Clinical

Some television news reports make it seem as if antibody tests for COVID-19 will be the key to reopening the economy and diminishing restrictions about group gatherings and protective measures in public spaces. A Forbes magazine piece penned by an infectious disease expert notes that the best response to that idea is probably, Not so fast. In the article, Matthew Binnicker, PhD, director of clinical virology at the Mayo Clinic, acknowledges that while serology tests …

Patients who have previously tested positive for COVID-19 and then declared to be “recovered” by virtue of a negative test, only to test positive again at a later time, do not appear to be infectious, according to data from the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This led the researchers to propose those “re-positive” patients could have developed antibodies that would prevent them from having active illness again. Their conclusions were based on studying …

Gastrointestinal complaints and hepatic symptoms are more common in patients ultimately diagnosed with COVID-19 than previously thought, according to a paper to be published in the journal Gastroenterology. The research, based on retrospective study of 1,059 patients at two hospitals in New York City, reveals that 33% of patients who went on to test positive for COVID-19 had at least one GI symptom at presentation; 22% had diarrhea, 7% had abdominal pain, 16% were nauseous, …

Newly published research indicates that remdesivir shortens disease course in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.  Data from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, show that patients who received a 10-day course of remdesivir had a reduced recovery time of 11 days, vs 15 days to recovery in patients who did not receive remdesivir. The findings were consistent with preliminary data released by the NIAID weeks ago.

Fears that patients could be suffering with bacterial pneumonia are driving many clinicians to prescribe antibiotics—only to discover after the fact that the patients’ symptoms are actually due to coronavirus. Those premature prescriptions are now stoking concerns that antibiotic resistance could be on the rise, according to an article published recently by MedPage Today. This all comes on the heels of a report from the General Accounting Office that indicated there has been minimal progress …

Recently, a New York City intern posted a blog in which she said her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic as left her feeling “so terribly, soul-crushingly helpless.” An article published in Physicians Practice noted that fear, anxiety, hopelessness, and guilt may be common feelings among providers who are overwhelmed with more patients than they can help. The same goes for urgent care providers who are worried about their jobs because their location has seen patient …

Now that the weather is turning warmer in much of the country—coinciding with relaxed attitudes toward COVID-19 and a general need to get out of the house—many people are venturing outside to exercise for the first time in months. Undoubtedly, many of them are a bit rusty and may be inclined to overdo it and injure themselves in the process. According to the American Academy of Pain Medicine, this may be a good time to …

Patients with COVID-19 who are also current or former smokers or who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are at greater risk for severe complications and mortality than other COVID-19 patients, according to a study just published in the journal PLOS ONE. In analyzing data from 15 studies reflecting 2,473 patients with confirmed COVID-19, the researchers found that patients with COPD were at a higher risk of more severe disease (risk of severity = 63% compared …

People who have asthma are often listed among patients at higher risk for severe disease and outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a new article on MedPage Today calls that presumption into question. Quoting infectious disease experts and drawing on data from the still-small pool of research that’s been done on COVID-19, the piece notes that 5% of people in China have been diagnosed with asthma—but asthma was found in less than 1% of patients …

Patients with “underlying conditions” are at increased risk for severe disease and poor outcomes if they have COVID-19. That drum has been beaten long and loud. However, new data published in Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews illustrate how great the threat is to patients who have diabetes, in particular. Meta-analysis showed that diabetes was associated with composite poor outcomes (risk ratio = 2.38, 95% confidence interval 1.88-3.03), including mortality (RR 2.12, 95% …