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 Nov. 8 to 12, 2021. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal studies and other trusted sources that is most likely to affect clinical practice.
Therapeutic Heparin May Benefit Moderately Ill COVID-19 Inpatients
FRIDAY, Nov. 12, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Moderately ill COVID-19 inpatients with increased D-dimer levels receiving therapeutic heparin compared with prophylactic heparin did not have a reduction in the primary outcome of death, mechanical ventilation, or intensive care unit admission at 28 days, but they did have decreased odds of death, according to a study published online Oct. 14 in The BMJ.
Wealthier Parents More Likely to Get COVID-19 Vaccines for Young Children
FRIDAY, Nov. 12, 2021 (HealthDay News) — In a finding that suggests a family’s income influences parents’ views on COVID-19 vaccines for their younger children, a new survey shows the more money parents make, the likelier they are to get their children vaccinated.
Federal Judge Overturns Texas Ban on School Mask Mandates
FRIDAY, Nov. 12, 2021 (HealthDay News ) — A Texas ban on mask mandates in schools violates the rights of students with disabilities, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. The decision opens the door for school districts in the state to issue their own mask policies that could affect more than 5 million students, The New York Times reported.
More Than 2 Million COVID-19 Home Test Kits Recalled Due to False-Positive Results
FRIDAY, Nov. 12, 2021 (HealthDay News) — A recall of Ellume at-home COVID-19 test kits has been expanded to include roughly 2 million of the 3.5 million tests that had been shipped to the United States by last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.
Nearly 900,000 U.S. Children Under 12 Have Gotten Their First COVID-19 Shot
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 10, 2021 (HealthDay News) — About 900,000 U.S. children aged 5 to 11 years received their initial dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine during the first week of eligibility for that age group, the Biden administration said Wednesday. Not only that, nearly 700,000 more are scheduled in the coming days, health officials added.
Pfizer Asks FDA to Approve Booster Shots for All U.S. Adults
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 10, 2021 (HealthDay News) — As concerns mount that holiday travel and indoor gatherings will foster the spread of COVID-19, Pfizer on Tuesday asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve booster shots of its COVID-19 vaccine for any American aged 18 years and older.
CPAP, HFNO Not Tied to Greater SARS-CoV-2 Air, Surface Contamination
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 10, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Use of continuous positive airway pressure and high-flow nasal oxygen to treat COVID-19 is not associated with increased air or surface viral contamination; and aerosol emission from the respiratory tract does not seem to be increased with CPAP or HFNO, according to two studies published online Nov. 4 in Thorax.
ACR: COVID-19 Vaccine Not Tied to Severe Rheumatic Disease Flares
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 10, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Receipt of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is not associated with severe disease flares in patients with rheumatic diseases, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, held virtually from Nov. 3 to 9.
Statin Use Not Linked to COVID-19 Mortality in Hospitalized Patients
TUESDAY, Nov. 9, 2021 (HealthDay News) — For hospitalized patients with COVID-19, statins seem not to have a beneficial effect, and may even increase the risk of severe disease, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in PLOS ONE.
Biden Administration Presses Schools to Provide COVID-19 Shots to Children
TUESDAY, Nov. 9, 2021 (HealthDay News) — As new government data showed that 360,000 young children have now gotten their first shot, the Biden administration on Monday asked schools to help by hosting vaccination clinics and providing information to parents on the benefit of the shots.
Pfizer Set to Ask FDA to Approve Booster for Those 18 and Older
TUESDAY, Nov. 9, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Pfizer may soon seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration emergency authorization of its COVID-19 booster shot for anyone aged 18 and older.
Adults With IBD Show Antibody Response to mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine
TUESDAY, Nov. 9, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Patients with inflammatory bowel disease, whose treatment can weaken the immune system, still produce a strong antibody response to COVID-19 vaccination, according to a study published online Oct. 12 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Court Temporarily Blocks Biden’s Vaccine Mandate for Big Businesses
MONDAY, Nov. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The Biden administration’s new COVID-19 vaccine mandate for large businesses has been blocked by a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Louisiana.
U.S. Reopens Borders to Vaccinated Foreign Travelers
MONDAY, Nov. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) — For the first time in more than 18 months, fully vaccinated travelers from dozens of other countries can enter the United States on Monday.
Prior Poor Mental Health Tied to More COVID-19 Infections
MONDAY, Nov. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Prior rates of poor mental health at a county level are associated with a higher burden of COVID-19 infection, according to a study published online Oct. 31 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
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