Editor's Note In this National Hospital Flash Report, published in August 2022 by healthcare consulting company Kaufman, Hall and Associates, LLC, experts say “that 2022 is shaping up to be the worst year financially for US hospitals and health systems since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Becker’s Hospital CFO…
Editor's Note This phase 3, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study led by researchers at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, finds that none of three medications evaluated—metformin, ivermectin, or fluvoxamine—prevented the occurrence of a primary event—hypoxemia, an emergency department (ED) visit, hospitalization, or death—associated with COVID-19. Of 1,323 patients analyzed, a primary…
Editor's Note This study led by researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, finds that nearly 72% of healthcare providers in US safety net practices experienced either mild or intense levels of moral distress during the first year of COVID-19 because of issues with patient…
Editor's Note ECRI, on August 29, announced its new guidance on “Supporting Resilience in Healthcare Workers” that was published on August 15 for its members. With a new focus on protecting healthcare workers against burnout and other behavioral health issues, new strategies for protecting and maintaining resilience have emerged, ECRI…
Editor's Note On Friday, September 2, the US government will stop giving away free at-home COVID-19 tests because of insufficient congressional funds, according to a senior Biden administration official, NBC News August 28 reports. The White House official said unless there is a surprise round of funding from Congress, the…
Editor's Note On Friday, August 26, the vaccine manufacturer Moderna sued Pfizer and the German drugmaker BioNTech, accusing its competitors of copying technology that Moderna had developed prior to the pandemic, The New York Times August 26 reports. The patent infringement claims could result in a protracted and expensive legal battle…
Editor's Note On August 3, as directed by President Joe Biden in a briefing room release in April 2022, when he tasked the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) “to coordinate the federal response to the long-term health effects of COVID-19,” as reported by OR Manager, HHS released a national…
Editor's Note This study by researchers in South Korea analyzes a COVID-19 outbreak caused by vaccine breakthrough infections in a hospital where 91.9% of healthcare workers were vaccinated. In addition, it was mandatory that all healthcare workers and caregivers wear masks or respirators at all times except when eating. During…
Editor's Note This meta-analysis led by researchers in Spain finds that regular physical activity is associated with a lower risk of COVID-19 infection, severity, and mortality. The analysis included 1,853,610 adults from multiple countries worldwide—54% were women, and the average age was 53. Compared with physically inactive individuals, those who…
Editor's Note This study from researchers at the Urology Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, examines the impact of COVID-19 on surgical cases for urology residents and finds that despite widespread disruptions in surgical care, there will likely be minimal detriment to training over time. Using data from the Accreditation…