COVID-19 testing programs sustain in-person instruction, extracurricular activities in Utah
Editor's Note Utah’s high school COVID-19 testing programs saved in-person instruction days and facilitated the continuation of extracurricular activities during a period of high COVID-19 incidence among high-school aged students, this study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds. Utah implemented two COVID-19 testing programs: Test to Play—testing…
Children’s Hospital Colorado ‘overrun with kids attempting suicide’
Editor's Note The CEO of Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora declared a “State of Emergency” on May 25, saying pediatric emergency departments and inpatient units are being “overrun with kids attempting suicide and suffering from other forms of major mental health illness.” In the last 2 years, Children’s has had…
Public trust, willingness to vaccinate against COVID-19
Editor's Note This study by researchers in the United Kingdom finds that despite declines in hesitancy to be vaccinated against COVID-19, vaccine hesitancy remains high in young adults and Black and low socioeconomic status individuals. A total of 7,420 participants provided 42,154 survey responses to the Understanding America Study (UAS)…
CDC: COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough infections
Editor's Note Of 101 million Americans vaccinated against COVID-19 as of April 30, 2021, more than 10,200 had breakthrough infections 14 days or more after receipt of all vaccine doses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Among these cases: 63% occurred in women 27% were asymptomatic…
New COVID-19 cases down 57%
Editor's Note The 7-day average for new COVID-19 cases in the US is down 57%, and COVID-19-related deaths dropped 23%, compared to a month ago, according to Johns Hopkins University. Nearly half (49.6%) of adults have been fully vaccinated.
Survey: HCWs report concerns about unsafe working conditions during COVID-19
Editor's Note The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, in Washington, DC, released a report on May 25 that summarizes findings from a national survey of frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey of 1,200 HCWs from all 50 states and the District of…
FDA: Class I recall of Boston Scientific’s VICI, VICI RDS Venous Stent systems
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on May 21, identified the recall by Boston Scientific Corporation of its VICI Venous Stent and VICI RDS Venous Stent systems as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of reports that the stents may migrate or move from…
Risk of COVID-19 transmission via electrocautery plume
Editor's Note In this Canadian experimental study, SARS-CoV-2 was not detectable in aerosolized electrocautery plume generated from any of the conditions investigated. The researchers mimicked surgery by applying electrocautery at 25 W using three different methods (monopolar cut, monopolar coagulate, and bipolar electrocautery) for 1 minute on raw chicken breast.…
CDC recommends Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents
Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine be given to everyone 12 years of age and older. Previously, COVID-19 vaccines had been authorized only for those aged 16 and older. Pfizer is the first vaccine manufacturer to gain emergency use…
Effect of duloxetine on opioid use after TKA
Editor's Note Duloxetine was found to be better than placebo for reducing opioid use and was of equal efficacy to placebo for reducing pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), in this study presented at the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine annual meeting, May 13, in Orlando, Florida.…