Editor's Note In an August 21 letter, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) warns that the use of passive protective barrier enclosures without negative pressure when treating patients (such as during intubation, extubation) who are known or suspected to have COVID-19 may pose increased health risk to patients and healthcare…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on August 25 issued emergency regulations requiring all hospitals and critical access hospitals to report daily COVID-19 data. The data includes: number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 positive patients being treated ICU beds occupied availability of ventilators, PPE, and other…

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Editor's Note This study from the University of California, San Diego; Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore; and Institute for Disease Modeling, Bellevue, Washington, finds that acute anxiety spiked early during the COVID-19 pandemic but has since returned to typical levels. Researches examined internet searchers indicative of acute anxiety that originated from…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) on August 24 changed its recommendations on testing asymptomatic people for COVID-19. The CDC is no longer recommending asymptomatic testing. The new guidance includes the following: For those who have been in close contact (within 6 feet) of a person…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on August 17 updated its patient payment guidance to increase hospital reimbursement for care of COVID-19 patients by 20%. The payment increase will take effect September 1. Among requirements for hospitals to receive the Medicare payment increase: Patients must have…

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Editor's Note The University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center (UH) announced August 24 that it will participate as a study site for the Phase 2/3 global trial of the Pfizer/BioNTech investigational COVID-19 vaccine. UH is one of approximately 120 clinical investigational sites around the world that will collectively enroll up to…

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Editor's Note The spread of COVID-19 in Seattle and Wuhan, China, which coincided with the influenza season, was far more extensive than initially reported, and the virus had likely been spreading for several weeks before official records indicate, this study from the University of Texas at Austin finds. Researchers examined…

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Editor's Note The 7-day moving average of new COVID-19 cases in the US, a key metric for gauging the severity of the disease, dropped below 50,000 on  August 18 for the first time since early July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  reports. On August 19, the CDC…

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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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