There’s a lot of confusion about medications and COVID-19, so experts offer some answers. There are no proven drug treatments for the illness caused by the new coronavirus, so doctors sometimes use drugs approved for other conditions to treat seriously ill COVID-19 patients. This is called off-label use. One drug being investigated as a possible COVID-19 treatment is hydroxychloroquine, which is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat malaria, but widely used to treat autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Hydroxychloroquine, often combined with the antibiotic azithromycin, has been touted as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Neither of the medications are antivirals, and the combination has been shown to cause heart problems in some patients. Some people wonder if they should take hydroxychloroquine to prevent COVID-19. The answer is definitely no, said Chris Bland and Tim Brown, from the University of Georgia’s College of Pharmacy. “I don’t believe at this time that anybody outside of the hospital setting should be a candidate for these two medications used together for COVID-19,” Bland said in a university news release. “In the hospital, we can perform cardiac monitoring of these patients to ensure safety. There are very limited data for effectiveness with definite risk of cardiac toxicity,” Bland said. “That’s why we don’t recommend it to outpatients.” The experimental antiviral drug remdesivir shows…  read on >

Almost half of the U.S. population — 150 million people — are exposed to air pollution that puts their health at risk, the American Lung Association says. Climate change is making air pollution worse due to record levels of particle pollution and higher ozone pollution (smog) caused by wildfires. Air pollution poses a threat to everyone, especially children, older adults and people with lung disease. The effects of air pollution on lung health are of increased concern due to the coronavirus pandemic. The association’s annual State of the Air report analyzed data from 2016, 2017 and 2018, which were among the five hottest years recorded in global history. “The report finds the air quality in some communities has improved, but [it] finds that far too many people are still breathing unhealthy air,” American Lung Association president and CEO Harold Wimmer said in a news release from the group. “This year’s report shows that climate change continues to degrade air quality and increase the risk of air pollution harming health,” Wimmer said. “To protect the advances in air quality we fought for 50 years ago through the Clean Air Act, we must again act today, implementing effective policies to protect our air quality and lung health against the threat of climate change,” Wimmer said. “Air pollution is linked to greater risk of lung infection. Protecting everyone…  read on >

Doctors are increasingly worried that people are mistaking stay-at-home orders to mean they should avoid emergency medical care — including for serious lung diseases. People with chronic lung conditions, such as emphysema and moderate to severe asthma, are among those at higher risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19. And medical experts have been urging them to be vigilant about protecting themselves. But now a new concern is surfacing: Are people being scared away from needed medical care? “We’ve been noticing it anecdotally in our practice,” said Dr. Koushik Kasanagottu, an internal medicine resident at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore. He shared the example of one patient, a woman with emphysema, who on a recent morning woke with shortness of breath. She used her “rescue” inhaler medication — a standard way to manage a symptom exacerbation — but it didn’t help. Still, fears over COVID-19 kept her from seeking emergency medical attention. Eventually, her sister did call 911. But by the time she reached the hospital her condition had worsened to the point that she needed a ventilator. “The concern is definitely there,” said Dr. Albert Rizzo, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association. “Some people might think twice about going to the hospital, rely on their rescue medications, and try to tough it out.” It is, of course, understandable that people…  read on >

(HealthDay News) — All immigration to the United States will be stopped to protect Americans during the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump announced late Monday night, as the country’s COVID-19 death toll topped 42,000. “In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!,” Trump wrote in a 10 p.m. tweet. Broad restrictions have already been placed on travel from Europe, China and other coronavirus hot spots, the Washington Post reported. Suspending all immigration could affect hundreds of thousands of visa holders and other would-be green card recipients who are planning to come to the United States, the newspaper said. Meanwhile, the White House and Congressional leaders moved closer to agreement on a $470 billion coronavirus package that would pump more money into a small business loan program that has already run out of funding. Roughly $100 billion in the latest economic stimulus deal would go toward hospital needs and coronavirus testing, the Associated Press reported. “I think we are getting close to a deal,” Trump said during a Sunday briefing of the coronavirus task force. The House has announced it could meet as soon as Wednesday for a vote on the pending package, the wire service…  read on >

(HealthDay News) — The White House and Congressional leaders said Sunday they were close to agreement on a $470 billion coronavirus package that would pump more money into a small business loan program that has run out of funding. Roughly $100 billion in the latest economic stimulus deal would go toward hospital needs and coronavirus testing, the Associated Press reported. “I think we are getting close to a deal,” President Donald Trump said at a Sunday briefing of the coronavirus task force. “We have some very good negotiations going on right now, and I think you could have a nice answer tomorrow,” Trump added. The Senate is set to have a pro forma session Monday, but no vote has been scheduled. The House announced it could meet as soon as Wednesday for a vote on the pending package, the wire service said. As the U.S. coronavirus death toll edged past 40,000 and the case count climbed to more than 753,000 on Monday, governors across America were crafting plans to start to ease social distancing in the coming weeks. But new estimates from Harvard University researchers suggest that the United States as a whole cannot safely reopen unless health officials triple the number of coronavirus tests that are now being conducted, The New York Times reported. Governors in some of the states that have been hit…  read on >

The lifesaving benefits of strict social distancing rules during the coronavirus pandemic far outweigh their projected harm to the U.S. economy, a new report claims. “Our benefit-cost analysis shows that the extensive social distancing measures being adopted in the U.S. likely do not constitute an overreaction,” said lead author Linda Thunstrom, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. “Social distancing saves lives but comes at large costs to society due to reduced economic activity,” she said in a university news release. “Still, based on our benchmark assumptions, the economic benefits of lives saved substantially outweigh the value of the projected losses to the U.S. economy.” Assuming that social distancing measures are adopted widely enough to reduce contact between people significantly, their benefits will surpass the economic costs by $5.2 trillion, according to Thunstrom and colleagues. The findings — published online April 14 in the Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis — are based on the most recent data on coronavirus spread and its impact on economic activity. Study co-author Stephen Newbold said, “It should be possible to conduct a more detailed analysis after more data are available.” Newbold is an assistant professor of economics. “But a rapid assessment, based on the best currently available information, adds much-needed rigor to the public discussion about the policy response to this outbreak,” he explained in…  read on >

Despite increased demand for inhalers in some parts of the United States, Americans with asthma shouldn’t ration their medications during the coronavirus pandemic, the American Lung Association says. Rescue inhalers are in short supply in some areas because hospitals are giving albuterol to COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms to help them breathe, the group explained. Albuterol is a quick-relief medication used to treat shortness of breath and wheezing in people with asthma and some other lung disorders. “The American Lung Association advises patients with asthma not to ration medications,” said the association’s chief medical officer, Dr. Albert Rizzo. “If you are running low on a prescription, speak with your health care provider about your options so you can take your medication as prescribed.” Patients might want to ask their doctor if switching medications would help with availability and/or lower costs, he said in an association news release. “Consider alternative devices such as nebulizers,” Rizzo advised. “Dosages are different among brands, so do not switch without discussing with your health care provider.” Good control of asthma is crucial in preventing infections and complications, he emphasized. “Any viral infection can lead to a worsening of asthma symptoms, so patients with asthma and particularly those with moderate to severe asthma are at a higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19,” Rizzo said. Controlling your asthma may reduce your…  read on >

Guidelines for the prioritization and treatment of breast cancer patients during the coronavirus pandemic have been released by a group of U.S. medical organizations. “As hospital resources and staff become limited, it is vital to define which breast cancer patients require urgent care and which can have delayed or alternative treatment without changing survival or risking exposure to the virus,” Dr. Jill Dietz, president of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, said in a society news release. And according to Dr. Lawrence Shulman, chair of the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons, “The COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges. These guidelines can help modify patient care to minimize exposure risk and preserve resources for patients with the most immediate need for care.” The other groups involved in the release of the new joint recommendations are: the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), and the American College of Radiology (ACR). The recommendations group breast cancer patients into priority levels (A, B, C) for urgency of care, and provide treatment recommendations for each category. Priority A patients have conditions that are immediately life-threatening or symptomatic and require urgent treatment. Priority B patients have conditions that do not require immediate treatment but they should start treatment before the end of the pandemic. Priority C patients have conditions for which…  read on >