Editor's Note:  Rapid border closures, full lockdowns, and wide-spread testing were not associated with statistically significant reductions in number of critical cases or overall COVID-19 mortality; however, they were significantly associated with increased patient recovery rates, this study of 50 countries finds. Increasing COVID-19 caseloads were associated with countries with…

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Editor's Note The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Defense on July 22 announced an agreement with Pfizer to produce and deliver 100 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in the US, following manufacture and approval. Pfizer will deliver the doses, once the vaccine receives emergency…

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Editor's Note This study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that the estimated number of COVID-19 infections was more than 10 times higher than the number reported from March 23 to May 12. Serum samples from 16,025 individuals at 10 US sites were tested for antibodies. Six…

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Editor's Note A new analysis prepared for the American Hospital Association (AHA) by Kaufman, Hall & Associates LLC examines COVID-19’s financial effects on hospitals and healthcare systems. The analysis, released July 21, finds that without further government support, hospital margins in the second half of 2020 could fall to -7%,…

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Editor's Note COVID-19 patients have larger lower extremity arterial thrombi and a significantly higher rate of amputation and death than uninfected patients with the same condition, this study finds.ontefi Researchers at Montefiore Medical Center, New York City, compared 16 COVID-19 patients who had symptoms of leg ischemia with 32 COVID-19…

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Editor's Note The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on July 20 launched a new Data Hub for COVID-19 hospitalization data that officials say provides a more comprehensive view of the pandemic than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Healthcare Safety Network, where the information…

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Editor's Note An expert panel from the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons on July 15 issued guidelines that include recommendations for when hospitals and surgical centers can resume elective orthopedic procedures. A set of 30 recommendations are presented in four categories: General—includes criteria based on factors, such as…

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Editor's Note Leaders of the US House of Representatives telehealth caucus introduced legislation on July 16 to permanently open up access to telehealth services for Medicare patients, the July 16 Fierce Healthcare reports. The bipartisan bill will eliminate restrictions on use in Medicare patients, and it will provide a bridge…

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Editor's Note This meta-analysis from the University of Bristol, UK, finds that overall COVID-19 intensive care mortality has fallen by a third since the start of the pandemic. Data from 24 studies, including 10,150 patients from centers in Asia, Europe, and North America, demonstrate an ICU mortality rate of 41.6%,…

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Editor's Note The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on July 15 announced that in a move to improve information gathering and resource allocation, hospitals will begin sending their COVID-19 related data directly through HHS Protect or TeleTracking rather than submitting it the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention…

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