American Journal of Infection Control

The novel Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and subsequent COVID-19 pandemic has led to a public health crisis.1,2 In the United States, the COVID-19 outbreak has had profound economic and social impact as a result of statewide quarantines, social distancing

The human skin is the largest immune organ and plays countless roles in maintaining health1. One critical role is the prevention of infection. There are several proposed mechanisms underlying the skin's capacity to prevent infection, one of which is

Preventing healthcare-associated infections continues to be a major focus for healthcare systems. Whereas there are numerous evidence-based infection prevention practices published in national guidelines, such as device insertion and maintenance

Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) occurring in intensive care units are associated with increased morbidity and mortality.1-3 These infections increase the length of hospital stay for an affected patient, as well as the cost of

COVID-19 has spread quickly: worldwide, as of November 6, 2020, there were 48,196,862 total cases, with 1,226,813 total deaths.1 Because there are currently no approved vaccines and few broadly applicable proven effective treatments for COVID-19, the

Indwelling urinary catheters are often placed in patients undergoing surgery, especially if surgery time is prolonged, to facilitate intraoperative monitoring of urinary output.1,2 Yet, use of indwelling urinary catheters introduces risk for

An area of great interest to the antimicrobial stewardship community is the presence of fungal superinfection, specifically invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA), in patients with COVID-19. Classically a disease of the immunocompromised, isolated

Acinetobacter species (spp.) are ubiquitous in the environment and are a common source of health care-associated infections.1 These organisms are capable of surviving in dry environments for extended periods of up to 5 months, making them

While droplet and bioaerosol transmission are considered the main contributors to COVID-19 transmission,1 SARS-CoV-2 detection on surfaces2 indicates the potential for fomite-mediated transmission and the need for surface disinfection in multibarrier

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) continue to burden patients, health care workers (HCWs) and society by increasing morbidity, mortality, absenteeism and treatment costs.1-3