Editor's Note In this study from the University of Denver and the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, respondents to two surveys agreed with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s prioritization framework for COVID-19 vaccination. Of 4,735 respondents (2,730 to a Gallup survey and 2,005 to a COVID Collaborative survey):…

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Editor's Note A 12-month investigation by The Guardian and Kaiser Health News finds that more than 3,600 US healthcare workers (HCWs) died from COVID-19 during the pandemic’s first year, the April 8 Kaiser Health News reports. Key findings include: People of color accounted for two-thirds of deaths. Risk of death…

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Editor's Note This study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, and the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, estimates the national revenue loss because of cessation of major elective surgeries during COVID-19 to be $22.3 billion. Sensitivity analysis finds that the recovery time to market equilibrium once elective surgeries fully resume is…

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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 This survey finds that 21% of faculty, staff, and trainees at University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, have considered quitting their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 30% considered reducing hours because of COVID-19-related stress. Other findings of the survey (5,030 respondents), which looked at childcare, career…

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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 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 The Joint Commission, on March 24, released its sentinel event statistics for 2020, which totaled 794. The top five most frequently reported events were: Falls: 170 Unintended retention of a foreign object: 106 Suicide: 81 Delay in treatment: 76 Wrong-site surgery: 68. The Joint Commission’s Office of Quality…

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