Read AMA Morning Rounds®’ most popular stories in medicine and public health from the week of Feb. 14, 2022–Feb. 18, 2022.
More than 1 in 4 women globally have experienced domestic violence in their lifetimes, study finds
The Washington Post (2/17, Suliman) reports, “More than 1 in 4 women in the world have experienced domestic violence in their lifetimes, according to a study published Wednesday.” The study “used statistics from the World Health Organization’s global database on the prevalence of violence against women from before the coronavirus pandemic, 2000 to 2018,” and “found that 27% of those ages 15 to 49 had experienced physical or sexual violence by intimate long-term partners.” The findings were published in The Lancet.
CDC weighing update to mask guidance as COVID-19 numbers decline
The AP (2/16, Burnett) reports officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “said Wednesday that the U.S. is moving closer to the point that COVID-19 is no longer a ‘constant crisis’ as more cities, businesses and sports venues began lifting pandemic restrictions around the country.” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky “said during a White House briefing that the government is contemplating a change to its mask guidance in the coming weeks.” Noting the “recent declines in COVID-19 cases, hospital admissions and deaths, she acknowledged ‘people are so eager’ for health officials to ease masking rules and other measures designed to stop the spread of the coronavirus.”
The Hill (2/16, Weixel) reports the CDC “is planning to update a range of guidance in the coming weeks, including on masks, to focus on reducing severe disease and hospitalizations rather than infections...Walensky said.”
Infants born to mothers vaccinated with mRNA vaccine less likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19, CDC study finds
The New York Times (2/15, Anthes) reports infants born to mothers who “received two doses of an mRNA coronavirus vaccine during pregnancy are less likely to be admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 in the first six months of life, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” The study found that “overall, maternal vaccination was 61% effective at preventing infant hospitalization.”
Reuters (2/15, Mishra, Steenhuysen) reports, “That protection rose to 80% when the mothers were vaccinated 21 weeks through 14 days before delivery.” Meanwhile, the “effectiveness fell to 32% for the babies whose mothers were inoculated earlier during pregnancy.”
The Hill (2/15, Sullivan) reports the study used data “from 20 pediatric hospitals in 17 states, from July 2021 to January 2022.”
HHS to award 29 health centers $55M to support use of virtual care
Bloomberg Law (2/14, Subscription Publication) reports HHS “announced that nearly $55 million will be awarded to 29 health centers funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, according to Monday’s news release.” This “funding will support the use of telehealth, digital patient tools, and health information technology platforms.” According to HHS, “health centers have reported a 6,000% increase in the number of virtual visits from 478,333 in 2019 to 28,550,608 in 2020.”
Healthcare IT News (2/14, Jercich) reports these “one-time grants are intended to support the health centers in developing, implementing and evaluating evidence-based strategies that optimize the use of virtual care to increase access and improve clinical quality for underserved communities and vulnerable populations.”
FDA delays decision on Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children under five
The New York Times (2/11, A1, LaFraniere, Weiland) reported that “in a striking reversal,” the Food and Drug Administration “said on Friday that they would wait for data on how well three doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine work in children younger than 5 before deciding whether to authorize the vaccine for that age group.” This decision “most likely rules out shots for roughly 18 million of the nation’s youngest children until at least April.” The Times added, “Pfizer-BioNTech asked for the delay after the companies discovered that the Omicron wave had led to a far higher rate of infection than they had previously recorded among young volunteers in their clinical trial.”
The Washington Post (2/11, A1, McGinley, Johnson) reported the FDA said in a statement, “Based on the agency’s preliminary assessment, and to allow more time to evaluate additional data, we believe additional information regarding the ongoing evaluation of a third dose should be considered as part of our decision-making for potential authorization.”
Reuters (2/11, Erman) reported Pfizer-BioNTech “said on Friday that they expect to have data on three shots in early April.”
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Table of Contents
- More than 1 in 4 women globally have experienced domestic violence in their lifetimes, study finds
- CDC weighing update to mask guidance as COVID-19 numbers decline
- Infants born to mothers vaccinated with mRNA vaccine less likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19, CDC study finds
- HHS to award 29 health centers $55M to support use of virtual care
- FDA delays decision on Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children under five
