Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

6 INFECTION CONTROL Many clinicians in endoscopy units lack formal reprocessing training, study suggests By Mackenzie Bean F ew nurses or endoscopy technicians undergo formal training on infec- tion control and reprocessing before joining endoscopy units, according to a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control. Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine, both in Hous- ton, conducted the study, which was published Jan. 21. ey surveyed 88 nurses and technicians practicing in endoscopy units on their training and knowledge of infection control practices. Less than 15 percent of respondents reported receiving formal training on endoscope reprocessing or infection prevention before joining their unit. Many technicians said they began repro- cessing endoscopes on their own within one month of joining the unit. Overall, clinicians reported high levels of confidence in endoscope reprocessing, but their average assessment score for knowledge of best practices was just 62 percent. Technicians were oen less familiar with infection control issues, while nurses were less familiar with specific reprocessing protocols. n Young, middle-aged adults biggest COVID-19 spreaders, study finds By Erica Carbajal A s of October 2020, the majority of U.S. COVID-19 infections originated from people between the ages of 20 and 49, according to a report published Feb. 3 in Science Magazine. Researchers analyzed age-specific mobility trends from more than 10 million people in the U.S. and found until mid-August, before schools reopened, people aged 35-49 contrib- uted to 41.1 percent of COVID-19 infections. Those aged 20-35 contributed to nearly 35 percent of infections, making those in the 20-49 age group responsible for about 76 percent of COVID-19 infections. By October, when many states lifted school closure mandates, adults aged 20-49 still accounted for about 72 percent of COVID-19 infections, the study showed. "The primary mechanisms underlying the high reproduction numbers from 20-49-year-olds are that at population level, adults aged 20-49 nat- urally have most contacts to other adults aged 20 and above, which are more susceptible to COVID-19 than younger individuals, paired with increasing mobility trends for these age groups since April 2020," researchers wrote. In light of the findings, researchers suggest rap- id mass vaccinations for adults aged 20-49 may keep COVID-19 resurgences under control. n California nursing home fined $59K for not properly protecting staff from COVID-19 By Gabrielle Masson F remont (Calif.) Healthcare Center was fined $59,000 by California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health for not properly protecting its staff from COVID-19, The Mercury News reported Feb. 4. California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health issued five citations to the skilled nursing facility, four of which were deemed "serious" and one categorized as "regulatory." The center failed to "implement and maintain effective procedures" to reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure, according to Cal/OSHA. The agency recorded the violations during inspections occurring between June 30, 2020, and Jan. 13, 2021. Fremont Healthcare Center also "failed to immediately report" to Cal/OSHA that one of its employees was hospitalized with COVID-19 for about seven days in May. The center, in at least eight cases, failed to "notify employees with significant exposures in a reasonable timeframe," reported Cal/ OSHA. Employees also weren't properly trained on the facility's control measures and appropriate protection to mitigate the spread of the virus, according to Cal/OSHA. A spokesperson for Fremont Healthcare Center, Daniel Kramer, said in an emailed statement to The Mercury News that the citations from Cal/OSHA contain "untrue allegations," and that the facility is appealing all of them. "Every aspect of the citations are disputed, and we continue to provide a safe workplace, exceptional care for our residents, and work to remain compliant with all safety rules," Mr. Kramer told The Mercury News in February. n

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