The COVID-19 pandemic is straining healthcare workers worldwide, according to the new journal article, which was published last week by the Journal of the American Medical Association. “The pressure on the global healthcare workforce continues to intensify.

CMS issued the directive in response to an emergency use authorization (EUA) on March 9 by the CDC and FDA. That EUA offered guidance “expanding the types of facemasks healthcare workers may use in situations involving COVID-19 and other respiratory infections” to include some industrial respirators, according to Quality, Safety & Oversight Group memo QSO-20-17-ALL.

The memo points hospitals and other providers to several online resources, as well as answering several frequently asked questions regarding COVID-19 patients and suspected patients. Specifically, it “strongly” urges providers and surveyors to monitor the CDC Health Alert Network website for COVID-19 related issues.

Products on the list have qualified for use against COVID-19 through the Agency’s Emerging Viral Pathogen program. This program allows product manufacturers to provide the EPA with data, even in advance of an outbreak, that show their products are effective against harder-to-kill viruses than SARS-CoV-2.

The virtual visit is conducted by a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner. Most of the clinicians work at the health system’s telehealth platform, Spectrum Health Now, but they are being supplemented with clinicians from urgent care centers and primary care clinics who have spare time.

The actions follow those of Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, which last week issued a last-minute cancellation of this week’s annual conference in Orlando, at which 45,000 people from across the globe were expected to attend.