Infectious Diseases Society Of America Guideline Update

In this episode, produced in partnership with the American Geriatrics Society, we discuss issues surrounding vaccinating vulnerable populations with IDSA member Dr. Joshua Barocas and American Geriatrics Society members, Drs. Timothy Farrell and Melissa Dattalo.

On April 13, 2021, the FDA and CDC recommended a pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine after cases of a rare form of blood clotting were reported. In this episode, produced in partnership with the American Society of Hematology, we explore the topic of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia with hematologists Dr. Jean Connors of Harvard Medical School and Dr. Lisa Baumann Kreuziger of the Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin.

What have we learned from COVID-19 and how we can be better prepared for future pandemics? IDSA Treasurer Dr. Helen Boucher of Tufts Medical Center, Dr. Angelica Kottkamp of New York University and Dr. Dial Hewlett of the Westchester Department of Health discuss key takeaways. 

What are the most important considerations for full-time in-person learning? When can we expect to see widespread vaccination initiatives for children under the age of 16? Preeti Malani, MD, FIDSA and Tina Tan, MD, FIDSA discuss updates and challenges with in-person learning.

With the accelerated distribution of vaccines, does COVID-19 testing still matter? How reliable are the new, home test kits? IDSA members Mary Hayden, MD, FIDSA of Rush Medical College and Romney Humphries, MD of Vanderbilt University Medical Center share updated considerations for COVID-19 diagnostic testing.

What drug therapies are producing the best outcomes in patients hospitalized with COVID-19? What are the differences in treating patients suffering from severe COVID in the ICU setting versus those receiving non-critical treatment? Dr. Adarsh Bhimraj of the Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Laura Evans, Director of Critical Care at the University of Washington Medical Center, join us to discuss treating hospitalized patients with COVID-19, including the challenges clinicians are facing. This episode is produced in partnership with the Society of Critical Care Medicine. 

What strategies have been the most successful in boosting vaccine distribution and administration, and what key hurdles remain? When can low-risk populations expect to receive the vaccine? Dr. Saad Omer of Yale University and Dr. Matthew Zahn of Orange County Health Care Agency discuss the latest challenges, milestones and issues surrounding COVID-19 vaccine distribution. 

How can ID physicians advocate for improved physician value and compensation? In this episode, IDSA President Barbara Alexander, MD, FIDSA is joined by IDSA President-Elect Daniel McQuillen, MD, FIDSA of Lahey Hospital & Medical Center and Steven Schmitt, MD, FIDSA of the Cleveland Clinic to discuss increasing awareness, public support and compensation for ID professionals.

Should expectant mothers get the COVID-19 vaccine? What do we know about the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine in people with HIV? In this episode, we discuss the COVID-19 vaccine and its possible effect on special populations, such as people living with HIV, pregnant people, and the transplant community with Dr. Rachel Bender Ignacio of the University of Washington, Dr. Denise Jamieson of Emory University and Dr. Aruna Subramanian of Stanford University. This episode is produced in partnership with the American Society of Transplantation and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 

Guideline Update: 2020 Guideline on Diagnosis and Management of Babesiosis The Infectious Diseases Society of America's Guideline Podcast provides concise summaries of the most important IDSA guidelines. For the full version of the guidelines presented, please go to idsociety.org or see the full article in Clinical Infectious Diseases Volume 72, Issue 2, 15 January 2021, Pages e49–e64, https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaa1216 Presented by: Neil Skolnik, M.D., Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health Peter Krause, M.D., Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine, in New Haven, CT

Can masks be removed in crowds or at gatherings if everyone has received the vaccine? What's currently known about effectiveness of the vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 variants and how will it influence recommendations on mask wearing and social distancing? Dr. Joshua Barocas of Boston University School of Medicine and Dr. Ricardo Franco of the University of Alabama at Birmingham answer these questions and more. 

The Infectious Diseases Society of America's Guideline Podcast provides concise summaries of the most important IDSA guidelines. For the full version of the guidelines presented, please go to www.idsociety.org or see the full article in Clinical Infectious Diseases, ciaa1215, https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaa1215 Published: 30 November 2020     Presented by: Neil Skolnik, M.D., Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health Paul Auwaerter, M.D. is a professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and serves as the clinical director of the Division of Infectious Diseases.

Should individuals who have already had COVID-19 be vaccinated? In this episode, Rajesh Gandhi, MD, FIDSA of Massachusetts General Hospital and Hana El Sahly, MD, FIDSA of Baylor College of Medicine discuss considerations when administering the COVID-19 vaccine to those with prior COVID-19 infection. 

IDSA President Barbara Alexander, M.D., FIDSA is joined by Luciana Borio, MD, a member of the COVID-19 Advisory Board that convened during the Biden-Harris transition, to discuss the Administration’s COVID-19 strategy, vaccine production and distribution, EUA guidance for COVID-19 therapies and the importance of masking policies.

Preliminary reports indicate some COVID-19 patients may develop a so-called “post-acute COVID-19 syndrome,” in which they experience persistent symptoms after recovering from their initial illness. The syndrome appears to affect those with mild as well as moderate-to-severe disease. In this episode, we're joined by American Thoracic Society member, Dr. Vinay Gupta and Society of Critical Care Medicine member, Dr. Meghan Lane-Fall to discuss what's currently known about the syndrome, also known as Long COVID, and the challenges it presents to both patients and clinicians. For more information on Long COVID, visit the COVID-19 Real-Time Learning Network.  This episode is in partnership with the American Thoracic Society and the Society of Critical Care Medicine.

We discuss the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants in the U.S. and the impact they'll have on COVID-19 vaccines and treatments with Kathryn Edwards, MD, FIDSA of Vanderbilt University and Mirella Salvatore, MD, FIDSA with Weill Cornell Medicine. 

In this episode, we explore the Theater of War production and learn how it’s being used as a tool to help frontline healthcare workers cope with the dire realities of the COVID-19 pandemic and focus on better mental health. To discuss are Theater of War Productions Artistic Director, Bryan Doerries and American College of Emergency Physician members, Dr. Diane Birnbaumer of UCLA and Dr. Jay Kaplan of Louisiana State University. This episode is in partnership with the American College of Emergency Physicians.

IDSA President Barbara Alexander, M.D., FIDSA speaks with IDSA Senior Vice President Amanda Jezek about how ID physicians can help shape policy on issues such as AMR and physician compensation. Dr. Alexander explains that, even in the midst of COVID, it’s important to continue promoting the value of ID.

IDSA member Dr. Javeed Siddiqui of TeleMed2U and Dr. Tamaan Osbourne-Roberts with the American Academy of Family Physicians Commission on Quality and Practice join us discuss the rise of telehealth and how it can utilized to treat and care for those battling COVID-19. This episode is in partnership with the American Academy of Family Physicians. 

COVID-19 Testing Guideline Panel members Angela Caliendo, M.D., FIDSA of Brown University and Cesar Arias, M.D., FIDSA of the University of Texas discuss recent changes made to IDSA's COVID-19 Diagnostic Guidelines.