Personal Protective Equipment News and Research

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Carefully implemented infection-control measures can prevent COVID-19 transmission in hospitals

As COVID-19 began to surge in the Boston area earlier this year, new infection control measures were put in place at Brigham and Women's Hospital to protect patients and staff. Over the ensuing weeks, infection control policies continued to evolve, eventually encompassing:

10 Sep 2020

Telehealth spikes up to offer patient care while minimizing COVID-19 exposure

Hailed for its ability to erase distance between health care providers in cities and patients in rural areas, telehealth has ironically enabled medical care to continue in a time when we all must keep our distance.

9 Sep 2020

COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions to child and maternal health services, show surveys

With the number of under-five deaths at an all-time recorded low of 5.2 million in 2019, disruptions in child and maternal health services due to the COVID-19 pandemic are putting millions of additional lives at stake

9 Sep 2020

Behind the Byline: ‘At least I got the shot’

Although the coronavirus pandemic shut down many organizations and businesses across the nation, KHN has never been busier - and health coverage has never been more vital.

8 Sep 2020

Transparent Government builds trust and successful COVID-19 containment

The combined impact of the pandemic and these non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) has taken a heavy toll on society, and this has led to much discussion as to the relative merits of these measures. A recent study published on the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020 shows that public trust is vital for the success of any such intervention.

6 Sep 2020

Individual biocontainment unit protects health care workers against aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 virus

Especially in settings where personal protective equipment, or PPE, is in short supply, intubation -- inserting a breathing tube down a patient's throat -- poses a major risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure for doctors and nurses as viral particles are released into the air.

3 Sep 2020

Simulation platform teaches students the fundamentals of responses to pandemics

In 2015, a team of specialists in modeling disease outbreaks got together with educators to create Operation Outbreak, an educational platform and simulation intended to teach high school and college students the fundamentals of responses to pandemics.

3 Sep 2020

VUMC launches clinical trial of promising COVID-19 treatments in outpatient setting

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is launching a clinical trial of promising treatments for COVID-19 in the outpatient setting.

2 Sep 2020

Health officials worry nation is not ready for COVID-19 vaccine

Millions of Americans are counting on a COVID-19 vaccine to curb the global pandemic and return life to normal.

2 Sep 2020

Silicon nitride shows potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralization capability

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in August 2020 shows that the man-made compound silicon nitride, which is used in medical implants and high mechanical performance engineering applications, is capable of inactivating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at varying concentrations without causing cell cytotoxicity. This finding should be investigated to develop disinfectants to clear the virus from surfaces, preventing its spread.

1 Sep 2020

Med students ‘feel very behind’ because of COVID-induced disruptions in training

COVID-19 is disrupting just about every student's 2020 education, but medical students have it particularly hard right now.

31 Aug 2020

N95 respirators designed for single use can be decontaminated effectively

N95 respirators, which are widely worn by health care workers treating patients with COVID-19 and are designed to be used only once, can be decontaminated effectively and used up to three times, according to research by UCLA scientists and colleagues.

27 Aug 2020

Pence praises Trump’s ‘seamless’ COVID response, leaves out his state feuds

Vice President Mike Pence portrayed his boss, President Donald Trump, as a leader who has reached out across the aisle to help during the coronavirus pandemic.

27 Aug 2020

COVID-19 model reduces up to 70% of infection rate in Italy

Infection has been reduced up to 70% as of May 1st. Thanks to the developed model, scenarios can be drawn regarding future containment measures.

27 Aug 2020

Two Navajo sisters who were inseparable died of COVID just weeks apart

Cheryl and Corrina Thinn were almost joined at the hip. The sisters, both members of the Navajo Nation, shared an office at Arizona’s Tuba City Regional Health Care. Cheryl conducted reviews to make sure patients were receiving adequate care. Corrina was a social worker. Their desks were just inches apart.

26 Aug 2020

Many people of color, immigrants among 1,080 US health workers lost to COVID

More than 1,000 front-line health care workers reportedly have died of COVID-19, according to Lost on the Frontline, an ongoing investigation by The Guardian and KHN to track and memorialize every U.S. health care worker who dies from the coronavirus.

26 Aug 2020

Studies identify a more rapid method to decontaminate N95 masks

Two Rutgers-led studies have identified a more rapid method to decontaminate N95 masks using vaporized hydrogen peroxide – making reuse of masks more economically feasible and practical for health care workers on the frontlines against COVID-19.

24 Aug 2020

Swab, spit, stay home? College coronavirus testing plans are all over the map

Yousuf El-Jayyousi, a junior engineering student at the University of Missouri, wanted guidance and reassurance that it would be safe to go back to school for the fall semester. He tuned into a pair of online town halls organized by the university hoping to find that.

21 Aug 2020

Study: More than 20% of nursing homes in the U.S. still report staff, PPE shortages

Nearly half of all COVID-19 deaths in the United States have occurred among nursing home residents, whose age, chronic medical conditions, and congregate living quarters place them and their caregivers at high risk of contracting the disease.

20 Aug 2020

On-duty firefighters more likely to be exposed to potentially harmful chemicals

A new Oregon State University study suggests that firefighters are more likely to be exposed to potentially harmful chemicals while on duty compared to off duty.

20 Aug 2020