Tag: Occupational Hazards

Splash risks, droplet dispersal during instrument reprocessing

Editor's Note This pilot project, by epidemiologist Cori L. Ofstead, MSPH, and colleagues finds that routine reprocessing activities generate substantial splashing and droplet dispersal, and that currently recommended items of personal protective equipment (PPE) do not adequately protect personnel from exposure. The researchers found that: Droplets were generated during every…

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By: Judy Mathias
February 14, 2022
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The Joint Commission begins surveying for COVID-19 vaccinations in 24 states

Editor's Note As of February 14, The Joint Commission began surveying to the COVID-19 vaccination requirements in the 24 states that were not previously subject to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) “Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination” interim final rule. Healthcare organizations in these 24 states must…

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By: Judy Mathias
February 14, 2022
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Study: Nearly a third of older adults developed new medical conditions after COVID-19

Editor's Note In this study, published by the British Medical Journal, 32% of individuals, 65 years and older, who were infected with COVID-19 developed at least one new medical condition in the months after the initial infection, the February 11 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. This 32% was 11% higher than…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
February 14, 2022
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Vaccination rates and new COVID-19 infections by US county

Editor's Note This study led by researchers at the University of Cincinnati, finds that areas with low vaccination rates experienced a more intense surge of new cases during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily driven by the Delta variant. In the analysis, COVID-19 infections per 100,000 people during…

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By: Judy Mathias
February 10, 2022
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Amazon expands telehealth services

Editor's Note Amazon announced on February 8 that it is expanding its telehealth service, Amazon Care, nationwide. Previously, it was available only to employees and their families in and around its Seattle headquarters. Amazon also is expanding its in-person care services to more than 20 new cities this year. When…

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By: Judy Mathias
February 10, 2022
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Vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 during 9 months after second vaccination

Editor's Note This study by researchers at Umea University in Sweden finds a progressive waning in vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 of any severity during the first 9 months after the second vaccination, with the rate of waning differing by vaccine type Analyzing the total population of Sweden, vaccine effectiveness was…

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By: Judy Mathias
February 8, 2022
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FDA: Class I recall of Empowered Diagnostics COVID-19 tests

Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 28 identified the recall by Empowered Diagnostics (Pompano Beach, Florida) of its CovClear COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test and ImmunoPass COVID-19 Neutralizing Antibody Rapid Test as Class I, the most serious. Empowered Diagnostics distributed these tests with labeling indicating they were…

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By: Judy Mathias
February 8, 2022
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4,900+ healthcare job cuts in January linked to vaccine refusal

Editor's Note In January, 5,757 workers lost their employment because they refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as ordered by a federal mandate and various local mandates covering private businesses. Out of those workers, 4,934 were healthcare providers, the February 4 Becker’s Hospital Review reports from data gathered by executive…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
February 8, 2022
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Study: Risk of catching COVID-19 during hospital stay remains low

Editor's Note A new Cosmos study by Epic Research finds that cases of “hospital-developed COVID-19”—or patients who were admitted to the hospital free of infection but acquired COVID-19 during their hospital stay—are low, the American Hospital Association reported February 7. According to the study, only about 1.8% of patients admitted…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
February 8, 2022
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Prevalence, durability of COVID-19 antibodies in unvaccinated

Editor's Note This study led by Marty Makary, MD, MPH, and Dorry Segev, MD, PhD, at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, finds natural immunity in unvaccinated healthy US adults up to 20 months after testing positive for COVID-19. Of 1,580 study participants, antibodies were detected in: 99% of…

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By: Judy Mathias
February 7, 2022
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