Open forum infectious diseases
-
Open Forum Infect Dis · Feb 2021
The Clinical Course of COVID-19 in the Outpatient Setting: A Prospective Cohort Study.
Outpatient coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been insufficiently characterized. To determine the progression of disease and determinants of hospitalization, we conducted a prospective cohort study. ⋯ Symptoms often persisted but uncommonly progressed to hospitalization among outpatients with COVID-19. Home SaO2 may be a helpful tool to stratify risk of hospitalization.
-
Open Forum Infect Dis · Feb 2021
Validation of N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirator Decontamination Methods Available at a Large University Hospital.
Due to unprecedented shortages in N95 filtering facepiece respirators, healthcare systems have explored N95 reprocessing. No single, full-scale reprocessing publication has reported an evaluation including multiple viruses, bacteria, and fungi along with respirator filtration and fit. ⋯ Both moist heat and HPV are scalable N95 reprocessing options because they achieve high levels of biological indicator inactivation while maintaining respirator fit and integrity.
-
Open Forum Infect Dis · Feb 2021
Effective Containment of a COVID-19 Subregional Outbreak in Italy Through Strict Quarantine and Rearrangement of Local Health Care Services.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the epidemiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Italy has been characterized by the occurrence of subnational outbreaks. The World Health Organization recommended building the capacity to rapidly control COVID-19 clusters of cases in order to avoid the spread of the disease. This study describes a subregional outbreak of COVID-19 that occurred in the Emilia Romagna region, Italy, and the intervention undertaken to successfully control it. ⋯ It was possible to control this COVID-19 outbreak by prompt recognition and implementation of a targeted local intervention.
-
Open Forum Infect Dis · Feb 2021
ReviewEducation of Infectious Diseases Fellows During the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities.
One of the many challenges that has befallen the Infectious Diseases and Graduate Medical Education communities during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is the maintenance of continued effective education and training of the future leaders of our field. With the remarkable speed and innovation that has characterized the responses to this pandemic, educators everywhere have adapted existing robust and safe learning environments to meet the needs of our learners. This paper will review distinct aspects of education and training of the Infectious Diseases fellows we believe the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted most, including mentoring, didactics, and wellness. We anticipate that several strategies developed in this context and described herein will help to inform training and best practices during the pandemic and beyond.