On November 9, bamlanivimab became the first monoclonal antibody to receive an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. The EUA for bamlanivimab marked a milestone in the coronavirus pandemic because the monoclonal antibody became the first medication that could be administered to COVID-19 patients on an outpatient basis.

Vaccination is widely viewed as an end-game stage in the coronavirus pandemic. One of the primary goals of vaccination is to achieve herd immunity—a point at which enough of the country’s population will have immunity to the coronavirus that community spread is unlikely.

Since June 2020, the ICU Survivor Center at Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis has treated about 100 COVID-19 patients who survived ICU-level care. The patients are experiencing a range of symptoms, according to Sikandar Khan, DO, medical director at the ICU Survivor Center and a research scientist at the Regenstrief Institute in Indianapolis.

On episode 23 of PSQH: The Podcast, Dr. Kent Locklear, chief medical officer of Lightbeam Health Solutions, talks about the ins and outs of COVID-19 vaccine distribution.

Signers of the letter to the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and National Institutes of Health (NIH) officials included David Michaels, former OSHA administrator under President Barack Obama. The letter’s signers contend that current CDC and OSHA guidance does not adequately address the risk of transmission through inhalation of small airborne particles. Much of the federal guidance still refers to exposure to “respiratory droplets.”

The recent research article, which was published by JAMA Network Open, features data collected from 219 patients at an academic hospital in Northern Italy. The researchers measured lung impairment, functional impairment, and posttraumatic stress symptoms.

The move is largely a response to the tremendous increase in virtual care visits during the coronavirus public health emergency, according to Aon’s new report released Thursday. That shift in consumer behavior has led 36% of employers to say they are interested in exploring a virtual-directed health plan model with an online primary care platform that directs all care, including coordination with traditional health providers.

Going without needed treatment had consequences, as one-third of the adults (32.6%) who reported delaying or forgoing care said one or more of their health conditions worsened as a result, or their ability to work or perform other daily activities was limited.

During coronavirus patient surges, hospital ICUs often become inundated with severely ill patients. The COVID Line Team at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has increased the efficiency of placing central and arterial lines in coronavirus patients and freed up precious time for the dedicated ICU clinical staffs.