Tag: Disaster Planning

Researchers develop highly accurate 30-second COVID-19 test

Editor's Note Researchers at the University of Florida (UF) have helped develop a testing device that can detect COVID-19 infection within 30 seconds, with the sensitivity and accuracy of a PCR test. The hand-held device is powered by a 9-volt battery and uses test strips similar to those used in…

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By: Judy Mathias
April 11, 2022
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Attacks on healthcare in the Ukraine war

Editor's Note As of March 31, there have been 82 attacks on healthcare workers and facilities in Ukraine that have resulted in 72 deaths and 43 injuries, and most attacks involved the use of heavy weapons against healthcare facilities, personnel, patients, and medical supplies, according to this JAMA Viewpoint article,…

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By: Judy Mathias
April 6, 2022
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Moral injury similar between combat veterans and COVID-19 HCWs

Editor's Note This collaborative study by researchers at Duke University, Vanderbilt University, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, finds that COVID-19 healthcare workers (HCWs) experienced high rates of moral injury, comparable to rates among military veterans. Moral injuries are described as actions that conflict with values and beliefs, causing psychological…

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By: Judy Mathias
April 5, 2022
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ACS updates efforts to help Ukraine

Editor's Note In a March 28 update, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) says it is following the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ukraine through Operation Giving Back, and that no current role or mechanism exists for safe travel to help in person at this time. ACS notes that healthcare facilities…

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By: Judy Mathias
April 4, 2022
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Protection against COVID-19 after vaccination, previous infection

Editor's Note This study from the UK finds that two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were associated with high short-term protection, but this protection waned considerably after 6 months; whereas, infection-acquired immunity boosted with vaccination remained high more than 1 year after COVID-19 infection. Of 35,768 participants analyzed, 9,488 (27%)…

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By: Judy Mathias
March 31, 2022
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Risk factors for COVID-19 in HCWs

Editor's Note This French study finds that contact with COVID-19 patients was not the highest risk of COVID-19 in healthcare workers (HCWs). Of 3,234 HCWs enrolled in the study, 120 (3.8%) contracted COVID-19. The highest risk factors were contact with relatives or other HCWs  with COVID-19. Multivariate analysis showed that…

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By: Judy Mathias
March 31, 2022
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NIOSH rescinds approval for Pacific PPE N95 respirator masks

Editor's Note The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) announced on March 28 that it had honored a request by Pacific PPE Corp to rescind all of its N95 respirator mask approvals, effective immediately. Respirators with NIOSH approval numbers TC-84A-9278, TC-84A-9299, and TC-84A-9313 will no longer be manufactured,…

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By: Judy Mathias
March 30, 2022
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Racial disparities in COVID-19 outcomes of cancer patients

Editor's Note This multi-center study by cancer centers across the US finds that having cancer and COVID-19 is associated with worse outcomes in Black patients compared with White patients. Of 3,506 patients included in the analysis, 1,068 (30%) were Black and 2,438 (70%) were White. At the time of COVID-19…

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By: Judy Mathias
March 28, 2022
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End of universal contact tracing leading to 870+ healthcare layoffs in New York City

Editor's Note According to a March 4 notice filed by NYC Test & Trace Corps, New York City's (NYC’s) initiative for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing, the city is ending universal contact tracing by the end of April, Becker’s Hospital Review March 10 reported. This means that NYC Health +…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
March 15, 2022
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ECRI issues annual list of Patient Safety Concerns

Editor's Note ECRI, on March 14, issued its annual list of Patient Safety Concerns, which is dominated this year by staffing shortages and healthcare workers’ mental health that have been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past, the top concerns were typically associated with clinical issues caused by…

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By: Judy Mathias
March 14, 2022
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