ACR CONVERGENCE 2020—In a year like no other, the 2020 virtual ACR Convergence was a meeting like no other. Nonetheless, the meeting introduced a healthy mix of clinical insights and take-home pearls, according to panelists in the meeting’s closing session, Bright Future: Discovery & Growth. In this session, panelists discussed some of the biggest news…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The German Society for Rheumatology (DGRh) has updated its guidelines to reflect the recent impact of the pandemic, noting among its key changes that immunosuppressive medications should not be changed solely for fear of SARS-CoV-2 infection.1 The update is based on evidence from scientific data from registries, cross-sectional studies, case reports and…
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) on March 10, 2021, after Senate passage on March 6. President Biden signed the bill into law on March 11. Following is the ACR’s summary of the most impactful provisions of this third COVID-19 relief package. Fighting COVID-19 $160 billion…
NEW YORK (Reuters)—Individuals fully inoculated against COVID-19 can meet in small groups with other vaccinated people without wearing masks, but should keep wearing them outside the home, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on March 8. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, said during a briefing that the agency’s new guidance…
COVID-19-related deaths are significantly higher in communities with higher proportions of Black, Latinx, Asian American or other racial/ethnic minorities.
An ACR COVID-19 Vaccine task force examined vaccine data and literature to evaluate COVID-19 vaccine safety, efficacy and interaction with medications for patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, and to craft a living guidance document for members.
(Reuters)—Medications that suppress the immune system—necessary for many chronic diseases—do not worsen outcomes of COVID-19 cases, new data suggest. Researchers looked back at 2,121 adults hospitalized for COVID-19 between March and August, including 108 who were taking immunosuppressive drugs (primarily prednisone, tacrolimus or mycophenolate mofetil). After accounting for patients’ general baseline health status, researchers found…
Between April and December 2020, many eligible healthcare providers received or applied for payments from the $175 billion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act Provider Relief Fund (PRF) through the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). On Dec.27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the Appropriations Act) was signed into law,…
COVID-19 is responsible for many things, including placing public attention on clinical trials and the worldwide race to approve a vaccine. The words rushed to market usually strike fear in the minds and hearts of clinical research coordinators. Many have seen investigational products with aggressive timelines withdrawn mid-study or during late-stage trials. This year, we…
Ethan Craig was not pleased. As a reader of this column, you know that Dr. Craig is an assistant professor of clinical medicine in the Division of Rheumatology at the University of Pennsylvania and an associate editor of The Rheumatologist. On this particular morning, however, he was the father of a 5-year-old who woke up…