COVID-19
Connected to a crisis: Leveraging the lessons of collaboration learned during a pandemic
I stood off to the side watching a physician and patient, in a long narrow room designed for testing visual acuity. I was 16 years old, shadowing at a local hospital. It was right after Valentine’s Day.
Low IL-18 levels may predict long COVID risk in systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases
WASHINGTON — Among patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases, circulating interleukin-18 levels were lower in those with long COVID vs. those without, according to data presented at ACR Convergence 2024.
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates remain below pre-pandemic levels
CHICAGO — U.S. out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates have improved since the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, but have not returned to pre-pandemic levels, researchers reported.
Withholding JAK, IL-17 inhibitors fails to improve COVID-19 vaccine booster response
WASHINGTON — Withholding Janus kinase or interleukin-17 inhibitors from patients with rheumatoid arthritis or spondyloarthritis does not significantly benefit COVID-19 booster response, according to data presented at ACR Convergence 2024.
Having multiple long-term conditions triples children’s risk for death after COVID-19
Children who have multiple long-term conditions are as almost three times more likely to die after COVID-19 compared with children who do not, according to data published in Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.
Cancer detection rates improved the second year of the pandemic, but deficits remained
Cancer diagnoses fell significantly below expectations in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but recovered to projected levels the following year, according to results of a cross-sectional study.
‘Shifting pregnancy desires’ altered some contraceptive use patterns after pandemic
Sexually active women in the U.S. made moderate changes to their contraceptive use due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to national survey estimates published in Contraception.
Rheumatic disease activity at time of COVID-19 vaccination drives subsequent flare risk
Higher disease activity and medication reduction at COVID-19 vaccination increase the risk for subsequent flares in patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, according to data published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
Rural patients with AIRDs have 24% higher post-COVID mortality risk vs urban population
Patients with autoimmune or inflammatory rheumatic diseases living in rural areas demonstrate a 24% higher mortality risk after SARS-CoV-2 infection vs. those in urban areas, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.
Identifying, treating alcohol-associated liver disease in women requires change in mindset
PHILADELPHIA — The rate of alcohol-associated liver disease among women is the rise and physicians must keep it in mind when discussing medical history with their female patients, according to a review presented here.