The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened infection risks in the hospital setting, causing some facilities to experience outbreaks among patients and staff.

Eleanor Slater Hospital in Burrillville, R.I., has suspended all visitation for 14 days after two staff members tested positive for COVID-19 in the facility's Zambarano Unit, according to WPRI 12.

Experts should use what has been learned about airborne transmission of COVID-19 to change the trajectory of the flu season, wrote Linsey Marr, PhD, Oct. 19 for The New York Times.

Tiny aerosols released when breathing may play a larger role in spreading tuberculosis than coughing, which has been long thought the main route of transmission, The New York Times reports. 

Medical Center Hospital in Odessa, Texas, said it received a flood of threats after a photo of a COVID-19 patient wearing a plastic drape over her head went viral, ABC affiliate KMID reported Oct. 14.

Health officials began notifying people Oct. 8 who may have been exposed to measles at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, after a case of the disease was reported in the facility, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. 

Ahead of International Infection Prevention Week, which runs from Oct. 17-23, here are the 10 most read infection control-related stories Becker's has covered since the start of 2021: 

The coronavirus has evolved to become more airborne, a possible explanation as to why variants like alpha and delta are more transmissible than the original strain, The New York Times reports. 

A team of researchers at the University of Maryland is developing a new type of personal protective equipment that is more comfortable for periods of longer use, according to an Oct. 4 press release. 

Nineteen staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 at Durango, Colo.-based Mercy Regional Medical Center since July 1, a hospital spokesperson told Becker's Sept. 20.

The White House added measles to the list of diseases for which HHS and the CDC have the authority to issue federal quarantine orders, The Hill reports. 

Women's heavy breathing during labor could increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission, underscoring the importance of ensuring healthcare workers in obstetrics and gynecology have proper personal protective equipment, according to a study published Sept. 9 in Obstetrics & Gynecology. 

The CDC on Sept. 10 updated its infection prevention and control recommendations for healthcare organizations during the pandemic, AHA News reported.

The incidence of healthcare-associated infections increased significantly in 2020 after years of steady declines, according to a CDC analysis published Sept. 2 in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.

About two dozen staff members and patients have tested positive for COVID-19 at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health this month. 

Nozin NOVA programs featuring Nozin® Nasal Sanitizer® antiseptic gets award. The Leap Frog Group andNewsweek rank Nozin among the Best Infection Prevention Products for second consecutive year. 

The World Health Organization is seeking up to 25 experts for its newly launched Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens. 

COVID-19 may be most infectious in the two days before and three days after symptom onset while patients are mildly or moderately ill, according to research published Aug. 23 in JAMA Internal Medicine. 

Most patients who contracted COVID-19 during their stay at a U.K. hospital got it from other patients, not hospital staff, according to a study published Aug. 24 in eLife.

Elbert Memorial Hospital has tapped two sanitizing robots to help disinfect its facilities, the organization said Aug. 17.