UAMS OK'd to use
plasma treatment
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has received approval to use convalescent plasma as an experimental treatment for covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus.
The Food and Drug Administration authorized the use at UAMS Medical Center. Other providers also can access the treatment through a UAMS network, a news release said.
The program's approval means plasma collected from people who have recovered from covid-19 will be used for patients in the state, rather than being distributed through a nationwide network.
There's no research-confirmed treatment for covid-19, but the plasma is being investigated as a possible approach based on anecdotal evidence, experts have said.
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People in Arkansas who had confirmed cases of covid-19 and recovered can donate plasma at The Blood Institute, Community Blood Center of the Ozarks and LifeShare, according to UAMS materials.
Businesses urged
to flush waterlines
The Arkansas Department of Health is urging that before businesses reopen they take safety precautions related to their buildings' water systems and address potential "chemical and microbial health risks."
The agency offers bacteriological testing for a building's water supply for $17. Details are available by visiting the website healthy.arkansas.gov or calling (501) 661-2220.
Business that have had reduced water use in recent weeks should flush their buildings' plumbing systems before reopening, beginning at the point of entry and flushing outward through the entire building.
Storage tanks should be checked for sediment buildup and possibly drained. Aerators, filters and shower heads should be checked for particles and cleaned.
Ice machines also should be cleaned, and three batches of ice should be discarded after flushing water systems, a news release said.
State near bottom
in pay for nurses
Registered nurses in Arkansas are paid less than nurses in all but four other states, according to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The data, gathered in May 2019, says Arkansas' registered nurses earned an average annual salary of $61,330. Only nurses in Iowa, Alabama, Mississippi and South Dakota made less.
However, the average salary for Arkansas nurses increased slightly from the same report a year before, which logged average pay at $60,780.
According to the most recent data, the highest average annual salary was in California, where nurses earn an average annual wage of $113,240. Hawaii and Massachusetts were ranked second and third for pay.
SundayMonday on 05/11/2020