COVID-19-associated hospitalizations among vaccinated, unvaccinated adults
Editor's Note This study led by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that COVID-19 vaccines are strongly associated with preventing serious illness. Analyzing data from 192,509 hospitalizations in 250 US hospitals: monthly COVID-19 associated hospitalization rates ranged from 3.5 to 17.7 times higher in unvaccinated…
FDA: Reports of squamous cell carcinomas, lymphomas in breast implant scar tissue
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on September 8 issued a Safety Communication informing the public about reports of cancers, including squamous cell carcinomas and various lymphomas in the scar tissue that forms around breast implants. The various lymphomas are not the same as the lymphomas reported in…
AHA releases part 3, final workforce guide series
Editor's Note The American Hospital Association (AHA) on September 7 released part three of a three-part series of its workforce guide focused on strategies, resources, and case studies from hospitals and other health systems. The AHA Board of Trustees’ Task Force on Workforce provided guidance for the series with input…
Study shows ‘dramatic’ increase in early onset cancers
Editor's Note In this study conducted by researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, titled “Is early- onset cancer an emerging global epidemic? Current evidence and future implications” and published by Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, the incidence of early onset cancers (cancer diagnosed before age 50), including breast, colon, esophagus, kidney,…
Nasal COVID-19 vaccine approved in China and India
Editor's Note China and India approved COVID-10 vaccines given through the nose or mouth, which scientists have claimed to be a “game changer” for the pandemic, BBC News September 5 reports. The novel vaccine targets the mucous membranes and starts an immune response where the coronavirus enters the body. The…
FDA alerts patients, providers of Philips Respironics masks recall
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety communication alert on September 6 informing patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers that Philips Respironics (Philips) has recalled certain masks used with bilevel positive airway pressure (Bilevel PAP, BiPAP, or BPAP) machines and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines due…
Racial disparity worsens in monkeypox infections as cases decline
Editor's Note White House officials said on Wednesday, September 7, that despite worsening racial disparities in reported monkeypox cases, they are optimistic about the decline in cases and the increase in vaccinations. Dr Demetre Daskalakis, deputy coordinator of the White House national monkeypox response, said vaccination will be offered in…
Study finds link between mental health and long COVID-19
Editor's Note A new Harvard study published Wednesday, September 7, in JAMA Psychiatry finds that people who felt stressed, anxious, lonely, depressed or worried about getting infected with COVID-19 were at higher risk of developing long-term symptoms, NBC September 8 reports. The study looked at survey responses from nearly 55,000…
Travel nurses are not returning to former jobs as demand decreases
Editor's Note Some travel nurses are choosing to leave nursing instead of returning to their former hospital jobs “as demand for travel nurses comes back down from unprecedented highs during the pandemic,” Becker’s Hospital Review September 6 reports. According to Becker’s, there were about 50,000 travel nurses in the US…
COVID-19 vaccines to become annual shot, say White House officials
Editor's Note On Tuesday, White House officials said COVID-19 vaccinations will likely become an annual affair, similar to flu shots, NBC News September 6 reports. "In the absence of a dramatically different variants, we likely are moving towards a path with a vaccination cadence similar to that of the annual…