Tori Whitacre Martonicz

As COVID-19 restrictions eased up, other respiratory viruses began circulating alongside SARS-CoV-2. It's crucial to identify cases and understand the symptoms of these infections to track the evolution of the virus and what health care workers should look out for.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today®’s highlights for the week ending September 24, 2023.

Deborah Birx, MD, highlights concerns about the lack of data-driven action in the fight against COVID-19. She emphasizes the need for timely alerts and empowering communities to protect vulnerable individuals.

Deborah Birx, MD, discusses the significance of collaboration, innovation, data-driven decision-making, and community engagement in public health. Her insights underscore the need for trust-building and adaptability in pandemic response.

Doe Kley, MPH, RN, T-CHEST, LTC-CIP, CIC, speaks to Infection Control Today about her presentation and other exceptional presentations at the Association for the Health Care Environment (AHE) Exchange Conference & Solution Center

A new preventative vaccine has been developed incorporating technology funded by the NIH since 2004. The trials will be conducted in the United States and South Africa.

The AHE Exchange Conference in Dallas focused on emerging pathogens and the role of environmental services. Doe Kley, MPH, RN, T-CHEST, LTC-CIP, CIC, discusses her and other exceptional presentations with Infection Control Today.

Ambassador Deborah Birx, MD, discusses whether students should be required to wear masks to protect themselves and others and what the public should know about the newest COVID-19 variant, B.A.2.86.

The Healthy People 2030 initiative aims to improve the health of the United States’ population through research and developmental objectives through the end of the decade.

Ambassador Deborah Birx, MD, answers the persistent question of whether mRNA technology is safe in the long term.

“Once people started to get infected and reinfected despite being vaccinated, their interpretation then is this vaccine doesn't work…. But [the COVID-19 vaccine] was never designed, studied, tested, or released to protect against infection.” --Ambassador Deborah Birx, MD

The updated vaccines are projected to offer strong defense against the presently circulating COVID-19 variants. Who should be vaccinated?

The "Strategies to Prevent Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections" document has been updated by the Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Health Care-Associated Infections. It is sponsored by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology and developed by over 100 experts from various organizations.

September is Sepsis Awareness Month, and a recently published study examines what patients and health care workers know—and fear—about sepsis.

A recent survey aimed to understand Americans' concerns and knowledge about hospitalization. Infection Control Today speaks to 2 of the authors.

Assisted living facilities face distinct challenges when it comes to infection prevention and control due to their unique nature.

This guide aims to assist hospitals in identifying and managing sepsis at an earlier stage. ICT interviews 1 of the authors.

With malaria making headlines, infection prevention specialists and other IPC professionals seek answers. To provide clarity, ICT® has consulted with 2 experts in the field.

Visible-light continuous environmental disinfection system reduces microbial contamination and surgical site infections, as noted in an AJIC study. Experts explain the study and the technology.

Neal Buchalter, MBA, president of Parker Laboratories, spoke with Infection Control Today® in an exclusive interview about the product, the companies involved, and how it came to the US market.

As an oversight agency for the Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Inspector General is responsible for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of Medicare and Medicaid programs, with a huge priority being patient care. These toolkits provide additional guidance on how to avoid patient injury.

A relatively new threat, the Candida auris fungus has become a dangerous agent due to its ability to form biofilms, which help it survive and spread infections within the environment.

Experts discuss how implementation science integrates research findings and evidence-based guidelines into health care services to improve quality and effectiveness.

A presentation at the APIC 2023 annual conference was about reducing the unnecessary treatment of asymptomatic bacteria, and the presenters shared some of the successful strategies they have implemented at their hospital.

Association of periOperative Registered Nurses received recognition from the Denver Business Journal for its efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion within its program that aims to improve nurses’ ability to address health disparities among underserved patient populations.

For effective communication, infection preventionists and construction crews must understand each other's professional terminology. A resource tracer can be developed to ensure that both teams communicate the proper completion of work.

New Haven's infection prevention department created a procedure to identify and manage COVID-19 cases in BH units based on literature findings about how it spreads.

What are risk assessments? How are they done? Two experts explained them in an entertaining and informative presentation at the APIC 2023 conference in Orlando, Florida.

Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) can cause harm to patients or even lead to fatalities, while also resulting in additional expenses for hospitals.

Reducing tests has benefits like better antibiotic use and fewer hospital infections. It can also prevent some cases of catheter-associated UTIs.