Editor's Note This study from two university hospitals in the Netherlands finds that healthcare workers (HCWs) on hospital COVID-19 wards are at increased risk for nosocomial COVID-19 infections and play an important role in HCW-to-HCW transmission. Of 801 hospital HCWs analyzed, 439 worked in patient care for those with COVID-19,…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on July 27 released new guidance recommending that “fully vaccinated people wear masks in public indoor settings” in areas with high COVID-19 transmission rates. The CDC cited data showing that some vaccinated people who tested positive for the Delta variant…

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Editor's Note In this case study, craniofacial surgeons from Brazil describe their experience with a 28-year-old COVID-19-positive man who developed orbital cellulitis, requiring surgical intervention. A few weeks before, the man had a mild illness with fatigue and loss of smell and taste. He didn’t seek medical care until he…

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Editor's Note In a July 26 press release, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) announced that it had joined more than 50 healthcare professional organizations in calling for healthcare employers to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for all healthcare workers. ACS executive director, David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, noted that: “The COVID-19…

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Editor's Note This multisite US study, led by researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, supports the safety of administering a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in patients who experience allergic reactions to the first dose. Of 189 patients who participated in the study, 130 (69%)…

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Editor's Note Cigna and New York City-based Oscar Health will offer a virtual-first primary care plan next year in Georgia and Tennessee for small businesses, the July 22 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. The model, which will be available on some of the insurers’ joint plans, offers unlimited primary care provider…

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Editor's Note In this study by Mayo Clinic researchers, two monoclonal antibodies administered separately helped prevent hospitalization in high-risk COVID-19 patients. Included in the analysis were 2,747 patients who received bamlanivimab and 849 patients who received casirivimab-imdevimab from November 19, 2020, to February 11, 2021. After 28 days, all cause…

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Editor's Note In this study from the Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, age was significantly, negatively correlated with the neutralizing antibody response to COVID-19 and the P.1 (Gamma-Brazil) variant. Of 50 individuals enrolled in the study, robust neutralizing responses were observed after 2 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on July 21 announced new revisions to its Sentinel Event definition and policy that will apply to all accreditation and certification programs, except for Health Care Staffing Services and Integrated Care certification programs, effective January 1, 2022. The revisions clarify expectations regarding an organization’s partnership…

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Editor's Note This study by researchers from the UK finds that insertion and removal of supraglottic airway devices for general anesthesia do not generate aerosols and should not be designated as aerosol generating procedures (AGPs). Working in an ultraclean environment, the researchers used a highly sensitive aerosol detector to measure…

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