A study that compared 154 “case-patients,” who tested positive for COVID-19, to a control group of 160 participants from health care facilities who were symptomatic but tested negative, showed that 70% of the case-patients were contaminated with the virus and fell ill despite “always” wearing a mask, according to the September 11 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Morbidity and Weekly …
By Kathleen Marquardt Due to an overwhelming amount of media and political outcry for the necessity of mask-wearing and the contradicting evidence over whether they are necessary or not, many healthcare workers are confused. In fact, many are wondering why there are so few – just two to be exact – experts from whom we are being given almost all …
by Kathleen Marquardt COVID-19 is a coronavirus, one of a number of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to highly fatal respiratory syndromes like SARS and MERS. COVID-19 is a new strain of coronavirus causing pneumonia-like symptoms. Researchers have now confirmed that the virus can spread via human-to-human transmission, though the original source of the virus has …
By Jeff Hollar The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has passed new regulations surrounding the handling and disposal of pharmaceutical waste at healthcare facilities (HCF) and reverse distributors (RD). Often simply referred to as EPA’s Subpart P, it has had a substantial impact on the way pharmaceutical waste is handled and disposed of in the industry. Unless you’ve been living under …
by Arthur McCoy While in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is an ideal time to assess the options for managing infectious waste. As we consider modern solutions, it is important to be aware of how hospitals have historically managed this waste stream. Just as recent as 25-30 years ago, most hospitals actually managed their infectious waste on-site. The …
By P.J. Heller Efforts to battle the second worst outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were being hampered at year’s end by a deterioration in the security situation, leading the head of the World Health Organization to warn that recent gains in fighting the deadly virus could be lost. “We have reached a critical point in …
