Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Jul 2022
Correlation of Population Factors, Compliance with Masking and Social Distance, Vaccination, and COVID-19 Infection in Central Appalachia.
Compliance with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) guidelines, including the use of masks and social distancing and vaccinations, has been poor. Our study examined what factors may identify those who will be more or less compliant, especially in regard to those with identified higher risk. ⋯ Attempts to improve compliance cannot be focused on any of the particular groups examined in this study.
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Southern medical journal · Jul 2022
Erratum: Proportion and Characterization of Co-infections of HIV and Hepatitis C or Hepatitis B among People with HIV in Alabama, 2007-2016 - Erratum.
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001104.].
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Southern medical journal · Jun 2022
ReviewWhat's Up Your Sleeve? A Scoping Review of White Coat Contamination and Horizontal Microbial Transmission.
White coats have been suggested to serve as fomites carrying and transmitting pathogenic organisms and potentially increasing the risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). We aimed to examine the current evidence regarding white coat contamination and its role in horizontal transmission and HAIs risk. We also examined handling practices and policies associated with white coat contamination in the reviewed literature. ⋯ There is robust evidence that white coats serve as fomites, carrying dangerous pathogens, including multidrug-resistant organisms. A knowledge gap exists, however, regarding the role of contaminated white coats in HAI risk that warrants further research to generate the evidence necessary to guide the current attire policies for healthcare workers.