Infection Control News and Research

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Advantech launches POC-624 high-performance, medical-grade terminal for diverse healthcare applications

Advantech, a leading provider of industrial computing solutions, is pleased to announce its POC-624 24” medical-grade point-of-care terminal (POC) designed for diverse healthcare applications. Featuring an 8th gen Intel® Core™ i5/i7-8665UE processor, POC-624 is a high-performance, ultra-thin terminal that enables improved operational efficiency in hospitals, clinics, and care homes. Compliant with IEC 60601 safety standards for medical devices, the POC-624 terminal is user friendly and offers a reduced time-to-market with its compliance with relevant healthcare regulations.

From Advantech 16 Jul 2020

COVID-19 rates among health care workers drop at Mass General Brigham after universal masking

In March of 2020, Mass General Brigham implemented a new policy: everyone working at the hospitals would be required to wear a surgical mask.

15 Jul 2020

Conspiracy theories aside, here’s what contact tracers really do

In the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic, contact tracing is downright buzzy, and not always in a good way.

15 Jul 2020

States allow in-person nursing home visits as families charge residents die ‘of broken hearts’

States across the country are beginning to roll back heart-wrenching policies instituted when the coronavirus pandemic began and allow in-person visits at nursing homes and assisted living centers, offering relief to frustrated families.

13 Jul 2020

Study of 17 million patients pinpoints COVID-19 mortality risk factors

Now, an analysis of 17 million people in England, the most extensive study of its kind, sheds light on certain factors that can increase a person’s chances of dying from COVID-19, the disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

10 Jul 2020

WHO confirms 'emerging evidence' of airborne coronavirus

Scientists from around the world wrote a letter to the World Health Organization (WHO), urging the agency to acknowledge that the novel coronavirus is airborne. More than 230 scientists presented evidence that people can catch the virus from droplets floating in the air.

9 Jul 2020

COVID-19 cases and deaths found to be higher among U.S. prison residents than general population

A new analysis led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that the number of U.S. prison residents who tested positive for COVID-19 was 5.5 times higher than the general U.S. population, with a prisoner case rate of 3,251 per 100,000 residents as compared to 587 cases per 100,000 in the general population.

8 Jul 2020

EPA approves Lysol products that kill SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just approved two disinfection sprays that can kill severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), on surfaces.

8 Jul 2020

Sweden’s controversial decision increased COVID-19 deaths

Sweden's controversial decision not to lock down during COVID-19 produced more deaths and greater healthcare demand than seen in countries with earlier, more stringent interventions, a new analysis finds.

6 Jul 2020

‘I couldn’t let her be alone’: A peaceful death amid the COVID scourge

As her mother lay dying in a Southern California hospital in early May, Elishia Breed was home in Oregon, 800 miles away, separated not only by the distance, but also by the cruelty of the coronavirus.

6 Jul 2020

What seniors should know before going ahead with elective procedures

For months, Patricia Merryweather-Arges, a health care expert, has fielded questions about the coronavirus pandemic from fellow Rotary Club members in the Midwest.

6 Jul 2020

WHO urged to recognize airborne transmission of COVID-19

Now, a team of international scientists, including 239 health experts from 32 countries, has written an open letter to the WHO urging the organization to revise its recommendations for the spread of SARS-CoV-2, due to mounting evidence that the disease is airborne for more extended periods than the WHO advisory.

6 Jul 2020

PPE shortages linked to spread of Covid-19 inside care homes

The spread of Covid-19 inside care homes has been fueled by a lack of personal protection equipment – according to new research from the University of East Anglia.

3 Jul 2020

Survey: Almost half of the children are not using soap when washing hands at school

Leading hygiene experts are stressing the importance of effective hand hygiene measures and education in schools as children begin returning to educational settings following the COVID-19 pandemic.

1 Jul 2020

Hollowed-out public health system faces more cuts amid virus

The U.S. public health system has been starved for decades and lacks the resources to confront the worst health crisis in a century.

1 Jul 2020

Foldable tent-like device shields healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients

A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore has invented a foldable tent-like device that serves as a physical shield to reduce the risk of exposure to pathogens for healthcare workers performing droplet and aerosol-generating procedures on COVID-19 patients.

30 Jun 2020

Researchers suggest an alternative pathway to dying alone due to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to drastic changes in how hospitals provide end-of-life care to patients and their families. With strict no-visiting limitations in place in an effort to stem contagion, patients have been dying alone.

29 Jun 2020

Antibody tests may give false hope of immunity, health experts warn

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, health experts warn against the use of antibody tests to determine if a person has immunity against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). An antibody test determines if a person developed antibodies against the infection due to past exposure.

26 Jun 2020

Researchers develop unique saliva-based test for COVID-19 detection

University of Saskatchewan researchers are part of two COVID-19-related projects awarded major federal funding today--one to develop a unique saliva-based test for COVID-19 detection and the other to track COVID-19 incidence rates among Canadian dentists.

25 Jun 2020

Novel sensor may be able to test for COVID-19 and influenza simultaneously

The novel coronavirus has been compared to the flu almost from the moment it emerged in late 2019. They share a variety of symptoms, and in many cases, an influenza test is part of the process for diagnosing COVID-19.

25 Jun 2020