The 2022 Health Watch USA Conference Will Examine Frontline Work Safety During COVID-19

Photo credit to Health Watch USA

It is no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating in many ways to the frontline worker, from the virus itself to threats of violence to the individuals who risk their lives to help others. This year’s Health Watch USA Conference titled Frontline Worker Safety in the Age of COVID-19: A Global Perspective will address these topics and many others.

The all-day seminar will have key speakers from several different countries such as Matthias Maiwald, MD, and Dale Fisher, FRACP, from Singapore; Imogen Mitchell, MBBS, PhD, and Lidia Morawska, PhD, MSc, from Australia; Nele Brusselaers, MD, PhD, from Belgium; Eike Steinmann, PhD, from Germany; and Laith Jamal Abu-Raddad, PhD, from Qatar.

In the afternoon, the seminar’s attendees will hear from many medical professionals from the United States also, including an introduction from past Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, MD, MS; Ziyad Al-Aly, MD, FASN, Frazier B. Beatty, PhD, MPH, CHES; Mengyi "Zed" Zha, MD; United States Ambassador Deborah Birx, MD; Jeannie P. Cimiotti, PhD, RN; Christine Pontus, MS, RN,COHN-S/CCM; Elizabeth (Betty) Sparks, RN, CNOR, ADN; Omid Razmpour, BSN, RN, PHN; Janet Haas, PhD, RN, CIC, FSHEA, FAPIC; and Kevin T. Kavanagh, MD, MS.

“We are very pleased to have a number of world renown speakers ranging from Professor Lidia Morawska, one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world, regarding her work on the aerosolization of SARS-CoV-2; and Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly who had published a string of groundbreaking articles in Nature regarding the long-term effects of long COVID,” Kevin Kavanagh, MD, MS, and the Board Chairman for Health Watch USA, told Infection Control Today^®. “The conference also will not be without examining the impact of lessons learned and a critical look at the United States' response by Dr. Deborah Birx and Sweden’s response by Dr. Nele Brusselaers. Other topics will include an examination of personnel protective equipment, including masks, surface disinfection, vaccines, and natural immunity. The event will conclude with presentations regarding the increasing incidence of workplace violence and a panel discussion on the inertia and barriers encountered in our health care system to correct many of the problems.“

To join the webinar, register here.

Other topics that the conference will cover include protecting staff and patients while staying practical, the experience Australia has had with workplace safety during COVID-19, evaluating science advice in Sweden during the pandemic, discussion of the COVID-19 vaccinations and natural infection immune protection, long COVID-19, and more.

Previous presentations with handouts and program resources are listed here.

Outcomes and objectives of the seminar as listed on the flyer include “identify infection control strategies that prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 disease among both frontline workers and patients,” “Identify infectious disease infrastructure deficiencies in the COVID-19 pandemic”; and “Explain the risks of disability and death from not only acute COVID-19, but also the disabling effects of long COVID-19,” among others.

Health care continuing education credits, free of charge, will be offered by Northeast Multistate Division. This year’s conference is sponsored by Health Watch USA, Massachusetts Nurses Association, Kentucky Rural Health Association, Southern Kentucky AHEC, and Northeast Multistate Division Gardner Consulting Group.