The COVID-19 mitigation strategies of social distancing, face coverings and handwashing not only will help to curb the spread of the coronavirus, they will help to lessen the severity of the upcoming flu...
FDA approves ‘breakthrough’ therapy for diabetic eye disorder
By
John Hall
Mar 26, 2015
The FDA announced Wednesday that it has granted “breakthrough therapy designation” to the drug Eylea, and expanded its approved use for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy in patients with...
CDC’s refreshed COVID guidance zeros in on the vulnerable
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 15, 2022
While easing its public guidance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is emphasizing a continued focus on protecting at-risk individuals, including the elderly and ill, from infection and poor...
LTC pharmacies pivot after feds call for timeout on J&J COVID vaccine
By
Danielle Brown
Apr 14, 2021
Long-term care pharmacies have stopped using the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and are awaiting further instruction from federal health officials, who recommended the halt while they investigate six...
CDC: Two booster shots cut severe COVID risk in nursing home residents by 74 percent
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 03, 2022
Nursing home residents who received a second mRNA booster shot during omicron were much less likely to suffer severe COVID-19 outcomes than their peers who received only one dose, a new study shows.
COVID testing requirements relaxed for fully vaccinated nursing home workers, residents
By
Danielle Brown
Apr 28, 2021
Fully vaccinated nursing home workers and other healthcare personnel who are asymptomatic can be exempt from expanded COVID-19 testing under new recommendations unveiled Tuesday by the Centers for Disease...
Unvaccinated nursing home staff in the hot seat as CDC investigates COVID-19 breakthrough cases
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jul 23, 2021
Several Colorado senior care facilities are at the center of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 investigation, and public health officials there are zeroing in on unvaccinated staff...
Pfizer, Moderna vaccines recommended over Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus shot
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 17, 2021
Americans should preferably be vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines due to a rare but serious risk of blood clots and the lesser protection found with the J&J vaccine, CDC says.
Provider groups develop heat map to aid coronavirus response; FEMA to deliver PPE
By
Danielle Brown
Apr 29, 2020
A newly-developed heat map of coronavirus cases in U.S. nursing homes and assisted living facilities will help to prioritize much-needed personal protective equipment and testing supplies for hard-hit...
With omicron spreading fast, officials implore nursing home providers to push COVID-19 booster shots
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 07, 2022
The surgeon general and CMS administrator Brooks-LaSure urged providers to “cut through the noise” about vaccines as outbreaks increase across facilities. Less than 28% of staff have gotten...