Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on August 27 (updated September 2) issued a warning about alcohol-based hand sanitizers packaged in containers that may appear as food or drinks and could put consumers at risk of serious injury or death if ingested.( https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/covid-19-update-fda-warns-consumers-about-hand-sanitizer-packaged-food-and-drink-containers ) Some hand sanitizers are…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on September 30 announced a revision to its Environment of Care (EC) standard EC.02.04.03, element of performance (EP) 34, which will take effect January 1, 2021, for ambulatory care organizations, office based surgery practices, hospitals, and critical access hospitals. The Joint Commission has determined that…

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Editor's Note A new analysis of Medicare payment data by KNG Health Consulting shows that ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) reduced Medicare costs by $28.7 billion from 2011 to 2018, a savings of more than $4 billion each year. The analysis also shows that, without policy changes, performing procedures on Medicare…

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Editor's Note This meta-analysis by researchers in Switzerland and Columbia finds that healthcare workers (HCWs) exhibit a high prevalence of COVID-19 infection, with a significant proportion of them being asymptomatic carriers. This favors silent transmission in clinical and community settings. The meta-analysis comprised 97 studies published in 2020, and 230,398…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on September 23 announced that it is seeking feedback on proposed requirements for its Advanced Certification in Spine Surgery. In collaboration with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the Joint Commission developed the proposed spine surgery related requirements to include: program structure delivery of care…

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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,…

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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.

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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…

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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…

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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…

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