ICCS Infection Prevention & Infection Control Newsletter: December 2020
This issue covers some of the most significant news from December. Topics include CMS nursing home inspections, OSHA citations, new laws, COVID-19 variant, vaccination guidance, and a PPE tracker app.
Note: Stay tuned for the annual special edition of the ICCS Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter where we highlight some of the biggest news and ICCS reports from 2020.
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CMS: Calculations for nursing home inspection ratings will resume in late January — CMS announced it is resuming calculating nursing homes' health inception ratings on January 27.
Inspections with COVID-related Citations — OSHA inspections are regularly leading to COVID-related citations, most of which are being issued to healthcare organizations.
Michigan State Survey: Nursing Home Failed to Follow COVID-19 Safety Guidelines — The Mich. Department of Health and Human Services found multiple deficiencies in a nursing home's attempt to control the spread of COVID-19. ICCS has encountered similar findings as those reported in this article in several other states.
1st Reported US Case of COVID-19 Variant Found in Colorado — The first reported U.S. case of the COVID-19 variant was discovered in Colorado. It has since been found in California and Florida.
A Nurse Who Got Vaccinated Tested Positive for COVID, But That's Not Unexpected — As this article perfectly states, "... vaccines aren't a panacea."
Post Vaccine Considerations for Healthcare Personnel — The CDC published guidance for healthcare personnel concerning when to undergo testing or take time off work following COVID-19 vaccination.
8 Things to Know About the U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Program — With the states rolling out their first COVID-19 vaccines, CDC published a list of what to know about the new vaccination program.
National Survey Shows Healthcare Facilities Implementing PPE Crisis Standards of Care — From October 22 – November 5, APIC surveyed nearly 1,100 infection preventionists in U.S. hospitals and health facilities. Here are the eye-opening results.
New Laws Aim to Better Protect Nursing Home Residents, Essential Workers From Infectious Outbreaks — California became the latest state to pass new laws intended to help prepare healthcare facilities, including nursing homes, and the state as a whole for future infectious disease outbreaks.
Measles Vaccinations Taking Back Seat to COVID Concerns — The pandemic has diverted parents' attention away from other potentially severe infectious diseases, and vaccine hesitancy has risen, resulting in delayed childhood vaccinations for measles, new studies found.
Free NIOSH PPE Tracker App Available for Download — The NIOSH PPE Tracker app allows you to estimate how many days a PPE supply will last given current inventory levels and PPE burn rate. It's free and available for iOS and Android devices.
ICYMI from November: Future of Infection Prevention: Q&A With Consultant Phenelle Segal — ICCS Founder Phenelle Segal, RN, CIC, FAPIC, answered 10 questions concerning infection prevention in the COVID-19 era.
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