ICCS Infection Prevention & Infection Control Newsletter: September 2020
This issue covers some of the most significant news and guidance from September. Topics include KN95 masks, Joint Commission standards, nursing home rules and regulations, COVID-19 testing, treatment of common drug-resistant pathogens, and sepsis.
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ECRI Analysis: Majority of KN95 Masks Fail to Meet Minimum Standards — An analysis of imported Chinese KN95 masks showed that up to 70% of these masks fail to meet the minimum U.S. standards for effectiveness.
Joint Commission Infection Control Standards: Most Challenging for Accredited Ambulatory Healthcare Organizations in 2019 — The Joint Commission identified its top 10 most challenging standards for accredited ambulatory healthcare organizations in 2019. Infection control standards are the most and second most challenging for the year.
A Guide to Renting a House During a Pandemic — Got plans to rent a house sometime soon? Read this National Geographic article first, which features safety insight and guidance from ICCS Founder Phenelle Segal.
Senate Report Details Missteps in Coronavirus Nursing Home Response — Federal lawmakers recommended that CMS should revisit its infection control policies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic's severe impact on nursing homes.
CMS Floats New Infection Control Quality Measure for Nursing Homes — The federal government opened a public comment period on a proposed new quality metric that would measure each nursing home's ability to curb the spread of infections.
CMS Posts New County COVID-19 Test Positivity Rates Used to Determine Your Routine Testing of Staff — Providers can now check how often they are required to test staff members for COVID-19 based upon their county's test positivity rate.
CDC: Among HCPs, Nurses Most Likely to Get COVID-19 — Nursing was the most common occupation and residential care facilities were the most common reported job setting for healthcare professionals with COVID-19.
Infectious Diseases Society of America Guidance on the Treatment of Antimicrobial Resistant Gram-Negative Infections — IDSA published updated practice advice for the clinical treatment of three of the most common drug-resistant pathogens.
Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Infections in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Patients: Staphylococcus aureus (2020) — CDC issued new recommendations for the prevention and control of Staphylococcus aureus in infants in neonatal intensive care units.
WHO Calls for Global Action on Sepsis - Cause of 1 in 5 Deaths Worldwide — WHO issued its first global report on sepsis, revealing that there's significant work to be done to improve how we identify and treat this serious condition.
California Nursing Homes Now Required to Staff for Infection Prevention and Control — California joined the growing list of states with new regulations for long-term care.
NJ Congressman Pushes Bill to Safeguard Nursing Homes Against Flu, Coronavirus — This bill would require N.J. nursing homes to report infections and outbreaks in real time to the CDC and develop a multifaceted crisis plan.
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