Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) News

Patient-to-nurse staffing ratios are a static and ineffective tool that cannot guarantee a safe heath care environment, writes Mary Ann Fuchs, president of AHA’s American Organization for Nursing Leadership affiliate, responding to a recent op-ed in the New York Times.

The essay Nurses Deserve Better. So Do Their Patients is right to note the “awesome” impact that nurses have within our health care system and in the battle against Covid-19.

As of now, most school districts have opened or plan to reopen this month or next, so the return to in-person schooling is underway. Many kids — not to mention their parents — eagerly await the day.  

In a federally funded study that enrolled more than 500 patients from U.S. hospital emergency departments, administering COVID-19 convalescent plasma to high-risk COVID-19 outpatients with early symptoms did not prevent disease progression, according to final results reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The AHA released its latest edition of the COVID-19 Snapshot, underscoring the persisting challenges facing hospitals and health systems during the ongoing public health emergency.

In evaluating whether to temporarily suspend survey activities if a hospital experiences a COVID-19 surge, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in June told AHA it will consider whether the hospital has notified the appropriate state public health agency and activated its emergency preparedness plan, and the proportion of hospital staff and resources dedicated to managing COVID-19 patients.

COVID-19 vaccine booster shots will be widely available to the American public, starting next month, according to a joint statement from Biden administration health officials.

There’s a lot of misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. Get the facts from the experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Medical Association.

The Food and Drug Administration announced amendments of Pfizer and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorizations to allow for the use of a third, additional dose for certain immunocompromised individuals.

COVID-19 has posed a steep learning curve for health care providers over the past 18 months. Hospitals and health systems have responded by sharing more knowledge, insight and best practices with each other than ever before.

The AHA released a new issue of the COVID-19 Snapshot underscoring the persisting challenges facing hospitals and health systems during the ongoing public health emergency.

Public, nonprofit and tribal organizations can apply until Oct. 12 for a portion of $500 million in American Rescue Plan Act grants to expand access to COVID-19 testing and vaccines, rural health care services, and food assistance through food banks and food distribution facilities.

In this Advancing Health podcast, Emily Volk, chief medical officer at Baptist Health Floyd Hospital in New Albany, Ind., explains her hospital’s use of eight strategies when handling crises and challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and the value that pathologists can provide in such moments.

The AHA joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and American Medical Association in urging the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to void a district court decision that refused to allow a case involving the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act of 2005 to proceed in federal court and sent it back to state court for further proceedings.  

In evaluating whether to temporarily suspend survey activities if a hospital experiences a COVID-19 surge, CMS last month told AHA it will consider whether the hospital has notified the appropriate state public health agency and activated its emergency preparedness plan, and the proportion of hospital staff and resources dedicated to managing COVID-19 patients.

In a large clinical trial, treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients who did not require organ support with a full-dose blood thinner reduced the need for organ support, such as mechanical ventilation, and helped them leave the hospital, the National Institutes of Health reported. 

Moderna Inc. announced during an investors report that its COVID-19 vaccine remains 93% effective through the first six months following a full dosing regimen

The AHA is helping lawmakers in Washington, D.C., understand the COVID-19 pandemic’s renewed strain on hospitals and health systems by releasing a new issue of the COVID-19 Snapshot.

HHS and other federal agencies should work through the Biodefense Steering Committee to ensure the Biodefense Coordination Team defines the capabilities needed to prepare for and respond to significant biological incidents such as COVID-19, according to a report released by the Government Accountability Office.

AHA Team Training has partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Project Firstline collaborative to release free on-demand training to help hospitals and health systems integrate teamwork and communication principles to prevent and control infection into their normal work flow.