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As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps the globe, there is a rush to find medications that, if taken before COVID-19 is acquired, may be protective against infection. Clinical trials are currently examining drugs in many different classes. Figure 1 shows the percentage of patients who acquire COVID-19 after taking each medication chronically…

Story contributed by Cleveland Clinic. Never before has the need to leverage technology for population health management been more apparent. With the outbreak of COVID-19, consistent outreach and prompt intervention are necessary to prevent negative outcomes. Although patients with COVID-19 often experience mild symptoms, deterioration can be rapid, even in patients considered low risk. That’s why, in March, Cleveland Clinic developed and implemented a COVID-19 home monitoring program with Epic. Patients are tasked with completing a daily symptom questionnaire that allows primary care teams to monitor condition changes and quickly intervene when necessary.

Researchers at NYU Langone have sequenced the genetic code of samples from 91 COVID-19 patients in New York City, seeking clues to its origin and evolution in this region. Early data suggest that the virus has been spreading in the city for two months, before testing started. The findings also indicate the New York City outbreak is mostly from a virus “version” that evolved in Europe. Read more about the details of the work, and the possible implications for both treatment and public health response, from NYU Langone.

Investigators examined whether patients who were prescribed ibuprofen before they were infected with COVID-19 showed a difference in disease severity. Patients who were prescribed ibuprofen before infection had less severe outcomes. This appeared to be the case regardless of sex or age group. We include patients in the “prescribed ibuprofen” group if they had a prescription for ibuprofen within 30 days before they were admitted for COVID-19 or within 30 days of testing positive for COVID-19 and they had at least two refills on record. Prescriptions that indicated “take as needed” and patient-reported medications were excluded. In addition, prescriptions with a […]

Investigators examined which patient populations are most likely to be tested for COVID-19, test positive for COVID-19, and have the most severe outcomes. The analysis below includes 165,359 patients tested for COVID-19 and 66,017 COVID-19 positive patients as of April 17, 2020. Data are pooled from 22 health systems that represent 140 hospitals, spanning 11 states and covering 86 million patients. Women between the ages of 4 and 64 were slightly more likely to be tested for COVID-19 than men. Men between the ages of 19 and 84 were slightly more likely to test positive for COVID-19 than women. Men between […]