In an essay, Jennifer H. Huang, M.D., notes getting COVID-19 poses more risks for cardiovascular health than getting vaccinated against the coronavirus.

In response to a new study suggesting lower doses of radiation therapy were effective in treating patients with HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer, Ravi Chandra, M.D., Ph.D., and a colleague from the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, publish an accompanying editorial commentary; Chandra says: “The data from the study by Tsai and colleagues are encouraging but are still hypothesis-generating; the concept of substantially reducing elective dosing should be further integrated into prospective trial design."

New research led by Erik Turner, M.D., reveals drug companies conducting clinical trials on new antidepressants have increased disclosure of negative outcomes: "Positive trials have always been reliably published, but negative trials, while common, have long been swept under the rug."

The research study led by Alison Edelman, M.D., continues to receive coverage. The study finds some people may experience a slight, but temporary, change in the length of their monthly cycle following COVID-19 vaccination.

Laura Chess, M.D., discusses the ongoing surge of patients arriving in OHSU's Emergency Department due to COVID-19, deferred care: "Typically we had an average of about 91 patients coming in per day, now we’re seeing up about 160."

The COVID-19 community testing and vaccination site at the Portland Expo Center is transitioning from OHSU to OHA management, and OHSU is opening new community testing and vaccination sites on its campus.

An OHSU study finds a redesigned patient-centered medical home approach focusing on defined "high-value elements" does not reduce health care costs for patients at primary care practices; David Dorr, M.D., says: "In the face of other substantial gaps in PCMH evidence to reduce cost and utilization, [the results] should push model developers and policymakers to consider substantially different approaches."

OHSU research that found breakthrough infections generate a robust immune response to multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19; Fikadu Tafesse, Ph.D., says: "The likelihood of getting breakthrough infections is high because there is so much virus around us right now. But we position ourselves better by getting vaccinated. And if the virus comes, we’ll get a milder case and end up with this super immunity."

Article about a child whose arm got trapped in a home treadmill while it was on and suffered severe friction burns, Ben Hoffman, M.D., offers advice on child safety: "I think about it in terms of the 10-second rule. Would I trust my child alone with this for 10 seconds? And if I don't trust them alone with it for 10 seconds — because that's how quickly things can happen — we need to think about how we can establish layers of protection to prevent something bad from happening." The article was widely picked up in local, state, national and international outlets.

Deployment of National Guard members to assist area hospitals, Banning Hendriks says Guard troops will support making hospital rooms available, greet patients and visitors at access checkpoints, help with food service, and transport patients: “When you see the support of Gov. Brown sending out the troops in this way and the National Guard joining us, it is a boost in morale to have this additional support from our community.”