Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on September 15 reported that 121 of nearly 392,000 children and young adults who contracted COVID-19 in the US have died. Three-quarters of the deaths involved at least one comorbidity and 45% had two or more, with the most common…

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Editor's Note Masks, such as N95 respirators, are made of material with sufficient high filter capacity to protect against airborne respiratory viruses. However, viral protection can only be provided by masks that properly fit the wearer’s face and provide a tight facial seal, this review article finds. Among the findings:…

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Editor's Note ECRI and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) are joining global leaders in celebrating World Patient Safety Day, September 17, 2020. This year’s theme is “Health Worker Safety: A Priority for Patient Safety.” In honor of the day and to support healthcare workers, ECRI has launched a…

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Editor's Note This study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that adults with positive COVID-19 test results were almost twice as likely to have dined in a restaurant (including indoor, patio, and outdoor seating) within 2 weeks of developing symptoms. The study included 615 potential case…

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Editor's Note This cohort study of US children with COVID-19 or seasonal flu found no difference in hospitalization rates, ICU admission rates, or mechanical ventilator use between the two groups. More COVID-19 patients reported clinical symptoms at the time of diagnosis. The study included 315 children with COVID-19 (median age…

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Editor's Note This survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the extent to which adults are delaying and avoiding medical care because of concerns about COVID-19. By June 30, an estimated 40.9% of those surveyed (4,978 US adults) had delayed or avoided medical care including urgent…

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Editor's Note Dozens of nursing homes and hospitals ignored official guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to separate COVID-19 patients from those without the virus, the September 10 Kaiser Health News reports. A Kaiser Health News investigation found that nursing homes and hospitals ignored (CDC) guidelines…

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Editor's Note Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis is the clinical coordinating center for a new worldwide clinical trial to test whether the vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) can protect frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) against COVID-19. The researchers say there are two main reasons why the…

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Editor's Note In this international meta-analysis, researchers found that the administration of systemic corticosteroids was associated with lower 28-day all-cause mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients. The meta-analysis included seven randomized studies from 12 countries that involved 1,703 critically ill COVID-19 patients. Patients had been randomized to receive systemic dexamethasone,…

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Editor's Note This Italian study finds that patients treated with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) had a 30% lower in-hospital mortality rate compared to those not receiving this treatment. Researchers examined outcomes of 3,451 patients in 33 COVID-19-focused hospitals throughout Italy. Of these, 2,634 patients received HCQ. Timing of the first dose after…

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