Editor's Note The psychosocial needs of cancer patients are not being adequately met because of the disruption in services caused by COVID-19, this study from the UK finds. Researchers from six universities surveyed 94 psychosocial oncology professionals and identified a number of concerns, including: The suspension of face-to-face delivery of…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced August 19 that it is removing its position statement: "Preventing Nosocomial COVID-19 Infections as Organizations Resume Regular Care Delivery.” The guidance was written in May when COVID-19 cases in the US were declining, healthcare organizations were working to resume elective procedures and ambulatory care,…

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Editor's Note This study by noted nurse researcher Linda Aiken, PhD, RN, FAAN, and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, finds that hospital nurses were burned out and working in understaffed conditions in the weeks preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, posing risks to the public’s health. The…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced August 17 that it will resume routine inspections of all Medicare and Medicaid certified providers and suppliers. CMS suspended certain routine inspections as part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic to prioritize infection control and immediate jeopardy situations…

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Editor's Note This study from researchers at the Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, finds that COVID-19 is associated with large blood clots in the lower extremities and a significantly higher rate of amputation and death. In March and April 2020, 16 COVID-19-positive patients had…

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Editor's Note In an August 17 news release, the ECRI Institute and its affiliate, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), announced that they had launched a new Patient Safety Organization (PSO). The PSO is an important step in making medication, medical devices, and healthcare practices safer for patients across…

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Editor's Note In this study from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, researchers found strong, long lasting immunity to COVID-19, even in those who were asymptomatic or developed only mild symptoms as well as those who did not test positive for antibodies. The researchers collected blood from more than 200…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its face mask recommendations, warning that masks with built in exhalation valves or vents aren’t effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19. The purpose of masks is to keep respiratory droplets from reaching others. However, masks with one-way…

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Editor's Note This interim analysis from the eight-hospital Houston Methodist system showed a significant reduction in 28-day mortality in COVID-19 patients transfused with convalescent plasma within 72 hours of admission. Of 316 transfused patients, 136 had 28-day outcomes and were matched to 251 nontransfused control COVID-19 patients. Compared with patients…

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Editor's Note Four national organizations have released a joint statement on maintaining essential surgical procedures as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) reported on August 13. The joint statement from the ACS, American Society of Anesthesiologists, AORN, and American Hospital Association, provides a list of principles…

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