Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In Reversal, Ohio Hospital Doesn't Have To Give Ivermectin To Covid Patient
The Hill: Ohio Judge Reverses Decision Ordering Hospital To Treat Patient With Ivermectin
An Ohio judge on Monday ruled a hospital no longer had to give a COVID-19 patient ivermectin, reversing a previous decision from another judge. “While this court is sympathetic to the Plaintiff and understands the idea of wanting to do anything to help her loved one, public policy should not and does not support allowing a physician to try ‘any’ type of treatment on human beings,” Common Pleas Judge Michael Oster said in the court order. (Lonas, 9/6)
NPR: Poison Control Centers Are Fielding A Surge Of Ivermectin Overdose Calls
According to the National Poison Data System (NPDS), which collects information from the nation's 55 poison control centers, there was a 245% jump in reported exposure cases from July to August — from 133 to 459. Meanwhile, emergency rooms across the country are treating more patients who have taken the drug, after being persuaded by false and misleading information spread on the internet, by talk show hosts and by political leaders. Most patients are overdosing on a version of the drug that is formulated to treat parasites in cows and horses. (Romo, 9/4)
In other news about covid treatments and side effects —
CIDRAP: Baricitinib Reduces Deaths In Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients
The rheumatoid arthritis drug baricitinib was shown to reduce mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, according to a randomized, controlled trial published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine yesterday. Baricitinib acts as a Janus kinases inhibitor and is under emergency use authorization to treat severe COVID-19 by the US Food and Drug Administration. (9/2)
CIDRAP: Loss Of Taste Or Smell Linked To Some COVID Symptoms More Than Others
Although loss of taste or smell has been linked to COVID-19 infection, a research letter in JAMA Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery yesterday found that the condition may not be as absolute a marker as people think. ... Among people with negative COVID-19 test results, loss of taste or smell was more strongly associated with congestion or runny nose compared with those who had positive test results. ... Similarly, loss of taste or smell was more strongly associated with cough and fever if the COVID-19 test was negative, not positive. (9/3)
Houston Chronicle: They Survived COVID, But Unseen Brain Damage Is Leaving Them Foggy And Forgetful
A growing number of recovered COVID-19 patients are suffering from brain fog, a persistent lack of mental clarity associated with short-term memory loss and sleep deprivation. As many as one in three people who recover from coronavirus may feel foggy and forgetful for months, studies show, even if the initial infection was mild. The worrying phenomenon has been observed in breakthrough cases for fully vaccinated people, and could become even more common with the rise of the highly-infectious delta variant. But there is hope of improvement with the right treatment. (Mishanec, 9/5)
The Washington Post: They’re Called Mild Cases. But People With Breakthrough Covid Can Still Feel Pretty Sick
Andrew Kinsey knew that even after being vaccinated against the coronavirus, there was a chance he could still fall ill with covid-19. He just never expected to feel this lousy from a case doctors call mild. For nearly a week, Kinsey felt like he had been “run over by a truck.” He struggled to walk a few steps and to stay awake through episodes of the TV show “Doomsday Preppers.” He returned to work last Monday as a corporate litigator but needs midday naps. (Nirappil, 8/31)
