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 Feb. 21 to 25, 2022. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal studies and other trusted sources that is most likely to affect clinical practice.
CDC Loosens Mask Guidelines as Omicron Surge Subsides
FRIDAY, Feb. 25, 2022 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that most Americans can now shed their face coverings in indoor public settings, because the agency has changed how it measures the threat of COVID-19 in local communities.
Severe COVID-19 Ups Risk for PTSD in Family Members
FRIDAY, Feb. 25, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Family members of patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) with COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) experience a doubled risk for posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms at 90 days post-ICU discharge compared with family members of patients with non-COVID-19 ARDS, according to a study published online Feb. 18 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Millions of Children Globally Affected by COVID-19 Parent, Caregiver Death
FRIDAY, Feb. 25, 2022 (HealthDay News) — From April 30 to Oct. 31, 2021, there was a 90.0 percent increase in the number of children affected by COVID-19-associated orphanhood and caregiver death compared with the number during March 1, 2020, to April 30, 2021, according to a study published online Feb. 24 in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.
Long-Lasting Cardiovascular Burden Seen After COVID-19
FRIDAY, Feb. 25, 2022 (HealthDay News) — The risk and one-year burden of cardiovascular disease is considerable among survivors of acute COVID-19, according to a study published online Feb. 7 in Nature Medicine.
COVID-19 Survivors at Higher Risk for New Behavioral Health Issues
THURSDAY, Feb. 24, 2022 (HealthDay News) — People who survive the acute phase of COVID-19 are at increased risk for subsequent incident behavioral health disorders, according to a study published online Feb. 16 in The BMJ.
CDC Close to New Guidance on COVID-19 Restrictions
THURSDAY, Feb. 24, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Updated criteria to guide COVID-19 restrictions will be announced by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention later this week or early next week, according to a CDC scientist involved in the process.
Signs/Symptoms May ID COVID-19 Even With Negative RT-PCR
THURSDAY, Feb. 24, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Hospitalized patients early in the pandemic who repeatedly tested negative with reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) but had signs and/or symptoms of COVID-19 had similar seropositivity as RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients, but were less likely to receive treatment, according to a study published online Feb. 13 in BMC Infectious Diseases.
COVID-19 Vaccination Tied to Decline in Distress in U.S. Adults
THURSDAY, Feb. 24, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Receipt of COVID-19 vaccination is associated with declines in psychological distress reported by U.S. adults, according to a study recently published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
New Sanofi-GSK COVID-19 Vaccine Highly Effective, Companies Say
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Two doses of a new COVID-19 vaccine from Sanofi and GSK were 100 percent effective against severe disease and hospitalizations, the companies announced Wednesday.
Most Free COVID-19 Tests Have Shipped: White House
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) — More than 90 percent of free at-home COVID-19 tests ordered through a federal government website have been shipped in an “unprecedented” effort, the Biden administration senior adviser on testing said Tuesday.
COVID-19 Travel Rules to Europe May Be Lifted for Vaccinated
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) — All testing and quarantine requirements for travelers to European Union member nations should be lifted next month for those who are vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19, the European Council said Tuesday.
Ivermectin Does Not Prevent Progression to Severe COVID-19
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Ivermectin treatment during early illness does not prevent progression to severe disease for high-risk patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19, according to a study published online Feb. 18 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Social Vulnerability Linked to Increased Severity of COVID-19
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Patients with COVID-19 from socially vulnerable neighborhoods present with increased severity of illness and require more intensive treatment, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Pediatric ED Visits Decreased During Pandemic Versus 2019
TUESDAY, Feb. 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Compared with 2019, pediatric emergency department visits decreased during 2020, 2021, and January 2022, although increases were seen for visits related to behavioral concerns, according to research published in the Feb. 18 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Boris Johnson Lifts Last COVID-19 Restrictions in England
TUESDAY, Feb. 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Monday that his government will end all remaining COVID-19 restrictions in England, including the requirement for people with COVID-19 to self-isolate.
Low Risk Seen for Second Allergic Reaction to mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine
TUESDAY, Feb. 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) — For patients with an allergic reaction to their first dose of mRNA severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccination, the risk for repeated immediate allergic and severe immediate allergic reactions associated with a second dose is low, according to a review published online Feb. 21 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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