Hospital Infection Control & Prevention
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Unvaccinated Patients Dying from ‘Less Severe’ Omicron
The emerging narrative of the omicron variant of COVID-19 being less severe — and possibly signaling a transition to an endemic phase of the pandemic — is of little solace to patients dying of the virus daily.
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Federal Vaccine Mandates May Be Bound for the Supreme Court
The legal battle over COVID-19 vaccine mandates in healthcare continues, as federal judges have granted injunctions blocking the federal requirement. With similar challenges hindering the federal mandate for businesses with at least 100 employees, it is increasingly looking like these controversial attempts to stop the pandemic are headed to the highest court in the land.
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Too Many HCWs Not Vaccinated for COVID-19
Even as a federal mandate to vaccinate healthcare workers against COVID-19 is facing court challenges, a new analysis revealed immunization of medical personnel stalled in fall 2021 and only now may be improving incrementally.
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Will Omicron Variant Overtake Delta? Probably
Although early findings suggest that the omicron variant is a milder form of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the severity of illness — particularly in different populations by age and underlying conditions — is still an unknown.
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Omicron Variant: A Superspreader with Low Severity?
While the emerging omicron variant of COVID-19 is “blowing through” previously infected and vaccinated people in South Africa, preliminary evidence indicates the highly mutated virus will cause less severe disease.
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Leapfrog Patient Safety Group Pushing for Lower HAI Rates
The Leapfrog Group, a patient safety watchdog organization, is redoubling efforts to prevent healthcare-associated infections and other adverse events that have increased during the pandemic as it examines data and results from its policy suggestions.
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FDA: Eye Injuries Increasing Because of Alcohol Hand Rubs
Although a key infection control intervention, the ubiquitous presence of alcohol-based hand hygiene dispensers has led to an increase in people reporting severe eye irritations and injuries.
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CDC Urges Pregnant Women to Get Vaccinated
Despite the risk of severe disease and death, about two-thirds of pregnant women are not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
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Temperature and Symptom Check Rarely Prevents Presenteeism
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a common ritual at hospital entry for healthcare workers is undergoing a temperature and/or symptoms check upon arriving for their shift. The problem is it rarely works.
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Genetic Research Suggests a ‘Superspreader’ in Provincetown
Was the large COVID-19 outbreak in Provincetown, MA, in July 2021 a superspreader event? The question remains inconclusive, but genetic evidence in new preprint research strongly signals a superspreader type event.