Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

6 INFECTION CONTROL COVID-19 risk low from surface contamination; CDC updates cleaning guidelines By Erica Carbajal S tudies have shown the risk of contracting COVID-19 from a contaminated surface is "generally less than 1 in 10,000," and in most cases, household cleaners rather than disin- fectants are sufficient to ward off virus levels, the CDC said in updated guidance published April 5. The primary mode of infection is through exposure to respirato- ry droplets, the agency said. "Based on available epidemiological data and studies of environmental transmission factors, surface transmission is not the maine route by which SARS-CoV-2 spreads, and the risk is considered to be low," the CDC said. "The principal mode by which people are infected … is through exposure to respiratory droplets carrying infectious virus." In community settings, there is little evidence to support the routine use of disinfectants, the agency said, adding that in most cases, cleaning surfaces with soap or detergent once per day effectively reduces virus levels. If there's been a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case within the last 24 hours in an indoor setting, disinfection is still recommended. n FDA warns of infection risk linked to urological endoscopes By Mackenzie Bean T he FDA is warning healthcare providers of a potential infection risk linked to reprocessed urological endoscopes after receiving nu- merous reports of patient infections and contami- nation issues, the agency said April 1. The FDA was still investigating the potential cause of these infections as of April, but it said the infec- tion risk is low. Some reports cite inadequate reprocessing or maintenance issues as a potential cause of the in- fections. However, the agency is also evaluating po- tential issues with device design and reprocessing instructions. The FDA recommends healthcare providers care- fully follow the manufacturer's reprocessing in- structions, avoid using damaged devices and schedule routine device inspections, among other actions to minimize infection risk. n How's Houston Methodist's vaccine mandate so far? 'Very successful,' says CEO Dr. Marc Boom By Molly Gamble H ouston Methodist managers had a deadline of April 15 to receive at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as part of the system's mandate. The numbers are in: 99.4 percent of the management team has complied. "So far the rollout of our mandatory COVID-19 vaccination plan has been very successful, with our managers at nearly 100 per- cent," Houston Methodist President and CEO Marc Boom, MD, told Becker's in April. "Now we turn to all other employees to do the right thing and get vaccinated." When the mandatory vaccination policy was rolled out March 31, 95 percent of the system's managers and 100 percent of its executives had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. They had until April 15 to receive at least one dose or get an approved exemption. Anyone who doesn't comply must first have a discussion with their supervisor, then could face suspension followed by termination. e system now circles June 7 as the next deadline for all 26,000 employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine. As of April 15, more than 84 percent of system employees and 96 percent of employed physi- cians had received at least one shot. Houston Methodist is the first large, integrated health system to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for employees. "I feel strongly that we must protect our patients, who are some of the most vulnerable in our community," said Dr. Boom. "I am con- fident that our employees who are not vaccinated yet will do so by the deadline, as we are all committed to protecting our patients." A poll published April 6 by e Washington Post and Kaiser Family Foundation found 1 in 6 healthcare workers said they would leave their job rather than get the COVID-19 vaccine. As of mid-April, Houston Methodist had not seen any voluntary resignations due to its policy, a spokesperson told Becker's. n

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