Q&A: Preparation Paid Off When COVID-19 Struck
Fibi Attia, MD, the infection prevention coordinator at Penn State Milton S. Hersey Medical Center, says that the main challenge for infection preventionists in the COVID-19 pandemic is not knowing who might be carrying the disease.
Having drilled for a pandemic and having put in place a pandemic plan helped hospital staff and the infection control and prevention department a lot when the real thing struck in the form or COVID-19, says Fibi Attia, MD, the infection prevention coordinator at Penn State Milton S. Hersey Medical Center. Attia, who is also a member of Infection Control Today®’s Editorial Advisory Board, says that before the COVID-19 pandemic, making sure that hospital staff followed standard precautions represented the main challenge for infection preventionists. After COVID-19, the main challenge was treating patients with the knowledge that they could be carriers of the coronavirus. And limiting exposure of healthcare workers to COVID-19 remains a constant concern.
Back to Basics: Hospital Restores Catheter-Associated UTI Rates to Prepandemic Baseline
June 16th 2025A 758-bed quaternary medical center slashed catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) by 45% over 2 years, proving that disciplined adherence to fundamental prevention steps, not expensive add-ons, can reverse the pandemic-era spike in device-related harm.
