CORONAVIRUS NEWS
Expansion of COVID-19 infection survey announced for UK
The ONS COVID-19 Infection Survey tracking the virus in the general population will be expanded from regularly testing 28,000 people per fortnight in England to 150,000 by October, the Health Secretary has announced.- Coronavirus
COVID-19 drives new NHS contracts for clinical decision support tool
Wolters Kluwer Health has won seven new NHS contracts for its clinical decision support tool UpToDate, as hospitals have turned to evidence-based support during the COVID-19 crisis.- Coronavirus
Study finds 6% of the population have antibodies to the Coronavirus
More than 100,000 people across England have tested themselves for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies at home as part of a major research programme.- Coronavirus
New research to investigate COVID-19 and ethnicity
The Medical Research Council (MRC) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) have announced a multi-million-pound investment in six new projects to improve understanding of the links between COVID-19 and ethnicity.- Coronavirus
Surgical instrument manufacturer to package and sterilise PPE for NHS
Single Use Surgical, part of Eakin Healthcare Group, has signed a contract to package and sterilise 1.92 million surgical isolation gowns – a move that will create 45 new jobs and protect frontline NHS staff against COVID-19.- Coronavirus
Roll-out of two new rapid coronavirus tests ahead of winter
Millions of rapid coronavirus tests will be rolled out to hospitals, care homes and labs across the UK to increase testing capacity ahead of winter.- Coronavirus
Two thirds of doctors worry that COVID has indirectly harmed patients
A survey of members of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has found that almost two thirds (60%) of doctors worry that patients in their care have suffered harm or complications following diagnosis or treatment delays during the pandemic.- Coronavirus
UK and US healthcare workers report higher rates of COVID-19
Frontline healthcare workers in the UK and US were at least 3.4 times more likely to report a positive COVID-19 test compared with the general community, after accounting for differences in testing frequency between the two groups.- Coronavirus
Common cancer treatments ‘do not worsen coronavirus infection’
According to a new study from Memorial Sloan Kettering, published in Nature Medicine, patients in active cancer treatment who develop COVID-19 infection don't fare any worse than other hospitalised patients.- Coronavirus
Asthma not a compounding factor for COVID-19 cases
A study by researchers at Bicêtre Hospital, on patients hospitalised for COVID-19, has shown that asthmatics do not present an increased risk of developing a severe form of the disease.- Coronavirus
UK COVID-19 rapid antibody tests are approved for professional use
The COVID-19 rapid antibody test, developed by Abingdon Health, the medical device manufacturer leading the UK-Rapid Test Consortium (UK-RTC), has received its CE mark. This means it is approved for professional use in the UK and EU.- Coronavirus
NICE publishes guideline on planned hospital treatments
NICE has published a guideline on the arrangements the NHS should put in place for patients needing elective surgery and other planned treatments and procedures (including diagnostics and imaging) during the COVID-19 pandemic.- Coronavirus
Government advice on masks ‘confusing’ warns BMA
The BMA has warned that Government measures and public guidance on face covering rules in England are unclear, inconsistent and are causing widespread confusion.- Coronavirus
Scanning solution helps tackle COVID pressures at North Tees
North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust has implemented a containerised CT scanning solution that will help meet increased demand for scanning services, during the COVID crisis, while protecting non-infected patients.- Coronavirus
SARS-CoV-2 vaccine shows promising results in early trial.
A clinical trial of the UK’s vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) has shown promising results.- Coronavirus
First findings published from home COVID-19 testing programme
A major programme of community coronavirus testing that is tracking levels of infection in England has published its first report.- Coronavirus
Plans to deal with winter pressures and potential second wave vital
A second wave of COVID-19, on top of these challenges, would put the NHS under considerable pressure, so it’s sensible to look at potential worst case scenarios, as this report does, so that we can plan and put mitigating measures in place.- Coronavirus
Optometrists advise how to wear glasses with facemasks to prevent fog
Wearing a facemask or face covering is becoming the new normal, but one of the minor problems of the COVID-19 pandemic is fogged-up eyewear. This happens when warm breath escapes from the top of the mask and lands on the cooler surface of the lens.- Coronavirus
NHS deploys COVID-19 risk assessment tool to protect front-line staff
Working for the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, intelligent automation firm Rainbird has developed a COVID-19 risk assessment tool to help potentially vulnerable front-line workers limit their exposure to undue levels of risk from the virus.- Coronavirus
Urgent cancer referrals being turned down
The charity, Cancer Research UK, has reported that around a quarter of GPs surveyed said that urgent referrals for suspected cancer have been inappropriately turned down by hospitals 'more often than before the pandemic'.- Coronavirus
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