Risk of COVID-19 death rare in vaccinated, even among at-risk seniors with comorbidities: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 10, 2022
Investigators drew on data from 1.2 million U.S. patients who completed a primary vaccination series by October 2021. Severe COVID-19 outcomes, including respiratory failure, ICU admission, or death, were...
Newly identified ‘auto-antibody’ mechanism may play key role in seniors’ COVID deaths
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 23, 2021
The finding may explain why some people — and notably older adults — suffer more severe COVID-19 illness than others. The discovery has implications for treatment timing and vaccination, investigators...
Geriatrician survey: Swift telehealth adoption was ‘instrumental’ to pandemic patient care
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 18, 2022
Responses by Genesis HealthCare physicians offer insight into the dramatic shift in care delivery that took place as COVID-19 raged in 2020.
CDC to fund LTC infection control strike teams nationwide starting in October
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 20, 2021
The initiative will allow states and other U.S. jurisdictions to “staff, train and deploy” strike teams to help long-term care operations with known or suspected COVID-19 infections, CDC says.
The COVID race: Vaccines 90% effective in frontline workers, but variant cases rising
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 30, 2021
The pace of U.S. vaccinations must hold up against the effects of spreading virus variants to keep further outbreaks under control, according to the CDC and expert observers.
Common autoimmune drugs reduce mortality, up clinical status in COVID-19: NIH
By
Alicia Lasek (f3)
Jun 06, 2022
Two commonly used autoimmune drugs could be used in addition to standard-of-care treatments to improve COVID-19 outcomes, the agency says.
Safety means ‘seeing the virus’: Atria recounts rollout of 18,000 tests early in pandemic
By
Alicia Lasek
Jun 09, 2021
Finding a way to conduct COVID-19 testing among 31,000 residents and staff members across multiple states helped the senior living giant to “seal out” outbreaks and show that its communities were safe...
Seven-month study supports benefits of COVID-19 antivirals in seniors
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 15, 2022
With monoclonal antibodies no longer effective against newer strains of SARS-CoV-2, the findings support prescribing the antiviral pill Paxlovid to eligible patients, doctors say.
Omicron remains lethal in the older and unvaccinated, former CDC chief warns
Mar 23, 2022
The next wave of COVID-19 is on its way and unvaccinated elders are at risk of being hit hard, according to former CDC director Tom Frieden, M.D. “If we learn quickly and act quickly, we can outmaneuver...
CMS opens visitation to nursing homes after year of isolation
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 11, 2021
“Facilities should allow responsible indoor visitation at all times” — no matter the vaccination status of resident or visitor, the agency now says. Its action follows the remarkable, apparent...