Face masks an anxiety-provoking obstacle for many with hearing loss, survey finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 03, 2021
Fully 95% of people living with hearing loss in the United States say that masks and face-coverings are creating communication barriers, and more than half say they are experiencing anxiety and isolation...
Occupation not the biggest risk factor for COVID infection in healthcare workers, new study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 02, 2021
Race and community transmission outweigh occupation as risk factors for contracting COVID-19, with the risk to Black healthcare workers nearly double that of their white peers, researchers say.
Education changes may account for reduced sex differences in cognitive aging: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 02, 2021
In an older birth cohort, women had poorer verbal fluency scores than men, a measure that’s been linked to dementia risk. But this difference progressively reversed in groups that were born more...
Makers of newer vaccines tout advantages as trial results and approvals announced
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 01, 2021
Two drugmakers say their vaccines, which include J&J’s one-dose candidate, are effective against new coronavirus variants, while AstraZeneca’s vaccine is now approved for adults across the...
A nap’s benefits: Afternoon snooze tied to better memory in older adults
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 01, 2021
A new study has found significantly better cognitive function results in older adults who take a regular afternoon nap. But “unintentional” nappers didn’t perform as well on word recall,...
Drinking alcohol is a valued pastime for some long-term care residents, but purposeful policies can keep the practice from becoming a moral, logistical and legal quagmire for facility operators, say forensic...
COVID hospitalizations in Israel fall by 60 percent three weeks after vaccinations
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 26, 2021
In a study involving more than 50,000 patients, COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations appeared to begin falling sharply at about 18 days after a first vaccine dose, and by even more after the second.
Clinical briefs for Monday, Jan. 25
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 25, 2021
Study confirms that gastrointestinal surgery can reverse type 2 diabetes … COVID-19 virus triggers antibodies from previous coronavirus infections … British prime minister: ‘Some evidence’ UK virus...
CDC evaluation of BinaxNOW shows mixed performance in asymptomatic cases
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 21, 2021
The antigen test kit sent to nursing homes nationwide last year has some major pluses, despite the potential for false negatives when compared with molecular tests, the agency reports.
A potential ‘miracle’? Feds push monoclonal antibody treatments toward SNFs
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jan 19, 2021
COVID-19 monoclonal antibodies are now widely available for use by skilled nursing facilities — and early results show promise, according to long-term care pharmacy leaders.