Editor's Note This observational study by researchers at Saint Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, New Jersey, and the Smith Center for Infectious Diseases & Urban Health, East Orange, New Jersey, finds that the use of weight-adjusted hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and azithromycin (AZM) improved the odds of survival of ventilated COVID-19 patients by…

Read More

Editor's Note A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by employees of Houston Methodist who challenged the health system’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate, the June 13 New York Times reports. US District Judge Lynn N. Hughes issued a ruling June 12 that upheld the hospital’s policy and noted that the…

Read More

Editor's Note Members of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee during a June 10 meeting were split on whether COVID-19 vaccines should be granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for children under 12 years of age, the June 11 Regulatory Focus reports. Some members…

Read More

Editor's Note This study by researchers at the Cleveland Clinic finds that those who have been infected with COVID-19 do not get additional benefits from the vaccine, suggesting that vaccines should be prioritized to individuals who have not gotten the infection. During this analysis of 52,238 Cleveland Clinic employees over…

Read More

Editor's Note The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) announced on June 9 that it will require COVID-19 vaccinations for all employees, beginning September 1, 2021. UMMS leaders at the manager level and above have until August 1, 2021, to be vaccinated. All UMMS team members and partners, including contractors,…

Read More

Editor's Note This study by researchers at the University of Louisville finds that state mask mandates did not help slow COVID-19 transmission. The analysis compares COVID-19 case growth rates in 33 states that imposed statewide mask mandates on or before August 2, 2020, with states that imposed mask mandates after…

Read More

Editor's Note This study by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that since adult COVID-19 vaccinations began in the US in December 2020, there has been a: 40% decline in cases 59% decrease in emergency department (ED) visits 65% drop in hospital admissions 66% decline…

Read More

Editor's Note Houston Methodist has suspended 178 healthcare workers (HCWs) for not following a hospital policy that requires employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the June 7 New York Times reports. After warning employees last month that they had to be vaccinated by June 7 or face suspension, 117 HCWs…

Read More

Editor's Note Two studies suggest that immunity to COVID-19 persists for at least a year and perhaps a lifetime, the May 26 New York Times reports. Researchers focused on memory B cells, which retain a memory of the COVID-19 virus. They found that even though the patients’ antibody levels fell…

Read More

Editor's Note Utah’s high school COVID-19 testing programs saved in-person instruction days and facilitated the continuation of extracurricular activities during a period of high COVID-19 incidence among high-school aged students, this study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds. Utah implemented two COVID-19 testing programs: Test to Play—testing…

Read More