Editor's Note Findings in this study, by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, show the need for new mask designs that reduce side and bottom droplet leakage and good ventilation systems that take into account the aerosolized particle leakage that occurs with breathing and normal conversation as a…

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Editor's Note In this Swedish study, a considerable portion of healthcare workers (HCWs) who had mild infections of COVID-19 reported long-term symptoms that disrupted work, social, and home life. Of 2,149 HCWs enrolled in the study, 323 were seropositive for COVID-19. More than a fourth (26%) of seropositive HCWs reported…

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Editor's Note In a science brief based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) analysis of the latest available data, the agency says the risk of getting COVID-19 from surfaces “is generally considered to be low.” The CDC noted that: The risk of COVID-19 infection via surface transmission…

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Editor's Note This study led by the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, finds that early in the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a substantial increase in telehealth use across all surgical specialties, with a slow decline after June 2020. Of 4,405 surgeons included in the study, 2,588 (58.8%) used telehealth in…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on April 2, updated its information for travelers to say people who are fully vaccinated can travel safely within the US. The update notes that fully vaccinated travelers do not have to be tested before or after travel unless required…

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Editor's report A new report released by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) on March 23 details how the COVID-19 pandemic has created new problems and worsened existing issues at US hospitals, leaving staff frustrated, exhausted, and burned out. Among the problems outlined…

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Editor's Note In this study from Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, researchers found that surgical masks alone surpassed protection by face shields, and a combination of both was similar to surgical masks alone. Researchers simulated human speaking to examine the transmission of aerosols using blood agar plates (simulating…

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Editor's Note AORN announced on March 24 that Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear had signed into law new legislation that will require licensed hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers to adopt and implement policies to prevent human exposure to surgical smoke. AORN’s government affairs team and Kentucky AORN members worked closely with…

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Editor's Note This survey by researchers at the Geisinger Health System, Danville, Pennsylvania, shows a trend of increased intention by healthcare workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. A total of 16,292 employees completed the survey, for a response rate of 68.5%. During the period of survey data collection, the researchers…

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Editor's Note This study by researchers from Emory University in Atlanta and the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston finds the presence of neutralizing activity of infection- and vaccine-elicited antibodies against COVID-19 variants. The variants included in the analysis were: A.1 (closely resembles Wuhan strain) B.1 (predominant strain found…

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