CDC: Changing age distribution of COVID-19
Editor's Note Early in the pandemic, COVID-19 incidence was highest in older adults, but there has been a shift toward younger ages over the summer, this study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds. Nationwide, the median age of COVID-19 patients declined from 46 years in May,…
Joint Commission seeks comments on new requirements for office-based surgery
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on September 23 announced that it is seeking comments on newly developed medication order requirements for the Office-Based Surgery (OBS) Accreditation Program. The proposed requirements align with clinical guidelines to prevent medication errors. Comments will be accepted through October 26, 2020.
Susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 to UV irradiation
Editor's Note In this study from Germany, researchers found that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is highly susceptible to irradiation with ultraviolet (UV) light. High viral loads (5x106TCID50/mL) were inactivated in 9 minutes with UVC (254 nm) irradiation. The UVC dose required for complete inactivation was 1,048 mJ/cm2. Exposure to UVA (365…
ECRI: Nearly 70% of N95 masks from China don’t meet US filtration standards
Editor's Note ECRI on September 22 released an analysis showing that 60% to 70% of N95 masks from China do not meet US standards for filtration and effectiveness. ECRI tested nearly 200 masks, reflecting 15 different manufacturer models, which have been purchased by large US healthcare systems. ECRI recommends not…
Risk factors for COVID-19 transmission in HCWs
Editor's Note In this study from Turkey, researchers investigated the specific risk factors for COVID-19 transmission in healthcare workers (HCWs) in a tertiary care university hospital. Of 703 HCWs tested for COVID-19 during a 60-day period, 50 (7.1%) were positive. Positivity rates were 6.3% for physicians, 8.0% for nurses, 9.1%…
CDC deletes COVID-19 airborne transmission guidance
Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on September 21 issued a correction to its website, noting that a draft of proposed changes on how COVID-19 spreads, including guidance on airborne transmission, was posted in error on September 18. The CDC is currently updating its recommendations on…
Efficacy of povidone-iodine nasal antiseptic for rapid inactivation of SARS-CoV-2
Editor's Note This controlled, in-vitro study investigates the minimum contact time for povidone-iodine nasal antiseptic to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus. All laboratory work was conducted in biosafety level 3 laboratories at the Institute for Antiviral Research at Utah State University, Logan. Povidone-iodine was tested at diluted concentrations of 0.5%, 1.25%,…
CDC revises COVID-19 testing guidelines
Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on September 18 revised its COVID-19 testing guidelines that said testing was optional for asymptomatic people regardless of contact with infected individuals. The revised guidelines say that because of the significance of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission, testing is recommended for…
COVID-19 infections in HCWs exposed to patient with delayed diagnosis
Editor's Note In this study, researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, examine the risk in healthcare workers (HCWs) exposed to a 79-year-old male patient who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on day 13 of hospitalization. A total of 44 HCWs were exposed to the patient before…
HHS, DOD outline COVID-19 vaccine distribution strategy
Editor's Note The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Defense (DOD) on September 16 released two documents outlining a detailed strategy for delivering safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine doses to the American people as quickly and reliably as possible. The documents, which were developed in…