Another year — and another with COVID — is behind us. It was a wild year of some highs and more lows than any of us wanted. Let's look back at what happened with infection prevention and control during 2021 in this special edition of the ICCS Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter.

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Delta Variant Reaches the United States — The delta variant strain of SARS-CoV-2 was first detected in the United States in March. By the end of June, it was detected in all 50 states and Washington, DC. By the end of July, it became the dominant variant in the country. Delta held this title until…

Omicron Becomes the Dominant Variant — Near the end of the year, the omicron variant overtook delta as the dominant strain circulating in the United States, accounting for nearly 60% of all variants by Christmas. ICCS Founder Phenelle Segal, RN, CIC, FAPIC, provided advice on how people could travel and gather more safely as the variant continued its rapid spread. Omicron now accounts for about 95% of all reported cases.

Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare-Associated Infections in 2020 — A CDC analysis comparing infection rates before and during pandemic revealed a significant increase in healthcare-associated infections in 2020.

Personal Protective Equipment: An Ongoing Challenge — While 2020 was full of stories about PPE shortages, 2021 was more about PPE fatigue. Phenelle discussed the subject and importance of employers keeping current with and following guidelines and best practices.

Drug-Resistant Infections Claims Thousands of Lives, Nearly $2 Billion in Healthcare Costs — Results of a study published in October reminded us of the significant burden of antibiotic-resistant infections on patients and the healthcare system.

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

Joint Commission Infection Control Standards Among the Most Challenging in 2020 — The Joint Commission issued its top 5 most challenging requirements for 2020. Once again appearing on multiple programs' lists: infection control standards.

Infection Control Immediate Jeopardy Citations of Nursing Homes Tripled — An analysis of citations of non-compliance with federal regulations received by nursing homes showed that the F-tag F880, for the presence of an infection prevention and control program, was cited more than 11,500 times in 2020. That figure was expected to increase in 2021.

Top 10 Nursing Home Survey Citations — An analysis of federal survey data showed that infection prevention and control deficiencies are among the top citations for nursing home providers.

ECRI Top Patient Safety Concerns for 2021 Include Multiple Infection Risks — Multiple safety challenges associated with infections earned places in ECRI's annual list of top 10 patient safety concerns.

Infection Hazards Appear on ECRI's Top Health Technology Hazards List — Multiple infection-related issues also earned places in ECRI's annual list of top 10 health technology hazards.

Infection Prevention Getting More Closely Scrutinized — Reports indicated that new hospital Joint Commission standards for 2022 are expected in areas that include medication management, antimicrobial stewardship, community-acquired pneumonia, and other infections.

2021 Focused Update Guidelines on Management of C.Diff in Adults — In June, IDSA and SHEA published new clinical guidelines for C. diff in adults.

Nursing Homes: CMS Adds New Triggering Factors for Focused Infection Control Surveys — In January, CMS expanded the criteria that would trigger a focused infection control survey at nursing homes.

Joint Commission Spotlights Non-Ventilator Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia — It is estimated that one in every 100 hospitalized patients will be affected by NVHAP. The Joint Commission issued an advisory on preventing the condition.

Antibiotic Development, Stewardship Advocates See Window of Opportunity — Clinicians, scientists, and public health advocates called for renewed attention to antimicrobial resistance, which was in the spotlight before the pandemic.