Acceptability of COVID-19 vaccinations among adolescents, parents
Editor's Note In this study by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is based on surveys conducted just before the expanded availability of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for adolescents aged 12-15 years, about half of unvaccinated adolescents and their parents reported not intending for or being uncertain…
CDC updates guidance for COVID-19 prevention in K-12 schools
Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on July 9 updated its guidance for COVID-19 prevention in K-12 schools and urged schools to fully reopen in the fall even if they canโt comply with all the recommendations on physical distancing and mask-wearing. The agency says if maintaining…
Changes in admissions to addiction treatment facilities in California during COVID-19
Editor's Note This study from the University of California, Los Angeles, found that the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a 28.3% decline in monthly addiction treatment initiations. Larger declines occurred in those: without Medicaid coverage (-10.8%) younger than 25 years (-15.6%) who were employed (-11.6%) with dependent living (-11.4%) with…
Joint Commission issues Quick Safety on diversity
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on July 13, issued a new โQuick Safety Issue 60: Understanding the needs of diverse populations in your community.โ To address the health and well-being of diverse populations in US communities, hospitals and medical centers can use the following safety actions and strategies: Requiring leadership…
Milder disease in COVID-19 patients linked to T cells from previous coronavirus infections
Editor's Note In this study, researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine found that some COVID-19 patients experience milder symptoms than others because they have more CD8+ T cells (killer T cells) that remember previous encounters with seasonal coronaviruses. The researchers first confirmed that some portions of the SARS-CoV-2โs sequence…
New cross-specialty ACS Quality Verification Program
Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) on July 12 announced their new cross-specialty ACS Quality Verification Program (ACS QVP) at the 2021 ACS Quality and Safety Conference. The program provides the tools for hospitals to have a standardized approach to surgical care for all surgical patients. It is…
Patient satisfaction with virtual visits
Editor's Note This study from the Cleveland Clinic finds that patient satisfaction with virtual healthcare visits is comparable to traditional in-person visits. Researchers surveyed 426 adult patients who had virtual visits from June 21 to July 12, 2017. Among the findings: 92.9% believed their virtual visit clinician was interested in…
CDC, FDA release joint statement on COVID-19 boosters
Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a joint statement on July 8 saying that fully vaccinated Americans do not need COVID-19 booster shots at this time. The statement says the CDC, FDA, and National Institutes of Health are engaged…
COVID-19 vaccine mRNA not found in breast milk
Editor's Note In this study, researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, found no vaccine-associated mRNAโthe active components of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccinesโin breast milk samples collected 4 to 48 hours after COVID-19 vaccinations. Thirteen breast milk samples were collected from 7 breastfeeding women before vaccination and at…
ACS launches new breast cancer skills program
Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) on July 9 announced a new breast cancer skills program for breast cancer patients. Patients have access to evidence-based knowledge, checklists, and skills training to support them from preoperative preparation through postoperative recovery. Given in advance of surgery, the ACS Surgical Skills…