Editor's Note The hormone, leptin, which links the body’s metabolism and immune response system, may be the link between obesity and its high prevalence as a comorbidity of COVID-19, this study finds. Leptin levels are always high in obese people because leptin is produced by fat cells. Elevated leptin levels…

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Editor's Note The protective value of masks depends on how they are used. If people are reckless about masking up or clumsy when handling or removing masks, they can put themselves and others at risk, the July 21 Livestrong reports. To get the most out of wearing face-coverings, it’s important…

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Editor's Note Self-imposed prevention measures such as hand washing, mask wearing, and social distancing as well as government-imposed social distancing can help mitigate and delay a COVID-19 epidemic, this study from The Netherlands finds. Researchers developed a computational model of the spread of COVID-19 based on known information about the…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on July 22 that the 2019 Eisenberg Award winners were recognized in a virtual ceremony on July 16. The award is given each year by the National Quality Forum and Joint Commission in recognition of the best examples of individual, local, and national efforts…

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Editor's Note:  Rapid border closures, full lockdowns, and wide-spread testing were not associated with statistically significant reductions in number of critical cases or overall COVID-19 mortality; however, they were significantly associated with increased patient recovery rates, this study of 50 countries finds. Increasing COVID-19 caseloads were associated with countries with…

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Editor's Note The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Defense on July 22 announced an agreement with Pfizer to produce and deliver 100 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in the US, following manufacture and approval. Pfizer will deliver the doses, once the vaccine receives emergency…

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Editor's Note This study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that the estimated number of COVID-19 infections was more than 10 times higher than the number reported from March 23 to May 12. Serum samples from 16,025 individuals at 10 US sites were tested for antibodies. Six…

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Staffing to a block duration can be inefficient. Uncontrolled variables such as increased case complexity and unexpected staff absences can cause chaos. Leaders from Penn Medicine—Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia used data analytics to measure the efficiency of matching staffing against an optimized OR schedule, which allowed them to predict staffing…

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Healthcare facilities in recent months have been catching up on case backlogs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. But new infection surges in several states have overwhelmed some hospitals, leading to renewed bans on elective procedures in Texas and Florida as of early July. The higher rates of infection are attributable…

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Anyone who attends the OR Manager Conference can expect a rich educational experience that will help them be better leaders. In-depth preconference workshops, breakout sessions, and opportunities to explore the latest technology are tailored to provide solutions to the problems all OR managers face. The conference typically ends on a…

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