Editor's Note This study by researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago finds that about 3 in 20 healthcare workers (HCWs) surveyed reported being hesitant about getting COVID-19 vaccinations. The study also finds that HCW vaccine decisions were influenced by their colleagues. The survey included 1,974 respondents from three Chicago…
Editor's Note A new nationwide survey of nurses by Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Boca Raton, conducted in partnership with Cross Country Healthcare, Inc, finds that the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced long-lasting negative perceptions of their future careers. Of 570 respondents: 37% said they were burned…
Editor's Note This study led by researchers from Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, finds that healthcare workers (HCWs) had significant changes in their personal and professional lives during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, before the availability of vaccines. Findings from this analysis of 1,344 HCWs (ie, nurses,…
Editor's Note A coalition of 12 states, on November 15, sued the federal government to block a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) mandate requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for healthcare workers (HCWs) in facilities participating in CMS programs, the November 16 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. This complaint follows a lawsuit…
Health systems across the country are enacting COVID-19 mandates to comply with a broad-sweeping federal requirement. Amid reports of high compliance rates, the mandate has triggered passionate and visceral responses on both sides of the debate. While some healthcare employees are eager to roll up their sleeves, others decry the…
Editor's Note This study from France finds that persistent physical symptoms after COVID-19 infection should not be automatically ascribed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In this analysis of 26,823 adults, persistent physical symptoms (eg, fatigue, breathlessness, impaired attention, hearing impairment, sleep problems, anosmia) were reported by adults who said they believed…
Editor's Note This study from the University of California San Francisco-Stanford finds that COVID-19 patients taking SSRI antidepressants, particularly fluoxetine, were significantly less likely to die from the disease. The research team analyzed electronic health records (EHRs) from 87 healthcare centers across the US. Of 83,584 adult patients diagnosed with…
Editor's Note This study by researchers at Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, identifies three themes centered on trust and addressing barriers to COVID-19 vaccine access in Black and Latinx communities in the US. The study involved 72 participants—56 women, 16 men, 36 Black, 28 Latinx, and 8…
Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is seeking comments on workplace and occupational safety and health interventions to prevent work-associated stress, support stress reduction, and foster positive mental health and well-being among healthcare workers. Examples of interventions include employee…
Editor's Note This study led by researchers at the University of Queensland, Australia, finds that cases of major depressive and anxiety disorders increased by more than a quarter worldwide in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the findings: There was an additional 53.2 million cases (a 27.6% increase) of…