Infection Control

Flu and pneumonia vaccinations may lower the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life, according to new research presented July 27 at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

Countries in the Southern Hemisphere are reporting low numbers of flu and other seasonal viruses, which could offer a sliver of hope for U.S. hospitals this fall, reports The Wall Street Journal. 

Conditions at Spring City, Pa.-based Southeastern Veterans' Center placed 128 of 154 residents in immediate jeopardy, a June inspection found, as reported by The Washington Post.

As the U.S. continues to face rising cases of COVID-19, industry leaders reflected on their experience with initial surges of the virus, the significant challenges it presented their organizations and what can be done to keep everyone safe. 

Universal masking policies may be linked to significant decreases in COVID-19 transmission in hospital settings, a study published in JAMA Network Open found.

Meadville (Pa.) Medical Center closed one of its clinics after an employee tested positive for COVID-19, the hospital said July 15.

The COVID-19 pandemic is raising new liability questions for providers on how to handle situations in which patients refuse to wear a mask, attorney and former nurse practitioner Carolyn Buppert, MSN, wrote in an op-ed for Medscape.

Since March, researchers worldwide have published several studies exploring how the new coronavirus interacts with the air. These findings have evolved as the world continues to learn more about the new virus.

Employees at a California hospital claim poor management is driving an outbreak as new masks run low and COVID-19 patients are mixed with non-COVID-19 patients, according to the Voice of OC.

About one-third of people using pre-exposure prophylaxis in states with shelter-in-place orders stopped taking the medication during the pandemic, a survey from the American Academy of HIV Medicine found.