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. 23 to 25, 2020. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal studies and other trusted sources that is most likely to affect clinical practice.
U.S. COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Could Begin in Mid-December
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 25, 2020 — The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine could start being distributed in the United States “soon after” a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory committee meets on Dec. 10 to consider the company’s application for emergency use authorization of the vaccine, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.
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Fauci Calls for Americans to Pull Together, Says ‘Help Is on the Way’
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 25, 2020 — During a Thanksgiving week marred by the coronavirus pandemic, Anthony Fauci, M.D., spoke with HD Live! about the need for uniformity in response to the pandemic. And he assured that “help is on the way” in the form of a vaccine.
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AI Algorithm Can Detect COVID-19 on Chest X-Rays
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 25, 2020 — An artificial intelligence algorithm can detect COVID-19 on chest X-rays with similar performance to that of a consensus of thoracic radiologists, according to a study published online Nov. 24 in Radiology.
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Delirium Common in Seniors Presenting to ED With COVID-19
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 25, 2020 — For older adults presenting to the emergency department with COVID-19, delirium is common and is associated with worse outcomes, according to a study published online Nov. 19 in JAMA Network Open.
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CDC Recommends Three COVID-19 Tests for Americans Traveling Abroad
TUESDAY, Nov. 24, 2020 — Americans planning to travel out of the country should get a total of three COVID-19 tests before and after their flights, according to updated guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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CDC Warns That COVID-19 Vaccine Might Spur Transient Sickness
TUESDAY, Nov. 24, 2020 — At least three new COVID-19 vaccine candidates are already in the pipeline, with a roll-out expected early in the new year. But on Monday, experts attending a meeting of an advisory committee to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stressed that Americans who receive the vaccine should not be surprised if they feel under the weather for a few days afterward.
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SARS-CoV-2 Infection Rates Generally Low in U.S. Children
TUESDAY, Nov. 24, 2020 — Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection rates are generally low among children, with variation in testing and positivity by race/ethnicity, according to a study published online Nov. 23 in JAMA Pediatrics.
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RSNA: Neurologic Complications of COVID-19 Examined
TUESDAY, Nov. 24, 2020 — More than one-fifth of patients with COVID-19 presenting with neurologic findings who underwent neuroimaging had critical findings, according to a study scheduled for presentation at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, held virtually from Nov. 29 to Dec. 5.
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BCG Vaccination Linked to Lower SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence
TUESDAY, Nov. 24, 2020 — History of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination is associated with decreased seroprevalence of anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 immunoglobulin G among health care workers, according to a study published online Nov. 19 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
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COVID-19 Infection Not Tied to Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes
TUESDAY, Nov. 24, 2020 — COVID-19 infection during pregnancy does not appear to be associated with adverse maternal or neonatal outcomes, according to a study published online Nov. 19 in JAMA Network Open.
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AHA: Obese Patients More Likely to Be Hospitalized for COVID-19
TUESDAY, Nov. 24, 2020 — Obese patients are more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 and have worse outcomes, even if they are 50 years of age or younger, according to a study published online Nov. 17 in Circulation to coincide with the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2020, held virtually from Nov. 13 to 17.
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AHA: Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Outcomes Worse During COVID-19
TUESDAY, Nov. 24, 2020 — Outcomes for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were worse during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States than in a similar time period in 2019, according to a study published online Nov. 14 in JAMA Cardiology to coincide with the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2020, held virtually from Nov. 13 to 17.
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FDA Authorizes Use of Monoclonal Antibody Treatment for COVID-19
MONDAY, Nov. 23, 2020 — A combination of two monoclonal antibodies was granted emergency use authorization for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Saturday.
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Chimpanzee Adenovirus COVID-19 Vaccine Promising in Seniors
MONDAY, Nov. 23, 2020 — The novel chimpanzee adenovirus-vectored vaccine, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, is well tolerated, especially among older adults, according to a study published online Nov. 18 in The Lancet.
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WHO: Remdesivir Not Advised for Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients
MONDAY, Nov. 23, 2020 — The use of remdesivir currently is not recommended for hospitalized COVID-19 patients because of the lack of evidence for improvement in mortality, need for mechanical ventilation, and other patient-important outcomes, according to a living guideline published online Nov. 20 in The BMJ.
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Third COVID-19 Vaccine Shows Effectiveness
MONDAY, Nov. 23, 2020 — On Monday, AstraZeneca announced that late-stage clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine showed it to be 70.4 percent effective, The New York Times reported.
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AHA: Blacks, Hispanics Make Up 53 Percent of COVID-19 Deaths
MONDAY, Nov. 23, 2020 — Due to disproportionate representation, Black and Hispanic patients bear much of the burden of mortality and morbidity related to COVID-19, according to a study published online Nov. 17 in Circulation to coincide with the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2020, held virtually from Nov. 13 to 17.
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