On July 1, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a notice that Magellan Diagnostics, Inc., is recalling its LeadCare II, LeadCare Plus, and LeadCare Ultra Blood Lead Tests due to a significant risk of falsely low results. FDA has identified this as a Class I recall, the most serious type of recall. Use of these devices may cause serious …
“As of June 25, 2021, the CDC has identified that the combined frequencies of the SARS-CoV-2 P.1/Gamma variant (first identified in Brazil) and the B.1.351/Beta variant (first identified in South Africa) throughout the United States now exceed 11% and are trending upward. Results from in vitro assays that are used to assess the susceptibility of viral variants to particular monoclonal …
On June 18, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services awarded 59 jurisdictions with $200 million to bolster support and enhance the disease intervention specialists (DIS) workforce. These awards represent the initial funding of the $1.13 billion investment being made over the next five years, consistent with the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, and will …
Key Updates for Week 20, ending May 22, 2021 Seasonal influenza activity in the United States remains lower than usual for this time of year. Viruses Clinical Labs – The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza at clinical laboratories is 0.1% this week. Public Health Labs – The number of influenza positive specimens reported by public health labs …
On June 10,th, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Health Alert Network issued a health advisory for parts of the southern United States. Please read the below excerpt for a brief summary, and view the entire advisory at the link at the bottom of this page. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing …
“We are learning more about the risk factors for severe COVID-19 outcomes every day. Age is the strongest risk factor for severe COVID-19 outcomes. Approximately 54.1 million people aged 65 years or older reside in the United States; this age group accounts for more than 80% of U.S. COVID-19 related deaths. Residents of long-term care facilities make up less than …
Reported in a Medical Press article, a team of infectious disease modelers at Northeastern University has been answering the question “when will the pandemic be over” since January. The group has been developing a set of predictive models to project the future of the outbreak in various scenarios for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as part of …
The CDC has posted a forecast model for new cases of COVID-19 and deaths related to the virus. The data and how it is determined are outlined on the website. It is interesting information especially now that we are all relaxing and letting our guard down. Not to raise concern as much as to keep us informed as we move …
Youth and summer camps can play an important role in the lives of children, including supporting their social, emotional, and physical development. Camps provide opportunities for children to try new activities, develop relationships and social skills, and be physically active. In addition to allowing for free play and unstructured learning, many camps also incorporate educational content, which can help prevent …
Among death certificates from calendar year 2020 listing COVID-19 and at least one other co-occurring diagnosis, the documentation is consistent with these deaths being attributable to COVID-19. Specifically, in 97% of 357,133 death certificates with COVID-19 and at least on other diagnosis, the documented chain-of-event and significant contributing conditions were consistent with those reported in clinical and epidemiologic studies to …
