Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Update: CDC Clears More Groups to Receive the COVID-19 Vaccine

With coronavirus vaccinations now being administered to the first round of recipients, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just issued a new advisory specifying groups who are deemed to be “safe” to receive the vaccine. Specifically, the CDC advises that adults with underlying health conditions and autoimmune conditions, as well as those with a history of Guillain-Barré syndrome and Bell’s palsy can be immunized. Last week, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted …

Be Vigilant for COVID-19 in Patients with Cancer; They’re at Greater Risk for Infection and Severe Disease

We know that immunocompromised patients are at increased risk for all manner of infection, including COVID-19. We also know that patients with cancer fall under that broad umbrella. However, new research indicates that cancer patients, specifically, are at greater risk for infection and subsequent mortality due to the virus. This phenomenon seems to be especially prevalent in those recently diagnosed with leukemia, lung cancer, and non–Hodgkin lymphoma, according to a study just published in JAMA …

Warn Patients with COVID-19: They Could Be in for a Longer Haul Than They Think

Some corners of the public seem to have fallen back into the notion that, while patients with comorbid conditions are at higher risk, a case of COVID-19 is not that different from a bad case of influenza—you feel bad for a week or two and then you’re back on your feet. New data published in the Annals of Internal Medicine should help you disavow them of that misconception, however. An article there indicates that up …

Be Alert for Patients Back from the UK—a New Coronavirus Variant There Could Be Worse Than the Existing One

The United States is already grappling with a deadly resurgence of the COVID-19 virus, but news from the United Kingdom indicates we could see a dire situation turn even worse if we’re not careful. The government there, perhaps wary of repeating mistakes that allowed the virus to run rampant last spring, has already implemented a partial shutdown of nonessential businesses and services in order to discourage widespread contact among the public. This is not “just” …

As 2020 Winds Down, Urgent Care Acquisitions Heat Up

In such a topsy-turvy year, it only makes sense that a changing urgent care landscape is making headlines as 2020 comes to a close. First, WellNow Urgent Care announced that it has acquired Hometown Urgent Care & Occupational Health and its 34 locations across Ohio and Michigan. That move nearly doubles WellNow’s size and moves it onto the list of top 10 urgent care companies in the country. Not to be outdone, FastMed Urgent Care …

Changing Office Hours Over the Holidays? Let Your Patients Know—Before They Get in the Car

The winter holidays are notorious for causing increases in trips to the emergency room. With hospitals already congested (again) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s likely patients who slice a finger open while carving a roast, eat a questionable clam, or just have an ordinary sore throat will opt to visit an urgent care center instead of the ED. If you’ve done a good job in marketing your center, they’ll probably just hop in the …

Be Warned—and Tell Patients: Holidays Are Causing Delays in COVID-19 Test Processing

Federal, state, and local health officials have urged Americans to alter their winter holiday traditions by limiting exposure to friends and family they don’t typically spend time with, in order to keep a lid on the burgeoning COVID-19 case load across the country. Many will take that advice, but others hope to strike a safe balance by getting tested for the virus and following through on gatherings (assuming they test negative, of course). The issue …

Occ Med Providers Take Note: Companies Are Pushing Workers to Get Tested Frequently

Amazon and Whole Foods employees were told this week that weekly, no-cost testing for COVID-19 is available to them—and encouraged—on a weekly basis. Amazon is especially keen on ensuring frontline workers in California get tested at least once a week, given recent updates in workplace standards there. Currently, tests are being administered on site by Concentra, though not during an employee’s regular working hours. However, according to a report posted by CNBC, workers are promised …

Update: More COVID-19 Self Tests Hit the Market—Including an OTC Version

A pair of new COVID-19 self-test kits received approval from the Food and Drug Administration this week. The biggest—and possibly most concerning—difference between the two is that one is available without a prescription. The first, BinaxNOW from Abbott, was already approved for, and being administered by, healthcare professionals. Now, however, patients who want to be tested can log on to an Abbott app with their smartphone to be connected to a healthcare provider at eMed. …

Update: CDC Clarifies Its Stance on Risk of Anaphylaxis with the COVID-19 Vaccine

Media coverage of two British healthcare workers who experienced anaphylaxis after receiving the Pfizer/BioNT version of the COVID-19 vaccine last week led to widespread presumption that the vaccine should not be given to patients with a history of allergic reactions to vaccinations. In an effort to dispel that notion, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an announcement stating that the vaccine is believed to be safe for use in all patients, but that …