LTC nurses who remain on the job are burned out, concerned for residents: news report
Oct 25, 2021
Staff shortages and work overload are taking a heavy toll, long-term care nurses and clinical administrators tell a news outlet in Maine. “We’re trying to make things work as best we can, but...
Merck to seek emergency use for COVID-19 antiviral pill that cuts severe outcomes by 50 percent
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 04, 2021
Molnupiravir has reduced COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations by half in a new clinical trial. An orally delivered drug could offer unprecedented treatment convenience, the drug’s developers say.
Nursing home staff vaccinations get a boost thanks to New York mandate; delta ups jabs nationwide
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 29, 2021
By midnight of its Monday deadline, New York state saw vaccination rates rise to 92% among nursing home and hospital workers, according to a new report.
COVID-19 antiviral drug trials expected to wrap up within months: report
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 27, 2021
Clinical trials for new COVID-19 antiviral drugs are expected to wrap up by winter, sparking hopes that a daily pill to treat COVID-19 infection is closer to fruition, according to a new report.
WHO: Antibody treatment most beneficial for seniors, the unvaccinated, and immunocompromised
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 27, 2021
The World Health Organization’s new guidance for using the REGEN-COV monoclonal antibody cocktail to treat COVID-19 covers a narrower group of patients than those included in the FDA’s updated...
CDC chief endorses COVID booster shots for nursing home residents, healthcare workers
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 24, 2021
Older and medically compromised adults and workers in high-risk settings should be offered third doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, M.D., said early Friday. Her decision...
Clinical briefs for Tuesday, Sept. 21
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 21, 2021
Humana reports rise in seniors’ COVID hospitalizations … Moderna shot leads pack at preventing COVID hospitalization, CDC finds … Experts unsure what flu has in store for this season … Drug combo...
Nursing homes, feds hide sky-high antipsychotic use with dubious diagnoses: report
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 20, 2021
At least one-fifth of nursing home residents are taking the drugs, many for schizophrenia, a diagnosis that has skyrocketed in these settings since 2012, a new investigation finds.
Vaccine potency wanes, but third COVID shot restores 95 percent efficacy, new data show
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 16, 2021
New data from vaccine maker Pfizer and Israel’s health ministry may help U.S. health agencies make a case for recommending COVID-19 booster shots, various sources report.
Dehydration plagues nursing home residents with COVID in facility study
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 16, 2021
Clinically significant dehydration is very common among residents with COVID-19 — especially those with dementia or delirium, investigators found. Care providers should be ready with IV fluids and a...