Editor's Note This observational study by researchers at Saint Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, New Jersey, and the Smith Center for Infectious Diseases & Urban Health, East Orange, New Jersey, finds that the use of weight-adjusted hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and azithromycin (AZM) improved the odds of survival of ventilated COVID-19 patients by…

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Editor's Note A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by employees of Houston Methodist who challenged the health system’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate, the June 13 New York Times reports. US District Judge Lynn N. Hughes issued a ruling June 12 that upheld the hospital’s policy and noted that the…

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Editor's Note This study by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expands on previous work showing increases in emergency department (ED) visits for suspected suicide attempts early in the pandemic for all ages and suggests that these trends persisted for those aged 12 to 17 years.…

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Editor's Note Members of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee during a June 10 meeting were split on whether COVID-19 vaccines should be granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for children under 12 years of age, the June 11 Regulatory Focus reports. Some members…

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Editor's Note In this study, from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Menlo Park, and Stanford University, both in California, researchers found that the pause in elective surgical procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic was not associated with short-term adverse outcomes in VA hospitals. A total of 3,326 surgical procedures canceled…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on June 10, announced the Class I recall of Innova Medical Group’s SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Qualitative Test. The test, which claimed to determine if a person has an active COVID-19 infection, has not been authorized, cleared, or approved by the FDA for…

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Editor's Note This study by researchers at the Cleveland Clinic finds that those who have been infected with COVID-19 do not get additional benefits from the vaccine, suggesting that vaccines should be prioritized to individuals who have not gotten the infection. During this analysis of 52,238 Cleveland Clinic employees over…

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Editor's Note The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) announced on June 9 that it will require COVID-19 vaccinations for all employees, beginning September 1, 2021. UMMS leaders at the manager level and above have until August 1, 2021, to be vaccinated. All UMMS team members and partners, including contractors,…

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Editor's Note This study by researchers at the University of Louisville finds that state mask mandates did not help slow COVID-19 transmission. The analysis compares COVID-19 case growth rates in 33 states that imposed statewide mask mandates on or before August 2, 2020, with states that imposed mask mandates after…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum (NQF), on June 9, announced the recipients of the 2020 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards. The awards recognize and honor initiatives in three categories: Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality at the National Level—Veterans Health Administration Rapid Naloxone…

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