This issue covers some of the most significant news from February. Topics include OSHA guidance, mask recommendations, UTIs, counterfeit N95s, and spine surgery SSIs.
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Infection Hazards Appear on ECRI's Top Health Technology Hazards List — Multiple infection-related issues earned places in ECRI's annual list of top 10 health technology hazards.
OSHA Issues Guidance On Mitigating, Preventing Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace — OSHA issued employer guidance on mitigating and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.
2 Masks Are Better Than 1 but Fit is Most Important Factor, UNC Researchers Say — Research confirmed the value of double-masking but also revealed that ensuring a single mask is fitted appropriately increases protection effectiveness more.
Visitation at ICF/IIDs and PRTFs During the COVID-19 PHE — CMS issued a memo providing visitation guidance for intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities and psychiatric residential treatment facilities during the pandemic.
Most Women Receive Inappropriate Treatment for Urinary Tract Infections — A study showed that nearly half of women with uncomplicated UTIs received the wrong antibiotics and almost three-quarters received prescriptions for longer than necessary.
Homeland Security Seizes More Than 11 million Counterfeit N95 in Nationwide Scam — Department of Homeland Security seized more than 11 million counterfeit 3M N95 respirator masks. Suspected victims of the scam include healthcare organizations in at least 12 states.
WHO Lists Two Additional COVID-19 Vaccines for Emergency Ese and COVAX Roll-Out — WHO listed two versions of the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, giving the green light for these vaccines to be rolled out globally through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access initiative.
Maximizing Fit for Cloth and Medical Procedure Masks — CDC released findings showing that wearing a cloth mask over a surgical mask and tying knots on the ear loops of surgical masks offer more protection against the novel coronavirus.
Spine Surgery Site Infections Differ "Dramatically" by Level — Researchers recommended personalized SSI prevention strategies for spinal procedures.
Barrier Face Covering Standard — ASTM released its first national standard for face masks.