Is the COVID-19 Federal PHE Nearing Its End?
CMS continues to gradually end some emergency blanket waivers allowed under the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) for some providers, but for now the 1135 waivers remain intact for acute care and critical access hospitals. The current 90-day PHE declaration, effective through April 16, could be renewed as early as next week. However, there is a new note recently added atop HHS’ online list of PHE declarations.
OSHA Proceeds With Healthcare COVID-19 Rule
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has scheduled an April 27 public hearing on establishing a permanent healthcare COVID-19 standard. The agency is seeking input on changes to its June 21, 2021, emergency temporary standard (ETS). All but the recordkeeping provisions of the ETS was withdrawn on December 27.
10 Recommendations to Improve Pandemic Preparedness
The United States was inadequately prepared to respond to the coronavirus pandemic such as insufficient supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE). The country leads the world in COVID-19 deaths, with 991,260 lives lost as of today, according to worldometer.
Nurses Challenge CDC’s Latest COVID-19 Safety Rollback
The CDC’s new framework recommends mask-wearing only for those in counties deemed to have a “high” level of COVID-19, which numbers about 28% of the American population. Community levels by county can be found on the CDC website and are color-coded to denote high, medium, and low risk of COVID.
For Children Hospitalized with COVID-19, Factors Identified for Progression to Severe Illness
The recent research article, which was published by JAMA Network Open, features data collected from more than 10,000 individuals under the age of 19 who were hospitalized with COVID-19. Findings of the study were published first in Critical Care Medicine.
Ongoing Pandemic Stretching Health Systems and Hospitals to Their Limits
The coronavirus pandemic is the biggest public health crisis in generations. The pandemic has strained health systems and hospitals on several fronts, including staffing, supply chain, and finances. In 2020 and 2021, health systems and hospitals received financial assistance from the federal government, but that assistance is dwindling.
At Nursing Homes, Long Waits for Results Render COVID Tests ‘Useless’
More nursing homes are waiting longer for COVID-19 test results for residents and staffers, according to federal data, making the fight against record numbers of omicron cases even harder. The double whammy of slower turnaround times for lab-based PCR tests and a shortage of rapid antigen tests has strained facilities where quickly identifying infections is crucial for keeping a highly vulnerable population safe.
Additional Respiratory Support
NHF therapy has been in use since at least the 1960s, providing respiratory support to neonatal, pediatric, and adult patients. In adults, NHF consists of the administration of a gas flow via cannula above 30 liters per minute in adults, heated to 37°C and with a humidity (water vapor) content of 44 milligrams per liter. The method is reportedly more comfortable for patients and can minimize the need for more invasive and costly respiratory support if applied early on.
COVID-19 Becoming Endemic Is a Matter of When, Not If
According to Dr. Sachin Nagrani, medical director for primary care provider Heal, during a pandemic the number of COVID cases rise and fall across world at an unstable rate. However, for a virus to become endemic, there needs to be a constant prevalence of it an expected level on an ongoing basis.
All States, Territories Now Subject to CMS COVID-19 Vaccination Rule
In a new memo to CMS state surveyors posted January 20, the agency added Texas as the final state subject to the rule after the last injunction was lifted from court challenges filed last year to the federal mandate. The deadlines for having all staff vaccinated vary according to the version of the memo under which your state falls.