Pandemic news — flu kits for elderly, mask study, sleep tips

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BOSTON

From The New England Council (newenglandcouncil.com)

Here is the council’s Oct. 28 roundup:

• “United Health Group Ships Flu Kits to Medicare Recipients – UnitedHealth Group is sending medical care packages including Tamiflu and COVID-19 tests to patients considered the most at-risk for the virus. The kits will also include a digital thermometer and instructions for self-administering the COVID-19 test. Read more here.

• “Harvard Medical School Releases Mask Study – Researchers at Harvard Medical School have found additional evidence of the benefits of mask wearing. The researchers found that universal masking in the Massachusetts health-care system led to a flattening, and then decreasing number of cases, even with cases rising in the surrounding population. Read more here.

• “Massachusetts General Unveils Tips for Better Sleep During COVID-19 – Massachusetts General Hospital has released a number of recommendations for better sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic. Citing increased levels of stress and anxiety, Massachusetts General compiled simple recommendations for people to keep well-rested. Read more here.

• “Catholic Medical Center Adds Second Automated Disinfection Robot – Catholic Medical Center has recently acquired a new Tru-Da device, which will help protect patients from hospital-acquired infections during the COVID-19 pandemic. The robot uses UVC light to modify the DNA and RNA of infectious cells, effectively sterilizing hospital rooms. Read more here.

• “BIDMC Finds New Ways to Anticipate the Effects of COVID-19 – Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have proposed the adoption of complexity science – a field concerned with understanding dynamic, unpredictable systems, such as the human brain, economies or climates – to predict and inform pandemic responses. Read more here.’’