Finally, Weekly Visits to Urgent Care Are on the Rise

Finally, Weekly Visits to Urgent Care Are on the Rise

Most urgent care centers across the U.S. have taken a beating since social distancing recommendations and lockdown orders took hold. Patient visits fell sharply as patients who would typically come in for relatively minor complaints decided leaving home wasn’t worth the perceived risk. Finally, as parts of the country start to ease restrictions, data tracked by Experity show the industry is bouncing back strongly. Perhaps the most encouraging statistic is the difference in 7-day average …

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Update: The Lancet Has Withdrawn an Article Associating Hydroxychloroquine with Ventricular Arrhythmia

Update: The Lancet Has Withdrawn an Article Associating Hydroxychloroquine with Ventricular Arrhythmia

The Lancet has taken the extraordinary step of retracting a paper that garnered worldwide headlines when it was published in May. That article had suggested that hydroxychloroquine—purported by some to be a possible treatment for, or agent to prevent COVID-19—was associated with higher rates of ventricular arrhythmia and death in patients with the virus. While there is no evidence that the conclusions are incorrect, Lancet says it withdrew the article at the request of three …

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As People Start Venturing Outside More, Prepare for Tick-Bite Presentations

As People Start Venturing Outside More, Prepare for Tick-Bite Presentations

If not technically a pandemic, cabin fever is definitely running rampant across the U.S. Especially now that the weather is warmer, social distancing restrictions are relaxing a bit, and school years are ending, people are aching to get outside. Ticks await, ready to feast—and you need to be ready to assess for various associated diseases and provide care as needed. One challenge is that patients may complain of symptoms but not mention that they’ve been …

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WHO Reverses Itself on Claim that Asymptomatic Transmission of COVID-19 Is ‘Rare’

WHO Reverses Itself on Claim that Asymptomatic Transmission of COVID-19 Is ‘Rare’

The World Health Organization made headlines for stating that transmission of coronavirus by infected, asymptomatic people “very rare”—only to clarify hours later that asymptomatic carriers do contribute to spread of the virus. The WHO also acknowledged that more study is needed to understand what role asymptomatic patients play in infecting others. Complicating the issue is a shortfall in health literacy; according to the WHO, many patients mistake the word asymptomatic to mean having only mild symptoms, …

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Urgent Care Has to Rattle Some Cages to Ensure the Industry Has a Hand in COVID-19 Going Forward

Urgent Care Has to Rattle Some Cages to Ensure the Industry Has a Hand in COVID-19 Going Forward

If testing activities in China are any indication—and can be believed—then widespread screening will be essential to really opening up businesses and culture in the U.S. Officials in Wuhan, where the pandemic really started to take off, say they’ve tested nearly 7 million people, turning up just 206 who were found to have asymptomatic COVID-19; clearly, that’s below the threshold of cases that would prohibit easing social distancing restrictions. This could be a prime opportunity …

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CDC: Easing Restrictions, Presence of Meat Plants Mark Some Locales as ‘Areas of Concern’ for New COVID-19 Spread

CDC: Easing Restrictions, Presence of Meat Plants Mark Some Locales as ‘Areas of Concern’ for New COVID-19 Spread

Now that many parts of the country are allowing certain businesses to open their doors—albeit with some restrictions, such as outdoor seating in a restaurant—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is identifying “areas of concern” for new spread of COVID-19. They include states that may have eased restrictions too much and too soon (Florida and Alabama being two named by the CDC, though specific counties in Iowa, Nebraska, Louisiana, and Virginia were also called …

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PPP Has Already Been Amended—and the Changes Could Help Save Your Urgent Care Operation

PPP Has Already Been Amended—and the Changes Could Help Save Your Urgent Care Operation

The Paycheck Protection Program was passed to reduce pressure on small businesses, including many urgent care centers, that would have a hard time meeting payroll during the COVID-19 crisis by paving the way for them to get loans. While execution of the plan has had its bumps, both houses of Congress have now approved an amendment, HR 7010, that could help urgent care centers maintain existing staffing levels (or close to them) and even save …

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Be Mindful of Cannabis Withdrawal Symptoms in this Time of Social Distancing

Be Mindful of Cannabis Withdrawal Symptoms in this Time of Social Distancing

With social distancing in effect across the U.S., regular cannabis users may find it difficult to maintain their typical rate of usage, possibly leading to withdrawal from the drug. A newly published article in JAMA Network Open reveals that 47% of 23,518 patients who were part of a meta-analysis of cannabis users experienced withdrawal when they stopped or reduced their usage. Concurrent cannabis, tobacco, and other substance use disorders were associated with a higher prevalence …

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U.S. Streets Are Exploding in Protest and Violence; Could This Usher in a Second Wave of COVID-19?

U.S. Streets Are Exploding in Protest and Violence; Could This Usher in a Second Wave of COVID-19?

While local governments and law enforcement bodies struggle to maintain order during unrest sparked by the death of George Floyd during an encounter with police in Minneapolis, public health officials are expressing a secondary concern: that the volume of citizens and police officers interacting in such close proximity could beget a second wave of COVID-19 infections. While photos and television coverage show most protestors and police officers wearing masks, the fact remains that doing so …

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BMI, Not Glycemic Control, May Be the Chief Culprit for COVID-19 Patients with Diabetes

BMI, Not Glycemic Control, May Be the Chief Culprit for COVID-19 Patients with Diabetes

A new study published in the journal Diabetologia indicates that poor glycemic control, while clearly a threat to anyone with diabetes, is not as foreboding as excessive body mass index when it comes to predicting poor prognosis in patients with COVID-19 and diabetes. The authors called BMI “an independent prognostic factor for disease severity in this population, whereas chronic [glycemic] control and routine therapies, such as RAAS blockers and DPP-4 inhibitors, did not impact the immediate …

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