Virus Variants Spread

Angie SzumlinskiAnnouncements, News

On January 9, 2021, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) announced the identification of the SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC) B.1.1.7, also referred to as 20I/501Y.V1 and VOC 2020/01, in specimens from five persons; on January 25, MDH announced the identification of this variant in specimens from three additional persons. The people identified with variant B.1.1.7 in Minnesota had exposure …

The Pandemic Continues

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) have been a focal point for COVID-19 outbreaks, with rapid transmission noted soon after the first cases are recognized. Early recognition of persons with COVID-19 in SNFs will remain critical to halting infection transmission and ensuring appropriate clinical care even after residents and staff are vaccinated. In a study published in JAMDA, confirmed COVID-19 cases at …

Another Plus to Vaccinate

Angie SzumlinskiStudies

In a study published in Nature Medicine, Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine, the first vaccine approved in the United States for use against COVID-19, neutralized three variants of the virus, including the B.1.1.7 strain first identified in the United Kingdom, and two new variants first confirmed in South Africa. University of Texas Medical Branch researchers engineered three COVID-19 viruses with the spike …

Man testing blood sugar

Prediabetes – Pathway – Diabetes

Angie SzumlinskiStudies

The prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes increases substantially with age. In the U.S., an estimated 25% of adults 65 years or older have diabetes, whereas more than 50% meet criteria for prediabetes depending on the definition used. Despite the high prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes among older adults, progression of hyperglycemia over time (the transition from normoglycemia to prediabetes or …

Recurrent SARS-CoV-2 Infections

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

Although case reports of reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 exist, limited information is available regarding the frequency and outcomes of reinfection. Five residents of a skilled nursing facility received positive SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test results in two separate COVID-19 outbreaks separated by 3 months. Residents received at least four negative test results between the two outbreaks, suggesting the possibility of reinfection. The …

PTSD – Severe COVID-19 Infection

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

In a study published in JAMA Network, from April 21 to October 15, 2020, the post-acute care service assessed 381 white patients who had recovered from COVID-19 infection within 30-120 days, 166 (43.6%_ of whom were women with a mean age was 55.26. During acute COVID-19 illness, most patients were hospitalized, with a mean length of hospital stay of 18.41 …

Elderly woman in hospital bed

Acumen Report – HAI – IMPACT Act

Angie SzumlinskiHealth

The “Improving Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014 (IMPACT Act) requires the Secretary to specify resource use measures, on which post-acute care (PAC) providers, including skilled nursing facilities, are required to submit necessary data specified by the Secretary. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has contracted with Acumen, LLC and RTI International to develop the SNF HAI measure …

Heart Disease Vaccine Prioritization

Angie SzumlinskiHealth

The CDC’s phased approach to vaccine distribution puts all patients ages 16 to 64 with medical conditions that increase the risk for severe COVID-19 infection in the 1c category, citing heart conditions, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity among examples. However, the CDC made no attempt to stratify by levels of risk among those conditions. “A coherent vaccine allocation policy promoting the …

Osteoporosis Treatment Beyond 5 Years

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

For more than 2 decades, bisphosphonate drugs have been a first-line therapy for preventing osteoporotic fractures, based on strong clinical evidence showing significant fracture risk reduction within the first 3 to 5 years of treatment. However, data regarding the optimal duration of bisphosphonate treatment to minimize fracture risk beyond this initial period of time are limited. In September 2015, a …

Sleep Apnea – FDA Approval

Angie SzumlinskiFeatured, Studies

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized marketing a new prescription-only device intended to reduce snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea. Unlike devices used while patients sleep, this is the first device used while awake that is intended to improve tongue muscle function, which in time can help prevent the tongue from collapsing backward and obstructing the airway during sleep. …