AMDA’s new COVID vaccine PowerPoint can help answer resident, staff concerns
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 09, 2020
A toolkit created by industry clinicians aims to help long-term care operators address questions about getting vaccinated. A PowerPoint presentation is available to share with staff and residents.
FDA publishes face mask, respirator FAQs for healthcare providers
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 30, 2020
The new webpage includes links to detailed information on a variety of subjects, including how to report shortages of face masks, surgical masks and respirators.
Moderna’s COVID vaccine tops 90% efficacy, can be refrigerated for 1 month
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 17, 2020
Moderna’s trial vaccine will have big distribution advantages over Pfizer’s similarly successful candidate if both drugs are approved by the FDA.
U.S. labs predict COVID test delays, cite surge in demand
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 16, 2020
Long-term care facilities soon may face longer waits for PCR test results as diagnostic laboratories reach or exceed testing capacity, lab reps say. The warning comes as U.S. COVID cases spike upward.
It’s official: Community pharmacies partner with feds for COVID vaccine distribution
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 16, 2020
Future vaccines will be available to community pharmacies through partnerships with network
administrators, HHS has announced. The public-private collaboration will help cover expected distribution gaps,...
Avoid ‘over-reliance’ on respirators, OSHA urges LTC operators in new guidance
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 05, 2020
The agency has issued new respiratory protection guidance for long-term care industry workers with the goal of preserving supplies of N95 face masks.
Expect false positives: FDA letter to providers explains COVID antigen test results
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 05, 2020
The agency clarifies that rapid antigen tests, “like all diagnostic tests,” are subject to false positive results, especially in low prevalence settings. It offers recommendations for administering...
CMS test protocol misses too many asymptomatic workers: statewide COVID study
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 04, 2020
If the goal is to identify all asymptomatic nursing home staff, comprehensive repeat testing may be needed regardless of COVID positivity rates in the community, investigators told McKnight’s.
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.
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.