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 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…

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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…

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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%…

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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 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%,…

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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 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…

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