Weekly Rounds with Infection Control Today: Omicron Threat, Dental Sterilization, Fixing Nursing Homes
Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending December 17
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.
Omicron’s Mild Symptoms Can’t Mask Danger It Poses
Omicron poses a grave risk to the US health care system. The US has a low rate of vaccination and obtaining boosters, and a relatively large segment of our population is elderly or immunocompromised. A 2-dose mRNA vaccine's immunity appears to rapidly wane and unlike South Africa, many in the US were fully vaccinated very early in the pandemic.
As Delta Spikes in Parts of U.S., Omicron Wave Builds Momentum
Experts worry that the high infectivity of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 will further strain health care systems already dealing with Delta. Expect infection preventionists to be in the thick of it.
Brushing Up on Sterile Processing in Dentistry
Dental instruments may not seem as invasive as the instruments used in medical surgeries, but they still pose the same dangers.
They’re Back: In Face of Omicron, Hand Hygiene, Social Distancing, Masking Needed
The World Health Organization warns that vaccines alone won’t protect health care systems from being swamped.
Changes COVID-19 Brought to Long-Term Care Facilities
Having an infection preventionist on site or as a consultant to lead infection prevention and control training makes a difference. The ability to screen, isolate, or group patients can save lives. Ongoing testing of residents and staff is critical.
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.
