Personal Protective Equipment News and Research

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Risk of SARS-CoV-2 spread to bats

A recent bioRxiv* preprint offers a powerful risk assessment approach to estimate the risk of bat exposure to SARS-CoV-2 from humans during their interactions in the wild.

4 Jun 2021

How can nanomaterials help in the fight against COVID-19?

Researchers have reviewed different types of nanomaterials and how they can be used for the detection, prevention, and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

3 Jun 2021

New survey highlights key role of ECT for treating severe depression, other conditions

When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in North America in March 2020, health care facilities stopped providing all but "essential" care, to reduce infection risks and preserve protective gear known as PPE.

3 Jun 2021

Negative peripartum experiences with the onset of COVID-19: Belgian midwifery case study

It is well known that the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted most non-essential healthcare services, including antenatal care. A new study from Belgium presents a snapshot of the experiences of midwives in that country during the months of May and June 2020.

27 May 2021

Italian HCW study reaffirms Pfizer-BioNTech effectiveness against COVID-19

Real-world data from Pasquale Stefanizzi of Aldo Moro University in Italy and colleagues confirm that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine effectively prevents COVID-19 infection.

26 May 2021

Survey shows health care workers face unsafe working conditions, experience fear

A new report summarizes the findings from a national survey of frontline health care workers during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that many reported unsafe working conditions and retaliation for voicing their concerns to employers.

26 May 2021

Research looks at viral presence around hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Researchers in Canada aimed to determine the burden of SARS-CoV-2 in the air and on surfaces in the rooms of patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

25 May 2021

Healthcare workers were three times more likely to get infected by COVID-19, shows study

A study of healthcare workers shows they were three times more likely to become infected during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the general population. Around one in five of workers who were infected were asymptomatic and unaware they had COVID-19.

25 May 2021

Could an antiviral mouthwash using silver nanoparticles prevent COVID-19?

In a recent study by researchers in Mexico, Russia and Spain, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were found to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare workers. They propose a non-pharmaceutical public health intervention consisting of mouthwash and nose rinse with an AgNPs solution to reduce morbidity among healthcare personnel exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

24 May 2021

Electrospun nanofibrous filters capture 99.9 percent of coronavirus aerosols, study finds

Researchers at The George Washington University and the University of California in the U.S. compared the efficacy of surgical and cotton masks, a neck gaiter, and electrospun nanofiber membranes to capture coronavirus aerosols and prevent airborne transmission.

21 May 2021

Resuming global childhood vaccination campaigns during the COVID-19 pandemic

New research published on the medRxiv* preprint server suggests childhood vaccination to prevent other infectious diseases has plummeted during the pandemic. The decrease appears to stem from the suspension of health campaigns promoting immunization and the risk of catching the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative pathogen of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

20 May 2021

Study investigates mental health consequences of COVID-19 geriatric care in nursing homes

No matter one's age, race, gender, socioeconomic status or political party, COVID-19 has impacted everyone at some level. That impact has been especially palpable for the approximately 1.3 million elderly Americans who reside in the country's 15,600 nursing homes.

19 May 2021

Newly-developed respirator hood is a safe, effective personal protective equipment for COVID-19

Research by the University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton has demonstrated that a newly-developed respirator hood is a safe form of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline healthcare workers and support staff.

15 May 2021

Learning health system approach can help reduce the risk of hospital-acquired pressure injuries

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare systems scrambled to modify patient care processes - particularly when it came to strategies aimed at reducing the risk of hospital-related complications.

7 May 2021

Hit by higher prices for gear, doctors and dentists want insurers to pay

Treating patients has become more expensive during the pandemic, and doctors and dentists don't want to be on the hook for all the new costs.

5 May 2021

Big investors push nursing homes to upgrade care and working conditions

Nursing homes and long-term care facilities, where 182,000 Americans perished during the covid pandemic, have taken heat from government regulators, residents and their families. Now the industry is hearing it from an unexpected source: their investors.

27 Apr 2021

Pandemic imperiled non-English speakers more than others

In March 2020, just weeks into the Covid-19 pandemic, the incident command center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston was scrambling to understand this deadly new disease. It appeared to be killing more Black and brown patients than whites. For Latinos, there was an additional warning sign: language.

27 Apr 2021

Study shows over 2% positivity rate for asymptomatic pediatric dental patients tested for COVID-19

A study by a University of Illinois Chicago pediatric dentist has shown a novel way to track potential COVID-19 cases -- testing children who visit the dentist. The study also showed an over 2% positivity rate for the asymptomatic children tested.

26 Apr 2021

Cleaning frequency key to limiting SARS-CoV-2 spread at theme parks

A new preprint research paper provides some insights into how this may be done using computational modeling. The study, which appeared on the medRxiv server, deals with the mitigation strategies that must be implemented in order to contain the virus.

22 Apr 2021

Study explores how lessons from past crises could improve the pandemic response

The lack of accountability, poor communication and insufficient planning plaguing the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic -- especially in its early months -- have roots in how the nation responded to 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and the H1N1 swine flu, a new study involving the University of Washington found.

20 Apr 2021