Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly affected mortality worldwide. There is unprecedented urgency to understand who is most at risk of severe outcomes. A new online tool helps to estimate an individual’s risk of dying from COVID-19 depending on where they live in the United States, which could provide useful information on which individuals should be prioritized for early vaccinations. …
There has been a lot of discussion of late regarding whether to incentivize staff to encourage increased acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine. While it is not a “required” vaccine, studies have shown that it does work! So if you have employees who are hesitant or downright negative about accepting the vaccine, what should you do? First, of course, identify the …
The White House coronavirus task force warned states of incomplete and unstable COVID-19 data due to the ongoing holiday season, making it difficult to track the pandemic’s trajectory as concerns rise over the continued or accelerated spread. “Data is currently unstable, outside of daily hospital admissions, due to inconsistent reporting and incomplete data over the holidays; there will be reporting …
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for 2 vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), one developed jointly by Pfizer and BioNTech and the other by Moderna. According to company press releases and data made available by the FDA, both vaccines have shown approximately 95% efficacy in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infections …
Nursing homes provide care for a vulnerable population of frail older adults who are unable to live independently because of a combination of underlying chronic conditions, cognitive and physical impairments, and other age-related disabilities. Residents often face an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 illnesses owing to extrinsic factors such as a lack of adequate infection prevention and control …
Heritage of Bel-Air We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our newest HealthCap Hero, Karissa Zwingman from Heritage of Bel-Air. Karissa lifts up both her team and her residents with her positive attitude, displays of leadership, and compassion. Heritage of Bel-Air shared a wonderful testimony to us about the impact Karissa has on their facility: “Karissa is such …
In March 2020, the soaring number of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections resulted in an unprecedented shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for clinicians and essential health care workers. The shortage was most profound among N95 respirators, named for their ability to filter 95% or more of tiny 0.3 µm particles, and are considered the mainstay of …
Antibiotic stewardship, or improving how antibiotics are prescribed and used, is critical for optimizing the treatment of patients who have infections, protecting patients from harm, and combating antibiotic resistance. In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released “Antibiotic Use in the United States, 2018 Update: Progress and Opportunities”, which included information on how antibiotics were being used …
A study on the effectiveness of facemasks that was published in JAMA on November 23, 2020, was a little disturbing. When comparing a surgical mask with head ties vs a procedure mask with ear loops, there was a large difference in fitted filtration efficiencies (FFEs) (71.5% vs 38.1% respectively). Even more concerning, there was also a similar trend of poor …
As severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the novel coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), began to spread globally, it became apparent that the virus, unlike the closely related SARS-CoV in the 2003 outbreak, could not be contained by symptom-based screening alone. Asymptomatic and clinically mild infections were uncommon during the 2003 SARS-CoV outbreak and there were no …
