New COVID-19 test kits promised as LTC operators contend with shortages, slow PCR results
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 03, 2022
Five million Celltion brand rapid tests will be shipped over a five-week period to facilities as they contend with testing supply shortages and slow lab turnaround times.
Long COVID symptoms lasted 3 years after infection for half of those infected, study finds
By
Kristen Fischer
Nov 28, 2023
If there’s one thing we know for sure about long COVID it’s that the symptoms can linger. A new study shows just how long symptoms can persist.
OSHA accepting new comments on healthcare worker COVID-19 protection rule
By
Lois A. Bowers
Mar 23, 2022
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is accepting additional comments as it establishes a final rule meant to protect long-term care workers and other healthcare providers from exposure to...
Study: C. difficile transmission may hinge on individuals, not infection control tools
By
Kristen Fischer
Sep 19, 2023
A person’s biology may play more of a role in how Clostridioides difficile, or C. diff, spreads more so than healthcare facility preventive measures, a new study finds. This means that transmission of...
COVID-19 vaccinations are essentially at a standstill in U.S. nursing homes and assisted living communities due to federal officials’ call today for a pause on the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
College town coronavirus outbreak linked to rise in nursing home cases and deaths
By
Danielle Brown
Oct 23, 2020
Officials of a Wisconsin college town are sounding the alarm after a rise in coronavirus cases among students in September was followed by a devastating increase in cases and deaths among nursing home...
U.S. lawmakers ramp up scrutiny of FDA following agency’s approval of controversial Alzheimer’s drug
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 07, 2021
The FDA is being asked to help explain how Aduhelm (aducanumab) met accelerated approval criteria when so many experts — including internal advisers — have flagged insufficient safety and efficacy...
Blood test accurate, consistent at spotting Alzheimer’s, dementia-linked proteins
By
Kristen Fischer
Jan 24, 2024
A new blood test that can spot amyloid and tau in the brain should be on the market soon. The test worked well to accurately and consistently identify accumulations of the proteins implicated in Alzheimer’s...
Thanksgiving comfort: Phone calls, emails work best to reduce residents’ loneliness, boost spirits
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 24, 2020
According to the Yale School of Public Health, regular phone calls or emails may provide the most solace for people living in long-term care facilities. This includes remote calls, and phone calls while...
Symptomless COVID infections found in almost half of US adults, CDC says
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 05, 2022
Approximately 44% of US adults were “possibly asymptomatically infected,” between August 2021 and May 2022, blood serum evidence shows.