FDA issues EUA for monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration, on February 9, issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for Eli Lillyโs (Indianapolis, Indiana) combination therapy of two antibodies, bamlanivimab and etesevimab. The authorization is for the two antibodies to be administered together for treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults and…
CDC: Racial, ethnic disparities in prevalence of mental health conditions, substance abuse during COVID-19
Editor's Note This study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of current depression, increased or newly initiated substance use, and suicidal thoughts/ideation has been higher for some racial and ethnic minority groups, especially Hispanics. A survey of 1,004 US…
Healthcare employment down 29,000 jobs in January
Editor's Note Healthcare employment in the US was down in January to a seasonally adjusted 15,950,100 workers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on February 5. Thatโs down 29,600 jobs since December and down 510,100 jobs compared to a year ago. The overall unemployment rate is 6.3%.
Patients with dementia at higher risk for COVID-19, worse outcomes for Blacks
Editor's Note This study led by researchers from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, finds that patients with dementia are at a significantly higher increased risk for COVID-19, and the risk is higher still for Blacks with dementia. Analyzing electronic health records of 61.9 million adults in the US, the…
White House invokes wartime powers to increase production of vaccines, at-home tests, surgical gloves
Editor's Note In a February 5 media briefing, the White House says it has invoked the Defense Production Act to help Pfizer produce more of its COVID-19 vaccine, and the same will hold true for Johnson & Johnson, should it receive Emergency Use Authorization for itโs vaccine, the February 5…
โCOVID effectโ leads to fewer cardiac surgeries, more deaths
Editor's Note The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a substantial decline in cardiac surgery volume and an unexplained increase in deaths after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), finds this study presented January 30 at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). Researchers from the University of California,…
ECRI issues recommendations on safely integrating IT with behavioral health screening
Editor's Note ECRIโs Partnership for Health IT Patient Safety and the Electronic Health Record Association, on February 8, released a white paper with five safe practice recommendations and strategies that focus on health ITโs role in screening, documenting, and sharing of information for patients with behavioral health needs. Studies in…
Prevalence of and factors linked to nurse burnout
Editor's Note This study by researchers from Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, finds that with increasing demands placed on frontline nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare systems should implement strategies to alleviate burnout, including adequate staffing and limiting the number of hours worked per shift. Of more than 3.9 million nurses…
CDC: New COVID-19 cases have declined 13.4% since January 8
Editor's Note Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said on February 3 that new COVID-19 cases in the US had fallen to pre-Thanksgiving levels, and the infection rates were continuing to decline, the February 3 The Hill reports. COVID-19 cases and hospital admissions appear…
Study shows increased telemedicine use early in the COVID-19 pandemic
Editor's Note This study by researchers from Harvard Medical School, Boston, on data from 16.7 million insured individuals, shows that 30.1% of total outpatient visits early in the COVID-19 pandemic (March 18-June 16, 2020) were conducted via telemedicine, and weekly telemedicine visits were 23 times higher, compared with the pre-COVID-19…