Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

5 INFECTION CONTROL CDC unveils new way to track respiratory virus trends: 4 updates By Erica Carbajal e CDC on Oct. 4 released a new "community snapshot" feature to track respiratory virus activity across the country. On the page, users can see how virus activity levels are trending by state or by county. e community snapshot feature measures how frequently respiratory virus symptoms and conditions are diagnosed in emergency departments. It's broadly defined to capture COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and other respiratory infections. CDC officials told CBS News the community snapshot aims to provide a simple way for a wide range of users to get a sense of whether respiratory illnesses are increasing or decreasing, and to serve as a guide for individuals considering when to take preventive measures such as masking. "We have a continuum of users, from the public health practitioner to my parents, providing feedback on how they're using it," Matthew Ritchey, DPT, told the news outlet. "More oen, the feedback we get is, 'hey, I use this to help inform how I work, or talk with my elderly parents.'" e website will continue to be updated based on feedback. Later this fall, the snapshot will begin to reflect hospitalization trends. In May, hospitals were no longer required to report COVID admissions or capacity data, though the CDC encouraged reporting on a voluntary basis. But a new CMS rule will take effect in November that resumes the requirement. "As that data starts to come in again and gets to a robust enough level, the plan is that it would be incorporated on the site as well," Dr. Ritchey said. ree more virus updates: • Overall, the amount of acute respiratory illness in the U.S. is low. COVID-19 activity is falling in most areas. However, ED visits for flu and RSV are beginning to increase, according to the CDC's latest update. • A new COVID variant, XEC, is gaining traction in the U.S. and is estimated to account for up to 13% of cases. e strain is a recombinant of two JN.1 lineage viruses, with new COVID shots expected to offer protection against the variant, the agency said. • Data from a new CDC report suggests this year's flu shot may be less effective against hospitalization than past seasons. e study is based on data from countries in the Southern Hemisphere, which officials oen look to as a preview of what may be in store for flu season in the U.S. It found vaccine effectiveness was 34.5% against hospitalization among high-risk groups. Last year, vaccine effectiveness in South America was 51.9% effective against hospitalization. n COVID deaths fell 69% in 1 year By Mariah Taylor C OVID-19 deaths fell 68.9% from 2022 to 2023 — dropping from the fourth leading cause of death to the tenth, the CDC said. The CDC used U.S. death certificates to estimate the highest causes of death. The report, released Aug. 8, shares the estimated number of deaths in 2023, and the final report is expected to be released later this year, NBC News reported. COVID-19 was an underlying or contributing cause in more than 76,000 deaths, or 1.6% of total deaths in the U.S., in 2023. That's a drop from 5.7% of total deaths in 2022. Despite the decline, the CDC said COVID-19 is still a threat for older adults and those with underlying conditions. n Inside an Illinois hospital's safety-first culture: 3 successful programs By Paige Twenter S ince elevating safety to its No. 1 priority, Springfield (Ill.) Memorial Hospital has launched several projects to protect its staff and patients. The 500-bed medical center is part of Springfield-based Memorial Health, which operates five hospitals. In 2019, the system revised its values statement to have safety as its first goal, followed by integrity, quality and stewardship, the American Hospital Association said in an Oct. 16 news release. This "Safety First" culture has manifested in these programs: 1. Great Catch Award: The hospital encourages its employees to report actual and near-miss events, and safety practices being followed, to its SENSOR tool (System for Event Notification to Support Organizational Reliability). Leaders then compile these responses to find and address patterns of safety concerns, and the award is given to those who are "driving ongoing enhancements in patient care and operational efficiency," according to the AHA. 2. Equity Scorecard: To discover health inequities, Springfield Memorial uses a visual scorecard that displays clinical outcomes stratified by social determinants of health and demographics. With the help of community outreach and sophisticated data analyses, the scorecard is a tool designed to energize the system's equitable culture. 3. Safety Summits: Through collaborations with the local chief of police, sheriff and district attorney, Springfield Memorial hosts recurring Safety Summits to reinforce a zero-tolerance stance on violence, gather insights from clinicians and set procedures for unsafe situations. n

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