First cases of newest Omicron subvariant found in US
Editor's Note Three cases of the newest Omicron subvariant BA.2.75 have been detected on the West Coast, two in California and one in Washington, the July 11 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. The subvariant is also in India and 10 other countries. The subvariant has a large number of mutations that…
Cancer screening decreased worldwide during COVID-19
Editor's Note This systematic review and meta-analysis from Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook University, New York City, and the University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, finds that COVID-19 pandemic measures were associated with widely reduced cancer screening services. Between January and October 2020, there was an overall decrease of: -46.7%…
New study: Disposable gowns may expose clinicians to infection
Editor's Note After this October 2020 peer-reviewed study, titled “Disposable versus reusable medical gowns: A performance comparison,” found that “isolation gowns commonly worn in medical units or intensive care units ripped too easily and allowed about four to 14 times the expected amount of liquid to seep through when sprayed…
FDA allows for pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid to treat COVID-19
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on July 6 that it would alter its emergency use authorization for the Paxlovid pill—Pfizer’s oral antiviral pill used by some to treat COVID-19—to allow pharmacists to prescribe the treatment to recently affected individuals directly. According to Fierce Pharma July…
Economic health of hospitals looks to be improving
Editor's Note According to a report from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), economic activity in the hospital subsector grew in June for the 25th consecutive month, Healthcare Purchasing News July 7 reports. Following are some observations, according to Nancy LeMaster, MBA, ISM chair for the Hospital Business Survey Committee:…
COVID-19 hospitalizations, cases up over the last month
Editor's Note According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 7-day average of daily hospitalizations caused by COVID-19 infection is up nearly 24% over the previous month, the American Hospital Association (AHA) June 6 reports. In addition, the CDC reported “nearly 30,000 hospitalizations” due to…
Study: COVID was third leading cause of death in 2020, 2021
Editor's Note According to a study analyzing national death certificate data by researchers at the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in the US between March 2020 and October 2021, Healthcare Purchasing News (HPN) July 6 reports. During…
Experiences of US nurse managers during COVID-19
Editor's Note This study led by nurse researchers at The Ohio State University College of Nursing explores the professional and personal experiences of US nurse managers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis, which includes views of 39 nurse managers from 5 US health systems, identifies three major themes—challenges, feelings and…
Maternal mortality before vs during COVID-19
Editor's Note This study by researchers at the University of Maryland, College Park, and Boston University finds that maternal deaths increased 33.3% after March 2020, which corresponds with the onset of COVID-19. This is higher than the 22% overall excess death estimate associated with the pandemic. Among the findings: 1,588…
FDA recommends updating boosters to target Omicron
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee on June 28 recommended updating the composition of COVID-19 booster vaccines to target the Omicron variant. The Committee noted that booster doses consisting of an Omicron monovalent or bivalent vaccine could improve neutralizing antibody responses…
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