American journal of infection control
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Am J Infect Control · Feb 2021
Prevalence of comorbidities among individuals with COVID-19: A rapid review of current literature.
On February 11, 2020 WHO designated the name "COVID-19" for the disease caused by "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2" (SARS-CoV-2), a novel virus that quickly turned into a global pandemic. Risks associated with acquiring the virus have been found to most significantly vary by age and presence of underlying comorbidity. In this rapid literature review we explore the prevalence of comorbidities and associated adverse outcomes among individuals with COVID-19 and summarize our findings based on information available as of May 15, 2020. ⋯ Based on our findings, hypertension followed by diabetes and cardiovascular diseases were the most common comorbidity seen in COVID-19 positive patients across major epicenters world-wide. Although having one or more comorbidity is linked to increased disease severity, no clear association was found between having these risk factors and increased risk of fatality.
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Am J Infect Control · Feb 2021
Environmental detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from medical equipment in long-term care facilities undergoing COVID-19 outbreaks.
Environmental sampling was conducted at long-term care facilities to determine the extent of surface contamination with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus. Medical equipment used throughout the facility was determined to be contaminated.
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Am J Infect Control · Jan 2021
N95 reprocessing by low temperature sterilization with 59% vaporized hydrogen peroxide during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
Response to the COVID-19 pandemic by hospital systems has been strained by severe shortages in personal protective equipment (PPE), particularly N95 respirators. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed decontamination strategies to prolong the lifespan of single use respirators. Battelle and Duke University have validated hospital protocols to decontaminate respirators using vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) at 30%-35% concentrations. To prolong our supply of respirators, we evaluated and implemented VHP decontamination at 59% hydrogen peroxide concentration while detailing the effects of this process on the filtration efficiency and quantitative fit of single-use respirators. This study may help other health systems develop local solutions to their N95 mask shortage during this COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ We have successfully demonstrated that N95 respirator decontamination with VHP at 59% hydrogen peroxide can be safely utilized to decontaminate single-use N95 respirators without significant effects on filtration efficiency or quantitative fit testing. With the COVID-19 pandemic and N95 respirator shortage, health systems without access to commercial decontamination processes should investigate the viability of such a process in their facilities.
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Am J Infect Control · Jan 2021
Effectiveness of pulsed xenon ultraviolet disinfection for Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile surface contamination in a Japanese hospital.
Contaminated environmental surfaces are important sources of transmission for healthcare-associated pathogens, including Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile. The effectiveness of manual bleach cleaning and pulsed xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) disinfection on C. difficile contamination of hospital room high-touch surfaces in Japan was evaluated. ⋯ PX-UV disinfection in addition to manual nonbleach cleaning effectively reduces C. difficile contamination from high-touch surfaces. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the effect of PX-UV disinfection on CDI rates in Japanese hospitals.