A Review of 2020 State and DC Face Mask Guidelines for U.S. Healthcare Workers during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

This study reviewed state and District of Columbia (DC) health department guidelines for the use of face masks by healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic via an October 2020 internet search and compared these guidelines to those from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Guidelines varied between states and DC with respect to N95 face mask and surgical mask use, as well as to extended use and re-use of N95 masks. Uniform guidance based on emerging evidence should be required for creating policy and procedures for healthcare workers during this and future pandemics.

Ethical allocation of COVID-19 vaccine in the United States: an evaluation of competing frameworks for the current pandemic and future events.

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, created the need for an effective vaccine. Questions arose about allocating the initial limited supplies in the United States. We present four allocation models and compare their characteristics for ethically meeting the health needs of the population. The literature shares broad agreement on guiding ethical principles with those of the four proposed models for vaccine allocation, featuring the concepts of utilitarianism, prioritarianism, equity, and reciprocity. We conclude that the "Interim Framework for COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation and Distribution in the United States" from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is the most comprehensive and ethically sound. We recommend government officials and policymakers at all levels consider the principles and objectives in this model as US COVID-19 vaccination distribution efforts continue. This model may serve as an effective framework for initial vaccine distribution efforts during future epidemic and pandemic events.

After the Storm Has Passed: Barriers to Preparing U.S. Community Hospitals for the Next Pandemic and Other Disasters.

The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated shortcomings in the ability of community hospitals in the United States to respond to crises of this nature. This has led to questions about the effectiveness of community hospital disaster preparedness. A study of hospital preparedness in New York State in 2017 revealed a number of barriers to preparedness. Among the most significant are economic barriers, given that disaster preparedness is not a reimbursable cost like patient care. The economic challenges have been exacerbated by a decline in federal disaster preparedness funding in recent years. Reflecting on previous writings, the author provides several options for overcoming these barriers to ensure hospitals are better prepared for future disasters.