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Found 644 results
  1. News Article
    At the beginning of this year, there was a thrum of excitement among global health experts: Eradication of polio, a centuries-old foe that has paralyzed legions of children around the globe, seemed tantalizingly close. But there were several ominous setbacks. Malawi in February announced its first case in 30 years, a 3-year-old girl who became paralyzed following infection with a virus that appeared to be from Pakistan. Pakistan itself went on to report 14 cases, eight of them in a single month this spring. In March, Israel reported its first case since 1988. Then, in June, British authorities declared an “incident of national concern” when they discovered the virus in sewage. By the time New York City detected the virus in wastewater last week, polio eradication seemed as elusive as ever. “It’s a poignant and stark reminder that polio-free countries are not really polio-risk free,” said Dr. Ananda Bandyopadhyay, deputy director for polio at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the largest supporter of polio eradication efforts. The virus is always “a plane ride away,” he added. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The New York Times (18 August 2022)
  2. News Article
    Rishi Sunak has claimed that it was a mistake to “empower scientists” during the coronavirus pandemic and that his opposition to closing schools was met with silence during one meeting. The Conservative leadership candidate believes one of the major errors was allowing the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) to have so much influence on decision making such as closing nurseries, schools and colleges in March 2020. Sunak also disclosed that he was banned from discussing the “trade-offs” of imposing coronavirus-related restrictions such as missed doctor’s appointments and NHS waiting list backlogs. In an interview with the Spectator to be published on Saturday, the former chancellor said: “We shouldn’t have empowered the scientists in the way we did. And you have to acknowledge trade-offs from the beginning. “If we’d done all of that, we could be in a very different place. We’d probably have made different decisions on things like schools.” Read full story Source: The Guardian (24 August 2022)
  3. News Article
    Vaccine coverage continued to decline worldwide in 2021, with 25 million children missing out on lifesaving vaccines, according to data published by the World Health Organization and UNICEF. "The largest sustained decline in childhood vaccinations in approximately 30 years has been recorded," the organisations have said. Between 2019 and 2021, there was a 5-point drop in the percentage of children who got three doses of DTP3, the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. This took the coverage down to 81%. DTP3 coverage is used as a marker for broader immunization coverage, WHO and UNICEF said. "As a result, 25 million children missed out on one or more doses of DTP through routine immunization services in 2021 alone. This is 2 million more than those who missed out in 2020 and 6 million more than in 2019, highlighting the growing number of children at risk from devastating but preventable diseases," they said. Eighteen million of these children didn't get a single dose of the vaccine, the majority of whom lived in low- and middle-income countries. Other decreases were seen in HPV, with which over a quarter of the coverage achieved in 2019 was lost, and measles, with which first-dose coverage dropped to 81% in 2021. WHO notes that this is the lowest level since 2008 and means 24.7 million children missed their first dose in 2021. Read full story Source: CNN, 14 July 2022
  4. Content Article
    Covid-19 has posed a huge challenge to the delivery of safe care, both when infection rates were at their highest levels and in terms of its long-term impact on health and social care systems.[1] The pandemic has magnified existing patient safety issues, created new ones, and exposed safety gaps which require systemic responses. This month the World Health Organization (WHO) has published a new report, Implications of the Covid-19 pandemic for patient safety: A rapid review.[2] The review aims to create a greater understanding of the impact of the pandemic on patient safety, particularly in relation to diagnostic services, treatment and care management. In this blog, Patient Safety Learning, one of the international organisations who contributed to this review, provides an overview and reflections on some the key themes and issues raised in this review.
  5. News Article
    There is an urgent need to develop evidence based clinical guidelines for managing cases of monkeypox, scientists said, after finding that existing guidance frequently lacked detail and was based on poor research. They urged establishing a 'living guideline' for infectious disease to ensure that up-to-date information, based on robust research, was available globally and in any setting. The study, published in BMJ Global Health, also called for investment to back research into optimal treatments and prophylaxis strategies. The study authors wrote: "The lack of clarity between guidelines creates uncertainty for clinicians treating patients with MPX [monkeypox] which may impact patient care." They concluded: "Our study highlights a need for a rigorous framework for producing guidelines ahead of epidemics and a recognised platform for rapidly reviewing and updating guidance during outbreaks, as new evidence emerges." Current global concern over the spread of monkeypox was an opportune time to act, they argued. Read full story Source: Medscape, 17 August 2022
  6. Content Article
    The European Network for Safer Healthcare (ENSH) joined forces with the European Association of Urology Nurses (EAUN) to work on a policy campaign to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) in Europe as a path to improving patient safety and preventing anti-microbial resistance (AMR) through: Improvement of adherence to existing European guidelines to prevent CAUTI. Development of European indicators to support the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and/or national surveillance systems.
  7. News Article
    The UK has become the first country to approve a dual vaccine which tackles both the original Covid virus and the newer Omicron variant. Ministers say the vaccine will now form part of the autumn booster campaign. Moderna thinks 13 million doses of its new vaccine will be available this year, but 26 million people are eligible for some form of booster. Health officials say people should take whichever booster they are offered as all jabs provide protection. Moderna's latest vaccine - called Spikevax - targets both the original strain and the first Omicron variant (BA.1), which emerged last winter. It is known as a bivalent vaccine as it takes aim at two forms of Covid. The UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has considered the evidence and given the vaccine approval for use in adults. Dr June Raine, the regulator's chief executive, said: "What this bivalent vaccine gives us is a sharpened tool in our armoury to help protect us against this disease as the virus continues to evolve." Read full story Source: BBC News, 16 August 2022
  8. Content Article
    Governments in England, Scotland and Wales recently withdrew covid sick leave for NHS staff. These changes to sick pay provision for staff on Covid-related sick pay is hard to understand at a time when Covid-19 infections are going up exponentially and many NHS organisations are reporting increasing numbers of staff off sick. Evidence is emerging that your chances of on-going issues (Long Covid) following a covid infection increase with each re-infection. Given this you might expect that NHS organisations were ensuring their infection control guidelines guaranteed staff were fully protected against Covid-19. However, in many Trusts this does not appear to be the case. Throughout the pandemic many NHS organisations seem to have focused on following Government guidelines about PPE requirements and ignored their obligations under Health and Safety Legislation. This has resulted in on-going shortcomings in protecting staff at work. This is discussed by Professor Raymond Agius and colleagues in a BMJ blog.
  9. Content Article
    The pandemic has emphasised the high risk of avoidable harm to patients, health workers, and the general public, and has identified a range of safety gaps across all core components of health systems at all levels. The World Health Organization (WHO)'s rapid review ‘Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for patient safety’ explores impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic did have on patient safety in terms of risks and avoidable harm, specifically in terms of diagnostic, treatment and care management related issues as well as highlights the main patterns of these implications within the broader health system context.
  10. Content Article
    During the Covid-19 pandemic, intensive Care Units (ICUs) all came under severe pressure, resulting in higher than usual mortality and complications rates, and longer stays. However, there was variation in outcomes among ICUs and this editorial in the journal Annals of Intensive Care discusses the concept of a resilient ICU. It looks at which metrics can be used to address the capacity to respond, sustain results and incorporate new practices that lead to improvement.
  11. Content Article
    This opinion piece in The BMJ looks at the impact of the government's decision to make the wearing of masks in healthcare settings the decision of local providers, dependent on local risk assessment and prevalence. It highlights reports of patients wearing high-filtration FFP2 or FFP3 respirator—many of who are immunocompromised—being asked to remove and replace them with less effective single-use masks in order to gain entry to NHS facilities for treatment. The authors highlight that Covid-19 is an airborne pathogen and that the likelihood of contracting the virus increases with length of time spent in contaminated air. They argue that downgrading mask use in healthcare settings puts everyone at risk, but that it is a particular issue for patients who are clinically extremely vulnerable due to underlying health conditions or because they are undergoing treatment for cancer. They call on the government to upgrade masks to FFP2 or FFP3 respirators in order to protect staff and patients and reverse the worrying trend of clinically extremely vulnerable patients avoiding attending healthcare services.
  12. News Article
    People who go to hospital for non-covid treatment are at higher risk of the virus compared with the general public, which is why high levels of hospital-acquired Covid-19 in England are worrying some doctors. They fear that the coronavirus is becoming a potential hazard of a hospital stay for older or vulnerable people, in a similar way to “superbugs” such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). People who go to hospital for non-covid-19 treatment are at higher risk from the virus compared with the general public, says Tom Lawton, an intensive care doctor in Bradford, UK. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The New Scientist, 21 July 2022
  13. Content Article
    This report examines the approaches and key decisions taken by UK governments during the pandemic and the public health measures they introduced. It assesses whether these choices were timely, appropriate, and proportionate to deal with the threat and impact of COVID-19.
  14. Content Article
    In this opinion piece for The Guardian, Professor Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh discusses the global threat of monkeypox—a virus that causes fever, swollen lymph nodes and distinctive rashes on the face, palms, the soles of the feet and genitalia. The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated the recent outbreak of monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern. Professor Sridhar highlights the need to take a collaborative approach across borders to ensure the outbreak is brought under control. She outlines that the most effective strategy in preventing the virus spreading further is to protect the group most at risk from the virus—men who have sex with men (MSM)—through vaccination.
  15. News Article
    NHS leaders have sometimes been “shouting into the void” about their fears of the health service being overwhelmed by Covid because of the absence of a single national command centre for the pandemic response, a new report argues. The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change has published a report which recommends short and long term actions for dealing with Covid and future health emergencies. It says the government should have previously, and should now, set up “a national centre for response” to have overriding national responsibility for managing Covid and future crises. The government should also shift away from traditional methods of communication, to instead listen to “communities… beliefs and fears” about Covid, and adjust messages to respond to these. The report has been authored by the institute’s head of health Henry Dowlen, who was seconded to work on several pandemic projects such as a setting up a Nightingale Hospital and coordinating regional and national response work. He said that if government did not change course then the NHS, along with other services and parts of society, would remain in a “vicious cycle” of operational problems. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 20 July 2022
  16. Content Article
    In July 2021, the UK Government lifted all Covid protections, meaning people were no longer legally obliged to take infection control measures such as wearing face masks in designated places. Twelve months on, the UK is facing high levels of infection and hospitalisations from Covid-19. In this opinion piece for The BMJ, members of Independent SAGE—a group of scientists working together to provide independent scientific advice about Covid-19 to the UK government and public—propose a series of measures to help people make informed decisions that will reduce the risk of illness and disruption to them, their families and their communities. The authors accuse the government of ignoring published scientific advice from their own advisory group, SPI-B, and call for action to give people the information they need to make responsible personal choices as part of the plan to 'live with Covid'.
  17. Content Article
    Despite under-reporting, health workers (HWs) accounted for 2-30% of the reported COVID-19 cases worldwide. In line with data from other countries, Jordan recorded multiple case surges among HWs. This study from Tarif et al. looked at infection prevention and control risk factors in HWs infected with Covid-19. Study findings confirmed the role of hand hygiene as one of the most cost-effective measures to combat the spreading of viral infections.
  18. Content Article
    This study in the journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology aimed to determine the extent to which asymptomatic individuals infected with Covid-19 transmitted the disease to other patients and staff on a hospital ward. The authors found that a comprehensive symptoms and signs assessment, in combination with adequate follow-up, allows for a more precise determination of Covid-19 symptoms. The results of the study revealed that asymptomatic infection was quite uncommon amongst adults in this setting.
  19. News Article
    Monkeypox is continuing to spread in the UK, with current efforts insufficient to curb the outbreak, experts have warned as a whistleblower claimed there were serious flaws in the support given to those who think they have been exposed. According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), there have been 1,552 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the UK related to the outbreak as of 7 July. “[There is] no evidence that current strategies are likely to bring this to an end anytime soon,” said Paul Hunter, a professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, although he noted that while total case numbers were continuing to rise, the rate of new infections may have plateaued. The concerns came as a whistleblower working on a UKHSA monkeypox inquiries line said it had numerous issues, including offering little support for people who are not confirmed contacts of cases – i.e. somebody whose name has been provided to contact tracers by a person with monkeypox. The Guardian has seen scripts that show even if someone calls because they are worried they may have had a contact with a confirmed case, they are told their risk is very low if they have not been formally identified as a contact. The whistleblower said that made little sense when a caller has said a sexual partner has monkeypox symptoms. In addition, the whistleblower said call handlers were not allowed to suggest callers contact a sexual health clinic unless sexual health was brought up by the caller, They added that some clinics had turned off their phone lines. The UKHSA has rejected the claims, saying the phone line is an additional service to provide non-clinical advice to members of the public. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 11 July 2022
  20. News Article
    It would be “sensible” for hospitals to reintroduce mandatory mask-wearing, the chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has said, as several trusts in England and Wales announced the move. When NHS rules on wearing masks in England were dropped on 10 June, local health bodies were given the power to draft their own policies. Their guidance, however, is no longer legally enforceable. Figures from NHS England show there were about 10,658 patients hospitalised with coronavirus on Monday. Infections have doubled in a fortnight across England – with about 1,000 patients being admitted with the virus each day. Prof Andrew Pollard, who is also the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, which developed the AstraZeneca jab, said there were an “extraordinary” number of cases at the moment. “I certainly know more people now who have had Covid than at any time in the past,” he told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “Because there’s so much in the community, anything we can do in our hospitals to reduce the potential outbreaks make sense and so the mandatory mask wearing in hospitals is very sensible policy,” he added. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 5 July 2022
  21. Content Article
    We’re looking for patients to help raise awareness of the damaging impact that surgical infections can have on people, and guide improvements. Have you ever been in surgery and contracted an infection? Do you want to share your experience anonymously and help create change? Take part in this survey: Experiences of Surgical Infections
  22. Content Article
    The Government’s aim throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been to protect the lives and livelihoods of citizens across the UK. This document sets out how the Government has and will continue to protect and support citizens by: enabling society and the economy to open up more quickly than many comparable countries; using vaccines; and supporting the NHS and social care sector. It also sets out how England will move into a new phase of managing COVID-19. The Devolved Administrations will each set out how they will manage this transition in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The global pandemic is not yet over and the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) is clear there is considerable uncertainty about the path that the pandemic will now take in the UK. This document therefore also sets out how the Government will ensure resilience, maintaining contingency capabilities to deal with a range of possible scenarios.
  23. Content Article
    Government must seize the post-pandemic opportunity to mandate long-term improvements to infection control in commercial, public and residential buildings to reduce the transmission of future waves of COVID-19, new pandemics, seasonal influenza and other infectious diseases, according to a report published by the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC). Infection control must also be coordinated with efforts to improve energy efficiency and fire safety, to support the three goals of safe, healthy and sustainable buildings. Commissioned in 2021 by the Government Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance FRS FMedSci, the NEPC research, led by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), set out to identify the measures needed in the UK’s built environment and transport systems to reduce transmission of infectious diseases. Ensuring that buildings and transport systems are designed, operated, managed and regulated for infection control is critical to minimise transmission, states the report.
  24. Content Article
    A spike in infections every three months seems to be the pattern, but the UK has the power to beat this if we act wisely writes Professor Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, in the article for the Guardian. She suggests the UK should be planning to roll out boosters to the entire population this autumn, using an age and risk factor priority scheme (instead of just to people over 75, those in care homes and those with weakened immune systems: these are the people covered by the current spring booster scheme). Antiviral supply should be put in place in pharmacies and GPs, working towards a “test to treat” scheme where soon after testing positive, those who are in vulnerable and elderly groups, for whom vaccines might be less effective, can get access to effective treatment early on.
  25. News Article
    Patients who enter general practices in England no longer have to wear a face mask unless they have respiratory symptoms, NHS England and NHS Improvement says. But the updated guidance also underlines the importance of local risk assessments and says that increased measures can be used when deemed necessary. A letter sent to clinical commissioning groups and trusts set out the changes to infection prevention and control measures following updates from the UK Health Security Agency.1 It said that health and care staff should continue to wear face masks as part of personal protective equipment when working with patients with suspected or confirmed covid-19, including untriaged patients in primary care and emergency departments. It said that universal masking should be applied when there is a known or suspected cluster of SARS-CoV-2, for example during an outbreak or if new variants of concern emerge. Health and care staff working in non-clinical areas such as offices and social settings do not need to wear masks unless it is their personal preference or if there are specific problems raised by a risk assessment. Patients with respiratory symptoms who are required to attend for emergency treatment should wear a face mask, if tolerated, or be offered one on arrival. All other patients are “not required” to wear a face mask but can if they prefer. In settings where patients are at high risk of infection owing to immunosuppression, such as oncology or haematology, patients might be encouraged to wear a face mask after a local risk assessment. Read full story Source: BMJ, 13 June 2022
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