COVID-19

COVID-19, and the emotional and physical toll it caused, reached all corners of the globe. At a nursing home in Hawaii, the staff describes how the pandemic has affected them.

With the World Health Organization declaring monkeypox a global emergency, Infection Control Today® looks at what lessons SARS-CoV-2 gave but were not followed, and what could be next.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending July 22.

Environmental sources of pathogen organisms can sometimes be difficult to narrow down in a health care facility. One possible source of transmission is the laundry used, and not maintaining strict cleanliness attention can put both patients and workers at risk.

Infection preventionists are not alone, despite how the COVID-19 pandemic has often made them feel. They are one point of the patient's triad--and the bonds within the triad are vital for the patient's outcome.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending July 15.

Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk, PhD, and her colleagues examined how COVID-19 affected infection preventionists’ mental and physical health, and in an exclusive interview, she discusses how facilities and IPs themselves can mitigate burnout.

The report addresses how the US’s decisions on the pandemic generally increased antimicrobial resistance, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for the future.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending July 8.

Certain disinfecting cycles can be used to extend the frequency and use of single-use respirators, but how do they affect the respirator filtration efficiency?

Two patients were found with C auris in the CVAHCS beginning in October 2020, and a recent study describes how the facility handled the situation.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending July 1.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending June 24.

In all areas, infection preventionists took on more responsibilities and expanded the ones they already had, including staff education and employee health.

It is easy to become complacent, but the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is not over, and long COVID-19 and the new variants are causing rising concern.

This recommendation comes at an critical time as this flu season is feared to be a rebound after the low numbers the last few years due to COVID-19 precautions.

Disinformation is continuing, even in the face of staggering evidence that COVID-19 is an ongoing dangerous pandemic.

The encouraging method used in the facility to raise the percentages was the answer to creating a positive response from the team.

Collaboration of a team from Inova Health with La Forma Medical developed an isolation gown that was cooler, better fitting, and more environmentally-friendly than disposables.

One key opinion leader speaks of infection prevention challenges with prone patients and benefits of centralized surveillance systems in 2 separate presentations at the APIC 2022 annual conference.

The IP’s role in vaccine compliance has traditionally centered on influenza shots, but that all changed with SARS-CoV-2.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending June 10.

Despite the emphasis on more improved infection prevention practices, stethoscope hygiene continually falls short, possibly leading to more health care-acquired infections.

With more confirmed cases in the United States, and the CDC raising the travel alert to Level 2, should individuals be concerned? ICT investigates.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending June 3.

Adding to their exhaustion because of other diseases rampant worldwide, like influenza and COVID-19, infection preventionists need to understand and recognize the basics of monkeypox as well since it has made its debut in the US.

Certain blood types in combination with Rh, race (Black patients and White patients), and pregnant or not pregnant demonstrated protection against the virus.

Infection preventionists and the equipment and cleansers they use gained a spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic. These include both established and innovative materials.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending May 27.

The bugs are winning, but only because we are letting them.