Coronavirus (COVID-19) Q&A

Interview with Churl-Su Kwon, MD, MPH, author of Association of New-Onset Seizures With SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. Hosted by Cynthia E. Armand, MD. Related Content: Association of New-Onset Seizures With SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines

Benjamin D. Sommers, MD, PhD, of Harvard University, speaks with JAMA Health Forum Editor John Ayanian, MD, MPP, and Deputy Editor Melinda Buntin, PhD, about differences in Medicaid enrollment as measured in surveys and administrative data. These differences have implications for estimating coverage now that the federal policy of continuous Medicaid eligibility during the COVID-19 pandemic has ended. Related Content: Survey-Reported Coverage in 2019-2022 and Implications for Unwinding Medicaid Continuous Eligibility

Rural Maternity Care Is in Crisis—Here’s What Could Help; Type and Severity of Immunodeficiency Affect Speed of SARS-CoV-2 Clearance, Study Finds Related Content: More Than Half of US Rural Hospitals No Longer Offer Birthing Services—Here’s WhyWhen It Comes to SARS-CoV-2 Clearance, People Who Are Immunocompromised Are Not All Alike

Bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were recommended for children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years in the US, but were they effective? JAMA Associate Editor Tracy A. Lieu, MD, MPH, spoke with author Leora R. Feldstein, PhD, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about the effectiveness of bivalent COVID-19 vaccines in children and adolescents. Related Content: Effectiveness of Bivalent mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Children and Adolescents Aged 5 to 17 Years

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions in ambulatory care. In this interview with JAMA Health Forum Editor John Ayanian, MD, MPP, and Deputy Editor Melinda Buntin, PhD, Rishi K. Wadhera, MD, MPP, MPhil, of Harvard Medical School discusses how access to care and preventive services changed for different racial and ethnic groups in the US from 2019 to 2022. Related Content: Changes in Health Care Access and Preventive Health Screenings by Race and Ethnicity

Two recent studies find that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy is safe for infants and effective for children aged 1-4 years. JAMA Pediatrics Editor in Chief Dimitri Christakis, MD, and JAMA Pediatrics Associate Editor Alison Galbraith, MD, discuss clinical and policy implications with Grace Lee, MD, MPH, professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California. Related Content: Newborn and Early Infant Outcomes Following Maternal COVID-19 Vaccination During PregnancyEffectiveness of Monovalent mRNA Vaccines Against Omicron XBB Infection in Singaporean Children Younger Than 5 Years

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the incidence of diabetes in childhood increased. JAMA Associate Editor Anne R. Cappola, MD, ScM, and Ezio Bonifacio, PhD, from the Center for Regenerative Therapies at the Dresden University of Technology, discuss SARS-CoV-2 infection and its association with islet autoimmunity in early childhood. Related Content: SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Development of Islet Autoimmunity in Early Childhood

Interview with Jay F. Piccirillo, MD, author of Efficacy of Gabapentin For Post–COVID-19 Olfactory Dysfunction: The GRACE Randomized Clinical Trial. Hosted by Paul C. Bryson, MD, MBA. Related Content: Efficacy of Gabapentin For Post–COVID-19 Olfactory Dysfunction

In this interview, JAMA Health Forum Editor John Ayanian, MD, MPP, and Deputy Editor Melinda Buntin, PhD, explore with Erin K. McCreary, PharmD, and Atheendar S. Venkataramani, MD, PhD, how a large regional health system used a weighted lottery and intensive outreach to provide high-risk individuals in disadvantaged communities more equitable access to scarce monoclonal antibodies for preventing COVID-19. Related Content: Weighted Lottery to Equitably Allocate Scarce Supply of COVID-19 Monoclonal AntibodyMoving Beyond Intent and Realizing Health Equity

JAMA Health Forum Editor John Ayanian, MD, and Deputy Editor Melinda Buntin, PhD, discuss with Sandra B. Nelson, MD (Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston), her JAMA Health Forum study of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in schools in Massachusetts during 2 different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. She found transmission rates were very low but varied by district and the availability of vaccines. Related Content: Prevalence and Risk Factors for School-Associated Transmission of SARS-CoV-2

Interview with Rishi P. Singh, MD, author of Risk of New Retinal Vascular Occlusion After mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination Within Aggregated Electronic Health Record Data. Hosted by Neil Bressler, MD. Related Content: Risk of New Retinal Vascular Occlusion After mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination Within Aggregated Electronic Health Record Data

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted health care in many domains, including mental health services. JAMA Health Forum Editor John Ayanian, MD, MPP, and Deputy Editor Melinda Buntin, PhD, discuss with Ryan K. McBain, PhD, MPH, of RAND Corporation how the use of mental health care—both in-person and telehealth visits—changed for commercially insured adults during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Interview with Matthew S. Durstenfeld, MD, MAS, and Priscilla Y. Hsue, MD, authors of Use of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing to Evaluate Long COVID-19 Symptoms in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Hosted by Angel N. Desai, MD, MPH. Related Content: Use of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing to Evaluate Long COVID-19 Symptoms in Adults

In July 2022, Nahid Bhadelia, MD, MALD, joined the White House COVID-19 Response Team as senior policy advisor for Global COVID Response. The infectious disease physician, who is on sabbatical from Boston University, spoke with JAMA Associate Managing News Editor Jennifer Abbasi about the pandemic’s true burden of disease in low- and middle-income countries and ongoing COVID-19 vaccine inequity. Related Content: White House Advisor Nahid Bhadelia, MD, MALD, on COVID-19 in Resource-Limited Nations—Undercounted Deaths, Vaccine Inequity, and MoreGlobal COVID-19 Update (video)

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, most states approved temporary regulatory changes so out-of-state physicians could provide telemedicine services to residents. Ateev Mehrotra, MD, of Harvard Medical School, and Chad Ellimoottil, MD, MS, of the University of Michigan, speak with JAMA Health Forum Editor John Ayanian, MD, and Deputy Editor Melinda Buntin, PhD, about the features of telemedicine visits provided for Medicare beneficiaries across state borders during the first year of the pandemic and potential policy changes that would enable such visits to continue. Related Content: Receipt of Out-of-State Telemedicine Visits Among Medicare Beneficiaries During the COVID-19 PandemicTakeaways From 2 Key Studies on Interstate Telehealth Use Among Medicare Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries

On August 3, 2022, the US Department of Health and Human Services released 2 major reports in response to a presidential memo calling for a whole-of-government response to the SARS-CoV-2 sequelae known as “Long COVID." JAMA Editor in Chief Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, PhD, MD, MAS, discusses these new reports and the research and support needed to address this pervasive health concern with HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine, MD. Recorded July 29, 2022. Related Content: Addressing the Long-term Effects of COVID-19Association Between BNT162b2 Vaccination and Long COVID After Infections Not Requiring Hospitalization in Health Care Workers Long COVID: The US Federal Response (Video)

Interview with Elizabeth M. Harry, author of Childcare Stress, Burnout, and Intent to Reduce Hours or Leave the Job During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among US Health Care Workers.Hosted by Angel N. Desai, MD, MPH.

Interview with Paolo Boffetta, MD, author of Global Association of COVID-19 Pandemic Measures With Cancer Screening: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Hosted by Jack West, MD.

What a Post–Roe v Wade US Might Look Like for Physicians; SARS-CoV-2 RNA Can Persist in Stool Months After Respiratory Tract Clears Virus Related Article(s): What a Post–Roe v Wade US Might Look Like for PhysiciansSARS-CoV-2 RNA Can Persist in Stool Months After Respiratory Tract Clears Virus

As the White House’s COVID-19 Response Coordinator, Ashish Jha, MD, MPH, plays a critical role in the federal government’s continued response to the pandemic. In this Q&A with JAMA Associate Editor Preeti Malani, MD, Jha details current thinking and federal planning around additional boosters, testing trends, and treatment for COVID-19. Related Content: New White House COVID-19 Leader on What’s NextQ&A With White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Ashish Jha