Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Infectious Disease for May 2020. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Physician’s Briefing Weekly Coronavirus Roundup
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 May 25 to 29, 2020. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal studies and other trusted sources that is most likely to affect clinical practice.
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VA Slashes Use of Hydroxychloroquine to Treat COVID-19 Patients
FRIDAY, May 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The VA health system has stopped nearly all use of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 patients, Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie said at a House hearing on Thursday.
Remdesivir Use Growing Globally in COVID-19 Patients
FRIDAY, May 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Worldwide more physicians are using remdesivir to treat COVID-19 patients, according to a survey released May 21 by Sermo, a global health care polling company and social platform for physicians.
Deferment of Elective Surgeries Due to COVID-19 Will Have Lasting Impact
FRIDAY, May 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — At two years after the end of the elective orthopedic surgery deferment related to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be a cumulative backlog of more than 1 million surgical cases in an optimistic scenario, according to a study published online May 12 in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.
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Positive RT-PCR Findings Seen After COVID-19 Discharge
FRIDAY, May 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Some patients with COVID-19 have positive reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results after discharge, according to a research letter published online May 28 in JAMA Network Open.
Five-Day Course of Remdesivir Beneficial in Severe COVID-19
FRIDAY, May 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — There seems to be no significant difference between a five- and 10-day course of remdesivir for patients with severe COVID-19 not requiring mechanical ventilation, according to a study published online May 27 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Infection Risk Up in Month After CAR T-Cell Immunotherapy
FRIDAY, May 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For children and young adults receiving CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell infusion (CTI), infection rates increase in the first month after treatment and then decrease, according to a study published in the May issue of Open Forum Infectious Diseases.
Burden of Severe COVID-19 High in California, Washington State
FRIDAY, May 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For residents of California and Washington with COVID-19, the length of hospital stay and intensive care unit (ICU) admission are high, according to a study published online May 22 in The BMJ.
CDC: Coronavirus Antibody Tests Still Not Accurate Enough
THURSDAY, May 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Coronavirus antibody test results may not be accurate enough to help guide decisions about whether to allow large groups of people to gather at work, schools, dormitories, correctional facilities, and other locations, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.
CBS News Article
More Information: CDC
Parents Facing Higher Levels of Stress During Pandemic
THURSDAY, May 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Individuals, particularly parents, are coping with extreme stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the results of a survey released May 21 by the American Psychological Association (APA).
CV Toxicity Tied to Azithromycin and/or Hydroxychloroquine
THURSDAY, May 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin may have a serious adverse impact on the cardiovascular system, according to a research letter published online May 22 in Circulation.
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Links Found Between Leaders of Medical Associations, Industry
THURSDAY, May 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) — There are extensive financial relationships between leaders of U.S. professional medical associations and industry, according to a study published online May 27 in The BMJ.
9.5 Percent Uninsured in U.S. From January Through June 2019
WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A total of 9.5 percent of persons were uninsured from January through June 2019, according to a report published online May 28 by the National Center for Health Statistics.
Improving Glycemic Control May Also Aid COVID-19 Outcomes
THURSDAY, May 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Insulin infusion helps achieve glycemic targets and may reduce the risk for poor outcomes in patients with hyperglycemia and COVID-19, according to a study published online May 19 in Diabetes Care.
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Parents Struggling to Provide for Families During Pandemic
WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The COVID-19 pandemic poses risks to children’s health, well-being, and development as parents struggle to provide for their families, according to a survey released by the Urban Institute.
U.K. Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19 Are More Often Male
WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are more often male and frequently have comorbidities, according to a study published online May 22 in the The BMJ.
Neuroimaging Features of COVID-19 Are Variable
WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Neuroimaging features of COVID-19 are variable among patients with acute neurological symptoms but are dominated by acute ischemic infarcts, according to a research letter published online May 21 in Radiology.
African-Americans More Likely to Be Hospitalized With COVID-19
WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) — African-American patients have an increased likelihood of hospitalization for COVID-19, according to a report published online May 21 in Health Affairs.
Only One in Four U.S. Hospitals With ICUs Have Tele-ICU Services
WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) — In 2018, half of U.S. hospitals had the capacity to conduct telehealth-based outpatient visits, while only one in four had tele-intensive care unit (tele-ICU) capabilities, according to a research letter published online April 30 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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WHO Suspends Testing of Hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 Patients
TUESDAY, May 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The World Health Organization has suspended use of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine in a clinical trial of treatments of COVID-19 after a study revealed that patients taking the drug are at increased risk for death and serious heart problems.
Remdesivir Beats Placebo for Time to COVID-19 Recovery
TUESDAY, May 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For adults hospitalized with COVID-19 with lower respiratory tract infection, time to recovery is shorter with remdesivir than placebo, according to a study published online May 22 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Placental Injury Seen in Pregnant Women With SARS-CoV-2
TUESDAY, May 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Higher rates of decidual arteriopathy and other maternal vascular malperfusion features are seen in placentas of women with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), according to a study published online May 22 in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology.
Adenovirus Type-5 Vectored COVID-19 Vaccine Shows Promise
TUESDAY, May 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A recombinant adenovirus type-5 (Ad5) vectored COVID-19 vaccine is safe, tolerable, and immunogenic, according to a study published online May 22 in The Lancet.
Hydroxychloroquine Plus Macrolides No Benefit in COVID-19
TUESDAY, May 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For patients with COVID-19 requiring hospitalization, there is no evidence of benefit for use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine with or without a macrolide, according to a study published online May 22 in The Lancet.
Right Ventricular Dilation Linked to Mortality in COVID-19
TUESDAY, May 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Right ventricular dilation is associated with in-hospital mortality among patients hospitalized with COVID-19, according to a study published online May 15 in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.
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Physician’s Briefing Weekly Coronavirus Roundup
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 May 18 to 22, 2020. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal studies and other trusted sources that is most likely to affect clinical practice.
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U.S. Offers $1.2 Billion to Drug Company for COVID-19 Vaccine Research
FRIDAY, May 22, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday it would provide up to $1.2 billion to AstraZeneca to develop a potential COVID-19 vaccine from a lab in Oxford, England.
CDC: COVID-19 Not Spread Easily From Contaminated Surfaces
FRIDAY, May 22, 2020 (HealthDay News) — COVID-19 spreads swiftly between people but is not easily caught from contaminated surfaces, according to updated information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Washington Post Article
More Information: CDC
U.S. Government Seeks Deal With Private Industry to Boost Supply of Medical Equipment
FRIDAY, May 22, 2020 (HealthDay News) — In an effort to prevent the United States from again struggling to have enough medical supplies in a pandemic, the federal government is seeking to make a five-year deal with U.S. manufacturers.
AP News Article
Johns Hopkins University
SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Detected in 4.65 Percent in Los Angeles County
FRIDAY, May 22, 2020 (HealthDay News) — In recent serologic tests, the weighted prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies was 4.65 percent among adult residents of Los Angeles County, California, after adjustment for test sensitivity and specificity, according to a research letter published online May 18 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Age, Sex, History of Diabetes Predict Intubation in COVID-19
FRIDAY, May 22, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Older age, male sex, and history of diabetes are factors predictive of intubation among hospitalized patients with COVID-19, while age and body mass index are associated with time to extubation, according to a study published online May 19 in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
Incidence of AMI Hospitalization Down During COVID-19
FRIDAY, May 22, 2020 (HealthDay News) — In Northern California, the incidence of hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic period, according to a letter to the editor published online May 19 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
No SARS-CoV-2 ID’d in Asymptomatic Pregnant Women in Los Angeles
FRIDAY, May 22, 2020 (HealthDay News) — At the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, none of 80 asymptomatic women admitted to the labor and antepartum units tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), according to a research letter published online May 19 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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ED Chest X-Ray Score Predicts COVID-19 Outcomes in Adults <50
FRIDAY, May 22, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A chest X-ray (CXR) severity score can predict outcomes among young and middle-aged adults with COVID-19 on presentation to the emergency department, according to a study published online May 14 in Radiology.
Cardiac Decompensation Seen in Children Following COVID-19
FRIDAY, May 22, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Children may experience acute cardiac decompensation due to a severe inflammatory state (multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children or MIS-C) following infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), according to a study published online May 17 in Circulation.
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Delays in Cancer Surgery Due to COVID-19 Could Harm Survival
FRIDAY, May 22, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Modest delays in cancer surgery due to the COVID-19 pandemic could have a significant impact on survival, according to a study published online May 19 in the Annals of Oncology.
Rate of Stroke Low in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19
THURSDAY, May 21, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The rate of imaging-confirmed stroke is low in hospitalized patients with COVID-19, but mortality is higher than in contemporary controls without COVID-19 and historical controls, according to a study published online May 20 in Stroke.
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Convalescent Plasma Trial for COVID-19 Patients Underway at NYU Langone
THURSDAY, May 21, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Researchers at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine are conducting a phase II clinical trial to determine the efficacy of convalescent plasma in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Corita R. Grudzen, M.D., vice chair for research in the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine at NYU Langone Health, wrote the study protocol and recently spoke with HealthDay Live! about the trial.
More Information
NYU Langone Health Press Release
CDC Says Test All Newborns of Mothers With Confirmed, Suspected COVID-19
Few Staff Receive Formal Training on CLABSI Surveillance for Home Infusion 
7.7 Million Deaths Associated With 33 Bacterial Pathogens in 2019 
U.S. Deaths From Infective Endocarditis Increasing in the Young 
Antiseptics Work Equally Well in Preventing Infection After Surgery for Open Fractures 
Implant, Patient Survival Do Not Differ for Robotic and Conventional Total Joint Replacement 
Physical Therapist-Supervised Exercise Improves Outcomes After ACL Reconstruction 
Early Complications Common in Older Kidney Transplant Recipients 
Myeloma Risk Modestly Increased in Adults With Incidentally Detected Vertebral Fracture 
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