Transparency – Vaccine Side Effects

Angie SzumlinskiHealth

The CDC must be transparent about the side effects people may experience after getting their first shot of a coronavirus vaccine, doctors urged during a meeting with CDC advisors. Dr. Sandra Fryhofer said that both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines require two doses and she worries whether her patients with come back for a second dose because of potentially unpleasant …

Spotlight on HealthCap Heroes:

Angie SzumlinskiFeatured

StoneBridge Adams Street Some facilities are realizing that they don’t have just one or two exceptional employees on staff, but a whole team of heroes putting their residents first every day when they come to work. The Director of Nursing at StoneBridge Adams Street is in awe of their team, who are selflessly serving their residents in spite of the …

End-Of-Life Planning During COVID-19

Angie SzumlinskiHealth

End of life planning is a complicated process; the added complications of COVID-19 make it even more urgent. The higher number of cases among older adults puts additional pressure on a sector of the healthcare system that was already stretched. Families caring for an older adult during a pandemic are faced with emotionally heavy health decisions and with very little …

Community COVID-19 Activity Level

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

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) …

CDC- What Every Clinician Should Know About COVID-19 Vaccine Safety

Angie SzumlinskiFeatured, Health

On Monday, December 14th, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention held a webinar to provide education about the new COVID-19 vaccine. Safety monitoring is a top priority of the CDC, and the webinar largely focused on their post-authorization/post-licensure safety monitoring of the vaccine. They provided a great explanation of why this safety monitoring matters, and advocated the use of …

Coronavirus

COVID-19 Fatality Rate Down 30%

Angie SzumlinskiStudies

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 …

Children versus Adults – Asymptomatic

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

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 …

Blood Type and COVID-19

Angie SzumlinskiCase Study, Studies

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 …

Falls in Assisted Living

Angie SzumlinskiHealth

Did you know… Falls in assisted living communities account for 50% of liability claims 80% of falls go unwitnessed Falls can cost up to $50 billion/year 72% of falls occur in the resident’s bedroom 44% of residents indicate that their mobility aid was out of reach Interesting statistics, right? What is alarming is that 80% of falls go unwitnessed and …

COVID Related Lawsuits

Angie SzumlinskiLegal

The pandemic has already created a flurry of individual and class-action lawsuits against post-acute care providers. In fact, according to data collected through a national association for lawyers, it is estimated that approximately 80 COVID-related litigation cases have been filed in Massachusetts alone, and more than 5,000 across the country. These cases are expected to be very costly to defend. …