The last key prevention piece that is foundational to prevent influenza spread , vaccination , is the one we ’ re all awaiting with the current trials of SARS- CoV-2 vaccines .”
decisions and know it ’ s OK when encountering an issue where we don ’ t have clear guidance or that the recommendations have changed . Be vigilant and present , reminding colleagues on those basic infection prevention practices . Finally , make sure to take care of yourselves – take mental breaks , refresh , recharge . This is a marathon , and one where the expertise of our infection prevention and occupational health professionals is so very important and appreciated . We cannot afford to have that infrastructure burn out .”
As we move through fall and winter , what science tells us about the management and prevention of respiratory infections can help inform proper practice this winter season .
Talbot emphasizes , “ The good news is that the strategies to prevent spread of COVID-19 this winter are many that have been recommended for years to prevent spread of other important respiratory viruses – staying home if you are ill , hand hygiene , practicing respiratory hygiene (“ cough in your sleeve ”) are important ; in addition , the use of face coverings and distancing which are now widespread during the pandemic should have similar impact on other viruses ( as was noted in the Southern Hemisphere ). The last key prevention piece that is foundational to prevent influenza spread , vaccination , is the one we ’ re all awaiting with the current trials of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines .”
References :
American Society for Microbiology ( ASM ). COVID-19 and the Flu . Oct . 27 , 2020 .
Balakrishnan VS . In preparation for a COVID-19-influenza double epidemic . The Lancet . Vol . 1 , No . 5 , E199 . Sept . 1 , 2020 . DOI : https :// doi . org / 10.1016 / S2666-5247 ( 20 ) 30130-0
Belongia EA and Osterholm MT . COVID-19 and flu , a perfect storm . Science . Vol . 368 , Issue 6496 , pp . 1163 . June 12 , 2020 . DOI : 10.1126 / science . abd2220
National Institutes of Health ( NIH ). Influenza and COVID-19 . Last updated : Oct . 22 , 2020 .
Olsen SJ , Azziz-Baumgartner E , et al . Decreased Influenza Activity During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States , Australia , Chile , and South Africa , 2020 . Morbidity and Mortality Weekly . 69 ( 37 ); 1305-1309 . Sept . 18 , 2020
Rubin R . What Happens When COVID-19 Collides With Flu Season ? JAMA . 324 ( 10 ): 923-925 . Aug . 20 , 2020 . doi : 10.1001 / jama . 2020.15260
World Health Organization . Coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ): Similarities and differences with influenza . March 17 , 2020 .
SUBMISSIONS WANTED
Healthcare Hygiene magazine invites infection prevention stakeholders from all aspects of prevention and control ( including IP / healthcare epidemiology , healthcare value analysis , quality / safety / risk management , surgical services , sterile processing , environmental services , biomedical engineering and scientific research ) to submit sciencedriven , best practice-based articles for consideration for publication . Please , no public relations pitches or articles with commercial overtones . Send your queries to Kelly Pyrek at :
kelly @ healthcarehygienemagazine . com
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