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Study: Women, younger adults more likely to use telehealth services
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareAccording to new research, female patients and younger adults aged 18 to 44 are more likely to choose a telemedicine visit than their male counterparts and patients of other ages. This study was published in JAMA Network Open and was conducted before COVID-19 shut down the world. The outcomes since then appear stilted toward telehealth services for those who've sought care during the pandemic.
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Studies: Antibody levels may fall weeks or months after contracting COVID-19
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareWhile people across the world wait for news of treatments and vaccines against the virus that causes COVID-19, attention is also being given to antibody protection. Although antibodies may provide significant protection from getting infected with the virus again, researchers are still determining how much protection the antibodies may provide or how long this protection may last, if at all. A major new study in Spain found no evidence of widespread immunity to the virus, suggesting that people who experience mild symptoms do not have long-lasting protection.
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More than 300 healthcare groups encourage Congress to maintain telehealth…
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareIn a step that's reminiscent of the old adage, "We're mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore," American healthcare organizations and lobbying groups are warning Congress not to cut off current reimbursements for care offered through telehealth capabilities, which have exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter was sent to Congress’ leaders from 340 groups and organizations, including some of the most well-known in the country. These groups are concerned that Congress will roll back telehealth's gains when the public health emergency ends.
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Interim study report shows that a COVID-19 vaccine could be on the horizon
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareThe world anxiously awaits a vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which has caused the COVID-19 pandemic. Pharmaceutical companies are moving at an unprecedented rate with at least 120 projects launched worldwide, involving gene-based vaccines, inactivated vaccines, or live vaccines with viral vectors, to name a few. One promising project is triggering stronger immune responses in recipients than those seen in people naturally recovering from an infection of COVID-19.
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Study: ED clinicians hesitant to prescribe buprenorphine for treating opioid…
Chelsea Adams Medical & Allied HealthcareDespite the fact that 2 million Americans are diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD) each year, evidence-based medications aren't often prescribed, especially in the ED setting. It's estimated that only a third of those diagnosed with OUD are given methadone, buprenorphine/naloxone or naltrexone for substance abuse treatment. A new study from Yale University seems to confirm that assumption. Researchers surveyed some 400 clinicians at four urban academic emergency departments.
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Emerging COVID-19 complications in children
Amanda Ghosh Medical & Allied HealthcareThe reopening of some daycare programs and summer camps gives parents another reason to monitor their children for signs of a COVID-19 infection carefully. Current data indicates that children are less vulnerable to COVID-19. However, a small proportion of those infected have developed severe complications.
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When COVID-19 remains front and center
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareDuring the first half of 2020, prognostications regarding the course that the COVID-19 pandemic would take were as diverse as the individuals, countries, and organizations debating what might truly come to pass. The pandemic has remained front and center on the world stage as economies teeter on the brink, millions are sickened, and thousands continue to die. Even so, the possible outcomes for one of the most challenging times in recent human history remain beyond accurate prediction.
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New swine flu, unrelated to COVID-19, may be on its way from China
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareAs we continue to be overwhelmed by COVID-19, which originated in Wuhan, China, near the close of 2019, Chinese researchers have announced that they have identified a new strain of the swine flu that has the potential to become a pandemic. The flu is carried by pigs and can infect humans. A study of the new virus was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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‘Heart box’ may help increase number of transplants
Chelsea Adams Medical & Allied HealthcareMost organs are placed into "static cold storage" after being harvested. This method has been used since the 1960s and continues to be considered the gold standard for organ transport throughout much of the world. However, this method causes organs to use stored energy, which breaks down tissues quickly. A new Swedish study has presented another possible mode of transportation for donated heart organs. The new method involves a specially designed box that preserves hearts for longer than surgeons presumed possible.
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Will the ‘beat China’ bill help the US win back pharmaceutical…
Bambi Majumdar ManufacturingThere has been a staggering 75% increase in U.S. imports of pharmaceuticals from China from 2010 to 2018. To help reverse this trend, some GOP U.S. Senators recently unveiled a bill to incentivize pharmaceutical companies and increase U.S. drug manufacturing. They worked to introduce the Bring Entrepreneurial Advancements to Consumers Here in North America (BEAT CHINA) Act. The goal is to reduce the country’s overdependence on China for critical medications and increase U.S. manufacturing of prescription drugs.
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