Editor's Note This study led by researchers at the department of economics, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, finds that state policies implemented in spring 2020 to protect hospital capacity and minimize deaths due to COVID-19 were associated with upward trends in hospitalizations and mortality after reopening. The researchers examined data collected…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration on June 25 identified the recall by Avid Medical of its convenience kits for medical-surgical procedures as Class I, the most serious. The company is recalling those kits that contain BD/Carefusion’s Chloraprep 3 mL applicator because of the risk of contamination of the…

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Editor's Note This study from Austria finds a high prevalence of mental disorders in high school students 1 year after the COVID-19 pandemic began. Of 3,052 adolescents who participated in the study: 55% had clinically relevant depressive symptoms 47% had clinically relevant anxiety symptoms 22.8% had clinically relevant moderate insomnia…

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Editor's Note The number of hospitals and healthcare systems mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for their healthcare workers (HCWs) is growing, the June 29 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. In chronological order, the organizations that have announced mandates as of June 29 are: Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, will require its workforce of…

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Editor's Note This survey of 26,174 public healthcare workers (HCWs) from March 29 to April 16, 2021, by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), finds that 53% had experienced at least one mental health condition in the previous 2 weeks. Prevalences of symptoms were: depression: 32%…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on June 25, identified the recall of DeRoyal Industries’ surgical procedure packs as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because the packs contain 1% lidocaine that had been mislabeled as 0.5% bupivacaine. The procedure packs are used for cardiac…

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Editor's Note Wearing a surgical face mask can provide similar protection against aerosols as wearing a respirator, but face shields provide little or no protection, finds this study, which will be presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases July 9-12. German researchers compared 32 types of…

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Editor's Note ECRI, on June 23, named Mon Health System of Morgantown, West Virginia, the winner of its 15th Health Devices Achievement Award. Mon Health System partnered with Intermed Labs at Mon Health, a MedTech startup studio that connects individuals who have ideas for improving patient outcomes with the expertise…

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Editor's Note This study led by researchers with the Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Pasadena, found no association in COVID-19 positivity rates among healthcare workers (HCWs) wearing respirator masks vs medical masks when performing nonaerosolizing, routine patient care. Of 1,414 HCWs involved in the study: 595 (42.1%) had exposures to…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on June 23 that it will implement new and revised Performance Improvement and Leadership accreditation standards for all of its accreditation programs, beginning January 1, 2022. The revisions factor in two common themes found in organizations with successful improvement programs: adoption of established improvement…

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