Weekly Rounds: COVID-19, Fighting a Disease With a Disease, Rise in RSV Infections, and More
Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today®’s highlights for the week ending February 24, 2023.
Here are 5 highlights from Infection Control Today®'s (ICT®’s) wide-ranging coverage of the infection prevention and control world. Everything from interviews with known opinion leaders to the news that infection preventionists and other health care professionals can use on their jobs.
How Soon Is Another Booster Needed? Durability of Vaccine-Induced Immunity
Specifically for older individuals and immunocompromised individuals, a year could be too long.
Is the Rise in RSV Infections Associated With Immune Debt or SARS-CoV-2 Immune Dysfunction?
Post-COVID-19 immune dysfunction is supported by epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory evidence. Attributing, with little to no evidence, that masking and lack of exposure is the primary driver of increases in bacterial and viral infections discourages critical interventions needed to stop the spread of disease.
Mpox Emergence: A Review of the 2022-2023 Outbreak
Mpox (formerly “monkeypox”) is endemic in certain African countries but was rarely reported in the Western world until recently.
CROI Now Covers More Than HIV
The Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections 2023 has research in COVID-19, mpox, hepatitis, and other viral infections, plus networking, and even Anthony Fauci, MD, speaking on his legacy.
COVID-19 Immunity: Catching a Disease to Prevent a Disease?
Catching COVID-19 to prevent a more severe case is not a good strategy, says Kevin Kavanagh, MD.
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Reducing Hidden Risks: Why Sharps Injuries Still Go Unreported
July 18th 2025Despite being a well-known occupational hazard, sharps injuries continue to occur in health care facilities and are often underreported, underestimated, and inadequately addressed. A recent interview with sharps safety advocate Amanda Heitman, BSN, RN, CNOR, a perioperative educational consultant, reveals why change is overdue and what new tools and guidance can help.
New Study Explores Oral Vancomycin to Prevent C difficile Recurrence, But Questions Remain
July 17th 2025A new clinical trial explores the use of low-dose oral vancomycin to prevent Clostridioides difficile recurrence in high-risk patients taking antibiotics. While the data suggest a possible benefit, the findings stop short of statistical significance and raise red flags about vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), underscoring the delicate balance between prevention and antimicrobial stewardship.
What Lies Beneath: Why Borescopes Are Essential for Verifying Surgical Instrument Cleanliness
July 16th 2025Despite their smooth, polished exteriors, surgical instruments often harbor dangerous contaminants deep inside their lumens. At the HSPA25 and APIC25 conferences, Cori L. Ofstead, MSPH, and her colleagues revealed why borescopes are an indispensable tool for sterile processing teams, offering the only reliable way to verify internal cleanliness and improve sterile processing effectiveness to prevent patient harm.
The Next Frontier in Infection Control: AI-Driven Operating Rooms
Published: July 15th 2025 | Updated: July 15th 2025Discover how AI-powered sensors, smart surveillance, and advanced analytics are revolutionizing infection prevention in the OR. Herman DeBoard, PhD, discusses how these technologies safeguard sterile fields, reduce SSIs, and help hospitals balance operational efficiency with patient safety.
Targeting Uncertainty: Why Pregnancy May Be the Best Time to Build Vaccine Confidence
July 15th 2025New national survey data reveal high uncertainty among pregnant individuals—especially first-time parents—about vaccinating their future children, underscoring the value of proactive engagement to strengthen infection prevention.
