The American journal of the medical sciences
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The impact of social isolation and loneliness (SIL) was heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the pandemic disproportionately affected racial/ ethnic minorities, no studies have investigated the ramifications of the pandemic on SIL among these populations. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and pervasiveness of SIL during the COVID-19 pandemic on minority communities. ⋯ Social isolation was common among minority communities during the pandemic but loneliness was less pervasive. The study highlights the need to address the specific needs of these populations.
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Adverse drug reactions can be either dose-dependent (Type A) or idiosyncratic (Type B). Type B adverse drug reactions tend to be extremely rare and difficult to predict. They are usually immune-mediated. ⋯ For many commonly prescribed drugs (such as antibiotics), the risk of developing an idiosyncratic adverse drug reaction is influenced by variability in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes. Because these HLA-mediated adverse drug reactions can be lethal, there is growing interest in defining which specific drug-gene relationships might benefit from pre-emptive HLA genotyping and automated clinical decision support. This review summarizes the literature for HLA-mediated adverse reactions linked to common drugs.