Infection Prevention

08/14/2026

I’m pleased to share “Safe Hands, Healthy Lives,” a song I wrote to promote hand hygiene, infection prevention, patient safety, and teamwork in healthcare.

As an Infection Preventionist, I wanted to find a creative way to reinforce an important message: preventing infections takes awareness, consistency, and teamwork from everyone.

🎵 “Safe Hands, Healthy Lives” by LingVille is now available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music. The song is distributed through DistroKid.

I hope the song can help make infection prevention messaging more engaging, memorable, and positive for healthcare teams.

🏥 Hospitals and healthcare organizations interested in licensing or using the song may contact me directly.

Please feel free to listen and share. 🎶

Safe Hands. Healthy Lives. Safer Healthcare.



YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lh8cqzJHgjHjKtIQn4xAQ5GZ7zaEMskco&si=crslL80U2u9kIoFX

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/track/7njfhHP9en14jELYYV0XcE?si=YoYsl8wkSqC-3pAc25F1HA&utm_source=copy-link

Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/us/album/safe-hands-healthy-lives/6801654267?i=6801654268

LingVille · Safe Hands, Healthy Lives · Song · 2026

08/14/2026

COVID-19 is once again showing a summer increase in parts of the country, a reminder that the virus has not disappeared.

Current data show rising COVID activity, including increases in wastewater levels, positive tests and some hospitalizations. Health officials are also discussing vaccine timing as we approach the release of the updated 2026–2027 COVID-19 vaccines, which are expected to target the XFG variant. (San Francisco Chronicle)

For those who have not received the 2025–2026 COVID vaccine, vaccination may still provide protection against severe illness. The CDC particularly emphasizes vaccination for adults 65 and older and people at increased risk for severe COVID-19. (CDC)

As always, prevention still matters—stay home when sick, practice good hand hygiene, improve ventilation when possible, and consider masking in crowded indoor settings or when caring for people at higher risk.

COVID may no longer dominate our daily lives, but staying informed and taking appropriate precautions can still help protect our patients, families and communities.

Just like all previous summers since the pandemic began, COVID-19 cases are ticking up again, even while other health threats make more headlines.

08/01/2026

A large clinical trial from England found that portable HEPA air filters, despite improving air quality, did not reduce respiratory infections, hospitalizations, antibiotic use, or staff sick days in older adults living in care homes.

These findings don’t mean air filtration has no value. Rather, they remind us that no single intervention can replace a comprehensive infection prevention program.

Vaccination, hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, respiratory etiquette, early identification of ill residents, and appropriate isolation precautions remain the foundation of preventing infectious disease transmission in long-term care settings.

As infection preventionists, it’s important to evaluate new technologies using high-quality evidence. Investing in interventions with proven effectiveness helps ensure the best outcomes for both residents and staff.

Portable air filters made no difference to rates of respiratory and other infections in older people's long-term care facilities, a University of Bristol–led trial published in JAMA Internal Medicine has found. The study's authors advise long-term care facilities to continue with standard infectio...

08/01/2026

Preparedness is the best defense against high-consequence infectious diseases.

A recent WHO feature highlights how hospitals in the Czech Republic and Germany successfully managed patients with suspected and confirmed Ebola through years of planning, regular drills, and strong infection prevention and control (IPC) practices.

Their experience reinforces several important lessons:
• Early identification, isolation, and timely communication are critical.
• Continuous staff training is essential—preparedness isn’t a one-time exercise.
• Personal protective equipment is only effective when healthcare workers are well trained in its proper use.
• A coordinated response involving clinicians, infection preventionists, laboratory personnel, emergency responders, and public health agencies helps protect both patients and healthcare workers.

The risk of Ebola to the general public in Europe remains very low, but these cases remind us that hospitals must always be ready to respond to emerging infectious diseases. Investing in preparedness before an emergency occurs is what makes a safe and effective response possible.

The recent outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda is caused by the Bundibugyo species of the Ebola virus. It is highly transmissible and primarily spread through direct contact with the body fluids of infected individuals. Therapeutic treatments in the form of monoclonal antibod...

08/01/2026

An interesting perspective suggests that our current approach may be too reactive. Instead of waiting for cases to occur and investigating individual buildings, greater emphasis should be placed on preventing contamination at its source.

Water disruptions, aging infrastructure, pipe repairs, severe weather, and changes in water treatment can disturb biofilms and allow Legionella bacteria to spread through water systems. Better communication between water utilities, healthcare facilities, and public health agencies could help organizations prepare before people become ill.

The article also highlights the importance of looking beyond outbreak-related cases. Most Legionnaires’ disease cases occur sporadically, and studying these cases may reveal important patterns that could strengthen prevention efforts.

For healthcare professionals, maintaining a high level of suspicion is essential, especially following major water disruptions. Early recognition and prompt treatment can significantly improve patient outcomes.

Preventing Legionnaires’ disease isn’t just about responding to outbreaks—it’s about building stronger water management practices, improving surveillance, and working together to reduce risk before illness occurs.

Hung Cheung, MD, of the Alliance to Prevent Legionnaires' Disease, says preventing illness requires upstream water management, stronger surveillance, and earlier public health intervention.

07/12/2026

More testing is not always better care. Unnecessary medical tests can lead to false positives, additional procedures, increased costs, and unnecessary anxiety for patients. Diagnostic stewardship is about choosing the right test for the right patient at the right time. In infection prevention, this is especially important because unnecessary testing can also lead to inappropriate antibiotic use and make antimicrobial resistance even more challenging.

“The medical industry has spent enormous effort making more advanced tests but expended little effort learning how to use tests correctly,” writes Daniel Morgan.

07/12/2026

This is so true in infection prevention. We can have all the evidence, policies, and guidelines in place, but if we don’t understand why people are not following them, we may never achieve lasting change. Sometimes the real barriers are workload, lack of resources, workflow issues, or simply not understanding the reason behind a practice. As Infection Preventionists, we need to ask why, listen, educate, and work with frontline staff to find practical solutions. Compliance improves when people understand not just what to do, but why it truly matters.

Health care–associated infections are not prevented by policies alone. They are prevented when health care professionals understand why infection prevention practices matter. This commentary explores how combining evidence-based practices with education, competency, and a clear rationale transform...

07/12/2026

This is a good reminder that infection prevention goes far beyond healthcare facilities. With hantavirus, prevention starts with understanding how transmission occurs and taking the right precautions to reduce exposure. The Andes virus is especially concerning because person-to-person transmission can occur. Early recognition, appropriate infection control measures, and educating both healthcare workers and the public are very important in preventing further spread.

Hantaviruses are enveloped viruses belonging to the family Hantaviridae, genus Orthohantavirus, which currently comprises approximately 60 species. They are broadly classified into Old World hantaviruses, distributed in Europe, Asia, and Africa, and New World hantaviruses in the Americas, which are....

07/12/2026

In infection prevention, asking questions is never a bad thing, even when they may sound weird or unusual. Sometimes those unexpected questions make us look more closely at our practices and realize that something we have always done may not necessarily be the safest or best way. In the operating room, where every detail matters, curiosity and speaking up can actually help protect patients.

Building a visible presence in the operating room strengthened relationships between infection preventionists (IPs) and frontline perioperative nurses, creating trust and encouraging staff to seek guidance on everyday challenges. Regular engagement transformed IP into a valued, accessible resource a...

07/12/2026

Candida auris continues to be a serious challenge in healthcare settings. What concerns me most as an Infection Preventionist is its ability to persist on surfaces, spread easily from person to person, and resist multiple antifungal medications. Early identification, proper screening, strict adherence to hand hygiene and infection control precautions, thorough environmental cleaning, and good communication between healthcare facilities remain critical. This is one organism we simply cannot afford to underestimate.