Social Implications

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

COVID-19 & Workplace Violence The CDC has released guidance on how employers can help limit workplace violence associated with policies such as requiring that customers wear masks. Attorneys writing for Bloomberg Law also recommend that employers recognize and prepare for 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

Nationwide Eviction Freeze The CDC issued an Emergency Action this week implementing a nationwide temporary freeze on evictions. The freeze runs from September 4 through December 31, 2020. Here is a link to the CDC’s Declaration Form which must be filled Read More

Racial and Ethnic Disparities This article by Figueroa et al. analyses racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 rates in Massachusetts, which has had one of the highest incidence rates in the U.S. The disparate impact of the pandemic on Black Read More

Supplies As reported in this Axios article, FDA released a list of medical supplies that remain in short supply. FDA is required to provide this list under provisions of the CARES Act passed in March 2020, based on mandatory reports Read More

RESOURCE ALLOCATION  This Health Affairs article by Kanter, Segal & Groeneveld (also covered in this STAT article) discusses the role of income disparities in access to ICU beds as related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors examine disparities by median Read More

Essential Workers – Processing Plants Tyson workers file suit following employer gaining waivers in April from the US Department of Agriculture to allow work to proceed faster at Kentucky and Corydon, Indiana poultry processing plants despite Covid-19 outbreak among employees. Read More

Takeaways of this article: The media has misrepresented the findings and efficacy of medications experimentally used to treat COVID-19. Researchers and the media must temper the message for the public by contextualizing results. Policymakers, patients, clinicians, and the public are Read More

This article was published on July 9th, 2020 by the Journal of Advanced Nursing (JAN). It examines social distancing guidelines in long term care (LTC) facilities in Canada and the difficulties it creates as a by-product to the mental and Read More