The surge in COVID-19 cases in the US driven by the Delta variant may be peaking, and cases and deaths are likely to decline through March, according to modeling by the COVID-19 Scenario Modeling Hub, a group of researchers advising the CDC. If children get vaccinated and no super-contagious new variant emerges, new infections will drop from about 140,000 a day now to 9,000 a day in March, which approximates the March 2020 daily infection rate, but under a different scenario, cases could rise to 232,000 a day, says researcher Justin Lessler.

An analysis of 24 critical care ICUs in the Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network indicated that patients with cardiogenic shock who have access to a multidisciplinary shock team had 28% lower risk of CICU death. Researchers reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that these patients also had much shorter CICU stays and did not need renal replacement therapy or mechanical ventilation as often as those without shock team care.

A study in JAMA Network Open found that administration of monoclonal antibodies was associated with lower hospitalization and mortality risk among adults at high risk for severe COVID-19. The study involved nearly 500 Native Americans with age and prior chronic conditions that put them at high risk for severe COVID-19, and almost half of patients who were not given monoclonal antibodies visited emergency departments or were admitted to hospitals in the month after diagnosis, compared with fewer than 30% of those who received antibody treatment.

Genomic sequencing found two broad lineages of SARS-CoV-2 infected people in late 2019 and early 2020, suggesting that the virus spilled over from animals to people multiple times. The findings were posted to the virological.org discussion forum and have not been peer reviewed, and some experts say more research is needed.

US hospitals charged an average of $74,591 for a general COVID-19 hospitalization and $317,810 for a COVID-19 hospitalization involving complex care needs, according to a Fair Health report. Average reimbursement for general COVID-19 hospitalizations was $33,525, while payment averaged $98,139 for a complex stay.

A study indicated that male and female patients with heart failure who have secondary mitral regurgitation saw better outcomes after transcatheter edge-to-edge repair with the MitraClip device, but long-term effects were more pronounced in men. The study, published in JACC: Heart Failure, examined 614 patients who received either guideline-directed medical therapy or TEER with GDMT.

Research published in JACC: CardioOncology indicates that women with stage I or II breast cancer who underwent left-sided radiation may carry more than twice the risk for coronary artery disease as those who had radiation on the right side. Researchers noted that irradiation of certain heart structures and the presence of cardiovascular risk factors are "important determinants of future radiation-induced cardiovascular disease."

Research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that patients with late-presenting STEMI could see better outcomes after undergoing coronary revascularization therapy. Data from 1,077 patients in three different registries showed that all-cause mortality was 2.1% in patients who had percutaneous coronary intervention and 7.2% in those who didn't.

A study published in PLOS Medicine found high dairy fat intake was associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk. High dairy fat consumption was not associated with a greater risk of death, and researcher Kathy Trieu said there is "increasing evidence to show that the type of dietary fat, or the source of dietary fat, is actually more important than the amount of fat."

Register now for ACC Quality Summit Virtual, Sept. 29-Oct. 1! Join NCDR and ACC Accreditation Services colleagues to share research and best practices and engage in sessions designed to help you improve health care quality. Get a preview of the Ralph G. Brindis Lecture, which will be delivered by Pamela S. Douglas, MD, MACC, past president of the ACC, plus a preview from keynote speaker Cheryl Pegus, MD, MPH, FACC, Walmart executive vice president of health and wellness, who will discuss the role of innovation in health care. View the agenda and register now for free.

With COVID-19 cases on the rise around the globe, our patients and clinician colleagues need your support. Now, your generous gift through ACC's Americares Campaign can have twice the impact. We'll match your gift dollar for dollar, thanks to a generous matching gift of up to $25,000 from the J.F Maddox Foundation, as designated by ACC Board of Trustees Member Thomas M. Maddox, MD, FACC. Help provide medicine and other supplies directly to local hospitals and health care providers in the places where it is needed most. Double your impact now.