Personal Protective Equipment

Despite their protective role, gloves are often misused in health care settings—undermining hand hygiene, risking patient safety, and worsening environmental impact. Alexandra Peters, PhD, points out that this misuse deserves urgent attention, especially today, World Hand Hygiene Day.

Deep feelings run strong about the COVID-19 pandemic, and some beautiful art has come out of those emotions. Infection Control Today is proud to share this poem by Carmen Duke, MPH, CIC, in response to a recent article by Heather Stoltzfus, MPH, RN, CIC.

What truly occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic? Is the new COVID.gov website accurate for those who worked in public health throughout the pandemic? A public health worker answers.

Telehealth and home care are vital for protecting high-risk patients by minimizing infection exposure, enhancing safety, and supporting prevention with technology-driven, home-based health solutions.

This week’s Infection Control Today’s Hot Topics in IPC discusses the latest in the measles outbreak, biocontainment, Group A Strep, and more.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending March 23, 2025.

A Candida auris outbreak in a burn intensive care unit (BICU) in Illinois has highlighted the persistent challenges of infection control in high-risk health care settings. Despite rigorous containment efforts, this multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen continued to spread, underscoring the need for enhanced prevention strategies, environmental monitoring, and genomic surveillance.

Dr Noah Greenspan discusses the evolving understanding of long COVID, current treatment strategies, diagnostic challenges, and the critical need for research and awareness in post-viral syndromes.

The growing H5N1 avian flu outbreak threatens public health and food security. Without urgent action, mutations could spark human-to-human transmission, creating the next global pandemic.

Reusable health care textiles enhance infection prevention, reduce waste, and strengthen supply chains. Hygienically clean textiles offer a sustainable, cost-effective alternative to disposable PPE, ensuring patient safety and environmental responsibility.

A silent invader lurks in health care settings, exploiting human oversights to spread. Discover how vigilance, hand hygiene, and disinfection can stop infections before they begin.

The 160th CDS Midwinter Meeting showcased dental advancements, scientific courses, and infection control discussions, drawing nearly 25,000 attendees and highlighting innovations, oral pathology, and patient safety strategies.

Proper glove use is crucial in health care settings to prevent infections. Guidelines from TJC, CDC, and WHO stress correct selection, usage, and disposal to minimize health care–associated infections (HAIs) and cross-contamination risks. Infection preventionists (IPs) play a key role in educating staff, enforcing compliance, and improving patient safety through standardized glove practices.

The US exit from the UNHRC and cuts to UNRWA funding jeopardize global health, humanitarian aid, and pandemic preparedness, isolating America and endangering millions worldwide.

This week's edition of Hot Topics in IPC covers the latest in Trump's executive orders and in avian flu.

The US CDC's sudden cutoff from WHO threatens global health security, leaving infection preventionists scrambling to track deadly outbreaks like Marburg virus, mpox, and avian flu.

Norovirus and avian influenza outbreaks require infection preventionists to enhance hygiene, train staff, implement PPE use, and ensure effective disinfection to protect health care workers, patients, and facilities.

The US withdrawal from WHO threatens global health collaboration, weakening infection control, disease surveillance, and funding for vulnerable nations, undermining decades of progress in combating infectious diseases worldwide.

Read about the CDC’s Health Advisory. The advisory emphasizes the significance of early detection, infection control measures, and interdisciplinary collaboration to reduce risks, guarantee timely treatment, and prevent further spread.

Read the latest on the rise of H5N1 avian flu. What happens if it combines with COVID-19? Experts answer the most pressing questions.

Public health mandates, such as lockdowns, masking, and vaccination, balance liberty and safety, ensuring critical protections during pandemics like COVID-19 while fostering long-term survival through science.

Veterinarians, technicians, and veterinarian infection preventionists face risks from H5N1 avian flu when handling farm animals or exposed wildlife. Learn key prevention strategies, PPE recommendations, and emerging challenges.

Richard Webby, PhD, the director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre or Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals and Birds, discusses the evolving dynamics of H5N1 avian flu, its variants, and the low risk to humans while emphasizing vigilance among health care professionals.

Explore why CMS must expand COVID-19, influenza, and RSV reporting to include hospital-onset infections, health care worker cases, and ER trends, driving proactive prevention and patient safety.

Gloves, masks, and surface disinfectants are infection prevention powerhouses. Equip your practice with these essentials to protect patients and staff this cold and influenza (flu) season.

The Cherokee parable of 2 wolves illustrates the importance of emotional intelligence in infection prevention. Feeding the "positive wolf" fosters resilience, collaboration, and meaningful leadership.

The CDC HICPAC discussed updates to airborne pathogen guidelines, emphasizing the need for masks in health care. Despite risks, the committee resisted universal masking, highlighting other mitigation strategies

Masking, clean air, and vaccinations are essential in combating COVID-19 and preventing long-term impacts, as evidence mounts of long COVID's significant economic, cognitive, and behavioral effects.

Rapid diagnostics enhance patient outcomes by enabling prompt, targeted treatments, reducing inappropriate antibiotic use, and combating antimicrobial resistance through informed clinical decisions and stewardship programs.

Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), including ventilator-associated (VAP) and non-ventilator (NVHAP) forms, poses significant health risks, contributing to mortality, readmission, and high costs.