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The means of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and the age group most likely to transmit the virus—people in their 20s—garnered headlines this week, as well as controversy for the CDC.

Infection Preventionists Need to Know About These COVID-19 Hot Topics

The Japanese company Ushio says that it will sell the Care 222 UV lamp to medical facilities first for about $2,800 a piece. The company also foresees the lamps being used on buses, trains, elevators, and offices.

Ultraviolet Lamp Said to Kill COVID, Leave People Unharmed

Cedric Steiner: “We had to address the ability to say good-bye to loved ones. A big guy, with tears in his eyes. He was so thankful that they had a place to go for their mother, because at the hospital they couldn’t see her. He wanted to give me a bear hug, but we did the ‘elbow thing’ instead.” 

How to Build Negative Pressure Rooms in Nursing Homes During COVID 

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Sylvia Garcia-Houchins, MBA, RN, CIC:  “I think initially, everybody said: ‘Oh, my gosh, we have a pandemic happening.’ It’s sort of a dead stop everywhere. And we’ve got to get ready. We’ve got to be prepared…. In many organizations at that point, the infection preventionist was really put into a position: Put my resources here? Put my resources there? I need to get a plan.”

Joint Commission Feels Infection Preventionists’ Pain

Eli Lilly stated LY-CoV555 was “well tolerated” without the observation of any drug-related serious events. And that adverse events were similar to placebo. However, the exact incidence of milder drug reactions which could affect patient acceptance were not given.

Eli Lilly Neutralizing Antibodies: Breakthrough for COVID-19 Treatment?

Sign up today for a live webinar to hosted next Tuesday night in which experts will discuss how to separate good from misleading data dealing with COVID-19. 

Fact or Fiction? Live Webinar Will Look at COVID Controversies

Brent James, MD: “If you had an inpatient who developed an inpatient infection, it was like he got a console from ID in about three or four seconds. You just called up the program. You had to tell it the sites of infection you’re interested in, but then it did an epidemiologic evaluation of that patient.”

Q&A: How Direct to Business Coverage Can Help Infection Care

Most hospitals have implemented stringent visitor restrictions that don’t allow anyone to visit, even during end of life. While an understandable public health and infection prevention measure, it has generated some concern.

Visiting Hours: Time to Re-evaluate Restrictions Caused by COVID

Although both vascular access and infection prevention have their own focus, our commonality is in ensuring patients get the care they need while minimizing their chances of nosocomial infections.

How This Vascular Access Nurse Relies on an Infection Preventionist

Patients afflicted with COVID-19 have an increased susceptibility to antibiotic resistant infections both from prolonged hospitalizations and the use of immunocompromising agents such as dexamethasone.

Taking Aim at Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria During COVID

Kevin Kavanagh, MD: “I think you’ll find that infection preventionists in this type of climate are just not healthcare employed personnel. They need to be everywhere. They need to be in business. They need to be in schools. And, of course, they need to be in our healthcare system. But it is crucial to be in schools…”

Q&A: Infection Preventionists Should Head Back to School

Diversifying roles and creating support staff benefits the team by increasing the productivity of the department and providing a deeper bench so that IPs can focus on broader activities requiring specific subject matter expertise.

Expanding Size, Variety of Infection Prevention Team Pays Off

The effectiveness of UVC for reduction of microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, and fungi has been proven time and again. But using UVC radiation to disinfect is not simple and requires lots of protocols to use safely.

UVC Light: Powerful Disinfectant, But Not Easy to Use

Peter Walter, PhD: “We think of AeroNabs as a molecular form of PPE that could serve as an important stopgap until vaccines provide a more permanent solution to COVID-19.”

Spray-On Personal Protective Equipment in the Works

Jonathan Iralu, MD: “We’ve dealt with small outbreaks, not a pandemic, but we were, in a sense, prepped to deal with the pandemic because we have had experience working with outbreaks…. We were used to collaborating with the state and the tribe on these other conditions. For COVID-19, we didn’t have to reinvent the wheel….” 

Q&A: How Navajo Nation Dealt With COVID-19

The results of the study indicate that a closer working relationship between the antimicrobial stewardship program and the infection control team pays off in lower incidence of C. diff.

Proactive Infection Control Decreases C. Diff Infection

Join us for the inaugural MJH Life SciencesTM COVID-19 Coalition webinar event, “Battling Dual Threats: Flu and COVID-19 Converge,” featuring perspectives across virology and epidemiology.

Webinar on Handling COVID-19 and the Flu on Tap

As these healthcare worker serology studies are designed and performed, we need more insight beyond just PPE use and symptoms, but also internal and external exposures.

For Infection Preventionists Battling COVID: Beware of the Break Room

Jason Tetro: “There are going to be COVID-19 waves every year. What we hope is that that vaccine is going to be able to help us to be able to have that protection whenever those waves are hitting us.”

Q&A: Infection Preventionists Might Become Vaccine Cops

It is imperative that infection preventionists engage and combat this messaging on social media and wherever it occurs. To not do so, allows misinformation to fan the pandemic, placing all of our lives at risk.

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