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What We’re Reading: COVID-19 Vaccine Trials to Restart; Record 2-Day Infections; Stress-Reducing Strategies
AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson will restart trials of their vaccine candidates against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); the United States hits a record high 2-day total of COVID-19 infections; strategies can help ease stress amid the coming election.
AstraZeneca, J&J COVID-19 Vaccine Trials to Restart
After halting clinical trials to investigate safety concerns of their respective vaccine candidates against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), both AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) announced plans to restart their studies. As reported by STAT, the trial by AstraZeneca had been stopped on September 6 after a study participant developed neurological symptoms, with an independent monitoring committee then determining the vaccine candidate was safe for the trial to resume. J&J, which had halted its trial on October 11, could begin enrolling patients as early as next week.
US Record High COVID-19 Cases in Past 2 Days
According to Reuters, the past 2 days have exhibited the highest ever number of new COVID-19 cases in the United States during that time frame, with 79,852 new cases reported on Saturday and a record of 84,244 cases on Friday. Notably, 29 states have set records for increases in new cases, including Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. North Dakota has been indicated as the hardest hit state based on a recent analysis of new cases per capita.
Keeping Calm Amid the Election
With Election Day approaching, an article by NPR spotlights the prevalence of stress and how to cope with it. According to a survey from the American Psychological Association, 77% of Americans reported being worried about the country’s future and a further 71% of participants reported this time as the lowest point in the history of the United States. In highlighting how to cope with the added stress of the election, several strategies were noted, including preparing mentally for delayed results, doubling down on stress-reducing habits like sleep and exercise, and looking for signs of hope.
Urticaria Diagnosis Challenged by Overlapping Pruritic Skin Conditions
April 23rd 2025Urticaria is complicated to diagnose by its symptomatic overlap with other skin conditions and the frequent misclassification in literature of distinct pathologies like vasculitic urticaria and bullous pemphigus.
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New Research Challenges Assumptions About Hospital-Physician Integration, Medicare Patient Mix
April 22nd 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Brady Post, PhD, lead author of a study published in the April 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care®, challenges the claim that hospital-employed physicians serve a more complex patient mix.
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Personalized Care Key as Tirzepatide Use Expands Rapidly
April 15th 2025Using commercial insurance claims data and the US launch of tirzepatide as their dividing point, John Ostrominski, MD, Harvard Medical School, and his team studied trends in the use of both glucose-lowering and weight-lowering medications, comparing outcomes between adults with and without type 2 diabetes.
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ACOs’ Focus on Rooting Out Fraud Aligns With CMS Vision Under Oz
April 23rd 2025Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are increasingly playing the role of data sleuths as they identify and report trends of anomalous billing in hopes of salvaging their shared savings. This mission dovetails with that of CMS, which under the new administration plans to prioritize rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse.
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