Clinical

Fear was high that the arrival of flu season would compound the mass illness and mounting deaths associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. As we reach the midway point, however, influenza has hardly been a blip on the screen. According to the World Health Organization, this is likely due to precautions against the coronavirus also having a protective effect for flu. While COVID-19 deniers scoff at such things, it’s clear that most Americans are in fact …

When the COVID-19 pandemic really started picking up steam in the U.S. last spring, the threat to healthcare workers’ emotional wellbeing was seen as being related to the rapid rise in cases and how quickly hospital systems became overloaded; on the urgent care front, there was some of that in urban areas but in other locales there was worry over job security as patient visits dropped. Now, however, the length of time we’ve all been …

Even with a U.S. death toll in the hundreds of thousands, some people remain skeptical of vaccines, the value of social distancing, and the overall dangers of COVID-19. The CBS affiliate in Dallas ran a story recently that might make a dent, however. It quotes a trauma surgeon and assistant professor at Texas Tech University as saying that survivors are likely to have some degree of lung damage after recovering—with their x-rays sometimes worse than …

Many “side effects” of the COVID-19 pandemic could have been anticipated due to the nature of the infection—eg, exacerbation of existing lung problems—or social distancing measures, such as an increase in depression and anxiety. Then again, others are likely unforeseen. The Canadian Urological Association Journal published an article detailing an increase in male genitalia injuries coinciding with a spike in COVID-19 cases. While there was no solid conclusion as to why this occurred, the authors …

It’s flu season. Usually that’s reason enough to take patients seriously when they present with certain respiratory complaints. These days, influenza is overshadowed by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, of course—and with good reason, as it looks like it’s now the number-one killer of Americans. However, if you assume those are the only two respiratory issues to be concerned with, you’re doing your patients a disservice that could prove deadly. According to a new study published online …

Following advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as to who should or should not get the COVID-19 vaccine has been something of a challenge, as the agency has waffled considerably since the first versions were approved for use in the United States weeks ago. They’re simply following the evidence, of course, which paints an evolving picture as more Americans get the shot. Most recently, the CDC officially updated its interim guidance on …

Evidence that alterations in a patient’s senses of smell and taste were common in COVID-19 infection was abundant at the outset of the pandemic. It was also completely anecdotal, and sometimes refuted in early studies. Now that more cases have amassed and more in-depth research completed, however, it seems clear that such alterations are, in fact, strong (but not universal) indicators that a patient has been infected with the virus. JAMA Otolaryngology – Head & …

We’ve read a lot lately about the prospect of social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic raising incidence of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and other behavioral concerns in the general public. Looking back farther, you may recall a handful of urgent care operators trying to develop a line of behavioral services in their communities. Could the current public health crisis serve as a conduit to finally get such initiatives off the ground? Freeman Health System …

Both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines seem to be eliciting a higher-than-expected rate of anaphylaxis, according to an article just published by Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. While the rate of allergic reaction is roughly 10 times greater than it is for flu vaccine, the authors conclude that the incidence could still be called “rare” (21 cases out of 1.9 million doses given as of December 23, 2020) and that the benefits of receiving …