Additional Respiratory Support
NHF therapy has been in use since at least the 1960s, providing respiratory support to neonatal, pediatric, and adult patients. In adults, NHF consists of the administration of a gas flow via cannula above 30 liters per minute in adults, heated to 37°C and with a humidity (water vapor) content of 44 milligrams per liter. The method is reportedly more comfortable for patients and can minimize the need for more invasive and costly respiratory support if applied early on.
COVID-19 Becoming Endemic Is a Matter of When, Not If
According to Dr. Sachin Nagrani, medical director for primary care provider Heal, during a pandemic the number of COVID cases rise and fall across world at an unstable rate. However, for a virus to become endemic, there needs to be a constant prevalence of it an expected level on an ongoing basis.
All States, Territories Now Subject to CMS COVID-19 Vaccination Rule
In a new memo to CMS state surveyors posted January 20, the agency added Texas as the final state subject to the rule after the last injunction was lifted from court challenges filed last year to the federal mandate. The deadlines for having all staff vaccinated vary according to the version of the memo under which your state falls.
Newest PHE Renewal Marks Completion of Second Year of Pandemic
For the eighth time since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a national public health emergency (PHE), the secretary of Health and Human Services has extended the declaration for another 90 days, effective January 16.
Decontamination of N95 Respirators With Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide Effective, Study Finds
The new research article, which was published by American Journal of Infection Control, is based on data collected at a large tertiary care academic center in Boston from June 15 to Aug. 31, 2020. Over the course of the study, the researchers tested a total of 35 3MTM brand N95 respirators for fit and seal. From the 35, seven of the N95 respirators were tested for filtration efficiency.
High Court Backs CMS’ Vaccine Mandate, But Not OSHA’s
Look for CMS and accrediting organizations to start fully enforcing the agency’s recent interim rule requiring all staff at hospitals and other healthcare facilities to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 after the Supreme Court stayed an injunction that barred implementation.
Mass. Joins States Offering Digital Access to Vaccination Records
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced on Monday that residents are now able to use a QR code to access the My Vax Records tool on the COVID-19 SMART Health Card platform, offering a digital repository for vaccination status. They can enter their name, birth date and e-mail address or phone number to create the account, which offers the same data as a paper record.
Supreme Court Hears Emergency Arguments on CMS, OSHA Vaccine Requirements
Supreme Court justices hearing emergency arguments about an injunction stopping enforcement of a CMS interim final rule requiring hospital and other healthcare workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 seemed to lean toward the side of CMS on Friday.
AMA President Blasts New CDC Guidance on COVID-19 Isolation
CDC guidance on quarantine and isolation for those who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or people who test positive for COVID-19 has changed several times since the beginning of the pandemic. Under certain circumstances, the new guidance reduces the amount of time that people must quarantine or isolate themselves from 10 days to five days.
Study Finds Racial and Ethnic In-Hospital Mortality Disparities During Pandemic
The recent study, which was published by JAMA Health Forum, is based on an analysis of fee-for-service Medicare inpatient data for more than 31 million beneficiaries and more than 14 million hospitalizations from January 2019 through February 2021.