COVID-19

Recent research on COVID-19 vaccination shows that vaccines help fight variants, led to lower cases among children in California, and that boosters provide longer lasting protection.

A study from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found that a positive PCR test was not associated with an increased risk of a new asthma diagnosis in patients ages 1 to 16.

Understanding the role of pharmacies in vaccination rates can help prepare officials for the next public health emergency.

mRNA-1283 generated a stronger immune response against both the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 and the original virus strains of SARS-CoV-2 compared with Spikevax, Moderna’s licensed COVID-19 vaccine.

Two posters presented at APhA 2024 examined how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted pharmacists and their work.

Four posters presented at the American Pharmacists Association Annual Meeting and Exposition explored how individuals and health care providers have been handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Researchers aimed to address the adverse effects of veterans with COVID-19 diagnoses 18 months after infections were documented.

The biotechnology company’s recombinant spike protein-based vaccine demonstrated an efficacy of 88% after 40 days, 82% after 120 days, and 77% after 180 days during the PREVENT-19 trial.

Moderna, Merck, and Pfizer-BioNTech are leading the charge with new vaccines for respiratory viruses in development.

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Study findings clarifying what to expect regarding the menstrual cycle after COVID-19 vaccination could help address low vaccine uptake.

Although the pandemic spurred a greater need and use of online health resources, certain demographics continue to report significantly low participation in digital health portals.

The increasing use of antidepressants observed before and after the public health crisis suggests a concerning mental health trend, especially among females.

Even during times of peak transmission, individuals preferred in-person screening over video or telephone screening for depression.

Participants of a recent study who experienced more daily cognitive symptoms had a greater likelihood of reporting moderate interference with functioning, less likelihood of full-time employment, and greater severity of depressive symptoms.

In terms of geographic representation, nonmetropolitan counties, the West, and the South had higher excess deaths than reported COVID-19 deaths.

Participants of a recent study who had pre-existing depression or anxiety were significantly more likely to develop insomnia.

As a result of an increase in adolescent inpatient visits with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnosis in 2020, further work is needed to improve STI care, particularly for this demographic.

A new study found that Hispanic patients were more likely to report fair or poor health and reduced activity compared to non-Hispanic patients at 3 months.

Investigators noted that findings data should inform public health policy and reassure providers and expectant mothers.

The FDA states the revision to the emergency use authorization (EUA) is the next phase in the transition from the use of EUA-labeled nirmatrelvir and ritonavir to the use of NDA-labeled nirmatrelvir and ritonavir.

Study findings that identified non-COVID respiratory illness as the most serious health issue among members of low- and middle-income countries provide policymakers with a valuable lens through which to understand and address public health concerns.

Compared to only 10% of primary and subspecialty visits, 34.5% of mental health visits took place via video in August 2023.

Although the risk of respiratory distress among infants exposed to SARS-CoV-2 is high, the odds of developing the condition decreased by 67% among neonates born to vaccinated mothers.

Patients who received oral simnotrelvir recovered up to 1.5 days faster from COVID-19 compared to patients who received a placebo in the new study.

Study results found that maternal COVID-19 vaccination was safe from the perspective of infant neurodevelopment up to 18 months of age, addressing concerns about in utero vaccine exposure.

Problematic substance use was highest among firefighters, followed by emergency medical technicians, and police officers.

Study authors noted the importance of their results as they apply to understanding the usefulness of intervention measures and preparing for future pandemics.

Within a 12-month time frame, adjusted vaccine effectiveness against diagnosed long and probable long COVID was 41.7% and 35.4%, respectively.

A new study found that a universal coronavirus vaccine would be cost saving as long as it had an efficacy and coverage of 10% or more.