Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1475102
11 INFECTION CONTROL The consequences of COVID-19 reinfection: 'Still a lot of gray' By Mackenzie Bean C OVID-19 reinfections are becoming a regular occurrence in the U.S. as new variants emerge and surges come and go, but experts are still unclear on the long-term ramifications of these repeat infections, according to e Atlantic. It's not uncommon for someone to contract COVID-19 infections several times in one year amid the rapid emergence of new variants. One study suggests the shortest known gap between COVID-19 in- fections was 20 days. However, many experts predict this reinfection rate will slow over time as population immunity increases. Aubree Gordon, PhD, an epidemiologist at the University of Mich- igan in Ann Arbor, estimates that people will contract COVID-19 infections every three years or so, on average. "Barring some intervention that really changes the landscape, we will all get SARS-CoV-2 multiple times in our life," she told e Atlantic. is cadence would mirror the reinfection rates of flu and other coronavirus infections. Experts say there is still not enough evidence to predict how danger- ous or severe future COVID-19 infections will be. One theory is that the virus will become the fih coronavirus responsible for causing common colds, but scientists still don't know what happens to people who repeatedly contract COVID-19 infections. "Will reinfection be really bad, or not a big deal? I think you could fall down on either side," Vineet Menachery, PhD, a coronavirologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, told e Atlantic. "ere's still a lot of gray." n Why a Bellevue physician feels safest in the hospital By Georgina Gonzalez A s the public pushes off COVID-19 restrictions, physicians are feeling uneasy and increasingly turn to their places of work for safety, Danielle Ofri, MD, a physician at New York City-based Bellevue Hospital, wrote in The Atlantic May 22. Dr. Ofri argues that hospitals are now the place where she feels most safe, despite their high danger in the beginning of the pandemic. Those who work in hospitals have never stopped wearing masks and have a high respect for the severity of COVID-19, unlike the general public, she said. After two years of treating the disease and being severely affected by the extreme damage it causes, she argues that she is just not ready to move on from COVID-19 like the general public. "Patients cast far longer shadows in our professional lives than statistics, and seeing a disease recede into ordinariness feels almost like a betrayal of those we've cared for and lost," Dr. Ofri wrote. n Joint Commission calls for more education on the use of packaged sterile supplies By Erica Carbajal T he Joint Commission has issued guidance to help prevent healthcare professionals from using packaged sterile supplies and devices that are expired or compromised. Using commercially prepared sterile supplies that are not appropriate for use poses risk of infection and other harm to patients, the quality improvement and patient safety group said. "Over the past few years, we have found that many healthcare professionals do not have the proper training to recognize if packaged sterile supplies are appropriate for use," Diane Cullen, MSN, RN, associate director of The Joint Commission's Standards Interpretation Group, said in a June 28 statement. "This is concerning because the packaging includes many symbols, which represent critical information about how the item should be used, stored and reprocessed." In a Quick Safety advisory, the group recommended healthcare organizations educate staff on the labeling used for packaged supplies and devices and when a commercially prepared sterile device would be inappropriate to use, among other action items. n