CDC advisers: Long-term care workers, residents should receive first COVID-19 vaccinations
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 02, 2020
An influential committee on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to recommend that healthcare personnel and residents in long-term care should be the very first recipients of COVID-19 vaccinations. The vote reflects...
Feds mull shortened COVID-19 quarantine period
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 30, 2020
There is “a preponderance of evidence” that a shorter quarantine period, complemented by a COVID-19 test, could effectively prevent transmission of the disease, according to Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant...
Rollout of COVID antibody therapy requires clinician feedback, U.S. officials say
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 11, 2020
Federal agencies say they will depend on clinician input during distribution of Eli Lilly’s new intravenous antibody therapy for high-risk COVID-19 patients.
Nursing home COVID cases rise four-fold in surge states, resident deaths double, data shows
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 10, 2020
The rising weekly case count includes residents and staff in 20 states. Meanwhile, about one in six nursing homes did not report testing staff members in the prior week.
Don’t shelve rapid tests as COVID cases climb, advocates implore nursing homes
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 03, 2020
Industry advocates say it’s time for facility operators who have not made full use of rapid antigen tests to start doing so — before nursing home deaths begin to spike again. CMS must “take to...
Clinical briefs for Thursday, Oct. 29
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 29, 2020
HHS awards nursing homes $333M in COVID infection-control performance rewards … Severe COVID may age the brain by a decade, researchers say … All adults with endocrine disorders should receive cholesterol,...
‘We want more tests, not less’: HHS doubles down on COVID antigen testing
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 27, 2020
Testing is critical to keeping the coronavirus in check in long-term care facilities as U.S. case counts trend back upward, said Adm. Brett Giroir, M.D. Federal agencies continue to deliver antigen tests...
LTC, community pharmacies vie for role in federal COVID vaccine initiative
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 23, 2020
Nursing home and assisted living operators should talk with their existing pharmacy provider about their capability to participate in the federal government’s new COVID-19 vaccine delivery program,...
Rural seniors with dementia have longer nursing home stays, study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 23, 2020
Rural Medicare recipients with Alzheimer’s and related dementias have longer nursing home stays and shorter survival time following diagnosis than their urban peers, investigators say.
Opt-in COVID vaccine program kicks off; Feds partner with CVS, Walgreens
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 19, 2020
Long-term care facilities nationwide can voluntarily opt in to a free pharmacy partnership program that will provide and administer future COVID-19 vaccines on site, federal officials announced Friday.