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Study of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in >5,000 healthcare workers

To address this, Daniel J Cooper and his team of researchers conducted a prospective seroepidemiological study to systematically evaluate specific risk factors for healthcare workers. They used a SARS-CoV-2 immunoassay and analyzed the risk factors for seropositivity using multivariate logistic regression.

9 Nov 2020

Health workers with religious beards experiencing professional discrimination amid COVID-19, UK study finds

A new study conducted by researchers across the UK has looked at how male health workers with religious beards have been affected by workplace practices during the pandemic. The researchers from Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport, UK, sought to determine some of the effects on male healthcare workers who had been asked to remove their beards in light of personal protective equipment (PPE) policies, particularly strict mask fit-testing stipulations.

8 Nov 2020

Providing the best psychiatric care within a safe environment during COVID-19 pandemic

The very heart of inpatient care for psychiatric patients is socialization, group therapy, shared meals, and a standard two people per room. Then COVID-19 hit with the accompanying public health warnings to isolate, socially distance, and wear masks.

4 Nov 2020

Zinc-embedded polyamide fabrics are effective in absorbing and inactivating SARS-CoV-2

An international team of scientists has recently demonstrated that zinc-embedded polyamine fibers can effectively absorb and inactivate human respiratory viruses, including influenza A virus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Thus, a face mask or other personal protective equipment (PPE) made from this fiber is expected to provide better protection against viral transmission.

4 Nov 2020

‘Is this worth my life?’: Traveling health workers decry COVID care conditions

David Joel Perea called from Maine, Vermont, Minnesota and, ultimately, Nevada, always with the same request: "Mom, can you send tamales?" Dominga Perea would ship them overnight.

4 Nov 2020

Infection prevention practices during COVID-19 result in shorter hospital stays for moms, babies

New infection prevention practices implemented during the coronavirus pandemic have resulted in significantly shorter hospital stays for mothers and their babies, according to investigators at Cedars-Sinai, with no changes in the rates of cesarean deliveries, complications or poor outcomes.

3 Nov 2020

‘His lies are killing my neighbors’: Swing-state health workers try to defeat Trump

Dr. Chris Kapsner intubated his first COVID-19 patient — a 47-year-old man who arrived short of breath at an emergency room in Minnesota's Twin Cities — back in April.

2 Nov 2020

Why state mask stockpiling orders are hurting nursing homes, small providers

Nursing homes, small physician offices and rural clinics are being left behind in the rush for N95 masks and other protective gear, exposing some of the country's most vulnerable populations and their caregivers to COVID-19 while larger, wealthier health care facilities build equipment stockpiles.

30 Oct 2020

Despite COVID concerns, teams venture into nursing homes to get out the vote

Each time Beverly Tucker visited a nursing home or long-term care facility this fall, she brought along a rolling tote bag packed with supplies from the Durham County Board of Elections.

29 Oct 2020

Researchers test effectiveness of different fabric masks at filtering particles

A team of researchers have tested everything from t-shirts and socks to jeans and vacuum bags to determine what type of mask material is most effective at trapping the ultrafine particles which may contain viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19.

29 Oct 2020

Autonomous robot uses UV light to kill COVID-19

Ultraviolet light is a form of radiation that can be used for sterilization and disinfection. With schools and offices beginning to meet in-person again despite little change in the rate of COVID-19 infections, easy, low-cost sterilization strategies are necessary to curb the spread of the pandemic.

28 Oct 2020

Fear and isolation drives PTSD among health/social workers in COVID-19

A new study, published on the preprint server medRxiv* in October 2020, identifies the factors that predict distress in HSCW and emphasizes the importance of adequate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE).

27 Oct 2020

Graphene-enhanced PPE for COVID-19

To tackle this need, nanotechnology researchers from Italy have suggested using bidimensional graphene to improve existing PPE kits. Their research is published on the preprint server medRxiv.

25 Oct 2020

Nigeria safely relaunches accelerated yellow fever vaccination campaigns

While combatting multiple public health challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Nigeria, with support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance will safely relaunch an accelerated series of mass preventive vaccination campaigns to protect Nigerians against yellow fever (YF).

23 Oct 2020

New project to use plasma jets to decontaminate vital medical equipment exposed to Covid-19 virus

A NEW project developed by Lancaster University's Health Innovation Campus and Material Science Institute will see pioneering technology used to decontaminate vital medical equipment exposed to the Covid-19 virus, via a partnership with University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.

19 Oct 2020