COVID-19

Outside of the loss of human life due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the past two years have greatly affected hospitals, health systems and the way providers deliver care. Healthcare executives are grappling with federal monetary assistance, growing burnout rates, workforce shortages and federal oversight of vaccines and testing. This channel is also designed to update clinicians on new research and guidelines regarding COVID patient treatment strategies and risk assessments.

Florida looks to end all vaccine mandates, including those deemed routine
In a press conference held by Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, MD, PhD, condemned all compulsory vaccinations, declaring that the “body is a gift from God.”
Researcher Vinay Prasad returns to FDA after abrupt resignation
Prasad, MD, left the agency following a blog post from right-wing pundit Laura Loomer highlighting his progressive political views. However, now less than two weeks later, he returns to his leadership role in vaccine policy.
HHS ends support for mRNA vaccines in favor of ‘novel platforms’
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says the agency is winding down support for mRNA as it looks to "whole virus" vaccines that offer broad protection against seasonal illnesses such as COVID-19 and influenza.
COVID significantly increases risk of death from metastatic cancer, new study shows
Viruses like COVID-19 and the flu could awaken dormant cancer cells that have previously spread to the lungs, triggering growth of metastatic disease.
The pandemic accelerated brain aging, even in those who never contracted COVID
The new data is prompting questions about how stress, isolation and the disruption of normal routines affect the brain on a physiological level.

Millions will lose Medicaid coverage when COVID-19 PHE ends

The PHE has been in effect since the early days of the pandemic, and it has been reaffirmed every 90 days since. CMS has indicated it will give healthcare stakeholders at least 60 days’ notice before winding down the PHE.

Daniela Pfeiffer, professor of radiology and medical director of the study

Dark field chest X-rays can improve diagnosis of COVID-related lung disease

The novel technology offers a lower-radiation alternative to CT while offering key information about infected lung tissue.

Bucking the trend: Some hospitals achieving higher margins than before the pandemic

Their financial results are in stark opposition to several dismal reports about hospitals’ operating environments.

Jorge Soto, MD, chair of the RSNA Annual Meeting Program Planning Committee, chief of radiology, Boston Medical Center, and professor of medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, offers an overview of the trends, hot topics, and innovative research and technology at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2022 meeting.

VIDEO: Key takeaways from RSNA 2022

Jorge Soto, MD, chair of the RSNA Annual Meeting Program Planning Committee, chief of radiology, Boston Medical Center, offers an overview of the trends, hot topics, research and technology at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2022 meeting.

Patient with severe, lung damage from COVID. Images in a 54-year-old man with COVID-19–related acute respiratory distress syndrome and subsequent fibrosis. (A) Axial CT 2 weeks after admission shows diffuse ground-glass opacity (GGO) with reticular abnormality and traction bronchiectasis in right middle lobe, indicating organizing phase of lung injury. (B) Axial CT 6 months after admission shows decreased GGO but extensive traction bronchiectasis and architectural distortion, suggesting fibrosis. RSNA

Lung scarring occurs in up to 11% of patients recovered from COVID, regardless of infection severity

Researchers cannot yet determine whether these changes will progress or resolve in the long term.

Cleveland Clinic posts big losses for 2022 amid challenging operating environment

Cleveland Clinic has reported huge losses for the first three quarters of 2022, and the health system’s financial woes underscore the dire financial realities across the industry.

Lung CT of a 42-year-old man with more than 7 days of symptoms. Scans show COVID pneumonia with diffuse ground-glass opacities in close vicinity of visceral pleural surfaces. In addition, a crazy paving pattern is observed. Image courtesy of RSNA. Medical images of COVID. #COVID #SARS-CoV-2

'Crash course' on COVID cases benefits residents less experienced with thoracic CT

Following the course, experts observed nearly perfect agreement between less experienced residents and chest-devoted radiologists.

MRI data reveal how pandemic-related stress physically aged the brains of teens

Researchers involved in the study suggested that, until now, this sort of growth acceleration in adolescents had only been observed in children who had experienced extreme adversity, such as violence, neglect and family dysfunction.

COVID-19

Florida looks to end all vaccine mandates, including those deemed routine

Researcher Vinay Prasad returns to FDA after abrupt resignation

HHS ends support for mRNA vaccines in favor of ‘novel platforms’

COVID significantly increases risk of death from metastatic cancer, new study shows

The pandemic accelerated brain aging, even in those who never contracted COVID