COVID-19

Despite some government projections that a vaccine could be made available in early November, a fall 2021 date is more likely, according to a recent study.

A new study contradicts the popular belief that COVID-19 is spread through close contact with droplets.

Researchers found that N95 facemasks could be decontaminated using a prototype phototherapy unit that dispenses a UV-C dosing level high enough to effectively kill the virus is less than 2 minutes.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Brian Nightengale, RPh, PhD, president of Good Neighbor Pharmacy, on the value of diversifying a community pharmacy’s business through meaningful health and wellness services in order to prepare the community for the flu season during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is the largest contact tracing study conducted in the world for any disease, analyzing the process of identifying people who came into contact with an infected person, according to a press release.

The study suggests that babies born to mothers infected with the virus generally do well 6 to 8 weeks after birth.

Intravenous Immunoglobulin helps to improve hypoxia, which can reduce the need for mechanical ventilation.

A messenger RNA coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine was well tolerated in older adults.

The announcement is part of the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative and the RADx Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) program, which will support 32 institutions across the United States and focus on populations disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

The highest increase in remote delivery of mental health care was reported in those working in outpatient facilities and in women.

The researchers examined blood samples from 235 patients who were admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 to measure their vitamin D status.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Brian Nightengale, RPh, PhD, president of Good Neighbor Pharmacy, on the value of diversifying a pharmacy’s business to meet the needs of the customer and adapt to the immediate needs of the community, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The findings could additionally help researchers understand the fundamental biology of how coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreads from the lungs to the body.

Proposed CMS changes could hurt many health systems that are already struggling due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Survey shows that having a pet was linked to maintaining better mental health and reduced loneliness, with 90% of the 6000 participants from the UK saying they had at least 1 pet.

Pharmacy Times® spoke with Jenine Abuzir, PharmD candidate at Chicago College of Pharmacy at Midwestern University, about her experience teaching in the Women’s Health elective during pharmacy school.

Though more research is needed, reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus may be caused by a decrease in absolute lymphocytes caused by COVID-19.

It is especially important to better understand the interactions between COVID-19 and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

As we head into flu season, count on Directions in Health-System Pharmacy™ to continue to report on the latest developments on COVID-19.

A new study found that hypertension is a common comorbidity in patients with COVID-19.

Top news of the week from Pharmacy Times®.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Nancy Lyons, BSPharm, MBA, CDE, of Health Mart and Pete Slone of McKesson on why provider status for pharmacists is important to consider during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A trial will enroll up to 60,000 participants to assess the safety and efficacy of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate that only requires a single dose.

A recent study found that patients on immunosuppressive therapy for common skin and rheumatic diseases, such as psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis, are not at an increased risk for contracting COVID-19.

In a recent Pharmacy Times® webcast, several experts discussed how pharmacists’ roles are changing and some of the new precautions implemented at pharmacies.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Ramzi Yacoub, chief pharmacy officer at SingleCare, on how data from SingleCare has shown an intense surge in demand for the flu vaccine this year.

Recent studies have analyzed how individuals with autoimmune conditions prescribed specialty medications may be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Keri Donaldson, medical director and CEO of Prescient Medicine, about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the opioid epidemic in the United States.

News consumption was found to be an especially strong predicative factor for acute stress and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Policy makers and public health officials should not discount the importance of relationships in vaccination game plans.