Healthcare workers

COVID-19 Vaccine In early December, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to complete its review and approve two new COVID-19 vaccines, meaning a limited number of doses of COVID-19 vaccines may begin to be distributed to states by as Read More

Hospital Staffing Shortages As reported in multiple sources, including this STAT article and this NPR article, hospitals across at least 25 states are experiencing critical staff shortages. While many of these hospitals have built up their reserves of other resources Read More

Infection Control Policies – Think Dials, Not Switches COVID-19 case numbers are skyrocketing, threatening to overwhelm not only local bed capacity but also, more dangerously, our health care workforce. Without enough workers to care for the ill, hospitals will face Read More

Vulnerable Populations This study by Clift, et al. from the United Kingdom assessed COVID-19 mortality risk among persons with Down syndrome. Down syndrome has not been included among known risk factors by UK or US health authorities, but it is Read More

OSHA Fines As detailed in this Bloomberg Law article, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued fines for 85 businesses nationally for safety violations related to COVID-19. Among the latest targets are 23 health care facilities (hospitals, Read More

Supplies This Health Affairs Blog by DeVore breaks down the supply chain flaws that have contributed to shortages of needed PPE and other medical supplies during the pandemic. The post identifies multiple waves of challenges that require response during the Read More

Testing This CDC MMWR analysis provides data on the impact of preemptive testing of residents and staff members in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) to prevent COVID-19 outbreak. LTCF residents have been and remain at especially high risk during the pandemic Read More

Nursing Home Quality & Safety Earlier this month, the Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes issued their final report for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The task of the Commission was “to solicit lessons Read More

Testing This N.Y. Times article describes difficulties in obtaining timely and nearby testing for children and the implications for public health mitigation efforts. In many instances, existing free testing sites set a minimum age that does not include many school-age Read More

COVID-19 effects on neurological conditions SARS-CoV-2 has been noted to have neurological complications. In this article, the authors discuss the underreporting of conditions such as postinfectious demyelination, encephalitis, seizures, and other neurotropic conditions that may be underreported complications of COVID-19. Read More