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Content ArticleThis article, published by WIRED, tells the story of Linsey Marr, an aerosol scientist at Virginia Tech and one of the few in the world who also studies infectious diseases. When the new coronavirus was discovered, Linsey and colleagues were deeply concerned that it had been labelled as 'not airborne'.
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Content ArticleIn this comment piece, published by the Lancet, authors propose that it is a scientific error to use lack of direct evidence of SARS-CoV-2 in some air samples to cast doubt on airborne transmission while overlooking the quality and strength of the overall evidence base. There is consistent, strong evidence that SARS-CoV-2 spreads by airborne transmission. Although other routes can contribute, they believe that the airborne route is likely to be dominant.
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News Article
How COVID-19 has disrupted efforts to care for blood cancer patients
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Blood cancer patients are one of the most vulnerable groups of people at risk of COVID-19, according to research, being 57% more likely to suffer severe disease compared to other cancer patients. Despite the high risk these patients face, charities such as Anthony Nolan, which assist blood cancer patients with finding a stem cell match, were left out of the allocated government budget that was announced in March. The cancellation of face-to-face fundraising and events, despite the increase in demand for services, have led their gross income to be down by an estimated £5.5m for 2021. Henny Braund, chief executive of the charity, said people with blood cancer and blood disorders were “heavily impacted by the pandemic and everyone who needs treatment and support must be able to access it without delay”. Read full story Source: The Independent, 9 May 2021 -
Content ArticleThe surge in the need for invasive ventilation during the covid pandemic has required the provision of intensive care beds in London to be reallocated. NHS England have proposed the formation of a Pan‐London Emergency Cardiac surgery (PLECS) service to provide urgent and emergency cardiac surgery for the whole of London. In this initial report, the Department of Cardiac Surgery, St Bartholomew's Hospital, outline their experience of setting up and delivering a pan‐regional service for the delivery of urgent and emergency cardiac surgery with a focus on maintaining a COVID‐free in‐hospital environment. In doing so, they hope that other regions can use this as a starting point in developing their own region‐specific pathways if the spread of coronavirus necessitates similar measures be put in place across the United Kingdom
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News Article
Alcohol-related deaths jumped to highest level during Covid pandemic
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The highest number of alcohol-related deaths in England and Wales since records began was seen in 2020, official data shows. A survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that alcohol killed more people in 2020 than in any of the previous 20 years. The data also showed a rise of 20 per cent compared to 2019. Overall, there were 7,423 deaths from alcohol misuse last year, compared to 6,209 in 2019. Deaths increased from March 2020 onwards, when the coronavirus pandemic forced the UK into a series of national lockdowns. Read full story Source: The Independent, 6 May 2021 -
News ArticlePressure is growing on the government to change its stance on coronavirus infection rules which it is feared may leave NHS staff and patients at risk from airborne transmission. Experts told The Independent the current guidance from Public Health England (PHE), which effectively says staff working on general wards can rely on just surgical masks for protection, was “outdated and potentially misleading” and put NHS staff at risk. At the start of the pandemic the emphasis on stopping infection was focused around droplets containing the virus both in the air over short distances and on surfaces. Increasingly scientists have begun to warn the virus can also spread through much smaller aerosols which can remain airborne for a lot longer and over further distances. On Friday, the World Health Organisation updated its information on how Covid spreads to acknowledge the risk of aerosols and last month papers released by the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said health workers may need to use better protection for longer. Read full story Source: The Independent, 6 May 2021
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News Article
Pregnant women struggling to get Covid jab says MP
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Pregnant women are struggling to get the coronavirus vaccine because clinics are unable to guarantee they will have the right type of jab available, Labour MP Stella Creasy has said. The Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna jabs are preferable for pregnant women because there is more safety data available. But the online booking system in England does not allow them to specify which vaccine they require. Pregnant women are advised to speak to their GP instead of booking online. But Ms Creasy, 44, said GPs do not always know when local vaccination centres will have specific types of the jab available. The MP for Walthamstow, who is currently pregnant with her second child, said she had received five invitations to be vaccinated but she could not take them up because there is no system to specify she needs the Pfizer or Moderna jab. "I don't think it's been made enough of a priority because there's a presumption it will become more of a priority as they move through the age groups, which is a misreading of the data about pregnancy," she told the BBC. Read full story Source: BBC News, 7 May 2021 -
Content ArticleTwo new factsheets from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are intended to help healthcare workers, managers and purchase agents ensure the safe handling and disposal of sharps during the US's COVID-19 mass vaccination effort.
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News Article
Covid: Depression rises in young and women during second peak
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Women and younger adults were more likely to feel depressed during the second UK coronavirus peak than men and other age groups, Office for National Statistics (ONS) data suggests. Four in 10 women aged between 16 and 29 were affected, compared to 26% of men. One in five adults experienced depression in early 2021 - more than double pre-pandemic levels. But GPs in England diagnosed fewer cases of depression in adults in 2020 compared with the year before. Many people may not be seeking medical help, the ONS says. Health experts have always warned that the combined effects of ill health, isolation and job losses during the pandemic would have a negative impact on people's mental health and wellbeing. Read full story Source: BBC News, 5 May 2021 -
News Article
Early cancer diagnoses plummeted in England during Covid pandemic
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The number of people being diagnosed with cancer early in England has plummeted during the Covid pandemic, sparking fears that many will only be treated when it is too late to save them. Official figures show a third fewer cancers were detected at stage one, when the chances of survival are highest, in the early months of the pandemic than during the same months a year before. Cancer experts fear that the figures, which have been collected by Public Health England’s National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service, mean thousands of people have the disease but have not yet started treatment because of “a shift to later diagnosis”. They urged anyone with possible symptoms of the disease to get them checked out immediately. “While it’s fantastic that Covid rates are dropping and lockdown is easing, the knock-on impact of the pandemic on cancer care cannot be overstated,” said Steven McIntosh, the executive director of advocacy and communications at Macmillan Cancer Support. “We are likely to be dealing with Covid’s long shadow for many years to come.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 5 May 2021 -
News Article
Pfizer vaccine ‘95% effective against coronavirus,’ new data shows
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine can provide more than 95% protection against infection, severe illness and death from Covid, according to a groundbreaking study in Israel. The middle eastern country currently leads the world in its inoculation programme, with more than half (56 per cent) of its population having already received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine. The research, published today in The Lancet journal, also concluded that a single dose of the jab provides 58 per cent protection against infection, 76% against hospital admission, and 77% against death. The researchers said their study highlights the importance of fully vaccinating adults against the virus but acknowledged challenges remain to get the pandemic under control – including uncertainty around how long immunity lasts, from both vaccines and natural infection, and the emergence of variants that may be resistant to jabs currently on the market. Read full story Source: The Independent, 6 May 2021 -
Content ArticleIn the Patients Association 2020 survey, patients told us about their experiences of living with health and care needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their testimony painted a bleak picture in many ways. This follow-up survey finds that many aspects of their experiences are not much better, and some are worse.
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EventSarah Miller, Director of Partnerships, Patient Safety Movement Foundation is joined by Ariana Longley, Chief Operating Officer of the PSMF to discuss how you and your loved ones can prepare before going into the hospital. Ariana highlights the importance of knowing possible risks and alternatives to proposed treatments, things you should bring to your hospital visit, and shares the free resources the Patient Safety Movement Foundation has to offer, both general and COVID-19 resources.
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News ArticleNearly half the hospitals targeted in covid-related spot checks were found to be breaching health and safety laws. An unpublished Health and Safety Executive report found just five out of 17 acute hospitals inspected had high levels of compliance with measures to manage the risks around covid. Meanwhile, letters were sent to eight hospitals “formally requiring them to take remedial action to remedy contraventions of health and safety law”. The remaining four hospitals were given advice. The inspections — which involved 13 hospitals in England and two each in Scotland and Wales — focused on seven areas: risk assessment; management arrangements specific to covid; social distancing; cleaning and hygiene; ventilation; dealing with suspected covid cases; and personal protective equipment. The health and safety watchdog highlighted social distancing in non-clinical areas — which covered areas outside of clinical wards such as offices, rest areas, changing rooms and workshops — as needing improvement in some hospitals. The inspectors — who visited between November last year and January this year — also found some hospitals needed more robust covid security measures if they were to comply with government guidance. HSE also noted that, although all the hospitals had adequate supplies of PPE, not all had adequate arrangements in place for ensuring it was used effectively. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 5 May 2021
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Content ArticleIn the United States many areas have returned to a 'new normal,' as the COVID-19 pandemic has come under control. In this blog, Dr Michael Ramsay, Chairman of the Board, Patient Safety Movement Foundation looks at what we learned and where we failed.
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EventSince the emergence of the disease, severe Covid infections have been associated with a risk of severe and dangerous coagulopathy. And in recent weeks two vaccines have been linked to a rare increased risk of clotting, in particular cerebral sinus venous thrombosis (CSVT) which requires urgent and specific treatment. This Royal Society of Medicine webinar will tell the story of our understanding of these coagulation disorders, looking at the causes, risks, diagnosis, and treatments. Register
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News Article
Covid: Pregnant women in Wales 'still go it alone'
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Pregnant women are facing a postcode lottery over whether they can bring a partner to maternity appointments. Health boards were given flexibility in November to allow pregnant woman in low Covid rate areas to take their partners to maternity appointments. But many parts of Wales with the lowest rates are still forcing pregnant women to attend some appointments alone. There are calls, as lockdown eases, for partners Wales-wide to be allowed to all appointments and during labour. Emma Fear, 30, was not able to take her partner with her to hospital when she experienced bleeding during pregnancy in June last year and was told, alone, that she was losing her baby. She then had to repeat the news to her partner, who was waiting outside in the car. "At the time, he could have come and sat outside a pub with me, but he couldn't come with me when I'd had severe bleeding and knew I had probably lost my baby." Read full story Source: BBC News, 2 May 2021 -
News Article
Young people more likely to suffer rare vaccine blood clots, MHRA says
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Younger adults are particularly affected by the rare blood clotting disorder linked to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, the UK's medicines regulator has said. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said there were 209 cases in the UK of the rare combination of blood clots with low platelet counts following being vaccinated the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab, with 41 deaths, up to 21 April. This is up from 168 cases and 32 deaths the previous week. The new data also shows 24 cases of clots in people aged 18 to 29, 28 in those in their thirties, 30 in people in their forties, 59 in people in their fifties and 57 in those aged 60 and above, with the age not known in the remaining cases. The numbers appear to rise with age but that is because more older people have been vaccinated. Fewer than one in five clots was fatal. The latest NHS England data show that 5.5 million people under 45 had received a first dose by 25 April, while 22.6 million of those 45 and over had done so. MHRA chief executive June Raine said no medicine or vaccine was without risk, but that blood clots were extremely rare. She added: “The benefits of the vaccine continue to outweigh the risks for most people. It is still vitally important that people come forward for their vaccination when invited to do so." Read full story Source: The Independent, 3 May 2021 -
Content ArticleREACT-1 is the largest population surveillance study being undertaken in England that examines the prevalence of the virus causing COVID-19 in the general population. It uses test results and feedback from over 150,000 participants each month. The findings will provide the government with a better understanding of the virus’s transmission and the risks associated with different population subgroups throughout England. This will inform government policies to protect health and save lives.
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News ArticlePatients are finding it increasingly hard to see their GPs, with warnings that pandemic restrictions have too often “closed the door” on NHS treatment, a report warns. The Patients’ Association survey comes as an investigation reveals that almost 100 GP surgeries closed down or merged with other practices last year. In total, almost 2.5 million patients were forced to switch to a new surgery because of 788 such closures since 2013, the freedom of information disclosures reveal . Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients’ Association, said the findings from its survey were “worrying” and show “clear dissatisfaction” from the public. The report said: “It is increasingly clear that many patients have found that new methods for arranging appointments do not work for them, or simply that they do not understand how to go about it. GPs are the front door to the NHS, and patients are increasingly perceiving that that door is closed to them.” Roughly half of those who had telephone consultations said the experience was worse than a traditional appointment, with three times as many saying they were unhappy about their experience, compared with those offering praise. The report warns: “The data does not show a ringing endorsement of new or remote methods for accessing NHS care; indeed, in most cases patients rated these methods worse than traditional contact.” Read full story Source: The Telegraph, 30 April 2021
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News Article
Care home staff COVID vaccination levels below target in more than half LAs
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The vaccination rate for staff at older care homes is below the recommended level set by scientists in more than half of England’s local authorities, analysis of NHS England data has revealed. Data as of 18 April shows that 76 out of 149 LAs had not reached the 80% vaccination threshold for care home staff to provide a minimum level of protection against COVID-19, according to the PA news agency. In 17 areas, less than 70% of staff had received a first jab. Lambeth, where 23 cases of a South African COVID variant have been recently reported in a care home, had the lowest uptake at 52.4%. The government last week announced the launch of a five-week consultation on mandatory staff vaccination as a result of the failure in some areas to reach the designated threshold. Read full story Source: Care Home Professional. 23 April 2021 -
Content ArticleThe United States has been the site of significant social and economic fallout during the course of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The last year has been marked by high rates of unemployment, stress, economic insecurity, and uncertainty. And for people with mental health and substance use disorders, the consequences of the pandemic have been felt deeply. As vaccines for people in the United States become more widely available, understanding the impact of the pandemic on substance abuse and treatment remains important for determining the next steps and helping those in need of care. In this blog, AddictionResource.net describe some of the ways that the coronavirus pandemic has affected the lives of people with substance use disorders over the past year.
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News ArticlePregnant women who catch COVID-19 are over 50% more likely to experience severe complications such as premature birth, admission to intensive care and death, a major study has found. Newborns of infected women were also nearly three times more at risk of severe medical complications and close to 10% tested positive during the first few days of their life, the study of more than 2,100 pregnant women across 18 countries worldwide revealed. Scientists leading the study warned the risk to mothers and babies is greater than acknowledged at the beginning of the pandemic, and called for pregnant women to be offered a COVID-19 vaccine. Stephen Kennedy, a professor of reproductive medicine at the University of Oxford, who co-led the study, said: “We now know that the risks to mothers and babies are greater than we assumed at the start of the pandemic and that known health measures when implemented must include pregnant women. “The information should help families, as the need to do all one can to avoid becoming infected is now clear. Read full story Source: The Independent, 24 April 2021
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News Article
Heavily criticised trust recognised for improvements on infection control
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A trust which was heavily criticised for poor infection prevention and control last summer has been praised for making improvements. East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust was served with an enforcement notice by the Care Quality Commission in August last year, citing “serious concerns” about patient safety. The trust had twice the national rate of patients infected with COVID-19 after admission to hospital. But a new report, issued today, found significant improvements, with several areas of outstanding practice. The conditions imposed on the trust after last year’s inspection of the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford were also lifted, following the visit by the CQC in early March. Cath Campbell, CQC’s head of hospital inspections in the South East, said the improvements were particularly commendable as the trust had been under extreme pressure as a result of the pandemic. She said: “Leaders adopted learnings from other trusts, and from NHS Improvement which led to the development of a detailed infection prevention and control improvement plan. The trust then set up an improvement group to focus on implementing the actions in the plan and put a committee in place to review internal audit data and led improvements based on this information. “Although there were still one or two areas for improvement which we have advised the trust to look at now, overall this is a very positive report.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 23 April 2021 -
News Article
Science advisers call for better PPE for healthcare workers
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Healthcare workers have welcomed a change in scientific advice on how to protect them from coronavirus. A document by the government's scientific advisory group (Sage) says higher grade masks may be needed when caring for Covid patients. Current guidance says that thinner surgical masks are adequate, outside of intensive care units. The Department of Health said guidance "is kept under constant review" and protecting NHS staff was a priority. Some doctors described it as a "crack of light" after more than a year of campaigning for improvements. A long list of healthcare unions and professional bodies has been making increasingly desperate appeals for what are called FFP3 respirators. These are designed to filter out infectious aerosols that may be lingering in the air, particularly in close proximity to patients. Growing evidence of the risks of airborne transmission has led the government to emphasise the importance of ventilation - with the words "fresh air" now added to the public messaging. And now a technical document released by Sage concludes that healthcare workers may need higher standards of respiratory protective equipment. Read full story Source: BBC News, 24 April 2021
