Articles Tagged With: COVID-19
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The Health and Economic Burden of Long COVID in the United States
Researchers using a computational simulation model found that the current health and economic burden of long COVID already exceeds the cost of several chronic diseases and will continue to grow as COVID-19 cases increase.
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Restricting Remdesivir in an Immune Era: No Harm, Big Savings
A quasi-experimental, eight-hospital, pre-post restriction of remdesivir to only symptomatic, oxygen-requiring, immunocompromised adults during July 2023 to June 2024 led to a 90% reduction in remdesivir use (37.7% to 4.1%) without any increase in 14- or 28-day all-cause mortality, 30-day readmission, or hospital length of stay. Medium- and high-risk covariate models confirmed no mortality signal, while an intriguing rise in intensive care unit admission and mechanical ventilation use among the few post-intervention recipients was most consistent with residual confounding and confounding by indication (i.e., the sickest patients being channeled to receive therapy). In an era of widespread hybrid immunity from Omicron-descended variants, broad remdesivir formulary restriction can be implemented safely and can yield substantial cost savings without compromising outcomes.
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Effects of COVID-19 on Antimicrobial Resistance in U.S. Hospitals
In a retrospective cohort study, researchers found that antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) infections increased during the COVID-19 pandemic from 182 to 193 per 10,000 hospitalizations. Recent antibiotic exposure, increased illness severity, and comorbidities were associated with AMR infections.
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Patients Hospitalized for Non-Severe COVID-19: No Benefit of CAP Antibiotics
A large population-based, retrospective, cohort study found there was no benefit for antibiotics targeting community-acquired pneumonia in patients hospitalized with non-severe COVID-19. These results provide evidence against antibiotic use in this population.
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Pemivibart for COVID-19 Prophylaxis: Clinical Trial Confirms its Efficacy
Confirming the results of the immunobridging analysis that led to its initial authorization for emergency use, this study demonstrates that pemivibart is effective as prophylaxis against COVID-19, including in immunocompromised patients.
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Patients Hospitalized for Nonsevere COVID-19: No Benefit of CAP Antibiotics
A large population-based, retrospective, cohort study found there was no benefit for antibiotics targeting community-acquired pneumonia in patients hospitalized with nonsevere COVID-19. These results provide evidence against antibiotic use in this population.
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Restricting Remdesivir in an Immune Era: No Harm, Big Savings
A quasi-experimental, eight-hospital, pre-post restriction of remdesivir to only symptomatic, oxygen-requiring, immunocompromised adults during July 2023 to June 2024 led to a 90% reduction in remdesivir use (37.7% to 4.1%) without any increase in 14- or 28-day all-cause mortality, 30-day readmission, or hospital length of stay. Medium- and high-risk covariate models confirmed no mortality signal, while an intriguing rise in intensive care unit admission and mechanical ventilation use among the few post-intervention recipients was most consistent with residual confounding and confounding by indication (i.e., the sickest patients being channeled to receive therapy). In an era of widespread hybrid immunity from Omicron-descended variants, broad remdesivir formulary restriction can be implemented safely and can yield substantial cost savings without compromising outcomes.
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Paxlovid: Is It Still Worth the Cost?
Paxlovid is one of the most effective antivirals developed during the COVID-19 years, demonstrating significant reductions in hospitalization and death in higher-risk persons, as well as the time to viral elimination. However, it does not shorten the duration of symptoms, and there is little evidence that Paxlovid reduces the risk of developing long COVID symptoms.
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Infectious Disease Updates
Old Habits Die Hard, Especially with TB; Paxlovid: Is It Still Worth the Cost?
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Cardiovascular Risk with mRNA COVID Vaccines
A large, nationwide population study in Sweden of the risk of adverse cardiovascular events after messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccinations has shown that, except for rare cases of myopericarditis, severe cardiovascular events, such as myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke, are reduced, probably because of the prevention of COVID infection.