Articles Tagged With: COVID-19
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Temperature and Symptom Check Rarely Prevents Presenteeism
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a common ritual at hospital entry for healthcare workers is undergoing a temperature and/or symptoms check upon arriving for their shift. The problem is it rarely works.
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Genetic Research Suggests a ‘Superspreader’ in Provincetown
Was the large COVID-19 outbreak in Provincetown, MA, in July 2021 a superspreader event? The question remains inconclusive, but genetic evidence in new preprint research strongly signals a superspreader type event.
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CMS Issues Mandatory Vaccine Rule for Healthcare Workers
While emphasizing the national threat of the pandemic and the safety and efficacy of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services came down to one bedrock reason healthcare workers now face mandated immunization: their ethical duty to protect patients.
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Infection Preventionists Experiencing Burnout, Moral Injury Amid Pandemic
Infection preventionists (IPs) are suffering along with their coworkers as an epidemic of burnout and job turnover roils the healthcare system amid an ongoing pandemic. According to a survey in press by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, 70% of IPs meet the criteria for “high stress” and 65% show symptoms of burnout.
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Infectious Disease Alert Updates
Risk of COVID-19 During Air Travel; Symptoms Post-COVID: Loss of Taste in One in Seven; Effectiveness of Cloth and Surgical Masks Against SARS-CoV-2.
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Fluvoxamine Reduces the Risk for Hospitalization from COVID-19
A randomized, placebo-controlled trial found fluvoxamine (100 mg twice a day for 10 days) reduced the risk for hospitalization among high-risk outpatients diagnosed with COVID-19.
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HIPAA Relevance to COVID-19 Vaccinations Can Be Misunderstood
Employees and employers frequently believe HIPAA comes into play when asking about an individual’s vaccination status. It almost always does not. Although some states are considering legislation designating vaccination status as a separate protected class, private employers generally are free to ask employees about their vaccination status without running afoul of HIPAA or federal employment laws. -
2021 Healthcare Takedown Shows DOJ’s Focus on Pandemic
The Department of Justice’s 2021 Healthcare Takedown report indicates government investigators are looking for fraud in some areas related to the pandemic as well as some perennial sources of wrongdoing. -
CMS Requires COVID-19 Vaccinations for Healthcare Workers
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ highly anticipated interim final rule requiring healthcare workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 will bring new obligations for healthcare employers, but it also might help overcome the objections of some employees.
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Circuit Court Decision Could Make COVID-19 Lawsuits Easier
A recent federal appeals court decision appears to put nursing homes at risk of lawsuits related to deaths of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also might increase the risk for other healthcare entities.