More than half of Americans now have antibodies against COVID-19, CDC reports
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 27, 2022
Nearly 58% of Americans had antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 by February 2022, meaning that a majority of the country’s population has been exposed to the virus, new CDC data reveals.
AARP calls on nursing homes to require COVID-19 boosters for residents, staff
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 21, 2022
COVID-19 infections are at an all-time high among residents and staff and resident death rates are rising. Now is the time to “get shots in arms,” AARP leaders urged operators.
Omicron renders Pfizer vaccine less effective; variant surge to hit U.S. by January
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 15, 2021
The vaccine is less able to prevent infection, but retains 70% protection against hospitalization, a new study shows. The news comes as federal health officials warn that omicron is spreading rapidly in...
Severe breakthrough cases spiked among seniors after delta appeared: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 07, 2021
The more time that had elapsed since vaccination, the greater the odds of severe reinfection illness for older patients, physicians from Yale University found. The results highlight the need for timely...
Monoclonal antibodies excel in treating COVID-19 breakthrough cases, Mayo Clinic says
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 19, 2021
Monoclonal antibody treatment lowers the odds of hospitalization by 77% in patients with COVID-19 breakthrough infections, investigators say. These SARS-CoV-2 reinfections have become more common in long-term...
Delirium present in 60 percent of residents’ acute illnesses, but tricky to diagnosis: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 15, 2021
Delirium may accompany 60% of the acute illnesses and adverse health events that occur commonly among residents, investigators say. Along with infections, regular use of benzodiazepines was linked to the...
Vaccinated people easily transmit COVID in close quarters, daily testing reveals
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 29, 2021
People who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are just as infectious as their unvaccinated counterparts, albeit for a shorter period of time, finds an unusual new household study from the United Kingdom.
LTC residents on ventilators do not contract COVID-19, pre-vaccine study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 05, 2021
In an unusual study across three nursing homes early in the pandemic, no COVID-19-related case clusters or deaths could be found among residents who were chronically on ventilators.
Increases in non-COVID infections ‘wipe out’ decade of progress
By
Kimberly Marselas
Sep 03, 2021
The CDC’s new report of a spike in healthcare associated infections is alarming, says the nation’s leading infection control group. One bright spot for nursing homes: CDC found no increase in Clostridium...
COVID vaccines lost some effectiveness in delta surge, ongoing CDC study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 25, 2021
The three federally sanctioned COVID vaccines have lost a “moderate” amount of effectiveness against SARS-CoV-19 ever since the delta gene variant became the predominant U.S. strain, the agency reports.