Location tracking reveals how COVID-19 may spread between nursing homes
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 24, 2020
Tracking de-identified smartphone movement between nursing homes confirms that shared staff is a likely source of COVID-19 transmission, investigators say.
Quit treating pandemic’s toll on nursing homes like a ‘bad apples’ problem, expert...
By
Alicia Lasek
Jun 14, 2020
It’s time for the federal government to “own” the problem of containing COVID-19 by paying for and arranging testing across nursing facilities, long-term care policy expert David Grabowski...
Providers at risk of COVID-19 exposure offered online safety training: NIH
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 28, 2020
A virtual safety training program developed with private sector e-learning companies is now accessible on the agency’s website.
The dissent: CDC adviser fears loss of vaccine confidence
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 07, 2020
Although the first COVID-19 vaccines may be safe, symptoms or death from unrelated causes in the vulnerable LTC population may be incorrectly associated with immunization, one adviser says.
No BinaxNOW despite ‘red’ zone designation? Contact HHS, federal testing czar says
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 06, 2020
Eldercare facility operators who believe they are qualified but have not yet received shipments of BinaxNOW Ag Card tests for COVID-19 may email the agency at a dedicated address, Adm. Brett Giroir said...
CDC: COVID vaccines safe during pregnancy, allaying a top concern of nursing home workers
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 28, 2021
Pregnancy concerns are cited as one of the top reasons for vaccine hesitancy among long-term care workers, but there were no obvious signs of third trimester adverse events among pregnant women who received...
Fauci: ‘Pan-viral’ vaccine may be needed to tackle tenacious COVID-19 long-term
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 16, 2021
The virus that causes COVID-19 likely is here to stay, and its success in humans means that stronger defense measures will be needed, say Anthony Fauci, M.D., and colleagues from the National Institute...
Feds uncover coronavirus’s heavy toll on assisted living
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 20, 2020
As of Oct. 15, 22% of assisted living communities in 39 states reported cases of COVID-19 among residents and staff members. Rates ranged widely, from 1.3% of communities in Iowa to 93% of Connecticut...
Caution urged for use of azithromycin as COVID treatment
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 17, 2020
When taken together with commonly prescribed drugs that affect the heart’s electrical impulses, azithromycin is linked with a 40% increase in cardiac events. These include fainting, heart palpitations...
COVID-19-caused kidney injuries heighten demand for dialysis
By
Alicia Lasek
May 17, 2020
About 15% of patients hospitalized for coronavirus develop acute kidney injury. One SNF dialysis provider has seen a 114% increase in demand for its services.