Top in ID: Pooled COVID-19 sampling, flu vaccinations among HCWs

The FDA recently authorized emergency use of the first COVID-19 diagnostic test for pooled sampling. It was the top story in infectious disease last week.

Another top story was about whether hospitals should fire health care workers (HCWs) who refuse to receive an influenza vaccine.

Read these and more top stories in infectious disease below:

FDA authorizes first COVID-19 diagnostic test for pooled sampling

The FDA reissued an emergency use authorization for Quest Diagnostics’ SARS-CoV-2 rRT-PCR, allowing for the testing of up to four individual COVID-19 swab specimens at a time. Read more.

Should hospitals fire HCWs who refuse to get vaccinated against flu?

Vaccinating HCWs against influenza is a clinician and patient safety issue, experts said. It protects them and their patients from illness and ensures that facilities are well-staffed during influenza season. Read more.

Not every cough is COVID

Walk into a shop or restaurant ... and cough. Everybody will notice — and many will rapidly move away from you. Cough in a hospital waiting room and you will find a cotton swab in your nose as health workers rush you into isolation. Five months ago, there were more than 100 distinct infectious diseases that might have explained that cough. Right now, there seems to be only one disease: COVID-19. Read more.

Flu vaccination ‘a professional and ethical responsibility’ for all HCWs

Healio spoke with experts about the importance of influenza vaccination among HCWs and what a lack of vaccination could mean during the upcoming influenza season with COVID-19 circulating at the same time. Read more.

Tocilizumab associated with lower mortality among ventilated patients with COVID-19

Mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 who received tocilizumab (Actemra, Genentech) were 45% less likely to die, according to a single-center study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Read more.