On March 31, 2020, there was a study of 310 passengers who boarded an evacuation flight from Milan, Italy, to South Korea. This evacuation flight was conducted under strict infection control procedures by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), based on the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO). When the passengers arrived at the Milan airport, …
Health care personnel (HCP) caring for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) might be at high risk for contracting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Understanding the prevalence of factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among frontline HCP who care for COVID-19 patients is important for protecting both HCP and their patients. In the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report posted …
In a study published in Nature Medicine, the researchers delimited three possible future scenarios of the course of the COVID-19 epidemic in the United States at the state level: mandate-easing, plausible reference, and universal mask-use scenarios. These help frame and inform a national discussion on what actions could be taken during the fall of 2020 and the public health, economic …
The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine has been theorized to provide protection against coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This theory was introduced in March 2020 by a group of researchers after observing that recent, large-scale MMR vaccination campaigns were associated with countries with the fewest COVID-19 deaths. Vaccines induce a variety of different antibodies to protect against a virus, since each part of an …
Conspiracy theories and misinformation fuel mistrust in vaccines and could push levels that potential COVID-19 vaccines are taken in the United States and Britain below the rates needed to protect communities against the disease, according to a new study. The study of 8,000 people in the two countries found that fewer people would “definitely” take a COVID-19 vaccine than the …
JAMDA published a recent study that assessed whether using coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) community activity levels can accurately inform strategies for routine testing of facility staff for active severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Of the staff tested, 28% were certified nursing assistants (CNAs) who accounted for 36.9% of all staff testing positive. Similarly, licensed practice nurses (LPNs) …
Researchers at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) said that the likelihood that a coronavirus infection will prove fatal has dropped by nearly a third since April due to improved treatment. Statistics reflect that doctors have figured out better ways to care for patients, including the use of blood thinners and oxygen support. Effective treatments …
In a study conducted among individuals hospitalized in Milan, one of the cities with the highest SARS-CoV-2 burden in the world, about 1% of children and 9% of adults without any symptoms or signs of SARS-CoV-2 infection tested positive for the virus. It has been estimated that approximately 80% of adults with SARS-CoV-2 are asymptomatic. The few available reports on …
Research into COVID-19 continues at a blistering pace and one issue that has captured the attention of the popular media is the potential interaction between blood type and the risk for COVID-19. There is precedent for blood type playing a role in infection however a multi-facility study published by Medscape has found no correlation between blood type and inflammatory markers …
We have all been affected by COVID-19 in some fashion; directly, with family members, residents, co-workers, and friends. Since our industry began restricting visitation, our residents have had to adapt to a new world in the center. There are restrictions on communal dining, activities, outside entertainment, family/friend visitation and so much more! Staff have also had to change the way …
