American journal of infection control
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Am J Infect Control · Aug 2020
Medical waste management practice during the 2019-2020 novel coronavirus pandemic: Experience in a general hospital.
It is currently a critical period for the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the medical waste disposal could be an important way to control the source of infection, standardization, and strict implementation of the management of COVID-19 related medical waste should be with careful consideration to reduce the risk of epidemic within hospitals. This study illustrates the practice of medical waste disposal responding to the 2019-2020 novel coronavirus pandemic.
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Am J Infect Control · Aug 2020
Identifying potential undocumented COVID-19 using publicly reported influenza-like-illness and laboratory-confirmed influenza disease in the United States: An approach to syndromic surveillance?
In the absence of widespread testing, syndromic surveillance approaches may be useful for understanding potential undocumented coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States. We used publicly available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention FluView Interactive to evaluate its potential for COVID-19 syndromic surveillance. Unlike the prior 3 influenza seasons, we found a 76% decrease in influenza positive tests and a 27% increase in influenza like illness during the weeks since COVID-19 outbreaks began in the United States, which suggests FluView's potential utility for COVID-19 syndromic surveillance.
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Am J Infect Control · Aug 2020
Environmental contamination by SARS-CoV-2 in a designated hospital for coronavirus disease 2019.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized by risk of nosocomial transmission; however, the extent of environmental contamination and its potential contribution of environmental contamination to SARS-CoV-2 transmission are poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate whether environmental contamination may play a role in SARS-CoV-2 transmission. ⋯ Most of the touchable surfaces in the designated hospital for COVID-19 were heavily contaminated, suggesting that the environment is a potential medium of disease transmission. These results emphasize the need for strict environmental surface hygiene practices and enhanced hand hygiene to prevent the spread of the virus.
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Am J Infect Control · Aug 2020
ReviewThe impact of novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers in hospitals: An aerial overview.
The ongoing outbreak of COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, places healthcare workers at an increased risk of infection as they are in close contact with patients. In this article, we report an overview of cases of infected healthcare workers in China and Italy during the early periods of the COVID-19 epidemic. China's coronavirus response highlights the importance of implementing effective public health strategies. The authorities worldwide therefore, need to be extremely cautious when they implement stringent protective measures that safeguard healthcare workers in hospitals and counteract the threats created by the pandemic.
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Am J Infect Control · Aug 2020
Absence of nosocomial transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to SARS-CoV-2 in the prepandemic phase in Hong Kong.
To describe the infection control strategy to achieve zero nosocomial transmission of symptomatic coronavirus disease (COVID-19) due to SARS-CoV-2 during the prepandemic phase (the first 72 days after announcement of pneumonia cases in Wuhan) in Hong Kong. ⋯ Administrative support to infection control could minimize the risk of nosocomial transmission of SARS-CoV-2.