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.
Emergency sick days may have helped flatten the U.S. COVID curve
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 19, 2020
States that gained access to emergency paid sick leave during the pandemic saw 400 fewer COVID-19 cases per day, a new study has found.
Neuropathic pain drugs ranked for efficacy in real-life comparison study
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 19, 2020
Among four drugs commonly used to treat unexplained neuropathic pain in seniors, two stand out as the most effective and least likely to be discontinued, physician researchers report.
Verma: CMS to ensure free COVID vaccine for seniors, Medicaid beneficiaries
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 16, 2020
The agency has a plan to expedite the new coverage and will provide more information before the end of October, Verma said. CMS is also working on appropriate Medicare fees for administration of potential...
Clinical briefs for Thursday, Oct. 15
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 15, 2020
CDC updates COVID vaccine information for healthcare workers … Mild-to-moderate COVID-19 ‘highly unlikely’ to be infectious after day 10: study … Certain blood pressure meds tied to lower mortality...
CDC: Prepare for COVID cases to rise in elders when young adult infections surge
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 14, 2020
In hotspot counties, surges in COVID infections begin in younger adults, followed by “several weeks” of increases in older age groups, agency investigators have found.
J&J delaying vaccine trials due to ‘unexplained illness’
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 14, 2020
Late-stage COVID-19 vaccine trials by Johnson & Johnson have been temporarily halted due to an “unexplained illness in a study participant,” the company reported Monday.
Feds race to buy COVID antibody cocktails
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 14, 2020
The federal government is planning to stockpile COVID-19 antibody drugs in an effort to ensure treatment availability while the country awaits a vaccine.
Coordinate locally to lower COVID-19 burden, facility study suggests
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 13, 2020
Three Michigan nursing homes worked hand-in-hand with local referral hospitals and labs to successfully contain facility COVID-19 outbreaks.
Stop antigen testing in skilled nursing facilities, Nevada tells operators
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 09, 2020
Nursing facilities in Nevada have been ordered to stop using COVID-19 rapid antigen tests due to apparent diagnostic inaccuracies. Health officials say they will gather more data before issuing updated...