Editor's Note This study led by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that implementing and monitoring adherence to recommended COVID-19 mitigation strategies can reduce the risk for transmission in child care settings. In collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children…

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Editor's Note Brief huddles, rather than a barrage of emails and texts about safety and risk may be the fastest and simplest way for healthcare workers to avoid communication overload from COVID-19, this study from Baylor University reports. Interviews of 40 workers in two hospitals found the following: Healthcare workers…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on December 2 changed its recommended quarantine period for people who have come in contact with COVID-19 positive individuals. Instead of the standard 14 days, the CDC now allows individuals who have come in contact with someone infected with the…

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Editor's Note This study led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland, finds that vaccinations with mRNA-1273 (Moderna) have the potential to provide durable humoral immunity. This report describes immunogenicity data for mRNA-1273 at 119 days after the first vaccination and 90 days after the second…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, on December 1, recommended prioritizing healthcare workers and residents and workers in long-term-care facilities to be the first recipients of the upcoming COVID-19 vaccines. If CDC director Robert Redfield, MD, approves the recommendations, and the…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on December 1 released its 2021 final rule for the Medicare physician fee schedule (PFS), which expands telehealth services and increases payments for primary care and chronic disease management. The rule also reduces payments for surgeons, emergency physicians, and other…

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Editor's Note Pfizer/BioNTech received emergency approval from the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on December 2 for its COVID-19 vaccine, making the UK the first country to approve the vaccine, the December 2 BBC News reports. The UK has ordered 40 million doses, and MHRA says the…

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Editor's Note This study led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York City, finds that patients having elective surgery make up a small fraction of ICU bed and mechanical ventilation use in New York State. The researchers reviewed 5 years of New York State data…

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Editor's Note On November 30, Moderna applied for an emergency use authorization (EUA) from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for its COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna’s vaccine was developed in collaboration with researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, where Anthony Fauci, MD, is the director. Moderna is…

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Editor's Note In response to an increase in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, 66 hospitals have postponed or cancelled elective surgical procedures in an effort to free up space and ensure enough staff and PPE are available, the November 24 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. All of the hospitals are in the Midwest…

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