Clinical

Newly published research indicates that remdesivir shortens disease course in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.  Data from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, show that patients who received a 10-day course of remdesivir had a reduced recovery time of 11 days, vs 15 days to recovery in patients who did not receive remdesivir. The findings were consistent with preliminary data released by the NIAID weeks ago.

Fears that patients could be suffering with bacterial pneumonia are driving many clinicians to prescribe antibiotics—only to discover after the fact that the patients’ symptoms are actually due to coronavirus. Those premature prescriptions are now stoking concerns that antibiotic resistance could be on the rise, according to an article published recently by MedPage Today. This all comes on the heels of a report from the General Accounting Office that indicated there has been minimal progress …

Recently, a New York City intern posted a blog in which she said her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic as left her feeling “so terribly, soul-crushingly helpless.” An article published in Physicians Practice noted that fear, anxiety, hopelessness, and guilt may be common feelings among providers who are overwhelmed with more patients than they can help. The same goes for urgent care providers who are worried about their jobs because their location has seen patient …

Now that the weather is turning warmer in much of the country—coinciding with relaxed attitudes toward COVID-19 and a general need to get out of the house—many people are venturing outside to exercise for the first time in months. Undoubtedly, many of them are a bit rusty and may be inclined to overdo it and injure themselves in the process. According to the American Academy of Pain Medicine, this may be a good time to …

Patients with COVID-19 who are also current or former smokers or who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are at greater risk for severe complications and mortality than other COVID-19 patients, according to a study just published in the journal PLOS ONE. In analyzing data from 15 studies reflecting 2,473 patients with confirmed COVID-19, the researchers found that patients with COPD were at a higher risk of more severe disease (risk of severity = 63% compared …

People who have asthma are often listed among patients at higher risk for severe disease and outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a new article on MedPage Today calls that presumption into question. Quoting infectious disease experts and drawing on data from the still-small pool of research that’s been done on COVID-19, the piece notes that 5% of people in China have been diagnosed with asthma—but asthma was found in less than 1% of patients …

Patients with “underlying conditions” are at increased risk for severe disease and poor outcomes if they have COVID-19. That drum has been beaten long and loud. However, new data published in Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews illustrate how great the threat is to patients who have diabetes, in particular. Meta-analysis showed that diabetes was associated with composite poor outcomes (risk ratio = 2.38, 95% confidence interval 1.88-3.03), including mortality (RR 2.12, 95% …

As One Possible COVID-19 Treatment Gets a Closer Look, Another Prompts Safety Concerns While the world hopes for a “magic bullet” that will put COVID-19 down, or at least prevent it, researchers remain committed to exploring all available options. Most recently, the Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the investigational antiviral drug remdesivir for the treatment of suspected or laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in adults and children hospitalized with severe disease. Acknowledging that …

Paradoxically, patients who may be at greatest risk for complications due to COVID-19 are opting out of the very care that could keep them from suffering with severe disease, according to research published by Patient Care Online. The concern is especially great among those with chronic conditions such as asthma and type 2 diabetes. The problem, simply, is that they’re scared; 40% said they’re “worried/very worried” about going to a medical facility, including the emergency …

When it first became apparent there is a wide range in how severely patients are affected by COVID-19, there seemed little rhyme or reason, aside from existing clinical characteristics, as to why one patient fared worse than another—or how a patient’s likelihood of developing severe disease could be predicted. Now a study just published in Critical Care suggests that predicting disease progression can be aided by looking at sputum viral load. The research, out of …