Editor's Note A new study from researchers in Hong Kong finds that the MAIL2.0 nowcast artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm, which was developed with concepts used in economics and meteorology, yields a high level of accuracy for identifying COVID-19 in chest x-rays, the May 5 AuntMinny.com reports. The algorithm yielded 84.7%…

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Editor's Note This study from Stanford University tests five methods for disinfecting N95 masks and finds that heating them preserves their filtration efficiency for 50 cycles of disinfection. In the study, instead of analyzing N95 masks, which were needed by healthcare workers, the researchers examined pieces of the fabric used…

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Editor's Note Researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago are using artificial intelligence (AI) to expedite the search for COVID-19 treatments and vaccines by shortening the expert review period. The AI tool prioritizes research that has the most potential to produce real solutions and ignores research that is unlikely to yield…

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Editor's Note The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on May 1 announced that it will begin the distribution of payments from the Provider Relief Fund to hospitals with large numbers of COVID-19 admissions and to rural providers. Payments of $12 billion will go to 395 hospitals with at…

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Editor's Note Cornell University researchers studying the structure of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have found a unique feature that could explain why it is so transmissible between humans. The researchers identified a structural loop in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (ie, the area of the virus that facilitates entry into a cell)…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on May 1 announced the launch of the “SARS-CoV-2 Sequencing for Public Health Emergency Response, Epidemiology and Surveillance (SPHERES)” consortium. This network of laboratories will speed the release of SARS-CoV-2 sequence data into the public domain for use by public…

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Editor's Note This year, the American Nurses Association has extended the traditional National Nurses Week to a month of recognition, May 1-31. National Nurses Day, May 6, marks the beginning of National Nurses Week, which ends on May 12, the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birthday. This year’s theme is “Nurses…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on May 1 updated its weekly surveillance summary of COVID-19 activity in the US ending April 25. Among the updates: The percentage of specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 decreased at public health and commercial laboratories and remained similar at clinical labs.…

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Editor's Note In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial of remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19, remdesivir was not associated with statistically significant clinical benefits. For the analysis, 237 patients were randomly assigned to either a treatment group with remdesivir (158 patients) or placebo (79 patients). Remdesivir use was not…

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Editor's Note Abbott’s new COVID-19 antibody test that has 99% sensitivity and specificity has been given CE Mark approval for use across Europe, the April 29 Mass Device reports. The test is 99% accurate in identifying the IgG protein in patients infected by COVID-19, 14 days after symptoms develop. Abbott…

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