Weekly Rounds: Emojitoons, Improper Sterilization at Veterans Affairs Hospital, and More
Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending March 11.
Here are 5 highlights from ICT®’s wide-ranging coverage of the infection prevention and control world. Everything from interviews with known opinion leaders, to the news that infection preventionists and other health care professionals can use on their jobs.
1. Emojitoons: Selling Infection Prevention Compliance With Avatars
Compliance has increased up to 50% on key infection prevention and control practices at a South Carolina health system due to these short emoji-cartoons.
2. Improper Sterilization at Veterans Affairs Hospital Could Have Exposed Thousands to HIV, Hepatitis
A letter has been sent to more than 4500 veterans stating that reusable instruments used in medical procedures may not have been sterilized properly at a Georgia hospital.
3. COVID-19 Brain Changes: New Evidence Details Long-Term Effects of Infection A new study supports the conclusion that the “brain fog” reported by many who have recovered from mild COVID-19 infection is real and has an anatomical basis.
4. To the Next Normal After COVID-19: Leading Health Experts Offer “Roadmap”
A comprehensive blueprint on how to be better prepared for the future as COVID-19 becomes endemic and the world faces future pandemics.
5. COVID-19 Lessons for Infection Prevention: APIC's Recommendations to Be Better Prepared for Next Time
Key recommendations in the report include normalizing mask wearing and avoiding the supply chain failures.
The CDC at a Crossroads: Budget Cuts, Public Health, and the Growing Threat of Infectious Diseases
March 12th 2025Budget cuts to the CDC threaten disease surveillance, outbreak response, and public health programs, increasing risks from measles, avian flu, and future pandemics while straining health care infrastructure nationwide.
Standing Up for Science: A Rally Participant’s Perspective
March 11th 2025Infection Control Today's Editorial Advisory Board member and contributing editor, Heather Stoltzfus, MPH, RN, CIC, recently joined the Stand Up for Science rally in Washington, DC. She gives a first-person perspective on the rally and the rally-goers' strong message.
