The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (AMDA) issued a press release on the issue of polypharmacy and the “Drive to Deprescribe” program. The goal of the program is to address the issue of polypharmacy and inappropriate medication use in our sector. Polypharmacy has and continues to be a long-standing concern as post-acute care has one of the highest …
Many cases of COVID-19 are spread by “silent transmission” by people who are pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic. Children are more likely to have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. With the EUA for vaccinating 12-15 year-old children, the hope is that it will assist in stopping the virus. Vaccination can lessen the burden of outbreaks and can allow for reallotting …
The National Safety Council offers resources for you and your team of caregivers as we evolve from pandemic to the “new normal”. These resources include training regarding substance abuse, how to ask for help at work, a prevention checklist for employees, webinars on managing mental health, etc. Their website explains that “the COVID-19 pandemic will affect the mental health and …
“Older adults have experienced a higher risk for COVID-19-associated morbidity and mortality and therefore have been prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination”, according to a recent CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. After the first 3.5 months of the U.S. COVID-19 vaccination program, 79.1% of adults aged ≥65 years had received ≥1 dose, with higher vaccination initiation among men. Counties with lower …
As the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease swept the globe, anecdotal reports of a potential exacerbating effect of non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including ibuprofen and aspirin, on COVID-19 emerged, leading to some warnings against the use of NSAIDs. In a study conducted in the United States, United Kingdom, and Sweden using the COVID Symptom Study app about …
The effectiveness of coronavirus testing depends not only on the number of tests performed but also on who is getting tested. Testing may be administered for a variety of reasons: to diagnose COVID-19 in symptomatic patients, to detect asymptomatic infection in persons exposed to infection or at high risk of transmitting infection to others (i.e., essential workers), to detect outbreaks …
Little research has been done on what impact smoking has on a patient’s risk of contracting COVID-19 and/or their recovery. In an attempt to gather some information and analyze the connection between COVID-19 and smoking habits, the Cleveland Clinic conducted a study on this topic between March 8, 2020 and August 25, 2020. Read the basics of the study below, …
“Since the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in late 2019, limited research has shown that the majority of patients who clear their infections develop serum antibodies against the virus that last for at least several months but may decline over time. Although it has been speculated that the development of antibodies may be associated with a …
A recent study on Physician Stress and COVID was performed at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, and identified physician stress during the COVID-19 pandemic was moderate overall, although it was considerably higher in certain organizations. A 4-item stress summary score incorporating overall stress, fear, mental health concerns, and work overload had reasonable internal consistency. Average stress summary scores varied between …
“COVID-19 can lead to a number of lasting symptoms such as breathlessness, fatigue and reduced ability to engage in activities of daily living. It became apparent that a recovery or rehabilitation programme would be necessary to support those to return to normal following infection. The European Respiratory Society taskforce identified a need for a formal assessment to understand physical and …
