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What We’re Reading: COVID-19 Rebound Explained; Teen Vaping Continues; Racial Disparities in Monkeypox Rates
Rebound symptoms of COVID-19 after Paxlovid treatment are likely due to a heightened immune response; a new study shows that rates of teen vaping have not subsided much; the rates of monkeypox cases are 5 times higher among Black Americans.
Heightened Immune System Causing Rebound COVID-19
Researchers found that rebounded symptoms of COVID-19 after receiving treatment with Pfizer’s Paxlovid may be caused by a heightened immune response rather than a weak one, according to a report from Reuters. The report also noted that taking the drug over the recommended 5-day course was not found to reduce the risk of rebound symptoms. Patients who experienced rebound symptoms had higher levels of antibodies vs those who did not. This news comes as the CDC announced that starting October 20, it will cease daily reporting of COVID-19 cases in favor of weekly reports, hoping to reduce the reporting burden for state and local governments.
Teen Vaping Rates Continue to Be High
An article from The Associated Press reported that a government survey found little progress has been made to reduce rates of teens vaping. The data showed that 14% of high school students said they had recently used an e-cigarette compared with 11% last year, suggesting that teen vaping rates are on the rise. However, experts warned that changes in the survey made it difficult to compare the results, including that a higher percentage of students took the survey at school this year and that vaping tends to be reported more in schools than at home. The survey also found that 28% of high school students said they use e-cigarettes every day and 85% of those who said they vape use flavored products.
Monkeypox Rates Higher Among Black Americans
According to the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, researchers found that monkeypox infection disproportionally affects Black and Latino Americans compared with White Americans. In particular, rates were 5 times higher among Black Americans vs White Americans (14.4 vs 2.6 cases per 100,000). The statistics were based on data from the CDC, which concluded that 70% of the cases where a race or ethnicity are known as of September 23 were among people of color, despite representing 40% of the population. The report also said there has been racial inequity in the distribution of monkeypox vaccinations.
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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