WORCESTER, Mass. - Through much of December and into January, a surge in COVID-19 cases overwhelmed Massachusetts. Since then, many are questioning the need for a fourth booster shot.

Dr. Robert Klugman, Medical Director of Employee Health Services at UMass Memorial Medical Center, said at this point there is no clear evidence of a fourth shot is beneficial. 

WORCESTER, Mass. - Between now and the end of the month, UMass Memorial Health and the Worcester Red Sox are partnering on a social media campaign to ask for support for hospital caregivers.

UMass Memorial and the WooSox are asking people on social media to use the hashtags #ShareASmile and #UMassMemorialStrength along with a photo or story about UMass caregivers.

The new clinic will include exam spaces, as well as providers across a variety of specialties, including endocrinology, diabetes, cardiology, neurosurgery, spine/anesthesia, rheumatology, oncology, infectious disease, and thoracic surgery. It will become the home of the newly expanded Diabetes Center of Excellence.

Shlomit Schaal, MD, PhD, has been elected by the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology to its Board of Trustees. Her three-year term will begin April 1.

“I embrace this role and I am humbled. Serving on the board of trustees is a priceless opportunity to help shape the future of academic ophthalmology,” said Dr. Schaal, chair and professor of ophthalmology & visual sciences. “Teaching the next generation of physicians and scientists is my greatest privilege.”

Federal officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated mask guidance this week to suggest Americans choose N95 or KN95s if possible, as respirators better stem the spread of SARS-CoV-2 spread this winter.

Experts have previously confirmed that Omicron spreads at a faster, more effective rate compared to earlier virus variants, and respirators like the N95 provide those in public a boost in subsequent filtration abilities if worn correctly.

BOSTON (CBS) – Massachusetts hospital leaders issued a dire warning Friday that they’re “in crisis” and “every corner of our healthcare system is gasping for air.”

The Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association, an organization of dozens of hospitals in the state, wrote a letter to the public saying “the stability of the system hangs in the balance” during this latest surge in the pandemic.

WORCESTER -  Over a dozen beds fill the room at the American Red Cross blood donation center on Plantation Street. During a 45-minute visit on Wednesday afternoon, only one of them was occupied. 

“Donations are down over half nationwide,” Jeff Hall, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross of Massachusetts, said at the door. He explained that the organization likes to keep a 3-day supply of blood; he said the state currently has just over a 1-day supply.

Six in 10 Americans have a chronic disease, and 4 in 10 have received a diagnosis of 2 or more chronic diseases.¹ Millions of Americans live with and manage cancer; diabetes; epilepsy; Alzheimer disease; heart, lung, and kidney disease; rheumatoid arthritis; and other conditions. Many participate in ongoing medication therapy, prescribed regimens, and regular medical support.

The American Red Cross has declared its first-ever national blood crisis in the U.S., warning the public about the worst shortage in over a decade.

The nonprofit said in a statement this week that U.S. blood centers in recent weeks have reported "less than a one-day’s supply of blood of certain critical blood types—a dangerously low level." It noted a decline in donor turnout since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to blood drive cancellations, staffing challenges and donor eligibility misinformation.