Infection Control News and Research

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Worse problems with SARS-CoV-2 variants may be on the way

Researchers at the Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa, found evidence of a significant change in the selective forces acting on immunologically important SARS-CoV-2 genes, such as N and S. These likely coincided with the emergence of the 501Y lineages.

8 Mar 2021

Researchers present fragment-based computational design of antibodies that target structured epitopes

A new study describes a novel fragment-based method to design antibody complementarity determining region (CDR) loops.

8 Mar 2021

Researchers call for more awareness relating to delayed skin reactions to Moderna COVID-19 vaccine

As the speed and scale of vaccinations against the SARS-CoV-2 virus ramps up globally, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) are calling for greater awareness and communication around a delayed injection-site reaction that can occur in some patients who have received the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine.

3 Mar 2021

Improving nurse staffing in New York hospitals could reduce deaths, save money

According to a new study published in Medical Care, improving hospital nurse staffing as proposed in pending legislation in New York state would likely save lives.

3 Mar 2021

Genomic surveillance can help identify how SARS-CoV-2 spreads in care homes

Care homes are at high risk of experiencing outbreaks of COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. Older people and those affected by heart disease, respiratory disease and type 2 diabetes - all of which increase with age - are at greatest risk of severe disease and even death, making the care home population especially vulnerable.

3 Mar 2021

Sorting out how politics, policies figure in flap over New York nursing home Covid death rates

The plaudits have faded for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Once hailed as a paragon of pandemic governing, he's since come under scorching criticism for undercounting the state's covid deaths among nursing home residents by as much as half.

2 Mar 2021

School-based cavity prevention program reduces health disparities, brings dental care to children

A school-based cavity prevention program involving nearly 7,000 elementary school students reduced cavities by more than 50 percent, according to a study led by researchers at NYU College of Dentistry.

1 Mar 2021

FDA clears new robotically-assisted surgical device for transvaginal hysterectomy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized marketing of the Hominis Surgical System, a new robotically-assisted surgical device (RASD) that can help facilitate transvaginal hysterectomy in certain patients.

1 Mar 2021

Is one dose of Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine for COVID-19 convalescents sufficient?

Researchers evaluated the immune response in a cohort of 1,089 healthcare workers who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Southern California.

26 Feb 2021

Mandatory public health measures to combat COVID-19 are more effective, says study

In a new study, researchers at Lundberg Health Advocates and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the U.S. compared mandatory and voluntary implementations of shelter-in-place policies. They assessed their respective bearings on COVID-19 mortality, equity, and economic outcomes.

26 Feb 2021

Is the CDC 10-day COVID-19 quarantine guideline enough?

Researchers at the University of Florida and the Florida Department of Health evaluated test positivity rates for SARS-CoV-2 infection among student contacts. The team found that nine days are not enough to ascertain that the student did not contract the virus.

24 Feb 2021

Lab study of South African SARS-CoV-2 variant and Moderna vaccine: reduced neutralization, but still protective

Researchers from the US recently compared antibody binding and viral neutralization against 2 SARS-CoV-2 variants that emerged in different parts of the world. The researchers used sera from spike mRNA vaccinated and naturally infected individuals against a circulating B.1 variant and the emerging B.1.351 variant. The study is published on the preprint server bioRxiv.

24 Feb 2021

Study takes a closer look at the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on dental hygienists

Despite having been designated as high risk for COVID-19 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a new study finds 3.1 percent of dental hygienists have had COVID-19 based on data collected in October 2020.

24 Feb 2021

Study shows prevalence of inappropriate treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infections

Nearly half of women with uncomplicated urinary tract infections received the wrong antibiotics and almost three-quarters received prescriptions for longer than necessary, with inappropriately long treatment durations more common in rural areas, according to a study of private insurance claims data published today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

24 Feb 2021

Research identifies failures with Australia and New Zealand's hotel-based COVID-19 quarantine

The researchers found a notable risk of failure with hotel quarantine in Australia and New Zealand. The two countries have collectively had 16 COVID-19 identified failures from hotel-based quarantine up to January 31, 2021. The two countries also have higher proportions of infected travelers, threatening both nations' status in eliminating the illness.

22 Feb 2021

Study explores the perceptions and use of antibiotics among older adults

While most adults over 50 understand that overuse of antibiotics is a problem, and say they're cautious about taking the drugs, a sizable minority have used antibiotics for something other than their original purpose, and appear to think the drugs could help treat colds, which are caused by viruses not bacteria.

18 Feb 2021

Major project reduces inpatient falls, saves £13 million for UK’s National Health Service

A 10-year project to reduce the number of inpatient falls has saved the United Kingdom's National Health Service more than £13 million, thanks to a team of researchers including an academic from Kingston University, London and St George's, University of London.

18 Feb 2021

CDC study says face mask mandates reduced COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S.

A new study by researchers at the CDC examined whether the implementation of the mask mandate is tied to COVID-19-related hospitalization growth rates among different age groups.

17 Feb 2021

Prominent scientists call on CDC to better protect workers from Covid

A prominent group of academics is pressing the Biden administration to move faster and take stronger action to protect high-risk workers from airborne exposure to the coronavirus, urging enforceable standards to help safeguard risky workplaces including health care, food processing and prisons.

17 Feb 2021

Humidity created inside facemasks may help combat COVID-19, study finds

A new study, published in the journal Biophysical Journal by researchers at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), showed that face masks increase the humidity in the air that the mask-wearers inhale. The level of moisture in inhaled air could be linked to lower levels of COVID-19 severity.

16 Feb 2021

Infection Control News and Research

Worse problems with SARS-CoV-2 variants may be on the way

Researchers present fragment-based computational design of antibodies that target structured epitopes

Researchers call for more awareness relating to delayed skin reactions to Moderna COVID-19 vaccine

Improving nurse staffing in New York hospitals could reduce deaths, save money

Genomic surveillance can help identify how SARS-CoV-2 spreads in care homes

Sorting out how politics, policies figure in flap over New York nursing home Covid death rates

School-based cavity prevention program reduces health disparities, brings dental care to children

FDA clears new robotically-assisted surgical device for transvaginal hysterectomy

Is one dose of Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine for COVID-19 convalescents sufficient?

Mandatory public health measures to combat COVID-19 are more effective, says study

Is the CDC 10-day COVID-19 quarantine guideline enough?

Lab study of South African SARS-CoV-2 variant and Moderna vaccine: reduced neutralization, but still protective

Study takes a closer look at the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on dental hygienists

Study shows prevalence of inappropriate treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infections

Research identifies failures with Australia and New Zealand's hotel-based COVID-19 quarantine

Study explores the perceptions and use of antibiotics among older adults

Major project reduces inpatient falls, saves £13 million for UK’s National Health Service

CDC study says face mask mandates reduced COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S.

Prominent scientists call on CDC to better protect workers from Covid

Humidity created inside facemasks may help combat COVID-19, study finds

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