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 March 7 to 11, 2022. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal studies and other trusted sources that is most likely to affect clinical practice.
Excess Mortality Adds to the Toll of the COVID-19 Pandemic
FRIDAY, March 11, 2022 (HealthDay News) — The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of excess mortality has been much greater than indicated by reported deaths due to COVID-19, according to a study published online March 10 in The Lancet.
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Risk for Blood Clots After COVID-19 Vaccination Explored
FRIDAY, March 11, 2022 (HealthDay News) — There is a small increased risk for intracranial venous thrombosis, thrombocytopenia, and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis after the ChAdOx1-S COVID-19 vaccination, but not after the BNT162b2 vaccination, according to two studies published online Feb. 22 in PLOS Medicine.
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Masks Reduced COVID-19 Incidence in K-12 Setting in Arkansas
THURSDAY, March 10, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Masks are important for preventing COVID-19 incidence in kindergarten through grade 12 school settings, according to research published in the March 11 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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U.S. Airplane, Train, and Transit Mask Mandates Extended to April 18
THURSDAY, March 10, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Mask mandates for airplanes, trains, and transit hubs that were set to expire next week will be extended to April 18, the Biden administration is expected to announce Thursday.
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Survival High With ECMO for Selected Severe COVID-19 Patients
THURSDAY, March 10, 2022 (HealthDay News) — For patients with severe COVID-19, a well-defined patient selection and management strategy of venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation results in high survival to discharge that is sustained at one year, according to a study published online March 10 in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
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Secondary Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Low in Cohort of K-12 Schools
WEDNESDAY, March 9, 2022 (HealthDay News) — In a cohort of K-12 schools, secondary transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was low and was reduced by universal masking, according to a study published online March 9 in Pediatrics.
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Pfizer Begins Trial of COVID-19 Drug Paxlovid in Children 6 to 17 Years
WEDNESDAY, March 9, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Pfizer Inc. announced Tuesday that it has launched a phase 2/3 clinical trial of its COVID-19 antiviral pill known as Paxlovid in children ages 6 to 17 years.
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Continued Dexamethasone at Discharge Not Tied to Better COVID-19 Outcomes
WEDNESDAY, March 9, 2022 (HealthDay News) — For individuals hospitalized with COVID-19, continuing treatment with dexamethasone at discharge is not associated with a reduction in 14-day all-cause readmission or mortality, according to a study published online March 8 in JAMA Network Open.
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Excess Mortality Seen for Seniors With Alzheimer Disease, Dementia in COVID-19
TUESDAY, March 8, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Excess mortality was seen for older adults with Alzheimer disease and related dementias during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published online Feb. 28 in JAMA Neurology.
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COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage Higher in Urban Versus Rural Counties
TUESDAY, March 8, 2022 (HealthDay News) — COVID-19 vaccination coverage with one or more doses is higher in urban versus rural counties, according to research published in the March 4 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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In Reversal, WHO Now Supports COVID-19 Boosters
TUESDAY, March 8, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines are needed as the highly contagious omicron variant continues to spread worldwide, a World Health Organization expert group said Tuesday.
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Mean Monthly BP Increased Among U.S. Adults During COVID-19
MONDAY, March 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Among adults in the United States, mean monthly blood pressure increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published in the May issue of the American Heart Journal.
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Employment at Skilled Nursing Facilities Declined During COVID-19
MONDAY, March 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) — There were considerable declines in employment at skilled nursing facilities during 2020 and 2021, which were positively associated with the severity of COVID-19 burden, according to a research letter published online Feb. 25 in JAMA Health Forum.
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New York City Drops Most COVID-19 Restrictions
MONDAY, March 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) — As the COVID-19 surge driven by the omicron variant wanes, New York City announced that it will lift most of its pandemic restrictions.
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Congenital Heart Defect May Up Risk for Critical COVID-19 Illness
MONDAY, March 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Patients with congenital heart defects with COVID-19 have an increased prevalence of critical COVID-19 illness, according to a research letter published online March 7 in Circulation.
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Vaccination Reduces Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 Among Adolescents
MONDAY, March 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Vaccinations reduce the incidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 among adolescents, according to a research brief published online Feb. 22 in Pediatrics.
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FRIDAY, March 11, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Black patients are still underrepresented in most trials relating to approval of new drugs, despite implementation of an action plan in 2015 to improve diversity, according to a report published in the March issue of Health Affairs.
Noting that in 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration launched a five-year action plan, which aimed to improve diversity in and transparency of pivotal clinical trials for newly approved drugs, Angela K. Green, M.D., from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, and colleagues analyzed Snapshots data to examine whether the initiative had led to an improvement in the inclusion of Black patients in clinical trials.
The researchers found that based on data from the FDA Drug Trials Snapshots website, there was no evidence that representation of Black trial participants had improved. In clinical trials for drugs, Black patients remained inadequately represented, with a median of one-third of the enrollment that would be required; this finding was seen regardless of whether the trials were started before, during, or after implementation of the action plan. Data regarding treatment benefits or side effects were reported for Black patients for fewer than 20 percent of drugs, with no improvement in either measure during the action plan period.
“These findings suggest that the FDA should consider a new approach to improving clinical trial representativeness, reaching beyond reporting- and transparency-centered measures to implement representational requirements,” the authors write.
Several authors disclosed financial ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.
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