Yang, Yongheng, author

The coronavirus pandemic could force teams in California to find temporary homes.

Interview with Michael E. Pichichero, MD, author of Combined Tetanus, Diphtheria, and 5-Component Pertussis Vaccine for Use in Adolescents and Adults, published in the June 22/29 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association. Summary Points: 1. Need: The combined tetanus-diphtheria 5-component pertussis vaccine is needed; There has been a 300% increase of pertussis among US adolescents in the last three years. 2. Safety: The combined tetanus-diphtheria 5-component pertussis vaccine is safe, as the reactions are the same as the tetanus vaccine. 3. Universal: On June 30, 2005, the American Academy of Pediatrics (ASAP), America Academy of Family Physicians (AFAR), and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACID) all recommended the universal use of the combined tetanus-diphtheria 5-component pertussis vaccine or its competitor vaccine for adolescents.

Interview with Judith K. Ockene, PhD, MEd, author of Symptom Experience After Discontinuing Use of Estrogen Plus Progestin, published in the July 13 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association. Summary Points: 1. Of the women who stopped E plus P, 21.2% had menopausal symptoms (hot flashes or night sweats) after stopping study medication compared to 4.8% of women who were on placebo. 2. Of the women who had menopausal symptoms when they started the study (about 12%) and were in the active hormone group, over 50% had a recurrence of symptoms after they stopped MHT compared to 21% of placebo users who had a recurrence of symptoms. 3. Women in the E plus P group reported higher rates of pain or stiffness (36.8%) after they stopped study medication compared to women who had been on placebo (22.2%). 4. Women who had symptoms after they stopped study medication reported using a wide range of strategies to manage symptoms and a large proportion found the strategies to be helpful.

Interview with Melanie A. Thompson, MD, and Paul A. Volberding, MD, authors of Antiretroviral Treatment of Adult HIV Infection 2012 Recommendations of the International Antiviral Society-USA Panel. Summary Points:

• Antiretroviral treatment is recommended and should be offered to all persons with HIV, regardless of CD4 cell count.
• Particular attention should be paid to the design of an antiretroviral regimen for persons with concurrent conditions, such as viral hepatitis, opportunistic infections, and other medical diseases, because of the potential for drug interactions.
• Monitoring of entry into and retention in HIV care, adherence to antiretroviral therapy, and quality of care indicators are recommended and should be used to increase care engagement and quality.

This Viewpoint proposes a framework for international cooperation among governments and organizations to replace competition and hoarding with equitable global distribution of COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccines as they are developed.

This population epidemiology study characterizes trends in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test positivity for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Washington State and the Seattle area between March 1 and April 16, 2020, before and after statewide physical distancing guidelines and stay-at-home orders.

As my Italian father would say, since the house is burning      let us warm ourselves, and so

In this narrative medicine essay, a primary care physician describes a drawing by a 7-year-old patient who is sitting on an examination table with her mother cradling her baby sister with the physician’s back to them entering data in the computer as an example of a system that is sacrificing human contact for electronics.