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 Feb. 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.
FDA Postpones Decision on Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine for Under 5s
FRIDAY, Feb. 11, 2022 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Friday that it will postpone an advisory panel meeting that was slated for next week to weigh the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for use in young children.
FDA Approves New Antibody Drug to Fight Omicron Variant
FRIDAY, Feb. 11, 2022 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday gave the nod for a new monoclonal antibody treatment that works against the omicron variant.
Mandatory COVID-19 Tests Lifted for Vaccinated Travelers to Britain
FRIDAY, Feb. 11, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Vaccinated travelers will no longer have to take COVID-19 tests when they enter Britain, officials announced Friday.
U.S. Buys 600,000 Doses of New COVID-19 Treatment Still Awaiting FDA Approval
FRIDAY, Feb. 11, 2022 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. government has bought 600,000 doses of a new antibody drug called bebtelovimab that seems able to beat back the omicron variant, even though the medication has yet to be given the green light by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The company said the contract is worth at least $720 million.
Prior SARS-CoV-2 Infection Less Protective Against Omicron Variant
FRIDAY, Feb. 11, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Previous severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection is about 90 percent effective for preventing reinfection with the alpha, beta, and delta variants but offers lower protection against reinfection with the omicron variant, according to a letter to the editor published online Feb. 9 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
New Symptoms, Conditions May Develop After Positive Test for SARS-CoV-2
FRIDAY, Feb. 11, 2022 (HealthDay News) — The prevalence of certain symptoms and conditions is increased at 31 to 150 days following testing among individuals who test positive versus negative for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, according to a study published online Feb. 3 in JAMA Network Open.
New York State Lifts Indoor Mask Mandate
THURSDAY, Feb. 10, 2022 (HealthDay News) — An indoor mask mandate in New York state will end on Thursday, but masks will still be required in schools and for everyone using public transit.
Test-to-Stay Program Safe for Facilitating In-Person Learning
THURSDAY, Feb. 10, 2022 (HealthDay News) — A statewide test-to-stay program involving daily rapid antigen testing is safe and can maximize in-person learning during the pandemic, according to a study published online Feb. 8 in Pediatrics.
~30 Percent of Seniors Have Sequelae After Acute SARS-CoV-2
THURSDAY, Feb. 10, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Thirty-two percent of adults aged 65 years and older have one or more persistent or new clinical sequelae after acute infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, according to a study published online Feb. 9 in The BMJ.
AACR Addresses Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Care Continuum
THURSDAY, Feb. 10, 2022 (HealthDay News) — The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the continuum of cancer care, according to a report from the American Association of Cancer Research published online Feb. 9.
Keep Wearing Masks a While Longer, CDC Director Says
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 9, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Many states are already dispensing with mask mandates, but the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says COVID-19 case and hospitalization numbers in the United States remain too high to ease its mask guidelines.
Four in 10 Adults Report Heart Symptoms During the Pandemic
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 9, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Four in 10 U.S. adults report experiencing at least one heart-related issue since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the results of a survey released Feb. 1 by the Cleveland Clinic.
COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Seems Safe for High-Risk Children
TUESDAY, Feb. 8, 2022 (HealthDay News) — High-titer COVID-19 convalescent plasma seems safe when given to high-risk children, but recipient plasma neutralization titers decline rapidly, according to a study recently published in JCI Insight.
California to Lift Indoor Mask Rule for Vaccinated
TUESDAY, Feb. 8, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Vaccinated people in California will no longer have to wear masks indoors as of Feb. 15, but schoolchildren will still have to wear masks, state health officials announced Monday.
Adverse Events After BNT162b2 Do Not Differ for Cancer Patients
TUESDAY, Feb. 8, 2022 (HealthDay News) — The short-term adverse events of mRNA COVID-19 vaccination do not differ between patients with and without cancer, according to a study published online Feb. 7 in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
ASA: Scoring System May Predict Stroke Risk in COVID-19 Inpatients
TUESDAY, Feb. 8, 2022 (HealthDay News) — A new scoring system helps predict the risk for stroke among adults hospitalized with COVID-19, according to a study presented at the American Stroke Association International Stroke Conference, held from Feb. 9 to 11 in New Orleans.
Anti-RBD Antibodies Detected Up to 20 Months After COVID-19
MONDAY, Feb. 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Anti-receptor binding domain antibodies are detected in 99 percent of unvaccinated individuals who reported confirmed COVID-19 infection up to 20 months after infection, according to a research letter published online Feb. 3 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
CVS, Walgreens Lift Limits on Purchases of Rapid COVID-19 Tests
MONDAY, Feb. 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) — There will no longer be a limit on how many over-the-counter rapid COVID-19 tests customers can buy at a time, the pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens say.
CDC Backs Full Approval of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine
MONDAY, Feb. 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday gave its full approval to the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for use in people 18 years and older. This follows a similar move made Jan. 31 by its sister agency, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Homologous, Heterologous COVID-19 Boosters Are Immunogenic
MONDAY, Feb. 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) — For adults who completed a primary COVID-19 vaccine regimen at least 12 weeks earlier, homologous and heterologous booster vaccines are immunogenic, according to a study published online Jan. 26 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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