USPSTF finds evidence insufficient for vitamin D screening

(HealthDay)—The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to ascertain the balance of benefits and harms of screening asymptomatic adults for vitamin D deficiency. These findings form the basis of a final recommendation statement published in the April 13 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variant more transmissible but not linked to more severe illness, death

(HealthDay)—The B.1.1.7 variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is not associated with more severe illness or death but leads to higher viral load and is associated with increased R1, according to two studies published online April 12 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases and The Lancet Public Health.