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CARE
DELIVERY
All children —
vaccinated or
not — should
wear masks this
fall, AAP says
By Gabrielle Masson
T
he American Academy of Pediatrics
is recommending in-person learning,
COVID-19 vaccinations for all eligi-
ble and universal masking for everyone old-
er than age 2 this fall, according to updated
guidance for the 2021-22 school year.
e AAP on July 19 recommended all stu-
dents and teachers wear masks, regardless of
vaccination status. e AAP's mask recom-
mendation differed from the CDC, which
said July 9 that fully vaccinated individuals
don't need to wear masks at schools. How-
ever, following AAP's update, the CDC said,
"If your child is 2 years and older, make sure
your child wears a mask in public settings."
AAP
recommends universal masking be-
cause a large portion of students aren't yet
eligible for vaccines, and masking is prov-
en to reduce virus transmission and protect
unvaccinated individuals.
Research has shown that opening schools
isn't typically linked with significant in-
creases in community transmission if mask-
ing and other safety measures are in place.
Given the effectiveness of safety precautions
when used consistently, children are at
higher risk of suffering mental health issues
and developmental setbacks if they miss in-
school learning, the AAP said.
According to the AAP, more than 4 million
American children have tested positive for
COVID-19 since the pandemic started to
July of this year. For the week ending July 8,
children accounted for nearly a quarter of all
new reported COVID-19 cases.
e AAP amplified the CDC's guidelines for
building ventilation, testing, quarantining,
cleaning and disinfection.
On July 19, the Health Action Alliance
launched a new effort to help working par-
ents vaccinate eligible children against
COVID-19 and catch up on other routine
immunizations. e effort is championed
by the American Academy of Pediatrics and
more than two dozen other organizations. n
Disinfection robots will stick around after
pandemic, experts predict
By Mackenzie Bean
M
any industries have turned to disinfection robots to automate the
cleaning of public spaces during the COVID-19 crisis, a trend
that will likely not disappear once the pandemic ends, reported
The Washington Post.
While hospitals have been using ultraviolet light disinfection robots for
years, a growing number of malls, airports and hotels are also turning to the
technology to improve their cleaning processes. Many analysts and technol-
ogy firms said they think these robots have gained a permanent foothold in
the cleaning and sanitation industry and predict their popularity will contin-
ue to grow, according to the Post.
"I do believe there has likely been a slight paradigm shift in how people think
about hygiene, as well as how corporations and governments approach san-
itation-related issues," Tim Mulrooney, a commercial services equities ana-
lyst for the investment bank William Blair, told the publication.
While the CDC on April 5 acknowledged that COVID-19 is predominantly
spread through airborne transmission, the pandemic has elevated Ameri-
cans' focus on cleanliness, driving demand for the robots, analysts say. n
5 fast facts about the US nurse
practitioner workforce
By Gabrielle Masson
N
urse practitioners are a key
part of the healthcare pro-
vider workforce, diagnosing
and treating patients either inde-
pendently or as part of a team.
Below are five fast facts about the
U.S. nurse practitioner workforce. In-
formation was taken from the Bureau
of Labor Statistics and represents
national data as of May 2020.
1. There are 211,280 nurse practi-
tioners in the U.S.
2. The mean annual wage for nurse
practitioners is $114,510.
3. States with the highest number of
employed nurse practitioners:
• California: 15,100
• New York: 14,850
• Texas: 14,680
• Florida: 13,010
• Ohio: 9,430
4. States with the highest concen-
tration of jobs, employment per
thousand jobs:
• Mississippi: 3.38
• Tennessee: 2.86
• Alaska: 2.6
• Kentucky: 2.38
• Maine: 2.36
5. Top-paying states for nurse
practitioners:
• California: $145,970
• New Jersey: $130,890
• Washington: $126,480
• New York: $126,440
• Massachusetts: $126,050 n
