Category: Infection Control

Monkeypox case reported in Massachusetts; 1st in US this year

Massachusetts Department of Public Health officials have confirmed a case of monkeypox in a traveler who returned to the U.S. from Canada, the agency said May 18. 

C. auris outbreaks reported at Nevada hospitals

The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services is investigating C. auris outbreaks at healthcare facilities across the state, the Las Vegas Review Journal reported May 17.

WHO launches 1st infection control report

Healthcare facilities following good hand hygiene and other cost-effective practices can prevent 70 percent of infections, the first infection control report from the World Health Organization found. 

A crucial point missing from the nation’s mask debate: Dr. Osterholm

A federal judge’s rejection of the nation’s mask mandate for public transportation has reinvigorated a national debate often presented as a black and white issue: to mask or not. However, this discussion should be more nuanced and focus on the quality …

The value of wearing a mask when others don’t

A federal judge’s rejection of the nation’s mask mandate for travelers taking public transportation set off a flurry of responses. 

C. auris outbreak halts admissions at Detroit specialty hospital

A small specialty hospital that operates within DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital in Detroit is pausing admissions due to an outbreak of the deadly, drug-resistant fungus Candida auris, the Detroit Free Press reported April 20.

Some hospitals relax masking rules

Health systems are weighing and making decisions for face masks to become optional for many individuals in certain spaces. 

CDC mask guidelines spur confusion among hospitals

Healthcare facilities nationwide are grappling with conflicting CDC guidelines on masking amid the pandemic, resulting in a patchwork of policies and practices, Politico reported April 5.

CDC updates mask guidance for N95s in hospitals

The CDC updated its COVID-19 infection control guidance March 24 to make it clear that healthcare facilities should permit patients and visitors to wear more highly protective masks, like N95s. 

CMS to hospitals: Let patients, visitors wear N95s

U.S. health officials are poised to clarify guidelines on masking practices in hospitals after reports surfaced that facilities were asking patients and visitors to swap N95 masks for surgical masks, three sources familiar with the matter told Politico.