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Healthcare Professionals

Virginia Department of Health’s (VDH)’s up-to-date resources are relevant to health professionals and their responses to COVID-19 in Virginia. This page includes information on vaccination, treatment, testing, and other COVID-19 topics. 

Thank you for your continued work to protect the health and well-being of all Virginians.

                               VDH Resources

COVID-19 Hot Topics

FDA Issues Safety Communication About Cue Health’s COVID-19 Tests Due to Risk of False Results

May 13, 2024 – The FDA issued a warning to home test users, caregivers, and health care providers NOT to use Cue Health’s COVID-19 Tests for Home and Over-the-Counter (OTC) Use and its COVID-19 Test intended for patient care settings due to an increased risk of false results. The FDA issued a Warning Letter to Cue Health on May 10, 2024, after an inspection revealed the company made changes to these tests and these changes reduced the reliability of the tests to detect SARS-CoV-2 virus.  

For home test users and caregivers, FDA recommends that the entire test cartridge be disposed of in regular household trash. If you were recently tested for COVID-19 using the Cue Health COVID-19 Test for Home and Over-the-Counter Use and have concerns about your results, contact your healthcare provider. Consider retesting using a different COVID-19 test that received FDA authorization if you tested negative on the Cue Health COVID-19 Test for Home and OTC Use and still have symptoms. Report any problems you experience with the Cue Health COVID-19 Test for Home and Over the Counter (OTC) Use to the FDA, including suspected false positive or false negative results. 

 

For healthcare providers, FDA recommends NOT to use any Cue Health COVID-19 tests that the provider has. Consider retesting your patients using a different FDA authorized test if you suspect an inaccurate result was given from the Cue COVID-19 Test. If testing was performed more than two weeks ago, and there is no reason to suspect current SARS-CoV-2 infection, it is not necessary to retest. Report any problems you experience with the Cue Health COVID-19 Test to the FDA, including suspected false results. See Reporting Problems with Your Test. 

FDA Grants Emergency Use Authorization for Monoclonal Antibody for the Prevention of COVID-19

March 22, 2024 -The FDA granted an Emergency Use Authorization for the monoclonal antibody pemivibart (brand name Pemgarda for COVID-19 pre-exposure prophylaxis. Pemgarda is indicated for use in people aged 12 years and older, weigh at least 40 kg, who are moderately to severely immunocompromised, and do not currently have COVID-19 or have had a recent exposure to someone infected with SARS-CoV-2. 

Pemgarda is not meant to be used in place of vaccination, and people who are immunocompromised are advised to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines. 

For more information about Pemgarda, including an FDA black box warning, please see the resources available on the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization webpage. 

Older Adults Now Able to Receive Additional Dose of Updated COVID-19 Vaccine

On February 28, 2024, CDC recommended that people aged 65 years and older should receive one additional dose of any updated 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccine (i.e., Moderna, Novavax, Pfizer). The recommendation acknowledges the increased risk of severe disease from COVID-19 in older adults, along with the currently available data on vaccine effectiveness. For detailed guidance, see Table 1 and Table 2 on the CDC webpage. Previously, CDC recommended that immunocompromised people were eligible for additional doses of the 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine. 

CDC Releases Updated Respiratory Virus Guidance

On March 1, 2024, CDC released new respiratory virus guidance that highlights a unified, practical approach to address risks from a range of common respiratory viral illnesses, such as COVID-19, influenza, and RSV, which can cause significant health impacts and strain on hospitals and health care workers. The guidance includes core prevention strategies: 

  • Staying up to date with vaccination for flu, COVID-19, and RSV, if eligible. 
  • Practicing good hygiene by covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands often, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces regularly. 
  • Taking steps for cleaner air at home and elsewhere. 

When people get sick with a respiratory virus, the guidance recommends that they stay home and away from others until at least 24 hours AFTER BOTH their symptoms are improving overall AND they have not had a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medication(s). For people with COVID-19 and influenza, treatment is available, effective in helping to prevent more severe disease, and must be started promptly after diagnosis. The guidance above does not apply to any healthcare setting. 

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 Page last updated: May 14, 2024