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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 Oct. 4 to 8, 2021. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal studies and other trusted sources that is most likely to affect clinical practice.<\/p>\n
D-Dimer Level Not Useful for Ruling Out PE in COVID-19 Patients<\/strong><\/p>\n FRIDAY, Oct. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Use of D-dimer levels to exclude pulmonary embolism has limited clinical utility and may be inappropriate in patients hospitalized with COVID-19, many of whom have increased plasma D-dimer values, according to a research letter published online Oct. 8 in JAMA Network Open<\/em>.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n Glucose-Regulating Drugs Aid COVID-19 Outcomes in Patients With Diabetes<\/strong><\/p>\n FRIDAY, Oct. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Use of glucose-regulating medications may improve outcomes for COVID-19 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, according to a study published online Sept. 27 in Diabetes<\/em>.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n AAP: More Burn Injuries Reported for Children During Pandemic<\/strong><\/p>\n FRIDAY, Oct. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) — During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in burn injuries among children, especially school-aged children, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics, held virtually from Oct. 8 to 11.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n Protection Against SARS-CoV-2 Wanes Months After BNT162b2 Vaccination<\/strong><\/p>\n FRIDAY, Oct. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Humoral responses and the effectiveness for protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection decline in the months following vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 vaccine, according to two studies published online Oct. 6 in the New England Journal of Medicine<\/em>.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n AAP: Nonaccidental Trauma Up for Over 5s During Stay-at-Home Orders<\/strong><\/p>\n FRIDAY, Oct. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) — For school-aged children, there was an increase in nonaccidental trauma during the stay-at-home orders in 2020, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics, held virtually from Oct. 8 to 11.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n COVID-19 Delta Variant Tied to More Hospitalizations in Pregnant Patients<\/strong><\/p>\n FRIDAY, Oct. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Unvaccinated pregnant patients are increasingly being hospitalized with COVID-19 during the surge of the delta variant, according to a research letter published online Sept. 13 in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology<\/em>.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n Being Over 40 With T1DM Ups Risk for COVID-19-Related Hospitalizations<\/strong><\/p>\n FRIDAY, Oct. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Patients with type 1 diabetes older than 40 years of age are at higher risk for COVID-19-related hospitalization compared with younger individuals with T1D, according to a study published online Sept. 28 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism<\/em>.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n >140,000 U.S. Children Have Been Orphaned by COVID-19<\/strong><\/p>\n THURSDAY, Oct. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — More than 140,000 children in the United States experienced the COVID-19-related death of a parent or grandparent caregiver from April 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021, with the risk for such loss higher among children of racial and ethnic minorities, according to a study published online Oct. 7 in Pediatrics.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n Los Angeles Passes Country’s Strictest Vaccine Mandate<\/strong><\/p>\n THURSDAY, Oct. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — One of the strictest COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the United States has been approved in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n Pfizer Seeks FDA Approval for COVID-19 Vaccine in Children 5 to 11<\/strong><\/p>\n THURSDAY, Oct. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Pfizer announced Thursday that it has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency approval for its COVID-19 vaccine to be given to children between the ages of 5 and 11 years. The agency has scheduled an Oct. 26 meeting to consider the Pfizer request, with a ruling expected between Halloween and Thanksgiving, The New York Times<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n Routine Childhood Vaccination Rates Down During the Pandemic<\/strong><\/p>\n THURSDAY, Oct. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — As of September 2020, childhood vaccination rates were lower than 2019 levels, according to a study published online Oct. 7 in JAMA Pediatrics<\/em>.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n COVID-19 Vaccine Concerns ID’d in Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis Patients<\/strong><\/p>\n THURSDAY, Oct. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Among patients with psoriasis and\/or psoriatic arthritis, a considerable number are hesitant about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and the effect they may have on their underlying conditions, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, held virtually from Sept. 29 to Oct 2.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n Cannabis Use in Pregnant Women Increased During the Pandemic<\/strong><\/p>\n THURSDAY, Oct. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Rates of biochemically verified prenatal cannabis use increased significantly among pregnant women in Northern California during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a research letter published online Sept. 27 in the Journal of the American Medical Association<\/em>.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n Health Care Workers Show Greatest COVID-19 Stress<\/strong><\/p>\n WEDNESDAY, Oct. 6, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Health care workers experienced higher levels of stress than other occupations in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published online Oct. 6 in PLOS ONE<\/em>.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n U.S. to Buy $1 Billion Worth of Rapid COVID-19 Tests<\/strong><\/p>\n WEDNESDAY, Oct. 6, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The Biden administration said Wednesday that it plans to purchase $1 billion worth of rapid, at-home COVID-19 tests and take other actions to quadruple the number of tests available to Americans by December.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n Nearly 200,000 COVID-19 Home Tests Recalled Over False Positives<\/strong><\/p>\n WEDNESDAY, Oct. 6, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Almost 200,000 Ellume COVID-19 home testing kits have been recalled because they may be more likely to give a false-positive result.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n BNT162b2 Protects Against COVID-19 Hospitalization for Up to Six Months<\/strong><\/p>\n WEDNESDAY, Oct. 6, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccine is highly effective against COVID-19-related hospital admission up to six months after full vaccination, according to a study published online Oct. 4 in The Lancet<\/em>.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n Breakthrough COVID-19 Risk Up for Patients With Substance Use Disorders<\/strong><\/p>\n WEDNESDAY, Oct. 6, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The risk for breakthrough COVID-19 infections is increased for fully vaccinated patients with substance use disorders, according to a study published online Oct. 6 in World Psychiatry<\/em>.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n Outpatient Anticoagulant Therapy May Cut COVID-19 Admission Risk<\/strong><\/p>\n WEDNESDAY, Oct. 6, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Individuals using anticoagulation therapy on an outpatient basis who are diagnosed with COVID-19 have a reduced risk for hospital admission, according to a study published online Sept. 24 in EClinicalMedicine<\/em>.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n Depressive Symptoms Up in U.S. Adults During the Pandemic<\/strong><\/p>\n WEDNESDAY, Oct. 6, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The burden of depressive symptoms in the U.S. adult population has increased during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published online Oct. 4 in The Lancet Regional Health-Americas<\/em>.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n Johnson & Johnson Seeks FDA Emergency Approval for Its Booster Shot<\/strong><\/p>\n TUESDAY, Oct. 5, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Johnson & Johnson announced Tuesday that it has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve emergency use of its COVID-19 booster shot.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n Study Confirms Virulence of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern<\/strong><\/p>\n TUESDAY, Oct. 5, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 variants of concern, including the N501Y mutation (i.e., alpha\/B1.1.17, beta\/B.1.351, and gamma\/P.1 variants) and the delta\/B.1.617 variant, are associated with increased risks for hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, and death, according to a study published online Oct. 5 in CMAJ<\/em>, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n Racial\/Ethnic Disparities in Excess Mortality Up During Pandemic<\/strong><\/p>\n TUESDAY, Oct. 5, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Racial and ethnic disparities in excess mortality increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published online Oct. 5 in the Annals of Internal Medicine<\/em>.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n U.S. Nursing Home Deaths Rise as Delta Spreads<\/strong><\/p>\n MONDAY, Oct. 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) — There has been a significant increase in COVID-19-related deaths in nursing homes as the highly contagious delta spreads across the country, a new analysis shows.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n J&J to Ask FDA to Approve Its COVID-19 Booster Shot<\/strong><\/p>\n MONDAY, Oct. 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Johnson & Johnson plans to ask the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve emergency use of a booster shot of its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine early this week.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n U.S. Passes 700,000 COVID-19 Deaths<\/strong><\/p>\n MONDAY, Oct. 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The United States has now surpassed 700,000 COVID-19 deaths, as the highly contagious delta variant continues to hold the country in its grip.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n EU Drug Regulator Approves Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots<\/strong><\/p>\n MONDAY, Oct. 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people aged 18 years and older have been given the green light by the European Medicines Agency.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n E-Cigarette Use in Teens Prevalent During COVID-19 Pandemic<\/strong><\/p>\n MONDAY, Oct. 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) — During 2021, among youth currently using electronic cigarettes, 27.6 percent of high-school students and 8.3 percent of middle-school students reported daily use, according to research published in the Oct. 1 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report<\/em>.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n Acute Myocarditis Rare After COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination in Adults<\/strong><\/p>\n MONDAY, Oct. 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Acute myocarditis is rare in adults who receive at least one dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, with an incidence of 5.8 cases per 1 million individuals after the second dose, according to a research letter published online Oct. 4 in JAMA Internal Medicine<\/em>.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n Colorectal Cancer Diagnoses Plummeted During the Pandemic<\/strong><\/p>\n MONDAY, Oct. 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The number of colorectal cancer cases diagnosed decreased by 40 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic period, according to a study presented at UEG Week Virtual 2021, hosted by United European Gastroenterology and held from Oct. 3 to 5.<\/p>\n Read Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n Adults With Disability Less Likely to Have Received COVID-19 Vaccine<\/strong><\/p>\n MONDAY, Oct. 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Adults with a disability are less likely to report having received one or more doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, although they are more likely to report higher endorsement of the vaccine as protection, according to research published in the Oct. 1 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report<\/em>.<\/p>\n