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.
Healing With Algorithms: AI's Impact on Epidemiology and Infection Control
April 2nd 2024Media in the US presents AI as both beneficial and risky. Positive coverage shows AI's potential through virtual assistants like Siri, while cautionary tales warn of misuse like misinformation and deepfakes. How does all this work in health care?
Four Years After COVID-19: What Has the Infection Prevention Community Learned?
March 15th 2024Four years ago today, March 15, 2020, the COVID-19 lockdown began, and since then, the world has undergone significant changes. It has been a terrifying experience for everyone, especially for the infection prevention community, both within and outside of the health care sector. However, a crucial question remains unanswered: What has the infection prevention community learned from this pandemic, and where does it go from here?
COVID-19 Harmonization: Balancing Risks and Benefits of CDC's Latest Move
March 11th 2024The CDC's recent decision to align recommendations for respiratory viruses, particularly COVID-19, has garnered support from the public and infectious disease societies. However, as the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) lends its backing to the CDC's harmonization efforts, concerns persist regarding the implications of this shift, especially considering the Omicron variant's unique characteristics and the ongoing challenges posed by COVID-19's multi-system impacts.
