Study: COVID-19, diagnosed as flu and spread more extensively, earlier than reported
Editor's Note The spread of COVID-19 in Seattle and Wuhan, China, which coincided with the influenza season, was far more extensive than initially reported, and the virus had likely been spreading for several weeks before official records indicate, this study from the University of Texas at Austin finds. Researchers examined…
CDC: 7-day moving average of COVID-19 cases drops below 50K
Editor's Note The 7-day moving average of new COVID-19 cases in the US, a key metric for gauging the severity of the disease, dropped below 50,000 onย August 18 for the first time since early July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ย reports. On August 19, the CDC…
Impact of COVID-19 on psychosocial care of cancer patients
Editor's Note The psychosocial needs of cancer patients are not being adequately met because of the disruption in services caused by COVID-19, this study from the UK finds. Researchers from six universities surveyed 94 psychosocial oncology professionals and identified a number of concerns, including: The suspension of face-to-face delivery of…
Joint Commission removing position statement on preventing nosocomial COVID-19 infections
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced August 19 that it is removing its position statement: "Preventing Nosocomial COVID-19 Infections as Organizations Resume Regular Care Delivery.โ The guidance was written in May when COVID-19 cases in the US were declining, healthcare organizations were working to resume elective procedures and ambulatory care,…
Public health implications of chronic hospital nurse understaffing in COVID-19 era
Editor's Note This study by noted nurse researcher Linda Aiken, PhD, RN, FAAN, and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, finds that hospital nurses were burned out and working in understaffed conditions in the weeks preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, posing risks to the publicโs health. The…
CMS will resume routine inspections of all providers, suppliers
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced August 17 that it will resume routine inspections of all Medicare and Medicaid certified providers and suppliers. CMS suspended certain routine inspections as part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic to prioritize infection control and immediate jeopardy situations…
COVID-19 linked to dangerous lower extremity arterial thrombosis
Editor's Note This study from researchers at the Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, finds that COVID-19 is associated with large blood clots in the lower extremities and a significantly higher rate of amputation and death. In March and April 2020, 16 COVID-19-positive patients had…
ECRI Institute, ISMP launch new Patient Safety Organization
Editor's Note In an August 17 news release, the ECRI Institute and its affiliate, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), announced that they had launched a new Patient Safety Organization (PSO). The PSO is an important step in making medication, medical devices, and healthcare practices safer for patients across…
Study: Robust T-cell immunity found in those with asymptomatic, mild COVID-19
Editor's Note In this study from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, researchers found strong, long lasting immunity to COVID-19, even in those who were asymptomatic or developed only mild symptoms as well as those who did not test positive for antibodies. The researchers collected blood from more than 200…
CDC: Masks with exhalation valves, vents donโt prevent spread of COVID-19
Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its face mask recommendations, warning that masks with built in exhalation valves or vents arenโt effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19. The purpose of masks is to keep respiratory droplets from reaching others. However, masks with one-way…