Policy

In a new study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers have created a dataset and data visualization dashboard to evaluate the effectiveness of state and territory-level policies enacted to reduce the severity of COVID-19's impact on older people served by home health care agencies and nursing homes.

The authors found many policies within states and territories did not correspond with reductions in community or nursing home-level COVID-19 burden (i.e. number of cases and mortality counts). This suggests that policy effectiveness may depend on implementation and compliance. The study also found that policies focused less on home health care agencies compared with nursing homes, despite both settings serving vulnerable older populations.

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European experts call for global genetic warning system to combat the next pandemic and antimicrobial resistance

Fri, 2024-04-26 09:12 — mike kraft

Experts call for global genetic warning system to combat the next pandemic and antimicrobial resistance (medicalxpress.com)

...genomic surveillance could do much more to reduce the toll of disease and death worldwide than just protect us from COVID-19. Writing in Frontiers in Science, an international collective of clinical and public health microbiologists from the European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) calls for investment in technology, capacity, expertise, and collaboration to put genomic surveillance of pathogens at the forefront of future pandemic preparedness.

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Biden Administration Sets Higher Staffing Mandates, But Most Nursing Homes Don’t Meet Them

Tue, 2024-04-23 09:38 — mike kraft

Biden Administration Sets Higher Staffing Mandates. Most Nursing Homes Don’t Meet Them. - KFF Health News The staffing regulation was disparaged by the industry as unattainable. Patient advocates say it doesn’t go far enough. Labor unions welcomed the requirement. khnerich KFF Health News

The Biden administration finalized nursing home staffing rules Monday that will require thousands of them to hire more nurses and aides — while giving them years to do so.

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How the search for the origins of COVID-19 turned politically poisonous--AP investigation

Tue, 2024-04-23 09:28 — mike kraft

Toxic: How the search for the origins of COVID-19 turned politically poisonous The Chinese government froze meaningful efforts to trace the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, despite publicly declaring that it supported an open scientific inquiry, an Associated Press investigation has found. AP News

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increased monitoring and preparation needed for highly pathogenic bird flu --WHO chief scientist

Tue, 2024-04-23 09:21 — mike kraft

WHO chief scientist calls for increased monitoring and preparation for highly pathogenic bird flu | CNN The bird flu spreading through cattle in the United States is an “enormous concern” the chief scientist of the World Health Organization said Thursday as he called for more tracking and preparation for the virus. Brenda Goodman CNN

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COVID-19 guidelines: Most countries recommend at least one treatment that doesn't work--study

Tue, 2024-04-23 09:04 — mike kraft

Significant global variation in COVID-19 guidelines: Most countries recommend at least one treatment that doesn't work National clinical guidelines for the treatment of COVID-19 vary significantly around the world, with under-resourced countries the most likely to diverge from gold standard (World Health Organization; ... Science X Medical Xpress

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Climate change: estimated $38 trillion cost by 2949, polls on attitudes

Thu, 2024-04-18 12:23 — mike kraft

Climate change may cost $38 trillion a year by 2049, study says Data: Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research; Chart: Rahul Mukherjee/Axios Climate change through the middle of this century is likely to be far costlier than thought — to the tune of $38 trillion per year, a new study finds. Why it matters: The study finds the world economy is already headed for a loss of 19% of income per capita around the globe within the next 26 years due to historical emissions that will continue to warm the planet.... Andrew Freedman Axios

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Opinion: the spread of bird flu in U.S. cattle should be a wake-up call to action

Mon, 2024-04-15 10:14 — mike kraft

H5N1 bird flu in U.S. cattle: A wake-up call to action Comparisons to seasonal flu management underestimate the unique challenges posed by H5N1 bird flu. Patrick Skerrett STAT

The recent detection of H5N1 bird flu in U.S. cattle, coupled with reports of a dairy worker contracting the virus, demands a departure from the usual reassurances offered by federal health officials. While they emphasize there’s no cause for alarm and assert diligent monitoring, it’s imperative we break from this familiar script.

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