Editor's Note Among the actions announced April 15 by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are: Issuance of two new emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for serology tests, to detect for presence of coronavirus antibodies, to Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc, and Chembio Diagnostic systems, Inc. Issuance…

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Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on April 16 provided an update on a potential treatment for COVID-19, called convalescent plasma, and encouraged those who have recovered from the coronavirus to donate this antibody-rich plasma to help others fight this disease. Patients who have fully recovered for at…

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Editor's Note Researcher at the University of Chicago have developed a new scoring system that helps surgeons across all specialties decide when to proceed with necessary surgical procedures in the face of resource constraints and increased risks posed by COVID-19. The process, called Medically Necessary, Time-Sensitive (MeNTS) prioritization, was created…

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Editor's Note The American Nurses Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the American Nurses Association (ANA), has launched the Coronavirus Response Fund for Nurses, enabling the public to demonstrate their support and thank nurses. The fund will address identified, emerging needs of nurses by: providing direct assistance to nurses serving on…

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Editor's Note In this experimental study from Australia, researchers investigate the effect of ventilator splitting on system variables (ie, inspiratory pressure, flow, and volume) and the possibility of different ventilation targets for each limb. Connecting two patients to the same ventilator presents many challenges: ventilation requirements are different for different…

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Editor's Note Safe Flight Instrument Corporation (White Plains, New York), a company that develops aircraft safety and performance technology, has developed the Quad/Vent Splitter that allows four patients to use one ventilator simultaneously, the April 13 Aviation International News Online reports. Using 3-D printing, the device has four independent ports…

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Editor's Note In this study, Elizabeth Wick, MD, and colleagues at the University of California at San Francisco develop a surgery-triage plan to reduce OR volume and manage healthcare resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their comprehensive rapid response plan included: Reducing OR volume by 80% to ensure adequate capacity to…

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Editor's Note ECRI Institute and RLDatix announced April 13 a new collaboration to provide free empathetic communication and caring for the caregiver training programs. The first program will be an April 16 webcast that combines the clinical side of the COVID-19 battle (the head) with the need to provide emotional…

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Editor's Note As hospitals face a surge of COVID-19 patients, the ability for them to care for trauma cases and medical and surgical emergencies is severely compromised. Because of this, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) on April 7 issued a statement calling for strategies to preserve capacity and capability…

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Editor's Note In this study from Seoul, South Korea, both surgical and cotton masks were ineffective in preventing the dissemination of SARS-CoV-2, from coughs of patients with COVID-19 to the environment and external mask surface. For the study, four patients with COVID-19 were admitted to negative pressure isolation rooms and…

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