Prevention

The Nursing Home Improvement and Accountability Act of 2021 bolsters the standing of infection preventionists, but begs the question: Where’s the money going to come from?

As questions arise about vaccine efficacy and how effective they’ll be against the growing list of COVID-19 variants, the United States might have to rely more and more on another mitigation method: testing.

An infection prevention officer at the hospital along with key clinical personnel and administrators had to give the OK for the prototype mask to be manufactured.

G. Rumay Alexander, EdD, RN: “When experience shows up, it speaks and it speaks loudly. It usually shows up as a feeling, or a thought, or a belief, or a decision about who’s worthy of getting the best care, or the minimum amount.”

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending August 6.

Brace yourselves for a rough August in the United States, infection preventionists. But come September the country might see a sharp decline in Delta variant cases.

Data collected by Britain’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, Japanese researchers, and the US Department of Agriculture paint a picture of a growing challenge.

Should older people get boosters? The data from Israel indicate that this needs to be given strong consideration in those above 60 years old who were fully vaccinated by the end of January.

Investigators in Chile conclude that the lambda COVID-19 variant is not only more infectious than standard SARS-CoV-2, but could also possibly shrug off vaccines. The first case in the United States has been spotted at Houston Methodist Hospital.

The issue of breakthrough infections is increasingly coming up. How frequent are they? How infectious are they? Simply put, we know the COVID-19 vaccines do not offer sterilizing immunity.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending July 30.

When the CDC updated masking recommendations earlier this week, the agency also updated COVID-19 testing recommendations.

Israeli announced today that it will begin offering a booster shot to its older citizens to try to stop the spread of the Delta variant. It is the first country in the world to make this move.

Kevin Kavanagh, MD: “I am convinced this virus is about one or two iterations away from completely avoiding the vaccine. And remember, we have the lambda variant and the kappa variant which are sitting out there in the wings, waiting for immunity to drop and possibly cause another wave.”

Shingrix was originally approved by the FDA in 2017 for the prevention of shingles in adults 50 years and older. Now, it’s approved for those 18 years and older who are immunocompromised.

Not nearly enough Americans are vaccinated to prevent COVID-19 from doing further damage. For some providers, dealing with patients who refuse to do what’s best for them can trigger compassion fatigue.

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

The high-level disinfection process of an ultrasound probe, when indicated, includes documentation that demonstrates high-level disinfection was performed, and patient identifiers were documented to link the ultrasound probe to the patient. This is often referred to as traceability.

Non-ventilator-hospital associated pneumonia prevention is quickly becoming the hot topic among infection preventionists.

Infection preventionists are integral members of the extended sterile processing department team and can be among the department’s biggest supporters.

As the Delta variant is estimated to be around 50% more transmissible than the original strain, the CDC has been emphasizing the need to improve stagnated vaccine rates.

Despite the fact that the processes and layout of the laundry facility met industry standards, infection prevention teams found a significant number of mucormycosis-causing cultures.

The pandemic could leave in its wake a “tsunami” of chronic health conditions in younger people, including serious heart problems.

We need to have a paradigm shift in the way we view this virus, planning and implementing strategies to allow us to live with an endemic pathogen.

Ashish Mathur, PhD: “Today, there are no uniform industry standards to evaluate the efficacy of UVC devices. The onus is up to the infection preventionist to make sure and confirm that whatever claims have been made for the device are being substantiated by clinical evidence and third-party testing.”