urges Calm During Omicron Surge

Biden also announced that his administration is doubling its order of new Pfizer antiviral pill

Serious Adverse Effects From COVID-19 Vaccines Reported Rarely

Full vaccination dose, younger age, female sex, and previously having had COVID-19 linked to greater odds of adverse effects

Physicians Lack Knowledge About Responsibilities Under ADA

71.2 percent of the physicians answered incorrectly about who determined reasonable accommodations for patients with disability

CDC Backs Boosters for High-Risk Children Ages 5 to 11 Years

Agency also endorses shorter time between shots

U.S. Hospitals Seeing Record Numbers of Young COVID-19 Patients

At least nine states have reported record numbers of COVID-19-related pediatric hospitalizations

Timing of COVID-19 Vaccination in Pregnancy Examined

Maternal anti-spike IgG levels detectable at delivery regardless of timing of vaccination; levels highest with early third-trimester vaccination

Israel Will Give Fourth COVID-19 Shot to People Older Than 60, Health Workers

About 60 percent of Israel's 9.4 million people are fully vaccinated with either a recent second dose or booster dose

Negative COVID-19 Test May Be Required After Isolation Among Asymptomatic

CDC is considering adding extra safeguard after getting some 'pushback' on its Dec. 27 guidance that shortened isolation times

Packaged Salads Tied to E. Coli Outbreak in Six States

The 13 people known to be infected include four who were hospitalized; no deaths reported so far

FDA Approves Pfizer Booster Shots for Children Ages 12 to 15

Agency also reduced the period people must wait between their second dose and booster shot from six to five months

COVID-19 Omicron Wave in South Africa Characterized

Fewer hospitalizations, reduced severity of illness, lower mortality seen in fourth wave compared with previous waves of COVID-19

BNT162b2 Still Effective, but Less So, Against Omicron

Vaccine effectiveness 70 percent compared with 93 percent against hospitalization for COVID-19 during delta predominance

Metabolic Syndrome Ups Odds of ARDS, Death in COVID-19

For each additional metabolic syndrome criterion, risk for ARDS increases in an additive manner

Physician's Briefing Weekly Coronavirus Roundup

Thursday, December 30, 2021

Adverse Events Rare After BNT162b2 Vaccine in 5- to 11-Year-Olds

Data show 4,249 reports of adverse events after about 8.7 million doses of vaccine were administered; 97.6 percent not serious

BNT162b2 Vaccine Effectiveness 92 Percent for Teens Ages 12 to 17

Estimated vaccine effectiveness of full Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination 92 percent for preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection

Severe Illness, Viral Coinfection Common in Children With COVID-19 Hospitalization

Only one of 272 vaccine-eligible pediatric patients hospitalized with COVID-19 was fully vaccinated

FDA May Allow Pfizer Boosters for 12- to 15-Year-Olds by Monday

Agency also expected to reduce the amount of time adolescents and adults must wait between their second dose of vaccine and booster

Dolutegravir-Based ART Superior for Children, Teens With HIV

Rate of serious adverse events similar for participants receiving dolutegravir, standard care as first-, second-line treatment for HIV-1 infection

Most COVID-19-Related EUAs Not Supported by High-Quality Evidence

Most EUAs were for diagnostic products; most supported by comparisons with previously authorized assays, analytical in vitro studies

Rivaroxaban Improves Clinical Outcomes After COVID-19 Hospitalization

Risk for thrombotic events reduced after 35 days of rivaroxaban compared with no extended thromboprophylaxis

Health Care Workers Had Acceptable Preparedness During First COVID-19 Wave

However, female health care workers had lower preparedness and awareness scores than male counterparts

FDA Says Rapid At-Home COVID-19 Tests Not as Sensitive to Omicron

Agency says that antigen tests 'do detect the omicron variant, but may have reduced sensitivity'

CDC Lowers Estimate of Omicron Prevalence in the United States

Predictions likely to become more accurate as researchers learn more about omicron

Omicron Might Help Shield Against Delta, New Research Suggests

As omicron appears to produce less severe illness than delta, its overall effect might end up having a positive side

Weight Loss Via Surgery Linked to Improved COVID-19 Outcomes

Adults who underwent weight loss surgery between 2004 and 2017 had a reduced risk for severe outcomes

Vaccinated Kidney Transplant Recipients Vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 Variants

After two-dose vaccination, only 64 and 67 percent of kidney transplant recipients showed neutralization against B.1.351 (β) and B.1.617.2 (δ)

Characteristics of Hospitalized Pregnant Women With Flu ID'd

Likelihood of severe outcomes increased for pregnant women with influenza A H1N1 versus influenza A H3N2

As Omicron Spreads, Child Hospitalizations Climb 30 Percent in Past Week

By Dec. 28, country had an average of 260 pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations each day

Breakthrough COVID-19 Infection Risk Higher With Immune Dysfunction

Risk for breakthrough infection higher for those with immunocompromising conditions, such as HIV, rheumatoid arthritis, solid organ transplant

CDC Reduces Recommended Isolation Time for People With COVID-19

Agency also released updated emergency guidance for health care facilities, decreasing isolation time after infection with COVID-19

Omicron Cases Pass U.S. Peak Seen With Delta

However, numbers of hospitalizations have not yet reached those higher levels

Cancer Patients With Breakthrough COVID-19 Remain at Risk for Severe Outcomes

No significant difference observed in 30-day mortality for fully vaccinated versus unvaccinated cancer patients with COVID-19

NVX-CoV2373 Vaccine Protects Against COVID-19

Study conducted in the U.S. and Mexico shows vaccine 90 percent effective overall, 100 percent effective against moderate-to-severe disease

Physician's Briefing Weekly Coronavirus Roundup

Thursday, December 23, 2021

FDA Gives OK to Merck Antiviral At-Home COVID-19 Pill

Molnupiravir cut the risk for hospitalization and death in high-risk patients by 30 percent

Three Days of Remdesivir Cuts Risk for Severe COVID-19 in Outpatients

Three-day course of treatment results in reduced risk for hospitalization or death compared with placebo

Oropharyngeal Cancer Incidence, Mortality Up Among U.S. Men

Geographic differences seen, with notable rises in the Midwest and Southeast

FDA Approves Pfizer Pill as First At-Home COVID-19 Treatment

Recent trial showed Paxlovid cut the odds for hospitalization and death by nearly 90 percent in high-risk people

Fresh Express Salad Mixes Tied to Multistate Listeria Outbreak

Outbreak has caused 10 illnesses, one hospitalization, and one death

13 Million Adults Delaying or Skipping Meds Due to Costs

Drug unaffordability is an issue regardless of insurance status and across private, public payers

2019 to 2020 Saw 16.8 Percent Increase in U.S. Death Rate

Age-specific death rates increased for each age group 15 years and older; COVID-19 became third leading cause of death in 2020

Omicron Now Accounts for 73 Percent of New COVID-19 Cases

Rate suggests there were more than 650,000 omicron infections in the United States last week

First Long-Acting Injectable Approved for HIV PrEP

Apretude, administered every two months, is approved in adults and adolescents at risk for HIV infection

Symptom Presentation Varies by SARS-CoV-2 Variant

During first wave of COVID-19, cough occurred first in the United States, while fever occurred first in China

Moderna Says Its Booster Protects Well Against Omicron

Experts agree that booster shots are the best defense against the omicron variant

Biden to Address Nation Tuesday on Omicron Response, Outlook

President expected to detail how the government will respond to rising case levels, and to urge Americans to get vaccinated

48 COVID-19 Cases Reported on World's Largest Cruise Ship

Royal Caribbean said that those who tested positive were immediately isolated to prevent the spread of infection

Test-to-Stay Strategy Seems Effective for Saving In-Person Learning

Studies show secondary attack rate of 1.5 percent in Lake County, Illinois; no tertiary transmission in 20 identified outbreaks in Los Angeles

Factors ID'd for Severe GI Effects of SARS-CoV-2 in Children

Among children infected with SARS-CoV-2, 9.5 percent have severe GI effects, such as disseminated adenomesenteritis, appendicitis, pancreatitis

Molnupiravir Cuts Risk for Severe COVID-19 Illness in Adults

Risk for hospitalization or death lower in at-risk adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 receiving oral therapy with molnupiravir versus placebo

Pediatricians Can Play Key Role in HIV Testing, Prophylaxis

All youth ages 15 years or older should be offered routine screening at least once; those at increased risk should be rescreened