Infection Control

Early data from two hospitals in New York City and St. Louis suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic will cause an uptick in some healthcare-associated infections, researchers wrote in a commentary published in the American Journal of Infection Control.

Patients are far less likely to be infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus when hospitalized in facilities with more private patient rooms, a study shows.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health plans to suspend its childhood immunization requirement this fall, spurring concerns from some pediatricians, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

Trained dogs are able to distinguish between samples taken from COVID-19 patients and control samples, indicating they may be able to identify those infected with the new coronavirus, preliminary study findings show.

Antibody testing at Orange County, Calif.-based Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian found fewer employees had contracted COVID-19 than the surrounding community, which may be due in part to the hospital's rigorous infection control precautions, according to a study published in the…

Two decades' worth of data shows vaccines are "remarkably safe," a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine found.

Thirteen patients and 23 employees at a Massachusetts hospital have tested positive for COVID-19 after an employee recently traveled to an out-of-state virus hot spot area, The Boston Herald reports. 

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.