The Infection Control Today® COVID-19 page brings readers the latest information and clinical updates on the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, from case counts and hospitalization rates to data on effective treatments for severe disease and the circulating viral variants.
April 1st 2025
Mass layoffs at HHS and CDC have gutted critical infection prevention programs, leaving frontline professionals overwhelmed, under-resourced, and desperate to safeguard public health.
When Exhausted Infection Preventionists Saved the Day
June 30th 2021Tania Bubb, PhD, RN, CIC: “I think there are many heroes to celebrate, but specifically, because we’re talking about infection preventionists, I want to highlight the work that they have done, and the positions that they had to manage and the flexibility and the agility that they had to exhibit during the pandemic.”
Short on Infection Preventionists? Call Some Out of Retirement
June 28th 2021Holly Taylor, MPH, CIC: Using retired IPs can “create a little bit more bandwidth within the department when you have potentially prolonged vacancies because we do know that IP staffing vacancies last longer than other health care vacancies.”
Even As COVID-19 Ebbs, Nursing Homes Struggle
June 28th 2021Karen Jones MPH, RN, CIC: “It’s really key to have a good written infection prevention and control plan at the hospital level but then also at the nursing home level. And what keeps that up to date? It’s an infection preventionist who’s knowledgeable, who’s been educated, who’s been trained, who’s certified.”
COVID-19 Mitigation Efforts Helped Stonewall C. Diff at Hospital
June 28th 2021Barbara Smith, RN, BSN, MPA, CIC: “I think that we need to do a little bit more with the public in terms of antibiotic use in the community. So that they’re not at risk for C. diff for whatever reason later in their life.”
153 Hospital Employees Resign, Fired Over COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
June 24th 2021Marc L. Boom, MD, Houston Methodist Hospital’s CEO and president, took an unequivocal stand in mandating that employees get vaccinated and it’s a stand that not only other health care institutions—but all companies in every industry—might also possibly take thanks to guidance on the matter by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Questions Linger Around COVID-19’s Origin
June 24th 2021We may never know what triggered the global pandemic that has claimed more than 3.8 million lives…. What we do know for certain is that the incredible strength and collaboration of the scientific community have allowed us to regain some semblance of normalcy.
Hot Topics in Infection Prevention: Thank You, My Fellow Infection Preventionists
June 22nd 2021I want to acknowledge [infection preventionists]. You all inspire me daily and I’m eternally grateful to work among you. We work to protect our health care personnel and patients fiercely and often to the point where we are burned out.