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Groups push for health worker COVID-19 vaccine mandates

Jul 13, 2021

A coalition of medical organizations on Tuesday called on health care facilities to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for employees. "Prior experience and current information suggest that a sufficient vaccination rate is unlikely to be achieved without making COVID-19 vaccination a condition of employment," the statement from the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the Infectious Diseases Society of America...

COVID Delta Variant Now Dominant U.S. Strain

Jul 09, 2021

The highly contagious Delta variant now accounts for more than half of all new coronavirus infections in the United States, new government data shows. The dangerous variant that crippled India recently currently makes up 51.7% of new infections in this country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . At the same time, the Alpha variant, which first surfaced in Britain and dominated infections...

Delta plus variant of SARS-CoV-2: How does it compare with the delta variant?

Jul 07, 2021

A novel SARS-CoV-2 variant, the delta plus variant, has been identified in over 10 countries. Health authorities are raising concerns that the variant may have an increased ability to transmit, but they also note that this variant’s transmissibility is likely similar to that of the preexisting delta variant. As ever more SARS-CoV-2 variants emerge, governments and public health experts continue to consider the...

Why the US isn't following the World Health Organization's mask guidance

Jul 04, 2021

The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are out of step in their COVID-19 mask guidance, prompting confusion. In light of sky-rocketing cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant around the globe, last week the WHO called for all vaccinated people to continue to wear masks. The CDC, however, has not followed suit. The U.S. agency still sticks by its guidance -- announced in May -- for...

World War II’s Lesson for After the Pandemic

Jun 29, 2021

The U.S. needs another innovation dream team. O n june 14, 1940, the day the German army invaded and occupied Paris, a small group of scientists marched to the White House with grave news for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. U.S. military technology, they said, was utterly unprepared to take on the Axis powers. They urged the president to create a new agency—a dream team of techies and scientists—to help win the war....

We’re Not Ready for Another Pandemic

Jun 28, 2021

The next big plague is coming, and despite making progress on pandemic preparedness, the U.S. might still suffer mass casualties. Here’s why. Ominous pathogens seem to arrive every few years: SARS in 2003, swine flu in 2009, Ebola in 2014 , Zika in 2016 , COVID-19 in 2019 . The World Health Organization calls these viral threats “ Disease X ,” both to encourage policy makers to think...

Health Care Job Opportunities Spike in US After Pandemic

Jun 25, 2021

The fastest growing jobs in the fastest growing field — STEM, or science, tech, engineering and mathematics — are in health care. “Health care is still booming,” said Marisa Streelman, the national director of the Academy of Medical Surgical Nurses, a professional association for nurses in the U.S. “Cybersecurity in healthcare, physical security, system improvements, telehealth, and the need for...

Delta is the 'most serious' variant, scientists say; Latinas left workforce at highest rate

Jun 22, 2021

As the Delta variant of COVID-19 tore through India last month, there was a lot of concern, but few answers about what would happen when it arrived in the United States. Now that it accounts for at least 6% of this country's infections, there are a few more answers. But it's still unclear whether Delta will go the mostly harmless way of other variants – or pose a serious threat to people who choose to skip COVID-19...

Tips for Advancing Your Career as a Nurse

Jun 18, 2021

Nursing is one of the most physically demanding but rewarding professions worldwide. In addition, it is one of the fastest-growing careers, especially in the United States. As the country’s largest profession in healthcare , this occupation is projected to grow at 15% for the next decade. Therefore, if you are interested in making the most out of this profession and, more importantly, for your career development, check...

Young, Black, Healthcare Heroes Are Tackling Disparities During Dueling Pandemics

Jun 16, 2021

From newly registered nurses to medical students, a strong pipeline of Black healthcare workers is needed more than ever Wearing an N-95 mask, a full-body yellow gown, and latex gloves, Rebecca Hamilton, a newly registered nurse, was ready for her fourth shift on the medical surgery floor at a local South Florida hospital. Full of nerves and grateful for the opportunities afforded to her, Rebecca's career as a Black registered...

Strong immune response protects young children from Covid-19, suggests study

Jun 13, 2021

Researchers said the findings could help design coronavirus vaccines for adults which mimic the protection shown in children. Young children have relative protection from coronavirus because their bodies produce a strong immune response to it, according to a new study. The University of Bristol and Bristol Royal Hospital for Children conducted research which found that infants produce relatively high levels of antibodies and immune...

The Fundamental Question of the Pandemic Is Shifting

Jun 11, 2021

During a pandemic, no one’s health is fully in their own hands. No field should understand that more deeply than public health, a discipline distinct from medicine. Whereas doctors and nurses treat sick individuals in front of them, public-health practitioners work to prevent sickness in entire populations. They are expected to think big. They know that infectious diseases are always collective problems because they are...

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