The Washington Post (4/7, Wan, Johnson) reports “a leading forecasting model used by the White House to chart the coronavirus pandemic predicted Monday that the United States may need fewer hospital beds, ventilators and other equipment than previously projected and that some states may reach their peak of covid-19 deaths sooner than expected.” Still, state leaders and experts “continued to steel themselves for grim weeks ahead, noting that the revised model created by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington conflicts with many other models showing higher equipment shortages, deaths and projected peaks.”

CNN (4/7, Azad) reports the influential model “now predicts that fewer people will die and fewer hospital beds will be needed compared to its estimates from last week.” According to CNN, “as of Monday, the model predicted the virus will kill 81,766 people in the United States over the next four months, with just under 141,000 hospital beds being needed. That’s about 12,000 fewer deaths – and 121,000 fewer hospital beds – than the model estimated on Thursday.”

The Hill (4/7, Coleman) reports CDC Director Robert Redfield said that if people continue to follow social distancing guidance then there will be far fewer deaths than previously predicted. During a radio interview, Dr. Redfield said, “What we’re seeing is a large majority of the American public are taking the social distancing recommendations to heart. And I think that’s the direct consequence of why you’re seeing the numbers are going to be much, much, much, much lower than would have been predicted by the models.”

Related Links:

— “America’s most influential coronavirus model just revised its estimates downward. But not every model agrees., “William Wan and Carolyn Y. Johnson, The Washington Post , April 7, 2020

Medscape (4/7, Melville, Subscription Publication) reports, “Worry and anxiety are strongly linked to fluctuations in levels of inflammatory markers, which can compromise the immune system, potentially leaving individuals at increased risk for physical illness, new research suggests.” The researchers “found that increases in levels of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) corresponded to increased levels of worrying.” The results “were scheduled to be presented at the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) 2020 in March, but the meeting was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.”

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— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

Healio (4/6, Gramigna) reports, “Recurrent aggressive behavior with clinically significant consequences to those who demonstrate it and those around them is common among both adolescents and adults, according to results of a survey study published in Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.” The study’s authors “noted that most aggressive individuals do not receive treatment for their behavior.”

Related Links:

— “Significant proportion of adolescents, adults report pattern of recurrent aggressive behavior, ” Joe Gramigna, Healio, April 6, 2020

Medscape (4/6, Melville, Subscription Publication) reports researchers found that “patients who experience a rapid response to cognitive processing therapy (CPT) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a greater likelihood of sustained improvement.” The study involved “136 veterans with PTSD” and the researchers found “that those who responded quickly to a 3-week CPT program were significantly more likely to report lower symptom scores 3 months post treatment compared with those participants who responded more slowly.” The findings were scheduled to be presented at this year’s Anxiety and Depression Association of America Conference, but “that conference was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.”

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

CNBC (4/6, Braverman) reports that as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, “more and more employees are dealing with stress, anxiety and isolation, and in the weeks or months ahead this may take a toll.” According to CNBC, “mental health experts agree that even after the immediate coronavirus crisis has passed, the impact on employees’ psyche could be lasting.” Darcy Gruttadaro, director of the American Psychiatric Association Foundations’ Center for Workplace Mental Health, said, “There is a real concern that we will see widespread anxiety, PTSD, depression, high suicide rates and a high incidence of substance abuse. We need to be ready for that, and we already have a fragile health-care system in this country.”

Related Links:

— “The coronavirus is taking a huge toll on workers’ mental health across America, “Beth Braverman, CNBC, April 6, 2020