CORONAVIRUS NEWS

Public Health England has published a report on ‘Disparities in the risk and outcomes of COVID-19’, which shows that healthcare inequalities continue to exist, leading to increased mortality among certain sections of the community.

A new study has found an association between low average levels of vitamin D and high numbers of COVID-19 cases and mortality rates.

Healthcare staff working in some of the most high-risk COVID-19 settings are still struggling to access the protective personal equipment (PPE) they need to keep them safe.

The findings of a new Diabetes UK survey show that two thirds (67%) of people with diabetes attending work do not feel safe. More than half of respondents (54%) also say their employer is not enabling them to socially distance at work.

Amid warnings that BAME nursing staff may be disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, an RCN survey reveals that they are more likely to struggle to secure adequate PPE while at work.

The 200,000 testing capacity target was reached on Saturday 30 May, at 205,634. The increased testing capacity has now allowed for the rollout of the new NHS Test and Trace system, which will identify and isolate new cases of the virus.

A survey by the Royal College of Anaesthetists has found that access to testing has improved, but significant concerns remain around personal protective equipment and anaesthetic drugs availability.

Local authorities will be central to supporting the new test and trace service across England, with the Government providing a new funding package of £300 million.

The Queen’s Nursing Institute has published a new document, Minimum Bridging Competencies for General Practice Nurses Transitioning to Community Nursing.

New antibody testing programme to provide tens of thousands of antibody tests per day across the UK from next week.

People living with diabetes face a significantly higher risk of dying with COVID-19 with a third of deaths in England associated with the condition, according to new NHS research.

The health service in England has called on people with diabetes to access help available to them, including a new dedicated helpline and online tools to help manage the condition during the outbreak.

The Infection Prevention Society (IPS) has released a questions and answer document on “Using PPE for Covid-19 in Intensive Care Settings” and an accompanying video.

COVID-19 is associated with a high incidence of venous thromboembolism, blood clots in the venous circulation, according to a study conducted by researchers at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), UK.

Single Use Surgical will donate 5p from the sale of every disposable surgical instrument sold in the UK to Cavell Nurses’ Trust to help support nurses in their time of need.

CliniSys has delivered a laboratory link for NHS Nightingale Hospital Bristol (Nightingale Bristol), so clinicians can request tests for patients and receive the results electronically

A new online reporting site, dedicated to reporting any suspected side effects from medicines and  medical equipment, relating  to COVID-19  treatment, has been launched.

A novel approach to identify COVID-19 with high confidence from other viral and bacterial infections using X-ray will help to make Coronavirus diagnosis faster and more accurate with the help artificial intelligence-based program.

Thousands of existing health records for people who have had COVID-19 are to be examined as part of a major exercise to establish more robust data on the factors impacting the number of cases and health outcomes for different groups within the population.

NICE has published a new series of guidelines in the wake of COVID-19, including guidance on the care of children and young people who are immunocompromised.

NICE has published a new COVID-19 rapid guideline on acute kidney injury (AKI). The guideline aims to help healthcare professionals who are not kidney specialists to prevent, detect and manage AKI in patients in hospital with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.