The COVID Vaccine Pause: A Case for Greater Patient Engagement
In several early cases of J&J vaccine blood clotting, patients were treated with heparin, which is a normal treatment for blood clots; however, in these cases the heparin worsened the situation. The pause helped educate hospitals and health systems going forward on how to treat similar symptoms in those with the J&J dose.
A Year of COVID-19 Data: Lessons Learned
Researchers have begun to dig into the results of this data collection and identified trends that have helped them understand mortality rates during the pandemic and beyond. BD recently published two papers on specific data discoveries during COVID-19, and Kalvin Yu, MD, FIDSA, senior medical director with BD, discusses some of the key takeaways from that research.
CDC Mask Guidelines are Based on ‘Incomplete Data,’ Nurses Union Says
New mask guidelines issued last week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) are based on incomplete data and dangerous assumptions, National Nurses United (NNU) said in a press conference Wednesday.
Don’t Change Policies Yet on Masking Inside Your Facility
The CDC’s recent new guidance to the general public that fully vaccinated people do not have to wear masks indoors does not apply to healthcare settings, warns the American Hospital Association (AHA).
New CMS Vaccines Rule Soon May Apply to More Facilities
The changes to the Conditions of Participation (CoP) for those facilities primarily require vaccines to be offered to residents, clients, and staff when available. They also set education and CDC reporting requirements. While the rule covers only those two types of facilities so far, CMS notes in the rule it may want to expand those requirements to other healthcare organizations, including psychiatric hospitals and inpatient hospice facilities.
Tips for Opening a Field Hospital During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Several states across the country have had to open field hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic to accommodate COVID-19 patient surges. A common strategy has been to use field hospitals to treat low-acuity COVID-19 patients who can be transferred from hospitals and cared for safely before being discharged home.
Treat Coronavirus ‘Long Haulers’ With Multidisciplinary and Comprehensive Approach
In October, Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey, and West Orange, New Jersey-based RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group launched the Post-COVID Comprehensive Assessment, Recovery and Evaluation (CARE) program to care for long-hauler patients. Over the past seven months, the Post-COVID CARE program has treated more than 120 patients.
Coronavirus Pandemic Stressors Impacting Careers of Healthcare Workers
In March 2020, 42% of U.S. workers transitioned to working from home. It is likely that employed women faced greater burdens because they spend 22% more time on household and care work compared to men. Studies have shown that healthcare workers have faced higher stress levels during the pandemic than before the pandemic.
RNs Keeping Up the Momentum of Vaccinating Underserved in South Los Angeles
Nurse volunteers from the Registered Nurse Response Network (RNRN) who have been vaccinating thousands of residents of the historically underserved South Los Angeles community have extended the COVID-19 clinic through the end of May and are calling for more volunteer RNs.
The Clinical Relevance of COVID-19 Testing Amid the Rollout of the Vaccine
From a medical point of view, there are five primary variables that will affect long-term demand for COVID-19 rapid antigen testing: pace of vaccination (U.S. and global); reaching a 70%–80% vaccinated population nationwide; reported case rate (U.S. and global); duration of the vaccine’s effectiveness in an individual (currently unknown); and the mutation rate of COVID-19 variants.