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COVID 19 Updates from RheumNow

Best of 2021: Zoomatology – Present in Absentia

Zoom has become the slam dunk answer to the pandemic. With zoom you can avoid congregations, but still attend and belong.  Because of zoom you can sustain your business and continue medical care.  With zoom, learning moved from the classroom to the dining room for all.

Best of 2021: My Personal Delta COVID-19 Breakthrough Infection

As many of you are aware, I have written and spoken on COVID-19 extensively over these past 20 months, and just last month wrote about the dangers of the delta variant. In July, things took an unexpected turn when I developed a breakthrough infection with the delta variant.

Best of 2021: Consults in Cars

In this episode of Dialing for Doctors (AKA Tales of Telehell), we will consider a growing subset of telehealth seekers connecting from their cars.

I don’t mean they are driving to the clinic, or driving to a virtual care center.  

Best of 2021: Rebuttals

Since the COVID vaccine rollout, more people have been eligible to receive the vaccine. However, not everyone chooses to get one. I have heard many reasons (aka excuses) from my patients who are vaccine hesitant. 

Indications Awaiting (12.17.21)

There's good news and bad news in rheumatology fellowship matching for 2022.  There's also new FDA approvals and indications, but a new serious safety warning has arisen from the CDC about the J&J COVID-19 vaccine. 

Serious Adverse Events Associated with Tocilizumab in COVID-19 Patients

Safety analysis of over 1000 adverse events associated with the use of tocilizumab in the treatment of COVID‐19 infection shows both rare expected and some unexpected AE.

Telehealth Diet and Exercise Benefits Knee Osteoarthritis

Annals of Internal Medicine has reported the results of a randomized clinical trial showing that telehealth-delivered exercise and diet programs improved pain and function in knee osteoarthritis patients who were overweight.  While both were beneficial, exercise had a greater effect than die

Telemedicine Upside Interview with Dr. Alvin Wells

In spite of the transformative growth of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, rheumatologys use of telemedicine is waning, much like the masks that use to be on everyones face.

Update on Safety, Effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in SLE

It is almost a year since the Pfizer-BioNTech SARS-CoV-2 vaccine has been made available by the FDA under emergency use authorization (EUA). The question still being asked is whether the vaccine is safe for people with lupus? 

More severe COVID-19 outcomes in African American, Hispanic individuals with SLE

Lupus is a disease that disproportionately affects minorities and patients of color. In the past worse disease activity, severity as well as outcomes have been described in African American and Hispanic patients.

RheumNow Podcast - ACR 2021 Rehash (the good stuff..)

The ACR 2021 meeting has concluded. Dr. Jack Cush recounts a few more great abstracts from this past week’s virtual meeting.

Abstract Numbers below:

Psoriatic arthritis

Social

Comprehensive full-read review of #Baricitinib trials in treating COVID-19. 24 studies (16 retrospective, 5 prospective, 3 case control) studies & 3 larged RCTs show Bari as 24-38% better than comparators/SOC (few showed no change in mortality) https://t.co/2svMMX4wDw https://t.co/zoSGGZJYui
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet )
1 year 5 months ago
JAMA Oncology reports in 1st 10 mos of pandemic, 16,500 cancer pts died from COVID+complications; w/ signific more COVID-19-related cancer deaths than cancer deaths w/o COVID-19 in blood CA(23% v 10%) & prostate CA (12% v. 5.5%) https://t.co/036VU8H1vx https://t.co/tWh8749pTx
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet )
1 year 5 months ago
COVID-19 Arthropathy and Myalgia An online survey of random COVID-19 infected persons shows that arthralgia and myalgia are common consequences to COVID-19 infection. https://t.co/TbJvTRfsvk https://t.co/yuLN5p5ZAn
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet )
1 year 5 months ago
"Double blind" an interesting read (Ann Int Med) of early COVID w/ no known effective therapy, doctor trepidation & and the bravery/will of sick ICU COVID pts as they consent to to enroll in the blinded ACTT trial w/ remdesivir https://t.co/N2bZq0JDmn https://t.co/iPLnNtQoER
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet )
1 year 5 months ago
Metanalysis of 25 studies examined effects of NSAID therapy on COVID-19 outcomes and confirms NSAIDs do not increase the likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 infection and do not worsen outcomes in patients with COVID-19. https://t.co/FAJ58stmv1

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet )

1 year 6 months ago

Are we set for the next "Twindemic"? - Continuation and evolution of COVID BA.5 to? - Flourishing Influenza in a population who has vaccine burnout? Some predicting severe flu based on Australia’s 2022 flu season, climate change, more https://t.co/qWuhWjaAFa

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet )

1 year 6 months ago
New CDC data on vaccination/boosters during BA.5 wave for deaths, age 50+ https://t.co/HGyjNwUveD Compared w/unvaccinated: —92% reduction of death for 4 shots —No difference in reduction between 3 and 2 shots (~82%) [that's a 12-fold ⬇️risk of death for 4 shots in July 2022] https://t.co/3JDjCLbEyh
Eric Topol @EricTopol ( View Tweet )
1 year 6 months ago
New download available! COVID Deaths at 3 Mos vs. 30 Mos https://t.co/SLGJGh5NX1 https://t.co/QhWdvNHntk
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet )
1 year 6 months ago
Provacative read from @VPrasadMDMPH on why we no longer need to or should wear masks in our clinics and hospitals (Yes, with COVID+ pts --- No, everywhere else). My advice: wear masks in high risk environments/situations. https://t.co/cECeieQ2YL https://t.co/PbX8xnfgqM
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet )
1 year 6 months ago
The Atlantic has published an insightful article on "Brain Fog", especially as a Long Covid consequence (IMHO: Brain fogs primary cause is poor sleep, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue - but can be complication to primary CNS events) https://t.co/SlwzRDSVSf https://t.co/qrBvV5oyUA
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet )
1 year 6 months ago