Treatments

New pandemic-era stress scale aims to help identify at-risk adults, kids FamVeld/ iStock CIDRAP

A new study from researchers at Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Program (ECHO) at the National Institutes of Health shows how a stress scale developed to identify who was most at-risk of needing mental health support during the pandemic has the potential to evaluate traumatic stress reactions to ongoing large-scale threats.

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Study: Paxlovid safe, effective in pregnancy EmiliaU / iStock CIDRAP

A study based on 211 pregnant women given the antiviral drug nirmatrelvir and ritonavir (Paxlovid) during pregnancy for acute COVID-19 infections shows no increased risk of adverse events in the women or their babies and a reduced risk of complications called the maternal morbidity and mortality index (MMMI).

The findings, published today in Nature Medicine, suggest the drug is safe to use in pregnancy and is effective in reducing MMMI risk but not COVID-related hospitalizations.

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As RSV cases tick up, CDC warns that a key drug to keep babies safe is in short supply The CDC's alert says the highest dosage of the drug, called Beyfortus, is in limited supply. NBC News

... The agency told doctors to prioritize getting those doses to infants at the highest risk of severe RSV, including infants younger than 6 months and those with underlying conditions. The CDC also advised doctors to preserve 50 mg doses for infants who weigh less than 11 pounds.