Editor's Note Influenza and RSV infections more than double the risk of secondary Streptococcus pneumoniae infection, while COVID-19 is associated with a significantly reduced risk, according to a June 2 news brief from the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP). The findings stem from a retrospective study of…
Editor's Note The United States recorded more than 1.5 million excess deaths in 2022 and 2023 alone—avoidable fatalities that would not have occurred if US death rates matched those of other wealthy nations, according to a May 23 article in CIDRAP reporting on a Boston University–led study published in JAMA…
Editor's Note The NIH’s $500 million investment in developing whole killed virus vaccines has drawn criticism from vaccine experts who argue the platform is outdated and lacks transparency, according to a May 3 report in STAT. As detailed in the article, scientists expressed concern that the project—led by NIH insiders…
Editor's Note The Trump administration has dismantled the federal committee responsible for shaping national infection prevention standards in hospitals, sparking concern among healthcare experts over future preparedness, NBC News reported May 6. According to the article, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) informed members of the Healthcare Infection…
Every day, I come across postings in the media suggesting that nurses are struggling with burnout. These accusations are tone deaf and misleading. In addition to my private coaching practice, I am the professional internal coach for a trauma center in the Greater New York area and several professional nursing…
Editor's Note Long COVID strikes healthcare and dental workers at far higher rates than the general population, according to an April 23 article from the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota. As detailed in the article, two recent international studies reveal that 40%…
Editor's Note A recent study conducted at a tertiary care hospital in India showed concurrent COVID-19 infection on patients undergoing emergency surgery resulted in notably longer hospital stays and higher rates of postoperative complications. Published September 8 in Cureus, the retrospective cohort study analyzed data from 48 COVID-19-positive patients and…
Editor's Note COVID-19 can be considered endemic worldwide, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on the heels of reporting a drop in overall US death rates from the disease. CDC’s classification of the disease as endemic “means, essentially, that COVID is here to stay in predictable ways,”…
Symptomatic SARS-COV-2 patients undergoing surgical procedures experience significantly higher 30-day in-hospital mortality, ICU admission, longer ICU and hospital stay, and pulmonary complications, according to a study published August 1 in the Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing. Researchers analyzed a year’s worth of records of 102 infected surgical patients and those who…
Editor's Note COVID infections are rising nationally, with cases increasing in 39 states and none showing a decline, NBC news reported June 24. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tracks Covid transmission through emergency department visits, which, along with deaths and hospitalizations, have recently increased, NBC reports. California…