COVID-19

Kofi Amoah, PharmD, has gained unique pharmacy and health care experience while working to help end the historic COVID-19 pandemic.

Ed Zacharias, a managing partner of the Boston office at McDermott Will & Emery and a partner in the health industry advisory group, discusses the intersection of telemedicine and cybersecurity, specifically in relation to ransomware attacks.

Although many pharmacy students’ academic experiences were changed by the COVID-19 pandemic, leadership opportunities were still available for students who took the time to find them.

According to the authors, increased arterial stiffness was found in young adults, which may impact heart health.

Research is ongoing in younger children between the ages of 6 months and 11 years of age, with first doses administered in March 2021.

Rosemarie Leighton, RPh, director of pharmacy, NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, discussed the coordination of COVID-19 vaccinations at the Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx.

The study is one of the first to show an association between COVID-19 vaccination and fewer asymptomatic infections, according to the authors.

To accelerate the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign, Husson University in Bangor, Maine, has announced that it will provide training to any pharmacist, technicians, or intern.

The researchers said that the findings should renew efforts to assure flu vaccination is a routine part of quality cardiovascular care.

This week on Pharmacy Times, there are a number of important topics that will be covered and posted throughout the week.

Initial data from a phase 2 study showed that a single 50 µg dose of COVID-19 vaccines mRNA-1273 or mRNA-1273.351 given as a booster to individuals who were previously vaccinated increased their neutralizing antibody titer responses against SARS-CoV-2.

Obstacles such as COVID-19 vaccine rollout disparities, vaccine hesitancy, and continuous virus mutation could make herd immunity impossible.

The alliance between pharmaceutical partners and government organizations signals the possibilities of shared resources in meeting global crises.

The companies have also submitted an application to expand the current EUA for the COVID-19 vaccine to include individuals 12 to 15 years of age.

Although prolonged COVID-19 infections are rare, even in children or young adults with compromised immunity, it could have public health implications.

Although pharmacists have largely relied on patients coming into their facility, they should begin going out into the community to build trust in COVID-19 vaccines.

The authors of the study suggest that any patient with HZ should be tested for COVID-19, even if the individual has mild symptoms or no history of upper respiratory symptoms.

Caroline Carney, MD, MSc, FAPM, CPHQ, chief medical officer of Magellan Health, a board-certified internist, and a board-certified psychiatrist, discusses the impact of trauma and stress on overall health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study is most comprehensive analysis to date of changes in hospital mortality throughout the pandemic, reviewing data on more than 20,000 patients admitted to hospitals for COVID-19 over 9 months, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

IQVIA researchers saw a sharp uptick in medication usage shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic began, followed by a steep fall in the first few months of the pandemic.

The AHA released a report to provide guidance about CVST, TTS, and VITT after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

When looking at the COVID-19 variants, it is increasingly necessary to assess them in terms of the mutations embedded in the variants themselves.

In addition to overall concerns about COVID-19 vaccines patients may have stronger fears about the second vaccine dose since it is often accompanied with more adverse effects.

During a session at the NACDS 2021 Annual Meeting, Scott Gottlieb, MD, former commissioner of the FDA from 2017 to 2019, provided an overview of where the country is heading in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The authors of the study said this finding suggests that data from health care workers could be used to estimate the severity of future viruses more quickly.

The proposal would also distribute 1000 additional physician residency slots to hospitals in rural areas in an effort to address gaps in equitable care.

Experts Suzanne Soliman, PharmD, BCMAS, and Sally Arif, PharmD, BCPS, BCCP, discussed their experiences and advice for handling vaccine hesitancy in part 1 of a 2-part interview on the topic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been linked to a 44% increase in insomnia disorder among health care workers at a medical-school affiliated health system, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

Due to the success of its COVID-19 vaccination clinics hosted at sites such as churches and community centers across the country, Walgreens announced that it will now activate mobile clinics in Chicago, Illinois.

Although many patients are hesitant about the COVID-19 vaccines, Humphreys said pharmacists are perfectly positioned to provide education.