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 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on March 17, identified the recall by ACIST of its Kodama Intravascular Ultrasound Catheter as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because the O-ring housing tubing may squeeze and damage the O-ring. If there is damage, broken O-ring pieces…

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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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This issue of OR Manager is being published just about a year after the nationwide shutdown that was implemented to curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Failures on many fronts ensued in the months that followed, with an excessive death toll and unprecedented disruptions in every…

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Editor's Note This study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that COVID-19 vaccination coverage was lower in high vulnerability counties in the US than in low vulnerability counties (13.9% vs 15.8%), which was largely driven by socioeconomic disparities. The same pattern was found for social vulnerability…

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Editor's Note The American Nurses Association (ANA), on March 15, announced that it had joined with 19 other nursing and healthcare groups, including AORN, to launch a vaccine education campaign titled, “COVID Vaccine Facts for Nurses.” For nurses to be instrumental in administering COVID-19 vaccines, dispelling myths, and getting vaccinated…

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Editor's Note In this C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at Michigan Medicine, 46% of parents of teenagers report that their child has exhibited signs of a new or worsening mental health condition since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The poll of 977 parents also finds that more…

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Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (ACS CoC) on March 18 announced it has joined a nationwide effort to encourage patients to resume cancer screenings, to prevent more extensive illness or excess deaths. The ACS CoC is urging people to talk with their healthcare providers about…

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