How long must U.S. seniors wait for nursing homes to clean up their act? Congress must step in
By
Devin Jopp
Sep 18, 2023
For years the government has sounded the alarm about infection control lapses in nursing homes, a deficiency underscored at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic when many residents of a Kirkland, WA...
CDC: Prepare for COVID cases to rise in elders when young adult infections surge
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 14, 2020
In hotspot counties, surges in COVID infections begin in younger adults, followed by “several weeks” of increases in older age groups, agency investigators have found.
An antibody cocktail that halts disease progression in sick COVD-19 patients has been shown to prevent the disease altogether in healthy people who live in close contact with an infected person, the drugmaker...
Study highlights how VRE spreads — and how nursing homes can stop it
By
Kristen Fischer
Nov 15, 2023
Antibiotic exposure and dirty hands were factors linked to nursing home contamination with the multidrug-resistant bacteria vancomycin-resistant Enterococci, or VRE, a new study finds.
CMS creating infection control course for Final Rule compliance
By
Kimberly Marselas
Mar 27, 2018
A new, multi-day course is being designed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid to help nursing homes prepare for an infection preventionist requirement included in the revised Final Rules of participation.
Flu season may be ‘devastating,’ officials warn
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 01, 2020
“The real risk is that we’re going to have two circulating respiratory pathogens at the same time,” says CDC director Robert Redfield, M.D.
CDC: Portable air cleaners cut exposure to COVID-19 virus by 65 percent
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 06, 2021
In a simulated meeting with infected and uninfected participants, properly placed portable air cleaners with HEPA air filters slashed virus transmission. Adding masks was even more effective — cutting...
Read my lips: virus may spread through speech
By
Alicia Lasek
May 14, 2020
Speaking in a confined environment can cause airborne virus transmission, likely helping to spread the coronavirus, according to new research.
Wearers of medical masks and respirators have same infection rates in healthcare settings: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Jun 24, 2021
The risk of receiving a positive COVID-19 test result was the same among healthcare workers who wore either type of mask, investigators say. In contrast, their non-mask-wearing colleagues had significantly...
U.S. labs predict COVID test delays, cite surge in demand
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 16, 2020
Long-term care facilities soon may face longer waits for PCR test results as diagnostic laboratories reach or exceed testing capacity, lab reps say. The warning comes as U.S. COVID cases spike upward.