Editor's Note The Joint Commission on August 10 announced that it will collaborate with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) to offer Advanced Certification in Perinatal Care (ACPC) to accredited and nonaccredited hospitals and critical access hospitals with perinatal care programs, beginning January 1, 2023. The Joint Commission…
Editor's Note A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vital Signs report finds that a large number of people diagnosed with hepatitis C are not receiving treatment, Heathcare Purchasing News July 10 reports. Although hepatitis C is curable with oral medication, if left untreated, it can cause liver…
Editor's Note On Wednesday August 10, the Department of Health and Human Services released the Environmental Justice Index (EJI), a tool used to identify health risks from pollution and other environmental hazards, the American Hospital Association July 10 reports. The EJI is the first national, geographic-driven tool utilized to measure…
Editor's Note This meta-analysis led by researchers at the National University of Singapore finds that recovery of the ability to taste and smell after COVID-19 infection may take up to 6 months, and women are more likely to experience loss of these senses and have a longer time to recovery.…
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on August 9 identified the recall by Haimen Shengbang Laboratory Equipment Co Ltd of its Viral Transport Media Containers as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because the products were distributed in the US without authorization, clearance, or approval…
Editor's Note This study led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, finds that healthcare facilities in counties with higher Black composition and rural areas with large Hispanic populations were less likely to serve as COVID-19 vaccine administration locations during the initial rollout in May 2021. At that…
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on August 1 identified the recall by North American Diagnostics of its Oral Rapid SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test Kits as Class I, the most serious. These tests are being recalled because they were distributed in the US without authorization, clearance, or approval…
Editor's Note This study led by researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, finds that factors linked to support for harassing and threatening of public health officials during COVID-19 included political and sociodemographic explanations, but antagonism also increased among those supportive of science and better equipped to…
Editor's Note US government researchers found that lab-engineered antibody has protected the majority of participants from the malaria parasite, including those who received a higher dosage of the antibody, US News & World August 4 reports. The antibody can also be given with a standard injection, instead of the typical…
Editor's Note This study led by researchers in the UK finds that face shields do not give high levels of protection against external droplet contamination. The researchers compared 13 styles of face shields in controlled laboratory settings, using a “coughing machine” that ejected fluorescent drops onto manikin heads. Among the…