Jonna Lorenz is a freelance journalist with more than 20 years of experience. Her background is in business and health care news, including reporting, editing and research for newspapers and websites.
Standard Procedures Protect Health Care Workers from COVID-19, Case Review Shows
March 26th 2020Health care workers involved in aerosol-generating procedures for a patient with unknown COVID-19 were protected from infection with surgical masks and standard procedures, a case review suggests.
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The Importance of Infection Control Practices to Prevent Spread of CRE
March 24th 2020Close adherence to recommendations for preventing health-care associated transmission is key to preventing health care-associated transmission of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, a review of a skilled nursing facility in Arizona suggests.
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Could a Japanese Encephalitis Drug Prevent COVID-19?
March 19th 2020A drug known to inhibit a cellular protease TMPRSS2 could potentially be a novel therapeutic intervention for COVID-19 infections, according to German investigators who found that the cellular protein may allow entry of SARS-CoV-2 into lung cells.
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Rifampicin Safer than Isoniazid for Latent Tuberculosis, Study Suggests
March 16th 2020Rifampicin should become a primary treatment options for latent tuberculosis, according to a recent study that found that safety of the drug is greater than that of isoniazid in patients without contraindication.
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Antibiotic Resistance Rises After PCV13 Vaccine Introduced to Fight Pneumococcal Disease
March 6th 2020Investigators in Rochester, NY, detailed the emergence of 3 antibiotic-resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae since the introduction of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in 2010.
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Social Media Use, Mistrust in Experts Associated with Vaccine Misinformation
February 25th 2020A small but significant percentage of Americans believe common misconceptions about vaccines, and that misinformation was associated with social media use and lower trust of medical experts, a new study found.
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CDC Issues Guidance for Hexavalent Vaccine in Children
February 20th 2020A new hexavalent combination vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type b won’t be commercially available in the United States before 2021, but the CDC has issued guidance for use of the vaccine in infants.
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Missing Early Intervention Leads to Costly Hospital Stays for Patients With HIV
February 14th 2020People living with HIV who don’t receive early intervention and primary care end up with a disproportionate share of health care costs, according to a new study that examined barriers to care and costs at a Dublin hospital.
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Most People Who Inject Drugs Miss Opportunities for HIV, HCV Testing
February 13th 2020PWID are unlikely to receive testing for HIV and hepatitis C, according to a new study that found that 8.5% were tested for HIV and 7.7% were tested for HCV within 1 year of a clinical encounter consistent with injection drug use.
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Multiple Blood Cultures Improve Antimicrobial Decision-Making for Children
February 5th 2020Multiple blood cultures with appropriate volume can improve diagnosis and treatment of children with suspected sepsis or serious bacterial infection, according to a study at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
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Passive HIV Testing Programs Effective at Reaching High-Risk Residents, Study Suggests
January 28th 2020Standalone HIV testing centers in San Diego County, California, have been largely effective at reaching people at high risk of infection, according to a new study that also identified areas where targeted testing efforts may be beneficial.
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Continuous Infusion Ceftolozane/Tazobactam Could Be an Option for Treating MDR Infections
January 21st 2020Treating patients with multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections could be moved to the outpatient setting with continuous infusion dosing of ceftolozane/tazobactam, a new study suggests.
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