Law

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

Resource Allocation This article by Buckwalter and Peterson examines U.S. public attitudes toward scarce resource allocation strategies using a set of three studies involving a combined 1,868 participants through online platforms. The research questions targeted attitudes about specific principles used 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

Testing & School Reopening Authors of a New England Journal of Medicine perspective this week propose that making routine Covid-19 testing available in schools should be a top national response priority, and they critique the lack of inclusion of testing Read More

Facilities This article by Bowblis and Applebaum analyses the prevalence of COVID-19 in nursing homes in Ohio, finding that prevalence was not associated with facility quality ratings. Due to factors including resident frailty and staff inability to social distance at Read More

Worker Safety A lawsuit in an Oregon Federal Court highlights concerns about failing to adequately engage non-English speaking workers in workplace pandemic safety efforts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, food processing plants have been a frequent outbreak hot spots, and such Read More

Facilities This virtual presentation hosted by the Jefferson College of Public Health and the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems addresses data, experiences, challenges, and recommendations related to crisis management in long-term care facilities during the pandemic. There is Read More