Weekly Rounds: Educator of the Year Award, Long COVID, Norovirus, and More
Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today®’s highlights for the week ending September 10, 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.
Health Watch USA's 17th Annual Conference: Exploring Long COVID's Impact on Patients, Workers, and Society
Health Watch USA’s annual conference will examine many aspects of long COVID with speakers from across the globe on November 1, 2023, from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM EST.
IPC Today Hot Topics: COVID-19 Readiness, Meningococcal Outbreak, and Norovirus
In this Hot Topics in IPC, Saskia v. Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, CIC, FAPIC, discusses whether masks need to return for COVID-19, Virginia’s outbreak, and interesting articles to read.
Infection Control Today's Educator of the Year Award
Infection Control Today® is honored to announce it is reviving the Infection Control Today’s Educator of the Year Award™. For more information, please listen to Linda Spaulding, RN, CIC, the 2003 Winner of the Infection Control Today’s Educator of the Year Award.
Original mRNA Vaccines Helped Protect Children Against COVID-19-Associated ED Visits
According to a recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the original COVID-19 monovalent and bivalent vaccines helped reduce emergency department or urgent care encounters for children aged 6 months to 5 years.
Turning Crisis Into Catalyst: An IP’s Perspective on Leveraging Insights From the COVID-19 Pandemic to Enhance IPC Program Operations
A long-time infection preventionist uses her experience through the COVID-19 pandemic to illustrate how collaborative IPC strategies can lead to efficiency and promote patient safety. She further uses this experience to recommend what she believes helps strengthen IPC programs during a crisis.
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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.
