ICCS Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter: November 2021

This issue covers some of the most significant news from November. Topics include nursing home federal guidance, omicron, booster shots, antimicrobial infections, COVID test kit recall, and breakthrough infections.

* * *

CMS Increases Oversight of Nursing Home Survey Process and Expands Nursing Home Visitation Policy in 2 New Guidances — CMS issued two memos affecting nursing homes. They concern 1) increased oversight and surveyor scrutiny, and 2) resident visitation. An important note: CMS has instructed surveyors to pay particularly close attention to facilities with higher infection rates but lower COVID vaccination rates.

Experts Urge Vaccinations to Protect Against Omicron Variant, Other Possible Mutations — ICCS Founder Phenelle Segal, RN, CIC, FAPIC, discussed the omicron variant with WPBF 25 News.

The FDA Authorizes COVID Booster Shots for All U.S. Adults — FDA gave the green light for fully vaccinated Americans age 18 and older to receive a COVID booster.

FDA Panel Recommends Molnupiravir, First Pill for COVID-19 — The FDA's antimicrobial drugs advisory committee voted to recommend the use of Merck's molnupiravir — the first pill indicated to treat COVID-19 infections and prevent hospitalization and death. If taken within the first 5 days of infection, the pills offers a 30% reduction in the risk of hospitalization and death.

New Guidance for Treating Antimicrobial-Resistant Infections Released — IDSA issued new guidance for treating three of the most common drug-resistant pathogens: AmpC b-lactamase producing Enterobacterales (AmpC-E), Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.

FDA Recalling 2 Million Ellume At-Home COVID-19 Test Kits Because of False Positives — FDA announced a recall of COVID-19 test kits made by biotech company Ellume.

Avoiding False Positives for SARS-CoV-2 When Using Rapid Antigen Tests — We put misinformation at the top of our 2021 "10 of the Scariest Healthcare Infections and Threats," and for good reason. This story details an unnecessary study that became necessary due to misinformation.

What Data From 20 Systems Shows About Breakthrough Infections — This report provides interesting statistics concerning trends in breakthrough infections and hospitalizations.

How Did We Develop a COVID-19 Vaccine So Quickly? — This article provides a good answer to a question many have asked over the past year.