Editor's Note This study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that adults with positive COVID-19 test results were almost twice as likely to have dined in a restaurant (including indoor, patio, and outdoor seating) within 2 weeks of developing symptoms. The study included 615 potential case…

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Editor's Note This survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the extent to which adults are delaying and avoiding medical care because of concerns about COVID-19. By June 30, an estimated 40.9% of those surveyed (4,978 US adults) had delayed or avoided medical care including urgent…

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Editor's Note Dozens of nursing homes and hospitals ignored official guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to separate COVID-19 patients from those without the virus, the September 10 Kaiser Health News reports. A Kaiser Health News investigation found that nursing homes and hospitals ignored (CDC) guidelines…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced September 9 that it has refreshed the Accelerate PI Dashboard Report data for accredited hospitals, critical access hospitals, and nursing care centers. The reports reflect the most recent and available external data from CMS’ Hospital Compare and Nursing Home Compare websites as well as…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on September 4 reported on prescribing patterns of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine by provider specialty in the US between January and June 2020. New prescriptions by specialists who do not typically prescribe hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine increased from 1,143 in February 2020…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on September 2 issued its final inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) rule, which will: increase IPPS rates by 2.9% in FY 2021 for hospitals that report quality data and are meaningful users of electronic health records, resulting in an increase…

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Editor's Note In an August 27 letter, Robert Redfield, MD, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), asked the nation’s governors to have COVID-19 vaccine distribution sites fully operational by November 1, the September 2 McClatchy DC reports. Delivery firms received guidance to prepare freezer farms in…

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Editor's Note Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health told the Kaiser Health News on September 1 that a COVID-19 vaccine could be available earlier than expected if clinical trial results are overwhelmingly positive. An independent Data and…

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Editor's Note The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, on September 1, released draft guidelines to help policymakers plan for equitable allocation of a COVID-19 vaccine. The committee that drafted the guidelines was formed at the request of the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and…

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Editor's Note The World Health Organization (WHO) on August 21 recommended that children in the community setting under age 5 not wear face masks as a preventive measure against COVID-19. Other recommendations include: For those aged 6 to 11 years, there should be a risk-based approach that considers factors such…

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