According to HealthDay (1/17, Thompson), some people who have become vaccinated and boosted against COVID, who wear their masks, maintain social distance and adhere to hand washing protocols are now joining “a contingent of people who consider themselves ‘vaxxed and done’ with the COVID-19 pandemic.” Many “public health and mental health officials agree that ‘vaxxed and done’ is a real phenomenon, in that some vaccinated Americans are becoming exasperated with COVID-19 safety mandates that many fear will never” be lifted. American Psychiatric Association President Vivian Pender, MD, stated that “the new normal keeps changing. Just when it started to feel like things were going to go back to the way it used to be, along comes Omicron.” Nevertheless, “thoughtful and responsible people who’ve reached their ‘vaxxed and done’ limit should consider that wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing will help healthcare workers who are being slammed by the Omicron surge,” Dr. Pender said, as well as people who are immunocompromised or cannot be vaccinated.

Related Links:

— “COVID Fatigue: Are You Among the ‘Vaxxed & Done’? “Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, January 17, 2022

Healio (1/18, Herpen) reports, “The prevalence of mental disorders has been on the rise and remains a significant leading cause of disease burden worldwide,” investigators concluded in a study that “estimates for prevalence and burden from both men and women within 23 different age groups across 204 countries and territories worldwide.” The findings of the “30-year global systematic analysis” were published online Jan. 10 in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Mental disorders remain significant global burden on health “Robert Herpen, Healio, January 18, 2022

MedPage Today (1/14, George) reported “hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and no prior history of dementia had elevated levels of brain injury biomarkers,” according to an observational study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia. Investigators examined “data from 251 hospitalized COVID-19 patients without a history of dementia, assessing seven serum markers of neurodegeneration: t-tau, p-tau181, GFAP, NfL, UCHL1, amyloid beta 40, and amyloid beta 42,” and then compared the biomarker levels “with 161 controls without COVID-19, including 54 people with no cognitive impairment, 54 people with mild cognitive impairment, and 53 people with Alzheimer’s disease dementia.”

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

According to Psychiatric News (1/14), the FDA “has issued a Drug Safety Communication [PDF] about dental problems associated with the use of buprenorphine products that dissolve in the mouth (transmucosal) and is requiring that a new warning about the risk of dental problems be added to the prescribing information and patient medication guides for these products.” Among these dental problems are “tooth decay, cavities, dental abscesses/infection, tooth erosion, or tooth loss.”

Related Links:

— “FDA Issues Warning About Dental Risk With Transmucosal Buprenorphine, Psychiatric News, January 14, 2022

Reuters (1/14, Goldberg) reported, “In just six months, 988 goes live as the shortcut to call or text the U.S. suicide hotline at a time when the pandemic is ramping up the need for mental health services,” however, “many states are lagging on the rollout, and some were struggling to cope with pleas for help even before the three-digit number was envisioned.”

Related Links:

— “U.S. suicide hotline 988 is set to go live, but many states may not be ready “Barbara Goldberg, Reuters, January 14, 2022