Editor's Note ECRI on September 22 released an analysis showing that 60% to 70% of N95 masks from China do not meet US standards for filtration and effectiveness. ECRI tested nearly 200 masks, reflecting 15 different manufacturer models, which have been purchased by large US healthcare systems. ECRI recommends not…

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Editor's Note In this study from Turkey, researchers investigated the specific risk factors for COVID-19 transmission in healthcare workers (HCWs) in a tertiary care university hospital. Of 703 HCWs tested for COVID-19 during a 60-day period, 50 (7.1%) were positive. Positivity rates were 6.3% for physicians, 8.0% for nurses, 9.1%…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on September 21 issued a correction to its website, noting that a draft of proposed changes on how COVID-19 spreads, including guidance on airborne transmission, was posted in error on September 18. The CDC is currently updating its recommendations on…

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Editor's Note This controlled, in-vitro study investigates the minimum contact time for povidone-iodine nasal antiseptic to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus. All laboratory work was conducted in biosafety level 3 laboratories at the Institute for Antiviral Research at Utah State University, Logan. Povidone-iodine was tested at diluted concentrations of 0.5%, 1.25%,…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on September 18 revised its COVID-19 testing guidelines that said testing was optional for asymptomatic people regardless of contact with infected individuals. The revised guidelines say that because of the significance of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission, testing is recommended for…

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Editor's Note In this study, researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, examine the risk in healthcare workers (HCWs) exposed to a 79-year-old male patient who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on day 13 of hospitalization. A total of 44 HCWs were exposed to the patient before…

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Editor's Note The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Defense (DOD) on September 16 released two documents outlining a detailed strategy for delivering safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine doses to the American people as quickly and reliably as possible. The documents, which were developed in…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on September 15 reported that 121 of nearly 392,000 children and young adults who contracted COVID-19 in the US have died. Three-quarters of the deaths involved at least one comorbidity and 45% had two or more, with the most common…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced September 16 that it has been selected to provide Laboratory Accreditation Program services for the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). These services will be provided at VA Medical Centers and community-based outpatient clinics. Laboratories are accredited every 2 years by the Joint Commission.

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Editor's Note Masks, such as N95 respirators, are made of material with sufficient high filter capacity to protect against airborne respiratory viruses. However, viral protection can only be provided by masks that properly fit the wearer’s face and provide a tight facial seal, this review article finds. Among the findings:…

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