Publications by authors named "Meghan Hudziec"
Accurate reporting of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) to the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) is a critical function of infection prevention and control (IPC) teams. Validation was performed to increase inter-rater reliability in HAI adjudication among infection preventionists. Benefits included improved data integrity, enhanced team performance, and individual growth.
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- Mitigation behaviors are crucial in preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2, and this study examined behaviors linked to secondary transmission within households of confirmed cases.
- In California and Colorado, researchers conducted interviews from January to April 2021, gathering data on self-reported behaviors, individual demographics, and household characteristics related to infection transmission.
- Results indicated that 43.3% of household contacts became infected; key risk factors included sleeping in the same bedroom and eating food prepared by the infected individual, with household size and relationship type influencing these behaviors.
Article Synopsis
- A January-April 2021 study analyzed surface samples from 124 households with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections, finding 27.8% of the samples were positive for the virus using RT-PCR testing.
- Nightstands and pillows were the surfaces most frequently contaminated with the virus.
- Despite the presence of SARS-CoV-2 on various surfaces, viable virus was detected in only 0.2% of samples, indicating that the risk of transmission via surfaces in households is low.
As part of public health preparedness for infectious disease threats, CDC collaborates with other U.S. public health officials to ensure that the Laboratory Response Network (LRN) has diagnostic tools to detect Orthopoxviruses, the genus that includes Variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox.
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- A study was conducted to assess the accuracy of home antigen tests for detecting SARS-CoV-2 during a patient's infection in comparison to RT-PCR tests and viral cultures.
- Researchers evaluated 225 participants with confirmed infections from January to May 2021, focusing on daily test performance over a 15-day period.
- Results showed that antigen tests had a sensitivity of 50% during the infectious period, peaking at 77% four days after illness onset, indicating they are less reliable than RT-PCR but still useful in certain timeframes.
Objective: To assess the household secondary infection risk (SIR) of B.1.1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In Spring 2021, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) B.1.1.
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