Chest Medicine
Consensus Guideline: Defining and managing COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis
15 Dec, 2020 | 01:42h | UTC
The coronavirus at 1: A year into the pandemic, what scientists know about how it spreads, infects, and sickens
15 Dec, 2020 | 01:42h | UTC
[Preprint] RECOVERY trial: Azithromycin does not improve outcomes in hospitalized patients with COVID-19
15 Dec, 2020 | 01:44h | UTCNews release: RECOVERY trial finds no benefit from azithromycin in patients hospitalised with COVID-19
Commentary on Twitter
New RECOVERY result. In patients hospitalised with COVID-19, azithromycin did not provide any clinical benefit. 28 day mortality (19% vs 19%) (rate ratio 1·00; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0·90-1·12; p=0·99). No effect on secondary outcomes either.https://t.co/PTklz40WKr pic.twitter.com/NCzvRIND0S
— Peter Horby @peterhorby.bsky.social (@PeterHorby) December 14, 2020
Critical review: “I’m upset about the RELAX trial” (study showing a lower PEEP strategy is noninferior to a higher PEEP strategy in ICU patients without ARDS)
15 Dec, 2020 | 01:27h | UTCI’m upset about the RELAX trial – PulmCrit
Original study and commentaries: Randomized trial: Among patients in the ICU receiving invasive ventilation, a strategy with lower PEEP was noninferior to a strategy using higher PEEP
Commentary from the author on Twitter
RELAX trial
🧘♂️PEEP 8 cm vs. lowest possible PEEP (as low as zero!) among patients without ARDS
🧘♂️no difference in primary endpoints
🧘♂️low-PEEP caused lower PO2/FiO2 ratios, higher driving pressures, more need for rescue therapy 👎https://t.co/fGFiQyn3jY pic.twitter.com/yi2hN3yBZi— 𝙟𝙤𝙨𝙝 𝙛𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙖𝙨 💊 (@PulmCrit) December 14, 2020
Randomized trial: Baricitinib plus remdesivir reduce recovery time in patients with COVID-19
13 Dec, 2020 | 23:31h | UTCBaricitinib plus Remdesivir for Hospitalized Adults with Covid-19 – New England Journal of Medicine
Commentary: Baricitinib plus remdesivir shows promise for treating COVID-19 – NIH News Releases
Commentary on Twitter
Not sure how to interpret a trial for a drug plus Remdesivir vs Remdesivir alone when you don't know if Remdesivir works. @NEJM today for this combo, which has already received FDA EUAhttps://t.co/tpmHPFPJX1 pic.twitter.com/Tmue99oJnV
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) December 11, 2020
Meta-analysis: Efficacy and harms of remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19. “Until stronger evidence emerges, we cannot conclude that remdesivir is efficacious for treating COVID-19”.
13 Dec, 2020 | 23:27h | UTC
Video: Coronavirus vaccine update with Anthony Fauci
13 Dec, 2020 | 23:25h | UTCCoronavirus Vaccine Update With Anthony Fauci – JAMA
A systematic review of corticosteroid treatment for noncritically ill patients with COVID-19 – corticosteroid treatment is not recommended for patients with mild or moderate COVID-19
13 Dec, 2020 | 23:26h | UTC
Just published: Pfizer vaccine confers 95% protection against Covid-19
11 Dec, 2020 | 09:32h | UTCSafety and Efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine – New England Journal of Medicine
Editorial: SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination — An Ounce (Actually, Much Less) of Prevention
Commentary: Pfizer vaccine results published in peer-reviewed journal – MedicalXpress
Related: FDA advisory panel endorses Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine – STAT
Commentary on Twitter (Thread – Click for more)
I read the @pfizer @US_FDA vaccine briefing doc
3 take homes (1 obvious, 2 new takes I haven't seen before)
1. Efficacy is great to prevent #COVID19 & promising for severe illness (this has been said many times before)
Moving on…https://t.co/WLrEpjmuO8
— Anil Makam (@AnilMakam) December 10, 2020
Randomized trial: Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole does not benefit patients with moderate and severe idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
13 Dec, 2020 | 23:14h | UTCCommentary: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Co-trimoxazole therapy did not prevent disease progression – MedicalResearch
Commentary on Twitter
In this RCT oral co-trimoxazole (TMP-SMX) did not reduce a composite outcome of time to death, transplant, or hospitalization vs placebo in patients w moderate- severe idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (#IPF) https://t.co/fsNxwynG1s @MarkSpe90122390
— JAMA (@JAMA_current) December 9, 2020
Healthcare workers 7 times as likely to have severe COVID-19 as other workers
11 Dec, 2020 | 09:29h | UTCCommentary: Healthcare workers 7 times as likely to have severe COVID-19 as other workers – BMJ
Commentary on Twitter
Of essential workers, who has the highest risk of severe #COVID19?
Healthcare workforce >7X.
Non-white >8X.https://t.co/ZBUJYccXlT (compared with non-essential workers)
A @uk_biobank study from >120,000 participants
[NB: current issue with link] pic.twitter.com/UZmIO69G4O— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) December 9, 2020
Long Covid: Study shows persistence of symptoms in a third of ambulatory patients 30 to 45 days after diagnosis
11 Dec, 2020 | 09:27h | UTCCommentary: COVID-19: persistent symptoms in one third of cases – Université de Genève
Commentary on Twitter
Study of 669 people who had #COVID19 during the first wave in Switzerland. Of 510 who were followed up for 30-45 days, 32% still had at least one symptom.
Fatigue, shortness of breath, and loss of smell or taste were the most common symptoms. #LongCovidhttps://t.co/pDB6nuZWTn pic.twitter.com/bbt9c3LFXl
— Dr Zoë Hyde (@DrZoeHyde) December 8, 2020
Randomized trial: Among patients in the ICU receiving invasive ventilation, a strategy with lower PEEP was noninferior to a strategy using higher PEEP
11 Dec, 2020 | 09:22h | UTCEditorial: Searching for the Optimal PEEP in Patients Without ARDS: High, Low, or in Between?
Video: Effect of Lower vs Higher PEEP Strategy on Ventilator-Free Days in ICU Patients Without ARDS
Commentary on Twitter
Effect of a Lower vs Higher PEEP Strategy on Ventilator-Free Days in ICU Patients Without ARDS https://t.co/h6IozSLUeS via @JAMA_current part of @JAMANetwork There is no size that fits all. PEEP titration – way to go.
— Matthias Eikermann (@MatthiasEikerm1) December 10, 2020
Systematic review: Men with COVID-19 have almost three times the risk of requiring ICU admission and a higher risk of death
10 Dec, 2020 | 08:45h | UTCCommentary: Men face ‘almost three times the odds’ of ICU admission for Covid-19, study says – CNN AND Men with COVID-19 three times more likely to need intensive care: study – MedicalXpress
Commentary on Twitter
Men w/ COVID19 are 3 times more likely to need intensive care & are at significantly higher risk of dying from the virus than women. New research analyzed over 3 million confirmed cases from 46 countries and 44 states. 2 links: https://t.co/g9nYKWxzcv
andhttps://t.co/ZOIfSYImWi— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) December 9, 2020
UK to refine allergy warning on Pfizer vaccine sparked by two adverse reactions
10 Dec, 2020 | 08:41h | UTCUK to refine allergy warning on Pfizer vaccine sparked by two adverse reactions – Reuters
See also: UK probes whether COVID-19 vaccine caused allergic reactions – Associated Press AND NHS told not to give Covid vaccine to those with history of allergic reactions – The Guardian
CDC releases new ventilation guidelines for indoor environments to reduce Covid-19 risk
9 Dec, 2020 | 08:23h | UTCCDC Releases New Ventilation Guidelines For Indoor Environments To Reduce Covid-19 Risk – Forbes
CDC Guideline: Ventilation
Related podcast: Air Handling Standards for Increasing the Safety of Indoor Spaces During the COVID-19 Pandemic – JAMA
Just published: AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 vaccine shows moderate efficacy, but questions remain about the most effective dosing regimen
9 Dec, 2020 | 08:25h | UTCCommentaries: Oxford COVID vaccine paper highlights lingering unknowns about results – Nature AND Detailed data on AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 vaccine show it has moderate efficacy – STAT AND Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine efficacy – The Lancet AND Oxford COVID-19 vaccine is safe and protects against disease, first published results from phase 3 trials – The Lancet AND Expert reaction to a study on the results of phase 3 human trials of the Oxford/AZ COVID-19 vaccine – Science Media Centre
“COVID-19: when are you most infectious?” This commentary from the authors of a recent meta-analysis highlights the findings that infectiousness peaks within the first 5 days of symptom onset
10 Dec, 2020 | 08:38h | UTCCOVID-19: when are you most infectious? – The Conversation
Original study and commentaries: Meta-analysis: SARSCoV2 most contagious within the first 5 days of symptom onset
Another randomized trial shows hydroxychloroquine is not effective as postexposure prophylaxis to prevent Covid-19
9 Dec, 2020 | 08:19h | UTCSummary for patients: Summary for Patients: Postexposure Hydroxychloroquine Prophylaxis to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Infection
If exposed to Covid-19, how long before you have symptoms? Median incubation is 5.1 days, and 97.5% of those who develop symptoms do so within 11.5 days of being exposed to the virus
8 Dec, 2020 | 08:06h | UTCIf Exposed To Covid-19 Coronavirus, How Long Before You Have Symptoms – Forbes
Opinion: “Get ready for vaccine false side effects”. When millions of people are vaccinated, naturally occurring health problems could be wrongly attributed to vaccines
8 Dec, 2020 | 07:55h | UTCGet Ready for False Side Effects – Science Translational Medicine
First-of-its-kind African trial tests common drugs to prevent severe COVID-19. “Could cheap, widely available drugs prevent patients with mild illness from becoming severely sick?”
8 Dec, 2020 | 07:46h | UTCFirst-of-its-kind African trial tests common drugs to prevent severe COVID-19 – Science
New CDC Guidance with 10 public health strategies to address high levels of community transmission of SARS-Cov-2, including universal use of face masks
7 Dec, 2020 | 01:10h | UTCCommentaries: Masks are critical to stopping coronavirus spread, even at home, CDC says – CNN AND CDC recommends ‘universal’ use of face masks to prevent COVID-19 spread – UPI
Commentary on Twitter
In most of the US, Covid transmission is at dangerously high levels. CDC released a new package of 10 key strategies needed to curb the spread, including universal masking and postponing travel. https://t.co/b0utHmygSI pic.twitter.com/HXjlo89WrR
— Dr. Tom Frieden (@DrTomFrieden) December 5, 2020
Meta-analysis: Respiratory function post-infection by COVID-19. Altered diffusion capacity, restrictive pattern, and obstructive pattern were found in 39%, 15% and 7% of patients, respectively
7 Dec, 2020 | 01:04h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
Check out our recent systematic review in post-COVID-19 patients. Altered diffusion capacity, restrictive pattern and obstructive pattern were found in 39%, 15% and 7% of patients, respectively. @VilaroJordi @lvasconcello @RestoyAlsina @BufadorBufador https://t.co/PDHcUOCEbw
— Rodrigo Torres Castro (@klgorodtorres) November 25, 2020
Myocardial injury in severe COVID-19 is similar to traditional ARDS. It is a function of baseline comorbidities, advanced age, and multisystem organ dysfunction
7 Dec, 2020 | 00:59h | UTCCommentary: Myocardial Injury in Severe COVID-19 vs. ARDS – American College of Cardiology
Commentary on Twitter
About that “permanent heart damage” people associate with #COVID19…
Study published 11/13 found odds of heart damage was found to be *lower* in intubated C19 patients than in those w/ Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome from non-Covid causes.https://t.co/rnRGFkfl0N pic.twitter.com/NN1f3DNrC7
— AJ Kay (@AJKayWriter) November 20, 2020


