In this episode, Joel M. Gelfand, MD, MSCE, and Leonard H. Calabrese, DO, are joined by Paul E. Sax, MD, as they discuss advances in the outpatient management of COVID-19 and emerging information about the omicron variant.

• Welcome from Joel Gelfand, MD, MSCE :10
• About Calabrese, Gelfand and Sax :25
• A quick update since the last webinar :51
• Sax’s thoughts on the effectiveness of monoclonal antibodies 1:46
• What are the situations where we should be thinking about postexposure prophylaxis with these agents? 7:06
• When you start using pre-exposure prophylaxis therapy, how would you counsel the patients receiving it? 12:56
• How does Merck’s molnupiravir work? 17:22
• Sax’s thoughts on Pfizer’s paxlovid 22:23
• What’s your perspective on fluvoxamine? Does it work? 25:26
• Paul, what have you learned so far about the omicron variant? 30:15
• How much more contagious is this than Delta and what would you compare it to? 31:09
• Questions from the audience 35:27
• Tweet your questions @DrJoelGelfand, @LCalabreseDO and @PaulSaxMD. 38:35

Leonard H. Calabrese, DO, is chief medical editor of Healio Rheumatology, professor of medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, and RJ Fasenmyer Chair of Clinical Immunology at the Cleveland Clinic.

Joel M. Gelfand, MD, MSCE, is chief medical editor of Healio Psoriatic Disease and professor of dermatology and epidemiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also vice chair of clinical research, medical director at the Dermatology Clinical Studies Unit, and director of the Psoriasis and Phototherapy Treatment Center at Penn Medicine.

Paul E. Sax, MD, is clinical director of the Infectious Disease Clinic and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

We’d love to hear from you! Send your comments/questions to Drs. Gelfand, Calabrese and Sax at covid19podcast@healio.com. Be sure to check Healio.com/coronavirus for daily updates on the pandemic and follow us on Twitter @InfectDisNews, @GoHealio, @DrJoelGelfand, @LCalabreseDO and @PaulSaxMD.

Disclosures: Calabrese reports consulting for AstraZeneca, GSK and Regeneron. Gelfand and Sax report no relevant financial disclosures. 

This is the first in a series of town halls featuring Joel M. Gelfand, MD, MSCE, and Leonard H. Calabrese, DO, who will discuss the latest knowledge and research on COVID-19. In this episode, they’re joined by Carlos del Rio, MD, who discusses the use of booster shots in the general population and in patients with underlying autoimmunity.

• Welcome from Joel Gelfand, MD, MSCE :10
• About Calabrese, del Rio and Gelfand :30
• del Rio on the future of the pandemic 1:12
• Recommendations for boosters in general population 3:25
• What does “immunocompromised” mean in terms of boosters? 6:14
• What is an additional dose vs. booster dose? Who’s eligible? 9:24
• Summary 14:12
• Immunosuppressed patients – degree of severity 16:14
• Safety of boosters in general population 17:00
• Safety of boosters in those with underlying autoimmunity 18:12
• Questions from the audience 22:03
• Tweet your questions @DrJoelGelfand, @LCalabreseDO and @CarlosdelRio7 29:24

We’d love to hear from you! Send your comments/questions to Drs. Gelfand, Calabrese and del Rio at covid19podcast@healio.com. Be sure to check Healio.com/coronavirus for daily updates on the pandemic and follow us on Twitter @InfectDisNews, @GoHealio, @DrJoelGelfand, @LCalabreseDO and @CarlosdelRio7.