Editor's Note This survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the extent to which adults are delaying and avoiding medical care because of concerns about COVID-19. By June 30, an estimated 40.9% of those surveyed (4,978 US adults) had delayed or avoided medical care including urgent…

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Editor's Note Dozens of nursing homes and hospitals ignored official guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to separate COVID-19 patients from those without the virus, the September 10 Kaiser Health News reports. A Kaiser Health News investigation found that nursing homes and hospitals ignored (CDC) guidelines…

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Editor's Note Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis is the clinical coordinating center for a new worldwide clinical trial to test whether the vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) can protect frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) against COVID-19. The researchers say there are two main reasons why the…

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Editor's Note In this international meta-analysis, researchers found that the administration of systemic corticosteroids was associated with lower 28-day all-cause mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients. The meta-analysis included seven randomized studies from 12 countries that involved 1,703 critically ill COVID-19 patients. Patients had been randomized to receive systemic dexamethasone,…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced September 9 that it has refreshed the Accelerate PI Dashboard Report data for accredited hospitals, critical access hospitals, and nursing care centers. The reports reflect the most recent and available external data from CMS’ Hospital Compare and Nursing Home Compare websites as well as…

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Editor's Note This Italian study finds that patients treated with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) had a 30% lower in-hospital mortality rate compared to those not receiving this treatment. Researchers examined outcomes of 3,451 patients in 33 COVID-19-focused hospitals throughout Italy. Of these, 2,634 patients received HCQ. Timing of the first dose after…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on September 4 reported on prescribing patterns of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine by provider specialty in the US between January and June 2020. New prescriptions by specialists who do not typically prescribe hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine increased from 1,143 in February 2020…

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Editor's Note In this study from Russia’s Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, researchers found that a heterologous COVID-19 vaccine based on recombinant human adenovirus type 26 (rAD26) and type 5 (rAD5) had a good safety profile over 42 days and induced strong antibody responses in all participants…

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Editor's Note This study led by researchers at the Boston University School of Public Health finds that depression symptoms in the US are three-fold higher than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. Of 1,441 individuals surveyed during the COVID-19 pandemic and 5,065 surveyed before the pandemic, depression symptoms were higher…

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Editor's Note In an August 27 letter, Robert Redfield, MD, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), asked the nation’s governors to have COVID-19 vaccine distribution sites fully operational by November 1, the September 2 McClatchy DC reports. Delivery firms received guidance to prepare freezer farms in…

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