Rheumatology News

The drastic drop in admissions for acute myocardial infarctions (AMI) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy has seen a parallel rise in MI fatality rates in those who do present to hospitals, according to a new report. This gives credence to suggestions that people have avoided hospitals during the pandemic despite life-threatening emergencies.

Salvatore De Rosa, MD, PhD, and colleagues reported their results in the European Heart Journal.

“These data return a frightening picture of about half of AMI patients not reaching out to the hospital at all, which will probably significantly increase mortality for AMI and bring with it a number of patients with post-MI heart failure, despite the fact that acute coronary syndrome management protocols were promptly implemented,” Dr. De Rosa, of Magna Graecia University in Catanzaro, Italy, and associates wrote.
 

Hospitalizations down

The study counted AMIs at 54 hospital coronary care units nationwide for the week of March 12-19, 2020, at the height of the coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy, and compared that with an equivalent week in 2019. The researchers reported 319 AMIs during the week in 2020, compared with 618 in the equivalent 2019 week, a 48% reduction (P < .001). Although the outbreak was worst in northern Italy, the decline in admissions occurred throughout the country.

An analysis of subtype determined the decline in the incidence of ST-segment elevation MI lagged significantly behind that of non-STEMI. STEMI declined from 268 in 2019 to 197 in 2020, a 27% reduction, while hospitalizations for non-STEMI went from 350 to 122, a 65% reduction.

The researchers also found substantial reductions in hospitalizations for heart failure, by 47%, and atrial fibrillation, by 53%. Incidentally, the mean age of atrial fibrillation patients was considerably younger in 2020: 64.6 vs. 70 years.
 

Death, complications up

AMI patients who managed to get to the hospital during the pandemic also had worse outcomes. Mortality for STEMI cases more than tripled, to 14% during the outbreak, compared with 4% in 2019 (P < .001) and complication rates increased by 80% to 19% (P = .025). Twenty-one STEMI patients were positive for COVID-19 and more than a quarter (29%) died, which was more than two and a half times the 12% death rate in non–COVID-19 STEMI patients.

Analysis of the STEMI group also found that the care gap for women with heart disease worsened significantly during the pandemic, as they comprised 20.3% of cases this year, compared with 25.4% before the pandemic. Also, the reduction in admissions for STEMI during the pandemic was statistically significant at 41% for women, but not for men at 18%.

Non-STEMI patients fared better overall than STEMI patients, but their outcomes also worsened during the pandemic. Non-STEMI patients were significantly less likely to have percutaneous coronary intervention during the pandemic than previously; the rate declined by 13%, from 77% to 66%. The non-STEMI mortality rate nearly doubled, although not statistically significantly, from 1.7% to 3.3%, whereas complication rates actually more than doubled, from 5.1% to 10.7%, a significant difference. Twelve (9.8%) of the non-STEMI patients were COVID-19 positive, but none died.
 

Trend extends beyond borders

Dr. De Rosa and colleagues noted that their findings are in line with studies that reported similar declines for STEMI interventions in the United States and Spain during the pandemic (J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2020.04.011; REC Interv Cardiol. 2020. doi: 10.24875/RECIC.M20000120).

Additionally, a group at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California also reported a 50% decline in the incidence of AMI hospitalizations during the pandemic (N Engl J Med. 2020 May 19. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc2015630). Likewise, a study of aortic dissections in New York reported a sharp decline in procedures during the pandemic in the city, from 13 to 3 a month (J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020 May 15. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2020.05.022)

The researchers in Italy didn’t aim to determine the reasons for the decline in AMI hospitalizations, but Dr. De Rosa and colleagues speculated on the following explanations: Fear of contagion in response to media reports, concentration of resources to address COVID-19 may have engendered a sense to defer less urgent care among patients and health care systems, and a true reduction in acute cardiovascular disease because people under stay-at-home orders had low physical stress.

“The concern is fewer MIs most likely means people are dying at home or presenting later as this study suggests,” said Martha Gulati, MD, chief of cardiology at the University of Arizona, Phoenix, in interpreting the results of the Italian study.

That could be a result of a mixed message from the media about accessing health care during the pandemic. “What it suggests to a lot of us is that the media has transmitted this notion that hospitals are busy taking care of COVID-19 patients, but we never said don’t come to hospital if you’re having a heart attack,” Dr. Gulati said. “I think we created some sort of fear that patients if they didn’t have COVID-19 they didn’t want to bother physicians.”

Dr. Gulati, whose practice focuses on women with CVD, said the study’s findings that interventions in women dropped more precipitously than men were concerning. “We know already that women don’t do as well after a heart attack, compared to men, and now we see it worsen it even further when women aren’t presenting,” she said. “We’re worried that this is going to increase the gap.”

Dr. DeRosa and colleagues have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

SOURCE: De Rosa S et al. Euro Heart J. 2020 May 15. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa409.

The drastic drop in admissions for acute myocardial infarctions (AMI) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy has seen a parallel rise in MI fatality rates in those who do present to hospitals, according to a new report. This gives credence to suggestions that people have avoided hospitals during the pandemic despite life-threatening emergencies.

Salvatore De Rosa, MD, PhD, and colleagues reported their results in the European Heart Journal.

“These data return a frightening picture of about half of AMI patients not reaching out to the hospital at all, which will probably significantly increase mortality for AMI and bring with it a number of patients with post-MI heart failure, despite the fact that acute coronary syndrome management protocols were promptly implemented,” Dr. De Rosa, of Magna Graecia University in Catanzaro, Italy, and associates wrote.
 

Hospitalizations down

The study counted AMIs at 54 hospital coronary care units nationwide for the week of March 12-19, 2020, at the height of the coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy, and compared that with an equivalent week in 2019. The researchers reported 319 AMIs during the week in 2020, compared with 618 in the equivalent 2019 week, a 48% reduction (P < .001). Although the outbreak was worst in northern Italy, the decline in admissions occurred throughout the country.

An analysis of subtype determined the decline in the incidence of ST-segment elevation MI lagged significantly behind that of non-STEMI. STEMI declined from 268 in 2019 to 197 in 2020, a 27% reduction, while hospitalizations for non-STEMI went from 350 to 122, a 65% reduction.

The researchers also found substantial reductions in hospitalizations for heart failure, by 47%, and atrial fibrillation, by 53%. Incidentally, the mean age of atrial fibrillation patients was considerably younger in 2020: 64.6 vs. 70 years.
 

Death, complications up

AMI patients who managed to get to the hospital during the pandemic also had worse outcomes. Mortality for STEMI cases more than tripled, to 14% during the outbreak, compared with 4% in 2019 (P < .001) and complication rates increased by 80% to 19% (P = .025). Twenty-one STEMI patients were positive for COVID-19 and more than a quarter (29%) died, which was more than two and a half times the 12% death rate in non–COVID-19 STEMI patients.

Analysis of the STEMI group also found that the care gap for women with heart disease worsened significantly during the pandemic, as they comprised 20.3% of cases this year, compared with 25.4% before the pandemic. Also, the reduction in admissions for STEMI during the pandemic was statistically significant at 41% for women, but not for men at 18%.

Non-STEMI patients fared better overall than STEMI patients, but their outcomes also worsened during the pandemic. Non-STEMI patients were significantly less likely to have percutaneous coronary intervention during the pandemic than previously; the rate declined by 13%, from 77% to 66%. The non-STEMI mortality rate nearly doubled, although not statistically significantly, from 1.7% to 3.3%, whereas complication rates actually more than doubled, from 5.1% to 10.7%, a significant difference. Twelve (9.8%) of the non-STEMI patients were COVID-19 positive, but none died.
 

Trend extends beyond borders

Dr. De Rosa and colleagues noted that their findings are in line with studies that reported similar declines for STEMI interventions in the United States and Spain during the pandemic (J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2020.04.011; REC Interv Cardiol. 2020. doi: 10.24875/RECIC.M20000120).

Additionally, a group at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California also reported a 50% decline in the incidence of AMI hospitalizations during the pandemic (N Engl J Med. 2020 May 19. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc2015630). Likewise, a study of aortic dissections in New York reported a sharp decline in procedures during the pandemic in the city, from 13 to 3 a month (J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020 May 15. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2020.05.022)

The researchers in Italy didn’t aim to determine the reasons for the decline in AMI hospitalizations, but Dr. De Rosa and colleagues speculated on the following explanations: Fear of contagion in response to media reports, concentration of resources to address COVID-19 may have engendered a sense to defer less urgent care among patients and health care systems, and a true reduction in acute cardiovascular disease because people under stay-at-home orders had low physical stress.

“The concern is fewer MIs most likely means people are dying at home or presenting later as this study suggests,” said Martha Gulati, MD, chief of cardiology at the University of Arizona, Phoenix, in interpreting the results of the Italian study.

That could be a result of a mixed message from the media about accessing health care during the pandemic. “What it suggests to a lot of us is that the media has transmitted this notion that hospitals are busy taking care of COVID-19 patients, but we never said don’t come to hospital if you’re having a heart attack,” Dr. Gulati said. “I think we created some sort of fear that patients if they didn’t have COVID-19 they didn’t want to bother physicians.”

Dr. Gulati, whose practice focuses on women with CVD, said the study’s findings that interventions in women dropped more precipitously than men were concerning. “We know already that women don’t do as well after a heart attack, compared to men, and now we see it worsen it even further when women aren’t presenting,” she said. “We’re worried that this is going to increase the gap.”

Dr. DeRosa and colleagues have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

SOURCE: De Rosa S et al. Euro Heart J. 2020 May 15. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa409.

The drastic drop in admissions for acute myocardial infarctions (AMI) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy has seen a parallel rise in MI fatality rates in those who do present to hospitals, according to a new report. This gives credence to suggestions that people have avoided hospitals during the pandemic despite life-threatening emergencies.

Salvatore De Rosa, MD, PhD, and colleagues reported their results in the European Heart Journal.

“These data return a frightening picture of about half of AMI patients not reaching out to the hospital at all, which will probably significantly increase mortality for AMI and bring with it a number of patients with post-MI heart failure, despite the fact that acute coronary syndrome management protocols were promptly implemented,” Dr. De Rosa, of Magna Graecia University in Catanzaro, Italy, and associates wrote.
 

Hospitalizations down

The study counted AMIs at 54 hospital coronary care units nationwide for the week of March 12-19, 2020, at the height of the coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy, and compared that with an equivalent week in 2019. The researchers reported 319 AMIs during the week in 2020, compared with 618 in the equivalent 2019 week, a 48% reduction (P < .001). Although the outbreak was worst in northern Italy, the decline in admissions occurred throughout the country.

An analysis of subtype determined the decline in the incidence of ST-segment elevation MI lagged significantly behind that of non-STEMI. STEMI declined from 268 in 2019 to 197 in 2020, a 27% reduction, while hospitalizations for non-STEMI went from 350 to 122, a 65% reduction.

The researchers also found substantial reductions in hospitalizations for heart failure, by 47%, and atrial fibrillation, by 53%. Incidentally, the mean age of atrial fibrillation patients was considerably younger in 2020: 64.6 vs. 70 years.
 

Death, complications up

AMI patients who managed to get to the hospital during the pandemic also had worse outcomes. Mortality for STEMI cases more than tripled, to 14% during the outbreak, compared with 4% in 2019 (P < .001) and complication rates increased by 80% to 19% (P = .025). Twenty-one STEMI patients were positive for COVID-19 and more than a quarter (29%) died, which was more than two and a half times the 12% death rate in non–COVID-19 STEMI patients.

Analysis of the STEMI group also found that the care gap for women with heart disease worsened significantly during the pandemic, as they comprised 20.3% of cases this year, compared with 25.4% before the pandemic. Also, the reduction in admissions for STEMI during the pandemic was statistically significant at 41% for women, but not for men at 18%.

Non-STEMI patients fared better overall than STEMI patients, but their outcomes also worsened during the pandemic. Non-STEMI patients were significantly less likely to have percutaneous coronary intervention during the pandemic than previously; the rate declined by 13%, from 77% to 66%. The non-STEMI mortality rate nearly doubled, although not statistically significantly, from 1.7% to 3.3%, whereas complication rates actually more than doubled, from 5.1% to 10.7%, a significant difference. Twelve (9.8%) of the non-STEMI patients were COVID-19 positive, but none died.
 

Trend extends beyond borders

Dr. De Rosa and colleagues noted that their findings are in line with studies that reported similar declines for STEMI interventions in the United States and Spain during the pandemic (J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2020.04.011; REC Interv Cardiol. 2020. doi: 10.24875/RECIC.M20000120).

Additionally, a group at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California also reported a 50% decline in the incidence of AMI hospitalizations during the pandemic (N Engl J Med. 2020 May 19. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc2015630). Likewise, a study of aortic dissections in New York reported a sharp decline in procedures during the pandemic in the city, from 13 to 3 a month (J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020 May 15. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2020.05.022)

The researchers in Italy didn’t aim to determine the reasons for the decline in AMI hospitalizations, but Dr. De Rosa and colleagues speculated on the following explanations: Fear of contagion in response to media reports, concentration of resources to address COVID-19 may have engendered a sense to defer less urgent care among patients and health care systems, and a true reduction in acute cardiovascular disease because people under stay-at-home orders had low physical stress.

“The concern is fewer MIs most likely means people are dying at home or presenting later as this study suggests,” said Martha Gulati, MD, chief of cardiology at the University of Arizona, Phoenix, in interpreting the results of the Italian study.

That could be a result of a mixed message from the media about accessing health care during the pandemic. “What it suggests to a lot of us is that the media has transmitted this notion that hospitals are busy taking care of COVID-19 patients, but we never said don’t come to hospital if you’re having a heart attack,” Dr. Gulati said. “I think we created some sort of fear that patients if they didn’t have COVID-19 they didn’t want to bother physicians.”

Dr. Gulati, whose practice focuses on women with CVD, said the study’s findings that interventions in women dropped more precipitously than men were concerning. “We know already that women don’t do as well after a heart attack, compared to men, and now we see it worsen it even further when women aren’t presenting,” she said. “We’re worried that this is going to increase the gap.”

Dr. DeRosa and colleagues have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

SOURCE: De Rosa S et al. Euro Heart J. 2020 May 15. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa409.

Here are the stories our MDedge editors across specialties think you need to know about today:

COVID-19 vaccines face tough road

Vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies may not be sufficient to reliably provide sustained protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Rather, a successful vaccine against coronavirus will likely need to incorporate T-cell epitopes to induce a long-term memory T-cell immune response to the virus, Mehrdad Matloubian, MD, PhD, predicted at the virtual edition of the American College of Rheumatology’s 2020 State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium. “In one study, 20 of 26 patients with SARS had lost their antibody response by 6 years post infection. And they had no B-cell immunity against the SARS antigens. The good news is they did have T-cell memory against SARS virus, and people with more severe disease tended to have more T-cell memory against SARS. All of this has really important implications for vaccine development,” observed Dr. Matloubian, a rheumatologist at the University of California, San Francisco. READ MORE
 

Chilblain-like lesions in children with suspected COVID-19

Reports are growing of cases of children with suspected COVID-19 and chilblain-like lesions. Most recently, there were two reports in Spain and Italy. These symptoms should be considered a sign of infection with the virus, but the symptoms themselves typically don’t require treatment, according to the authors of the two new reports, which were published in Pediatric Dermatology. READ MORE

FDA approves olaparib in metastatic prostate cancer

The Food and Drug Administration approved olaparib (Lynparza) for deleterious or suspected deleterious germline or somatic homologous recombination repair (HRR) gene-mutated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The drug is limited to use in men who have progressed following prior treatment with enzalutamide or abiraterone. The agency also recently approved rucaparib (Rubraca) for use in patients with mCRPC that harbor deleterious BRCA mutations (germline and/or somatic). READ MORE

Drugs, alcohol, suicide

Deaths from drugs, alcohol, and suicide are on the rise, despite recent decreases in opioid overdose deaths. A report released May 21 by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Well Being Trust shows that 151,964 Americans died in 2018 from alcohol, drugs, and suicide. Experts warn that these deaths may increase in the wake of COVID-19. “We know what works to address deaths of despair but progress has been uneven and death rates continue to climb, with communities of color experiencing higher rates of increases in drug-induced and alcohol deaths,” said TFAH President and CEO John Auerbach. READ MORE

Guidance on managing suspected stroke during COVID-19

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has developed a “conceptual framework” to assist emergency medical service providers and in-hospital triage teams handle suspected cases of acute stroke during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and future pandemics. The main factors to guide the triage decision are the likelihood of a large vessel occlusion; the magnitude of additional delays because of inter-hospital transfer and work flow efficiency at the primary stroke center or acute stroke ready hospital; the need for advanced critical care resources; and the availability of bed, staff, and PPE resources at the hospitals. READ MORE

For more on COVID-19, visit our Resource Center. All of our latest news is available on MDedge.com.

Here are the stories our MDedge editors across specialties think you need to know about today:

COVID-19 vaccines face tough road

Vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies may not be sufficient to reliably provide sustained protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Rather, a successful vaccine against coronavirus will likely need to incorporate T-cell epitopes to induce a long-term memory T-cell immune response to the virus, Mehrdad Matloubian, MD, PhD, predicted at the virtual edition of the American College of Rheumatology’s 2020 State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium. “In one study, 20 of 26 patients with SARS had lost their antibody response by 6 years post infection. And they had no B-cell immunity against the SARS antigens. The good news is they did have T-cell memory against SARS virus, and people with more severe disease tended to have more T-cell memory against SARS. All of this has really important implications for vaccine development,” observed Dr. Matloubian, a rheumatologist at the University of California, San Francisco. READ MORE
 

Chilblain-like lesions in children with suspected COVID-19

Reports are growing of cases of children with suspected COVID-19 and chilblain-like lesions. Most recently, there were two reports in Spain and Italy. These symptoms should be considered a sign of infection with the virus, but the symptoms themselves typically don’t require treatment, according to the authors of the two new reports, which were published in Pediatric Dermatology. READ MORE

FDA approves olaparib in metastatic prostate cancer

The Food and Drug Administration approved olaparib (Lynparza) for deleterious or suspected deleterious germline or somatic homologous recombination repair (HRR) gene-mutated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The drug is limited to use in men who have progressed following prior treatment with enzalutamide or abiraterone. The agency also recently approved rucaparib (Rubraca) for use in patients with mCRPC that harbor deleterious BRCA mutations (germline and/or somatic). READ MORE

Drugs, alcohol, suicide

Deaths from drugs, alcohol, and suicide are on the rise, despite recent decreases in opioid overdose deaths. A report released May 21 by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Well Being Trust shows that 151,964 Americans died in 2018 from alcohol, drugs, and suicide. Experts warn that these deaths may increase in the wake of COVID-19. “We know what works to address deaths of despair but progress has been uneven and death rates continue to climb, with communities of color experiencing higher rates of increases in drug-induced and alcohol deaths,” said TFAH President and CEO John Auerbach. READ MORE

Guidance on managing suspected stroke during COVID-19

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has developed a “conceptual framework” to assist emergency medical service providers and in-hospital triage teams handle suspected cases of acute stroke during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and future pandemics. The main factors to guide the triage decision are the likelihood of a large vessel occlusion; the magnitude of additional delays because of inter-hospital transfer and work flow efficiency at the primary stroke center or acute stroke ready hospital; the need for advanced critical care resources; and the availability of bed, staff, and PPE resources at the hospitals. READ MORE

For more on COVID-19, visit our Resource Center. All of our latest news is available on MDedge.com.

Here are the stories our MDedge editors across specialties think you need to know about today:

COVID-19 vaccines face tough road

Vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies may not be sufficient to reliably provide sustained protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Rather, a successful vaccine against coronavirus will likely need to incorporate T-cell epitopes to induce a long-term memory T-cell immune response to the virus, Mehrdad Matloubian, MD, PhD, predicted at the virtual edition of the American College of Rheumatology’s 2020 State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium. “In one study, 20 of 26 patients with SARS had lost their antibody response by 6 years post infection. And they had no B-cell immunity against the SARS antigens. The good news is they did have T-cell memory against SARS virus, and people with more severe disease tended to have more T-cell memory against SARS. All of this has really important implications for vaccine development,” observed Dr. Matloubian, a rheumatologist at the University of California, San Francisco. READ MORE
 

Chilblain-like lesions in children with suspected COVID-19

Reports are growing of cases of children with suspected COVID-19 and chilblain-like lesions. Most recently, there were two reports in Spain and Italy. These symptoms should be considered a sign of infection with the virus, but the symptoms themselves typically don’t require treatment, according to the authors of the two new reports, which were published in Pediatric Dermatology. READ MORE

FDA approves olaparib in metastatic prostate cancer

The Food and Drug Administration approved olaparib (Lynparza) for deleterious or suspected deleterious germline or somatic homologous recombination repair (HRR) gene-mutated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The drug is limited to use in men who have progressed following prior treatment with enzalutamide or abiraterone. The agency also recently approved rucaparib (Rubraca) for use in patients with mCRPC that harbor deleterious BRCA mutations (germline and/or somatic). READ MORE

Drugs, alcohol, suicide

Deaths from drugs, alcohol, and suicide are on the rise, despite recent decreases in opioid overdose deaths. A report released May 21 by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Well Being Trust shows that 151,964 Americans died in 2018 from alcohol, drugs, and suicide. Experts warn that these deaths may increase in the wake of COVID-19. “We know what works to address deaths of despair but progress has been uneven and death rates continue to climb, with communities of color experiencing higher rates of increases in drug-induced and alcohol deaths,” said TFAH President and CEO John Auerbach. READ MORE

Guidance on managing suspected stroke during COVID-19

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has developed a “conceptual framework” to assist emergency medical service providers and in-hospital triage teams handle suspected cases of acute stroke during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and future pandemics. The main factors to guide the triage decision are the likelihood of a large vessel occlusion; the magnitude of additional delays because of inter-hospital transfer and work flow efficiency at the primary stroke center or acute stroke ready hospital; the need for advanced critical care resources; and the availability of bed, staff, and PPE resources at the hospitals. READ MORE

For more on COVID-19, visit our Resource Center. All of our latest news is available on MDedge.com.

Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) may lead to subacute thyroiditis in some patients, which is suspected to have viral or postviral origin, especially with upper respiratory tract infections, according to a case study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Alessandro Brancatella, a PhD student at the University Hospital Pisa (Italy), and colleagues described the case of an 18-year-old woman who was tested Feb. 21 for SARS-CoV-2 infection after her father was hospitalized because of COVID-19. Her results were positive for the virus, and not long after, she developed mild symptoms. By March 13 and again on March 14, test swabs for SARS-CoV-2 were both negative.

On March 17, she presented with fever, fatigue, palpitations, and neck pain that radiated to her jaw. Testing and physical examination pointed to subacute thyroiditis, and she was soon diagnosed and treated with prednisone. Her neck pain and fever disappeared within 2 days, and the remaining symptoms went away within a week.

The authors noted that the woman’s thyroid had been evaluated before she tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and at that time, thyroid disease was ruled out. They also pointed out that, although the exact etiology for subacute thyroiditis is unknown, “it is common opinion that the disease is due to a viral infection or to a post-viral inflammatory reaction in genetically predisposed subjects.” They cited examples of viruses with suspected causal associations, including mumps, Epstein-Barr virus, and HIV, and they suggested that, based on the timing of the woman’s subacute thyroiditis and the normal results of her thyroid evaluation before developing COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 be added to that list.

“To our knowledge, this is the first case of [subacute thyroiditis] related to SARS-CoV-2,” they concluded. “We therefore believe that physicians should be alerted about the possibility of this additional clinical manifestation related to SARS-CoV-2 infection.”

One author reported funding from the University of Pisa.

[email protected]

SOURCE: Brancatella A et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020 May 21. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa276.

Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) may lead to subacute thyroiditis in some patients, which is suspected to have viral or postviral origin, especially with upper respiratory tract infections, according to a case study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Alessandro Brancatella, a PhD student at the University Hospital Pisa (Italy), and colleagues described the case of an 18-year-old woman who was tested Feb. 21 for SARS-CoV-2 infection after her father was hospitalized because of COVID-19. Her results were positive for the virus, and not long after, she developed mild symptoms. By March 13 and again on March 14, test swabs for SARS-CoV-2 were both negative.

On March 17, she presented with fever, fatigue, palpitations, and neck pain that radiated to her jaw. Testing and physical examination pointed to subacute thyroiditis, and she was soon diagnosed and treated with prednisone. Her neck pain and fever disappeared within 2 days, and the remaining symptoms went away within a week.

The authors noted that the woman’s thyroid had been evaluated before she tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and at that time, thyroid disease was ruled out. They also pointed out that, although the exact etiology for subacute thyroiditis is unknown, “it is common opinion that the disease is due to a viral infection or to a post-viral inflammatory reaction in genetically predisposed subjects.” They cited examples of viruses with suspected causal associations, including mumps, Epstein-Barr virus, and HIV, and they suggested that, based on the timing of the woman’s subacute thyroiditis and the normal results of her thyroid evaluation before developing COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 be added to that list.

“To our knowledge, this is the first case of [subacute thyroiditis] related to SARS-CoV-2,” they concluded. “We therefore believe that physicians should be alerted about the possibility of this additional clinical manifestation related to SARS-CoV-2 infection.”

One author reported funding from the University of Pisa.

[email protected]

SOURCE: Brancatella A et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020 May 21. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa276.

Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) may lead to subacute thyroiditis in some patients, which is suspected to have viral or postviral origin, especially with upper respiratory tract infections, according to a case study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Alessandro Brancatella, a PhD student at the University Hospital Pisa (Italy), and colleagues described the case of an 18-year-old woman who was tested Feb. 21 for SARS-CoV-2 infection after her father was hospitalized because of COVID-19. Her results were positive for the virus, and not long after, she developed mild symptoms. By March 13 and again on March 14, test swabs for SARS-CoV-2 were both negative.

On March 17, she presented with fever, fatigue, palpitations, and neck pain that radiated to her jaw. Testing and physical examination pointed to subacute thyroiditis, and she was soon diagnosed and treated with prednisone. Her neck pain and fever disappeared within 2 days, and the remaining symptoms went away within a week.

The authors noted that the woman’s thyroid had been evaluated before she tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and at that time, thyroid disease was ruled out. They also pointed out that, although the exact etiology for subacute thyroiditis is unknown, “it is common opinion that the disease is due to a viral infection or to a post-viral inflammatory reaction in genetically predisposed subjects.” They cited examples of viruses with suspected causal associations, including mumps, Epstein-Barr virus, and HIV, and they suggested that, based on the timing of the woman’s subacute thyroiditis and the normal results of her thyroid evaluation before developing COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 be added to that list.

“To our knowledge, this is the first case of [subacute thyroiditis] related to SARS-CoV-2,” they concluded. “We therefore believe that physicians should be alerted about the possibility of this additional clinical manifestation related to SARS-CoV-2 infection.”

One author reported funding from the University of Pisa.

[email protected]

SOURCE: Brancatella A et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020 May 21. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa276.

Despite decreases in overall opioid overdose deaths in 2018, deaths involving synthetic opioids, cocaine, and other psychostimulants increased sharply in the United States, and alcohol and suicide deaths also rose, new data show.

A report released May 21 by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Well Being Trust shows that 151,964 Americans died from alcohol, drugs, and suicide. Experts warn that these “deaths of despair” may well increase in the wake of COVID-19.

A study released earlier in May estimated that an additional 75,000 Americans could die by suicide, drugs, or alcohol abuse because of the pandemic (Petterson S et al. “Projected Deaths of Despair From COVID-19,” Well Being Trust. May 8, 2020. WellBeingTrust.org).

“These data are a clarion call to action,” TFAH President and CEO John Auerbach said in a news release.

“We know what works to address deaths of despair but progress has been uneven and death rates continue to climb, with communities of color experiencing higher rates of increases in drug-induced and alcohol deaths,” he said.

“And there’s another immediate concern: The COVID-19 crisis has increased the health burdens and economic pressures on many communities of color,” said Mr. Auerbach.

According to the report, the 2018 national rate for alcohol, drug, and suicide deaths combined was only slightly lower than that reported in 2017 (46.4 vs 46.6 per 100,000).

Among the key findings in the report:

• 37,329 Americans died from alcohol-induced causes in 2018; the rate was up 4% over 2017.
• Alcohol-induced deaths were highest among American Indians (30.0 per 100,000) and adults aged 55 to 74 (27.6 per 100,000). For all population groups, rates of alcohol-related deaths were higher in 2018 than in 2017 except for people aged 17 years and younger, for whom the rate held steady.
• Despite a 4% decline in all drug-induced deaths and a 2% drop in all opioid-related deaths, 2018 saw sharp increases in deaths involving synthetic opioids (up 10%), cocaine (up 5%), and other psychostimulants, such as methamphetamine, ecstasy, amphetamine, and prescription stimulants (up 22%).
• Suicide claimed the lives of 48,344 Americans in 2018. The suicide rate in 2018 was 2% higher than in 2017 and 25% higher than in 2008.
• Suicide rates increased across all demographics except for adults aged 18-54 years, among whom the rate remained stable. Suicide death rates were highest in males (23.4 per 100,000), rural residents (19.7 per 100,000), whites (16.8 per 100,000), and American Indian/Alaska Natives (14.1 per 100,000).
• Between 2017 and 2018, 27 states had higher rates (above 0.04%) of alcohol, drug, and suicide deaths; 23 states and the District of Columbia had lower rates of deaths from those causes.
• States with the highest alcohol, drug, and suicide death rates in 2018 were West Virginia (84.9 per 100,000), New Mexico (82.8 per 100,000), New Hampshire (68.2 per 100,000), and Alaska (67.8 per 100,000).
• States with the lowest rates in 2018 were Texas (31.7 per 100,000), Mississippi (31.7 per 100,000), and Hawaii (34.6 per 100,000).

“Quite simply, too many Americans are dying from preventable causes. The profound racial health disparities seen in these data show that many ethnic minority groups are being left behind in our response efforts,” Benjamin F. Miller, PsyD, Well Being Trust chief strategy officer, said in the release.

“The nation needs a comprehensive framework for excellence in mental health and well-being, one that intentionally provides solutions for American Indians, blacks, Asians and Latinos. With all the other COVID-19 related investments, it’s time for the federal government to fully invest in mental health now and for all states to take action,” said Dr. Miller.

Policy recommendations outlined in the report include investing in prevention; reducing risk factors and promoting resilience in children, families, and communities; engaging all sectors of society to address mental health and substance use disorders; limiting access to lethal means of suicide; and promoting safe storage of medications and firearms.
 

A version of this article originally appeared on Medscape.com.

Despite decreases in overall opioid overdose deaths in 2018, deaths involving synthetic opioids, cocaine, and other psychostimulants increased sharply in the United States, and alcohol and suicide deaths also rose, new data show.

A report released May 21 by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Well Being Trust shows that 151,964 Americans died from alcohol, drugs, and suicide. Experts warn that these “deaths of despair” may well increase in the wake of COVID-19.

A study released earlier in May estimated that an additional 75,000 Americans could die by suicide, drugs, or alcohol abuse because of the pandemic (Petterson S et al. “Projected Deaths of Despair From COVID-19,” Well Being Trust. May 8, 2020. WellBeingTrust.org).

“These data are a clarion call to action,” TFAH President and CEO John Auerbach said in a news release.

“We know what works to address deaths of despair but progress has been uneven and death rates continue to climb, with communities of color experiencing higher rates of increases in drug-induced and alcohol deaths,” he said.

“And there’s another immediate concern: The COVID-19 crisis has increased the health burdens and economic pressures on many communities of color,” said Mr. Auerbach.

According to the report, the 2018 national rate for alcohol, drug, and suicide deaths combined was only slightly lower than that reported in 2017 (46.4 vs 46.6 per 100,000).

Among the key findings in the report:

• 37,329 Americans died from alcohol-induced causes in 2018; the rate was up 4% over 2017.
• Alcohol-induced deaths were highest among American Indians (30.0 per 100,000) and adults aged 55 to 74 (27.6 per 100,000). For all population groups, rates of alcohol-related deaths were higher in 2018 than in 2017 except for people aged 17 years and younger, for whom the rate held steady.
• Despite a 4% decline in all drug-induced deaths and a 2% drop in all opioid-related deaths, 2018 saw sharp increases in deaths involving synthetic opioids (up 10%), cocaine (up 5%), and other psychostimulants, such as methamphetamine, ecstasy, amphetamine, and prescription stimulants (up 22%).
• Suicide claimed the lives of 48,344 Americans in 2018. The suicide rate in 2018 was 2% higher than in 2017 and 25% higher than in 2008.
• Suicide rates increased across all demographics except for adults aged 18-54 years, among whom the rate remained stable. Suicide death rates were highest in males (23.4 per 100,000), rural residents (19.7 per 100,000), whites (16.8 per 100,000), and American Indian/Alaska Natives (14.1 per 100,000).
• Between 2017 and 2018, 27 states had higher rates (above 0.04%) of alcohol, drug, and suicide deaths; 23 states and the District of Columbia had lower rates of deaths from those causes.
• States with the highest alcohol, drug, and suicide death rates in 2018 were West Virginia (84.9 per 100,000), New Mexico (82.8 per 100,000), New Hampshire (68.2 per 100,000), and Alaska (67.8 per 100,000).
• States with the lowest rates in 2018 were Texas (31.7 per 100,000), Mississippi (31.7 per 100,000), and Hawaii (34.6 per 100,000).

“Quite simply, too many Americans are dying from preventable causes. The profound racial health disparities seen in these data show that many ethnic minority groups are being left behind in our response efforts,” Benjamin F. Miller, PsyD, Well Being Trust chief strategy officer, said in the release.

“The nation needs a comprehensive framework for excellence in mental health and well-being, one that intentionally provides solutions for American Indians, blacks, Asians and Latinos. With all the other COVID-19 related investments, it’s time for the federal government to fully invest in mental health now and for all states to take action,” said Dr. Miller.

Policy recommendations outlined in the report include investing in prevention; reducing risk factors and promoting resilience in children, families, and communities; engaging all sectors of society to address mental health and substance use disorders; limiting access to lethal means of suicide; and promoting safe storage of medications and firearms.
 

A version of this article originally appeared on Medscape.com.

Despite decreases in overall opioid overdose deaths in 2018, deaths involving synthetic opioids, cocaine, and other psychostimulants increased sharply in the United States, and alcohol and suicide deaths also rose, new data show.

A report released May 21 by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Well Being Trust shows that 151,964 Americans died from alcohol, drugs, and suicide. Experts warn that these “deaths of despair” may well increase in the wake of COVID-19.

A study released earlier in May estimated that an additional 75,000 Americans could die by suicide, drugs, or alcohol abuse because of the pandemic (Petterson S et al. “Projected Deaths of Despair From COVID-19,” Well Being Trust. May 8, 2020. WellBeingTrust.org).

“These data are a clarion call to action,” TFAH President and CEO John Auerbach said in a news release.

“We know what works to address deaths of despair but progress has been uneven and death rates continue to climb, with communities of color experiencing higher rates of increases in drug-induced and alcohol deaths,” he said.

“And there’s another immediate concern: The COVID-19 crisis has increased the health burdens and economic pressures on many communities of color,” said Mr. Auerbach.

According to the report, the 2018 national rate for alcohol, drug, and suicide deaths combined was only slightly lower than that reported in 2017 (46.4 vs 46.6 per 100,000).

Among the key findings in the report:

• 37,329 Americans died from alcohol-induced causes in 2018; the rate was up 4% over 2017.
• Alcohol-induced deaths were highest among American Indians (30.0 per 100,000) and adults aged 55 to 74 (27.6 per 100,000). For all population groups, rates of alcohol-related deaths were higher in 2018 than in 2017 except for people aged 17 years and younger, for whom the rate held steady.
• Despite a 4% decline in all drug-induced deaths and a 2% drop in all opioid-related deaths, 2018 saw sharp increases in deaths involving synthetic opioids (up 10%), cocaine (up 5%), and other psychostimulants, such as methamphetamine, ecstasy, amphetamine, and prescription stimulants (up 22%).
• Suicide claimed the lives of 48,344 Americans in 2018. The suicide rate in 2018 was 2% higher than in 2017 and 25% higher than in 2008.
• Suicide rates increased across all demographics except for adults aged 18-54 years, among whom the rate remained stable. Suicide death rates were highest in males (23.4 per 100,000), rural residents (19.7 per 100,000), whites (16.8 per 100,000), and American Indian/Alaska Natives (14.1 per 100,000).
• Between 2017 and 2018, 27 states had higher rates (above 0.04%) of alcohol, drug, and suicide deaths; 23 states and the District of Columbia had lower rates of deaths from those causes.
• States with the highest alcohol, drug, and suicide death rates in 2018 were West Virginia (84.9 per 100,000), New Mexico (82.8 per 100,000), New Hampshire (68.2 per 100,000), and Alaska (67.8 per 100,000).
• States with the lowest rates in 2018 were Texas (31.7 per 100,000), Mississippi (31.7 per 100,000), and Hawaii (34.6 per 100,000).

“Quite simply, too many Americans are dying from preventable causes. The profound racial health disparities seen in these data show that many ethnic minority groups are being left behind in our response efforts,” Benjamin F. Miller, PsyD, Well Being Trust chief strategy officer, said in the release.

“The nation needs a comprehensive framework for excellence in mental health and well-being, one that intentionally provides solutions for American Indians, blacks, Asians and Latinos. With all the other COVID-19 related investments, it’s time for the federal government to fully invest in mental health now and for all states to take action,” said Dr. Miller.

Policy recommendations outlined in the report include investing in prevention; reducing risk factors and promoting resilience in children, families, and communities; engaging all sectors of society to address mental health and substance use disorders; limiting access to lethal means of suicide; and promoting safe storage of medications and firearms.
 

A version of this article originally appeared on Medscape.com.

A successful vaccine for prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection will probably need to incorporate T-cell epitopes to induce a long-term memory T-cell immune response to the virus, Mehrdad Matloubian, MD, PhD, predicted at the virtual edition of the American College of Rheumatology’s 2020 State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium.

Vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies may not be sufficient to reliably provide sustained protection against infection. In mouse studies, T-cell immunity has protected against reinfection with the novel coronaviruses. And in some but not all studies of patients infected with the SARS virus, which shares 80% genetic overlap with the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, neutralizing antibodies have waned over time.

“In one study, 20 of 26 patients with SARS had lost their antibody response by 6 years post infection. And they had no B-cell immunity against the SARS antigens. The good news is they did have T-cell memory against SARS virus, and people with more severe disease tended to have more T-cell memory against SARS. All of this has really important implications for vaccine development,” observed Dr. Matloubian, a rheumatologist at the University of California, San Francisco.

Dr. Matloubian is among those who are convinced that the ongoing massive global accelerated effort to develop a safe and effective vaccine affords the best opportunity to gain the upper hand in the COVID-19 pandemic. A large array of vaccines are in development.

A key safety concern to watch for in the coming months is whether a vaccine candidate is able to sidestep the issue of antibody-dependent enhancement, whereby prior infection with a non-SARS coronavirus, such as those that cause the common cold, might result in creation of rogue subneutralizing coronavirus antibodies in response to vaccination. There is concern that these nonneutralizing antibodies could facilitate entry of the virus into monocytes and other cells lacking the ACE2 receptor, its usual portal of entry. This in turn could trigger expanded viral replication, a hyperinflammatory response, and viral spread to sites beyond the lung, such as the heart or kidneys.
 

Little optimism about antivirals’ impact

Dr. Matloubian predicted that antiviral medications, including the much-ballyhooed remdesivir, are unlikely to be a game changer in the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s because most patients who become symptomatic don’t do so until at least 2 days post infection. By that point, their viral load has already peaked and is waning and the B- and T-cell immune responses are starting to gear up.

“Timing seems to be everything when it comes to treatment with antivirals,” he observed. “The virus titer is usually declining by the time people present with severe COVID-19, suggesting that at this time antiviral therapy might be of little use to change the course of the disease, especially if it’s mainly immune-mediated by then. Even with influenza virus, there’s a really short window where Tamiflu [oseltamivir] is effective. It’s going to be the same case for antivirals used for treatment of COVID-19.”

He noted that in a placebo-controlled, randomized trial of remdesivir in 236 Chinese patients with severe COVID-19, intravenous remdesivir wasn’t associated with a significantly shorter time to clinical improvement, although there was a trend in that direction in the subgroup with symptom duration of 10 days or less at initiation of treatment.

A National Institutes of Health press release announcing that remdesivir had a positive impact on duration of hospitalization in a separate randomized trial drew enormous attention from a public desperate for good news. However, the full study has yet to be published, and it’s unclear when during the disease course the antiviral agent was started.

“We need a blockbuster antiviral that’s oral, highly effective, and doesn’t have any side effects to be used in prophylaxis of health care workers and for people who are exposed by family members being infected. And so far there is no such thing, even on the horizon,” according to the rheumatologist.

Fellow panelist Jinoos Yazdany, MD, concurred.

“As we talk to experts around the country, it seems like there isn’t very much optimism about such a blockbuster drug. Most people are actually putting their hope in a vaccine,” said Dr. Yazdany, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and chief of rheumatology at San Francisco General Hospital.

Another research priority is identification of biomarkers in blood or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid to identify early on the subgroup of infected patients who are likely to crash and develop severe disease. That would permit a targeted approach to inhibition of the inflammatory pathways contributing to development of acute respiratory distress syndrome before this full-blown cytokine storm-like syndrome can occur. There is great interest in trying to achieve this by repurposing many biologic agents widely used by rheumatologists, including the interleukin-1 blocker anakinra (Kineret) and the IL-6 blocker tocilizumab (Actemra).

Dr. Matloubian reported having no financial conflicts of interest regarding his presentation.

[email protected]

A successful vaccine for prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection will probably need to incorporate T-cell epitopes to induce a long-term memory T-cell immune response to the virus, Mehrdad Matloubian, MD, PhD, predicted at the virtual edition of the American College of Rheumatology’s 2020 State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium.

Vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies may not be sufficient to reliably provide sustained protection against infection. In mouse studies, T-cell immunity has protected against reinfection with the novel coronaviruses. And in some but not all studies of patients infected with the SARS virus, which shares 80% genetic overlap with the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, neutralizing antibodies have waned over time.

“In one study, 20 of 26 patients with SARS had lost their antibody response by 6 years post infection. And they had no B-cell immunity against the SARS antigens. The good news is they did have T-cell memory against SARS virus, and people with more severe disease tended to have more T-cell memory against SARS. All of this has really important implications for vaccine development,” observed Dr. Matloubian, a rheumatologist at the University of California, San Francisco.

Dr. Matloubian is among those who are convinced that the ongoing massive global accelerated effort to develop a safe and effective vaccine affords the best opportunity to gain the upper hand in the COVID-19 pandemic. A large array of vaccines are in development.

A key safety concern to watch for in the coming months is whether a vaccine candidate is able to sidestep the issue of antibody-dependent enhancement, whereby prior infection with a non-SARS coronavirus, such as those that cause the common cold, might result in creation of rogue subneutralizing coronavirus antibodies in response to vaccination. There is concern that these nonneutralizing antibodies could facilitate entry of the virus into monocytes and other cells lacking the ACE2 receptor, its usual portal of entry. This in turn could trigger expanded viral replication, a hyperinflammatory response, and viral spread to sites beyond the lung, such as the heart or kidneys.
 

Little optimism about antivirals’ impact

Dr. Matloubian predicted that antiviral medications, including the much-ballyhooed remdesivir, are unlikely to be a game changer in the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s because most patients who become symptomatic don’t do so until at least 2 days post infection. By that point, their viral load has already peaked and is waning and the B- and T-cell immune responses are starting to gear up.

“Timing seems to be everything when it comes to treatment with antivirals,” he observed. “The virus titer is usually declining by the time people present with severe COVID-19, suggesting that at this time antiviral therapy might be of little use to change the course of the disease, especially if it’s mainly immune-mediated by then. Even with influenza virus, there’s a really short window where Tamiflu [oseltamivir] is effective. It’s going to be the same case for antivirals used for treatment of COVID-19.”

He noted that in a placebo-controlled, randomized trial of remdesivir in 236 Chinese patients with severe COVID-19, intravenous remdesivir wasn’t associated with a significantly shorter time to clinical improvement, although there was a trend in that direction in the subgroup with symptom duration of 10 days or less at initiation of treatment.

A National Institutes of Health press release announcing that remdesivir had a positive impact on duration of hospitalization in a separate randomized trial drew enormous attention from a public desperate for good news. However, the full study has yet to be published, and it’s unclear when during the disease course the antiviral agent was started.

“We need a blockbuster antiviral that’s oral, highly effective, and doesn’t have any side effects to be used in prophylaxis of health care workers and for people who are exposed by family members being infected. And so far there is no such thing, even on the horizon,” according to the rheumatologist.

Fellow panelist Jinoos Yazdany, MD, concurred.

“As we talk to experts around the country, it seems like there isn’t very much optimism about such a blockbuster drug. Most people are actually putting their hope in a vaccine,” said Dr. Yazdany, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and chief of rheumatology at San Francisco General Hospital.

Another research priority is identification of biomarkers in blood or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid to identify early on the subgroup of infected patients who are likely to crash and develop severe disease. That would permit a targeted approach to inhibition of the inflammatory pathways contributing to development of acute respiratory distress syndrome before this full-blown cytokine storm-like syndrome can occur. There is great interest in trying to achieve this by repurposing many biologic agents widely used by rheumatologists, including the interleukin-1 blocker anakinra (Kineret) and the IL-6 blocker tocilizumab (Actemra).

Dr. Matloubian reported having no financial conflicts of interest regarding his presentation.

[email protected]

A successful vaccine for prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection will probably need to incorporate T-cell epitopes to induce a long-term memory T-cell immune response to the virus, Mehrdad Matloubian, MD, PhD, predicted at the virtual edition of the American College of Rheumatology’s 2020 State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium.

Vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies may not be sufficient to reliably provide sustained protection against infection. In mouse studies, T-cell immunity has protected against reinfection with the novel coronaviruses. And in some but not all studies of patients infected with the SARS virus, which shares 80% genetic overlap with the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, neutralizing antibodies have waned over time.

“In one study, 20 of 26 patients with SARS had lost their antibody response by 6 years post infection. And they had no B-cell immunity against the SARS antigens. The good news is they did have T-cell memory against SARS virus, and people with more severe disease tended to have more T-cell memory against SARS. All of this has really important implications for vaccine development,” observed Dr. Matloubian, a rheumatologist at the University of California, San Francisco.

Dr. Matloubian is among those who are convinced that the ongoing massive global accelerated effort to develop a safe and effective vaccine affords the best opportunity to gain the upper hand in the COVID-19 pandemic. A large array of vaccines are in development.

A key safety concern to watch for in the coming months is whether a vaccine candidate is able to sidestep the issue of antibody-dependent enhancement, whereby prior infection with a non-SARS coronavirus, such as those that cause the common cold, might result in creation of rogue subneutralizing coronavirus antibodies in response to vaccination. There is concern that these nonneutralizing antibodies could facilitate entry of the virus into monocytes and other cells lacking the ACE2 receptor, its usual portal of entry. This in turn could trigger expanded viral replication, a hyperinflammatory response, and viral spread to sites beyond the lung, such as the heart or kidneys.
 

Little optimism about antivirals’ impact

Dr. Matloubian predicted that antiviral medications, including the much-ballyhooed remdesivir, are unlikely to be a game changer in the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s because most patients who become symptomatic don’t do so until at least 2 days post infection. By that point, their viral load has already peaked and is waning and the B- and T-cell immune responses are starting to gear up.

“Timing seems to be everything when it comes to treatment with antivirals,” he observed. “The virus titer is usually declining by the time people present with severe COVID-19, suggesting that at this time antiviral therapy might be of little use to change the course of the disease, especially if it’s mainly immune-mediated by then. Even with influenza virus, there’s a really short window where Tamiflu [oseltamivir] is effective. It’s going to be the same case for antivirals used for treatment of COVID-19.”

He noted that in a placebo-controlled, randomized trial of remdesivir in 236 Chinese patients with severe COVID-19, intravenous remdesivir wasn’t associated with a significantly shorter time to clinical improvement, although there was a trend in that direction in the subgroup with symptom duration of 10 days or less at initiation of treatment.

A National Institutes of Health press release announcing that remdesivir had a positive impact on duration of hospitalization in a separate randomized trial drew enormous attention from a public desperate for good news. However, the full study has yet to be published, and it’s unclear when during the disease course the antiviral agent was started.

“We need a blockbuster antiviral that’s oral, highly effective, and doesn’t have any side effects to be used in prophylaxis of health care workers and for people who are exposed by family members being infected. And so far there is no such thing, even on the horizon,” according to the rheumatologist.

Fellow panelist Jinoos Yazdany, MD, concurred.

“As we talk to experts around the country, it seems like there isn’t very much optimism about such a blockbuster drug. Most people are actually putting their hope in a vaccine,” said Dr. Yazdany, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and chief of rheumatology at San Francisco General Hospital.

Another research priority is identification of biomarkers in blood or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid to identify early on the subgroup of infected patients who are likely to crash and develop severe disease. That would permit a targeted approach to inhibition of the inflammatory pathways contributing to development of acute respiratory distress syndrome before this full-blown cytokine storm-like syndrome can occur. There is great interest in trying to achieve this by repurposing many biologic agents widely used by rheumatologists, including the interleukin-1 blocker anakinra (Kineret) and the IL-6 blocker tocilizumab (Actemra).

Dr. Matloubian reported having no financial conflicts of interest regarding his presentation.

[email protected]

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has developed a “conceptual framework” to assist emergency medical service (EMS) providers and in-hospital triage teams handle suspected cases of acute stroke during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and future pandemics. A key goal is to ensure timely transfer of patients while minimizing the risk of infectious exposure for EMS personnel, coworkers, and other patients, the writing group says.

“Acute ischemic stroke is still a highly devastating disease and the Time Is Brain paradigm remains true during the COVID-19 pandemic as well,” said writing group chair Mayank Goyal, MD, of the University of Calgary (Alta.)

“We have highly effective and proven treatments available. As such, treatment delays due to additional screening requirements and personal protection equipment (PPE) should be kept at a minimum,” Dr. Goyal said.

“Practicing COVID-19 stroke work flows, through simulation training, can help to reduce treatment delays, minimize the risk of infectious exposure for patients and staff, and help alleviate stress,” he added.
 

A new layer of complexity

The guidance statement, Prehospital Triage of Acute Stroke Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic, was published online May 13 in the journal Stroke.

“The need to limit infectious spread during the COVID-19 pandemic has added a new layer of complexity to prehospital stroke triage and transfer,” the writing group noted. “Timely and enhanced” communication between EMS, hospitals, and local coordinating authorities are critical, especially ambulance-and facility-based telestroke networks, they wrote.

The main factors to guide the triage decision are the likelihood of a large vessel occlusion; the magnitude of additional delays because of interhospital transfer and work flow efficiency at the primary stroke center or acute stroke ready hospital; the need for advanced critical care resources; and the available bed, staff, and PPE resources at the hospitals.

The group said it “seems reasonable” to lower the threshold to bypass hospitals that can’t provide acute stroke treatment in favor of transporting to a hospital that is “stroke ready,” particularly in patients likely to require advanced care. They cautioned, however, that taking all acute stroke patients to a comprehensive stroke center could overwhelm these centers and lead to clustering of COVID-19 patients.

They said it is equally important to ensure “necessary transfers” of stroke patients who would benefit from endovascular therapy or neurocritical care and avoid unnecessary patient transfers. “Doing so will likely require local hospital boards and health care authorities to collaborate and establish local guidelines and protocols,” the writing group said.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to ensure that stroke patients are taken to the right hospital that can meet their urgent needs at the outset,” Dr. Goyal commented in an AHA news release.

The writing group emphasized that the principles put forth in the document are intended as suggestions rather than strict rules and will be adapted and updated to meet the evolving needs during the COVID-19 crisis and future pandemics.

“The process of improving stroke work flow and getting the correct patient to the correct hospital fast is dependent on training, protocols, simulation, technology, and – probably most importantly – teamwork. These principles are extremely important during the current pandemic but will be useful in improving stroke care afterwards as well,” Dr. Goyal said.

This research had no commercial funding. Members of the writing committee are on several AHA/ASA Council Science Subcommittees, including the Emergency Neurovascular Care, the Telestroke, and the Neurovascular Intervention committees. Goyal is a consultant for Medtronic, Stryker, Microvention, GE Healthcare, and Mentice. A complete list of author disclosures is available with the original article.

This article first appeared on Medscape.com.

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has developed a “conceptual framework” to assist emergency medical service (EMS) providers and in-hospital triage teams handle suspected cases of acute stroke during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and future pandemics. A key goal is to ensure timely transfer of patients while minimizing the risk of infectious exposure for EMS personnel, coworkers, and other patients, the writing group says.

“Acute ischemic stroke is still a highly devastating disease and the Time Is Brain paradigm remains true during the COVID-19 pandemic as well,” said writing group chair Mayank Goyal, MD, of the University of Calgary (Alta.)

“We have highly effective and proven treatments available. As such, treatment delays due to additional screening requirements and personal protection equipment (PPE) should be kept at a minimum,” Dr. Goyal said.

“Practicing COVID-19 stroke work flows, through simulation training, can help to reduce treatment delays, minimize the risk of infectious exposure for patients and staff, and help alleviate stress,” he added.
 

A new layer of complexity

The guidance statement, Prehospital Triage of Acute Stroke Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic, was published online May 13 in the journal Stroke.

“The need to limit infectious spread during the COVID-19 pandemic has added a new layer of complexity to prehospital stroke triage and transfer,” the writing group noted. “Timely and enhanced” communication between EMS, hospitals, and local coordinating authorities are critical, especially ambulance-and facility-based telestroke networks, they wrote.

The main factors to guide the triage decision are the likelihood of a large vessel occlusion; the magnitude of additional delays because of interhospital transfer and work flow efficiency at the primary stroke center or acute stroke ready hospital; the need for advanced critical care resources; and the available bed, staff, and PPE resources at the hospitals.

The group said it “seems reasonable” to lower the threshold to bypass hospitals that can’t provide acute stroke treatment in favor of transporting to a hospital that is “stroke ready,” particularly in patients likely to require advanced care. They cautioned, however, that taking all acute stroke patients to a comprehensive stroke center could overwhelm these centers and lead to clustering of COVID-19 patients.

They said it is equally important to ensure “necessary transfers” of stroke patients who would benefit from endovascular therapy or neurocritical care and avoid unnecessary patient transfers. “Doing so will likely require local hospital boards and health care authorities to collaborate and establish local guidelines and protocols,” the writing group said.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to ensure that stroke patients are taken to the right hospital that can meet their urgent needs at the outset,” Dr. Goyal commented in an AHA news release.

The writing group emphasized that the principles put forth in the document are intended as suggestions rather than strict rules and will be adapted and updated to meet the evolving needs during the COVID-19 crisis and future pandemics.

“The process of improving stroke work flow and getting the correct patient to the correct hospital fast is dependent on training, protocols, simulation, technology, and – probably most importantly – teamwork. These principles are extremely important during the current pandemic but will be useful in improving stroke care afterwards as well,” Dr. Goyal said.

This research had no commercial funding. Members of the writing committee are on several AHA/ASA Council Science Subcommittees, including the Emergency Neurovascular Care, the Telestroke, and the Neurovascular Intervention committees. Goyal is a consultant for Medtronic, Stryker, Microvention, GE Healthcare, and Mentice. A complete list of author disclosures is available with the original article.

This article first appeared on Medscape.com.

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has developed a “conceptual framework” to assist emergency medical service (EMS) providers and in-hospital triage teams handle suspected cases of acute stroke during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and future pandemics. A key goal is to ensure timely transfer of patients while minimizing the risk of infectious exposure for EMS personnel, coworkers, and other patients, the writing group says.

“Acute ischemic stroke is still a highly devastating disease and the Time Is Brain paradigm remains true during the COVID-19 pandemic as well,” said writing group chair Mayank Goyal, MD, of the University of Calgary (Alta.)

“We have highly effective and proven treatments available. As such, treatment delays due to additional screening requirements and personal protection equipment (PPE) should be kept at a minimum,” Dr. Goyal said.

“Practicing COVID-19 stroke work flows, through simulation training, can help to reduce treatment delays, minimize the risk of infectious exposure for patients and staff, and help alleviate stress,” he added.
 

A new layer of complexity

The guidance statement, Prehospital Triage of Acute Stroke Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic, was published online May 13 in the journal Stroke.

“The need to limit infectious spread during the COVID-19 pandemic has added a new layer of complexity to prehospital stroke triage and transfer,” the writing group noted. “Timely and enhanced” communication between EMS, hospitals, and local coordinating authorities are critical, especially ambulance-and facility-based telestroke networks, they wrote.

The main factors to guide the triage decision are the likelihood of a large vessel occlusion; the magnitude of additional delays because of interhospital transfer and work flow efficiency at the primary stroke center or acute stroke ready hospital; the need for advanced critical care resources; and the available bed, staff, and PPE resources at the hospitals.

The group said it “seems reasonable” to lower the threshold to bypass hospitals that can’t provide acute stroke treatment in favor of transporting to a hospital that is “stroke ready,” particularly in patients likely to require advanced care. They cautioned, however, that taking all acute stroke patients to a comprehensive stroke center could overwhelm these centers and lead to clustering of COVID-19 patients.

They said it is equally important to ensure “necessary transfers” of stroke patients who would benefit from endovascular therapy or neurocritical care and avoid unnecessary patient transfers. “Doing so will likely require local hospital boards and health care authorities to collaborate and establish local guidelines and protocols,” the writing group said.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to ensure that stroke patients are taken to the right hospital that can meet their urgent needs at the outset,” Dr. Goyal commented in an AHA news release.

The writing group emphasized that the principles put forth in the document are intended as suggestions rather than strict rules and will be adapted and updated to meet the evolving needs during the COVID-19 crisis and future pandemics.

“The process of improving stroke work flow and getting the correct patient to the correct hospital fast is dependent on training, protocols, simulation, technology, and – probably most importantly – teamwork. These principles are extremely important during the current pandemic but will be useful in improving stroke care afterwards as well,” Dr. Goyal said.

This research had no commercial funding. Members of the writing committee are on several AHA/ASA Council Science Subcommittees, including the Emergency Neurovascular Care, the Telestroke, and the Neurovascular Intervention committees. Goyal is a consultant for Medtronic, Stryker, Microvention, GE Healthcare, and Mentice. A complete list of author disclosures is available with the original article.

This article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Severe COVID-19 may cause delirium in the acute stage of illness, followed by the possibility of depression, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) over the longer term, new research suggests.

Results from “the first systematic review and meta-analysis of the psychiatric consequences of coronavirus infection” showed that previous coronavirus epidemics were associated with a significant psychiatric burden in both the acute and post-illness stages.

“Most people with COVID-19 will not develop any mental health problems, even among those with severe cases requiring hospitalization, but given the huge numbers of people getting sick, the global impact on mental health could be considerable,” co–lead investigator Jonathan Rogers, MRCPsych, Department of Psychiatry, University College London, United Kingdom, said in a news release.

The study was published online May 18 in Lancet Psychiatry.

Need for Monitoring, Support

The researchers analyzed 65 peer-reviewed studies and seven preprint articles with data on acute and post-illness psychiatric and neuropsychiatric features of patients who had been hospitalized with COVID-19, as well as two other diseases caused by coronaviruses – severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), in 2002–2004, and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), in 2012.

“Our main findings are that signs suggestive of delirium are common in the acute stage of SARS, MERS, and COVID-19; there is evidence of depression, anxiety, fatigue, and post-traumatic stress disorder in the post-illness stage of previous coronavirus epidemics, but there are few data yet on COVID-19,” the investigators write.

The data show that among patients acutely ill with SARS and MERS, 28% experienced confusion, 33% had depressed mood, 36% had anxiety, 34% suffered from impaired memory, and 42% had insomnia.

After recovery from SARS and MERS, sleep disorder, frequent recall of traumatic memories, emotional lability, impaired concentration, fatigue, and impaired memory were reported in more than 15% of patients during a follow-up period that ranged from 6 weeks to 39 months.

In a meta-analysis, the point prevalence in the post-illness stage was 32% for PTSD and about 15% for depression and anxiety.

In patients acutely ill with severe COVID-19, available data suggest that 65% experience delirium, 69% have agitation after withdrawal of sedation, and 21% have altered consciousness.

In one study, 33% of patients had a dysexecutive syndrome at discharge, characterized by symptoms such as inattention, disorientation, or poorly organized movements in response to command. Currently, data are very limited regarding patients who have recovered from COVID-19, the investigators caution.

“To avoid a large-scale mental health crisis, we hope that people who have been hospitalized with COVID-19 will be offered support, and monitored after they recover to ensure they do not develop mental illnesses, and are able to access treatment if needed,” senior author Anthony David, FMedSci, from UCL Institute of Mental Health, said in a news release.

“While most people with COVID-19 will recover without experiencing mental illness, we need to research which factors may contribute to enduring mental health problems, and develop interventions to prevent and treat them,” he added.

Be Prepared

The coauthors of a linked commentary say it makes sense, from a biological perspective, to merge data on these three coronavirus diseases, given the degree to which they resemble each other.

They caution, however, that treatment of COVID-19 seems to be different from treatment of SARS and MERS. In addition, the social and economic situation of COVID-19 survivors’ return is completely different from that of SARS and MERS survivors.

Findings from previous coronavirus outbreaks are “useful, but might not be exact predictors of prevalences of psychiatric complications for patients with COVID-19,” write Iris Sommer, MD, PhD, from University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands, and P. Roberto Bakker, MD, PhD, from Maastricht University Medical Center, the Netherlands.

“The warning from [this study] that we should prepare to treat large numbers of patients with COVID-19 who go on to develop delirium, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression is an important message for the psychiatric community,” they add.

Sommer and Bakker also say the reported estimates of prevalence in this study should be interpreted with caution, “as true numbers of both acute and long-term psychiatric disorders for patients with COVID-19 might be considerably higher.”

Funding for the study was provided by the Wellcome Trust, the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the UK Medical Research Council, the NIHR Biomedical Research Center at the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and the University College London. The authors of the study and the commentary have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
 

This article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Severe COVID-19 may cause delirium in the acute stage of illness, followed by the possibility of depression, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) over the longer term, new research suggests.

Results from “the first systematic review and meta-analysis of the psychiatric consequences of coronavirus infection” showed that previous coronavirus epidemics were associated with a significant psychiatric burden in both the acute and post-illness stages.

“Most people with COVID-19 will not develop any mental health problems, even among those with severe cases requiring hospitalization, but given the huge numbers of people getting sick, the global impact on mental health could be considerable,” co–lead investigator Jonathan Rogers, MRCPsych, Department of Psychiatry, University College London, United Kingdom, said in a news release.

The study was published online May 18 in Lancet Psychiatry.

Need for Monitoring, Support

The researchers analyzed 65 peer-reviewed studies and seven preprint articles with data on acute and post-illness psychiatric and neuropsychiatric features of patients who had been hospitalized with COVID-19, as well as two other diseases caused by coronaviruses – severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), in 2002–2004, and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), in 2012.

“Our main findings are that signs suggestive of delirium are common in the acute stage of SARS, MERS, and COVID-19; there is evidence of depression, anxiety, fatigue, and post-traumatic stress disorder in the post-illness stage of previous coronavirus epidemics, but there are few data yet on COVID-19,” the investigators write.

The data show that among patients acutely ill with SARS and MERS, 28% experienced confusion, 33% had depressed mood, 36% had anxiety, 34% suffered from impaired memory, and 42% had insomnia.

After recovery from SARS and MERS, sleep disorder, frequent recall of traumatic memories, emotional lability, impaired concentration, fatigue, and impaired memory were reported in more than 15% of patients during a follow-up period that ranged from 6 weeks to 39 months.

In a meta-analysis, the point prevalence in the post-illness stage was 32% for PTSD and about 15% for depression and anxiety.

In patients acutely ill with severe COVID-19, available data suggest that 65% experience delirium, 69% have agitation after withdrawal of sedation, and 21% have altered consciousness.

In one study, 33% of patients had a dysexecutive syndrome at discharge, characterized by symptoms such as inattention, disorientation, or poorly organized movements in response to command. Currently, data are very limited regarding patients who have recovered from COVID-19, the investigators caution.

“To avoid a large-scale mental health crisis, we hope that people who have been hospitalized with COVID-19 will be offered support, and monitored after they recover to ensure they do not develop mental illnesses, and are able to access treatment if needed,” senior author Anthony David, FMedSci, from UCL Institute of Mental Health, said in a news release.

“While most people with COVID-19 will recover without experiencing mental illness, we need to research which factors may contribute to enduring mental health problems, and develop interventions to prevent and treat them,” he added.

Be Prepared

The coauthors of a linked commentary say it makes sense, from a biological perspective, to merge data on these three coronavirus diseases, given the degree to which they resemble each other.

They caution, however, that treatment of COVID-19 seems to be different from treatment of SARS and MERS. In addition, the social and economic situation of COVID-19 survivors’ return is completely different from that of SARS and MERS survivors.

Findings from previous coronavirus outbreaks are “useful, but might not be exact predictors of prevalences of psychiatric complications for patients with COVID-19,” write Iris Sommer, MD, PhD, from University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands, and P. Roberto Bakker, MD, PhD, from Maastricht University Medical Center, the Netherlands.

“The warning from [this study] that we should prepare to treat large numbers of patients with COVID-19 who go on to develop delirium, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression is an important message for the psychiatric community,” they add.

Sommer and Bakker also say the reported estimates of prevalence in this study should be interpreted with caution, “as true numbers of both acute and long-term psychiatric disorders for patients with COVID-19 might be considerably higher.”

Funding for the study was provided by the Wellcome Trust, the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the UK Medical Research Council, the NIHR Biomedical Research Center at the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and the University College London. The authors of the study and the commentary have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
 

This article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Severe COVID-19 may cause delirium in the acute stage of illness, followed by the possibility of depression, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) over the longer term, new research suggests.

Results from “the first systematic review and meta-analysis of the psychiatric consequences of coronavirus infection” showed that previous coronavirus epidemics were associated with a significant psychiatric burden in both the acute and post-illness stages.

“Most people with COVID-19 will not develop any mental health problems, even among those with severe cases requiring hospitalization, but given the huge numbers of people getting sick, the global impact on mental health could be considerable,” co–lead investigator Jonathan Rogers, MRCPsych, Department of Psychiatry, University College London, United Kingdom, said in a news release.

The study was published online May 18 in Lancet Psychiatry.

Need for Monitoring, Support

The researchers analyzed 65 peer-reviewed studies and seven preprint articles with data on acute and post-illness psychiatric and neuropsychiatric features of patients who had been hospitalized with COVID-19, as well as two other diseases caused by coronaviruses – severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), in 2002–2004, and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), in 2012.

“Our main findings are that signs suggestive of delirium are common in the acute stage of SARS, MERS, and COVID-19; there is evidence of depression, anxiety, fatigue, and post-traumatic stress disorder in the post-illness stage of previous coronavirus epidemics, but there are few data yet on COVID-19,” the investigators write.

The data show that among patients acutely ill with SARS and MERS, 28% experienced confusion, 33% had depressed mood, 36% had anxiety, 34% suffered from impaired memory, and 42% had insomnia.

After recovery from SARS and MERS, sleep disorder, frequent recall of traumatic memories, emotional lability, impaired concentration, fatigue, and impaired memory were reported in more than 15% of patients during a follow-up period that ranged from 6 weeks to 39 months.

In a meta-analysis, the point prevalence in the post-illness stage was 32% for PTSD and about 15% for depression and anxiety.

In patients acutely ill with severe COVID-19, available data suggest that 65% experience delirium, 69% have agitation after withdrawal of sedation, and 21% have altered consciousness.

In one study, 33% of patients had a dysexecutive syndrome at discharge, characterized by symptoms such as inattention, disorientation, or poorly organized movements in response to command. Currently, data are very limited regarding patients who have recovered from COVID-19, the investigators caution.

“To avoid a large-scale mental health crisis, we hope that people who have been hospitalized with COVID-19 will be offered support, and monitored after they recover to ensure they do not develop mental illnesses, and are able to access treatment if needed,” senior author Anthony David, FMedSci, from UCL Institute of Mental Health, said in a news release.

“While most people with COVID-19 will recover without experiencing mental illness, we need to research which factors may contribute to enduring mental health problems, and develop interventions to prevent and treat them,” he added.

Be Prepared

The coauthors of a linked commentary say it makes sense, from a biological perspective, to merge data on these three coronavirus diseases, given the degree to which they resemble each other.

They caution, however, that treatment of COVID-19 seems to be different from treatment of SARS and MERS. In addition, the social and economic situation of COVID-19 survivors’ return is completely different from that of SARS and MERS survivors.

Findings from previous coronavirus outbreaks are “useful, but might not be exact predictors of prevalences of psychiatric complications for patients with COVID-19,” write Iris Sommer, MD, PhD, from University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands, and P. Roberto Bakker, MD, PhD, from Maastricht University Medical Center, the Netherlands.

“The warning from [this study] that we should prepare to treat large numbers of patients with COVID-19 who go on to develop delirium, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression is an important message for the psychiatric community,” they add.

Sommer and Bakker also say the reported estimates of prevalence in this study should be interpreted with caution, “as true numbers of both acute and long-term psychiatric disorders for patients with COVID-19 might be considerably higher.”

Funding for the study was provided by the Wellcome Trust, the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the UK Medical Research Council, the NIHR Biomedical Research Center at the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and the University College London. The authors of the study and the commentary have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
 

This article first appeared on Medscape.com.

COVID-19 has changed many things in the medical landscape as practices have closed, many physicians are transitioning to telemedicine, and EDs struggle to provide safe environments for their employees.

Medscape’s latest physician survey, conducted from Oct. 4, 2019, to Feb. 10, 2020, illustrates what rheumatology looked like just before the coronavirus arrived.

Rheumatologists saw a small increase in average salary in 2020, rising from $259,000 in 2019 to $262,000, an increase of 1.16%. In comparison, average income for all specialists was $346,000 in this year’s survey, up by 1.5% from the $341,000 earned in 2019, Medscape reported. Male rheumatologists earned significantly more than women at $288,000 versus $240,000.

Prospects for next year, however, are grim. “We found out that we have a 10% salary decrease effective May 2 to Dec. 25. Our bonus will be based on clinical productivity, and since our numbers are down, that is likely to go away,” a pediatric emergency physician told Medscape.

Before the pandemic, 55% of rheumatologists felt they were fairly compensated. This was about average among the 29 specialties included in the survey, which ranged from nephrology at 44% to oncology, emergency medicine, and radiology at 67%.

Rheumatologists were more likely than the average physician to report that “having so many rules and regulations” was the most challenging part of their job, according to the survey. A similar number of rheumatologists said that “gratitude/relationships with patients” was the most rewarding part of the job at 27%.

When asked if they would choose medicine again, 79% of rheumatologists said yes, slightly more than the 77% for all physicians; 81% said that they’d choose rheumatology again.

The respondents were Medscape members who had been invited to participate. The sample size was 17,461 physicians, and compensation was modeled and estimated based on a range of variables across 6 years of survey data. The sampling error was ±0.74%.

[email protected]

COVID-19 has changed many things in the medical landscape as practices have closed, many physicians are transitioning to telemedicine, and EDs struggle to provide safe environments for their employees.

Medscape’s latest physician survey, conducted from Oct. 4, 2019, to Feb. 10, 2020, illustrates what rheumatology looked like just before the coronavirus arrived.

Rheumatologists saw a small increase in average salary in 2020, rising from $259,000 in 2019 to $262,000, an increase of 1.16%. In comparison, average income for all specialists was $346,000 in this year’s survey, up by 1.5% from the $341,000 earned in 2019, Medscape reported. Male rheumatologists earned significantly more than women at $288,000 versus $240,000.

Prospects for next year, however, are grim. “We found out that we have a 10% salary decrease effective May 2 to Dec. 25. Our bonus will be based on clinical productivity, and since our numbers are down, that is likely to go away,” a pediatric emergency physician told Medscape.

Before the pandemic, 55% of rheumatologists felt they were fairly compensated. This was about average among the 29 specialties included in the survey, which ranged from nephrology at 44% to oncology, emergency medicine, and radiology at 67%.

Rheumatologists were more likely than the average physician to report that “having so many rules and regulations” was the most challenging part of their job, according to the survey. A similar number of rheumatologists said that “gratitude/relationships with patients” was the most rewarding part of the job at 27%.

When asked if they would choose medicine again, 79% of rheumatologists said yes, slightly more than the 77% for all physicians; 81% said that they’d choose rheumatology again.

The respondents were Medscape members who had been invited to participate. The sample size was 17,461 physicians, and compensation was modeled and estimated based on a range of variables across 6 years of survey data. The sampling error was ±0.74%.

[email protected]

COVID-19 has changed many things in the medical landscape as practices have closed, many physicians are transitioning to telemedicine, and EDs struggle to provide safe environments for their employees.

Medscape’s latest physician survey, conducted from Oct. 4, 2019, to Feb. 10, 2020, illustrates what rheumatology looked like just before the coronavirus arrived.

Rheumatologists saw a small increase in average salary in 2020, rising from $259,000 in 2019 to $262,000, an increase of 1.16%. In comparison, average income for all specialists was $346,000 in this year’s survey, up by 1.5% from the $341,000 earned in 2019, Medscape reported. Male rheumatologists earned significantly more than women at $288,000 versus $240,000.

Prospects for next year, however, are grim. “We found out that we have a 10% salary decrease effective May 2 to Dec. 25. Our bonus will be based on clinical productivity, and since our numbers are down, that is likely to go away,” a pediatric emergency physician told Medscape.

Before the pandemic, 55% of rheumatologists felt they were fairly compensated. This was about average among the 29 specialties included in the survey, which ranged from nephrology at 44% to oncology, emergency medicine, and radiology at 67%.

Rheumatologists were more likely than the average physician to report that “having so many rules and regulations” was the most challenging part of their job, according to the survey. A similar number of rheumatologists said that “gratitude/relationships with patients” was the most rewarding part of the job at 27%.

When asked if they would choose medicine again, 79% of rheumatologists said yes, slightly more than the 77% for all physicians; 81% said that they’d choose rheumatology again.

The respondents were Medscape members who had been invited to participate. The sample size was 17,461 physicians, and compensation was modeled and estimated based on a range of variables across 6 years of survey data. The sampling error was ±0.74%.

[email protected]

Here are the stories our MDedge editors across specialties think you need to know about today:


Universal masking: Risks and benefits
The idea of universal masking has been debated extensively. As reported in Science, previous randomized clinical studies performed on other viruses have shown no added protection, though small sample sizes and noncompliance are limiting factors. Leung et al. stated in The Lancet that the lack of proof that masks are effective should not rule them as ineffective. A study in the Journal of Medical Virology demonstrates 99.98%, 97.14%, and 95.15% efficacy for N95, surgical, and homemade masks, respectively, in blocking the avian influenza virus. On the contrary, an Annals of Internal Medicine study of four COVID-19 positive subjects found that “neither surgical masks nor cloth masks effectively filtered SARS-CoV-2 during coughs of infected patients.” READ MORE

Inflammation, thrombosis biomarkers tied to COVID-19 deaths
Biomarkers for inflammation and thrombosis may predict deaths from COVID-19 among critically ill patients, researchers said. Their prospective cohort study of 1,150 patients hospitalized in New York City also revealed a high proportion of racial and ethnic minorities, and confirmed high rates of critical illness and mortality. “Of particular interest is the finding that over three quarters of critically ill patients required a ventilator and almost one third required renal dialysis support,” Max O’Donnell, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology at Columbia University in New York, said in a press release. The study was published in The Lancet. READ MORE

Advanced prostate cancers still rising in U.S.
The incidence of advanced prostate cancers in the United States “persistently” increased annually for 5 years after the United States Preventive Services Task Force controversially advised in 2012 against prostate-specific antigen screening in men of all ages. “These data illustrate the trade-off between higher screening rates and more early-stage disease diagnoses (possibly overdiagnosis and overtreatment) and lower screening rates and more late-stage (possibly fatal) disease,” the authors of the study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, commented. “What is a surprise is that it’s every year,” said Ahmad Shabsigh, MD, a urologic oncologist at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. “To see it so clearly in this study is sad." READ MORE

Testicular sperm may improve IVF outcomes 
Use of testicular sperm in nonazoospermic couples who had prior in vitro fertilization failure using ejaculated sperm appears to improve embryo development and rates of clinical pregnancy and live birth, a retrospective observational study has found. The findings offer more evidence “that this might be something we can offer patients who’ve had multiple failures and no other reason as to why,” said M. Blake Evans, DO, a clinical fellow in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. The study, which won the college’s Donald F. Richardson Memorial Prize Research Paper award, was released ahead of a scheduled presentation at the annual American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists meeting. READ MORE

For more on COVID-19, visit our Resource Center. All of our latest news coverage is available on MDedge.com.

Here are the stories our MDedge editors across specialties think you need to know about today:


Universal masking: Risks and benefits
The idea of universal masking has been debated extensively. As reported in Science, previous randomized clinical studies performed on other viruses have shown no added protection, though small sample sizes and noncompliance are limiting factors. Leung et al. stated in The Lancet that the lack of proof that masks are effective should not rule them as ineffective. A study in the Journal of Medical Virology demonstrates 99.98%, 97.14%, and 95.15% efficacy for N95, surgical, and homemade masks, respectively, in blocking the avian influenza virus. On the contrary, an Annals of Internal Medicine study of four COVID-19 positive subjects found that “neither surgical masks nor cloth masks effectively filtered SARS-CoV-2 during coughs of infected patients.” READ MORE

Inflammation, thrombosis biomarkers tied to COVID-19 deaths
Biomarkers for inflammation and thrombosis may predict deaths from COVID-19 among critically ill patients, researchers said. Their prospective cohort study of 1,150 patients hospitalized in New York City also revealed a high proportion of racial and ethnic minorities, and confirmed high rates of critical illness and mortality. “Of particular interest is the finding that over three quarters of critically ill patients required a ventilator and almost one third required renal dialysis support,” Max O’Donnell, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology at Columbia University in New York, said in a press release. The study was published in The Lancet. READ MORE

Advanced prostate cancers still rising in U.S.
The incidence of advanced prostate cancers in the United States “persistently” increased annually for 5 years after the United States Preventive Services Task Force controversially advised in 2012 against prostate-specific antigen screening in men of all ages. “These data illustrate the trade-off between higher screening rates and more early-stage disease diagnoses (possibly overdiagnosis and overtreatment) and lower screening rates and more late-stage (possibly fatal) disease,” the authors of the study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, commented. “What is a surprise is that it’s every year,” said Ahmad Shabsigh, MD, a urologic oncologist at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. “To see it so clearly in this study is sad." READ MORE

Testicular sperm may improve IVF outcomes 
Use of testicular sperm in nonazoospermic couples who had prior in vitro fertilization failure using ejaculated sperm appears to improve embryo development and rates of clinical pregnancy and live birth, a retrospective observational study has found. The findings offer more evidence “that this might be something we can offer patients who’ve had multiple failures and no other reason as to why,” said M. Blake Evans, DO, a clinical fellow in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. The study, which won the college’s Donald F. Richardson Memorial Prize Research Paper award, was released ahead of a scheduled presentation at the annual American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists meeting. READ MORE

For more on COVID-19, visit our Resource Center. All of our latest news coverage is available on MDedge.com.

Here are the stories our MDedge editors across specialties think you need to know about today:


Universal masking: Risks and benefits
The idea of universal masking has been debated extensively. As reported in Science, previous randomized clinical studies performed on other viruses have shown no added protection, though small sample sizes and noncompliance are limiting factors. Leung et al. stated in The Lancet that the lack of proof that masks are effective should not rule them as ineffective. A study in the Journal of Medical Virology demonstrates 99.98%, 97.14%, and 95.15% efficacy for N95, surgical, and homemade masks, respectively, in blocking the avian influenza virus. On the contrary, an Annals of Internal Medicine study of four COVID-19 positive subjects found that “neither surgical masks nor cloth masks effectively filtered SARS-CoV-2 during coughs of infected patients.” READ MORE

Inflammation, thrombosis biomarkers tied to COVID-19 deaths
Biomarkers for inflammation and thrombosis may predict deaths from COVID-19 among critically ill patients, researchers said. Their prospective cohort study of 1,150 patients hospitalized in New York City also revealed a high proportion of racial and ethnic minorities, and confirmed high rates of critical illness and mortality. “Of particular interest is the finding that over three quarters of critically ill patients required a ventilator and almost one third required renal dialysis support,” Max O’Donnell, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology at Columbia University in New York, said in a press release. The study was published in The Lancet. READ MORE

Advanced prostate cancers still rising in U.S.
The incidence of advanced prostate cancers in the United States “persistently” increased annually for 5 years after the United States Preventive Services Task Force controversially advised in 2012 against prostate-specific antigen screening in men of all ages. “These data illustrate the trade-off between higher screening rates and more early-stage disease diagnoses (possibly overdiagnosis and overtreatment) and lower screening rates and more late-stage (possibly fatal) disease,” the authors of the study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, commented. “What is a surprise is that it’s every year,” said Ahmad Shabsigh, MD, a urologic oncologist at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. “To see it so clearly in this study is sad." READ MORE

Testicular sperm may improve IVF outcomes 
Use of testicular sperm in nonazoospermic couples who had prior in vitro fertilization failure using ejaculated sperm appears to improve embryo development and rates of clinical pregnancy and live birth, a retrospective observational study has found. The findings offer more evidence “that this might be something we can offer patients who’ve had multiple failures and no other reason as to why,” said M. Blake Evans, DO, a clinical fellow in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. The study, which won the college’s Donald F. Richardson Memorial Prize Research Paper award, was released ahead of a scheduled presentation at the annual American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists meeting. READ MORE

For more on COVID-19, visit our Resource Center. All of our latest news coverage is available on MDedge.com.