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 June 7 to 11, 2021. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal studies and other trusted sources that is most likely to affect clinical practice.
FDA: J&J Contaminated COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Must Be Discarded
FRIDAY, June 11, 2021 (HealthDay News) — About 60 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine must be discarded due to possible contamination, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has decided.
CDC Calls Emergency Meeting on Heart Inflammation Link to COVID-19 Vaccines
FRIDAY, June 11, 2021 (HealthDay News) — An emergency meeting will be held June 18 to discuss rare reports of heart inflammation in people who have received the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.
Expiration Dates on Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Extended
FRIDAY, June 11, 2021 (HealthDay News) — U.S. regulators have extended the expiration date on millions of Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine doses by six weeks, the company announced Thursday.
MIS-C Incidence 316 Persons Per 1 Million SARS-CoV-2 Infections
FRIDAY, June 11, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children is a rare complication associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, with an incidence of 316 persons per 1 million SARS-CoV-2 infections, according to a study published online June 10 in JAMA Network Open.
Hemodialysis Patients Have Antibody Response to COVID-19 Vaccine
FRIDAY, June 11, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Most hemodialysis patients but few kidney transplant recipients develop antibody responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 after receipt of an mRNA vaccine, according to a study published online June 10 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
Heart Attack, Stroke Care Rebound During Pandemic
FRIDAY, June 11, 2021 (HealthDay News) — During the largest and most recent COVID-19 surge (October 2020 to January 2021), there were no significant declines in hospitalization for heart attacks or suspected strokes, according to a research letter published online June 2 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Houston Methodist Suspends Nearly 200 Workers Who Refuse COVID-19 Vaccines
THURSDAY, June 10, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Nearly 200 employees of the Houston Methodist hospital system in Texas have been suspended without pay for refusing to get COVID-19 vaccines.
U.S. to Send 500 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Doses to Countries Desperate for Shots
THURSDAY, June 10, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The United States plans to purchase 500 million doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine that it will then donate to countries in need around the world.
COVID-19 Cases, Deaths Down in Seniors After Vaccine Introduction
THURSDAY, June 10, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Following the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine, decreases in COVID-19 cases, emergency department visits, hospital admission, and deaths were seen among older adults, according to research published in the June 8 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Neurological, Neuropsychiatric Symptoms Common in COVID-19
THURSDAY, June 10, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Neurological and neuropsychiatric manifestations of COVID-19 are varied and common, according to a review published online June 4 in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.
Expiration Date Looming for Millions of J&J COVID-19 Vaccine Doses
WEDNESDAY, June 9, 2021 (HealthDay News) — U.S. federal and state health officials are trying to administer as many doses as possible of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine as millions of unused shots are set to expire this month.
State Department Eases Travel Advisories for Dozens of Countries
WEDNESDAY, June 9, 2021 (HealthDay News) — COVID-19-related travel advisories for dozens of countries were eased Tuesday by the U.S. State Department.
Vaccinations More Urgent as Variant That Crippled India Shows Up in the U.S.
WEDNESDAY, June 9, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The highly contagious coronavirus variant that brought India to its knees this spring now accounts for 6 percent of new cases in the United States, the Biden administration said Tuesday.
Real-World Study Shows Power of Pfizer, Moderna Vaccines to Prevent COVID-19
TUESDAY, June 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) — A real-world study shows that even when people who get the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines do have “breakthrough” infections, those illnesses are mild.
COVID-19 Vaccine Patent Rules Reconsidered by World Trade Organization
TUESDAY, June 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) — A proposal to ease patents and related protections on COVID-19 vaccines in order to help developing nations fight the pandemic will be considered at a two-day meeting of a World Trade Organization panel.
India to Provide Free COVID-19 Shots for All Adults
TUESDAY, June 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Free COVID-19 vaccines will be offered to all adults in India starting later this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Monday.
Diet May Impact COVID-19 Severity
TUESDAY, June 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Plant-based and/or fish diets may help lessen the severity of COVID-19 infection, according to a study published online June 7 in BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health.
Drop in Kawasaki Disease Seen During the COVID-19 Pandemic
TUESDAY, June 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The incidence of Kawasaki disease in South Korea decreased sharply after implementation of nonpharmaceutical interventions, such as mask wearing and hand washing, were introduced to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, according to a research letter published online June 7 in Circulation.
Factors ID’d for COVID-19 Infection Risk in Dialysis Patients
TUESDAY, June 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) — For individuals receiving in-center hemodialysis, the risk for having a positive test for infection or admission with suspected COVID-19 is associated with age, diabetes, local community COVID-19 rates, and dialysis unit size, according to a study published online June 1 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
Recent Increase Seen in COVID-19-Linked Hospitalization for Teens
MONDAY, June 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — COVID-19-associated hospitalization rates increased recently for adolescents, and a considerable proportion of those hospitalized were admitted to the intensive care unit, according to research published in the June 4 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Case Series Reports Myocarditis After Second Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine
MONDAY, June 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — In a case series published online June 7 in Pediatrics, the authors present seven cases of acute myocarditis or myopericarditis in healthy male adolescents within four days of receiving the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination.
Declining COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Threaten Biden’s July 4 Goal
MONDAY, June 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Plunging vaccination rates are imperiling President Joe Biden’s goal of getting COVID-19 shots into the arms of at least 70 percent of American adults by July 4, while public health experts worry that Southern states, where immunization numbers are the lowest, could see a spike in cases during the summer.
SARS-CoV-2 Mortality Up for Patients With Active Cancer
MONDAY, June 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Patients with active cancer hospitalized with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 are more likely to die, according to a study published online June 7 in Cancer.
Postpartum Mental Health Visits Up During COVID-19 Pandemic
MONDAY, June 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Postpartum mental health visits were higher during the COVID-19 pandemic than expected based on prepandemic patterns, according to a study published online June 7 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
Excess Deaths Estimated for ESRD Patients During COVID-19
MONDAY, June 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — A total of 8.7 to 12.9 excess deaths were estimated per 1,000 end-stage renal disease patients during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to research published in the June 4 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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