Ongoing Gaps in COVID-19 Prevention and Management
Despite the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and the availability of safe and effective vaccines and treatment, gaps in prevention and management of COVID-19 disease have been noted by in various articles and reports, specifically:
- CDC reports Underutilization of COVID-19 vaccine among nursing home residents (April 2024)
- AARP reports that only 30% of nursing home residents and 10% of staff were up to date on COVID-19 vaccination (June 2024)
- NPR reports how nursing homes are “falling further behind on vaccinating patients for COVID” (July 2024)
- Study in JAMA finds that the overall COVID-19 treatment rate was only 17.8%, despite the fact that the majority of residents within a nursing home would have qualified for treatment under current recommendations.
Challenges within the nursing home sector are not new. The recent report from the National Academiees of Science, Engineering, and Medicine report, The National Imperative to Improve Nursing, found significant inadequacies within U.S. nursing homes, especially in oversight and quality measurements. Vulnerable populations (such as the older population) often have multiple co-morbidities and weakened immune systems that increase the risk of COVID-19 complications. Communal living arrangements also facilitate the spread of infection. Delayed diagnosis, lack of awareness of treatment options, and inconsistent adherence to county/ state / CDC guidelines were also likely factors, in addition to staff shortages, turnover, and more. Not all staff may have been aware of the need for early diagnosis, given the therapeutic window for using antiviral treatments. Dr. Leanna Wen’s op-ed in the Washington Post (12/27/23) highlights policy changes that can help address this situation.
View up-to-date CDC resources on Underlying Conditions and the Higher Risk for Severe COVID-19.
AMWA’s Policy and Advocacy Campaigns
AMWA’s COVID-19 Vaccination, Policy, and Advocacy Campaign and COVID-19 Therapeutics Campaign was launched in 2023-2024 to help promote new policies for addressing COVID-19 vaccination and treatment. View the reports:
- COVID-19 Vaccination Policy & Advocacy
- COVID-19 Therapeutics Policy & Advocacy
- COVID-19 is Here to Stay: Take Care in 4 Easy Steps
- 2024 Respiratory Virus Guidance: Specific Considerations for Older Adults
Drug Interactions in COVID-19 Treatment
Managing Drug Interactions When Treating Patients for COVID-19: One-Hour On-Demand Continuing Medical Education Program. Enduring Module Available: April 20, 2023 – April 19, 2024.
AMWA Was a Founding Member of the COVID Community Corps (HHS) and a Partner of Made To Save.
Made to Save was a grass roots coalition that worked to save lives by increasing access to the COVID-19 vaccines in communities of color.
Studio AMWA Artist in Residence 2020-2021 Highlighted COVID-19 Care Six Feet Apart
In 2021, AMWA Artist-in-Residence, Dr. Karen Poirier-Brode created Six Feet Apart and WASH to reflect the changes wrought on our society by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Six Feet Apart is an accordion-style book depicting social distancing. I used the clear polymer background because so many of us are behind shields and glass during the pandemic. The 6ft/2m circles are like the ones we see for queues everywhere. You’ll notice that I chose an imprint of high heels. The love stethoscope seemed the best image for this lady doctor. Technique: Computer-designed images were made into decals, and the stickers were applied to the clear plastic. The joins are dyed Tyvek or Satin binding tape. The covers are made of leather-look bookbinding paper and marbled endpapers. The cover letters are black Cappuccino Thickers from American Crafts. The dimensions are 9 x 11 x 0.8 inches.
WASH: The book is made of 20 Bounty paper towels using single folio signatures with a die-cut “20” on each signature’s first page. The number 20 represents washing for 20 seconds, but there is also a double meaning with the 20 sheets and the number 20 representing the year 2020. The signatures are bound to a soft backcloth cover by waxed linen thread French-Lock and Kettle stitching. The Kettle stitches go through the accordion folder Reeves BFK to add strength to the structure. The cover letters are white Dolce fabric letter Thickers from American Crafts. The book dimensions are 6 x 5.75 x 1.5 inches.”
