COVID-19 Exchange: New Tx Guidelines, Extra Infections

Editor’s mask: Salvage the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape’s Coronavirus Resource Center.

Right here are the coronavirus stories Medscape’s editors across the globe ponder or not it will seemingly be foremost to perceive about these days:

US Guidelines Add Dexamethasone Suggestions

The National Institutes of Health COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel has added a advice to prescribe dexamethasone for COVID-19 sufferers who’re mechanically ventilated or require supplemental oxygen. Citing the RECOVERY trial for hospitalized sufferers within the United Kingdom, the panel advises the exhaust of the drug at a dose of 6 mg per day for as a lot as 10 days, with a sturdy advice for sufferers who’re mechanically ventilated and a moderate advice for sufferers who require supplemental oxygen but have to not mechanically ventilated. The panel says that the drug must always not be offered to COVID-19 sufferers who lift out not require supplemental oxygen.

The Infectious Ailments Society of The US also added dexamethasone options to its remedy pointers for COVID-19 sufferers this week.

10x Reported COVID-19 Infections

Officials from the Services for Illness Care for watch over and Prevention (CDC) estimate that bigger than 20 million Americans could perhaps were contaminated with SARS-CoV-2, Reuters stories, while handiest one tenth of these instances were recorded. They based this estimate on serology checking out, which identified SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in an reasonable of 10 folks for every single known case of COVID-19. Better than 120,000 Americans possess died from the illness so a long way.

Texas Pauses Reopening

The governor of Texas temporarily paused the disclose’s reopening on Thursday as COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations within the disclose continued to elevate. Texas recorded 6000 new instances on Monday and has skilled document-breaking hospitalizations for 13 days straight.

“At the present, it is a long way obvious that the upward thrust in instances is basically driven by obvious varieties of actions, including Texans congregating in bars,” the Texas governor acknowledged in a press liberate. “The actions on this government uncover are foremost to our mission to swiftly non-public this virus and enhance public neatly being.”

The brand new government uncover mandated that bars and equivalent institutions terminate, moreover rafting and tubing companies, and placement a 50% maximum ability for indoor restaurant dining.

Why Is the Median Age of COVID-19 Cases Lowering?

The median age of new COVID-19 instances is shedding in some areas, but what does that mean? Biostatistician Natalie E. Dean, PhD, explains three issues that could be occurring: more checking out, better safety for older folks, and more infections in younger adults.

“In actual fact almost surely some mixture of all three explanations,” she writes, “and could perhaps perhaps fluctuate from area to area.”

Vaccine Distribution Planning

Rising a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and distributing it to all Americans will seemingly be a not easy feat, but experts from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices are already beginning to notion, the exhaust of classes learned from the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. One example: prioritizing for initial vaccination these at elevated risk for extreme illness and healthcare personnel.

Remdesivir Counseled in Europe

The European Medicines Agency has advised the conditional approval of remdesivir for COVID-19 sufferers over 12 years of age with pneumonia who require oxygen beef up. It is the principle remedy heading within the suitable direction for approval in Europe. Remdesivir is advised for severely unwell COVID-19 sufferers within the US, India, and South Korea, and or not it is authorised in Japan.

The Week That Wasn’t in COVID-19

This week in COVID-19 news, researchers announced a look of how coronaviruses infect bats, tech companies launched merchandise to promote cautious handwashing, and scientists described the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in four thoroughly different populations in Wuhan, China. However you didn’t see these headlines on Medscape. Right here’s why.

Oral COVID-19 Vaccine in Construction

The US government will fund a nonhuman primate look of an investigational oral COVID-19 vaccine as section of Operation Warp Tempo, its program to lumber up the style of vaccines for the illness. Vaxart, the firm increasing the tablet vaccine, announced the news these days.

In Memoriam

As frontline healthcare workers treasure sufferers with COVID-19, they commit themselves to not easy, draining work and likewise put themselves at risk for infection. Better than 1500 all over the area possess died.

Medscape has published a memorial list to commemorate them. We are in a position to proceed updating this list as, sadly, wished. Please abet us invent certain this list is total by submitting names with an age, occupation or strong point, and area through this invent.

Ought to it’s good to always fragment any thoroughly different experiences, stories, or concerns related to the pandemic, please join the conversation here.

Victoria Giardina is Medscape’s editorial intern. She has previously written for The Dr. OzCurrent and is for the time being a nationwide each day life author for Her Campus . She is also reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @VickyRGiardina .