Hospital Employee Health – March 1, 2021
March 1, 2021
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Vaccines Threatened, Still Effective Against COVID-19 Variants
Current vaccines are holding against an emerging array of highly transmissible SARS-COV-2 variant strains, but researchers are warning that a somewhat literal “arms race” has begun between immunization science and relentless evolution.
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New CDC Director Takes Helm Amid Raging Pandemic
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has seen its pandemic response politicized and undermined over the past year, but a new director appointed by the Biden administration aims to restore the battered agency to its world-class standing.
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Overcoming COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Healthcare Workers
A striking 20% of nurses in the United States are refusing offers to be immunized with COVID-19 vaccine, according to the results of a national survey.
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CDC: Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Causes Rare Anaphylactic Shock
From Dec. 21, 2020, to Jan. 10, 2021, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System detected 10 cases of severe anaphylaxis after immunization with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Ten cases coming out 4,041,396 first doses of the vaccine translates to 2.5 cases per million shots administered.
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Healthcare Personnel Use of PPE for COVID-19 Spurs Fungal Outbreak
Healthcare personnel’s (HCP) practice of wearing multiple layers of gowns and gloves to treat COVID-19 patients contributed to an outbreak of Candida auris bloodstream infections at a Florida hospital, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
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CDC Revises COVID-19 Quarantine Guidance
In a move that affects healthcare workers and their patients, the CDC has refined its guidance regarding the length of quarantine for individuals exposed to COVID-19. Previously, CDC recommendations stated those exposed to someone with the virus should quarantine for 14 days to prevent the potential spread of the disease to others. However, experts have concluded a shorter quarantine period should be safe in most cases.
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Pandemic Fatigue Is Real, but Is Public Masking Improving?
As SARS-CoV-2 variant strains emerge and vaccine supplies remain uncertain, the need to mask, social distance, and use other nonpharmaceutical interventions is critical. Researchers found that masking increased from 39% to 89% from April to November 2020.