Clinical

While it’s not always reliable to look at the inverse of scientific data, there are times when considering their deeper meaning can be illuminating. Take data just published by JAMA Network, illustrating that vacating school buildings across the U.S. in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a significant decline in not just incidence of COVID-19 (which fell by 62% per week over the study period) but also mortality (which dropped 58% per week)—all …

Recently, we shared new data published in the Journal of Pediatrics indicating that nonsympomatic children are more than capable of infecting others with COVID-19. It turns out the same may be true in adults. A study published in The American Journal of Pathology reveals that nonhospitalized adults with less-severe symptoms of COVID-19 can actually have a higher SARS-CoV-2 viral load than hospitalized patients with more severe symptoms. The study population included 205 patients treated at a tertiary care …

We’ve cycled through any number of possible treatments for patients with COVID-19, some more likely to succeed than others. The latest regimen to show promise, according to an open-label, Phase III study just published by the Journal of the American Medical Association, is a 5-day course of remdesivir. The authors posit that it could significantly improve outcomes for patients with “moderate” COVID-19. The study’s population was 600 hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 and moderate COVID-19 pneumonia, …

It’s been established that viral load and frequency of exposure to infected individuals increases one’s risk of contracting COVID-19. This puts urgent care providers and other healthcare professionals at increased risk compared with nonclinicians who are able to limit contacts. A new study published online by the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that requiring patients to wear a mask offers significant protection to even those who are most likely to be exposed, supporting …

Parents may feel conflicted about making their children wear a mask. They’re uncomfortable, it scares them, it’s uncool, and kids are just plain rebellious. But a new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics highlights that it’s essential not only for their protection as they start mingling more with peers, but your protection as well. The essential conclusion of the study is that some children carry very high viral loads—in fact, the study reports, “viral …

While children are not immune to infection from COVID-19, so far it appears they’re less susceptible than adults. One risk factor that seems to negate whatever protection youth might offer: e-cigarette use. An article just published in the Journal of Adolescent Health reveals that adolescents who have ever used e-cigarettes are five times more likely than nonusers to receive a COVID-19 diagnosis. Kids who acknowledge using e-cigarettes within the past 30 days at the time …

Patients are understandably (albeit overanxiously) concerned about every little cough these days. You want to be reassuring, but also keep an open mind about the prospects of them having COVID-19. New research from the University of Southern California’s Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience sheds light on which symptoms are most likely to occur first in COVID-19 patients, in order: Fever Cough Muscle pain Nausea and/or vomiting Diarrhea Bear this in mind when counseling patients about …

Some people scoff at the idea of wearing a mask because they “feel fine” and “would know” if they were sick and likely to pass COVID-19 along to others they come in contact with. If you talk to patients with that belief, share the conclusions of an article just published in JAMA Internal Medicine, which reveals that symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients may be walking around with similar cycle thresholds. As the authors point out,  …

Loss of smell was identified early on as one telltale sign of COVID-19 infection. However, a study just published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology indicates that anosmia may actually be an independent prognostic sign of less severe illness. The study of 949 COVID-19–positive people found loss of smell to be significantly associated with decreased need for hospitalization, admission to the intensive care unit, intubation, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. The researchers found …

Research has indicated that mothers can transmit SARS-CoV-2 to their infants in the perinatal period. However, a study just published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health suggests that specific precautions can minimize that risk. The observational cohort study included all neonates born to mothers positive for SARS-CoV-2 at delivery in three New York Presbyterian Hospitals in New York City between March 22 and May 17, 2020. None of the babies born to those 116 …