Editor's Note This study by researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, California, finds that T cells fight SARS-CoV-2 by targeting a broad range of sites on the virus, beyond the key sites on the spike protein. By attacking the virus from many angles, the T cells can…

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Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA), on January 22, lowered the number of times an N95 mask can be cleaned and reused to 4, down from a previous maximum of 20 reuses, the January 25 Fierce Biotec reports. The FDA reissued emergency use authorizations for 10 N95 decontamination…

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Editor's Note This survey of members of the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia finds that COVID-19 has affected the personal and professional lives of pediatric anesthesiologists, with women and non-whites disproportionately affected. Of 561 respondents: 21.7% planned to change their clinical responsibilities, and 10.6% planned to decrease their professional working time…

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Editor's Note A Welltok survey of 1,000 adults across the US finds that 71% of employees are worried about COVID-19 vaccine side effects, 60% of Americans have a vaccine brand preference, and 52% are worried about the vaccine supply, the January 25 Human Resource Executive reports. Employers, who are seen…

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Editor's Note This study, led by researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, analyzed survey responses from 7,705 participants between April 1 and November 24, 2020, on their attitudes and resistance toward COVID-19 mitigation efforts. All US regions experienced decreases in COVID-19 mitigation efforts during this time period,…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration on January 21 reissued emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for 10 systems used to decontaminate N95 respirators used by healthcare personnel . The 10 systems are: Michigan State University Decontamination System Technical Safety Services VHP Decontamination System Stryker Sustainability Solutions VHP Decontamination System STERIS…

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Editor's Note From December 14 to 23, 2020, after administration of 1,893,360 first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified 21 case reports of anaphylaxis. Of those, 4 (19%) were hospitalized (including 3 in intensive care), and 17 (81%) were treated in…

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Editor's Note A report from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reforms finds more than 800 rural hospitals—40% of rural hospitals in the US—are either at immediate or high risk of closure. The more than 300 rural hospitals at high risk of closure have low financial reserves or high…

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Editor's Note A new negative-pressure ventilatory support device, similar to the “iron lung” used to treat polio patients in the 1950s, provides an additional treatment option for COVID-19 patients, finds this study by researchers in the UK’s Exovent Task Force, formed in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.…

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Editor's Note A study, led by researchers from Rockefeller University in New York City, finds that volunteers vaccinated with either the Moderna or the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will be protected against new variants of the COVID-19 virus. The researchers tested plasma taken from 20 volunteers who had received both doses of…

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