Apr 11th, 2021 - The COVID-19 crisis has created unanticipated changes in health care delivery for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS). The pandemic's rapid evolution has resulted in a knowledge gap in how COVID-19 has affected MS clinical practice. Our objective was to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected clinical practice patterns in a nationwide cohort of MS clinicians across the United S...

Apr 8th, 2021 - Background: The available personal protective equipment (PPE) is insufficient to provide adequate protection during high-risk aerosol-generating procedures, and their shortage was reported. The full-face snorkel masks were modified to be used as PPE. However, little is known about their use in medical practice. Methods: The available masks were assessed and compared in terms of safety, comfort,...

Apr 8th, 2021 - Editor's note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape's Coronavirus Resource Center. Dr. Anthony Fauci thanked America's health care workers, who "every single day put themselves at risk" during the pandemic, even as he acknowledged that PPE shortages had contributed to the deaths of more than 3,600 of them. "We rightfully refer to these people without hyperbole — that they are ...

Apr 8th, 2021 - In many countries, the worldwide spread of COVID-19 has led to a near total stop of non-urgent, elective surgeries across all specialties during the first wave's peak of the pandemic. For providers of aesthetic surgery procedures or minimal invasive cosmetic treatments, this led to a huge socio-economic impact worldwide. In order to evaluate valid clinical management strategies for future pande...

Apr 8th, 2021 - In response to personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages in the United States due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019, two models of N95 respirators were evaluated for reuse after gamma radiation sterilization. Gamma sterilization is attractive for PPE reuse because it can sterilize large quantities of material through hermetically sealed packaging, providing safety and logistic benefits. The G...

Apr 7th, 2021 - Editor's note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape's Coronavirus Resource Center.   More than 3,600 U.S. health care workers perished in the first year of the pandemic, according to "Lost on the Frontline," a 12-month investigation by The Guardian and KHN to track such deaths. Lost on the Frontline is the most complete accounting of U.S. health care worker deaths. The federal...

Apr 5th, 2021 - Editor's note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape's Coronavirus Resource Center. The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc both in the United States and globally, causing over 540,000 deaths nationally and over 2. 7 million deaths worldwide A major reason for this PPE shortage is that the United States has been too heavily reliant on one country — China — for PPE and other med...

Apr 5th, 2021 - During viral pandemics, filtering facepiece (FFP) masks together with eye protection form the essential components of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers. There remain concerns regarding insufficient global supply and imperfect protection offered by currently available PPE strategies. A range of full-face snorkel masks were adapted to accept high grade medical respiratory...

Apr 3rd, 2021 - Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, outpatient caregivers are exposed to new serious health threats at work. To protect their health, effective occupational health and safety measures (OHSM) are necessary. Outpatient caregivers (n = 15) participated in semi-structured telephone interviews in May/June 2020 (1) to examine the pandemic-related OHSM that have been implemented i...

Apr 3rd, 2021 - This study aimed to identify knowledge gaps regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and develop an integrated educational program for healthcare workers. First, we designed and validated ten multiple-choice questions to identify knowledge gaps among healthcare workers. Within one month of the online test and curriculum offering, 5533 staff had completed the test, with a completion rate of...

Apr 3rd, 2021 - The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed health workers to a diverse set of hazards impacting their physical, psychological and social wellbeing. This review aims to provide an overview of the categories of the psychosocial risk factors and hazards affecting HCWs during the Covid-19 pandemic and the recommendations for prevention. We used the scoping review methodology to collate categories of psychos...

Apr 3rd, 2021 - This study aims to identify factors related with SARS-CoV-2 infection in physicians and internal residents during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic at a tertiary hospital in Spain, through a cross- sectional descriptive perception study with analytical components through two questionnaires directed at professionals working at the Ramon y Cajal University Hospital between February and April 2020. In total...

Apr 3rd, 2021 - When a disaster occurs during a pandemic, it would be a case of concurrent crises (synonymous to cascading disasters or compounding disasters). The single-hazard approach to disaster response system is not suited for this scenario. As shown from the experiences of the Philippines, India, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, the conventional single-hazard approach needed to integrate new measures, ...

Apr 2nd, 2021 - During the first months of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Spain had the highest mortality rate and the second-highest infection rate in the world. To analyze the occupational situation of dentists, hygienists, and dental auxiliary staff during the peak of the pandemic, after the state of alarm was declared in Spain, and when the state of alarm was declared. In addition, a pos...

Mar 31st, 2021 - There have been 1.2 million cases of COVID in long-term care residents and staff in the United States, and more than 132,000 people have already died. Nursing facilities account for almost a quarter of COVID deaths nationwide, and although nearly all residents in long-term care homes received vaccines, fewer than half the staff have been vaccinated and many don't have the protective equipment t...

Mar 31st, 2021 - In March of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic spread rapidly within the United States and began overwhelming the health care system. To conserve PPE, reduce the spread of the virus, and keep student learners safe, leaders of medical schools across the country made the difficult decision to suspend in-person clinical experiences. As medical students were sent home and hospital systems ramped up their ...

Mar 30th, 2021 - Pediatric Emergency Departments (PEDs) have experienced unique considerations throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We review the adaptations and challenges surrounding the preparation and response for pediatric emergency patients, with a specific focus on operational modifications, evolving personal protected equipment (PPE) needs, protected resuscitation responses, clin...

Mar 29th, 2021 - Enhanced community surveillance is a key pillar of the public health response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Asymptomatic carriage of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a potentially significant source of transmission, yet remains relatively poorly understood. Disruption of dental services continues with significantly reduced capacity. Ongoing precautions i...

Mar 29th, 2021 - Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape's Coronavirus Resource Center. JOHN WHYTE: Welcome, everyone. I'm Dr. John Whyte, Chief Medical Officer at WebMD. And you're watching Coronavirus in Context. For the last few months, we've been talking about the impact of coronavirus on vulnerable populations. But honestly, one population that we've overlooked are tribal populations. So tod...

Mar 29th, 2021 - The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages in spring 2020, necessitating crisis protocols. An online survey was administered to all Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology members in October, 2020 to assess PPE availability and crisis standards utilized in fall, 2020. In total, 1,081 infection preventionists (IP) participated. A q...