Articles Tagged With: COVID-19
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Wounded Healers: Long COVID Community Helps Its Own
Despite her limitations, Karyn Bishof, MS, founded the COVID-19 Longhauler Advocacy Project and began distributing information to others. Hospital Employee Heath reached out to Bishof for an interview.
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CDC Seeks Clarity on Masks, Respirators
An advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently completed draft isolation guidelines for respiratory patients, but got a thumbs down and a loaded question for their trouble: “Should N95 respirators be recommended for all pathogens that spread by the air?”
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Is Brain Impairment Following COVID-19 Hospitalization Worse Than for Other Severe Illnesses?
The authors of this prospective cohort study with matched controls found that long-term brain health following severe COVID-19 hospitalization was impaired but was similar to hospitalization from other severe diseases.
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The Pandemic Did Not Affect Single-Visit LARC Insertion
Adolescents who used public insurance and were seeing a non-OB/GYN provider had lower odds of a single-visit placement of long-acting reversible contraception, new research shows.
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Blood Pressure Management with Devices Improved Outcomes During the Pandemic
When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted case management, care coordination, transitions, and clinical monitoring of patients with chronic illness, the entire health industry switched to remote monitoring, virtual clinic visits, and virtual case management whenever feasible. A new study revealed that using self-measured blood pressure monitoring and telehealth were among the top ways healthcare professionals adapted to the pandemic’s forced limits on in-person clinic visits.
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Molnupiravir vs. Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir for Early Symptomatic COVID-19
A randomized, controlled, multicenter Phase II clinical trial compared molnupiravir, ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir, or no drug for low-risk adult patients ages 18-50 years with symptomatic COVID-19. Viral clearance was 84% faster with ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir and 37% faster with molnupiravir compared to no treatment.
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An Update on What Is New During the 2023-2024 Flu Season
As the fall and winter months descend in the Northern Hemisphere, it is time for healthcare providers to focus on preventing and treating the influenza virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates from the current flu season (Oct. 1, 2023, to present) suggest 1 million cases of flu illness and between 5,000 to 12,000 hospitalizations. Healthcare practitioners on the frontline must have current knowledge of prevention and treatment strategies.
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COVID Resurges Amid Pandemic Fatigue, Anemic Vaccine Uptake
As more hospitals nationally go to universal masking for patient care, we see the other side of an incoming problem: Only 19% of adults older than 18 years of age have received the latest vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Pandemic Fatigue, Disinformation Stunt Uptake of Respiratory Vaccines
A vaccination malaise that has beset much of the public appears to have extended to healthcare workers as well. In addition to citing an abysmal COVID-19 vaccination rate of 17% for healthcare workers during the 2022-2023 flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pointed to a “lack of provider recommendation” as one of four key reasons patients are skipping immunizations, with the others being concerns about serious side effects, the occurrence of minor side effects, and a lack of time or forgetfulness.
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CDC: PPE Should be Readily Available for Workers
New draft patient isolation guidelines recently approved by advisors to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasized that healthcare workers have N95 respirators, masks, eye protection, and other personal protective equipment readily available.